Saturday
I awoke on Saturday much earlier than my usual sleep-in. As much as staying under the covers appealed, I felt the pressure of my promise to Oliver. I had to get up and continue to investigate. A (very) large coffee and a well-smeared bagel later, I jumped in my car and headed to the DLO. I had watched enough crime dramas to know that I needed to fill the blackboard with ideas. I felt a tiny bit ridiculous writing obvious notes around the maps and ephemera. I gave a little thought to how Oliver might react to my methods, but I shrugged and went with it.
I had to have missed something… Something to do with the T Shirt? Maybe the location of the post box? Hmm, what about the cologne? With that (I thought) brilliant idea, I was off to Macy's for even more bottles of eau de parfum pour homme.
Does mystery have a fragrance? I am not sure that it does – and really, I now consider myself something of a scent expert. I am not sure what the superior lady behind the scent counter thought of me when I requested a sample of even more male fragrances (although I am sure it was not flattering). Steely determination meant that I got my way. I was without Norman and had to sniff my way through another batch of popular scents. Woody top notes and citrus tones gave me a headache and brought me no close to finding our letter writer.
It's funny, but I generally don't see Oliver over the weekend (terrible dates not withstanding). This weekend, however, I missed him like crazy. Maybe it was being in the DLO without him? Maybe it was the realization that I had pushed (he would say blatantly manipulated) him into his father-son bonding time? Whatever it was, I felt uneasy.
By four o'clock I felt like the walls of the DLO were closing in on me. I decided to continue the investigation from home. Maybe a change of scene would provide inspiration. I grabbed my laptop and escaped. The short trip home was accompanied by my loudest and most empowering 'Girl Power' playlist.
####
Sunday
I must admit, I didn't awaken with the enthusiasm I had showed yesterday. I had spent hours searching with some usually clever bots. Last night, they were worse than useless. I blame Dale. My mother, ever the schoolteacher, says that learning something new is never a waste. I am not sure that knowing that BBC Ulster hosts a podcast called 'Assume Nothing', or that Las Vegas has 57 standard zip codes, 24 post office box codes and 10 unique zip codes for specific businesses is very useful. I am sure knowing that there are 58 places called Las Vegas throughout the world, with three being in the US might get me on a winning trivia team but it won't help with this letter.
It was funny I hadn't heard from Rita, or that she hadn't responded to any of my texts. Usually, we could meme ourselves silly on any given weekend. This weekend … crickets.
By 6:00 p.m., I had decided that none of the snacks in my house were good enough and I needed more. By 8:00 p.m. I had decided that a run might clear my head and provide insight. By 9:30 p.m. I decided that I needed a new laptop, with even greater juice – until I checked the prices of those I wanted. By 10:30 p.m. I decided that Sandy didn't want to be found. It was weird, but I almost felt like there was something holding me back. I decided to call it a night.
Well. Diary, it is now 12:00p.m., and I haven't been able to get to sleep. I wondered what time Oliver and Joe had arrived home. I wondered how long it would be before Oliver again braved the great outdoors. I am sure I was going to hear all about it tomorrow.