Those Girls (33 page)

“We’ll get the hell out as fast as we can.”

*   *   *

Balloons and streamers were strung up at the park and a country band was playing on a small stage, a few couples dancing to the music. It looked like some of the booths were being dismantled, but a few still had barbecues going and people were handing out small plates of samples. You could tell things were winding down, the garbage bins were overflowing and litter was scattered on the ground, but there were still quite a few people standing around or sitting on picnic tables.

The officer had called to tell me he’d gone out to the ranch, but neither of the men was home. He was going try again later. We kept our eyes peeled for them as we walked around, showing a photo of Skylar and Crystal that I had on my phone to people in the lines, asking if anyone recognized the girls or knew of any abandoned warehouses or buildings in the area. No one knew anything.

Disheartened, I was turning away from one booth, when a man stepped in behind me.

“Heard you were asking about some girls?”

I looked up. “Yes, we—”

Brian. Those black eyes, the small mouth.

I glanced down, tried to think, but my nerves were on fire, everything in my body telling me to run away. “We’re … we’re hoping someone might have seen them.” I stared at my feet.
Please, please don’t recognize me.

“That a photo?” He had his hand out for my phone. He must’ve seen me showing it around. I couldn’t refuse now.

I passed him my cell, noticed his chipped nails, remembering them digging into my thigh. I felt shaky and light-headed, my skin clammy. I was worried I might be sick. Glad I was wearing sunglasses, I tried to see where my sister was. Dallas had a beer in her hand and was walking my way. I had to warn her somehow, but she wasn’t looking at me, she was staring at her phone.

Brian was talking, “Pretty girls. I haven’t seen the blonde, but the dark-haired one worked at my ranch for a couple of days.” His voice was casual, almost pleasant and friendly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was missing.”

I was stunned he was admitting he’d seen Skylar, and that she had even worked at his ranch. I didn’t know how to respond.

Now Dallas was next to me, still looking down at her phone, her warm arm bumping into mine. “I was thinking we should talk to some of the regulars at the pub,” she said. When I didn’t answer, she glanced up from her phone and said, “What do you—” She stopped as she noticed Brian, gave a little gasp.

He looked back and forth between us, his face confused as he registered our fear. The moment stretched out, settled around us. His eyes narrowed, his gaze lingering on our faces. Then the flash of recognition, followed by shock.

He stared down again at my cell in his hand, like he was trying to understand what was going on. I could see his gaze focus on Crystal.

He looked back at us, handed me the phone. “If I see them around, I’ll let you know.” He walked toward a small group where a woman seemed to be waiting for him. Her soft brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail, some of it coming loose around her face. She looked sweet but a little haggard.

A tall girl was standing beside her and I sucked in my breath. She could have been Skylar’s twin a few years ago. The girl was younger, maybe twelve or thirteen, and they had different noses and a slightly different face shape, the girl still with the round face of a preteen, but there was no doubt they were related.

As he got closer Brian paused, watching someone walking toward him.

Gavin.

He was heavier now, his belly rounded, and wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, but I’d recognize his walk anywhere. He had on a white T-shirt with a Budweiser logo, faded jeans, cowboy boots. He moved quickly, like he was late or something, his skin flushed and sweaty.

Dallas was staring at him, her face pale. She swayed on her feet, and I grabbed her arm.

“You okay?”

She wrenched her body free and started walking so fast she was almost running back to the car. I pushed through the crowd, trying to catch up. I kept glancing back over my shoulder at Gavin. Brian met him partway, said something.

Gavin turned around, and looked straight at us.

I got to the parking lot, my breathing loud in my ears.

“Those fucking assholes,” Dallas said.

I leaned against the side of the car, the solidness, the hot metal, reassuring, but my legs still felt weak.

“The way he was staring at the photo?” I said. “He looked
surprised,
Dallas.”

“I know. Let’s get out of here.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

S
KYLAR

When Gavin left there was still some light shining through the boards on the window, but the bedroom was mostly dark. I could make out Crystal’s shape on the bed. I wished we could at least touch. I felt ashamed sitting on the floor, in just my T-shirt and no underwear, hated having to use the disgusting bucket.

I tried to be hopeful. A policeman had come to the house. He might come back. We just had to figure out a way to signal that we were inside. But I didn’t know what we could do that wouldn’t alert Gavin. Maybe we’d get lucky and he’d come back when Gavin wasn’t home. We could try to knock something over, or ram the bed into the wall. It felt like a good idea, and I clung to it.

Police meant
someone
was looking for us. I had to believe that.

After what felt like a couple of hours, Gavin opened the door and flicked on the light. I closed my eyes against the sudden brightness, waited for them to adjust, then looked back at him. Something was different, I sensed it right away. A weird energy was radiating off him, anger but also excitement.

It was the excitement that scared me the most.

He walked in a few feet, his body swaying like he was really drunk. His eyes were glassy, his face sweaty. He was holding a beer.

“Shit’s hit the fan, girls.”

Gavin turned the music down, paced in front of us, staring at us as he took swills of his beer. He set the bottle down on the dresser by the stereo and lit a cigarette, leaning against the dresser as he watched us. He was thinking about something, but I didn’t know what. My body was crawling with fear.

Sounds outside, like a truck pulling up.

Gavin stood up straight. “What the fuck?”

He walked out of the room, closed the door, but I didn’t hear it lock this time. I heard his unsteady steps down the stairs, then another man’s voice.

“Where the hell are they?”

Brian?

“Get out of my house, you asshole.” Gavin’s voice, thick and slurring.

“I know you have them,” the other man said. Sounds of boots walking downstairs. Doors opening. Was he checking the basement? More arguing in the kitchen, then boots running up the stairs—and heavier ones following behind.

I stared at the door, terrified and hopeful. Was someone going to rescue us? What was going on?

Boots running down the hall, stopping at the other rooms, doors opening and closing, then our door burst open.

It was Brian. He stopped still, stared back and forth between me and Crystal, his face shocked. I stayed huddled on the floor, trying to cover myself.

Gavin came in behind him, his chest heaving. “Get the hell out of my house,” he said, giving Brian a shove in the back.

Brian spun around. “You
idiot.
You have them
here
?”

“Screw you,” Gavin said, walking toward the bed. I strained my neck to the side, watching him. What was he going to do?

He sat beside Crystal, making the mattress sag, and put his arm around her shoulders. “You remember our little friend.” He pulled her face close, gave her face a wet kiss. “She missed us.”

“You have to get rid of them,” Brian said.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“The police are going to come here, you dumbass.”

“They already did.”

“Are you shitting me?” Brian said, his face enraged.

“I didn’t answer the door.”

“They’re going to come
back
.”

“Doesn’t mean they can search my place.”

I looked back and forth between the men, their anger scaring me. It made the air feel thick and dangerous.

“How the hell did you even find them?” Brian said.

“This one found me,” Gavin said, smiling down at Crystal. “She had plans to kill us, but I got her first. The other one broke into my house.”

Brian was shaking his head. “I can’t believe you brought this shit onto our property. You’re going to get us arrested. I have a wife and kids, you asshole.”

“You have more kids than you know about,” Gavin said with a sneer.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Brian said.

Gavin walked toward me, grabbed me by the hair, and pulled me up. Then he turned me toward Brian.

“Don’t you see it?” he said, his voice mocking.

“See what?” Brian looked me up and down, his gaze lingering between my legs. I wanted to cover myself, hating that I was standing there half-naked in front of my father, who was staring at me. I started to cry.

“The other one is her aunt,” Gavin said.

“So fucking what?”

“So she’s your fucking
kid
,” Gavin said, letting go of my hair and moving to stand beside me. I tried to slow my sobs, tried to catch my breath.

Brian stared at my face. “Bullshit.”

“She looks just like Megan,” Gavin said, his mouth twisting into a satisfied smile. “And she has a fucked-up finger like you.”

Brian looked at me again, studying my face. “Jesus Christ.”

“The young one was her mother. You took her cherry and gave her a daughter.” Gavin laughed. I flinched.

“Why did she come here?” Brian said.

“Looking for her.” He pointed at Crystal. “I checked the registrations in their cars. Names are Crystal and Skylar Caldwell. They live in Vancouver.”

“So that’s where the bitches ran off to,” Brian said. “They sure looked terrified to see us tonight. Scared the shit out of me, too.”

My mom and Dallas were in
town
? I felt a surge of hope, then fear. What did Brian mean, they were terrified? What had happened?

“What did you do with their cars?” Brian said.

“They’re in the garage.”

Brian shook his head slowly, his mouth opening, then closing, like he was so furious he couldn’t find the words. “You goddamn fool.”

“Relax. I’ve got a plan,” Gavin said, staring at me again. “It’s freaky how much she looks like Megan,” he said. “Your girl’s going to be a looker.”

Brian glared at him with a disgusted expression.

“What kind of sick fuck are you?”

“She’s not
my
daughter.”

“If I ever catch you looking at Megan like that, I’ll beat the shit out of you.” Brian glanced at me again. “Give her some pants or something.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re a pain in the ass,” Gavin said, but he walked over to his dresser and pulled out some boxer shorts. He brought them over to me, made me step in each leg and pulled them up, then turned to Brian. “That better, asshole?”

Brian was staring at Crystal on the bed, his eyes half-mast and his face thoughtful. He looked at Gavin. “We’ll take them to the warehouse tomorrow afternoon—after Theo’s gone. I can’t do it tonight. Jenny’s waiting.”

“I like them right
here
.”

Brian grabbed his brother by the throat and backed him against the wall. I moved away as far as the rope let me, wondering if they were going to fight.

“We’re taking them to the
warehouse
,” Brian said. “I don’t give a shit what you do to them there, but they’re not staying here.”

He let go of Gavin, who rubbed at his neck, his face red. “Screw you, Brian. I’m not taking orders from you.”

Brian took a lunging step toward Gavin, his fist raised in the air like he was going to hit him. Gavin stumbled backward.

Brian dropped his hand. “Don’t go anywhere tonight and stay away from those other bitches.” He walked toward the door, never even glancing back at me once. There’d still been a part of me that had hoped when he realized I was his daughter he might help me, might feel
something
. But I was nothing to him.

He just wanted us gone.

After Brian left, Gavin paced the room, his face furious and his hands clenched. “Fuck you, Brian,” he said, weaving on his feet. “Who the hell are you to tell me to stay home?”

He stumbled toward the stereo, turned the music up, then walked out, flicking off the light before slamming the door.

In the last second of light, I noticed the beer bottle sitting by the stereo.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

J
AMIE

I sat on the bed, staring out the window at the garage. I could see Riley’s red cap as he ran out to a car. I turned back to Dallas, who was lighting a cigarette.

“What if we were wrong?” I said. “What if they don’t have them?”

“Where else could they be?” she said.

“I don’t know, but his face…”

“I know. He was shocked.” She took a long drag of her cigarette. I motioned and she tossed me the pack. I lit one.

“The cop asked if Crystal was suicidal,” I said. “She was in her bathroom with that gun. What if she came back here to…” I couldn’t say it.

“I used to worry about it every time she went on one of her benders or took off for days,” Dallas said, “but she always came back.”

“This is the first time she came
here,
though,” I said. “What if she wanted to
die
here?” I held her gaze, hoping I could see something that would make me feel better, make me believe that it wasn’t possible, but she just looked worried.

“We can’t think like that,” Dallas said. “Let’s just sit tight and wait for McPhail to call. They might find their cars soon or someone who saw them.”

Waiting was agony. I paced, watching the clock. After an hour, I called, but McPhail’s phone went to voice mail. I left a terse message.

“Nothing?” Dallas said, and I shook my head.

Another hour ticked past.

“Let’s get something to eat,” Dallas said. The last thing I wanted to do was eat, but it was better than this endless pacing and staring out the window.