Reason

Chapter 13:

It was 5:00 p.m. and all of Claire's friends had gone home. I was sitting at the dining room table with the envelope in front of me. I was looking at the sticker. It was of a brown dog, most likely a lab. It was smiling which made it look completely weird and out of place.

The sticker seemed to be mocking me. The dog laughing at me because I wasn't brave enough to open it up. I turned it over, my stomach turning.

"Honey!" Tony yelled, bursting into the room. He still had his lab coat on and his hair was disheveled. He looked at me with his face as white as snow. I stood up, my heart sinking.

"What?" I asked, walking over to him. I grabbed his hand and looked into his blue eyes.

"Allie." He said. His eyes were scanning the room, looking over everything, making sure nothing was out of place. I watched as his eyes landed on the envelope. He looked away and concentrated on my face.

"Allie?" I asked, my heart beating faster.

"Yes. I went to pick her up at four but the lady at the front desk said she left at lunch with a man."

"What?!" I said, backing into the table.

"Yeah. Her coat was in her locker and there was a note in it. It was addressed to you." Tony said, pulling something out his lab coat. I felt my face whiten as Tony, shakingly, handed me the note. It was crumpled and had pen scribbles on it. I smoothed it out and slid down to the kitchen floor.

"Open the envelope or you'll never see her again"

"Did you analyze this before you gave it to me?" I asked, looking at Tony. He nodded and got on the floor with me.

"Allie has been gone for three hours. I notified the detectives. They thought she was running away from the truth." Tony said, glancing at the note. I crumpled it in my hand and threw it at the wall.

"You think she killed him?" I asked, looking at Tony's face.

He shrugged and stood up. "I don't know what to think. Allie is gone and somehow she ends up with a strange note with your name on it. These things don't make any sense. I think you're hiding something, Aubrey." Tony looked at me with his arms crossed.

"I'm not hiding anything. That note was not from Allie." I said, my eyes tearing up. Was he suspecting Allie and I killed Ian? After everything we've been through?

"Then why does it have your name on it?" Tony demanded.

"I don't know, Tony." I said, shaking my head. I put my head in my hands. "The note said, 'you'll never see her again.' That means someone has her, Tony!"

"That's not what the detectives are thinking." Tony said, glaring at me.

"Tony, you have to believe me. Someone has her! You have to act fast!" I sobbed. Tony's features softened and he kneeled down so he was eye level with me. He kissed my forehead.

"I know. I was just testing you, Aubrey." Tony said. This time I glared at him. How dare he do something like that to me? He smiled and pushed my hair out of my face. "They are doing all they can to find her, Aubrey. But I have a suggestion that could make it a little easier. Please, open that envelope."

I looked at him, pleading with me. His
brows were furrowed in concentration and his eyes were a light, calming blue.

Tony patted my leg and kissed my lips. "I have to go back and help. If you need anything or you figure out what's in that envelope, you call me right away."

I nodded and watched as he walked out of our house with his lab coat, flying behind him. He closed the door in one swift pull and left me sitting on the kitchen floor all by myself.