Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Timothy stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his movements crisp and sharp.

"What did you just say?"

"My little sister has a pink birthmark on her chest. It's kind of private my family's never talked about it outside. But I want to use your data analysis to help find her, so I'm telling you now. It's heart-shaped."

Timothy's dark eyes grew even more inscrutable, shadows flickering in their depths.

He felt his heart pounding, more forcefully than usual.

His voice trembled ever so slightly. "Left side or right?"

"Upper left. My mother says it's about the size of a pinky finger. No idea if it'll grow

as she does. If your data turns up anyone with a heart-shaped pink birthmark in

that spot, pull their files for me. I'll send someone to check it out."

Timothy's long, elegant fingers curled into a fist.

A faint ringing sounded in his ears; he barely registered the rest of Vince's words.

Could it be Jessica?

Timothy's lips set in a tight, cold line.

He didn't speak for a long while.

"Timothy, are you listening?"

"I am."

put a dent in the Zimmerman Group's renewable energy business. I had no choice. I'm sorry. My mom doesn't have much time left, and

It's just business—a little lost profit,

ways outsiders could never understand. With things moving so fast, it

never stood his ground, what was to stop everyone else from trying the same thing? How could

Thanks. Just... keep an eye out for my sister,

"I will."

You're still recovering-don't stay up late. Get some

for the pack of cigarettes on

smoke drifted from his lips and nose, curling slowly into

he was

hadn't disappeared, she'd

Jessica was twenty-seven.

birthmark-two people with identical ones wasn't that

and Thurston both had the same faint blue circular

like that didn't

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

in age-he

in his chest seemed

opened his bedroom door and found Jessica leaning

"Something you need?"

her hand, rubbing her index and ring fingers together a silent

So persistent.