“No,” Jake said firmly. “She needs it, she knows that. Without guidance she does foolish things.”
“Like run away from her husbands,” Dan theorized.
“Yes. Like that. We obviously weren’t paying close enough attention, spending enough time with her.”
“We’ve been too busy,” Dan said with self-reproach.
“Like you said,” Jake replied. “She’s our beloved wife. We should have made more time.”
Dan heard the self-reproach in his brother’s voice. “None of this helps us find her.”
“No. But we will.” Jake had done a complete turn-around. “And when we do, I’m going to turn her butt crimson. Who could she have run to?”
“She has so many friends and none of them are going to tell us if she’s hiding with them.”
None of her friends would betray her. Mari inspired great loyalty.
The phone rang, surprising them and Jake snatched it up as Dan prayed it was Mari. What the hell had gone so wrong that their beloved wife would just up and leave them?
“Yeah, hey doc…hmm…no, she’s not here…can I take a message?”
Dan frowned. Why would the Doctor be ringing for Marly? She didn’t have an appointment any time soon. They always marked it on the calendar and made sure that one of them took her.
“That so? Yep…oh, I understand…yes, I’ll be sure to tell her. Thanks.”
Jake hung up.
“Why was the doctor calling?” Dan asked. “Why did he want Mari?”
Jake stared at the phone. “He didn’t say much. Just said he wanted to check up on her, see how she was feeling, and see how her appointment in Chicago went.”
“So she’s in Chicago?”
“Seems that way,” Jake replied with a frown. “And she’s not well.”
Dan felt a stab of worry. She was ill? And they weren’t there to take care of her. Who would look after her? Make sure she ate properly and got enough rest?
“We’ll check the hospitals,” Dan began before Jake held a hand up.
“Doesn’t Annabelle have an apartment in Chicago?” Jake asked.
Dan smiled. “Yeah, she does. And I know where it is.” He left the room and came back with a small, floral book in his hand. “I noticed yesterday that Mari left this here, it’s an address book. I thought we might have to go through the whole thing. Here it is.”
“Fantastic. Let’s go.”
Chapter Two
Mari left the doctor’s office and hailed a taxi. She’d been talking over her options with him. It was frightening, terrifying and she didn’t know what to do. The lump was small and localized. She could have a lumpectomy, save her breast. But fear of the cancer reoccurring had her leaning towards a mastectomy. Plus, if she had a lumpectomy she was looking at weeks of radiation.
She wished Dan and Jake were here so she could talk things over with them.
Blinking back tears, she exited the taxi and entered the building which housed Anna’s apartment.
Her head was down as she walked, searching frantically for her keys in her over-sized bag. Somehow she could never find the things.
“Nice to see some things never change.”
“How many times have we told you to find your keys before you leave the car, Mari?”