“From the threats against her?”
“No. I didn’t know about that until she stopped showing up. That’s when I got in touch with you. I was so scared. Scared something happened to her. She said she’d come back, but she never did. Have you found her yet?”
“I’ve seen her, and I’m trying to help her, but I can’t do it without honesty from you.”
“Oh my God. You’ve seen her? Is she okay?”
“I’m trying to make sure of that, Corey. Tell me how Kat was getting here. Was someone driving her, or did she drive herself?”
“She took the bus. That’s what she said. She doesn’t have a license.”
“Why couldn’t you tell me all this before? I still don’t get it. Kenna and I are putting ourselves at risk for you.”
“Think about it,” she said quietly. “Was I going to risk getting her in trouble? Or myself? What if I lost visiting privileges with you, with Kat, or altogether? Nothing in my conversations with her even hinted at where she could be. Nothing that would make telling you about her visits worth it. I swear.”
She was awfully convincing.
“She never said where she was going or where she planned to live?”
“No. The last time I talked with her, she said she didn’t know.”
“I talked with your ex-husband,” I said. “He’s the one who told me Kat had been here.”
“Al? How would he know? Where did you find him?”
“He’s still in prison. Kat had visited him too.”
Her jaw dropped. “I’m surprised he’s even alive. But you know, her visiting him makes sense. That was her thing. A fresh start. Understanding the past and moving on. Do you think he said something that scared her away from me?”
“I don’t think that’s it. In fact, he admitted that he did the two of you wrong.”
“He said that? I guess he’s made some progress, then.”
“I know he left the two of you, but what was he like before that?”
“We were struggling to make it when Kat was born, but we could have done it if we stuck together.” She clasped and unclasped her hands. “I’m not one to blame other people for my problems, but when he left us, I really broke down. I was all alone. No job, no money, hardly enough food. My parents were gone, so I had no one to turn to.”
It was tempting to say I could relate, but that wouldn’t be fair. After Jason’s affair and death, I’d felt lost and almost incapable of managing life. But I had my mom, Kenna, Aunt Liz, and my dad—a loving grandfather who had moved in with us until he died. They kept me from falling apart. Meanwhile, Jason’s life insurance policy kept us financially afloat. I never lacked for emotional and physical necessities. Corey and Kat survived without them.
“We survived,” Corey said, echoing my thoughts. “You know, we kept visiting Al for a long time after he left. I thought Kat should know her dad. For a while, I still loved him. But eventually I realized being around him was doing more harm than good.”
“For what it’s worth, I think he has regrets.”
“Good. Me too.” She took a deep breath. “I apologize for not telling you everything, but please don’t hold it against Kat. You and Kenna are probably all she’s got.”
“I’m sorry Kenna’s not here,” I said, glad to change the subject. “She’s sick today. And before you and I run out of time, I need to ask you something else. Did you hear who was arrested in Jared Funk’s murder?”
“I did, but I don’t remember the name.”
“It’s Daddy B.”
She looked up, appearing startled. “Daddy B was arrested for murdering Jared Funk?”
“Yes. His real name is Danny Braxton.”
“I told you he might be targeting Kat. What does that mean for her? My God. I wonder if Jared was into drugs. He didn’t look like it, but you never know.”
She rocked absentmindedly on her stool.
“So you don’t know anything about Daddy B and Jared’s connection?” I asked.
“No. Not at all.”
“Did Daddy B ever send you a message through Jared? Is that how you heard about the threat against Kat?”
“No, no,” she said. “I had no idea they knew each other. I can’t believe this. Back when I knew Daddy B, he was an angry guy, but he wasn’t a killer. I can’t believe Kat is mixed up in this, and it’s all my fault.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, but this time, I didn’t think it was for show. She wiped it away with a fist.
“Are you familiar with anyone named Big Tim?” I asked.
“No. Why?”
“His name came up. Don’t worry about it. How about anyone named Wayne?”
“Wayne?” Her expression brightened. “Yeah, I think he made deliveries for Daddy B. Is he short and kind of stocky? Kind of looks like George Costanza from Seinfeld, but without glasses?”
“I’m not sure.” That sounded like the jerk who’d taken Kenna and me out, but everything had happened so quickly, and my memory was fuzzy. “Do you know his age or last name?”
“Not even close. I only saw him a few times, and I guess he was in his twenties. But I have no idea about his last name. I’m surprised I even remember his first name. How is he involved with Kat?”
“I’m not saying he is. I’m still working things out.”
Corey sighed. “Please don’t give up. You’re not quitting on us, are you?”
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure.
I told Corey I’d talk with Kenna and be back in touch soon.
This time, I wasn’t making any promises.
I made it home by the kids’ bedtime, and after kissing Dean hello and making sure all was okay, I ran upstairs to tuck them in.
“I love you so much,” I told Jack as I rubbed his back and asked about his evening. In the glow of his night light, sometimes he let down his guard and shared things he wouldn’t in broad daylight.
“I love you too, Mom.” His voice was tired and muffled by his pillow. Then he lifted his head slightly. “Mom, are you going to marry Dean?”
“Ooh. That’s a big question. What made you think of it?”
“It’s just that a lot of times people marry their boyfriends, right?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes people go on lots of dates to figure out if they want to marry the other person. That’s what Dean and I are doing. We’re getting to know each other really well, and then we can decide.”
“Oh.” He sounded disappointed.
“Are you hoping for something in particular, Jack?”
“I like Dean. I don’t want him to go away.”
Concern and relief flooded my heart, taking my breath away.
Part of me regretted ever telling the kids we were dating. Ever letting Dean into their lives. It had the potential to be one of my worst mistakes.
“I like Dean too, and I don’t want him to go away either.”
“I told him he should marry you.”
I was glad the room was dark and Jack was facing a wall. He didn’t need to see the shock, amusement, and fear on my face. I never took selfies, but it would have been a good one. Hashtag: #Doh!
“What did Dean say to that?”
There was a long pause. “I don’t know. He just gave me a big hug. I’m going to sleep now, okay?”
“Okay, sweetie. Real quick, was Sophie there for that conversation?”
“No. She was in the basement. She likes Dean a lot though. She told me.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Sleep tight. God bless you.”
“Night.”
I kissed his cheek and gave him a hug.
I kissed Sophie too, who had already faded off in her room, where I whispered another goodnight.
Then I went downstairs, wondering what else was in store.
“You got a lot of calls,” Dean
said. “I couldn’t help hearing that the ER was one of them.” My home phone had talking Caller ID, and the only drawback was lack of privacy, although with Dean, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t think of anything I had to hide from him. “Listen to your messages, and then tell me about Corey.”
“Okay, but the night went smoothly?”
“It was great. We had a blast.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t running for the hills yet.
I dialed my voicemail and got ready to take notes.
The first message was from an ER doctor, who said my test results were back. I wondered if Kenna had gotten a similar call. It was frustrating that he didn’t leave any details, although I’d given the ER permission to do so. Maybe the results were too complicated or unpleasant for a message.
The next message was from Kenna. “Call me back, okay? Thanks.”
The last one was from my mom, who was just checking in. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be giving her an honest update anytime soon.
I also checked my cell voicemail, which was empty, thank goodness.
My first call was to Kenna, and I wasn’t surprised that Andy picked up.
“Hey, Andy,” I said. “It’s Nicki. I’m returning Kenna’s call. How’s she doing?”
There was a long pause. “She’s not with you?”
“No. I haven’t seen her all day.”
“Not funny, Nicki. Where is she?”
“I’m not kidding, Andy, and you’re scaring me. What makes you think she’s with me?” I looked at Dean wide-eyed and put the call on speaker.
“I had to take Sky to the doctor this morning for a rash, and when I got back, her car was gone, and there was a note. She said she was with you and Dean, quote, ‘hitting the big time.’ I didn’t know what that meant, but she doesn’t have a cell phone right now, and you didn’t answer yours.”
“I was visiting people in jail and prison today, and I couldn’t bring my phone in. I saw a missed call from your house, but I didn’t want to risk calling and waking anyone up. I have you on speaker with Dean, okay?”
“Both of you listen,” Andy commanded. “Kenna called me later in the morning and told me not to worry, that she was fine, and you guys were going to close your case soon. She said she’d be home before I knew it. I am pissed. You better tell me everything and tell me now.”
“I am. We are. I promise. But what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. There’s nothing going on with the case. What number was she calling from?”
“I didn’t even check. Hold on.” I scrolled through my caller ID too, mind racing with alarm. This was completely unlike Kenna. She might withhold information occasionally, but she’d never lie to Andy. “She called at eleven forty-five this morning from her cell phone.”
“She left a message on my phone at 7:18 tonight from the same number,” I said. “It sounded like she was okay then. But still, none of this makes sense. As far as I know, our cell phones haven’t been found. I don’t want to scare you, but I think something is really wrong. Call her right now, and if she doesn’t answer, call the police. See if she got any emails or calls at home that might have prompted this. I think we both got messages from the ER. I’m going to make two calls and wait to hear from you.”
“Okay.” He hung up without another word.
I looked at Dean in shock. “Kenna does a lot of crazy stuff, but this is totally out of character. She would never lie or go off without telling me or Andy.”
“What could ‘hitting the big time’ mean?” he asked.
I’d almost forgotten Andy had said that. Big Time. That’s what Detective Brunelli had called Big Tim. What on earth?
“It’s almost like Kenna’s lost her mind,” I said. “Like she’s on drugs or something.”
Dean and I stared at each other, and he handed me the phone.
“Call the ER,” he said.
My fingers were already dialing.
Twenty-Four
It was hard to focus on pressing the right options in the hospital’s automated phone system, but I finally managed to get a live person.
“Hi, this is Nicki Valentine. I was there last night, and I’m returning a call from Dr. Bell. I have some urgent questions related to our visit.”
“Dr. Bell left for the day. Can I get your birth date?” I gave it to her, tapping my foot impatiently. “Okay. I’ve got your file here. You were waiting for some test results?”
“Yes. My friend and I were victims of a crime, and we were injected with something. I think she might be having a reaction to it. What do the results say?”
“Is she having an allergic reaction, like—”
“No,” I interrupted. “It’s more like a mental reaction. I’m really worried. Did anything show up in the lab work?”
“Yes. You tested positive for something called ketamine. The doctor left some notes for you about it.”
Read them to me! I wanted to scream. Instead, I was composed. “Go ahead. What do they say?”
“Ketamine is a medication, an anesthetic, that’s used with humans and animals. It’s also used as a date rape drug. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I just need to know as much about it as possible. It knocked us out and affected our memory, and now my friend, who also has a concussion, is acting erratic. Does that make sense with what you see about it?”
“Let me read. Hang on.”
Dean was already on his phone, probably Googling ketamine. He was nodding emphatically and motioning for me to wrap it up.
The nurse read more details and promised to fax me everything she could, including my test results. “I’ll have a doctor call you back about this as soon as possible,” she said. “Your friend should be seen immediately. Her concussion could be causing mental symptoms too.”
“Thank you. I really need to know if she got the same results. Her husband will be calling you soon. Is there a direct number where he can reach you?”
She gave it to me, and Dean started typing on his phone, hopefully texting Andy.
I thanked the nurse and said goodbye.
“I texted Andy about the ketamine,” Dean confirmed when I hung up. “And I said to call the nurse ASAP.”
I held my head in my hands. “She said the effects should wear off after twenty-four hours, and it’s been longer than that. But this morning it wouldn’t have been. It could have been affecting Kenna’s mental state, in addition to her concussion.” I groaned. “I have to think. If I were Kenna, and I weren’t thinking straight, where would I go? And how was she calling from her cell phone?”
“Maybe she replaced it,” Dean said. “Which is great. It should be trackable.”
“What else did you read about ketamine online?” I asked Dean, bracing for whatever he’d say.
“Veterinarians use it, and sometimes their supplies get stolen. Like the nurse said, it’s a date rape drug, but it’s also something people abuse.”
“And it’s injected?”
“Sometimes. It can go in drinks too. There might be other ways to take it. I don’t know.”
“We didn’t drink anything, at least not that I remember. I think they must have injected us when we were woozy from being hit, or in my case, kicked.”
“Thank God you didn’t overdose or have an allergic reaction. That can happen and be life threatening.” His blue eyes pierced mine, radiating love.
“I’m okay. Don’t worry,” I said. “But Kenna.” My voice broke, but there was no time for losing my composure, even for a second.
I called Detective Brunelli and emailed him my test results, and then Andy called me back.
“The police will be here soon,” he said. “She didn’t answer her phone, but maybe the police can track it. I gave them a description of her car, what she was wearing, and how she looks. Do you know how much she weighs? I don’t.
”
I told him, realizing no one could hear Kenna’s description without noting its stereotypical perfection, right down to her red convertible. He might as well have said, “Look for Christie Brinkley from National Lampoon’s Vacation.”
Endless possibilities ran through my mind. Kenna unconscious. Kenna in an accident. Kenna using whatever she’d learned or taught in fitness classes, defending herself from unknown assailants.
“Did you call the hospital?” I asked.
“Yes. They told me about the ketamine. They’re really worried about the concussion too, and you know how I feel about that.”
As a sports reporter, Andy had written about concussions in football. It was an area of deep concern for him.
“She mentioned ‘big time.’ We’ve been looking for someone with the nickname Big Tim. She must be going after him. But I don’t know where or why. We have no leads on him.”
“Oh my God.”
“What about her email and any calls to or from your home phone? Have you checked them?”
“I did. There’s nothing.”
I heard some clicks and then a sharp intake of breath.
“This is crazy,” Andy said. “I think Kenna was looking through my work files. One of my documents is open.”
“Which one?”
“My notes on AJ Franklin. I have information going back all season. I’m working on a retrospective.”
My stomach was in knots. It was like Kenna to snoop in Andy’s files. She could be an “end justifies the means” kind of person, and we’d debated it before. She and Andy had done more than debate. They’d argued. For days.
“Can you tell me which part of the file she was looking at?”
“I don’t know. The police are here, so I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back. Just stay put.”
I looked out the window and saw two police cars next door. I had offered to have Sky come over, but Andy was reluctant, saying she was already asleep, and he’d call his parents or Kenna’s if needed. The thought of her parents knowing she was missing nearly made me pass out. I’d known them since childhood, and they were like family.
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