They went through the apartment together, checking what she’d left behind. They found a couple of her T-shirts, a toothbrush by the sink, and a half-used bottle of shampoo. Surely she must return soon?
They knocked on a few neighboring doors, asking if anyone had seen Clara leave that morning. Each person answered the same way: they hadn’t noticed her at all. No footsteps on the stairs, no door closing, no quick hello in the hallway. It was like she’d never left.