“Let’s check my place,” I finally said.
When we turned up empty there, we went back to the YHC to see if anyone remembered any details. Tisch talked to Marty while I caught up with one of the coaches.
The next stop was a longer drive and I was becoming delirious with worry as the sun started to set.
“He wasn’t home by the way.”
“Hmm?” I sat up straighter.
“Logan really wasn’t home when you came by that night.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed her, so I stayed silent.
With one glance in my direction, she rolled her eyes. “Please. If he was, I don’t think he would have lasted thirty seconds without coming to the door. Especially when I threatened to clobber you.”
I forced a smile. “Thank you for helping me tonight.”
She watched the road and mumbled. “Someone had to.”
I let my mind go to a place it had no business wandering to at a time when my son was missing. When Logan turned to me with empty eyes and refused to help.
Maybe I was wrong about him…
“I’m just as shocked as you are,” Tisch offered, her eyes still on the road.
It was barely dinner time and my eyes were getting heavy. And at the moment, I was done thinking about Logan. “So how’d you end up here? Logan’s side of it was kind of vague.”
“That’s ‘cause it’s none of your business.”
I nodded. “Oh. Okay. Well, I could just tell you more about Max and me then…”
“So I’m originally from Brooklyn, as you already know. Lo and I, we looked after each other since we had no one else really. After dad’s sentence, mom did as little as she could until we were legal age. Then she took off to Florida to live with her sister. She only started reaching out to us after Logan signed his contract with the Dexters.” she shook her head and laughed. “That jackass still sends her anything she asks for. Man needs to be cut from his own money for his own good,” she mumbled.
“After a short time in rehab, Marty sent me up here to get out of Brooklyn for a while. Was supposed to be one summer at this camp he knew. Small town, peaceful, big on hockey. I liked it up here too much to leave.”
“Hmm...or maybe you had nothing to go back to? Too many bad memories? Better things in new places?”
She shot me a glare, as if to tell me I didn't know her that well to make these assumptions.
“Sorry, I took a guess since it’s all the reasons I wouldn't want to come back to this town after I leave.”
“Yeah, well, better things in other places...until they let you down too. Don't expect much wherever you end up, Rayne.”
“I don't expect,” I pointed out. “I wonder.”
“Curiosity kills cats.”
“Good thing I’m a bird.” I said after a long minute, smiling to myself at the inside joke.
We drove in silence and all the while Tisch seemed like she wanted to say more but refrained.
“I don’t get it. He’s not home. Not at any rink. It’s too cold to be outside. Where the hell...” Something hit me from when we were at the YHC. The Coach said he pulled Jax out of practice yelling at the league for not providing warm enough gear. He called out that he’d take care of that and “took his son out”.
“Tisch.”
“What?”
“T’s Sporting Goods.”
