The leather latch on Julian’s briefcase clicked twice, a s
He did not answer, his fingers already digging into the dark wool of his overcoat where it hung near the back door.
The fabric rustled as he shoved his hands deep into the lining, his shoulders tense under his blue dress shirt.
“I had it when I left the office, Dani, I am almost sure I did,” he said, turning back to face me.
He rubbed his forehead with the flat of his palm, his usual sign of exhaustion, though his eyes looked wider than they normally did after a long day at the consulting firm.
“We can try calling it,” I said, reaching for my own phone on the counter.
“It is on silent,” he said, his voice flat. “I turned the ringer off during the afternoon meeting and never turned it back on.”
He stood by the table, his hands empty, looking down at the scattered pens as if they might offer an explanation.
“We should look in the car before the rain gets any heavier,” I said.
