Forty five

Ellen's POV

As I groggily opened my eyes to the soft light filtering through the curtains, my mind slowly emerging from the depths of sleep, I reached for my phone on the nightstand. I unlocked the screen and my heart sank as I read the message from Martha the maid I planted at Zeke's place.

Mr. Reid is in town, but did not sleep at home.

A sense of unease settled over me like a heavy fog as I assimilated the information. Where could Zeke have gone? What could have kept him away all night?

As I sat up to gather my thoughts and make sense of the situation, the realization dawned on me with a jolt of apprehension. Zeke never slept out. It simply wasn't his style.

The only time he stayed away from home overnight was when he was out of the country, and even then, he would use his private jet to return home as quickly as possible.

So where could he have gone? And why hadn't he returned home?

A thousand possibilities raced through my mind, each one more troubling than the last. Had he been