Elena was already there when Candace arrived at the 

Owelry

. She spotted her roommate through the glass, watched as Elena unknowingly sipped water nervously. Candace could see something was wrong. Probably why Elena had asked her out to dinner.

After watching her roommate through the window for a moment more she went inside.

The two ordered salad and soup. No drinks besides water.

"It's so nice to get out together." Candace said.

"I know. It's been awhile."

"Special occasion?" Candace shook her shoulders with her arms facing up. Smile on her face.

Elena made a face. The one Candace knew she would.

"Actually. Something really weird happened."

"Oh?"

"last night."

Candace leaned forward while twirling the shriveled up paper sheath of the straw.

"A call came in. I didn't know who it was. All I could hear was breathing."

"Creep. You should've just hung up on him."

"It wasn't my phone. I had accidentally taken my coworker's phone home. So I felt obligate to hear the call out. Just in case it was someone who needed to get in touch with him. You know?"

"So what happened?"

"Nothing. I just heard him breathing. And then he hung up."

"Wow."

"And then today at the store. My coworker wasn't there. I had brought his phone. Kept it in the jacket pocket. Hung my jacket in the break room. But sometime before noon when I went to check for the phone it wasn't there."

"Think someone stole it?"

"No."

"Well where'd it go."

"I don't know."

Candace waited for the rest of the story. Elena hesitated.

"I got a call on my phone from an unknown number."