AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As odd as it was, she didn’t harbor any embarrassment about being seen with Ty. He was tall and handsome, and mysterious enough that both Jane and Carl were stretching their necks to catch every movement.
Ty opened the door and she walked over the threshold, holding as much of her smugness at bay as possible. She wasn’t trying to be conceited, but it did feel good to be seen out and about.
“Hello, Norma Rose,” Peter Alvin said from behind the little caged window in the center of the room.
“Hello, Peter,” she responded. Despite the adventure of it all, she remembered her purpose. Walking straight to the ticket booth, each footstep echoing off the walls, she asked, “Is Ginger still here?”
“Ginger?” Peter repeated. “I haven’t seen Ginger in ages. Was she supposed to be here?”
There was nothing in his stance or gaze to make her question his honesty. Stopping near the booth, she noted there wasn’t even a hint of sweat on his bald head. Norma Rose knew the signs of someone trying to cover up the truth.
“Yes,” she said. “I asked her to come over and inquire about ticket prices for some guests. You’re sure you haven’t seen her?”
“I’m sure.” Peter’s deep-sunk eyes were totally clear; if anything, they only held concern. “I’ve been here since seven this morning.”
Norma Rose nodded, not sure what to say next.
Ty rested an elbow on the little shelf in front of the ticket window. “How many trains do you get through here in a day?”
“Twelve. But only four stop,” Peter said. “Three freight and one passenger.”
“What time are the freight trains?”
Peter glanced at Norma Rose.
Drawing up one of her many false smiles, she nodded. “He’s a friend.” No one in the tight-knit community of Bald Eagle gave out information freely. Especially to strangers.
“I’m looking to have some personal items shipped here,” Ty added.
Peter nodded and began a lengthy explanation of train times, destinations and prices. Norma Rose pretended to be listening while scanning the long, narrow and rather sterile building, wondering about hiding places. White walls and white floor tiles, which needed a good scrubbing, gave way to two long benches and two restrooms, in addition to the ticket booth and a small office behind it.
Unless she was hiding in a bathroom, which was highly unlikely as there was no reason for Peter to lie, Ginger wasn’t here. It was all so hard to believe. Ginger had talked about Hollywood, but had never given the slightest hint she would run away. What was she hoping to gain? The resort offered everything possible. Food, clothing, shelter, all the best. Though each of the sisters were expected to work each day, it was minimal, five to six hours at most, and they were paid a full wage, more than any other girls their age made. They didn’t need to spend any of it, either. Father gave them money whenever they asked. He never questioned if it was for clothes or makeup or glossy magazines.
Norma Rose was the one that had to do that, in order to limit their frivolous spending. Money hadn’t always come so easily, and she tried her best to make them understand that.
“Norma Rose?”
“Sorry,” she said, spinning to gaze up at Ty. “I thought I heard a train whistle.”
“I did, too,” he said, with a grin that said he didn’t quite believe her. “Peter here has given me all the information I need. Shall we go and watch the train roll in and see the passengers board?”
“Yes,” she agreed. Crazy, that’s what this was, the way she was enjoying herself. Pretending this was no more than a simple outing. She hadn’t had an outing, especially with a male companion, for ages. Not since she’d dated Forrest. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, not even to herself, Ty was fun. His secretive glances and grins kept excitement humming in her veins.
“I’ll let Ginger know I already gave you all the information, if I see her,” Peter said. “I’ll be closing up after the train leaves.”
“Thank you,” Ty said. “We appreciate that.”
Norma Rose agreed and fought to control her steps as they walked to the door. She was used to controlling things, yet seemed to be having a harder time doing it around Ty.
A train whistle filled the air as Ty opened the door and held it wide for her to exit first.
Ginger wasn’t among the passengers, neither those arriving or departing. Norma Rose wasn’t surprised, yet she couldn’t quite gather if she was upset or not. It certainly was not like Ginger to run away. Twyla, yes. That wouldn’t have surprised anyone, except Twyla knew that if she left, the money would stop. Ginger had to know that, too.
After the train rolled westward, she and Ty walked to his truck, where he once again held the door open for her.
Norma Rose climbed in absently. She couldn’t come up with a single reason why Ginger would have run away.
“What about friends?” Ty asked as he climbed in.
“What about them?” she said, not so lost in thought she’d admit to not having any. She hadn’t for years. Friendships took time, and she’d devoted all of her time solely to the resort over the past few years.
“Does Ginger have any she might have gone to see? Someone ailing or celebrating a birthday or something?”
“No,” Norma Rose said. “Well, she has friends, but since graduation last month, she hasn’t seen them regularly. Two got married right after they’d graduated and her best friend left last week for Duluth, where she’ll go to college.”
“Would she have gone to see her? The friend in Duluth?”
“Not without telling me,” Norma Rose said. “She’d have asked for the money for a ticket or permission to use one of the cars. If any of her friends were sick or had birthdays, she’d have told me about that, too.” Frustration building, she shook her head. “This is so unlike Ginger.”
“Will Ginger attend college?”
“No,” she answered. “Father won’t allow that.”
“College?”
“Yes, college. Not for any of his daughters.” Perhaps it was due to the purpose of their mission, but she didn’t mind answering his questions. He needed to know any information that might assist in finding Ginger. “I think Father’s afraid that if he lets them leave, they won’t come back.” In some ways her father was lenient when it came to his daughters. About other things he was strict. Very strict.
“Even you?”
“Yes, even me.” Norma Rose bit her lips together. She hadn’t meant for that to sound so sharp, and shot a glance at Ty.
Staring straight ahead, he scratched his head. “Well, what about the amusement park? Would Ginger have gone there, like Twyla wanted?”
“Twyla’s friend Mitsy Kemper works there, selling cotton candy.” Norma Rose took a moment to contemplate that. “Ginger was mad at Mitsy a while back, but I don’t know why. I figured it was over a borrowed scarf or something, but now that I think about it, Ginger was really angry. She didn’t have a kind thing to say about Mitsy for days.”
He started the engine. “Shall we go see if this Mitsy has seen Ginger? It can’t hurt.”
“I suppose we could.” Then because she wasn’t used to being away from the resort for so long, she added, “I should go tell Father where I’m at, where we’re going.”
“One of the men would have told him we left,” Ty said, backing up. “He knows you’re with me.”
She couldn’t deny that and the thought triggered other questions. “How could Ginger have left the resort? She wouldn’t have walked.”
“Can you think of anyone who was at the resort last night that she might have asked for a ride?” Ty asked in return.
Norma Rose glanced out her window to check for traffic and signaled no one was approaching. “No. It was all locals last night. No one would have given her a ride without my father’s permission.”
“You’re sure?” Ty asked.
Her look could have spoken for itself, but Norma Rose said, “I’m positive.”
“Your father keeps a close eye on all of you girls, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“No,” Ty said without glancing her way. “I’m just wondering how you, and your sisters, feel about that. Would it have made Ginger angry enough to run away?”
Skipping over the way she felt about it, for that was not something he needed to know, she said, “Twyla’s the only one who complains about it. As long as Josie’s allowed to go to her ladies aid meetings, she’s happy, and Ginger, well, up until a month ago, she was in school every day, so it wasn’t like she didn’t leave the resort regularly.”
He pulled onto the main highway. “So now, after a month of being home, she may have gotten frustrated?”
“Possibly, I guess, but she never said anything.”
They’d only traveled a short distance along the highway before Ty started slowing again. “I need to fuel up.”
“Scooter Wilson runs this place,” she said as Ty pulled off the road and into the fueling station. “He was at the resort last night.”
