Linda's Story

True Sisters

Over the years, Linda O'Shea and Erin Reagan became the best of friends. They set a Friday aside every month for just the two of them. Sometimes they went to get their hair done after school, sometimes they got their nails done. Other times they got pizza and watched a movie. Unless one of them was sick, they never cancelled... which was why Linda was concerned when Erin called her that Friday saying she couldn't make it.

The phone rang in Linda's shared apartment. She was busy juggling the groceries and an open jar of popcorn kernels. "Brie, could you get that?!"

"Yeah!" Brie came out of her bedroom and grabbed the phone off the wall. "O'Shea-Riley residence. This is Brie."

"Hi, Brie. It's Erin- you know, Danny's sister?"

"Hey! What's up?"

"Is Linda there?"

"Yup. Just a second." Brie held the phone out, "Linda It's for you."

"Okay, I'm coming." She heard Brie relay the message as she shut the fridge and closed the popcorn jar. "Can you finish the groceries?"

"Surely," she handed the phone to her roommate and walked into the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Linda? Hi-"

"Hi, Erin. I'm really looking forward to tonight. It's been forever since I've been down to that pier." They were going to get food from a street vendor, then sit on the pier, and watch the people fish.

"Yeah, about that..." she sounded stressed. "I cant make it."

"Oh no, are you sick?"

"Uh... no, just.... something came up... I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah. I hope everything's okay?"

"It's fine; I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Please." Linda didn't have time to say goodbye as Erin had already hung up. "That was weird."

"What?" Brie asked putting the coffee on the shelf above the fridge.

"Well Erin canceled our plans for tonight. She said she wasn't sick- but that's the only reason we cancel."

"Did she say what it was?"

"No, but she sounded... I don't know. She sounded almost scared..."

"Maybe something happened with the family? Is Danny working tonight?"

Linda nodded, her brow furrowed. "Yeah, he's working. Why?"

She shrugged, "give him a call. He would've been notified if something happened."

"Good idea," she picked up the phone and dialed Danny's desk number. "Please be there...."

She sighed when she heard him say, "Reagan."

"Danny? Hi-"

"Linda? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. No one's hurt here... um... I just got a weird call from Erin.. is your family okay?"

"Far as I know. What's up with Erin?"

"I don't know." Not wanting him to worry, she lied, "she probably just has cramps or a headache or something. She'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Should I call her?" Erin was a pain in the rear, but she was still his sister.

"No, no that's okay. She's gonna call me later. I'll let you know."

"Okay. I love you, babe."

"I love you more."

"Love you most. Gotta go," he hung up, and she figured a criminal had shown up at his desk.