Midnight Caller - By Diane Burke Page 0,38
this guy for months and the first I hear about it is Amy’s birthday party.” Frustration laced her words. “Now I don’t have a clue where to start looking for her.”
“Maybe we should call the police.”
Erin stood and pulled off her gardening gloves. “And tell them what? That she left last night looking like a million bucks to go on a special date and we haven’t seen her since? Somehow, I don’t think they’ll be too concerned.”
“Well, we have to do something. We can’t just sit here.”
Erin sighed. “That’s exactly what we have to do. Until she calls or shows up or something.”
They both heard the doorbell.
“I’ll get it,” Erin said. “Why don’t you go inside and check on the kids?” She hurried around the side of the house, shielded her eyes against the sun and grinned when she recognized the man on the porch. “Hi. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Tony came down the steps. His grave expression as he approached gave her pause.
Tell me nothing’s wrong. Tell me I have a vivid imagination and you came by to see me…or Jack…or that you’re here for some Irish coffee.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Have you heard from Carol?”
Erin’s stomach clenched. “No. Why?” She shoved her hands in her pockets to still the sudden trembling in them.
“When was the last time you spoke with her?”
“Last night. Right before she left for her date. But you know that already. You were here.” She took a deep breath. “Tony, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“She’s missing.”
“I know that, but how did you…?” An uneasy feeling crept over her. “What’s happened?”
He slid a protective arm around her shoulders and gently guided her toward the house. “As far as I know, nothing’s happened to her. Let’s go inside and talk.”
They no sooner stepped into the foyer than the children raced toward them, hugging Tony’s legs and shouting his name.
“Tony, are you going to watch me ride my bike?” Jack asked.
“Me, too,” Amy demanded.
Tony squatted and closed both children in a bear hug. “I’d love to play with you guys,” he said, an unfamiliar gruffness in his voice. “But it’ll have to wait until next time. I have to go back to work in a few minutes.”
The gentle way Tony brushed the curls out of Amy’s eyes made Erin’s heart constrict so tightly that she could barely breathe. He knows something and it’s bad. It’s very, very bad.
“Aunt Tess is going to take you outside,” Erin said.
Her aunt nodded and, for once, didn’t ask any questions. “Come on, children. Let’s go next door and show Mr. Fitzpatrick how well you ride.”
After they left, Erin looked at Tony. She didn’t want to see sympathy or concern in his eyes, but she did. “Just tell me.” She steeled herself for his words.
He tugged her hand and led her into the kitchen. “Someone filed a missing person report earlier today. Normally, we wait forty-eight hours, but under the circumstances, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to do a little poking around.”
“Someone reported her missing?” She clenched her fists against her chest. Breathe. One. Two. In. Out. “I don’t understand. Who?”
“The man she was supposed to meet last night.”
Erin sat perfectly still. “You met Mystery Man?”
Tony nodded.
“Who is he?”
“That’s not important right now.”
Erin popped out of her seat. “What do you mean it’s not important? If he was the last one to see her, he has to know what happened. Maybe they fought. Maybe he did something to her and he is trying to cover his tracks.”
Tony stood, crossed to the sink and got her a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”
She pushed it away.
He gently pushed her back into her seat and placed the glass on the table beside her.
“Did he hurt her, Tony? Did he?”
Tony squatted in front of her and cradled her hands in his. “He claims she never showed up. He got worried when she didn’t return his calls.”
“She never made it to their date? Do you believe him?” Erin pinned him with her gaze.
“Until I have reason to think otherwise, yes, I do.”
Erin contemplated his answer and nodded.
Tony took a seat beside her. “Did you know Carol received anonymous telephone calls?”
“Yes.” When she saw his features darken, she said, “I was going to tell you about it last night but I forgot. For one wonderful evening I got lost in good food, good conversation and a good movie. I just didn’t think about the calls.” She crinkled her forehead. “What do the calls have to do with anything?”
“Maybe nothing.