End of Story(83)

“Lars, did you move it?”

He strode into the room. “Why, what’s wrong?”

“It’s not here.”

“I haven’t touched it. Are you sure that’s where you left it?”

“Yes,” I said with a frown.

“Check the other drawers.”

“Is there a problem?” asked Cleo.

“I can’t find it.” Tees and tanks came next. Followed by scarves and belts and socks. Summer shorts and some pajamas. With jeans, leggings, and a couple of cardigans in the bottom drawer. “Nothing.”

“Let’s pull all of the drawers out,” said Lars. “Make sure it didn’t fall down the back or something.”

The interior of the set of drawers was empty. Tore and Lars moved the piece of furniture back from the wall. But there was nothing but dust bunnies.

“When was the last time you took it out?” asked Cleo.

“Sunday morning,” I said. “Before I went outside to talk to Lars. I put it straight back in the same place.”

“Lars?”

“I looked at it a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “Haven’t gone near it since.”

Cleo sighed. “It has to be here somewhere.”

“It’s definitely got to be in this room,” I agreed.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s be systematic about this. We’ll empty the drawers out onto the bed. Make sure it hasn’t been accidentally been tucked away between your shirts or something.”

We examined every item in each drawer and repacked it all. Nothing. Then we tore the bed apart. Just to be sure. Along with searching behind and under the frame and the mattress. The same went for every other piece of furniture in the room. And all the while, a weird panic built inside of me. None of it made sense. Where could it have gone?

“I know it was here,” I said. “I know it was.”

“We’ll find it.” Lars rubbed my back. “It’s got to be somewhere, Princess.”

I nodded. “You promise you didn’t decide to get rid of it without me? I wouldn’t be angry. Well...maybe a little. But I need to know.”

“I promise.”

“Okay. Let’s check out the dining and living rooms. Just in case.”

We searched the house for over three hours. Cheese and crackers fueled us through the first half of the hunt. While a sushi delivery provided sustenance for the latter. And all the while, Kat sat on the front door mat watching us with her all-knowing feline eyes.

I couldn’t just let it go. The divorce certificate had been a black cloud hanging over our heads for what felt like forever. It had to be in the house somewhere. It couldn’t just disappear. Surely. Maybe one of us sleepwalked and hid it somewhere. Or we’d unknowingly been under the influence of a hallucinogenic and... I don’t know. We rifled through cupboards and checked coat pockets. We examined my office and the kitchen and...nothing. Not a damn thing. Even my purse got upended and inspected.

“It’s just gone,” I said finally, slumped on the sofa. “How is that possible?”

Lars grunted beside me.

“You’re admitting defeat?” asked Tore.

He sat on the ground with Cleo’s feet in his lap. His thumbs dug into the soles of her feet. I could use a foot rub. The lifting and moving and searching had worn us all out. We’d even checked the attic. Despite there being little chance of it somehow having made its way up there. There were no new footprints in the dust since the last time Lars visited the space months ago. Back when the divorce certificate made its first appearance. Back when this all began.

“We’ve looked everywhere,” said Cleo.

“I just wish I knew what happened.” I sighed. “If someone broke in, why only steal that? It makes no sense. My purse and cell and laptop are all still here.”

“That thing has never made sense,” said Lars.

Cleo sighed too. “No one has benefited from you two seeing that certificate.”

“No one but them,” added Tore.

“True,” Cleo said, and nodded. “They mightn’t have gotten together without it.”

Kat the cat sauntered over and jumped onto Lars. Curling up in a ball and promptly falling asleep. She was a female who appreciated a good nap. And who could blame her? I would sleep well after all this too. Once we cleared off the bed and put on fresh sheets.

“I don’t know,” said Lars. “I can’t explain it. That thing has always messed with my head.”

“Seems it disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared,” said Cleo. “What do you think Miss Lillian would say?”

“Hmm.” I pondered the question. “Perhaps that its message had been received.”

“Like destiny decided it was no longer needed?” asked Cleo.

I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“You fixed fate, huh?” Tore mulled it over. “Makes as much sense as anything. You two have sorted out a lot of shit...”

Lars’s gaze changed from determined to bewildered, and back again, over the course of the night. But bewildered won in the end. He picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles. “If you want to keep looking, then that’s what we’ll do. It’s up to you. What do you say, Princess?”