Page 145 of The Night Shift

“Five hours late? Our shift is almost over.” I start walking toward the doctor’s lounge, briefly pausing at the front desk to ask one of the nurses to bring Kennedy some strawberry ice cream once she’s out of surgery.

Cami sighs. “Maybe he took the day off. How the hell does it even matter?”

“Something feels off, Cam,” I say, my phone pressed tight against my ear. “He’s never taken a day off.” I don’t tell her about our little excursion last night nor do I say anything about Sid or Nate or Audrey. I’m not sure why.

“Why do you know that?”

“Our schedules are public.” My mind flashes to the conversation in his car. The way he questioned me about Sid.

Who was that man, Holly?

He upset you, Holly. That is my business.

What if he went back somehow? What if he found out where Sid lives and went back? Given his track record of being a stupid fucking asshole, I wouldn’t put it past him. And it’s not that I care if he went back. He can do whatever he wants. It’s just that for someone who has refused to leave my side (physically or virtually) ever since this whole fucking mess started, he’s being awfully silent now. It’s weird. That’s all.

The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, “I should go check.”

Cami explodes instantly. “What?”

“I need to go check out his apartment.”

“Are you insane?! I don’t care what he’s fed your naive brain, but the man is still your stalker. There is no way you’re going to his house. It’s not safe, Holly. Absolutely not.”

“Good thing I’m not asking for permission then.”

“What? No, I didn’t mean it like that —”

I hang up.

I check the time. 9:14 p.m. My shift ends in fifteen minutes. Close enough. I quickly grab my stuff and start walking out, and it’s not until I step outside hospital premises that the realization hits me. Fuck.

I send April a text.

Holly: Hey, do you have Theo’s address?

She replies with seconds.

April: Is this a distress call? Have you been kidnapped? OMG, do I call 911?

Holly: Do you want me to tell Parker how you threw out his Green Lantern comic by “mistake”?

April: 312 West 78th Street, Apartment 5B.

April: Also, can you ask Theo to send Parker more pictures of Dog? He’s been trying to call him for hours, but he’s not answering.

Okay, not replying to me is one thing. But not answering his pseudo-boyfriend’s call? Something is definitely very wrong.

It takes me a total of fifteen minutes to reach Theo’s address. Unlike my own building, which is newer and more modern, his building feels older and more lived-in.

The entrance has a worn wooden door with a brass handle. There’s no doorman, no security cameras — just a buzz panel with faded labels. Apartment 5B. I press the button.

No response.

I try the handle. It’s locked.

My eyes flick to the row of buzzers. Most of the labels are smudged or peeling, barely legible. I pick one at random and press it. A second later, a crackling voice comes through.

“Yeah?”