Silent Harbour

Chapter 9: Hometown Hero

Fortunately, I was much better prepared for my second day of substitute teaching than my first –having learned yesterday through trial and error to caffeinate at regular intervals and stash small snacks, extra pens and ibuprofen, in my work bag. Channelling my favourite sort of teacher growing up, I put on a film for the ninth graders to allow myself an hour of reprieve to quietly munch on a packet of Miss Vickie's chips–all-dressed, my favourite– and mark some pop quizzes I gave the senior class. Before I knew it, I was walking out to my car and heading home to quickly change into more casual and less business casual clothing before my dinner with Erin.

The drive to Cedar Creek passed by in a blink of an eye, one of the perks of living so far outside of the city. I purposefully chose to arrive an hour before my meeting with Erin to scope out anything that might hint at the reason behind Pete's scheduled dalliances. Figuring that the best place to start would be the burgeoning diner boasting a nearly-full parking lot, I head inside.

I can't tell if the diner was designed with a retro 70's theme in mind, or if the owners just never bothered to update the uniforms and interiors since it was first opened. The waitstaff are wearing crisp white half-sleeve button ups, paired with black slacks. The piece-de-resistance of their outfits is the electric blue aprons adorned with the name of the diner embroidered in cursive lettering. The jingle of the bell above the front door alerts the hostess of my entry, and she's quick to plaster on a big welcoming smile and beckon me over to her podium.

"Well hello there, hun. Welcome to The Corner Cup, home to the best bang-for-your-buck cup of joe in the Kawartha Lakes", she says warmly.

"Thank you. Sorry to bother you, but I'm not looking to dine here today. I was actually hoping you might be able to lend me your expertise", I reply.

"I can't promise to be of much help, but I'll sure give it my best try. What can I help you with, ma'am?"

"My friend used to rave about a burger he'd eaten in Cedar Creek, but I must have spaced out when he told me the name of the joint. Now, I'm trying to get him that burger as a sort of pick-me-up, but I don't want to ruin the surprise and ask him for the name of the place. Is there a burger on your menu that the locals around here absolutely love?"

"You're in luck, and I promise I'm not just saying that as an employee. Your friend must have been talking about our Hometown Hero burger. Our cook uses a special sauce and caramelizes the onions for 12 hours. You can't beat that level of tastiness", she says enthusiastically.

"Oh yes! I think I remember him mentioning something about onions that were just to die for. But say, just to double check, do you think you'd recognize him if I showed you a picture? He said he's been here dozens of times over the past couple months", I reply, trying to maintain an act of nonchalance.

"Let me see. I always remember the faces of regulars and soon-to-be-regulars," she winks.

I show her a picture of Peter I printed off of the school's teacher directory webpage. She begins nodding almost instantaneously, a sure sign that my hunch was correct.

"Yes! I definitely recall seeing this young man come in here on several occasions. I was the one who recommended the Hometown Hero to him. That was all he ever ordered ever since. I haven't seen him in here for a couple weeks though. I figured he was too embarrassed after his lady friend up-and-left, rather dramatically I might add– in the middle of their meal."

"Lady friend? This is a longshot, but do you remember hearing her name?"

"I couldn't forget even if I tried. Your young man was shouting after her, Anna, Annabelle, trying to get her to turn around. Of course she didn't. Sure did cause a scene in the diner though.