Always Watching

right now.”
    His expression softened. “I’d like to help.”
    “I don’t want to involve you in more of my problems.”
    “I think I’m already pretty involved.” He smiled.
    “You’ve been great.” I smiled back. “But honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for more than friendship—not when I’m dealing with so much. It wouldn’t be giving us a fair chance. We already have enough complications.”
    “Like what?”
    I was flustered. “Uh … We work together, I’m older than you.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Really? You didn’t strike me as the kind of person who runs from a few complications.”
    “I’m not running away. I promise. I just don’t think it’s good timing until I sort a few things out with my daughter.”
    “Well, the offer for dinner still stands, whenever you’re ready, or if you need a break from it all.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Hang in there, okay?”
    As I watched him walk down the hall, I felt a moment of regret and pushed it away. It had been the right thing to do. I had to deal with this on my own.
    *   *   *
    I’d only been at the hospital for about thirty minutes, but I couldn’t focus on paperwork, so I drove home to wait for Robbie’s call. Meanwhile, I phoned Tammy, who almost hung up when she heard my voice. As soon as I said, “Aaron’s going to be arrested,” she paused. I told her that my brother was going to the police. Before I could say anything else, she said good-bye and quickly hung up, leaving me to assume her husband had walked in. I hoped she was okay.
    When another half hour had passed without word from Robbie, I began to worry. It had been almost two hours since I’d left Shawnigan. I tried his cell, but it went straight to voice mail and he didn’t have a landline. I told myself to give it some time. He might’ve been delayed at the station. I was sure they had lots of questions. I waited for another twenty minutes, then tried to call Robbie again. Still no answer. Something had to be wrong.
    I called the station. Corporal Cruikshank said she’d come back to the station late and the officer at the front told her Robbie had gone home to drop his dog off and planned on coming straight back. That was an hour ago. My pulse spiked at that news. Where had he gone? I told her what Robbie had planned on sharing—and then, as we spoke, I began to wonder if someone at the commune had found out what he’d been about to report. Had Tammy contacted her sister? I voiced my fears to the corporal. She said that it was unlikely and that Robbie might’ve just changed his mind, or been waylaid somewhere. She also said she’d send a car out to Robbie’s to check on him, but she added, “Is it possible that he had more to do with the event? He might’ve had second thoughts.…”
    Instantly angry, I said, “Not a chance.”
    She just said, “I’ll let you know if we find him.”
    *   *   *
    I grabbed my purse and headed to Shawnigan. I had no idea what I was going to do once I got there, but I had to try to find Robbie. I slowed down as I approached his house, trying to see from the road if there was any activity or police cars outside, but his place looked quiet, almost serene in the afternoon sun.
    I’d parked and was about to call the station again, when the officer from Shawnigan called. She’d been to Robbie’s, and there was no sign of him—but I should keep her posted if he still didn’t show up. Frustrated, I decided to have a look myself. I got out of the car and walked around, calling his name, and Brew’s name, only hearing birds in response. The officer was right, there was no sign of him or his dog, but his truck was there. I knocked on his front door. Silence. I searched under the front mat for a key, didn’t find one. Then I peered through his windows, trying to see if he was lying hurt somewhere. His coffee mug was on the table, a pad of paper beside it. I checked his shop, but everything was also still and quiet.
    From the front of the shop, which was higher than the house, I could see where he’d been working in the field just below. The excavator was sitting near a mound of dirt that looked fresh, not yet dried out in the sun. That’s what he was probably working on this morning. Then I remembered that he’d also been at a job site at the end of the road. I drove down that way. When I spotted Robbie’s backhoe at a construction site, I stopped and talked to a carpenter, who said Robbie hadn’t