The Coffee Shop (25 page)

Chapter Twenty

“Where’s Annie?”

Brian looked up from his desk. “I thought she was with you.”

Derrick stepped out into the hallway, and after looking the entire length of the hospital corridor both ways, he stepped into Brian’s office. “How long ago did she step out?”

“Right after you did.”

Pulling his cell phone from his coat pocket, Derrick dialed and a message came over the phone.
The customer you are calling is unavailable at the moment, please try again later.
“Damn, she has her phone turned off.” He stared at his cell. “Annie, where are you?” Dropping it back into his pocket, he looked to Brian. “How did she seem?”

“The same as when you left her.”

Just the way Brian said that made Derrick pause, and Brian looked away.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“I know.” He stepped back into the corridor, again looking both ways down its length. “Which way did she go?”

“To the right.”

“Toward the stairs?”

“Yes, the stairs are in that direction. But you don’t think she left, do you?”

“I’m going to look for her. If she comes back here, call me.” Derrick ran to the stairs, and stepping into the well, he leaned over the railing. He looked down the many floors and listened. It was silent, and there was no sign of anyone in the well, no hand upon a lower railing, no foot upon the stair.

“Annie?” he called. But there was no answer. “Where the hell is she?”

Taking the elevator, he pulled his cell from his pocket.

“Um…you’re not allowed to use that in here, you know.”

“What?” Derrick turned to see an old man looking up at him, his bow tie neatly centered on his neck, his hat in his hand.

“The cell phone. You’re really not supposed to be using it.”

He seemed apologetic and looked away, Derrick then looking at his phone in frustration. “Sorry. It’s urgent and…” He gripped the phone and as soon as the door to the lobby opened, he hurried to the street where he dialed Perfectly Natural. “Angela! God, am I glad to get you. Have you heard from Annie?”

“Aren’t you with her?”

“Well I was, but now I can’t find her. If she calls you, or comes by there, could you please let me know immediately?”

There was a long pause on the other end. “Is something wrong?”

Derrick closed his eyes, and gritting his teeth he tried not to let the emotions rise to the surface. “I…no, um…I just need to talk to her. So if you could call me.”

“Sure, Derrick.”

“Thanks, Angela. I…thanks.”

Angela hung up the phone. “I did as you asked, Annie. I didn’t tell him you were here. Now could you please tell me what is going on?”

“We had a disagreement, and I just need some time alone. I’m thinking it would be a good idea to go back home for a while.”

“Sure, that sounds good. You take all the time you need.”

Annie glanced around the store. “I miss working here.”

“I miss you working here too.”

“So, you never thought I was in the way?”

“Now I never said that. Honestly, I don’t know where you get these ideas?”

“Oh, maybe it has something to do with overhearing Amber say it to you.”

Angela grinned sheepishly. “Oh, you heard that did you?”

“It’s all right. I know I was more of a hindrance than a help. I just thought…Oh, I don’t know what I thought.” She laughed, and shrugged.

“Hey.” Angela took Annie by the shoulders, looking her square in the eye. “I never said that.” She tilted her head and smiled. “Don’t go listening to what Amber has to say. Just because she took some night school class on herbs, she suddenly thinks she’s an expert.” Seeing Annie’s downward gaze, Angela gave her a hug. “You look beat. You go home and you get some rest, you hear? You just take your time. And you come back and you visit me. All right?”

Derrick came bursting into the penthouse. “Annie?” Pulling his cell phone from his pocket he tried her number again.
The customer you are calling —

“Damn it, Annie, turn on your phone!” Rushing back to the front of his building, he climbed once more into his limousine. “Perfectly Natural, please, Lawrence.”

The traffic was heavy, and twice Derrick had to refrain from rolling down the window and yelling an obscenity. But at last they were pulling into the parking lot of the store. Derrick jumped from the limousine before Lawrence even had a chance to bring it to a stop. Running to the entrance, he pushed the door open impatiently.

“Angela!”

Angela turned at the sound of Derrick’s voice, and she signaled Amber to come and take over for her with a customer. “Derrick? What are you doing here?”

“Annie still has her phone turned off. Have you seen her? I know how close you two are, and if she would come to anyone, or confide in anyone, it would be you.”

“Come to confide? Derrick, what is going on? Did you two have a fight?”

“Are you saying she hasn’t called you?”

“I can honestly say, Annie has not called me.”

“She came by here, didn’t she?” She didn’t need to say a word for him to have his answer, her expression said it all. “Angela, please, when was she here?”

“I’m sorry, Derrick, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Derrick stood staring down at her, his disbelief pushing the boundaries of his restraint.

“Derrick, what is going on? What happened?”

He dragged a hand over his mouth, his ability to keep from tearing up fast leaving him.

“It’s not my place to say. I would think she would want to tell you herself.” He was unable to look her in the eye, and he sighed. “Can you please just tell me what she said to you?”

Angela shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

“Annie is dying, Angela. Is that what you wanted to hear? She is dying and there is nothing I can do to stop it!” He was unaware he was yelling, every person in the store turning to stare at him. He looked to see them all watching him, and he took a step back. Angela was staring up at him, her mouth open, but she wasn’t saying anything. “She has cancer — it’s metastasized to her bones — she has maybe weeks to…” The tears started flowing, and he wept right there in front of her, as she stood looking up at him, but she hugged him to her. They held each other tightly in that moment. “Please, Angela, I need to know where she is.”

Pulling away from him, she held his arms as she looked up at him. “She told me she was going home.”

“And?”

“And?” she asked.

“What else did she say?”

“That was it. That she was going to go home.”

“That’s all?”

Angela just shrugged.

“I guess I’ll go back to the penthouse then. But if you hear from her you let me know immediately. She shouldn’t be alone just right now. Not with this.”

“I will.”

Leaving the store, Derrick climbed back into the limousine. Calling his building, he asked to speak to the doorman. “Harold. Has Annie come back yet? We seem to have lost track of each other, and I was hoping she was already home.”

“Miss Maddock? No. Not here, Mr. Sloane.”

“Thanks, Harold.”

“No problem, Mr. Sloane.”

“Uh, Harold, could you please call me the moment she does come in?”

“Sir?”

“She has her cell phone turned off. I wanted to surprise her with something, and I just need to know when she gets back, that’s all.”

“Yes, sir. No problem, sir.”

“Thanks again. I appreciate it.”

“Hey, Mr. Sloane, just glad I can help.”

Derrick hung up his phone. “Annie, where are you?” But then he remembered. “Her apartment.” Dialing up Angela, he held the receiver to his ear. “Angela.”

“Did you find her?”

“No, any word?”

“None. Derrick, I’m getting worried.”

“Don’t be. I’m sure she’s just gone off somewhere to be alone for a while to take it all in. I would probably do the same thing.”

“You’re right. Yes, that’s probably what she’s done.”

“I need to ask you a question. And I need you to be honest with me.” There was a pause and he could sense her tension.

“Did Annie keep her apartment?” There was another silence. “When we moved in together, did she continue to keep the apartment?”

“She…yes, she did. But it’s not what you think. It has nothing to do with your relationship. That’s just the way she is. That way if you ever had a fight or anything, she’d have someplace to go to be alone if she needed to be. Oh, my God, Derrick. Do you think that’s where she’s gone?”

“I’m going to find out.”

“Oh, please let me know when you find her.”

She didn’t say it, but he knew she was scared. “Don’t worry. I will.” He disconnected the call and looking at Lawrence, he sat forward on his seat. “Annie’s apartment, Lawrence.”

“Right away, sir.”

It only took minutes to get there, but it was minutes too long, as far as he was concerned. He ran up the stairs, not willing to wait for the elevator, and pounded on her door. “Annie?”

“What is it? What’s going on out here?”

Derrick turned to see Mrs. Fleming peering out her door over her glasses.

“Mrs. Fleming, have you seen Annie? Is she here?”

“No. Haven’t seen her since she moved in with you.”

“Are you sure? Are you sure she’s not in there?”

“Well, I was in the bathroom for a while she could have come in then I suppose.”

“Do you have a spare key?”

Her already wrinkled face became even more so as she stared up at him. “You want a key?”

“I just need to be certain she’s not there.”

“Well, if she was, wouldn’t she just answer the door?”

“Maybe not.”

“Oh, you two have a fight?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” He tried to calm down, and smiling down at her, he took a breath. “Something has happened, Mrs. Fleming. Annie has gotten some very bad news, and she’s gone off on her own. I am trying to find her because I am very worried about her. So…please, Mrs. Fleming, did she give you a spare key to her apartment?”

For a moment, Mrs. Fleming just stared. “How long has she got left?”

Her question took him aback, and he took a step back at her words.

“I recognize that look. My Gerald died six months ago, but I’ll never forget that expression on my face when I looked in the mirror.”

He couldn’t meet her gaze and trying to keep his voice steady he licked his lips. “It’s metastasized to her bones.”

“Oh, my dear man.”

He raised his eyes to see her hand over her mouth.

She held up a finger. “Just give me a minute.” She disappeared into her apartment, reappearing a moment later with a key. “Here. This is Annie’s key.”

Taking it, he turned it in the lock. Stepping into the dark apartment, he moved into the main room. “Annie? You here?” He walked into the bedroom, and from there into the washroom, but she wasn’t there. Opening the closet door, he could still see a few clothes on hangers. Pulling drawers open there was a couple of pairs of socks and an old issue of some health magazine. She definitely hadn’t been there. There was a layer of dust on all the furniture, and if she had come there, even if it were for only a moment, she would have taken the time to dust. She couldn’t help herself.