I walked back into the bedroom to lie down, but I knew I wouldn’t be falling asleep anytime soon. Around 4:00 a.m., I closed my eyes for what felt like nothing more than a long blink, but when I opened them, it was light outside. I’d underestimated how much of a toll the previous day had taken on me.

I got dressed and grabbed my purse before heading out. I completed a couple of rides, driving aimlessly, the information I’d read last night swirling in my mind. There was a part of me that knew the whole thing was ridiculous—I could never pull something like this off—but there was another part of me that knew I had to try.

We were running out of options, and this one had dropped itself into my back seat like a present.

I headed toward the Gold Coast. I picked up a few rides along the way, mostly as a distraction, but once I was downtown, I shut off the app. Soon, I was circling the blocks, moving closer and closer to the apartment building on Oak. As I drove past the dog park, I looked quickly for any signs of Emma and her puppy, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Of course they’re not there, Paula.

Go home.

I continued down the block before turning to head back to the heart of downtown. I’d drive for another hour or so and then head home. I was in the left turn lane, waiting for a large crowd of people to cross the street, when something caught my eye.

It was a store, halfway down the block, with a large, red awning and a single word printed in curly letters.

Klein’s.

I frowned and leaned forward to see what street I was on.

Halsted.

I thought back to the day I’d seen Emma outside the dog park as she spoke to someone on the phone.

“We’re going to be at Klein’s on Halsted.”

It was the boutique she’d been telling someone about on the phone. I wondered what kind of clothes would pass her muster, and on a whim, I pulled over into a parking space and shut off the car.

As I stepped inside Klein’s, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw how much the clothing fit Emma’s style. There were at least four different versions of the jumper I saw her wearing at the dog park. Everything was modern, clean, and streamlined. Colorful but understated.

I walked around for a bit and finally picked up a scarf.

I’d gone so far as to come in; I had to buy something…

I stepped into line, resigning myself to paying for an item I didn’t need, when I spotted the young couple in front of me. A moment later, I heard the woman speak.

“You can have it shipped to 115 West Oak.”