The Lost by Caridad Piñeiro Page B

said, and heard Tony shushing the people in the background. From the clink of plates and glasses and the murmured conversation, along with the occasional blare of a horn, Adam guessed that his employee was at some kind of outdoor restaurant.
    Perhaps his family’s restaurant in Bradley Beach?
    “Mr. Bruno. Sorry for the noise. I’m at work. Is it an emergency?”
    Work? Adam wondered, then realized he had said it aloud when Tony quickly replied, “At my parents’ restaurant. I help out here at night. Do you need something?”
    “I hadn’t heard from you about your sister.”
    “I didn’t think you were serious about me calling you.”
    Adam had thought himself fairly in touch and responsive to his employees, but clearly his perceptions were off.
    “Is Bobbie okay? Is there anything I can do?” he said, striving for the kind of tone in his voice that would leave no doubt about his sincerity.
    The muffled sound of Tony speaking was followed by a more distant female voice. Bobbie. The distance did nothing to lessen the immediate tightening of his gut and the flare of longing.
    “She says she’s fine, Mr. Bruno. Is there anything elseI can do for you?” Tony replied, clearly anxious to return to work.
    “No. Not at all. Sorry to bother you,” he replied, and hung up.
    Tapping the edge of the smartphone to the tip of his chin, he considered Tony’s answer. His intern was at his family’s restaurant and his sister was obviously there as well. He checked the time on the phone. Five-thirty. He hoped that she might be there for a bit longer. He had found her address online, and a look through her home might provide some insights into Bobbie and her life.
    Shoving away from his desk to pay that visit, he stuffed the report on a new technology for battery arrays into his briefcase. He still needed to review it after postponing his meeting, and he would later tonight after a little breaking and entering.
    Maybe some reading in bed before sleep time. Which was so wrong, he thought. He was in the prime of his life and he was taking a lab report to bed with him instead of a warm and willing woman like Bobbie. Chalk it up to his being very selective about with whom he slept—generally women to whom he had no emotional attachment.
    Unlike Bobbie, who had been innocently challenging him and earning him a big fail in the restraint department. Cursing beneath his breath, he grabbed the briefcase and stormed out of his office, one thought in his head.
    He had to learn all he could about Bobbie so that he could drive her out of his mind.

CHAPTER
7
     
    B obbie’s home was in a condo unit located on Ocean Avenue in Ocean Grove. High-end for someone who was likely living on a military paycheck.
    He parked his car around the corner and stepped out, considering for a moment that he should just approach her to talk about all that had happened. But he wasn’t sure she would welcome the kinds of questions he would ask. If he could get inside, he might get some needed information.
    He walked across the street until he was standing opposite the condo. Even from a distance he could see it had a plain old mechanical lock, so using his energy to trip the mechanism would be impossible.
    Behind him on the street was a row of brightly painted Victorian homes. The homes were situated close together, with small alleys between some of them, the perfect spot for what he needed to do.
    As he stood there, the door to the condo building opened and someone walked out carrying a burly blackcat, placed the cat down on the sidewalk, and then hurried up the block. The cat immediately made a run across the street and straight toward one of the nearby homes. The feline sat a few feet back from the mouth of one of those alleys as if waiting for someone or something. With dusk falling heavily and the streets relatively empty, Adam easily slipped unnoticed down the alley until he was about a foot away from the cat.
    He bent and beckoned to the animal.