What are the Chances? Page 15

  “You could move there too.”

  “It’s not that easy. I don’t have a work visa. And he’s not going to want me to follow him around like a groupie. And if I’m not there he’ll cheat.”

  “No he won’t. He loves you. He’s not the type who would sleep with someone else.”

  “I never thought he was the type to get hooked on drugs either. People change, obviously. It’s better if we break up.”

  “How can you think about leaving him while he’s down? He didn’t choose to get hooked. It was a painkiller. The doctor gave it to him.”

  “GP. Street dealer. What difference does it make? He just proved that he’s capable of hiding things from me. I don’t want a future of being lied to. And he won’t want a future of me holding him back.”

  “Nobody said that was going to happen. You do realize you’re acting just as bad as Trevor by assuming what Doug does or doesn’t want. I’m not letting you break up with him pre-emptively.”

  “It’s about what I want too.” She sipped her coffee and took another bite of dry toast. “I got an email. An agent who saw us perform in Seattle asked me to audition for a singing part in a play in New York. Off Broadway.”

  “Are you serious?” I lunged over and hugged her. “That’s fantastic. When do you go?”

  “Next week. If I get the part, rehearsals start in late August and the show could run for six months or a year depending how well it does. I’d have to move there.”

  I sat back down, completely stunned. “That is so awesome. Congratulations.”

  She lifted her eyebrows in an undecided expression. “If Doug’s in LA and I’m in New York, things definitely won’t work.”

  “They can work out. You love each other.”

  “I hate to break it to you, Deri, but sometimes love isn’t enough.”

  That was an unexpected blow. If a relationship as solid as theirs couldn’t survive the transition into adulthood, Trevor and I were in trouble.

  Noticing that I was reeling from the grim reality, her mood softened. “Sometimes love is enough. What are you going to do? Now that things have heated up with you and Trevor, are you going to stay in Vancouver and go to UBC?”

  I sighed and thought about it. “Up until five minutes ago, I wanted to stay to see if things could work with Trevor, but I didn’t know you were possibly leaving. Toronto and New York are close. If things are doomed with Trevor and me anyway, maybe I should save myself the heartache. And, honestly, my relationship with my mom is already rocky. I can’t even imagine how bad it might get if I actually tried to live with her.”

  “Things aren’t doomed with Trevor. Ignore what I said. You can make it work if you want to. And don’t count on me being in New York. I probably won’t get the part. It’s only an audition.”

  “You might. You’re a really great singer. But if you don’t, maybe we could rent an apartment together in Vancouver.”

  “Yeah, and run a prostitution ring on the side? Do you have any idea how much rent costs in the city? We couldn’t afford it with me waitressing and you being a student.”

  “You could sing or audition for musicals here. Or what about film roles? They shoot in Vancouver all the time. I could get a job and a student loan. Or, I could apply for student housing, I guess.” I sighed and braided my hair. “If it were your decision what would you do?”

  The water stopped in the shower, so she hopped off the counter. “Which school is better for architecture?”

  “They’re both excellent.”

  “Then it boils down to love or money. And maybe climate should be factored in. It’s effing cold in Toronto in the winter.”

  “Well, I need to decide by the end of the week. I have to talk to Trevor first.” I sighed and stood. “I should get back to the Inn.” I hugged her. “I’m really proud of you, but don’t do anything drastic until you find out if you get the part in New York. Doug needs you right now.”

  “Fine. Thank you for being in charge of my impulse control, yet again.”

  I laughed. “If you want to talk after he leaves just come over.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  After I made a quick trip to the bathroom, Sophie walked me to the door and we hugged again. I walked to her house to pick up Granddad’s car, then headed back to Britannia Beach. The highway was quiet and the water shimmered in a beautiful way as it reflected the morning light. I couldn’t wait to see Trevor again, but I was also nervous that Sophie was right about love not being enough.

  The 4Runner was parked in front of their house, his dad’s truck wasn’t, which at first I thought meant Trevor was home, but then I remembered he was on his bike. Rescues that lasted into the morning meant they were either having trouble finding the hikers or the terrain was too dangerous to attempt in the dark.

  I entered the Inn straight through the side door into the kitchen and helped Granddad clean up after the buffet. Then a family wanted to check out, so I met them in the lobby.

  The key for room 208 was just sitting on the front desk, as if the guy left without checking out. I pulled up the file on the computer to see if Paula or Alan had processed it and forgot to put the key away, but the check-out wasn’t processed. It was weird since he was paid up until Wednesday and the damage deposit was still on file. Whatever, I was glad he was gone.

  I checked the family out and then noticed Kailyn’s keys on the floor near the desk. I knew they were hers because she had a Kiki key chain that Trevor had carved out of wood for her. I bent over and picked them up, then headed over to return them. The front door to their house was wide open and the TV was on.

  I called into the house, “Kiki, are you home?”

  There was no answer, so I stepped in and headed to their kitchen.

  “Kailyn.”

  I searched the entire house, upstairs and down. Kailyn wasn’t there, so I went back to the Inn and found my granddad. “Have you seen Kailyn?”

  “Not since yesterday. She doesn’t like that you’ve been spending so much time with Mason.”

  “I know. She yelled at me and told me I was being bad. I’m going to look for her. Oh, and by the way, did you see the guy from 208 leave?”

  “No. I thought he wasn’t supposed to check out until Wednesday.”

  “He wasn’t. The key was on the desk, though.”

  “Hmm.”

  Starting to panic a little, I checked my bedroom. Sometimes Kailyn snuck in to try on my makeup. It didn’t look like she’d been there. I called her phone as I wandered around, trying to think where else she might have gone. Her phone went to voicemail. My mind jumped to the worst-case scenarios about her being lured away. To calm down, I reminded myself that the last time she ran off, it was because she was mad at me. I’d promised to take her to a movie in Squamish one afternoon. I had totally forgotten and had gone to Vancouver with Sophie instead. Kailyn was so mad at me that she ran away into the forest and got lost. It took Trevor until morning to find her huddled next to a tree crying, but she was safe. Hopefully that’s what she had done again.

  Jim’s Ford F350 passed by the window, so I ran outside and met him at his door. “I can’t find Kailyn. She was really mad at me for making Trevor take off and I’m worried she might have run away again. Or worse. She might have gotten a ride with a guest who checked out today.”

  “The one who made you uncomfortable?”

  I nodded, not wanting to accept the possibility, but I had no choice.

  In his trademark calmness he said, “I’m sure she’s around. I’ll take a look.” He got out of the truck. “Did you call her phone?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll try again.” I dialled while he looked through the house. Her phone clicked straight to voicemail, so I left another message and met Jim on his porch. “Where is Trevor?”

  He glanced across the parking lot towards the highway. “He should have already been here. He left before me.”

  I ran over to their detached garage and swung the door open. No bike. I texted him
and then immediately phoned him when he didn’t respond. It went straight to voicemail. My panic ramped up, worried about both of them. Hopefully he just stopped for coffee or to go to Murphy’s. Or maybe he went back to check on Doug. Yeah, he probably assumed I’d still be there. Or maybe he changed his mind about us and took off for the Rockies. He wouldn’t have done that after what happened between us at Doug’s, would he? Maybe he was so tired from being awake most of the night he drove off the road. Oh God. I texted Murphy and Sophie, but neither of them had heard from him either. Maybe he and Kailyn went somewhere together. He wouldn’t have left the front door open, though. And he definitely wouldn’t have taken her on the back of the bike.

  Jim called over to me, “I’m going to check the trails above the upper village. You search the restaurant and shops down here.”

  I nodded and rushed around asking people, even strangers, if they had seen Kailyn. No one had. I crossed the highway and wandered along the beach. There was no sign of her. I ran back across the highway and just before I reached the front door of the Inn, the vision I’d had before flashed through my mind again: Kailyn laughed with her fists pressed into her cheeks, the way she did when she was excited about something. Trevor’s bruised face was tense as he searched for her.

  My granddad and the woman who owned the gift shop joined the search. Jim called the Search and Rescue team, which wasn’t a good sign. It meant he thought she was really gone.

  When Murphy and three other Search and Rescue guys showed up, they had all their gear and they started asking questions and doing things I hadn’t thought of. They checked to see if she took a jacket. They figured out, by process of elimination, what kind of shoes she had on. They knew that she took a backpack, but no clothes. She had cleaned out her piggy bank and taken a bunch of granola bars and juice boxes from the pantry.

  After they finished going through the house, they tried to call her again, then sent two guys to run the most-used trails to see if she had taken any of them. If she was still on a trail, they could catch up with her.

  Two cops and Murphy stepped into the Inn. His massive frame seemed to fill up the entire lobby. “Hey, Deri.”

  “Hi. Has anyone reached Trevor yet?”

  He shook his head and the shorter cop took over. “What is the name of the guest you had concerns about?

  “I don’t know. He said he didn’t have a credit card, but he did. I saw it in his wallet. I asked for his driver’s licence and he said he would bring it down later, but he never did.”

  The two cops exchanged a look like they thought I was useless.

  I quickly rattled off everything I could remember about the guy, “He has reddish blond hair that’s thin on top and he wears wire-rimmed glasses. He has a scripture tattoo on the inside of his left wrist. He had wanted to stay in Squamish but there were no rooms available, so he came here. He hung out at the casino and he was driving a navy Corolla rental car from Budget.” I fumbled through the scrap papers on the desk and found the one I was looking for. “It was a BC licence plate, here’s the number.” I handed the short guy the paper and then they went outside to call it in from their cruiser.

  Murphy said, “Good job, Deri. That will help.”

  “Do you think he took her?”

  He shrugged and said, “Nah,” to make me feel better, but I could tell by his expression that he thought it was likely. I felt sick. “Keep trying Trevor,” he said before he went back outside.

  More guys from Search and Rescue showed up, but still no word from Trevor. I sat outside on the railing of the deck so I could listen to their radio conversations. They were criss-crossing between the trails in case she got turned around.

  The cops checked on the rental car and were waiting to get a name they could run through the system. A lot of the things they were doing were above the call of duty because it was for Jim Maverty. Kailyn was twenty-one years old, so she technically had the right to leave without them considering her a missing person. Because of the circumstances, they were doing more than they normally would have.

  “Derian,” Jim called me over to join him. He was standing in front of his truck with trail maps spread out on a picnic table. “How you holding up, kid?”

  “Not great. This is all my fault. She wouldn’t have left if I hadn’t upset her. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t blame yourself. You could just as easily say it was my fault for not being here to keep an eye on her. We could all blame ourselves, but it doesn’t do any good. It’s better to focus our energy on trying to find her. Unfortunately, there’s not much more we can do right now but wait for the police to trace the plate.”

  “Any word from Trevor?”

  “No.” He glanced at me as if there were things he wanted to say about that. “He had a pretty bad fall. His head hasn’t been in the game lately.”

  “Sorry. That’s my fault, too.”

  “Well, I’m sure you two will figure it out. You and Trevor have something special that is probably worth working on.” He stretched his arm across my shoulder and gave me a quick squeeze. “Just tell him what you want from him and he’ll do it, gladly. We Mavertys aren’t as complicated as we seem.”

  I lifted my eyebrows, not convinced that was true. But glad that he thought a future between Trevor and me was worth fighting for.

  He grabbed a bottle of water off the picnic table. “Have you had any visions lately that might point us in the right direction?”

  “Nothing that would help. I saw Kailyn’s face and I knew Trevor was looking for her, but there weren’t any specifics about where.”

  He exhaled tensely and his forehead creased between his eyebrows, just like Trevor. “Give Trevor another call. Okay?”

  “Sure.” I walked back to the deck, filled with dread. Even Jim was worried. That was bad. What if the guy was a sexual predator? What if he was a serial killer? Trevor would lose it if Kailyn was hurt in any way. I was scared to tell him, but I was more terrified to not know why he hadn’t come home. My hands shook so badly, I could barely press the screen to dial his number. My entire body started to tremble and I struggled to keep the phone still against my ear as I waited for him to answer. It rang several times before he finally picked up. “Thank God, Trevor. Are you okay? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? We’ve all been trying to get a hold of you.”

  “I was riding. I just stopped for gas. What’s wrong?”

  “Promise you won’t freak out?”

  His tone became severe as he sensed my panic. “What is it?”

  I started to cry. “Don’t freak out.”

  “Derian, just tell me what happened. Is it Kailyn?”

  “We can’t find her. We don’t know if she ran away or if she went with the weird guy who was staying at the Inn.”

  His motorcycle engine revved and the phone cut out.

  CHAPTER 22

  Trevor hadn’t said where he was, so I had no idea how long it was going to take him to get back home. I rocked on a deckchair, biting my nails and staring at the initials that Trevor and I had carved into the wood when we were little. We used his Swiss army knife and I carved them because we thought my printing would be neater. TM + DL. My grandma had been really mad when she caught us, but afterwards she realized it was sweet and wouldn’t let my granddad paint over it.

  I was completely lost in thought and it startled me when Murphy stepped up on the porch. He rested against the railing and stared at me for a while. His expression made it seem as if they had found something that wasn’t good. “What is it?” I asked.

  “They found out the name on the rental car agreement, but he used a stolen credit card and driver’s licence, so they still don’t know his real identity. There is a guy wanted on a Canada-wide warrant who meets the description you gave.”

  “What’s he wanted for?”

  “Fraud.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it? At least he’s not wanted for sexual assault or forcible confinement or something.”

&nb
sp; Murphy shrugged and crossed his arms. “I doubt he would be luring a vulnerable woman for innocent reasons.”

  I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, wishing I could go back in time and protect her. “Does the car have GPS tracking? Can they find out where he is?”

  “RCMP found it abandoned at a gas station in Whistler. They’re checking video surveillance to see if Kailyn was with him.”

  Trevor’s motorcycle came flying into the parking lot. He parked, took his helmet off, and rushed over to talk to his dad. Murphy and I crossed the lot to join them. After Jim explained everything that was being done, Trevor took his leather jacket off and hugged me to his side. It was a helpless feeling for all of them because it wasn’t the type of search and rescue they could help with.

  They all looked at me as if they got the same idea simultaneously.

  “What?”

  Trevor turned to face me and held me by the shoulders. “It’s going to take the police forever to track the guy down. If you can see something it might help us find her faster.”

  In the past, my visions didn’t work that way. I couldn’t will them to happen. But maybe the increased frequency also came with increased control. Maybe if I really concentrated I could see more. “I could try.”

  Jim leaned against his truck, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans. “What if you sit in her room surrounded by her things?”

  Desperate to help, I agreed. “Yeah. That’s a good idea. I’ll try.”

  Trevor walked with me up to her room. He let me step in the room and he lingered at her door. “I’ll leave you alone to let you concentrate.”

  “I don’t know if it will work.”

  “Don’t worry if it doesn’t. It’s worth a try, though.” He stepped in and hugged me to his chest.

  Hearing how fast his heart was beating I asked, “Where were you when I called? I was worried when I couldn’t get a hold of you.”

  “I forgot one of the extrication packs at the top of the waterfall and had to hike back to get it. I was out of range. I’m sorry I didn’t get the call earlier.”

  “She said I was being a bad girl because I hurt your feelings and made you leave. I’m sorry.”