Need You Now

61

I ran to the elevator. Andie followed. I had no cell phone but she was able to dial Connie’s number on hers.

No answer.

I didn’t know how much time my father had left, hours or minutes, but standing around waiting for my sister to pick up her cell was not an option. The lockdown had triggered additional security, but Andie cleared us through it, and the express elevator took us to the main lobby. I went straight to the spot where Connie had been sitting. The television was still playing in the corner, but the lobby was deserted, no sign of Connie. The gunfire had clearly triggered an evacuation.

“Come with me,” said Andie.

She led me outside to the parking lot, where a group of people was waiting for the all clear to come back inside. It was a cold night, and falling snow flickered in the cones of yellow-white glow beneath the lampposts. People in the crowd were shifting their weight from one foot to the other, arms folded or hands in pockets, trying to stay warm.

“Connie!”

A few heads turned in response to my call, but no one responded. I went from person to person, searching. My sister was nowhere.

“Has anyone here seen a woman named Connie Ryan?” I asked in a loud voice.

A few people shook their heads. Most glanced in the other direction, ignoring me. Finally, a high school kid dressed in a hoodie and smoking a cigarette came forward.

“White chick?” he asked. “Blue coat?”

“Yeah.”

He took a drag from his cigarette. “Me and her was watching the Celtics game on the TV. She left with some dude about a half hour ago.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. They was arguing, like she didn’t want to go. I was gonna say something, but I guess they worked it out. Better not to get involved, you know?”

“What did the guy look like?” I asked.

The kid shrugged. “Big guy, kind of old for her. Fifties, I guess. An asshole, if you ask me.”

I looked at Andie, and she read my mind. “Scully,” we said to each other.