Missing: a Christine Lane Mystery, #2 by Dianne Scott

Author:Dianne Scott [Dianne Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dianne Scott
Published: 2022-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Inhaling the smell of pine sap from the potted Christmas trees, Christine and her siblings waited in line for Santa at the Christmas party. Every year, the police union rented out a facility to provide free rides and entertainment for young police families. Nearby, a toddler shrieked with pleasure as she clung to the merry-go-round horse, her father’s hand around her waist as it went up and down.

“What’s on your Santa list?” a voice asked.

Christine, Wayne and Donna turned. Oh no! It was Deputy Chief Darlow. And he was addressing Christine’s little sister.

Donna smiled, not intimidated by the man in dress uniform. Her mouth was mustached with a brown line from the free hot chocolate, and she hugged a balloon under one arm. She launched into a description of the board game Operation, demonstrating how you pulled the bone out with tweezers. “Like a surgeon,” she said to Deputy Darlow.

Please don’t touch the deputy with your sticky hands, Christine prayed. What was her superior officer doing here anyway? It was a non-brass event. He must be giving a speech about the Widows and Orphans Fund.

“What’s this?” Deputy Chief Darlow pointed at Donna’s balloon animal.

“The clown made it for me!” Donna exclaimed, hazel eyes shining as she showed it to the deputy chief, almost hitting him in the chin with the balloon.

Christine pulled Donna’s arm down.

“A monkey?” the deputy asked.

“No!”

“Elephant?” he queried again.

“NO! It’s a dog!”

A small smile edged his mouth. “Of course.”

A woman dressed in green leotards approached. It was a policeman’s wife, dressed as Santa’s elf. “Kids, Santa’s ready for you.”

Wayne looked from the elf to Christine, his face sullen. At ten, he was getting a bit old for Santa. “Take Donna,” Christine instructed, forestalling any debate.

Donna ran alongside the elf in her red velvet dress that was a little tight in the armpits, her hair in curled sausages down her back, past the Christmas trees to the opening in the white picket fence. Santa waved them over to his knee. Wayne looked tall and uncomfortable, perched in his dress pants and white shirt. Santa turned to Donna, who launched into an animated monologue.

Deputy Chief Darlow said, “PW Lane, a complaint has been lodged against you.”

Christine’s head jerked to look at him.

He continued, “By Mark O’Neil. The father of Roy O’Neil—a Lakeview Public School student.”

Her brows knit together. “I know him. What is the complaint, sir?”

“You interviewed his son about Jacob Nowak.”

She hadn’t had time to speak with Roy again, as she and Fillingham had planned. “I only spoke with Roy for a minute at the memorial—”

He interrupted. “Why are you asking questions at all, Constable? No inquest has been called. The coroner and the investigators concluded death by drowning. The case is closed. Continued interviews upset the children and their families.”

She opened her mouth to list the anomalies, the reasons she and Fillingham were persisting in the investigation, but viewing the straight line of the deputy’s mouth, she clamped hers shut.

“Further to that,” he continued, “the school

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