The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 113

Saul Joplin and Charley Sheffield waited at the hospital for hours, but Lavinia never showed up.

"Should we give her a call?" Charley asked.

Just as Saul pulled out his phone, a text came through.

"Never mind," Saul sighed. "She says she went on a trip with a friend and told me not to worry."

"A trip?" Charley paused. "With who?"

Saul typed a quick reply. "She says it's a girl named Yumi Sawyer. Someone she met back at the biotech firm."

Charley frowned, the motion barely perceptible. She and Yumi weren't exactly tight.

Yumi was just a convenient excuse.

"Saul, I've got something to take care of. I'll catch you later," Charley said, already striding out the door before Saul could even say goodbye.

The moment he was in the hallway, he texted her: 'You went on a trip?'

Minutes ticked by. No reply.

He lowered his gaze, then glanced out the window. The sky was heavy and bruised; a storm was coming tonight.

He lifted his phone and made a call. "Something's happened. She ran away." He paused. "Put a pin in the Marina Island project for now. Get back here. We need to find her."

***

The door to the executive suite clicked open. Garnett stepped inside, shrugging off his jacket before sinking into the leather sofa.

Sigrid followed, sitting beside him but keeping a cautious, respectful distance. She watched him quietly. His hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles stark white.

***

Lavinia dragged her suitcase into the central bus terminal. The bright LEDs on the departure board flickered relentlessly. She tilted her head, scanning the screen. There was only one bus left with open seats—heading to Penbrook.

She bought a ticket and sat in the dreary waiting area. A few minutes later, the boarding announcement crackled over the PA.

She shuffled onto the bus with the remaining passengers. The air inside smelled of stale faux-leather and heavy disinfectant. Slipping her face mask on, she crossed her arms, leaned against the window, and stared blankly into the dark. Lulled by the rhythmic rumbling of the engine, she eventually slipped into an exhausted sleep.

When she woke up, it was the dead of night. People were filtering off the bus. Disoriented, she asked, "Are we there?"

"Checkpoint," a passenger muttered without looking back. "Got to show ID to cross county lines."

Right. Penbrook was out of state. She followed the crowd, showed her ID to a bored guard, and climbed back into her seat,