Sunset Over Misty Lake

by Margaret Standafer

  Despite her anticipated difficulty focusing, Karen found the lectures and presentations on the latest advances in intensive and critical patient care fascinating. The field was constantly changing, and she loved learning of the newest techniques and equipment on its way, hopefully to increase the percentage of positive outcomes.

  Critical care hadn’t been her planned path when she’d entered nursing school. She’d been certain she wanted a career as a labor and delivery nurse, but it hadn’t taken long for her to realize that she excelled with a smaller nurse to patient ratio and that she had a knack for dealing with family members who could, in some cases, become long-term fixtures on the ward. While certainly not her only patients, the elderly made up a large portion of those who found themselves in critical care and almost from the start of her clinicals, her instructors had praised her skill and compassion in dealing with elderly patients. Critical care had turned out to be an easy decision and a perfect fit.

  The current session was a little less than fascinating. Karen found herself fighting to stay awake in the darkened ballroom. The speaker had a voice that reminded Karen of Morgan Freeman…commanding, but soothing at the same time. The soothing part was doing a number on her and her head jerked as she nodded off.

  “This is mostly a repeat of what we heard this morning,” Heidi said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “It’s like you read my mind.”

  Karen and Heidi gathered their things then crept from the ballroom. Once they were out and the doors securely closed behind them, Karen blew out a breath.

  “Wow. It wouldn’t have been much longer, and I’d have fallen right out of my chair.”

  Heidi laughed. “I saw your head bobbing. That guy should forget about nursing and start recording bedtime stories for kids. He’d make a fortune.”

  “Did his voice remind you of Morgan Freeman?”

  “Morgan Freeman dipped in warmed honey.”

  “Ah, that’s the description I was looking for. So, what now?”

  The two stood in the vast lobby of the hotel crowded with conference attendees, many of whom were sipping cocktails and feeding slot machines.

  “Looks like we’re not the only ones to duck out early this afternoon. Interested in throwing some money into the slots?” Heidi asked.

  “Not really. You?”

  “Not really.”

  “Up for a walk?”

  “Sure. This is my first time in Vegas, and I haven’t seen much of the strip yet. Have you?”

  Karen tensed, and Heidi noticed.

  “What? You were lying to me? You’re secretly some sort of card shark and you’ve already made a killing at all the ritziest casinos?”

  Karen relaxed. “Yes, that’s it. I financed all three kids’ college educations yesterday at the blackjack table.”

  “Impressive.”

  “Don’t I wish? The sad truth is my flight got in early and I walked up and down the strip, afraid to put so much as a dollar in a slot machine. The idea of gambling here kind of scares me.”

  “Agreed. While logically I know it’s not the case, everyone here seems like a pro. I’m afraid I’d make a total fool out of myself.”

  “We can watch.”

  “That we can do.” Heidi peeked out the doors. “It looks hot out there. I think I’d like to change. Meet you back here in fifteen minutes.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way. Karen had donned her oversized hat and sunglasses again, although she wasn’t quite sure why she was hiding, or from whom. With the sheer number of visitors passing through the city, and with the vast number of people employed to tend to all those visitors, she was slowly coming to accept that finding someone, even when you were trying, was unlikely.

  “Can you believe this place? I thought New York City was wild.”

  Karen pointed. “We could go to New York City.” She pointed again. “Or Egypt, or Rome, or, I’ve heard, to see an erupting volcano.”

  “Hearing about it and seeing pictures doesn’t quite do it justice, does it? It’s really like you’re in a different world.”

  “I think that’s the idea. Make people forget reality for a while. Did you ever see the Percy Jackson movie where those teenagers get trapped inside a casino and days pass without them realizing it?”

  Heidi shook her head.

  “They’re given some sort of drink or something to eat—I don’t remember exactly—that makes them forget everything and feel like they never want to leave. Science fiction, but when you get inside some of these places, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched.”

  They walked, detouring into some of the flashier casinos for a look. Resisting the abundance of upscale shopping proved impossible, so they spent time browsing and marveling at the prices, wondering who paid that much for a pair of jeans. When Heidi found a onesie sporting ‘Vegas Baby’ in neon lettering, it took the two five minutes to get their laughter under control.

  A couple of hours later, Heidi leaned against Karen.

  “I hate to play the baby card, but I’m exhausted. I need to head back.”

  Karen’s heart plummeted. She’d hoped to come up with a reason to get Heidi into The Ivory Palm but put on a smile.

  “I hope you play the baby card to its fullest. Do you have Ty doing the cooking yet?”

  “You remember!”

  “How could I forget? Cream of chicken soup with some sort of lunch meat shredded and thrown in, and sandwiches consisting of microwaved hot dogs, sliced, smothered in mozzarella cheese and ketchup, then toasted. It’s not something I’ll ever forget.”

  “Oh, bless his heart. He tried. And we did tell him after our late shift we usually just ate a bowl of soup or a sandwich.”

  “Yes, I guess we did say that, but still. Shredded pastrami or whatever it was in the soup? Ketchup inside the sandwich before it was toasted? Who does that? We’d spent the night in the emergency room and that meal was by far the worst thing I saw all night.”

  “It really was awful, wasn’t it? I recall choking it down and you making some excuse about not feeling well and not having much of an appetite. He was so sweet, though, having dinner ready for us at two o’clock in the morning.”

  “Has he gotten any better?”

  Heidi’s shoulders slumped. “Not really, but he’s good at heating up frozen things. I tend to make double or triple batches of whatever I’m cooking and freeze the leftovers. He wants to help, so I’ve learned to have something on hand. And he’s good at so many other things. He does almost all the laundry, he cleans the bathroom better than I do, he—”

  “He’s amazing, I know, I know. You’ve been telling me that for years.”

  “Well, he is amazing.” Heidi grinned at Karen. “Just like Joe is amazing. We’re lucky, Karen. We are both lucky.”

  “Yeah, we are.”

  They walked only a little farther before Heidi stopped. “I think I need to play that baby card again. I really need to find a bathroom.”

  Karen looked up and could hardly believe her luck.

  “Here,” she said quickly and grabbed Heidi’s arm. “We’ll go in here.”

  “Um, okay,” Heidi said as she trotted to keep up with Karen.

  Karen looked around to get her bearings, then pointed.

  “There. The restrooms are on that wall over there.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “No, I’m fine. Go ahead. I’ll be wandering around out here.”

  The second Heidi turned her back, Karen made a beeline for the bar. It was busier than it had been the afternoon before, and she had to squeeze her way onto a seat. She scanned the area, searching out the bartenders and squinting to try to read their name tags. She spotted Juan after a moment and waved to get his attention. He nodded in her direction and made his way over after finishing with his customer.

  “What can I get you?”

  Karen racked her brain to come up with a drink that would take some time to make.

  “Um, a Mojito, pl
ease?”

  When she noticed Juan clench his jaw, she knew she’d made a mistake. He was busy; he didn’t want to waste time crushing mint leaves.

  “Sorry, my friend’s having a rough night and it’s her favorite.” Karen pulled a twenty and a ten from her wallet and set the cash on the bar.

  Juan’s eyebrows rose, and he looked up. “No problem.”

  “Thank you.” Karen looked over her shoulder for Heidi but didn’t spot her. Still, she’d have to hurry. And she’d have to do more lying.

  “Um, Juan? That friend of mine, she’s looking for her brother. She’s pretty sure he used to work here. His name’s Joshua. Do you know him?”

  Juan gave her a doubtful look. “Joshua. Her brother? You don’t say?”

  “Yes. He’s been out of touch for a while and the family is worried about him. Do you have any information that might help?”

  “You wouldn’t happen to know Opal?”

  “Opal? Opal who works here? Sure. She’s a friend, another friend, of mine. She told me she’d ask around, but she hasn’t been able to come up with much. Did she talk to you?”

  Juan started adding ingredients to the shaker. “Why do I have a feeling you know she did?”

  “She wasn’t specific. Is there anything else you can tell me about Joshua? Do you have any idea where he went after he left here? Please, anything you know, even if it doesn’t seem important, might help.”

  Another bartender edged closer.

  “You asking about Joshua?”

  “Yes. Do you know him?”

  “I knew him. He ain’t here no more.”

  “Yes. I’m wondering if you know where to find him?”

  “Don’t know, don’t care. Just up and quit one day. Didn’t tell no one. We had to scramble to cover his shifts.”

  Juan set the drink in front of Karen.

  “I don’t know what more I can tell you. Like I told Opal, Joshua quit. Suddenly. I didn’t know him well and don’t know where he may have gone. All I remember is him talking about having lived all over the country, so he could be anywhere. Good luck. I hope your friend finds her brother.”

  Juan scooped up the bills and walked away. The other bartender was already helping another customer, not that it mattered. He seemed angry, but unlikely to have any information.

  Just as she stood to go look for Heidi, Karen caught sight of a waitress watching her. The woman looked nervous and more, undecided. Karen was certain she knew something.

  “There you are.”

  “Heidi.” Karen turned to glance at Heidi but whipped her head back to watch the waitress.

  “You should see the bathroom. I think I could live in there.”

  “Hmmm…”

  “Karen?”

  “You know, I think I do need to use the restroom before we start walking again. Do you mind waiting a minute? I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll come with you. I told you, that bathroom is amazing.”

  “Um, actually I really need something to drink. I have a headache all of a sudden. Would you mind getting me a club soda with lime? Please?”

  “Oh, sure, I can do that.”

  “Thank you.” She pushed cash into Heidi’s hand. “Be right back.”

  Karen darted through the crowd in search of the waitress. It took only a minute to find her. Relief washed over Karen. From the look on the waitress’s face when the two made eye contact, it was anything but relief she was feeling. Though she tried to duck out of sight, Karen caught up with her.

  “Excuse me. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “I’m really busy. I need to get going.”

  She stepped away, but Karen put a hand on her wrist stopping her in her tracks. When Karen’s grip tightened, the woman’s eyes rounded. Karen loosened her hand but kept it in place.

  “It will just take a minute. You heard me talking to Juan.” Karen glanced at the woman’s name tag. “Sadie, do you know something about Joshua?”

  “No. I don’t know anything. I have to get back to work.”

  Karen watched Sadie’s eyes dart from one side of the room to the other. She was frightened, and that frightened Karen.

  “Please, Sadie, anything you can tell me will help. Here.” Karen let go of Sadie’s wrist and pulled the rest of the cash she had from her wallet, sliding it into Sadie’s hand. “Anything at all.”

  Sadie looked at her hand, then looked at Karen. The war she waged with herself was a brutal one. When she finally spoke, it was barely more than a whisper.

  “He didn’t quit. He got fired. Management wanted him gone but didn’t want to cause a stir. They probably paid him off to avoid bad publicity. He’s bad. Real bad. Don’t try to find him.”

  “What sort of bad publicity? What do you mean?”

  “That’s all I’m saying. I got a kid to worry about and I’m not getting involved with that guy in any way.”

  Karen took her hat off and ran a hand through her hair. She took a deep breath and tried once more.

  “Sadie, do you have any idea where he might have gone? Is there anything at all you can tell me? It’s important. I promise he won’t find out you talked to me.”

  Sadie snorted. “Your promise doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to him. If he’s after someone, there’s no hiding.” Sadie’s eyes bored into Karen. Finally, she threw her hands up and blew out a breath. “Fine,” she hissed. “He didn’t leave Vegas. Any stories of him leaving town are just that. Stories. Probably started by him. He’s here. I don’t know where, honest I don’t, but he’s around. I’ve heard things. Different name, different appearance, but I’d bet my life, same job. He wouldn’t give up that gravy train.”

  “Gravy train? What do you mean?”

  Sadie shook her head. “That’s all I know. Listen, you look like a nice lady. Stay away from him. Stay far, far away.”

  As Sadie melted into the crowd, Karen stood, frozen in place. He was still in Vegas.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  SHE COULDN’T WAIT to get home, but she dreaded getting home. She was a wreck. Three days and nothing to show for it but blisters on her feet and a burning in her gut she feared was the start of an ulcer.

  After her brief talk with Sadie, Karen had hit a dead end. She and Heidi had returned to the hotel, both going to their rooms, but Karen had been far too antsy to sleep. She’d gone back out and walked from one casino to the next, searching. She’d decided against asking questions. Sadie had seemed certain Joshua was using a different name, that he probably looked different, so asking for Joshua or someone that matched his previous description wouldn’t likely accomplish anything but arousing suspicion.

  Instead, she’d scrutinized every bartender she happened upon. Once she’d thought she spotted something, a man who seemed the right size, the right age, but when she’d gotten closer, there’d been nothing familiar about him. She’d walked until nearly dawn when, exhausted and frustrated to the point of tears, she’d gone back to her room and collapsed on the bed.

  The next day, sitting through lectures and product demonstrations had proved excruciating. She’d downed more coffee than she had since those all-nighters during school and had paid the price with the jitters and a stomach that threatened to revolt.

  That night, she and Heidi had decided to attend the end-of-conference banquet. The food had been surprisingly good, the entertainment full-blown Vegas style and enough to distract her, and she’d even won a prize. When they handed her a voucher for a three-night stay at the hotel, she’d forced a smile and had promptly given it away to one of the women at her table who’d been ecstatic.

  Once she and Heidi had said their goodbyes with promises to get together soon and Heidi had gone to her room, Karen had returned to the strip. She’d become a pro at ignoring the street performers and had stopped paying any attention whatsoever to those handing out cards and flyers advertising all manner of questionable entertainment. The layout of the casinos along the strip was etched on her brain. Again, though,
her efforts proved fruitless.

  The plane ride home had been the worst she’d ever experienced. Her seat companion had talked unceasingly. It hadn’t mattered that Karen barely answered. Undeterred, he’d regaled her with his plans to, in no particular order, grow his business into the largest fleet of mobile dog spas in the country, finish his master’s degree, and propose to his long-time girlfriend. He’d been a pleasant enough person and Karen had felt some guilt at ignoring him for the better part of the three-hour flight, but she had nothing left to give. Any energy she could muster needed to go toward a new plan.

  The shuttle ride from the airport to Misty Lake had been even worse. The ache she felt in her heart at missing Joe and the kids was real and rivaled the one in her stomach. She hoped seeing them would ease some of the ache but had no delusions the reunion would ease all of it. Every mile that brought her closer to home, also filled her with increasing dread. She knew she couldn’t continue to fool Joe into thinking she was fine, that things were better. Her hopes of finding a resolution in Las Vegas had been spurring her brighter mood and outlook. Those hopes dashed, she didn’t know where she’d find an impetus.

  When she got in her car to drive the last few miles from the shuttle drop-off point to home, she made a decision. A decision she’d hoped she wouldn’t have to make, but a decision she now knew was her last hope.

  She’d ask for help.

  Three kids were a lot of kids. A lot of diapers, a lot of bottles, a lot of snacks, a lot of naptimes and bedtimes, and a lot of crying. But also, a lot of giggles, a lot of hugs, and a lot of love. So much love.

  Most of the seventy-six hours had gone smoothly. Of course, he’d had help for many of those seventy-six hours. Karen’s mom had been by for a few hours each day. Shauna and all of his sisters-in-law had taken turns. Jake had been by twice during his lunch breaks and had let Dylan explore the patrol car. Joe’s parents had also helped, although Joe was still uncertain whether his dad bringing the puppy could be called helping. Sure, it had distracted and entertained Dylan, but Joe had been inundated with ‘peppy’ talk ever since.