The Parent Trap

by Lee McKenzie

  * * *

  AFTER THE LAST BELL, Casey dashed down to the locker room and changed into her uniform. She pulled thick blue socks over her shin pads and was all set to lace up her cleats when her phone whistled. She pulled her locker open and dug it out of her backpack.

  Need to talk. Now.

  Now what?

  I have soccer practice, rmbr?

  I only need a minute.

  Where RU?

  My locker.

  OK. BRT.

  Casey felt bad about Kate’s fight with her dad, and her mom’s fight with Kate’s dad, but she didn’t want to get dragged into the drama. She knew Kate wouldn’t want to go home alone, so she would arrange to meet her after practice and they would walk together. She set her phone on the shelf in her locker and snagged her blue-and-gold jacket off the hook below it, silently congratulating herself on the arm band that designated her as assistant captain as she sat and stuffed her feet back into her sneakers.

  “Where are you going?” Alycia asked.

  “Forgot I have to do something. It’ll only take a minute and I’ll be right back.” She banged her locker door shut, then raced out of the change room and down the hallway.

  Kate was leaning against her locker, the big black-and-white bag that had caused the whole mess slouched on the floor at her feet. “What’s up?”

  “I’m leaving.”

  “What are you talking about?” Surely she wasn’t planning to...? “You’re running away?”

  Kate didn’t answer. “You can’t tell anyone, okay? Please? I’m going back to Vancouver.”

  “That’s crazy. You can’t just leave. How are you going to get there?”

  “There’s a bus to Gibsons that goes right to the ferry terminal. When I get off the ferry in Horseshoe Bay, I’ll grab another bus into the city.”

  “And then what?”

  “One of my friends says I can stay with her for a couple of days.”

  “Which friend?”

  Kate shrugged.

  She’s lying, Casey thought. She doesn’t have the slightest idea where she’ll stay.

  “This is crazy,” she repeated. “You need to talk to your dad.”

  “No way.”

  “My mom, then. She’ll listen and she’ll help you figure out what to do.”

  Kate picked up her bag. “I’m grounded, remember?”

  Yes, she remembered. Kate had spilled the whole story on the way to school that morning.

  “He says I’m not allowed to set foot in your mom’s store, and he says he and I will talk about me being grounded after my schoolwork’s caught up and my grades have improved. Who knows when that’ll be.”

  “I can help. I get good grades.”

  “That’s all my dad cares about. If he cared about me, my grades wouldn’t matter.”

  Casey was starting to feel somewhat panicked. What if she couldn’t get her to change her mind? She could let her go, then call her mom, Kate’s dad, have them go after her. But then Kate would be in even more trouble, and she’d be mad at Casey, too.

  “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

  “You? The supersmart honor roll girl who’s captain of the soccer team is going to run away?”

  “Assistant captain. And I’d be pretty dumb if I let you go alone.”

  Kate hiked up her nose as though she didn’t believe her. “Let’s go.”

  “Right now? Can I get my stuff?”

  “Go ahead, but I’m leaving now.”

  Brat. “Then so am I.” She had plenty of time between here and the bus stop to change Kate’s mind, and if things got out of hand, she could always call her mom to come and get them.

  By the time they reached the stop, though, Kate was still as determined as ever. Even worse, Casey realized she’d left her phone in her locker. The bus pulled up and as Kate stepped on, she tossed a defiant look over her shoulder at Casey.

  “Coming?”

  What choice did she have?

  * * *

  “SARAH?” JULIET STUCK her head into the office.

  She tore her attention away from the online order screen she’d been working her way through. “Yes? Do you need help in the store?”

  “I can manage, but I was wondering if Kate will be in this afternoon.”

  “I’m afraid not. She’s...ah...I think she working on a school assignment. Why do you ask?”

  “I just had a customer ask when we’ll be updating our Facebook page.”

  The daily photos. Of course. “Good question. I’m not sure when Kate will be in again, so I’ll take some pictures before I go home and get Casey to show me how to upload them.”

  Now that Kate had been banned from ever setting foot in To the Nines, she needed to learn this stuff anyway.

  “No problem. I’ll finish refolding the summer tops on the sale table...we had quite a run on those today, thanks to Kate’s post on the weekend. Unless there’s something else you need me to do.”

  “Sounds great, Jules. Once I’ve finished this order, I’ll be out to give you a hand.”

  She selected three more items, as always finding it strange to be ordering holiday party dresses in September. After she double-checked and submitted the order, she logged out, shut down her laptop and stowed it in her briefcase. Her regular customers would love this season’s dresses, and she had chosen several that were sure to suit individual preferences.

  And for your information, Coach Marshall, there is nothing frivolous and inconsequential about this.

  So what if he thought that what she did for a living didn’t matter? As if chasing a soccer ball around a field had some earth-shattering significance. No, that wasn’t fair. Casey loved soccer. In addition to staying physically fit, she was learning the importance of good sportsmanship, how to be a team player and leadership skills since she’d been voted assistant captain.

  The phone rang and she grabbed it without bothering to check the display.

  “To the Nines. This is Sarah.”

  “Sarah, it’s Jonathan.”

  The last person in the world she had expected to hear from, and one of the last she wanted to talk to. Unless...

  “Why are you calling?”

  “We have soccer practice this afternoon and Casey isn’t here. I know you’re not happy with me, and to be honest, I don’t blame you, but you shouldn’t make her stop coming to practice.”

  What was he talking about? “I would never do that. She’s probably still in her last class. Did you check there?”

  “I did. And I don’t want to alarm you, but some of the girls on the team saw her in the locker room, she was already in her uniform. Then she left and it seems she’s...I don’t know. No one knows where she went.”

  Sarah felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her and now she couldn’t breathe. This was crazy. Kids in Serenity Bay didn’t simply disappear. “Did you check the rest of the school?” she asked.

  “I had the office page her over the PA system but she hasn’t responded.”

  “Where’s Kate? Maybe she’s with her.”

  Even through the phone, his sigh was audible. “I’ve already called her but she’s still mad at me and she’s not picking up.”

  No surprise there. “Casey might have gone home to check on the dog. I’ll call her and then I’ll call you back.”

  “Okay, thanks. And Sarah...?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry about yesterday, I really am. I was being...the things I said were uncalled for.”

  You’ve got that right. “I’ll call you after I’ve talked to my daughter.” If he thought she’d forgive this easily, he could think again. Still, she could be gracious. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her. I’ll find both of them.”

/>   She disconnected, brought up her daughter’s number and made the call.

  “Come on, Casey. Pick up.”

  But she didn’t. The call went to voice mail and that never happened. She had Kate’s number so she tried that, too. The girl had no reason to be angry with her. But that call went to voice mail, too. That left Henry. He did answer, and yes he had seen both girls after school. Casey was wearing her soccer uniform and she was in the hallway at Kate’s locker. The two had their heads together in conversation and hadn’t seemed to notice him as he left the school. He would have talked to them but his mother had been waiting to drive him to Sechelt for a dental appointment. They were on their way there now.

  Sarah thanked him and pondered what to do next. She couldn’t imagine why Casey would skip soccer practice, but if she had to guess, it had something to do with Kate, who was furious with her father. She dialed Jonathan’s number. He picked up immediately.

  “Casey didn’t answer and neither did Kate when I tried her number, so I called Henry.” She relayed what he had told her.

  “Thanks for that. I’m going to cancel practice and head home. Kate is supposed to be there doing homework. Let’s hope they both are.” There was no mistaking the worry in his voice.

  In spite of her own growing concern, Sarah’s heart softened a little. He had overreacted for sure, but he didn’t deserve this. “I’m leaving, too. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  SARAH’S CAR WAS parked in her driveway when Jon pulled into his. He flung open the door of his SUV and took his steps two at a time. He unlocked the front door and did a quick tour of the house, calling Kate’s name, hoping for a response. He didn’t get one. Princess, curled in a tight little ball on the end of Kate’s bed, gave him the haughty look of one who was annoyed at having her beauty rest disturbed. Otherwise the house was lifeless.

  He let himself out and jammed the key in the lock. Maybe he should leave it unlocked. What if Kate didn’t have her key? The city dweller in him refused to let him leave the house unsecure. Besides, if lack of a key was the only thing preventing Kate from coming home, she would have called or texted long ago. He locked the door and sprinted the short distance to Sarah’s place.

  She and Petey met him at the front door. She had already changed out of the black skirt and tan jacket he’d seen her wearing when she’d left for work that morning and into jeans and a mossy-green sweater that was a perfect match for her eyes.

  “Come in.” She held Petey in her arms until Jonathan stepped in and closed the door behind him, then she set the dog on the floor. The energetic little fellow raced into the living room, pounced on a small teddy bear, and shook the daylights and a little of the stuffing out of it.

  “Have you heard from them?” he asked.

  She shook her head, and the sharp movement loosened a tear that had been hovering on her eyelid. He watched it slide down her cheek, regret stabbing him like a knife. It was too soon to consider the worst-case scenario, and besides that, his gut was telling him that whatever the girls were up to, Kate was behind it. This was her getting back at him for grounding her, and she had somehow convinced Casey to go along with her. He offered his arms and Sarah walked into them with the same fluid motion as the tears that were now soaking his shirt.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what those two are up to, but we’ll find them.”

  Her body shook with a single silent sob. Then she seemed to pull herself together by drawing a long, controlled breath. She lifted her head and backed out of his embrace.

  “This isn’t like Casey,” she said, swiping at her eyes with the back of a hand. “Where could she have gone?”

  What they knew so far was that Casey had been on her way to practice until she talked to Kate. Now they had both disappeared, which meant Kate had talked her into...what? He had no idea.

  “Kate hasn’t spoken to me since last night. I know she’s upset about being grounded, but I’m having a hard time believing she’d do anything rash.”

  “It sounds as though you were pretty hard on her.”

  Now that Sarah had composed herself, she wasn’t going to go easy on him. He’d been hard on her, too. Actually, arrogant and unreasonable is what he’d been.

  “That’s generous of you,” he said. “I was out of line and I owe you both an apology. I thought about this while I was out for my run this morning, decided I would talk to her before we left for school, but she had already left by the time I came home.”

  The hard set of her mouth softened a little. “Casey walked with her. She said they were leaving early so they could help with setup for this morning’s assembly.”

  “I know. Kate left a note.” That she’d thought to leave him a note had seemed a positive step at the time; now he realized she’d been avoiding him, as she had at school all day. “I hope she’s still just avoiding me, maybe gone to a friend’s place or to one the kids’ favorite hangouts, but that doesn’t explain why Casey missed soccer practice and isn’t answering your calls.”

  “My daughter has a good head on her shoulders, but I’m getting scared. She always sends me a text message after school, after practice, when she’s on her way home, when she gets home. Now it’s almost five o’clock and...” Sarah shrugged. “This isn’t like her.”

  “I drove around before I came here,” he told her. “I checked the pizza place, the community center, even the library.” Although that was the last place he’d expect to find his daughter. “I didn’t know where else to look.”

  Unless...

  He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped it open. Kate’s credit card was gone.

  “Oh no.”

  “What?”

  “Before Kate’s mom moved to Europe, she gave her a credit card. There’s no way I would let her carry it around with her so I keep it in my wallet.”

  “And?”

  “It was here yesterday afternoon. Now it’s gone.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. At first I thought she might have ordered that handbag online so I took out the card and called to check on the balance.”

  “Any chance you didn’t put it back?”

  He shook his head. He clearly remembered putting it away. He knew exactly when it went missing. “I don’t carry my wallet when I run in the morning. She must have taken it while I was out of the house.”

  “We need to call the police.”

  “The police? Won’t they tell us we need to wait a few hours to see if they show up on their own?”

  “That might be what they do in the city, but not here. Everyone knows me, and they know Casey. If I say something’s not right, they’ll believe me.”

  “Then let’s call.”

  He followed her through the foyer and the short hallway to the kitchen, thinking, as he had the one other time he was inside, that this house seemed brighter, more welcoming than his. More of a family home.

  In the kitchen, he stood on the opposite side of the island while Sarah put her phone on speaker and made the call.

  “Sunshine Coast RCMP Detachment, Constable Merriweather.”

  “Gayle? It’s Sarah Stewart.”

  “Hi, Sarah. Good to hear from you. I mean, as long as everything’s okay.”

  “You, too. And no, it’s not. Casey missed soccer practice after school today and she’s not answering her phone or responding to text messages. No one’s seen her since classes were over, and we think she’s with Kate Marshall, the daughter of the new teacher at SBH.”

  “Does Kate have a cell phone?”

  “Yes. She isn’t picking up, either. Her dad has looked around town for them, and now we just discovered that Kate has a credit card with her. We’re both really worried.”

  “Any reason you can think of why the
girls would up and disappear like this?”

  Sarah glanced up at him.

  “Constable Merriweather? Jon Marshall here, Kate’s dad. My daughter and I had a bit of a...a disagreement last night, and she was supposed to come straight home after school.”

  “So, grounded?” the constable asked. The tone of her voice suggested she was smiling. “You have my sympathies, Mr. Marshall. I have two teenage girls, fifteen and seventeen. I’ve witnessed my share of hissy fits.”

  “You’re Melissa’s mom? She’s on the soccer team.”

  “That’s right. She told me practice was canceled today. Now I understand why.”

  Sarah gave him an eyes-wide look that said, seriously? Our girls are missing and this is the conversation you’re having?

  “Right,” he said. “So—”

  “No need for explanations. We want to find those girls as much as you do.”

  He doubted that but felt somewhat reassured nonetheless.

  “Give me their phone numbers. If the phones are on, we should be able to get a location for them. And if you can email recent photos of the girls, I’ll circulate those to everyone who’s on duty tonight.”

  Sarah tore a sheet from a notepad on the fridge door and jotted down the email address. “Thanks, Gayle. We’ll send those right away and then we’ll go out and keep looking for them.”

  “Sarah, I know you’re worried and you want to do everything you can to find them, but the best thing right now is to stay home so you’re there when the girls do show up. Nine times out of ten, they come home on their own and their reason for being ‘missing’ is something completely innocent.”

  And the one time out of ten? Jon thought. He could tell Sarah was thinking the same thing.

  “Are you sure?” Sarah asked. “I feel as though—”