Beth was in the bedroom, the sheer curtains casting a pale shadow across the hardwood floors as she stood by the tall window, phone pressed to her ear. She had been pacing the room for ten minutes, heart thudding with quiet, clipped rage, her silk robe rustling with each sharp turn.
The line clicked, and finally, the voice came through.
“Hello?”
She didn’t wait. “What did you find out?”
The woman on the other end cleared her throat, her voice steady but careful. “I called his office this morning. I made sure to speak to someone who’d know the schedule… and, um—there’s no business trip, Mrs. Rowe. Kingsley wasn’t assigned to anything out of town. In fact, they said he didn’t put in any request to travel. They thought he was taking personal time.”
Beth’s jaw tightened. Her fingers clenc
