Defying the Darkness by Amelia C. Adams

Author:Amelia C. Adams [Adams, Amelia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Bradley felt he would go mad before the train reached the west coast. The vibration coming up through the seat made him feel jostled and jiggled, and the noise was enough to drill holes in his eardrums.

He had gotten off at every stop along the way and asked at the train station, the general store, and the police station if anyone had seen Lydia. He had a photograph of her that he shared everywhere he went, but no one claimed to have seen her. If she hadn’t surfaced at one of those three places by now, chances were excellent that she wasn’t in that town, and so he would continue on to the next stop. It was exhausting in the extreme, but he couldn’t think of a better way to go about it. He left his information with the police at each stop just in case something did turn up, but they all agreed that they’d likely know if she lived within their town boundaries.

When he reached Denver, he was exhausted to the bone. Trying to sleep on a train car was a feat only accomplished by small children who had a mother’s soft lap to rest on. When he stepped off the train, he realized that in order to be effective, he needed a good night’s sleep and a couple of hot meals, and there were plenty of hotels nearby that could offer him just that.

He checked in to the Dorchester Arms—such a fancy name for such a humble little place—and washed up thoroughly, irritated by the thin layer of grime that had built up on his skin while he traveled. Then he went down to the dining room, where several small groups were seated randomly here and there, utensils clinking against the dinnerware.

He ordered the pot roast, wanting something hearty and filling, and then, on a whim, he asked the waitress if she’d ever seen Lydia.

She studied the picture for a long moment. “This was about how long ago, you say?”

“Eighteen months or so.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir, but I only came to Denver about eight months ago myself. Let me get Doris, though. She’s been here longer’n any of us.” She bustled away, and Bradley was left to wait for Doris.

She came a few minutes later, definitely older than the first girl—by a few decades—and with considerably less patience. “I’m told you’re looking for a certain girl.”

“That’s right. I fear she may have gone missing.”

Doris looked at the picture. “She doesn’t look too unique, do she? I mean, if she had missing teeth or something, I could remember that. A million girls look like this here picture—how’m I supposed to remember something like that?”

Bradley nodded. “I agree, it would be difficult. Thank you for looking.”

She went off in a whirl of cotton skirts, obviously too busy for making small talk.

The meal was adequate, although not as satisfying as he’d hoped for, and he climbed the stairs to his room. He knew nothing more than

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