Page 96 of Is Anyone Listening?
Unfortunately, when I got back to the inn, I found her usual chair empty, no sign of her or her knitting. I stopped at the desk to ask Moira if she knew where Dorothy was and discovered that she'd checked out that morning. That was disappointing.
With no one else to talk to, I went back upstairs and into my room. I sat on my bed, feeling frustrated and restless. I wasn't going to get anywhere by just sitting here, but I didn't know what to do next.
After a moment of debate, I took out my phone and called Sophie.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hi, it's Cassidy. I was wondering if I could talk to you. Are you at the pub?"
"No, I'm at home, waiting for Cole. With everything going on, we decided to leave today. We're heading for New York, Cassidy. I can hardly believe it, but Finn gave me the money I needed to go now, and Cole is fed up with his dad, so we're going to do it. We're actually going to get out of this town."
"I'm happy for you." I paused, then said, "Did you tell Finn you were leaving today? He and I witnessed a fight between Cole and his dad yesterday, and Finn was a little worried about you and Cole taking off together."
"We talked about that, but no one has to worry. I know Cole. He only goes crazy when he's talking to his dad. He would never hurt me. He's not like that."
Sophie sounded absolutely convinced by her words, and I didn't know Cole well enough to contradict her. "Well, that's good to hear. I hope it all works out."
"It will. I just need Cole to get here already. We were supposed to leave thirty minutes ago."
That seemed troubling. "Why do you think he's late?"
"I don't know, but I want to get on the road, so he better get here soon." Sophie paused. "When will you be back in Manhattan?"
"Probably Saturday."
"Great. I'll look you up. I wasn't sure you were going to leave without figuring out what happened to Natalie. What are your listeners going to think if there's no resolution?"
"I don't know. I'm still hoping to get a last-minute break. But in the meantime, I'm learning more about Stonecross and my family, so that's something."
"I still can't believe you're Ellen's granddaughter. You two are nothing alike."
"I would agree with that."
"Is she talking to you about your dad, their past?"
"Not really. I need to find more people in town who are willing to do that. Your parents were helpful, but I need more information. I was actually hoping to speak to Dorothy again, but I heard she checked out."
"You could go see her. She lives in town."
"Do you know where?"
"I don't know the exact address, but she lives in the white house with yellow shutters on the first block of Maple Drive. I dropped her off there once when she needed a ride home."
"Thanks. I'll check that out. Have a safe drive to New York, and, hopefully, we'll catch up there."
"I can't wait. Bye, Cassidy."
After hanging up the phone, I grabbed my bag and keys and headed back out to find Dorothy. On the way, I couldn't help wondering why Cole was late in meeting Sophie. Was his father trying to stop him from leaving? It seemed likely there was more family drama going on, and I hoped Sophie didn't get caught in the middle of it.
Dorothy's house was a modest white colonial with a garden that was beautifully maintained. I rang the bell and waited, hoping Dorothy might be able to tell me something I didn't already know. I wasn't actually that interested in finding out more about my father or family right now. I needed to find out what Dorothy knew about Ray, because he seemed to be a shadowy figure in everything that was going on. Maybe if I told her about the video footage, she'd tell me something in return.
A moment later, the door opened, and Dorothy's face lit up with surprise. "Cassidy! What a lovely surprise. Come in, dear."
"I hope I'm not intruding. I tried to find you at the inn, but they said you'd checked out."
"I came home this morning." She ushered me into a cozy living room filled with family photos and comfortable furniture. "Can I get you some tea?"
"No, thank you. I actually wanted to talk to you about something."
