Page 119 of Just One Night Together
“Illinois,” Damon said through his teeth.
“Maybe. All that mattered to me was that she was moving out, and in a hurry. Too bad really. She was a good tenant. Always paid her rent on time. Quiet.” He nodded. “Nice girl.”
Damon’s chest was so tight that he couldn’t breathe. “When?”
“She paid through February, but she was gone by the middle of the month.” He nodded at the roses. “I’ll bet they set you back this time of year.”
“It doesn’t matter. Thanks.” Damon turned away, his thoughts spinning. He pulled out his phone and called Haley’s number but it was out of service.
Fuck.
The hospital.
He called the oncology ward, which was still programmed into his phone. The nurse he remembered best answered the phone, because he recognized her voice. “Is this Khadija?” he asked, trying not to sound rushed.
“It might be.”
“Hi. This is Damon Perez. I wanted to thank you and the team for taking such good care of my mom.”
Her voice warmed immediately. “You’re welcome. She was such a sweetheart. We were all sorry for your loss. And thank you for the gift basket. Those chocolates didn’t last long.”
“You’re welcome. I really appreciate everything you did there to keep her comfortable.”
“It’s what we do.”
Damon cleared her throat. “Do you remember the other nurse who gave a couple of massages to my mom? Her name was Haley and she was in another department. I wanted to thank her, too. Do you know how I could reach her?”
“Oh, Haley’s left the hospital. She got another job. Great job, actually, heading up a new department to offer alternative therapies to patients.”
“Like therapeutic massage.”
“Exactly! It was perfect for Haley.”
“But she had to move, I guess.”
“Yes, it was in Illinois. That hospital has an excellent reputation, and her family is there, too.”
“That would make the move easier.”
“I guess so.” Khadija sighed. “I was sorry to see her go, though, and so was everyone else. The hospital here offered to create an equivalent position for her, but she was determined to go.”
“Maybe she wanted to be closer to her family.”
“Maybe. Just between you and me, I think there was a guy she wanted to get away from. She seemed to have it bad for him, but it wasn’t mutual.”
Damon winced. “That’s too bad. She seemed very nice.”
“Haley is nice. I’m sorry I can’t give you a forwarding address for her. That falls under the privacy policy of the hospital.” She paused. “I probably shouldn’t have told you all that.”
“I appreciate it, though. Thanks for your help. I might try directory assistance.”
“Can’t hurt.” Khadija dropped her voice and whispered the name of a city hospital.
Damon smiled, knowing it was where Haley had gone. “Thanks so much.”
“You’re very welcome. I know she’ll be glad to hear from you. Take care, Mr. Perez.”
Damon marched to the subway station, pulling up a map on his phone. He wasn’t going to book a flight, not with another snow storm coming, and there weren’t many direct flights anyway. He’d never liked trains and in this case, they were too slow. He called Ty.
