"I'm afraid that's exactly what they're up to," Carlos muttered. "But never fear. I discovered where Dr. Proctor works. Shady Oaks Psychiatric Hospital. I called, but they wouldn't confirm if Sabrina is a patient there."
"We have to find her."
"I know, menina. We will. Meet me tomorrow night after you get off work, and we'll go to Shady Oaks together."
"Okay." Toni hung up. She'd find Sabrina. And she'd get her out of that hospital. She wouldn't let her down.
CHAPTER 11
Saturday before dawn, Toni didn't see Ian. He teleported straight to the fifth floor without stopping to say hello. How had the interview gone? Was he avoiding her? He'd mentioned he'd met someone he liked. But he'd also hinted that he wanted to date her. It was so confusing.
Four times during the day, she wandered up the stairs to check on him for her reports. She stood there, staring at him in his death-sleep, searching for answers that weren't detectable on his handsome, blank face.
Right after sunset, Dougal and Phineas marched into the kitchen for their evening breakfast. Toni was having a quick sandwich before leaving to meet Carlos.
"Saturday night." Phineas took a gulp from his bottle of warmed-up blood. "I bet you've got a hot date."
"Something like that." She set her empty plate in the sink. "Why doesn't Ian come down? Isn't he hungry?"
"There's a wee fridge up there with a supply of blood," Dougal said. "Still, I wish he would come down."
"Yeah. The interview couldn't have been that bad." Phineas drank more from his bottle.
Dougal frowned. "Gregori told me it was verra bad."
Toni's heart stilled. "Why? What happened?"
Dougal shrugged. "Gregori wouldna give details. But they're showing the interview tonight on the telly."
She would have to see it. Hopefully, it would air before it was time to meet Carlos. But poor Ian. Was he hiding in his room out of embarrassment? "You know, this whole dating thing has snowballed completely out of control. The women came back about two hours ago. There are about twenty of them camped out on the front sidewalk."
"Twenty babes? Are they hot?" Phineas rushed from the kitchen.
Toni ran after him and found him turning off the alarm. "Phineas, don't! They're rowdy enough already. Whenever I look out the window, they start screaming."
"Cool." Phineas yanked open the door and was instantly rewarded with squeals. "Ladies." He held up his hands. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. Phang, the love doctor."
"We want Ian!" They pressed forward, knocking over empty beer bottles.
"Careful," Toni warned Phineas.
"Ladies, you have come to the right place. I'm a personal friend of Ian's—"
"Ask him if he wants some of this!" One of the girls let out a long squeal while she lifted her T-shirt to flash her boobs like a girl gone wild.
"That's a good start," Phineas said. "Anyone else?"
"Stop it." Toni slammed the door shut and glared at Phineas. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
He grinned.
Dougal's mouth twitched as he reset the alarm. "Come on, Dr. Phang. We need to go to Romatech."
"But the interview is starting in five minutes." Phineas dashed into the living room and located the remote control. "Don't you guys want to see it?"
"I do." Toni settled on the maroon couch that faced the widescreen TV.
"I'm going to work." Dougal gave Phineas a warning look. "I'll expect ye there in fifteen minutes."
"Okay, okay," Phineas agreed impatiently. "But admit it, bro, you're going to be watching it at Romatech."
Dougal smiled. "Perhaps." He vanished.
Phineas sprawled on the couch next to Toni and turned on the TV. "See that dude? He's Stone Cauffyn. Does the Nightly News."
Toni listened to the Vamp newscaster drone on in a boring voice. Suddenly her cell phone went off.
"Love is a battlefield?" Phineas snorted. "Man, that's wack. Love is a many-splendored thing, especially when you're with Dr. Phang."
"I'll keep that in mind." Toni rushed into the foyer to answer the phone. "Carlos?" She glanced at the surveillance camera. "This is not a good time."
"We need to go to Shady Oaks. Get your pretty ass home, girl, so we can go."
"I—" Toni glanced at the television in the next room. "I need to stay here about fifteen more minutes."