She turned and looked across the intersection at Waterfall Park and the apartment building where John Ross lived with Stefanie Winslow. The wind buffeted her gangly form as she stood there and tried to decide what she should do.
Finally, she picked up her bag and turned the corner to walk up Main Street to Pass/Go. She entered the reception area and glanced around. Except for the lady working the intake desk, the room was empty.
She moved over to the desk, taking several deep breaths to slow the pounding of her heart, masking her trepidation and urgency with a smile. “Is John Ross here?” she asked.
The woman at the desk shook her head without looking up. She seemed anxious to stick with her paperwork. “He didn’t come in today. Can I help you?”
“My name is Nest Freemark. I’m a friend. I need to speak with him right away. It’s rather urgent. Can you give him a call for me at his apartment? Or would you let me have his number?”
The woman smiled in a way that let Nest know right off the bat she wasn’t about to do either. “I’m sorry, but our policy is-”
“Well, look who’s back!” Della Jenkins strolled into the room, smiling like this was the best thing that had happened all day. “I thought you was flying home, Nest Freemark. What re you doing, back in my kitchen?”
She saw Nest’s face, and the smile faded away. “Good gracious, look at you! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’d been in a cat fight with Stef Winslow.” She looks just the same!”
Nest flinched as if she had been struck. “I’m sorry to barge in like this’ but something’s came up and I really need to find John.”
“Lord, if this isn’t a day for finding John! Everyone wants to find John! You’d think he’d won the lottery or something. He hasn’t, has he? “Cause if he has, I want to be sure I get my share. Marilyn, let me use the phone there, sweetie.”
Della moved the woman at the intake desk out of the picture with an easy exercise of authority that didn’t leave much room for doubt as to who was boss. She picked up the receiver, punched in a number, and waited, Listening. After a long time, she set the receiver
“John’s been home all day, far as I know. He’s stayed clear of here, and I don’t expect him in. Stefanie’s gone, too. Left here a short time ago. There’s no answer at the apartment, so maybe they’re out together somewhere.”
Nest nodded, her mind racing over the possibilities. Had they left town? Had John Ross done as he promised? She didn’t think so. She didn’t think there was a prayer of that happening. He would still be in the city . . .
“Is Mr. Lawrence here?” she asked quickly.
“Oh, no, he’s gone, too.” Delta answered, surrendering her seat to Marilyn once more. She came around the desk and put her finger to the side of her cheek. “You know, Nest-.oh, I do love that name! Nest! Anyway, Nest, John might be down at the art museum, helping set up for tonight. That’s where Simon’s gone, so maybe John’s gone there, too.”
Nest was already starting for the door, shouldering her bag. “Thanks, Della. Maybe you’re right.”
“You want me to call and ask?”
“No, that’s okay, I’ll just go down. If John shows up here or calls in, tell him fm looking for him and it’s really important.”
“Okay.” Delta made a face. “Here, where are you going with that bag? You don’t want to be carrying that all over the place. You leave it with me, I’ll keep it safe.”
Nest came back and handed her bag to the bag woman. “Thanks again. I’ll see you.”
She raced across the lobby, thinking, I’m going to be too late, I’m not going to be in time!
“Slow down, for goodness sake, this ain’t the fifty-yard dash!” Della called after her, but she was already out the door.
Andrew Wren spent the remainder of the afternoon following investigative roadways that all turned into dead ends. He was not discouraged, though. Investigative reporting required patience and bulldog determination, and he had an abundance of bath. If the research took until Christmas, that was all right with him. What wasn’t all right was the way his instincts were acting. He trusted his instincts, and up until this morning they had been doing just fine. They had told him the anonymous reports of wrongdoing at Fresh Start were worth following up. They had told him the transfer records that had been slipped under his door were the real thing.