Chapter 771: Chapter 772

Chapter 772 Any News About Her?

“Huh? What’s that about your dinner?”

Deirdre told Tobey how everything had gone down, and the young man chuckled. “Ha, I knew you’ve got the magic, Dee,” he remarked.

A cool evening wind billowed, and he smoothed her hair. “Too bad that cost you your dinner, though.

But you’re in luck. There is a pretty good grill stall in town, and according to rumors, they have less oily and flavorful options. Wanna give that a try?”

“Sounds great! I happen to think today’s progress calls for a celebration.”

Tobey clapped the cushion of a share-bike. “Get into my sweet ride for the evening, miss. I am but your humble chauffeur.”

Deirdre got onto the backseat and tightly held the edge of Tobey’s shirt. He started to pedal, and the two set sail into the wind.

During a few seemingly trivial seconds, an Audi brushed past them.

“Sir, Professor Ward’s residence is right ahead,” Sam reported as he scanned the neighborhood. “Do you want to visit him now that you’re in Surstate?”

The man he was addressing remained silent in the backseat. Compared to the dazzling neon lights outside, the crisscrossing shadows haunting the car interior only added more to the somber, lonesome air within. Half of the man’s face was shrouded only his pale violet lips and his sharp, angular jaw were illuminated.

He rolled the window down. The light from outside sprayed all over his face, forcing Brendan to shut his eyes against it. He was garbed in his expensive suit, his hair as slick and tidy as ever, but none of that belied the fatigue in his face nor the eyebags accumulated under his baggy eyes.

It seemed life had not been particularly kind to him lately.

He had not been able to sleep well. He would never be able to-at least not before he found Deirdre.

“No. It’s getting late. We’ll be disturbing an old man’s rest more than anything. Maybe some other time.”

Brendan shut his window.

“Any news?”

Sam suddenly felt the need to sit up straight. “Sir, Surstate is a… pretty chaotic place. It’s not as organized or developed as Neve is, and surveillance of its citizens is near non-existent here,” he explained slowly.” That’s not counting the constant flow of tourists and people from other cities, so any search for a missing person is bound to-”

‘The answer is simple. Yes or no.”

Sam sounded almost defeated. “Not yet.” He straightened up a little. “It’s not like we don’t have a single clue, though. I managed to track down the hotel Miss McKinnon stayed in a few days ago. According to the staff, they arrived at the western part of the city via a car-they overheard it from their conversation as the two were paying for their room.”

‘‘The western area…” Brendan closed his eyes and snickered. “She would run all the way there just to escape me.”

Sam held his breath.

“And the hospitals?” ‘We’ve run through all of them. Any clinic or institution that is large enough to provide abortion procedures is being watched by one of our own. If she visits any one of them, we’ll be notified immediately.” “Hmph.” Brendan was certain that Deirdre would do it to their child-she could not bear one that was fathered by him, after all.

“The search must continue. I don’t care where she escaped, but she must be found.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Deirdre went to collect her payment, she received way more than she had expected-250 dollars, in fact. Surprised, she asked, “Did you count this right, Miss Reed? Shouldn’t it be 120 dollars?”

The manager smiled. “Oh, it’s the right amount. Professor Ward insisted. He said his granddaughter is very happy with her lessons and hopes you’ll continue to teach her for the coming weeks.”

Deirdre held the money in her hand and felt a burst of joy despite herself. When Saturday arrived, she made an extra portion of food and brought it to Julia’s house.

The girl yanked the door open way too excitedly and asked, “Did you make one for me?”

Deirdre handed the lunchbox over, and the girl instantly opened it and sat down. She began to indulge in her lunch as she commented on the food she had made. Maybe the chowder needed more spices.

Maybe the risotto was not flavorful enough.

Deirdre made a mental note about it all. When Julia was finally finished and was lying on the couch, satisfied, Deirdre giggled. “Why are you acting like you haven’t eaten for a week?”