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."

"About that community power project-look, it wasn't personal. You know how it is: if 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

not holding it against you. It's just business—a

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

everyone else from trying the same thing? How could anyone do

Just... keep an eye out for my

"I will."

let you go. You're still recovering-don't stay up

the pack of cigarettes on the table and

from his lips and

was just

Zimmerman family's youngest hadn't

Jessica was twenty-seven.

people with identical ones wasn't that

the same

coincidences like that didn't

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

in age-he

chest seemed to ease

morning, Timothy opened his bedroom door and found Jessica leaning

"Something you need?"

out her hand, rubbing her index and ring fingers together a silent demand for the

So persistent.