Chapter 52

It was close to midnight when I got back to the motel. Osborn still wasn't in. I had a message, but I hadn't seen her for any amount of time since we arrived in town. I decided that I would phone her and request her presence. I need her to do some background checks on the major players in our move. I didn't want to call in Swamp Dog, when she could do it just as well. Okay not just as well, but well enough.

I called her cell. As usual there was no answer. I went to bed, even though I was a little concerned about Osborn, I wasn't too concerned. Since she had come home every night, and she looked fine when I left the room for my run that morning, I had to assume she was doing well in her new home.

I was a little concerned when I went to bed but I fully expected her to be in the second bed come morning. When I awoke and she wasn't in the bed, I was concerned but still not in a panic. I expected her to call me and say she met a man or something.

I ran knowing 7AM might be a bit too early to expect a call from her. When I finished the run about eight, I took a shower. I still was not overly concerned about Osborn being among the missing. It had only been 24hrs since she I last saw her.

I went to the Mr. BJ burgers and biscuits as the sign announced. I guess the national Bo Jangles threated him. He was still known by his old name among the locals. I got a breakfast biscuit with all the cholesterol included. It was really quite good. Not as good as the Hardee's at home, but the biscuit did taste like a biscuit. Now if I could do something about that awful restaurant coffee. I was convinced that it was made with the coffee sweptings from the floor at the end of every blending shift.

A coffee thermos and a cigarette lighter plug in heater was in my future, I could tell. I would have to stop by the local department store where the coffee maker at home was purchased. Better still ebay would work fine. Of course I didn't have a shipping address at the moment. Okay either the local department store or up to the big city to a Walmart. I could send Osborn, if I ever heard from her again, I thought.

After breakfast I stopped by the shipyard. The dry docking of the barge was almost complete. I didn't get out of the car since there was nothing I could do. Since I couldn't do anything, and there had been no call from Osborn, I pulled up the map to the closest Walmart. I had stolen the WIFI signal from the shipyard in order to access the Internet. They evidently didn't expect anyone to do so since it was password protected. I had fully expected to have to go back to the motel for my research.

So I found out they sold a coffee warmers for the car at the closest Walmart store. It had one of those 'buy it today and pick it up at the store today' symbols, which meant they were in stock. I made the purchase and got the email immediately that the item would be ready in one hour for pickup. That being the case I drove the thirty five miles to get one. I also go a stainless steel one quart thermos.

When I got back to the motel to make some coffee one cup at a time there in the bed lay Osborn. "Hey Osborn wake up," I said shaking her.

"What?" she asked about half awake.

"I don't care what time you come to bed but you need to be up and ready to work at 8AM vacation is over." I said shortly.

"What do you want me to do," she said.

"It's almost noon. I want you to get out of that bed, take a shower and get your butt ready to work. Osborn I like you but I will have no qualms about firing you, if you prove to be of no use to me. You do not hold a passenger ticket on this train." I said.

"Whatever," she said.

That is when I started to fume. "What the fuck is wrong with you. Are you on drugs or something?" I asked.

"You are just being a bitch. It's like Ron said, you are just jealous." she replied. She had changed completely. "You might want to reassess your position. Believe it or not you do not work for yourself. You work for me. I know you left your job at the Sheriff department to come work for me. The operative word in there is work. The second most important words are for me. So get you ass in the shower and get your head clear you have work to do. From now on be ready to start work at 9AM. That means shower dressed and fed, do we understand each other."

Osborn looked shocked. "I'm not sure I can do this," she said.

"Then pack your shit in your car and go home. I'll call acting Sheriff Simpson, if you want. You did a good job for him, he will probably take you back."

"I don't want to do that either," she said.

"Okay what do you want?" I asked.

"Ron asked me to move in with him. There is a job as head of security at the regional hospital. I think I'm going to apply for that, and move in with Ron. He lives up there and it wouldn't be much of a drive." she said.