Lost and Found by Dianne Scott

Author:Dianne Scott [Dianne Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

“What’s in the bag?” Christine asked Fillingham. They were at the corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street. Since they had become a “couple” a week ago, they usually met up before their shift to walk to work together.

“A silk tie for my dad. It’s Father’s Day on Sunday.” He grimaced. “Commanded to attend the bruncheon.”

“Is that so bad?” she asked as they walked north. She had never known her dad, and her stepfather had been an abusive drunk, so it wasn’t a day she celebrated. At least Fillingham had a father in his life, although Fillingham Senior didn’t seem likeable.

“Can’t wait to see what he thinks about this.” He rubbed his mustache and goatee.

“Do they know you’re undercover?”

He shrugged. “Annie does.” Annie was Fillingham’s younger and favorite sister.

Christine stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “That reminds me. I forgot to tell my mom something.” She pointed to the public telephone booth on the corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street. “I’m going to call her. You go ahead.”

“Use the phone in the trailer.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be along in five.”

“Do you want me to pick up a latte? Or an Americano?”

There was an advantage to a fake boyfriend. “Latte, please.”

“Latte coming up.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

She was getting better at this—the hand-holding, the arms around each other’s waists, the kiss on the cheek. But it still felt awkward.

Christine stood in the payphone, the traffic noise from Bloor Street heard through the closed glass doors. “Hello. May I speak with Deputy Darlow? It’s Mavis Miller.” The secretary put her through to the deputy.

“Miss Miller.” His voice was cool. “Just one moment.” She heard a mumbling, another voice. “Okay, I’m alone now. Did you check the church drop-in again?” Christine could sense the worry underneath the deputy’s impatience.

Her hand tightened on the phone receiver. “I’ve been back to the church once since last week. Nothing new to report.”

“How about the bars on Yonge Street?”

“Those are harder to get to,” she said. “They ramp up at the same time as the Trailer Project, so it’s difficult for me to leave.”

“Go on a different day when you’re not working,” he suggested.

Christine suppressed a sigh. She was working sixty hours a week. She rarely saw her brother and sister unless she pulled herself out of bed after four hours of sleep to wake them for school and have breakfast with them. Monday and Tuesday were the only days she saw her family.

“I’ll try this weekend,” she said. “And we’re checking the apartments above the stores. Someone may have seen her camped out there.”

She heard some mumbled conversation.

“I need to go,” he said. “I have a meeting. Thank you for calling. We will speak again.” He hung up.

Christine looked at her watch. She was going to call her mom at work to tell her she had given Wayne the money for his field trip and that they were out of peanut butter. But there was no time.

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