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“Hey, Leia,” She smiles familiarly when she sees her.
“Hi, Fiona. We cam—”
“I think what you did in church yesterday was mighty brave. I want you to know that Graham and I never judged you.” She smiles as her eyes dart up instinctively toward the crucifix on the wall.
“I appreciate that—” Leia smiles, avoiding eye contact with me in case that smile turns into a snigger.
“Of course, and it’s nice to have someone in town who’s expecting too.” She smiles as she looks down at the bump she has under her sweater. “Though I’m finding this time much harder with little Matthew to run around after.” She strokes her tummy affectionately.
“I had no idea. Congratulations.”
Fiona is much older than us, she must be in her forties, and she isn’t exactly glowing in the same way Leia is.
“Thank you. We’re hoping for a girl this time, but the Lord will bless us with what he sees fit. Another little boy will be just as loved.”
“Fiona.” I quickly get to the point of why we’re here. “A woman came in here today looking for her daughter.”
“Yes, she did, awful, isn’t it?” She leans over the desk and lowers her voice. “But if a young girl is gonna go backpacking on her lonesome—”
“Yes, it’s awful and her mom is in pieces. She has very little money and really needs some form of closure. I was wondering if you could offer her a room for a few nights, I don’t have much money right now, but I promise I’ll square up the bill. She just needs—”
“Of course.” Fiona takes a key from the hook behind her. “Here, she can take room 3. I cleaned it myself this morning. It has a town square view.”
“I appreciate that.” I smile at her and Leia smiles at the little boy when he pokes his head around the door. I’ve never been much of a fan of kids but they seem to always like me so when he smiles at me too, I grin back.”
“I just wish there was more we can do. I’ve gone through our books and there was nobody here around that time. I suggested the town's CCTV but it happened so long ago it’s all been erased. You’d think the Sheriff would be more helpful. I don’t know what’s happening to this town. First Cora, then Aubrey. It feels never-ending. Do you think the same killer took that poor girl?” Fiona looks sadly at the picture she has pinned up on the noticeboard behind the desk.
“No,” I tell her firmly as I tug Leia back out the door.
The woman, whose name I’ve learned is Caroline, waits anxiously beside her fully packed station wagon when we come back out.
“We got you a room.” I toss her the key and watch her lips pick up into a smile.
“Really?”
“Fiona and Graham are good people,” I assure her, leaving out the part where I’m gonna have to find the money to pay them. I don’t know why but I feel the strongest urge to help this woman. I may be putting my own parents through hell right now but at least they know I’m safe and with friends.
“I can’t thank you…” Caroline flings her arms around us both. “This is a small town. I’ll bet I could speak to everyone within a few days. Someone here must know something.” She doesn’t sound sad anymore, she sounds full of life.
“Let’s hope.” I smile at her. “Here’s my number.” I take the phone she’s holding in her hand and type in my number. “You can call anytime. Now, how about we let you get settled then we meet for lunch at the diner tomorrow? We’ll show those Police how to get an investigation done.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Caroline smiles and as we leave her to pin up more posters and head for Leia’s car, I feel like I’m achieving something, and the look on Leia’s face tells me she’s feeling it too.
“It’s a terrible idea. Tell her what a terrible idea it is, Garrett.” I hear Wade shouting in the kitchen when I step through the front door and when I head in and see that Savannah is the person he’s angry at, it makes me twitchy.
“What's the problem here?” I interrupt, noticing that Savannah seems completely unfazed by my brother's anger. She’s sitting at the kitchen table with her arms folded under her tits and the look of a delinquent child on her face.
“It is a terrible idea.” Garrett ignores my question and agrees with whatever Wade is yelling about.
“What the fuck is going on?” I bellow over the top of them, causing the room to fall silent and Savannah to look a little stunned.
“Savannah here seems to think it’s a good idea for her to involve herself and my pregnant girlfriend in a missing persons case,” Wade explains with the vein in his temple looking like it's about to pop.
“Course she did.” I shake my head and laugh.
“It ain’t funny, Cole, this girl’s been missing for four years and Leia’s got it in her head that her dad might have killed her.” He shoves his finger on top of the missing poster that's on thekitchen table. “She shouldn’t be thinking about shit like this, not now. Not fuckin’ ever. It’s not good for her.”
“Wade. Leia needs this. She feels helpless for what happened to your sister and to…” Savannah’s eyes lift up to me and I hate seeing the fuckin’ pity in them. “She’s just trying to be useful and help this woman find out what happened to her daughter.”
