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."

you'd taken the contract, it would've 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 she misses her daughter. As her son, I just want to fulfill her last wish. Maybe we can use this as

It's

and social ties tangled up in ways outsiders could never understand. With things moving so fast, it was hard not to be a little on

stood his ground, what was to stop everyone else from trying the same thing? How could anyone do

an eye out for my

"I will."

still recovering-don't stay up late. Get

the pack of cigarettes on the table and lit

his lips and nose, curling slowly into the

he was

hadn't disappeared, she'd

Jessica was twenty-seven.

with identical ones

Thurston both had the same

that didn't happen in

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

in age-he clung to that

chest

next morning, Timothy opened his bedroom door and found Jessica leaning against the guest room

"Something you need?"

index and ring fingers together a silent demand for the

So persistent.