Lily took out her phone, and without any further delay, she opened the message from Grace, clicked on the link and entered the date of the last entry from the journal. There was an interminable pause between clicking the link and the information loading that hung in the stillness of the room like a heavy fog. And with the abrupt finality of an exhaled breath, it was gone and the location was there.
Lily stared at it in silence, her mind trying to decipher what it was seeing. She shook her head and turned it to the side, confused. Cassie was watching her react, and equally confused. She stepped over to stand beside Lily and look over her shoulder at the phone. But that couldn't be right, the map indicated Dorset, an small town only twenty miles inland from Westhead.
"Lily, is that right?" Cassie asked.
"Uh, I guess," Lily replied uncertainly. "It has to be. Why... she was in New York last night..." Lily's mind was racing, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
What did this mean? She had expected to see a location in New York. She was anticipating a long drive, and a longer search stemming from what she learned when they got there. Now, she had to resist the urge to jump in her car and take off. It almost made the decision to act more difficult. She felt they had time to plan, but plan for what?
Cassie struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. Did this mean Grace was only a few miles away? Hadn't she been in New York? What was going on? She tried to bend it all together in her mind, tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Nothing came together for her. What did any of this mean?
"What do we do?" Cassie asked. "Do we call Detective Richards?"
Lily shook herself out of her reverie. She didn't want to give this over to the police. She wanted to find Grace herself. But Cassie was right, they needed to act. And, she had to admit, they may need to call on the police.
"Let's get dressed, and go get some breakfast," she decided. "Once we've done that, we'll decide what to do. I don't want to call Richards yet, but it might be best. I need to settle my stomach before I make a decision though."
Cassie nodded. She felt out of sorts herself. A shower and hearty breakfast would put her in a better frame of mind to act. They ducked into their rooms, and began getting themselves ready for the day.
It didn't take either of them long to prepared themselves to leave. They bundled up against the morning chill, and drove into town for breakfast at The Ship's Galley. What a difference a couple of days meant, Lily thought as they settled into a booth. She had been sitting here with Grace talking about Carter Denning being missing. Now, Grace was the one missing, and Lily still felt like she was behind the curve chasing the action.
They placed their orders, then largely sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The coffee went fast, but the refills were free. They became acutely aware of how long it had been since they'd last eaten, and when the food arrived, they dug in heartily. When they finally finished up, they sat wearily contemplating the day ahead of them.
"So what do you think, Lily," Cassie asked, "what are we going to do?"
Lily had been wrestling with that thought all through breakfast, and though she finally felt more prepared to act than she had earlier, no decision jumped ahead of any other. She was afraid to choose, worried about the consequences of choosing poorly.
"I need to talk it out," she said, stalling for something. Maybe inspiration, maybe advice. Cassie considered her while she sat musing in agony, and noted the struggle Lily was having.
"Let's go to the museum," she suggested. "It's probably quiet in the morning, so we'll be able to talk. Maybe we can channel some of Grace there, and make a better decision," she added with a smile.
