Page 22 of Hidden Gem
She knew they had no future, but her heart hadn’t listened to reason. She’d taken a sticky note off his desk and left her phone number on his nightstand. If he was as desperate to find her as her foolish heart hoped, he’d call.
Chapter 11
“What do you mean there’sno Beatrice?” Jason tried to keep his tone calm, but an unmistakable edge crept in.
His assistant Tracy, a 25-year-old history major with bleached hair and a fidgety manner, clutched a folder in slight panic. “I’ve checked the guest list twice. There’s a Bridget. Could it be Bridget?”
“No. What about middle names? Check middle names.”
Jason paced the short distance between his desk and bookshelf in his office, rubbing his temples. It was Monday. He’d barely slept last night, and the effects of that one amazing night were fading by the minute. He had to find her, bring her back, fix this.
Tracy blinked, her eyes glistening. “There are no middle names on this list.”
“That’s why it’s called research!” Jason growled. He saw the girl’s hands shaking. This wasn’t right. He needed her on his side. He had to be honest with her.
“I’m sorry, Trace.” Jason guided his assistant to a chair and sat down next to her. “I’m not trying to be a dick. I’m just desperate. I met this woman at the arts gala and she... she spent the night. You know how I’ve had trouble sleeping?” Tracy nodded, a flicker of compassion lighting up her eyes. Jason lowered his voice. “She’s got something. I swear to you. It makes no sense, but when I was with her, I just relaxed. I slept 12 hours. It was amazing.”
Tracy’s mouth hung open as she studied his face. Jason tried to hear his own words as she must have heard them – he sounded like he’d completely lost it. Heart thumping in his chest, he waited.
“She made you fall asleep?”
“I know how it sounds, and I might be completely wrong, but I can’t afford to get any worse. I have to get my sleep under control, keep my brain ticking. So, if there’s any chance she’s the answer, I have to find her. Do you understand?”
He considered telling Tracy what Beatrice had witnessed with Kathleen, but if they ever went through with the plan, it was best his assistant knew nothing about it. The fewer people he dragged down with him, the better.
“Can’t you just take sleeping pills like everyone else?”
“I do, but they don’t really work. They addle my brain. I’m functioning, but I’m not fighting fit. I need to be fighting fit! Wait... who else is taking pills?” Jason narrowed his eyes. In her job application, the girl had described herself a people person, and boy was that accurate. She seemed to be constantly in conversation with someone at the office.
Tracy looked up, her lips pursed, calculating. “At least five people I’ve spoken to.”
Jason wanted to ask for their names but stopped himself. Tracy seemed uncomfortable sharing private details, which was perfect. He needed that discretion more than anyone. If he couldn’t trust his closest team, everything would fall apart.
Tracy got up and glanced through the glass door into the hallway. Her eyes flashed with alarm. “Incoming.”
It was her code word for Kathleen. On Mondays, the MPs were not required to be in the building, so only the most dedicated showed up. People like Kathleen. Jason instinctively straightened his back and rolled his chair behind the large desk, partially hiding behind his computer screen.
