Page 30 of Lost
His cell phone sang out from the pocket of his jeans. He excused himself from the conversation, Chris simply waving him off and going back to his beer. Zack stepped back inside, closing the French doors behind him to block out the sounds of the party, and picked up the call.
“Hello?”
“Zack, darling. It’s been a while.”
“Maria.”
He couldn’t hide his surprise at hearing the lawyer’s voice. Did she have news about Dakota? Had they found the girl? The idea had a kaleidoscope of butterflies taking flight in his chest. But he needed to be prepared for anything the woman might say. For all he knew, revealing his fatherhood to his fans could have caused an onslaught of new accusations.
He grimaced at the thought. “What’s up?”
“Don’t sound so panicked.” Maria chuckled. “I told you I’d keep you updated. That’s all this is.”
Zack breathed a sigh of relief. But he was also disappointed. A part of him had hoped this would be the news they’d been waiting for.
“Sorry. You usually call during the week is all.”
“I was handling something for another client yesterday. I do have those, remember?”
He could hear the smile in her voice. “All right. Hit me. What’s been going on?”
“Just what you’d expect,” she said. “The police are still searching and keeping an eye on the house. So far, there’s no sign of Miss Maverick.”
There was that disappointment again, sudden and unbidden.
“Have they made any progress?”
“Not much,” she admitted. “Though since you posted your little message to the fans, there have been a number of sightings reported all over the country. So far none of them have panned out, but they’re keeping on top of the police, making sure they stay on the case.” There was another smile in her voice as she added, “I don’t think the police appreciate it much.”
Zack didn’t care. This was better than the alternative.
“I received a call from the Columbus Police Department last night,” Maria went on. “They’re going to start looking for Jacob Alfonzo. You can thank Lysander’s friends for that one.”
“So they think the mother’s death was a murder after all?”
“No, they’re still calling it an accident. But they’re willing to consider the possibility that the girl may be with him. For whatever reason.”
That was something that was sure to please Lysander at the very least. He was always so adamant that Jacob Alfonzo had been the cause behind Dakota’s disappearance. If it were true, the police would track the man down and bring her home safely.
“How are things going with Lysander? No problems?”
“No problems,” Zack confirmed. “Things are going as well as they can.”
“Good.” Maria yawned. No doubt she’d had a long week. “I’ll let you get back to things, then. But don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”
“Will do. Call me if you hear anything.”
“Of course.Ciao, Zack.”
The line went dead. Zack took a moment to breathe. If he hadn’t known it before, he definitely knew it now — Dakota would be with them soon. It was time they prepared for her arrival.
It was a good thing he lived in a big house.
Laughter met his ears, but it hadn’t come from outside. He moved to the living room, where he found Lysander and Marina chatting easily with each other. There was no stopping the smile that spread across his face. Seeing his son so cheerful, with everything that had been happening in his life recently… It was nothing short of amazing.
He wasn’t going to interrupt, but Marina caught sight of him before he could escape.
“Everything okay, Zee?”
