Free Tell Anna She's Safe by Brenda Missen Page B

place Lucy had been seen.
    He asked if anyone had questions. They did. His answers were not guaranteed to satisfy. He knew this. He spread his hands in apology and left us.
    We pushed back our chairs and rose to go.
    Anna touched my arm. She let the others go on ahead. “Can I call you, to…?”
    â€œOf course.” I gave her my phone number. I didn’t think I had anything helpful to offer, but I couldn’t refuse.
    â€œCurtis is sure he did it. But I don’t know. He’s so upset. I don’t think he’s thinking straight. Maybe—”
    â€œCurtis?” I interrupted. That name had been in one of Tim’s letters.
    â€œCurtis,” repeated Anna. She must have seen my blank look. “It was Curtis she was living with when she met Tim. Tim was so jealous.”
    Lucy hadn’t just been seeing someone; she’d been living with him.
    â€œWe all wrote letters of support to the National Parole Board—me, my father, Doug, all her friends. We pledged our support. You said she was safe. Do you think she’s just … got away?”
    I had no answer for her. None I believed. I hugged her close. I told her I would call her if I heard anything.
    She was turning to go but this time I stopped her. “Anna, I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but the person speaking in my dream wasn’t just any friend.” I paused and met her eyes. “It was your sister.”
    A startled look came over her face. And then something like confusion. “I’m sorry,” I added. “I know it sounds crazy. And I hope it doesn’t upset you. But I thought you should know.”
    Her eyes filled with tears again. She nodded, wiping her cheek. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Through the open door we could hear Doug calling her. “I should go, but I—I just need to ask you.” She hesitated, looked away. Looked back at me. “Are you sure she said, ‘Anna’”?
    I nodded. “I had no idea who ‘Anna’ was but the name was clear. I only realized it was you when Tim mentioned your name when he called this afternoon.” I looked at her questioningly.
    She gave me a teary smile. “Okay. Thanks. Really, thanks, Ellen.” She pressed my hand and rushed out of the restaurant.
    The television crew arrived at my door just after I did. They rolled the camera while I taped one of Doug’s posters to the side of the cluster of green mailboxes at the top of the road.
    In the photo on the poster, Lucy is standing on her front porch. She is dressed up to go out somewhere, wearing a knee-length patterned dress and heels. She is smiling right beside the block-lettered words “ MISSING PERSON ” and her physical description.
    LUCY STOCKMAN
46 YEARS OLD
5'1" TALL
100 POUNDS
DARK BROWN SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR
TANNED COMPLEXION, BROWN EYES
LAST SEEN APRIL 22 (SAT) WEARING A DARK BLUE COAT WITH SMALL RED STRIPE, BLACK OR NAVY COLOURED TIGHT PANTS, NIKE RUNNERS.
HER YELLOW AND WHITE SUZUKI SIDEKICK WAS FOUND PARKED ON RIVER ROAD JUST SOUTH OF THE LARGE ROCK QUARRY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL WHERE THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE IS.
    The police contact information was provided at the bottom.
    There was one message waiting on my machine when I got home. It was from Curtis. He spoke in a quiet voice that seemed to mask some great emotion. He had got my number from Tim. He hoped I would call him back.
    From Tim? Was he in league with Tim? That made no sense. He was, I assumed, the jilted lover. How would I feel if something happened to Marc? Devastated.
    I made myself eat dinner to work up my nerve to call him back. His exchange was in the Wakefield area.
    Our conversation was awkward. He wanted to hear the story of how I’d found the car. I gave him the same bare bones version I’d given the CBC. I remembered he’d gotten my phone number from Tim. “Did you call Tim?” I asked.
    â€œI called Lucy