Noel smiled, taking the money while he spoke. "No problem Alex. See you this afternoon!" He waved the young man away and turned his attention back to the gaggle in front of him. They were thinning out, finally, and he could breathe a little in between mixing with people in front and mixing doughs and batters in the back. When Mark called that he could relax for a few minutes, Noel let out a breath in relief and went outside through the back door, which led into the alley. He pulled out both his e-cig and cell phone, scrolling through the contacts list. He selected Jeanie's mother, Marianne, and put the phone to his ear.

The call didn't last long. Marianne liked him well enough but they never spoke for more than a few minutes. But he ended it quickly as his stomach flopped. Jeanie had never arrived. He swallowed hard and leaned against the wall. Illogical thought wanted to tell him that Jeanie was in awful danger. Kidnapped. Dead. Being held for ransom. More logical thought put her somewhere else. She was an adult, after all. She probably found someone she actually loved. But her mother had to have at least heard if that were the case. He breathed out a shaky sigh and stepped back into the kitchen. It was long enough to file a missing person's report, wasn't it? More than twenty four hours, if he wasn't mistaken. He sat beside the door in the folding chair he kept there. Will was out making deliveries again, so he was alone in the kitchen, where Mark so rarely ventured. He took a steadying breath and dialed the police.