Jack impatiently paced around his hotel room, staring at his silent phone.
"It's already six thirty..." Jack grumbled, "And not a word from either of them yet..." Jack ran his fingers through his thick hair and sat down on the bed, rubbing at his already-throbbing temples. Sighing, Jack pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and re-read it. "665-0990," he silently mouthed, wondering if should take the initiative and call his daughters.
"I mean, come on," Jack chuckled, trying to reason with himself while he paced around the room, "They're both still young, and who the hell do they have staying with them? What if they're home alone?! Now THAT wouldn't be responsible for me to leave them there alone...not even check up on them...would it?" Jack asked his worried reflection in the mirror.
As if on cue, his cell phone suddenly rang out, the shrill sound echoing in the small room.
"Yeah?" Jack spoke into his phone, in an almost demanding tone. The line crackled.
"Jack?"
"Vivian..." Jack felt his stomach sink to his knees, falling back down on the bed.
"Jack, where are you?" Vivian asked, her voice somewhat concerned. "I tried your home phone all day today and you didn't answer. I even went to your place after lunch to try and find you. Jack, what's going on?"
Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew that he'd have to tell Vivian the truth. Just as he was about to begin talking, Vivian cut him off again.
"Jack, we need you here. Now before you say anything, I know you took a week's leave. Jack, the daughter of Congressman James Jolly just went missing, about 10 hours ago. She's twelve, Jack, and Congressman Jolly specially requested that you work on this case." Vivian paused, while Jack's mind churned.
"Viv, I can be there tomorrow morning," Jack finally replied, rubbing his hands through his hair and down his face, wondering if he could get a U- Haul on such short notice.
"Jack, where are you?" Vivian asked again. After a pause, Jack finally told her.
"I'm in Rochester, Viv," he said, waiting for the inevitable questions.
"Rochester?" Vivian didn't skip a beat. "Isn't that where Maria and the girls live now?" she inquired.
"Well, yes and no," Jack said, sighing. "Look, Viv. I'm gonna level with you...Maria's dead." Vivian gasped, and Jack continued. "She had a heart attack earlier last week, and I had to be here for the reading of the will." Jack stopped, waiting for Vivian to continue.
"Did she leave you anything?" Vivian asked.
"She left me care of the girls," Jack replied. Vivian's end of the phone went quiet for a moment, and when she regained her voice, Jack's cell phone beeped, indicating that there was another call waiting to be picked up.
"Viv—I've got another call. That might be them, and I'm also gonna have to pull something with getting a truck for their clothes." Jack rubbed his eyes while Vivian said her good-byes and finally hung up. Jack flashed his phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, dad." It was Kate, and she didn't sound very enthusiastic.
"Hi, sweetheart. Um, listen..." Jack began, not sure how to spring it on his daughters that they were leaving for New York that night. "There's been a change of plans and daddy has to go back to New York tonight...and I don't want to leave you two here alone..."
"Aunt Theresa is staying with us, dad," Kate replied.
"...Oh..." Jack said, rubbing his head. "Well...I'd still feel better if you guys came with me tonight," Jack replied. There was a gasp at the other end.
"NOTHING is packed, dad," Kate replied, her voice heating up. "Plus we both still have final exams left. Can you at least wait a week until they're over with? Please?"
Jack bit his knuckle, realizing that he'd forgotten about their schooling.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Well, how long is Aunt Theresa staying with you?" he asked.
"As long as we need," came Kate's reply.
"Well..." As much as Jack hated to admit it, it seemed the smartest thing for him to do was give them a week and then have them shipped off to New York City. "I guess that would give me some time to get a room set up for you guys..." Jack mused aloud. "Well...all right," he finally concluded. "I'll stop over tonight before I leave, ok?" Jack asked.
"Sounds fine," Kate replied. "Bye, dad."
"Bye, Kate," Jack said, hanging up and immediately looking up the number for the airport. This was becoming a very hectic trip.
"It's already six thirty..." Jack grumbled, "And not a word from either of them yet..." Jack ran his fingers through his thick hair and sat down on the bed, rubbing at his already-throbbing temples. Sighing, Jack pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and re-read it. "665-0990," he silently mouthed, wondering if should take the initiative and call his daughters.
"I mean, come on," Jack chuckled, trying to reason with himself while he paced around the room, "They're both still young, and who the hell do they have staying with them? What if they're home alone?! Now THAT wouldn't be responsible for me to leave them there alone...not even check up on them...would it?" Jack asked his worried reflection in the mirror.
As if on cue, his cell phone suddenly rang out, the shrill sound echoing in the small room.
"Yeah?" Jack spoke into his phone, in an almost demanding tone. The line crackled.
"Jack?"
"Vivian..." Jack felt his stomach sink to his knees, falling back down on the bed.
"Jack, where are you?" Vivian asked, her voice somewhat concerned. "I tried your home phone all day today and you didn't answer. I even went to your place after lunch to try and find you. Jack, what's going on?"
Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew that he'd have to tell Vivian the truth. Just as he was about to begin talking, Vivian cut him off again.
"Jack, we need you here. Now before you say anything, I know you took a week's leave. Jack, the daughter of Congressman James Jolly just went missing, about 10 hours ago. She's twelve, Jack, and Congressman Jolly specially requested that you work on this case." Vivian paused, while Jack's mind churned.
"Viv, I can be there tomorrow morning," Jack finally replied, rubbing his hands through his hair and down his face, wondering if he could get a U- Haul on such short notice.
"Jack, where are you?" Vivian asked again. After a pause, Jack finally told her.
"I'm in Rochester, Viv," he said, waiting for the inevitable questions.
"Rochester?" Vivian didn't skip a beat. "Isn't that where Maria and the girls live now?" she inquired.
"Well, yes and no," Jack said, sighing. "Look, Viv. I'm gonna level with you...Maria's dead." Vivian gasped, and Jack continued. "She had a heart attack earlier last week, and I had to be here for the reading of the will." Jack stopped, waiting for Vivian to continue.
"Did she leave you anything?" Vivian asked.
"She left me care of the girls," Jack replied. Vivian's end of the phone went quiet for a moment, and when she regained her voice, Jack's cell phone beeped, indicating that there was another call waiting to be picked up.
"Viv—I've got another call. That might be them, and I'm also gonna have to pull something with getting a truck for their clothes." Jack rubbed his eyes while Vivian said her good-byes and finally hung up. Jack flashed his phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, dad." It was Kate, and she didn't sound very enthusiastic.
"Hi, sweetheart. Um, listen..." Jack began, not sure how to spring it on his daughters that they were leaving for New York that night. "There's been a change of plans and daddy has to go back to New York tonight...and I don't want to leave you two here alone..."
"Aunt Theresa is staying with us, dad," Kate replied.
"...Oh..." Jack said, rubbing his head. "Well...I'd still feel better if you guys came with me tonight," Jack replied. There was a gasp at the other end.
"NOTHING is packed, dad," Kate replied, her voice heating up. "Plus we both still have final exams left. Can you at least wait a week until they're over with? Please?"
Jack bit his knuckle, realizing that he'd forgotten about their schooling.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Well, how long is Aunt Theresa staying with you?" he asked.
"As long as we need," came Kate's reply.
"Well..." As much as Jack hated to admit it, it seemed the smartest thing for him to do was give them a week and then have them shipped off to New York City. "I guess that would give me some time to get a room set up for you guys..." Jack mused aloud. "Well...all right," he finally concluded. "I'll stop over tonight before I leave, ok?" Jack asked.
"Sounds fine," Kate replied. "Bye, dad."
"Bye, Kate," Jack said, hanging up and immediately looking up the number for the airport. This was becoming a very hectic trip.