A Cowboy for the CEO

Chapter 30: Where Did You Go

Hank was inside the building first, but Ali wasn't far behind. Despite the late hour, people were gathered in the lobby, and he had to push his way through to get to his sister. Liz was talking to two women by the reception desk, but stopped mid conversation when he came into view.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" she scolded while going in for a hug.

He deflected the question with one of his own "What's going on?"

"Thank god!" Liz said, ignoring him as she finally noticed Ali, as well. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

Ali frowned. "Didn't you know I went off-site? I signed out."

Liz picked up the nearby clipboard. "No, you didn't," she said, scanning the last two pages before handing it over.

"Yes, I did," she reaffirmed before looking for her name on the top of each sheet, but it was useless. Going back one more page, she saw it ended with a time ten minutes before she left. "I started a new page. I know I did, but it's not here." She continued to flip through the log.

"Are you sure?" Liz touched her arm. "Maybe that was another day."

Ali shook her head. "No. I remember it distinctly because I ran into Sheridan in the hallway . . ." She trailed off before gritting her teeth. Looking around the room, she quickly found the brunette. Standing against a wall, Sheridan had her arms crossed and mouth twisted into a sly grin.

Son of a bitch.

"Ali?" Liz urged her to continue, but Hank was getting impatient.

Grabbing his sister by the arm, he pulled her away from the strangers and gestured toward a uniformed officer across the room. "Is that why the cop's here? Because we didn't answer the phone?"

Liz shook off his hold and sighed. "I wish." Rubbing her forehead, she addressed Ali. "You and Mrs. Chen—Harriet—were acquainted, right?"

Ali's stomach formed into a knot, and she nervously tapped her thighs with her fingers. "Yes," she uttered, remembering the ambulance driving away minutes earlier and dreading the answer to her next question. "Is Harriet all right?"

"She collapsed." Liz paused, looking first at Ali and then at Hank, letting the words sink in. "We're not sure how long she was unconscious, but the paramedics were able to stabilize her."

Ali covered her mouth with her hand and whispered through her fingers, "Oh, no."

She felt herself wobble, but Hank's hands were on her shoulders, supporting her from behind. She hadn't even noticed when he stepped closer but was now grateful for his presence. "What hospital is she in? Can we see her?" Ali blurted out as her mind cleared from the initial shock.

Liz pulled her lips into a thin line and shook her head. "We called her emergency contact. Her children are on the way. It'll be up to them who they allow to visit."

"We'll figure out a way to see her," Hank whispered into Ali's ear, and squeezed her shoulders.

She looked up at him and forced a weak smile. "Thanks."

"Pete may appreciate a bit of your time," Liz interrupted. "He found her."

Ali's jaw dropped open in surprise. "Oh, the poor thing!"

"Yeah," Liz agreed. "I think he took her dog for a walk, but she didn't answer the door when he returned. We had to use a master key to get in her room."

"Where is he now?" Ali asked, looking back at the crowd even though she knew he wasn't there. Pete was conspicuous enough without towering over everyone, and if he'd been there, she would have already seen him.