Read Online Together Alone by Barbara Delinsky - Free Book Online Page B

truth.
    Well, hell, sometimes he wasn’t. But when it came to Marilee, who did confide in Kay, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
    “It’s Emily,” he said now and passed the phone to her.
    “Emily. Hi. What’s up?”
    “Can I run something by you?”
    Kay heard worry. “Sure. Go ahead.”
    “I didn’t tell John. You know how he gets. But I can’t reach Doug. He’s supposed to have been in Baltimore for the past two days, but the hotel has no record of him.”
    Kay sat up. “He must be at another hotel.”
    “Would he do that without telling me? I have no way of reaching him. What if there were an emergency here? What if something happened to Jill and I needed to contact him?”
    “You’d call other hotels. You’d call the police. You’d go to his desk and get his client’s number. I’m sure it’s an innocent mistake.”
    There was a pause on the other end. “Must be. It’s frustrating, though. The one time I try calling him, he isn’t there. It’s not very considerate of him.”
    Kay didn’t think so, either, but was surprised to hear Emily say it. She usually defended Doug to the hilt. “He left on Sunday, just when you were getting Jill ready to go. In the rush and emotion of that, he may have been distracted. When did you talk with him last?”
    “Last night. But I have to talk with him tonight. Did John tell you that he brought his new detective by to see the garage apartment?”
    “Vaguely.” John’s specialty was asking, not telling. He far preferred investigation to benign chitchat. What news he did bring came in single, simple sentences.
    “Well, Brian Stasek wants to rent the place,” Emily was saying, “and I need input from Doug.”
    “What did you think of him?”
    “Brian? He seems nice. His daughter is adorable.”
    Kay smiled. “I figured you’d fall for the kid.”
    “What’s not to fall for? The poor thing just lost her mother, and her father is slightly bewildered. He offered to help get the place ready, but I can’t do a thing until I talk with Doug.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because this is Doug’s project.”
    “Seems to me you’re the one doing the work.”
    “But he pays the bills.”
    “So?”
    “So, he has to tell me what he wants for rent, and how much I can spend on appliances and all. It’s his money.”
    “It’s yours, too,” Kay argued. “It’s everything you weren’t paid all these years while you were raising Jill and coddling him. You have a right to take some credit for his success.”
    “Well,” Emily mused, “that’s neither here nor there. The fact is that I need to talk with him tonight, but I have no idea where he is.”
    “Give him a little longer. Maybe he’ll call.”
    “If not, I will track him down. You’re right, through his client. He may be annoyed.”
    “Tough. He should be embarrassed, not telling you where he is.”
    “He’s busy. That’s all.”
    “He’s self-centered.”
    “He’s under a lot of pressure.”
    Sensing that Emily would counter each accusation with an excuse, Kay offered a few last words of encouragement before ending the call. She was surprised to find John still at the door.
    “She okay?” he asked.
    “She will be. Doug wasn’t where he said he’d be. It’s probably just a mix-up, but it’s too bad it happened this week. It’s a raw time for Emily.”
    “Where’s he supposed to be?”
    Kay told him the story in crisp answers to the questions he fired, but when he threatened to make some calls, she objected. “Don’t, John. Please. Emily won’t want that. Doug’s not missing, just momentarily displaced.” She collapsed the antenna and handed him the phone. “Will Brian Stasek be a good tenant?”
    “Yup.”
    “Not that they really need one. Doug’s making good money. If he’s feeling pinched, he could let Emily work.”
    “This will be easier for her. Once the apartment’s fixed up, all she’ll have to do is sit back and collect the rent.”
    “Now, that sounds