Derek's POV
Perhaps the implication of my words moved Gloria.
She pondered for a while before finally answering, "Actually, I haven't seen her. All I know is that she came to see me."
"If you didn't see her, how do you know she came?" I asked, puzzled.
She took out a crumpled-up note from her wallet and handed it to me, saying, "You recognize the handwriting, right?"
Taking it over, I saw only two words: "Take care."
My heart sank immediately.
Sure enough, Tabitha was about to leave. The note was her saying goodbye to Gloria!
I pulled out a business card and stood up, telling her, "If she ever comes to you, call me at once."
Then I gestured at Alvin, who came to pay the bill right away.
I hurried out of the restaurant, looking up at the gloomy sky.
Seattle wasn't exactly big, but I couldn't find the person I was dying to see whatsoever.
Rolf, standing next to me, cautiously asked, "Alpha Derek, what's our next move?"
"Let's go to the hospital."
John had disappeared, and the only person in town Tabitha was related to by blood was Holly.
Word about Holly's illness had spread like wildfire. If Tabitha was really leaving, she'd definitely check in on Holly.
It was my only chance to see Tabitha.
When I arrived at the hospital with Rolf and Alvin, we ran into Holly's attending.
He sighed as he filled me in on Holly's condition, "I'm afraid she's been in a very bad mental state these days. Once she falls asleep, she dreams of Tabitha lunging at her, screaming for her to pay up for what she did."
So she was suffering both physically and mentally. Well, served her right.
When I walked into her ward, I noticed that she was in a very bad state of mind.
Seeing me, she wiped her tears away and forced a smile. "Hi, Derek."
Honestly, I came to see her solely because of Tabitha.
Every time I saw her, the scene of her choosing Tabitha over Daphne would flash in my mind, making me sick.
Suppressing my rage, I asked, "Feeling better?"
"Not really, I'm afraid," she smiled bitterly. "It's karma, I guess. For what I've done to Tabitha."
A nurse wheeled in a cart and said, "Mrs. Sutton, time for your routine check-up."
"OK," Holly nodded.
I didn't have anything to say to her, so I got up, ready to wait outside while she got checked.
Just then, the nurse opened her medication lockbox and took out a children's watch.
"Who put it in here? Is this some kind of prank?" she exclaimed.
Holly paled visibly when she saw the watch. "It's Tabitha!"
Hearing it, I immediately turned around and asked, "What did you just say?"
She raised the phone watch in the shape of a bear and said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I gave this to Tabitha the day before you got engaged. When she was little, I promised her that I'd buy her the most popular phone watch if she topped her final exam. But I left that year. So this is my way of trying to make it up to her."
Then she pressed the watch to her chest, sobbing, "Tabitha must have been here. She doesn't want the phone watch, and she doesn't want me as her mom. It's all my fault."
Upon hearing this, I immediately ran outside.
In the huge hospital, people came and went, yet the person I desperately wanted to see was nowhere to be found.
"Tabitha!"
I shouted her name at the top of my lungs, but no one responded.
Alvin walked up to me and said, "Alpha Derek, I've checked it out. The hospital's janitor put the watch there. She said she was paid to do so. Tabitha was never here."
My heart sank at his words. Holly was seriously ill, yet Tabitha didn't even come for a visit. Obviously, she had already put the kinship behind her.
Since she could stop caring about her mom, she certainly wouldn't hesitate to leave me.
At the thought, I felt dizzy, my knees buckling.
Alvin grabbed my arm to stop me from falling. "Alpha Derek, are you OK?"
"Alvin, Tabitha doesn't want me anymore," I said, fighting back my grief.
It started drizzling at some point. I shrugged off Alvin's support and aimlessly walked forward, still staggering.
The cold wind mixed with raindrops slammed into me. After I took a few steps, something dawned on me.
"I knew it!"
"What?"
"Whether Tabitha wanna take the plane or the train, as long as she buys a ticket, I'll be informed right away. Plus, I've got men stationed at the checkpoints of all the highway intersections. She wouldn't dare risk it."
Alvin looked at me, asking, "So you're saying..."
"She's gonna take the waterway! She must plan to leave by boat. As long as we find out which ship has an extra passenger, we can track her down."
My hopes were up again.
Alvin frowned. "But there are so many cargo ships coming in and out of the port every day... I'm afraid finding her will be a long shot. Besides, international freighters sometimes dock to resupply. Even if we get a proper search warrant, it'll take ages to check one by one."
"Go print out the information of all incoming and outgoing freighters in the last seven days. Including those that only stay for a few minutes! I want all the details!" I commanded firmly.
"Roger."
For the first time in days, I finally felt like I had a direction.
Clenching my fist, I vowed, 'Tabitha, you can't run away from me! Never!'