When Hope is Missing by Nightingale S.F

Author:Nightingale, S.F
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Seventh Chapter

Devin checked into his B & B, which was like walking into his grandmother's house. He had to give Barb and Arti Zucker credit for filling a niche in Glaxton. Even the smallest towns needed a guesthouse of some sort. No national chain would ever consider opening a location in Glaxton because it wasn't exactly a tourist draw. The five-bedroom house had recently been painted pink, apparently to draw in customers. It was hard not to notice the Pepto-Bismol-colored home. White, wrought-iron lawn furniture was placed on the front lawn, although it wasn't a welcoming place to sit. It was on the corner of Glaxton that provided the highway on-ramp. It was loud.

Devin wasn’t going to leave a stone unturned. He had the Spencers constantly on his mind, and he wasn’t going to let up. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, Mrs. Zucker. I was planning to stay a week in Glaxton, but I’m not leaving until Ken and Magda are reunited with their baby girl.”

"Oh, Reverend, please call me Barb and my husband, Artie. We try to create a homey atmosphere, and Mr. and Mrs. are way too formal. We pray each night before the fire and invite our guests to join. Hope Spencer is at the top of our prayer list. Would you be interested in leading prayer tonight?”

“If I’m available, I’d be honored. Have you had any families with infants passing through?” Devin asked.

Barb looked at the ledger to verify the date. “We had a young couple check-in on the 11th for one night. They had an infant, but we didn’t see the child until check-out. It was a very sweet, baby boy who slept through the night without a peep.”

“How old was the baby?”

“Ten days old. They were on their way to Toronto to show the baby to the mother’s dying father. That’s the only reason they would travel with a child that young. His name was Ethan. I know what you’re thinking, but it couldn’t have been the Spencer baby because it was a boy.”

Devin didn’t suspect Artie and Barb had done anything wrong, but it was too much of a coincidence that a couple with an infant was passing through the day Hope went missing. “Barb, what was the last name of this couple?”

“Johnson. I saw the baby as they left, and he had a thick head of black hair with olive skin.”

“You’ve been very helpful. Excuse me while I make a phone call. You look terrified, Barb – don’t be. What you’ve told me could be helpful or could be nothing.”

Devin grabbed his room key. It had been a while since he received anything but a key card upon check-in. He closed the walnut door behind him and sat down on the fourposter bed. “Poppy Stewart. This is Reverend Devin Grant.” He waited on hold while listening to soft jazz.

“Detective Stewart is out of the office all afternoon. Can I leave a message for her?”

“I’ll talk to whoever’s in charge.”

“Detective Stewart is in charge, but she’s out all afternoon.

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