To Watch Over You
Chapter 4
Traffic was bad on his way to Charlie's, what normally took about thirty minutes took Don nearly and hour and a half. Don pulled into the drive, he noticed Charlie's car, but not his fathers. Don glanced at his watch 7:45. He walked to the door and let himself in.
"Charlie," Don called out, taking his gun off and placing it in the dish with his keys on the table next to the door, then he hung up his jacket. "Charlie," he called out again heading into the kitchen for a beer. He saw through the back door that the light was on in the garage, so he headed out there. He entered and found Charlie doing exactly what he had expected, scribbling away on his boards.
"Hey Charlie," To Don's surprise Charlie didn't jump.
"Hey Don," Charlie finished writing something and put the chalk down, "Dad order anything yet, I'm starved." Charlie assumed his dad was inside and Don had come out to see what he wanted to eat.
"He's not gotten home yet?" Don looked at Charlie a second.
"He said he'd be home no later than seven, I just assumed." Charlie nodded toward the house.
"I'm sure it's nothing, traffic was a bear, it took me nearly an hour and a half to get here from the office. By the way we need you to look at that case again, we're hitting dead ends again." Don added, trying to ignore the nagging in the back of his mind about his dad being late.
"You bring the file with you?" Charlie notice the lack of the mentioned files in his brothers hands.
"No, we called it a night and we'll start fresh in the morning. Just wanted to come by and enjoy dinner with my family is all." Don put his arm over Charlie's shoulder.
"Yeah, okay," Charlie gave his lopsided grin and they headed inside.
"Hey how about I call dad, find out how far out he still is, so we can go ahead and order the food." Charlie suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Charlie picked up the cordless, "Charlie, do you know where dad keeps the extra frame glass. I broke the glass in that family picture I keep on my desk."
"Yeah, he keeps it in the piano bench," Charlie watched Don walk toward the piano, "you know I thought you were here earlier, around six or so, I thought I heard the piano, I came in a checked, but of course it wasn't you. Figured I must of heard it from the neighbors." Don just stared at Charlie a second as he watched him dial the phone. Don found the size glass he needed and placed it next to his keys, so he wouldn't forget it. He turned as Charlie hung up the phone.
"So, where's he at?"
"It went to voice mail." Charlie just looked at the phone in his hand.
"Here, let me try." Don took the phone and dialed Alan's number, but got the same response. "Maybe it's the battery?"
"No, He took it off the charger this morning before he left." Charlie looked at Don. Worry passing over his face.
"Maybe the meeting ran over," Don was throwing out ideas.
"I'll try Stan, see if maybe dad left his phone at the meeting," Charlie said, dialing Stan's number. Don couldn't help the uneasy feeling that was starting to form in his stomach.
"Hey Stan, it's Charlie Eppes…….Yeah, no, I'm good……I was just wondering if dad was still with you or if he left his cell behind at the meeting…….really……..it ended at four……he headed home about 4:30.…..and he had his phone…….Yeah…….No I'm sure it's nothing, probably the battery…….okay, I'll tell him to call you later……if you hear from him have him call us okay……yeah, thanks Stan." Charlie hung up and looked at Don.
"Stan said the meeting ended about four and dad headed home around 4:30. He remembered him checking his phone to see if we had called." Don could see the worry creeping into Charlie's face, the very same worry that was in the pit of his stomach.
"What about Millie?, Didn't she just get back in town, maybe he went by to see her." Don felt he was grabbing at straws.
'Okay, I'll call her," Charlie dialed Millie's number. Don unconsciously started pacing near the window, watching as cars passed, non his dads.
Charlie approached him, "Millie said they have plans for the weekend, but she hasn't heard from him today." Charlie could tell Don was as worried as he was, "He would have called if he was in traffic and knew he was going to be late, right?" Charlie was looking to Don for reassurance, that Don wasn't sure he could give.
"I'm sure he would, let me try his cell again." Don took the phone as Charlie unknowingly mirrored Don's actions of pacing near the window. 'Voice mail again." Don said turning to Charlie.
"Now what….he's not answering his cell, he's not with Stan or Millie, Don I'm really starting to get scared."
Don knew Charlie's fear, it was his too. Being in law enforcement he could clearly visualize worst case scenarios of what could be happening with their dad and by Charlie's in place pacing Don was sure he had his own running through his head too.
"Okay Charlie, first we have to keep our heads. There are any number of reason's dad might be late and can't be reached," Don ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah and none good," Charlie mumbled.
"Let me call Gary and see if any accidents have been reported on dad's license number. Then we can check the hospitals, maybe he got sick or something," Charlie nodded and went to find the phone book for the hospital listings. Meanwhile, Don dialed Lt. Gary Walker's number.
