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She sent him another text.Are you working somewhere? Can you send me a quick note to let me know?

She waited, staring down at her phone screen for three full minutes, but there was no reply. Not even the three dots that indicated he was composing a message.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Eve turned toward Nancy as the older woman approached. “I don’t know. I can’t figure out where Jude is, and he’s not replying to my messages. Have you seen him this morning?”

“No.” Her eyebrows pulled together. “He’s not running?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. His running shoes are still here, and his phone and laptop aren’t.” Her vague anxiety was starting to take concrete form, the nerves rising into her chest. “I can’t figure out what he’s doing.”

“Maybe try giving him a call. If he’s focused on writing, he might not be paying attention to messages, but he’d hear a phone call.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Eve gave Nancy a befuddled smile as she connected a call to Jude’s number on her phone.

It rang and rang and rang until it finally was sent to his voicemail.

She was starting to get shaky. Maybe there was no rational reason to be concerned, but something was wrong. She could feel it. With a shuddery breath, she tapped out another message.Jude, please. I’m getting worried. What’s going on?

She and Nancy waited, both of them focused on the phone in her hand.

Nothing.

They waited another minute and still nothing.

“Maybe he’s turned off his phone so he can concentrate on that last scene he needs to write?” Nancy’s mouth was turned down in a frown, but she didn’t appear as panicky as Eve was starting to feel.

“Yes.” Eve gulped. “Maybe so.”

“Did he take anything else with him?”

“I don’t know. I’ll check upstairs.”

Nancy followed her upstairs to Jude’s bedroom. The first thing Eve noticed was that his wallet and watch were gone from the tray on the dresser where he kept them. None of his clothes were missing, and his regular suitcase was still stowed neatly in the closet.

Then she checked the bathroom and discovered that the small case with his medication was gone.

She stared at the empty spot on the counter, her hands and knees beginning to tremble.

“What in heaven’s name is he doing?” Nancy asked. “Could he have gone somewhere to work and taken his medication just in case?”

“Maybe, but why wouldn’t he have told us? He’d know we would worry about him. Can you try calling him? Just in case it’s only me he’s not replying to.” Her voice broke on the last question. The very idea slashed through her heart.

“I’m sure that can’t be it,” Nancy murmured, pulling out her own phone and calling Jude. “He’s so in love with you, honey.”

Eve made a whimpering sound and hugged her arms to her chest. Nancy held the phone to her ear until she finally disconnected the call with a shake of her head.

“Well, let’s not panic,” Nancy said in a reassuring, maternal tone. “I still think he might be ignoring his phone to really focus on work. Let’s give it an hour or so to give him a chance to reply.”

“Okay.”

Eve agreed to the plan although she hated the very idea of it. Nancy went downstairs to clear up after breakfast, and Eve sat on her side of Jude’s bed, staring down at her silent phone.

She’d sat there for at least half an hour before she jumped to her feet.

This was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Jude had left, and she couldn’t think of any possible reason for it.

They’d been so close last night. He’d acted like he loved her. He’d evensaidthat he loved her once. Sure, it had been during sex, but still…