Page 34 of Minor Trouble
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll get your address from your records. But how do I get in? I’m guessing you don’t have a key under the mat.” He forced a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“Knock on my landlord Marlena’s door. She’ll let you in. Tell her I sent you.”
“Got it.” There was a pause. “Don’t worry, Ainsley, we’ll find them.”
The line went dead, and I clutched my phone to my chest, heart pounding, breathing heavily.
I hoped we could find them because I didn’t want Seth to think I’d been a part of driving Noah away.
Fifteen
Seth
Itook the stairs back down to the garage two at a time, not wanting to waste a minute. “Brad, I have to head out for a bit.”
“You do?” The apprentice stared at me, eyes wide.
Responsibility rippled through me. Not only did I have to go and find my son, but I had to look after Brad. At nineteen, he shouldn’t be left alone in the garage in case something happened. A couple of months ago, I wouldn’t have given a shit about taking off. But now it was different. I huffed out a breath, thinking quickly.
“Stop what you’re doing. Wait in the office, answer the phone if it rings, and take any messages. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I went into the office and found Ainsley’s address. “If there are any problems, call me.”
He nodded. “Got it. What if a customer calls wanting to pick up their car?”
“Tell them I’m working on it and I’ll call them as soon as I’m done.” I almost regretted those words as soon as they came out of my mouth. Catching up would take some serious overtime, but if it meant I found Noah, every single minute would be worth it.
“Where are you going anyway?” Brad asked. He stepped away from the car he’d been tinkering with, no doubt delighted with the opportunity to chill out of a couple of hours.
“To collect Noah,” I lied. “His ride let him down.”
“Got it. See you later.”
I went to my car, sitting in the driver’s seat, my mind whirling. The first thing I did was try calling Noah. His phone went straight to voicemail. I left a vague “give me a call when you get this message” then ended the call. I’d have to try him again when I got to Ainsley’s place. How could I not have spotted the signs of Noah wanting to leave? Although how would I know what they were? We’d settled into a routine, and everything had seemed to be running smoothly.
Worry ate at me.
If I’d have been a better father, I would have noticed, would have seen he was unhappy. But I hadn’t seen any of that.
My phone beeped.
Ainsley: Are you at my apartment yet? What did Marlena say?
Fuck. Now I was letting Ainsley down too. I beat the steering wheel with the palms of my hands, a silent scream coming from my mouth. I had to pull myself together for the sake of others.
I drove across town as fast as the traffic would let me. As I did so, I scanned the area for any sign of Noah and Pepper at bus stops or hanging outside the mall. Nothing. Where were they?
When Marlena opened her front door, her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”
I tapped my fingers against my thigh. “Ainsley Coren sent me. She needs me to check her apartment for something.”
Marlena sniffed. “Why didn’t she ask me to do it?”
“Because one of those things is my son, Noah.”
She turned her back to me, opening up a little key box screwed to the wall in her hallway. Locating a set of keys, she marched ahead of me and up a flight of stairs to what I assumed was Ainsley’s apartment. “Are you coming or not?”
I scurried after her. Marlena unlocked the door and called a greeting, only to be met with silence. It felt strange going to Ainsley’s apartment for the first time without her being there. The place was light and airy, the sofa adorned with cushions, magazines strewn across the coffee table. No dirty dishes lay in the sink, a total contrast to my place, and it wassotidy. I guessed living alone and not being a guy contributed to that.
“I’ll check the bedrooms,” I told Marlena. “You stay here.”
