Page 36 of Just for Her
“Ally was right about you,” Miriam said. “Hey,youshould call her. I bet she’d answer her phone then.”
“What else aren’t you telling me?”
“Ally and I had some words before she left,” Miriam admitted. “Things escalated, and ... I said some awful things.”
Based on the little I knew about Allison, I didn’t think she’d ignore a frantic call from her sister even if they were on the outs, which immediately made me think that something bad had happened. Then, I thought about Allison’s chivers, and the sense of foreboding grew stronger.
Out of everything Miriam told me, there was one thing that made my blood go cold. Allison had left Saturday evening, and it was now Sunday afternoon.
“You haven’t talked to Allison since yesterday?”
She shook her head. “I’ve been calling her since around three a.m., but she’s not answering.”
“What have you been doing all this time?”
“I went to a hotel, then came here. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.”
The woman before me wasn’t the same one who’d sat in my office days earlier and chided her sister for being overly cautious. This was the real Miriam, the domestic abuse survivor who scars hadn’t yet fully healed. I suddenly had a much better understanding of Allison’s need to take charge.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. First, I’m going to call my brother. He’s a cop, and I can guarantee you, he’s a good one. We’re going to have him head over to your place and check it out, okay?”
She nodded reluctantly.
“Then, we’re going to call your sister and find out what’s going on.”
I took Miriam back to my office and pointed her to Irene’s tea and biscotti stash while I made some calls.
Vinnie was enjoying his day off with Haven and wasn’t too happy about me cutting into their private time, but he changed his attitude when he heardwhyI was calling. I gave him a brief rundown, and he agreed to stop by the office, pick up Miriam’s key, and check it out.
My attempts to contact Allison weren’t as successful. My calls went to voice mail.
“Do you know any of her friends or neighbors we can reach out to?” I asked Miriam.
She shook her head, and that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach intensified.
Chapter Fifteen: Allison
