Chapter Forty-Nine
Adam
I came back out, dressed for work, and was contrite when I addressed Brian and Alan.
“I’m sorry for snapping. I know what you were trying to do, and I want you to know, I’ve heard both of you when we’ve talked. I need some time to figure things out. If she falls for someone else in the meantime, I guess that means we weren’t meant to be.”
Brian nodded, but I should have known Alan wouldn’t let me off the hook that easily.
“Just curious—what is there to ‘figure out’? You love her and her kid, and I’m pretty positive she feels the same about you, for some reason that I’m still trying to understand. You didn’t do your friend dirty and get with his girl while he was alive. You didn’t even know her then.”
Brian added, “Shawn would want her to be with someone who will treat her right and raise his son to be an honorable man.”
“Give me some time.”
I could tell they were disappointed I wasn’t going to go make a grand gesture right then.
Alan said, “Since you’re not going to be interrupting her date tonight and carrying her away, caveman style, do you want to go to Hannigan’s?
Maybe it’ll keep your mind off that they’re probably sharing a dessert and falling in love.
Plus, I need to take some pictures and let Derrick and Dan know they’ve got competition.
Maybe they’ll treat me better when I go into Flannigan’s. ”
I rolled my eyes.
“Please, the last time I was in Flannigan’s with you, they greeted you like Norm from Cheers when we walked in, then Dan had your drink waiting by the time we got to the bar.”
He had a boyish grin when he conceded, “Yeah, they are pretty great to me. But, it’s good to let them know I have options, so they don’t get complacent!”
“And people wonder why you’re still single.”
“I’m single because I’m not settling until I meet the one .”
“And how will you know that?”
“I’m not sure? I guess I’m counting on just knowing. I assume things will feel easy.”
(Spoiler alert: “Easy” was not the case for my big bro when it came to true love. Far from it.)
“How do you know Lainey’s the one?”
I gave him a fake smile as I repeatedly blinked so he knew I wasn’t falling for his poor attempt at psychological trickery.
“I never said she was.”
~~~~
Alan and I went to Hannigan’s right after I got off work. I think my brother was actually trying to be nice and not give me a lot of downtime to think about Lainey’s upcoming date.
I hadn’t been to the bar/restaurant before, but it was a lot like Flannigan’s in Lancastle. Even the layout was similar, with the bar at the back of a large, open area with high ceilings, and side areas with lower ceiling for what I assumed to be people who wanted a quieter experience.
The biggest difference was instead of everyone knowing Alan’s name, everyone knew mine.
It was kind of creepy. Like I was a celebrity, but I hadn’t done anything to make me famous.
“You sure you’ve never been here before?” Alan said with a smirk as we sat down at a high top in the center of the bar area.
“Welcome to Small Town, USA.”
“Damn, and I thought Lancastle was small.”
“I said the same thing!”
“I’m sure being a cop has made you really visible in the community, too.”
“I’m sure that’s it.”
“And,” he formed a devious grin, “you’re having a scandalous affair with the single mom from the bakery.”
I glanced around to see if anyone had overheard, then hissed, “You can’t say things like that in public!”
“See? You’ve already got this small-town thing figured out.”
We ordered and the bartender was willing to switch one of the TVs to a Red Sox game, so we drank a draft beer while we waited for our food and watched some baseball.
“Thanks for bringing me here,” I murmured as our server set the tray containing our food down on a stand next to the table. “It has helped keep my mind off things.”
The college-age girl set my burger and fries down first, then retrieved Alan’s pasta dish.
After we told her we were good for the moment, my brother stole a fry from my plate, then confessed, “I kind of thought maybe they’d come here. There aren’t many places in town to go out to dinner.”
“You asshole.”
“I’m sorry! I just really want to see you throw her over your shoulder and walk out like a boss.”
“God, it’s like you don’t know me at all. First of all, the thought of making a scene makes me queasy, but if I were to do such a thing, I’d bridal carry her out like in An Officer and a Gentleman. ”
“How have you seen that movie? It came out before either of us was even born.”
“Some girls in my dorm used to have romantic movie marathons, and I wasn’t about to turn down an invitation. Any guy who showed up was practically guaranteed to get laid. But the girls were smart—it was invite-only.”
“Okay, that makes sense. I’ll allow it. Anyway, back to your grand gesture.”
Before I could argue I wasn’t going to be making any grand gestures, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out and saw I had a text from Brian.
Brian: Are you still at Hannigan’s?
Me: Yes.
Brian: Wait for me outside. I’ll be there in two minutes.
Me: I’m not leaving, I just got my food!
Brian: Lainey is missing.
I jumped up from the table and told Alan, “I gotta go. Lainey is missing.”
He didn’t sound like he believed me when he replied, “Missing? What do you mean by ‘she’s missing’?”
Still, he got up and threw a fifty on the table, then walked out the door with me, leaving our barely touched food on the table.
“I don’t know. Brian just said she’s missing.”
“He knows she has a date tonight, right? Maybe they decided to go earlier than they’d originally planned.”
I heard the siren before Brian’s car turned the corner, but the second he did, he killed the noise but left the lights on as he pulled into the parking lot.
“I doubt it. She and her friend have to bake for tomorrow.”
Brian rolled the passenger side window down as Alan asked, “Okay, but still, what makes her ‘missing’?”
I kind of wondered the same thing, until Brian replied, “She left Conor alone in the apartment.”
I felt all the blood drain from my face.
Up until then, I’d thought maybe they were making a big deal out of nothing. Like, they were manufacturing some drama to keep things in Haven Springs interesting, and people just needed to calm down and think logically.
At least, that’s what I’d hoped.
But there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell Lainey would willingly leave Conor alone.
“Get in. I need you to pull up the camera footage on our way to her apartment. Kristy’s there with the baby.”
I didn’t hesitate to get in the passenger’s seat.
Alan asked, “Is there anything I can do?”
“Not yet but keep your phone close by.”
My brother’s expression was serious when he leaned inside the window.
“I know this goes without saying, but you need to find her. And you need to find her soon. Whatever you need me to do—legal or not, I’m in. Adam can fill you in on my skillset.”
Brian nodded.
“That’s good to know. We’ll be in touch.”
The worried look on my brother’s face as we drove away scared the hell out of me.