Glancing at the others, Logan asked, “Has anyone checked traffic? Maybe there was an accident on the one-oh-one that slowed everything down.”

“No accidents,” Alan said. “We also checked hospitals, just in case.”

That was going to be Logan’s next question.

“I been trying to call her all day,” Tooney said, “but only get her voicemail.”

“All day?”

“He wanted to tell her about this morning,” Harp explained quickly. “Didn’t want her to be surprised when she showed up.”

In Logan’s experience, people liked to delay news like that, especially if the other person was traveling so as not to worry them.

“We were thinking,” Logan’s dad continued, his voice now tentative, “maybe you could pop down there tonight. See if she’s home. You know, make sure she’s all right.”

Logan felt an uneasy tingling under his skin. “Go to Los Angeles?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Dad, I’ve got work tomorrow.”

“But I’m the boss. I’ll just have Alejandro take care of anything you’ve been working on. And whatever expenses you have…” He looked around the table. “We’re going split them among the group.”

“I would probably just pass her on the way down,” Logan argued.

“Great, then that would mean everything’s fine,” Harp said. “We’re only asking because Tooney wants to go himself. So far we’ve been able to talk him out of it. If you don’t do it, I’m afraid he won’t listen to us any more.”

A thousand thoughts swirled through Logan’s mind. Thoughts about his routine and the dream and the past. He looked at Tooney, whose eyes were full of desperation, and then at his father, whose eyes were full of hope.

“What’s her address?”

6

Logan went home to exchange the Rodeo for his own car, a 1969 electric blue Chevrolet El Camino. It was more vehicle than he needed, but it was in a hell of a lot better shape than the SUV.