The Deep End

by Debra Purdy Kong

  “Mercedes has her problems.”

  If Mia was working with Cruz, had she given him access to the Special Unit? Had he gotten to Justin? Casey began to sweat from the smelly, overheated air.

  “Justin’s grandmother told me that Justin’s still separated from the others,” Casey said.

  “He insists on staying there until he’s transferred. The boy does seem more emotionally stable on his own. Still, it would be better if he rejoined the others. I simply don’t have enough staff to keep someone down there. There’s no room at another facility, and nothing I can do about that.”

  “May I see him a moment?”

  Mia didn’t answer right away. Then she said, “Only if you try to persuade him to rejoin his unit.”

  “All right.”

  They walked down the dim corridor, the air made even more oppressive by the silence. Usually, the boys would be playing basketball in the gym, but not tonight.

  “Would you be interested in staying on with us?” Mia asked. “I realize I haven’t helped make things easy for you, and I apologize for that, but we could certainly use an extra pair of hands.”

  Considering their strained conversation, Mia’s request surprised Casey. She wanted to say no, but she had to find out how Kendal wound up in an empty swimming pool. Besides, as long as Justin was stuck in this place, he wasn’t safe. Amy needed another pair of eyes watching out for the boy.

  “I’ll work another shift, then see how it goes.” As they passed the girls’ unit, Casey asked, “Is Ruby on duty?”

  “Yes. She was working last night too and is still shaken by the accident. Probably won’t stop talking about it for weeks.”

  “I assume that Roxanne’s still out.”

  “Yes.” Mia’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head slightly. “Were you two friendly?”

  “We played Scrabble once,” Casey replied. “Got along pretty well.”

  As they neared the pool room, Casey noticed the lack of crime scene tape across the door; that was discouraging. After two questionable deaths, did the police honestly think Kendal’s fall was an accident? Still, without solid evidence, what could they do?

  Inside the Special Unit, Mia unlocked Justin’s cell. “Casey’s popped by to say hello.”

  Justin stepped out and gave Casey a brief nod as he made his way to the kitchen. The boy looked more exhausted and paler than he had the last time she saw him.

  “Buzz if you need anything. I’ll be back shortly,” Mia said, locking Casey in.

  Peering through the outer door’s window, Casey could see the pool room’s entrance. She looked at the window in Justin’s cell door. It lined up with the other windows.

  “Did you see Tanya?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry, I haven’t had time. I promise I’ll go tomorrow night.” She felt guilty for putting off the visit, but she had no desire to see the girl who’d beaned her with a rock.

  Justin slumped into a chair, his expression blank.

  “I guess you heard about the volunteer’s accident last night,” Casey said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Kendal’s a close friend. It was my idea that she volunteer here.”

  Justin looked up. “Will she be okay?”

  “We don’t know yet,” Casey replied. “I noticed that you can see the pool room door from your cell. Did you happen to see or hear anything last night?”

  He shifted in his chair. “I saw Amir go in.”

  Good. “Do you remember what time it was?”

  “Just after eight. He let me out so I could watch TV.”

  Casey glanced at the small TV perched on a table. “What happened after that?”

  “I’d just switched on the TV when I heard shouting. I went and looked out the window. Supervisors were running into the pool room, but that’s all I saw. At least no one can blame me for her getting hurt.” He paused. “When you see Tanya, ask her to tell you the truth about what happened to Brady.”

  “Okay.” But would Tanya cooperate? Would her word even mean much? “Listen, Mia only allowed me in here because I agreed to try to persuade you to return to your unit.” Justin looked up, his gaze suddenly sharp. “Has Cruz approached you, or threatened you?”

  “No.”

  “Then why won’t you go back?”

  He shrugged. “I’m tired of being treated like scum for what happened to Mac and Winson.”

  “Mercedes returned to Fraserview yesterday and Cruz is with her now,” Casey said. “With Mia’s help, he could get at you in here and no one would see what was happening.”

  “Shit.”

  “You need to return to your unit.”

  “Think I’ll be safer there?”

  “As long as you’re not left alone.” Casey heard keys jangling and the door opening. Mia stepped inside. “That was fast,” Casey remarked.

  “Sorry, but this is an unscheduled visit and all the time I can give you.” She turned to Justin. “Has Casey talked to you about rejoining the others?”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll go.”

  “Thanks.” She managed a quick smile. “Get your things and I’ll have you escorted back to your unit in a few minutes.”

  Justin looked at Casey with what she interpreted as both gratitude and trepidation. After Mia locked the unit’s outer door behind them, she and Casey started down the corridor. Casey nearly bumped into Oksana as she emerged from the kitchen. The cook glowered at both of them before stomping down the hall with quick, determined strides.

  “Why does that woman look so miserable all the time?” Casey whispered.

  “My guess is exhaustion and frustration, thanks to a deadbeat husband, five kids, and a boat load of debt. She has another job stocking store shelves. I suppose I should cut Oksana some slack, but she sure makes it tough.”

  “What did she have to say about last night’s accident?”

  “Claims she saw nothing, which is what I’d expect from her.”

  Oksana worked at this end of the building. She could have seen something, but she wouldn’t want to cooperate with Mia. Casey needed an excuse to stay in the building a bit longer. She needed to talk to Oksana. “Can I pop in to say hi to Ruby and the girls?”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Talking about Kendal will upset Ruby even more,” Mia replied. “Two deaths and a serious accident have made everyone edgy.”

  “I understand, and I promise to keep it short and upbeat.”

  Someone called for Mia on the radio. Mia gave Casey a quick nod and continued down the hall. Casey entered the girls’ unit and found Ruby talking to a couple of girls who were making greeting cards. Two more sat on the sofa, watching TV.

  Ruby looked up. “Hey der, gal. Didn’t know I had a volunteer tonight.”

  “I’m not on the schedule. Just came by to see Mia and thought I’d pop in to say hi.” The girls on the sofa turned around. All were familiar. “I see that Mercedes is back.”

  Ruby clicked her tongue. “Dat girl never learns.”

  “Was her uncle here last night as well?”

  “He was supposed to be. I caught her standing in da hallway waitin’ for him, but he never showed.”

  Or maybe he had. Had Cruz gone into the pool room? Was Mercedes the lookout? But what would Cruz have against Kendal?

  Ruby grasped Casey’s hands. “So sorry about Kendal.” She ushered Casey into her office and closed the door. “She okay?”

  “She’s in a coma.” Casey watched Ruby ease her bulky frame into the chair. “The doctors don’t know when she’ll come out of it.”

  “Dat girl is strong,” Ruby said. “I’ll pray for her. You should talk to her. Dat would help.”

  Casey felt her cheeks coloring. The pathetic truth was that she’d been too afraid to go to the hospital. Could barely admit how terrified she was to see Kendal so vulnerable. “Did you see anyone near the pool room last night? I know Amir was the one who found her.”

  Ruby seemed to think this over. “I’ll tell
you what I told the police.” She peered at Casey. “Miss high and mighty was in der.”

  Casey frowned. “Mia? She didn’t mention that to me.”

  “Why would she? Got to keep her fancy job. Don’t want no one blamin’ her for anyting.”

  “Was she in the pool room before or after Amir?”

  “Before,” Ruby replied. “She went in der about seven-thirty. I found Mercedes in the hallway just as Mia was goin’ in the pool room.”

  Interesting that Mia hadn’t ordered Mercedes back into her unit, but if the girl—already accused of being Mia’s snitch—had been the lookout, then of course Mia wouldn’t have said anything. “Did either of them look nervous or guilty about anything?”

  “Dey looked the same as ever.” Ruby gazed past Casey’s shoulder toward the common area. “Here comes the she-devil now.”

  Mia appeared in the doorway. “Hate to break this up, but you said you’d keep it short.”

  “True. Bye, Ruby.”

  Casey left the unit alone, glad that Mia was staying behind. Casey started down the corridor and nearly bumped into Oksana, who was leaving a storage room. She blinked bloodshot eyes at Casey and her mouth tightened into a disapproving pout.

  “Hello, Oksana. Did you see the volunteer Kendal in the pool room last night?”

  “What’s it got to do with you?”

  Enough of the damn rudeness. “First of all, she’s a good friend of mine. Secondly, her mother asked me to find out what really happened. Is that all right with you, or should I tell the police that you’re hiding something?” Had Kendal found some dirt on this woman?

  Her apple cheeks darkened into an unflattering fuchsia tone. “I’ve got nothing to hide, and don’t you dare talk to me like that.”

  Time to push this witch’s buttons. “You’re withholding information, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes.”

  Oksana shifted the paper bag she was carrying. “What was the girl doing in the pool room in the first place? Volunteers got no business in there.”

  Not the explosive denial Casey had anticipated. “Kendal wouldn’t have gone in without a reason.”

  “I didn’t see nothin’.” She looked away.

  “I think you did.” Oksana pushed past Casey and marched toward the kitchen, muttering something Casey couldn’t hear. “I won’t stop till I find the truth, Oksana. My cop friends will take a close look at each and every employee until all the secrets are exposed!”

  Oksana’s body fat jiggled as she practically jogged into the kitchen. Casey headed in the opposite direction. She spotted Jamal glaring at her through the small window in Unit Two’s door. The kid gave her the finger. Fuming, Casey returned the gesture and continued toward reception.

  Did that little shithead have something to do with Kendal’s injuries? Or did Rawan, Amir, Mia, or Oksana? They’d all been here last night and the nights that Winson and Mac were killed. Casey glanced into the visitors’ area again. Cruz, perhaps the most dangerous of them all, was still there. The answers were within these walls, yet all she had were bits and pieces and the start of a timeline. Key questions still needed answering. The biggest one was what, or who, had drawn Kendal into the pool room to begin with?

  TWENTY-FOUR

  VISITING TANYA WOULD BE EASIER than Casey thought. Justin’s beloved wasn’t in the hospital’s psychiatric area, but in the children’s medical ward. Still, Casey had to acquire permission from Tanya and hospital staff. Even then, the visit would have to be short, which was fine. Chatting with the girl who’d pelted a rock at her forehead wasn’t Casey’s idea of a good time.

  As she walked down the hall, she suspected that Tanya’s room was close to the security guard sitting with his chair against the wall. Casey remembered working patient-watch shifts after completing basic security training. She spent two of the most boring weeks of her life observing patients who were flight risks or suicidal. When the site she was finally assigned to turned out to be just as boring, she’d jumped at the chance to take bus driver training with MPT, until that horrible night when she was attacked by a passenger with a knife. She didn’t regret transferring to MPT’s security department. She’d learned a lot from Stan and still enjoyed helping drivers and passengers, although she didn’t picture herself doing the same job for the next thirty years.

  Casey nodded to the seventysomething guard, who observed her with curiosity and caution. She figured a guard had been posted to Tanya because she was both suicidal and a flight risk.

  “Are you here to see Miss North?” the guard asked.

  The nurse must have given him a heads-up. “Yes. Is she allowed to leave her room?”

  “Uh-huh. But not the ward. There’s a TV room at the end of the hall, if you want to go there.”

  “Thanks.”

  Casey stepped into a semi-private room that smelled faintly of bleach. Tanya’s bed was nearest the door. The other bed was empty, but the blankets were rumpled. Next to the bed, a bouquet of flowers sat on the windowsill surrounded by cards. Tanya’s area had no flowers or cards. Her head was lowered and her hair covered much of her face as she searched what was probably music on her phone. Had Tanya’s parents brought the girl her belongings, or had the items been transferred directly from Fraserview?

  “Hello, Tanya.”

  Tanya looked up, her face clouding over. When Tanya raised her arms and removed her earphones, the white gauze around her wrists made the unsettling reality of her desperation and despondency clear. Although Casey didn’t like the girl, she sure in hell didn’t want her to take her own life.

  “Have you seen Justin?” Tanya asked.

  “Yes. He asked me to come here.”

  The girl’s eyes lit up. “Really? Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine, but he’s worried about you.”

  The light dimmed. “How’d he find out?”

  “Justin overheard staff talking.”

  “Fucking morons. Guess he got sent back to that shithole.”

  “Yeah, his lawyer’s trying to get him transferred.”

  “He hasn’t been hurt, has he?”

  “No. Is there a reason he would be?” She wanted Tanya to raise the topic of Cristano Cruz.

  “You know what a hellhole it is.”

  Tanya looked so sad that Casey felt sorry for her. She pulled up a chair and sat down. “Justin wanted me to tell you that he still has your back.”

  Tanya’s mouth quivered and she burst into tears. Casey glanced at the doorway, concerned that the sobs would draw a nurse’s attention. She handed Tanya a tissue from the box on the side table.

  “I’m sorry,” Casey said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m just glad he doesn’t hate me.” She blew her nose. “Wish I could see him.”

  “That could happen.” Casey paused. “If there was proof that Justin didn’t kill his stepbrother, then he’d be free to see you.”

  Guilt flickered over Tanya’s face. She turned toward the window.

  “Would you like to go for a walk down the hall?” Casey asked. “You could probably use a change of scenery.”

  Tanya kept her gaze on the window for a few more seconds, then slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed. It took her a minute to put on her robe and slippers, but once ready, she gripped her IV pole and shuffled toward the door. Casey followed, nodding to the guard, who seemed surprised that his charge was on the move. The old guy stood awkwardly. Luckily, Tanya wasn’t moving fast.

  As they made their way down the hall, Tanya said, “Did Justin say anything else about me?”

  Thoughts of his initial relief over their separation flashed through Casey’s mind. “He’s sad that you’re here.”

  Tanya turned away. “It’s not his fault.”

  True. Casey tried not to look in the rooms. Few things in life were more disconcerting than a hospitalized child. For the most part, the ward was quiet, almost subdued.

  “I miss him so much,” Tanya mumbled. “But when he’s free,
his grandmother will turn him against me.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Wouldn’t you, if your son brought home a girl like me?”

  “A girl like you?”

  “With a juvie record.”

  And, based on that record, serious anger management issues. “Amy respects Justin’s wants and needs. As long as you don’t hurt him, I doubt she would try to keep you two apart.”

  “As if she could.”

  Great. The snarky attitude was back. Casey was about to say something when she saw Tanya tearing up again.

  “I have hurt him,” she mumbled.

  This was unexpected. “In what way?” Tanya didn’t respond. What was she hiding? “If you tell me, maybe I can help.”

  Tanya stopped moving and glared at her. “Why should I trust you?”

  “Because Justin does. He wouldn’t have sent me here otherwise. And he wouldn’t have asked me to persuade you to tell the truth about what really happened to Brady.”

  “He said that?”

  “He did. Ask him yourself.”

  Tanya glanced at the guard who was trailing behind them. Furrowing her brow, she seemed to be thinking things over. “It was an accident.”

  “I know. Justin told me,” Casey replied. “What, exactly, happened?” Tanya continued down the hall. If she and Justin were innocent, why the reluctance to talk? “I understand why you threatened to tell the police that Justin pushed Brady down the stairs. It was to keep him with you.” The predictable behavior of an insecure manipulator.

  Tanya stopped again. “I can’t believe he told you that!”

  Casey sighed, her patience fading. “As I said, he trusts me.”

  “Whatever.” Tanya continued on. “Anyway, wouldn’t you do the same if he was all you had?”

  “Maybe.” If she was fifteen, insecure, and alone. Tanya had parents, though. If she felt unloved and unsupported, had she helped create the situation?

  They entered a room with a birch table and chairs, a wall-mounted TV, and two sofas. Thankfully, no one else was here. She needed Tanya to talk freely. Tanya collapsed into the nearest chair and rested her chin on her hands. Casey sat across from her. The guard, looking like he could use a chair too, leaned against the wall and stared straight ahead. If Tanya decided to run away, that poor old man had no hope of catching her.