Page 184 of Ice Mechanic

“No, I haven’t seen him,” Kinsey says flatly. “But I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thank...” The dial tone rings and I realize he hung up. “You,” I finish lamely.

I guess I can’t expect more than that given Kinsey thinks I’m suing him.

After a few moments of internal debate, I decide to alert May to what’s going on. She’s my little sister and I want to shield her from panicking, especially when she’s on campus. However, if the shoe were on the other foot, I would befuriousif dad was in danger and I wasn’t informed.

“Where could he be?” May shrieks. “How could this happen? Why are we paying that crazy expensive fee and they can’t take care of dad properly?”

“I have all these questions too. I’m heading to the nursing home right now. I’ll get there in about…” I check my watch, “thirteen minutes.”

“It’ll take me an hour to get back to town.” Her voice trembles.

“I didn’t tell you so you could rush back.”

“You can’tpossiblythink I’ll attend any lectures with dad missing, do you?”

“By the time you get back to town, he’ll already have been found,” I say as optimistically as I can.

“I wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway. I’m catching a bus now,” she says resolutely.

There’s no point in arguing with her.

May ends the call, and I dial all the places dad used to love.

The old cafe run by the Duncans.

Phil’s Burgers.

The hockey rink.

No one has seen dad.

It’s been almost thirty minutes since he wandered off and my brain keeps picturing the absolute worst.

Frantic and sick to my stomach, I call the nursing home again.

“Is dad back?” I ask in a harried voice. “Was there any update from the security guard? Did the security cameras reveal what direction he went?”

“Unfortunately, he’s not back yet, but we do have everyone we could possibly spare on staff out looking for him.”

My grip around the steering wheel tightens. Worry consumes me and I snap, “What about the security cameras?”

“We’re still working on that, ma’am,” she explains sheepishly. “Our security company had a system wide update yesterday and there were some bugs. We made an urgent request to their technicians. One arrived and is working on restoring the data now.”

I can’t believe this.I chew on my bottom lip. “Every second that passes by is a second my dad could walk into incoming traffic or fall down a ravine or…” My throat clogs with painful emotions. I refuse to let my mind wander down that frightening path. “I needsomething.”

“We’ve already sent out an alert to the police with a description of what your father was wearing when he wandered out of the garden. We investigated all the landscapers at length. The one who left the back door open claimed your father hadbeen hanging around the construction area an hour ago, so he must have left after that point.”

I squeeze the bridge of my nose.

“This is unprecedented, Miss Brooks, but I assure you that we’re doing everything we can to find him. We will return your father safe and sound.”

“You can’t promise me that,” I grind out.

She goes quiet.

I know I’m taking out my anger unfairly on her and even my breathing. “I’m almost there. I want to talk to the worker who last saw my father myself.”

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