“I honestly don’t know. Do you want Phil’s number? Why don’t you give him a call?”

“Okay. That’d be great.”

Sue got up and went into the kitchen. She found Phil’s number in the directory she kept next to the phone and read it to her daughter.

“Thanks, Mom. How is Chip’s job going?”

“I think that he’s less than thrilled with it. But he just started. It takes time to get acclimated.”

“Right,” Natalie said. She knew that Chip wasn’t that happy with what he was doing. But he had time to change careers. He was so funny and smart and likeable that Natalie was sure that he could do whatever he wanted. But she’d always been worried that he was a little naïve for his age. “I’ll give Phil a call. How’s Dad?”

“Doing fine. We’re here watching all the news about the blackout.”

“Give him my love. If you hear from Chip please ask him to call me right away.”

“Okay, dear. And if you talk to him, let us know.” Sue replaced the phone in the receiver and rejoined her husband on the couch. “Natalie is such a worrier,” she said lightly. “I can tell she’s concerned that she can’t reach Chip. It’s silly isn’t it?” she asked her husband, looking for reassurance.

Chris put his arm around her. “Of course it is. Chip’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. You didn’t talk to him that long ago.”

“You’re right,” Sue said, putting her head on her husband’s shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she said with a conviction she did not feel. “It’s just that he sounded like he’d been drinking a little too much.”

A picture of a high-rise building in Manhattan came on the screen. “New Yorkers are being urged to check on their neighbors. Especially the elderly. The heat in the apartments can be stifling and become a real danger for people with respiratory problems. As far as crime goes, several arrests have been made for looting and a number of muggings have been reported, but all things considered it’s relatively peaceful. However, the streets are dark and many of them are deserted. The mayor is urging everyone to please be careful…”

A sudden dread came over Sue. Her intuition told her that Chip was in trouble. She reached for the phone.

“Who are you calling?” Chris asked.

“Chip,” she said briskly.

But his phone went straight to voice mail.

“Chip, please call us. No matter what time you get this. It’s very important.”

“Honey,” Chris said, slightly exasperated. “You just spoke with him a few minutes ago. Maybe he met a girl he’s having fun with. He’s a big boy. Leave him alone.”

“I just need to hear his voice,” Sue said. “Maybe I’ll call Phil…”

“Wait a few minutes. If Natalie’s station is doing an interview with him, the last thing you need to do is interrupt.”

“Okay,” Sue said, trying her best to relax. Like any mother, she had always worried about her children. But this was the first time she had an overpowering feeling that something was terribly wrong.