The moment she spoke, Tony took a breath as if to discourage her but held it, biting his tongue and studying Kate as she made her resolution. It wasn't that he wanted to stop her from looking, quite the opposite, but he would rather he managed to keep at least one child from rushing off into the unknown without him to take the hits for her. Especially as she appeared to share Cassie's willful spirit.
"She left a note," he admitted, setting his own coffee aside then picking it up again, scrubbing his fingers anxiously through his beard once more. "She said she had to go help a friend, and I thought..." he explained, drawing a loose circle in the air for Kate to follow his logic before releasing it, a failed idea. It had been so clear to Tony that Cassie's friend had to be the magic boy that brought them there and made his own abrupt departure, but leaving Kate out of the loop made the idea murky. Reevaluation would be in order. As far as Tony knew, though, Cassie hadn't really had any other friends-- or anyone that she was willing to tell him about. He pouted, loathe to admit the ignorance, hoping Kate would have mercy and volunteer a hint.