me. “Now where’s Addy? I thought her plane landed at noon. It’s six.” A frown marred her peachy lips and pearlescent complexion.
Sonia picked up her phone. “Let me check her flight.”
Blessing snorted. “Of course, you’re keeping track of her flight.”
Sonia glared at Blessing. “Right now, we can’t be too careful.” She kept punching buttons as the rest of us got pizza and munched.
Jonah got a call and squinted at his phone. “Hey, Ryan. How goes it? Still no leads on that number?” He shook his head and sighed.
“Speaking of…that number sequence has been driving me insane.” Charlie pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. I recognized it as one of the pieces she’d made each of us that she’d written in crayon on Friday. “A-1-2-1-0-9-4.” She read each number out loud.
I chomped down on some veggie pizza, capturing a huge chunk of artichoke and plopping it in my mouth. So good.
Charlie continued. “A-121-094,” she said.
“Her flight landed on time,” Sonia stated still typing away at her cell. “I’ve texted her to come to the condo Mama and Gen are in. I also texted Quinn to call me if she was there sleeping off her travel.”
I nodded and sipped my wine.
Charlie spoke out loud again, determined to figure out the code. “A-12-10-94?”
“That’s Addison’s birthday.” Mama Kerri smiled and pushed through our huddle and looked at the piece of paper. “Yep. She was born December 10th, 1994. A for Addison, right? I love puzzles,” she hummed, not realizing what she’d said as she went over to the oven and pulled out the second bubbling hot pizza.
“Ryan, hold up, man. What did you say?” Jonah held the phone away from his ear. “Mrs. Kerrighan. Did you just say that number was Addison’s birthday?”
Chills raced across my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention. I started to tremble.
“And she’s not here.” Genesis gasped then put her arms back around me. “She’s late. Why is she late?”
“No…” I choked out and stared into Jonah’s eyes, telling him every fear I had with that single look.
Blessing tossed her plate down on the counter and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She furiously pressed a series of buttons then put the phone to her ear. “Addy, you better call me the very second you get this message. We are freaked way the fuck out, sister! We’re at Mama Kerri’s condo in Sonia’s building. Call me.” She growled and then hung up. Her chest moved up and down, her dark gaze focused and fearful.
Tears filled my own eyes as the possibility of what that number could mean raced across my mind.
“Yes. I know every one of my daughters’ birthdays by heart. Every mother does. Why?” Mama turned around and noticed how the vibe in the room became thick with emotion and coated in fear. “What in the world is going on?”
Charlie swallowed. “None of us showed you this number before now.” Charlie closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. “It’s okay. No. It’s okay. We’re probably wrong. We received this note on Friday. It’s Sunday now and Addison was in New York. Safe and in New York. With a bodyguard.”
Sonia had her phone to her and was talking. “Yes, hello, this is Senator Wright. My assistant hired your service to protect my sister. She’s a well-known model. Addison Michaels Kerrighan? Yes, that’s the one. Yes, I know, she’s very beautiful. Can you look up her detail and tell me where they are right now or patch me through to him? We’re afraid she may have been intercepted by a criminal which is the exact reason we hired your agency. Yes, of course I can wait while you look it up.” Sonia’s bright blue eyes stared holes through mine.
Jonah spoke softly to Ryan, but his gaze was on Sonia. All eyes were.
“He hasn’t checked in? The airport? The Town Car is still at the airport. Well can you get through?” Sonia’s voice lost any sense of patience or calm, her fear bleeding through her tone.
“Give me the phone, Sonia,” Jonah demanded.
She let it fall into his hand her face pale and her eyes matching mine, filling with tears.
“Yes, this is Agent Fontaine with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m going to need to speak to your manager. We’re going to need an exact location of the car and driver. Now.”
Jonah took Sonia’s phone and exited the kitchen heading for the hallway toward the bedrooms.