Free American Crow by Jack Lacey Page A

tell me how Olivia was just
before she left? Did she look angry, distressed, worried about anything?’
    ‘No, in truth, the reverse really. She
was enjoying her time here and was quite enthusiastic until she started hanging
out with Ethan and his cronies. In fact, he was a bad distraction all round in
my eyes I’m ashamed to say. You know, time-keeping, little errands forgotten
about. I was just about to have a word with her when they both disappeared.’
    ‘And what about Ethan? What do you know
about his habits?’
    Walter drew a sharp breath and looked at
me over his glasses.
    ‘He hangs out with the gutter-punk crowd
who live over in Seward. You know, those eco-hippy types that want something
for nothing, yet keep telling us how to live our lives. I did him a favour
getting the café job because he’s family, not that he ever appreciated it...’
    ‘Right.’
    Walter had a problem with kids who
rebelled, like he hadn’t probably. His attitude surprised me for someone of an
artistic background, but then again life was jam-packed with those sort of
ironies.
    ‘They blow in, blow out, feed off us all,
while we’re busting our asses earning a buck and paying our taxes,’ he
continued sharply. ‘Both of them are in with the wrong crowd, Mister Blake,
that’s what I think. They’re probably drugged up to the eyeballs as we speak,
bombed out in some back-street squat, moaning about those of us who have to
work for a living. Unwashed bums the lot of them.’
    Walter’s outburst seemed at odds with his
passive air. The guy had serious issues, that much was clear. There was a
deep-rooted anger bubbling away somewhere inside of him that was all bottled
up. I’d seen it a thousand times with that supposedly liberal sort. Beneath
their manufactured smiles there was a whole lot of rage and regret that just
wanted to come pouring out at the slightest provocation. He probably had a wife
at home whom he just dreaded returning to every day…
    ‘I’ve got the picture...’ I said, tiring
of him.
    I stood up satisfied that I’d got
something to work on, eager to leave his office and get on with the search.
    ‘And your sister might be in now if I go
around there?’
    ‘Perhaps. Though she’s pretty elusive at
the moment. She’s got a part-time job at the hospital and sometimes her shifts
change. She might be able to give you more on the girl than I can though, on
both of them in fact. Her and Ethan are closer than he and I. Henry went around
there too, when he came over a few weekends back, but she wasn’t around. And I
haven’t spoken to her for a good fortnight or so, as I say.’
    Walter sighed heavily. 
    ‘I hope you find the girl soon, Mr Blake,
for her father’s sake. He’s a good man, Henry. Let us know when she surfaces,
please…’
    He shook my extended hand vigorously;
relieved a little bit too much that I was going. I said my thanks and headed
back down to the main lobby, then decided to take a detour to the gallery café
to see if I could dig up anything on Ethan from some of his former work
colleagues.
    As I approached, a plump girl with
generous eyes looked up from the table she was wiping and smiled warmly.
    ‘Hey...’ she said extending me that
genial Minnesotan welcome.
    ‘How you doing?’
    ‘You from Britain?’
    ‘Sure am.’
    ‘Kool. Like the gallery?’
    ‘Scintillating. Look, the name’s Blake,
I’m trying to find…’
    ‘Olivia?’ she said chirpily.
    ‘Have you heard anything?’
    ‘No, not since she left. All that I know
was that she was enjoying herself at the gallery, but Ethan wanted her to go on
some sort of road trip with him. He can be pretty persuasive.’
    ‘Okay…and have you heard from either of
them since?’
    ‘Na, he’s pretty elusive and I haven’t
got his number ‘cus we’re not that tight. Hey, can I get you a coffee? It’s on
the house, cus you’re a Brit and you’re cute.’
    I forced a smile and threw some more
questions her way as she worked the