“Do you live here?”
“Yes, this is my property.”
“Are you Annabelle?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“I’m looking for your daughter, Kendall. My name is Carter Clynes. I used to know her.”
She took a long drag then blew the smoke out, pointing her finger at me. “Oh my God. It’s you. You’re the pilot.”
“Yes. She spoke of me?”
“She did.”
That pleased me.
“Is she here?”
“No. My daughter hasn’t been here in months.”
Filled with dread, I asked, “Where is she?”
“Beats the hell out of me. Kendall made it clear she did not want me to know her whereabouts.”
“When was the last time she was here?”
“She’d taken a trip to Germany. Wouldn’t tell me what happened there. Trip lasted about two weeks. I only found out she’d gone there from the ticket on her luggage, otherwise she wouldn’t have even given me that much.”
“How long was she here for after returning from Germany?”
“A couple of days. She said she was just grabbing her things and leaving again. She told me not to worry about her.”
“She didn’t say whether she was going through with the insemination?”
“No. My daughter much prefers to torture me, changed her phone number, making it impossible for me to find her. She would prefer to leave me here suffering, wondering if I’m gonna lose everything or not. We don’t have much time left. If she hasn’t given birth to a male baby, everything will be gone soon. It’ll be the end of my world as I know it.”
This woman was unbelievable. It took everything in me not to tell her to go fuck herself. But I needed her not to kick me out just yet. “I would say that’s being a little dramatic, Ma’am. You know, there is the option of downsizing
and getting a job. It’s hardly the end of the world just because you can’t maintain this property or lifestyle. At this point, I think you should be more concerned about your daughter’s well-being.”
She chose to ignore my comments. “What is it you want?”
“I need to find her.”
Annabelle walked over to an ashtray and put the cigarette out. “I’m sorry. As I said, I can’t help you.”
Looking around the vast living space, I asked, “Does she have a bedroom here?”
“Yes.”
“Would it be okay if I took a peek inside to see if I can find any clues as to her whereabouts?” When she seemed to hesitate, I said, “It could benefit both of us if we can locate her.”
She lit another cigarette, took a long puff and shrugged. “Go on ahead. Second door on the left up the stairs.”
Nodding my head once, I said, “Thank you.”
The door creaked open as I entered Kendall’s room. The sun was pouring into the space, casting a shadow on her light yellow bedspread. Everything was so clean, delicate and feminine, just like her. My heart felt heavy as I traced my fingers along her personal items.