Fear makes my chest so tight I almost can't breathe. If something happened to her, no one would even know to notify me. After driving by her house and looking in the windows, I'd eventually given up and come back here. Her car was still parked on the street outside of her office. It was like she'd gone to work and then vanished into thin air.
I pull out my phone again. "Jonah, I need the car."
I walk into my office and then pull out the file Patrick Stevens assembled on Rissa last month. I'd asked him to find out everything about her which was why I had information about her business partners. But there was one person that would always know how to find her.
I run my finger down the page until I find the address for Gloria Blake. Then I take the elevator down to the first floor. By the time I walk out of the building, Jonah is just pulling up to the curb. I get in and tell him the address.
When we pull up, I recognize Daphne's sporty little green car. Rissa must be here.
I look at Jonah. "I'm not sure exactly what I'm walking into so this may take a while."
He nods. "Of course, sir."
I climb out and then walk up the driveway. The front beds are planted with cheerful pansies that add wild splashes of color to the otherwise plain yard. I knock on the door and then step back to wait. The door swings open.
"You have some nerve showing up here."
The brunette standing in Rissa's doorway glares at me. The effect is ruined slightly by the cheerful blue streaks running down the side of her head.
"You must be Tara." She's the opposite of Rissa's other business partner. This one looks like a lioness ready to take down her prey. And she's looking at me like she's more than ready to sink her teeth in.
"Yes, I am. I don't need you to introduce yourself. You're just the asshole who scared my friend out of her mind this morning."
Her words shed a little light on why Rissa has suddenly gone MIA. But how could I have scared her when I haven't even seen her?
"What are you talking about? I'm here because Rissa didn't come home last night. I called your office and they won't tell me anything. I was worried."
"Worried? You're the reason my friend is currently buried under the blankets and scared of the world right now. She said you screamed at her. That you scared her!"
I take a step back, the jumbled memories of that night are starting to make sense. The weird dream I had about Rissa must have been real. Or at least some of it. I don't even remember everything just seeing flowers and feeling like my head was going to pop off. And screaming.
Oh god. She saw me like that.
Suddenly Daphne appears over her shoulder. "I thought you were a nice guy! I would have never told you where Rissa was that day if I'd known you would do this."
It's a powerful thing to see them both ready to take me down in defense of their friend. One looks determined and the other looks scared to death. Only someone as strong and resolute as Rissa could demand this kind of loyalty just by existing.
"I know this looks bad, hell it is bad, but it's not what you think. I would never scare Rissa on purpose."
Tara comes out on the porch and slams the screen behind her. "That may be true but it doesn't change the fact that Rissa was crying. That doesn't happen often. So, I don't give a damn how much money you have and I don't care if you kill our contract. She's been through too much already and no one is going to put her through this hell again."
"Again? Someone scared her before?" I think back to the night Andrew was waiting at her house and suddenly the whole scene makes a lot more sense. It also makes me so angry that I'm not sure I trust myself to even speak. "Please, just tell Rissa I'm here," I whisper.
"Why do you even care? You've obviously just been stringing her along. Otherwise, why would you invite her to stay with you and then scream at her to get out when she comes back?"
With a defeated sigh, I sit down on the step. "There's a whole story behind this but that story is for Rissa alone. I know you're trying to protect her and I'm glad she has you guys."
That seems to take some of the fun out of it for Tara. She scowls and then says, "Well, don't go getting all sentimental now. I'm having too much fun yelling at you."
I'm starting to understand why she's friends with Rissa. They have the same sarcastic sense of humor.
"You can watch us from the window while I talk to her and then I'll be out of your hair. But you don't have to worry. I've spent the past few hours in hell thinking that something happened to her. I love her more than I knew it was possible to love. And all I want is the chance to explain."
* * * * *
They leave me sitting out there for ten minutes before the door opens again. Gloria steps out on the porch and I immediately get to my feet.
"Miss Blake. It's nice to see you again."