“Sorry. How are you holding up? Really?”
Right.She sighed, trying for the right answer. “Dr. Tobias is dead. Poisoned, and I don’t know how. But I can’t help but think this is my fault. If I hadn’t dragged him into this?—”
“Oh no. Dr. Tobias is dead?” Selah said softly. “Chlo, I’m so sorry.”
“He was a good man.” Her throat filled as she watched foot traffic on the street.
“Listen. I’m sure you didn’t drag him into anything. People make their own choices. You didn’t kill him. Evil people killed him. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?”
“Yes. And you know it.”
Maybe.
She walked across the deck. “How are you and North, by the way?”
“We’re good. Really good, actually. We’re back together.”
Something loosened in Chloe’s chest. “You scared me.”
“Right back atcha. I wish you didn’t have to go across the world to... well, to fill that hole inside.”
“It’s not a hole. It’s a . . . calling.”
“Yeah,” Selah said softly.
Chloe’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. She glanced at the screen—a message from May.
May
Found information about Dr. Radic. He will be at the International Medical Conference in Bangkok this weekend. Arnoma Grand. Thought you should know.
“Chloe? You still there?”
“I just got a text from Chai’s wife. Dr. Radic—the doctor I’ve been trying to find—he’s going to be at a medical conference in Bangkok this weekend.”
“That’s great news, right?”
“Yes.”
“Please tell me you’re not thinking of going alone.”
“Well, Skeet already said he’s not letting me out of his sight, so probably not.” She glanced inside. Yes, the man still slept on her sofa.
“Good. Let him help you, Chloe. I know you’re used to handling everything yourself, but sometimes the strongest thing you can do is accept help.”
Yeah.But suddenly, all she could think of was Tobias’s words.Let’s go keep each other alive.Her throat tightened.
Selah’s voice grew soft. “Just be careful, okay? I can’t lose you too.”
“You won’t. I promise.”
She hung up. Chloe stayed on the balcony for a moment longer, staring at May’s text. Bangkok was eight hours away. The conference would start Thursday morning—less than thirty-six hours from now.
If Dr. Radic was there, she could find him. Get answers. Maybe even expose whatever conspiracy had gotten Dr. Tobias killed.
“Going somewhere?”