Page 45 of Operation: Discovery

As they neared town, Brendon concentrated on looking for anyone with chocolate-colored hair and who was petite. “Did you happen to see what she was wearing today?”

Connor glanced at him for less than a second. “You mean you didn’t see her?”

He hadn’t wanted to push her. She’d appeared to set a boundary with him, and he wasn’t about to cross that. Boundaries were important, imperative even, for a healthy relationship. He would apologize for crossing hers when she was ready to talk to him about it. Until then, he’d decided to give her space. That hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her almost constantly. Now that the gate was opened and they’d shared a piece of what they’d once had, he wanted all of it again. He might even take her pressure since he knew now that it came from a place of caring, not need.

“I didn’t.”

Connor sighed. “I’m not good about that sort of thing. She wears colorful scrubs every day. I think the ones she was wearing were blue, but I could just as easily be remembering what she wore yesterday. She doesn’t talk to me all that much, but I see her in the dining room and around.”

“How is Lacy doing with getting a new chair for Rebecca?” he asked as he searched through the few people walking around for the one familiar face he wanted to see.

“She’s come against some pushback. Seems there are two types of chairs; high-end ones that are durable and last a long time or the ones like the one she has.”

He rolled his eyes since he knew better. Wheelchairs came in many varieties and prices. “Where is she looking?”

“At our donors.” Connor’s voice had an edge. “I know she needs one. I know it will help her, but this is a process. People out there don’t understand why a chair isn’t a chair. Lacy has had to answer questions like, ‘if she can’t feel her legs anyway, why does it matter?’ I know that sounds cold, but it’s that they don’t understand.”

Dealing with a lack of understanding had become commonplace. Until someone sat in that chair, was confined to that chair, they didn’t understand. While it was very much a freedom for him, he also felt like he had to educate those who simply didn’t realize that they didn’t care.

“So, where does that leave Rebecca?” He saw a dark car dash out from a side street, nearly clipping the front end of the truck. Connor slammed on the brakes, barely missing a collision. The woman driving flipped him off and sped away.

Brendon gripped the handle near the window and watched her race away. “People are getting worse and worse. She clearly missed that stop sign.” He nodded toward the bright red sign posted on the crosswalk.

“Must be new in town. I’ve never seen that car or that person before. Rude, too.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, then continued down the street.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket and handed it over to Brendon. Brendon answered and pressed the speaker phone icon. “Hello, Brendon here.”

“Brendon? Is Connor there too?” Officer Blake’s voice came over the speaker.

“I’m here. What’s going on?” He pulled over and parked the truck.

“I got a call about forty minutes ago that Dee Heather Rose is missing. I’ve combed the town and can’t find her. I’ve called her phone and gotten no answer. I’m hoping you’re going to tell me she’s back at Wayside, safe and sound.”

Brendon lifted Dee’s phone and swiped it open. He’d have to talk to her about adding a password for security. He searched for recent phone calls and found none from anyone that day.

“I’ve got her phone here and there are no calls from you.”

There was a brief silence on the line. “Unless I have her number wrong… Though, it doesn’t matter much if you have her phone. Does that mean you haven’t seen her?”

“No. We just arrived in town and are starting to look.”

“Meet me over by the school and we can make a plan. I’m on shift by myself tonight because Mike’s wife is in labor. I haven’t had any other calls, but in case I do, I want this wrapped up.”

“Agreed,” Brendon said. He wanted this wrapped up and Dee back at Wayside where he hoped she stayed for a while.

Brendon drove to the school and Officer Blake turned in at the same time. Connor parked alongside the officer so no one had to get out of their vehicles, but they could talk easily. They compared the number Nixon had called to Dee’s and found he was off by one digit.

“She hadn’t called me directly. Moira called the emergency line, and they gave me the number to follow up. Either dispatch transposed the number, or I did. Sorry about that.”

“Mistakes happen and her wrong number won’t affect finding her since she didn’t have her phone anyway,” Brendon said, looking at Conner. “Moira needs her own phone.”

“Agreed.” He turned his head back toward Nixon. “We’ll take the east end of town from the graveyard to Center Street.”

Nixon nodded. “I’ll take the other end. Meet you back here in one hour or call me if you find anything.”

Brendon gave him a thumbs up as Connor drove away. There was no time to waste with niceties. Connor quickly drove to the old graveyard on the edge of town. It was the same place Gabby had narrowly escaped a kidnapping by Scarlet’s aunt. Today, there were no cars or mourners in the raised area surrounded by a metal fence.

“In a blue outfit, we’d see her,” Connor said. “Even at five, it’s still bright enough to see to the far end and there’s no one here.”

---