Page 59 of Night and Day
Chapter 22
Cold sweat trickleddown Izzy’s brow.
“Mia Forsman?” The female voice on the phone said with mild frustration. “I’m trying to get in touch with her. She reported her personal items as stolen and her passport was found as part of a recent raid. If you are in contact with her, please ask her to call the Auckland city police station as soon as possible.”
Her sharp question woke Izzy. “Sure, yeah. She’s right here with me. Hang on.” He looped around the car and handed his phone to Mia, who stared at it in confusion.
“The police, about your passport,” he whispered, and she took the phone.
Mia listened to the police officer, her face white, eyes startled. “Yes, this is Mia Forsman.”
She rattled off her city of birth (he couldn’t have repeated if he’d tried) and middle name (something like Katherine, but not quite).
“Yes, that sounds great. Thank you so much.” She ended the phone call and returned the phone, her face still registering the shock. “They found my passport at some drug den or something.”
“Drug den?”
“She mentioned the National Drug Something Bureau and a raid. That’s what it means, right?”
Izzy tried to smile. “Yeah, I guess. That’s great news, isn’t it?” His voice betrayed his lack of enthusiasm, and he hated himself for it. This was wonderful for Mia, a lot easier than driving to Wellington and applying for some temporary document that would possibly take weeks to organise. But those weeks had been his lifeline, a ray of hope that he’d get to keep her here, maybe long enough to win her heart.
This is not about you, fool.
“What about the other stuff?” he asked. “Was there anything else than the passport?”
She shrugged. “All sold on. Maybe they didn’t find any takers for a Finnish passport, so it was the only thing left?”
“Too exotic?” Izzy guessed, lifting a brow. He opened the car door. “Back to Hamilton, then?”
Mia got in, fanning herself in the stuffy heat that had built up inside. Izzy hopped in and started the engine to get the air-con going.
“They said they’ll courier the passport to Hamilton police station and will call this number.” Mia shot him a glance. “I should have given her my new phone number!” She waved the old phone he’d lent her – one he hoped she’d keep.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll just pass you the phone when they call.”
Which meant she’d have to stay with him. Izzy scolded himself for the possessive thought as they joined the motorway, turning back towards Hamilton.
They drove in silence, Izzy staring at the road, Mia at her phone. A small crease had appeared between her eyes and remained there as she tapped the screen. Finally, she looked up, the words bursting out of her with urgency. “The airline came back with my flight details and said as long as I have my passport, I can fly out on Wednesday.” She shook as she exhaled. “Wow. I never thought this would work out.”
Izzy’s stomach tightened. “What time on Wednesday?”
“Noon. Sorry. I won’t make it to your brother’s wedding. If I don’t take this flight, I don’t know... I can’t. I can’t stay.”
He nodded. “I know.” He hadn’t asked her to stay, but hearing her apologise, so torn, shot another ray of hope into his heart. A dangerous ray.
“But we still have two days.” She dropped her phone, offering him a look of wistful sadness. “If you need a fake girlfriend for anything else?”
Izzy pushed down the sour taste of disappointment creeping up his throat. “That’s fine. I’ll tell everyone you had a family emergency and had to fly back early or something.”
“Yes! Tell them my sister’s gone into labour. She’s already eight months and kind of high risk, anyway.” Mia screwed up her mouth in regret. “I probably shouldn’t jinx her like that!” She tapped at her phone, then raised her chin, her smile sparkling. “She wrote back!”
“Your sister?”
“Yes! I emailed her earlier and told her what happened...” Mia dropped her gaze back on the screen, reading the email. “Oh, my God! The baby has turned around and dropped lower... whatever that means, so she could go into labour any day. Oi, little one, stay in there! Auntie’s coming!”
She had a life to return to. She wasn’t his to keep. Izzy smiled, trying to expel the sadness welling in his chest. “Let’s do something fun, so you have some good memories of New Zealand.”
