Someone Like You

Chapter 19

                                                        JAMIE'S POINT OF VIEW

~ Chapter Nineteen ~

Walking in like a man on a mission, Jamie enters the pub in long strides, heading straight to the bar. Nate looks up and meets Jamie's inquisitive look. 

"Look who's back!" Nate grumbles and continues to organize the bar-back. 

"Hi Nate. Have you seen Audrey? Is she alright? She hasn't returned my calls or texts since Friday." 

"Hi Jamie!" Lizzy joins in the conversation behind the bar. "She and Erika went to visit Ella in Cambridge for the weekend." 

"Do you know when she'll be back?" 

"I believe in a couple of hours, around three o'clock." 

"Was this a spontaneous trip? She never mentioned anything about it on Thursday night, which was the last time we spoke." 

Nate rolls his eyes and heads to the kitchen. 

While Lizzy shoots him a warning look to behave, Jamie curiously watches them conspicuously. 

"She didn't mention the break-in?" Lizzy asks quietly. 

"What? No! Is she hurt? What the hell happened?" Lizzy shushes him motioning with her hands to calm down. Phases of shock, confusion, and fear, flash across his face. He runs his hands through his thick hair, swearing under his breath. 

"She's grand, not a scratch. Don't worry." Lizzy explains and urges him to sit down. "Have a seat. I'll get you a pint and explain." 

"This is crazy." Rubbing his face, Jamie tries to calm down, as Lizzy hands him a pint. "Thanks," he takes a long draw of his Guinness.  

"Thursday night, after you left, Audrey went home around six and saw her front door open a crack. She did not go in. She ran and called Erika to pick her up at the corner and rang the police." Lizzy calmly explains. "Erika called Nate saying someone broke into Audrey's flay, while Audrey was talking to the police. He flew over straight away. When Nate arrived at Audrey's house, the police already walked through the house and investigated the scene. No one was in the flat. The girls were in the apartment talking to the detective, filling out paperwork and confirmed nothing was taken or misplaced." 

"Was the lock picked or broken?" 

"Neither, Audrey said she locked the door that morning before work. The back door and windows were locked. So someone had a key or is an expert at tampering with locks." 

"Her locks need to be changed straight away!" Jamie bit out. 

"I took care of it Friday morning." Nate confirmed. 

"Thank God she went to stay with Ella. Do you think it could have been someone she knew? It's a safe neighborhood, very low crime rate." 

"Well hang on, here's the other twist in the story." Nate continues. "Audrey broke up with a bloke about nine months ago. She says he used an alias name to set up a meeting to talk to her recently. When she told him to stay away, he followed her to her office and security escorted him out. A few days later she found a note in her mail pile that said he knew where she had been and not to make him jealous. He was referring to her staying with you. So he may know where you live as well." 

Rubbing his smooth shaven face with his hand, Jamie looks like a caged tiger that's ready to take someone down. "Who is he?" Jamie bites out. 

"If anyone talks to him first, it's going to be me." Nate interjects, asserting his rank as Audrey's primary protector. 

"Nate! Tell. Me. His. Name." Jamie growls. 

Nate tightens his lips. 

"Damn it, I've been out my mind worrying for two days! I went straight from the airport to her empty flat knowing something was very wrong. So tell me and I can help you catch this fucker." 

Lizzy's eyes move from Nate's face to Jamie's. "Jamie, his name is Aiden Hughes and he was Audrey's ex-fiance." 

Jamie fists his hands tightly looking down at the bar top. 

"I'm sorry Jamie to tell you all of this, but you have to know that Audrey has had an extremely emotional year. She has been through hell and back with this guy and eventually it took a toll on her psyche. She's had a rough recovery. Now, with that said, this past week has been the happiest we've ever seen her, right Nate?" 

He nods to confirm. 

"Then why hasn't she returned any of my calls or texts?" 

"First," notes Nate, "because she left her phone at Erika's. Audrey rang earlier using Erika's phone. Second, all of this may be just too much for her to handle, so she needs a break to sort her thoughts." 

"She never mentioned any of this." Jamie looks bewildered. 

"Look guys Audrey is a strong, independent, brilliant girl. It's not like she's helpless. Give her credit. She was burned bad, pulled herself together, told him to fuck off and has filed the restraining order. That's pretty bad-ass in my book." 

"Restraining order? That's not enough for her." Tapping his finger on the side of the pint glass, Jamie finishes the stout and reaches to pay for the pint. 

"Your money's no good here today." Nate waves off the cash. 

"Go find her, Jamie." Lizzy calmly advises. 

"Thank you Lizzy for your help." Turning to shake Nate's hand, Jamie grips it firmly and doesn't let go. Never breaking eye-contact, Jamie admits, "I'd die if anything happened to her." 

Lizzy smiles and says, "Two rings, O'Brien," with a wink. 

"Will do," Jamie confirms with a nod and takes off to Audrey's.