Free Desperately Seeking Dad by Marta Perry

you’re not going to.”
    â€œIf you—” She stopped, realizing Cassie had emerged from the kitchen with the leftover dumpling.
    â€œThere you go.” Cassie deposited the package in front of her, patting it as if it were a pet. “And I thought of something. About that friend of yours.”
    Anne struggled to keep the eagerness from hervoice. “Did you remember someone who knew her?”
    â€œIn a manner of speaking. Seems to me she roomed with another one of the summer waitresses—girl named Marcy Brown.”
    â€œIs she here?”
    Cassie shook her head almost before the words were out of her mouth. “Summer help, that’s all she was. Went off at the end of the season. None of those girls stick around once the season’s over. No jobs for them.”
    Anne tried to swallow her disappointment. “Do you know where she went from here?”
    â€œSeems to me she was headed someplace warm for the winter. Key West, I think it was.” Cassie’s expression showed disapproval. “Those kids…they just flit from place to place. I might have an address for her, if I had to send her last check, but she’s probably long gone by now.”
    â€œI’d like to have it just the same, if you can find it.”
    The woman nodded. “See what I can do, when I have the time.” She frowned. “There was one other thing.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œSeems to me both those girls got into that singles group Pastor Richie had at Grace Church. Maybe someone there kept up with her.”
    â€œThank you.” She was past worrying about what Cassie thought of her interest. “I appreciate it.”
    It was something. Not much, but a little something that just might lead somewhere.
    And as for the frown in Mitch’s brown eyes…well, it wasn’t unexpected, was it. She’d just have to live with his disapproval, because it probably wouldn’t change.
    So, it looked as if he’d been wrong about how helpful Cassie might be. But then, Mitch had been wrong about a lot of things since the moment Anne walked into his life.
    Those blue eyes of hers were intent on her prize. This lead to Tina’s friend would encourage her. If he didn’t get control of her search, she’d be chasing it all over Bedford Creek. And sooner or later someone would find out why.
    â€œI suppose you want to rush off to Pastor Richie right now.”
    â€œMaybe not this precise moment. But it is a lead to Tina’s roommate.”
    â€œThat was eighteen months ago. The chance that Pastor Richie knows where to find this Marcy Brown isn’t very great.”
    â€œI have to try.”
    A stubborn look firmed her mouth, and he suppressed the urge to smooth it away with his finger. That would really be counterproductive.
    â€œLook, I know Simon Richie. Why don’t you let me talk to him?”
    â€œHow do you know him?”
    She’d probably think this coincidence suspicious, but it couldn’t be helped. “Because I go to Grace Church.”
    Her eyebrows lifted. “Did you also belong to the singles group?”
    â€œNo.” People went to that, for the most part, because they wanted a social life. He didn’t, so he didn’t attend. “But I know Simon Richie pretty well. The questions would come better from me.”
    â€œI’d rather ask him myself.”
    Somehow this sounded familiar. If Anne Morden ever depended on anybody but herself, he had yet to see it.
    â€œLook, if you go walking into Simon’s office asking about this girl, it’s going to make people wonder.”
    â€œI don’t see why. I’ll just say I’m a friend of a friend.”
    She clearly still didn’t see the rampant curiosity with which people in town surveyed her every move.
    â€œLet me find a less obvious way of going about it.”
    She seemed to be weighing that, and for a moment he thought