“That's not true.”
“It is true! You're two-faced. You're all like down on your parents and stuff, and then the first thing that goes wrong you go running right back to Mommy and Daddy. You'll never grow up because you'll always have them. And your buddies down at the bar. They've always got your back. Well, nobody's got my back. Nobody. Especially not you.”
“I'm a good person.”
“You don't even know who you are. You're a poser, even to yourself.”
A different look came over Emily then, a sad resignation, and Lorelei knew that she had hit a nerve. They were at an impasse.
Lorelei said, “I said what I came to say.”
She turned to go when Emily said, “Leo.”
She faced her again. “What about Leo?”
“Leo's in town.”
Lorelei held her breath.
“What?” she whispered. Then louder, “I can't believe you called Leo.”
“No. He found you. You were right. His tattoo buddies here in Austin recognized his work. They contacted him. David and I met him. He's a perv.”
“I told you that. I told you he's a perv. You drew him right to me. What am I supposed to do now that psycho stalker is in Austin looking for me too?”
“You should go to the police. They'll protect you and see that you get home to your family.” She paused, then said, “Rose.”
Nobody had called her Rose in so long that the name shot a burn of dread through Lorelei.
“That's you, isn't it? Rose Kimball?”
“How do you know my name?”
“National Missing Children's Database.”
Lorelei picked up a cacti pot, and without hesitation, she heaved it through the double windows. The pot thudded against an inside wall and smashed to the floor amid tinkling glass.
Then she screamed. No words. Just a guttural explosion of rage.
“Shit,” Emily said when Lorelei caught her breath. “Feel better?”
“No! I do not feel better!”
“I'm just trying to help. Please, just let me help you.”
“Help me? You've done nothing but hurt me since I met you. I don't need your fake concern.”
“You're not as tough as you act.”
“You don't know anything about me.”
“People care about you. I care about you.”
Lorelei considered Emily's words. She really wanted to believe Emily was her friend. But Emily had betrayed her. In the end, all adults betrayed her, manipulated her, stifled her.
“Liar,” Lorelei hissed. She slung her heavy pack over a shoulder and stomped down the steps. She snapped around at the sound of Emily's tears.
“Go on! Cry!” she shouted at Emily. “It'll be your fault if those thugs from the park get me or if Leo finds me before I can get out of town. I thought Austin might be the place I could stay for a while, but no. Now I have to move on again. All because of you and your stupid camera. I hate you for this. I really do. I hate your guts.”
Emily
AS SHE waited in line for her latte, Emily texted Travis.
LL definitely Rose K. Any luck with parents? She's freaking about tattoo guy.
She grabbed her drink and cursed Travis under her breath. Coward. She was sure he would ignore her text when her phone bleeped.
Is she okay?
She thought to leave him hanging. He deserved it. But then she needed him.
For now.
Pause. Bleep.
Pretty sure I found her parents.
He was supposed to tell her things immediately.
She texted: ??????????????
His reply: Sorry. Double checking. Didn't want to be wrong again.
She found a table and waited. It was nearly midnight when David walked in, his hair plastered to his head from the motorcycle helmet, his eyes red and bleary. Sleep was in his voice when she had called, but he had insisted that he was just watching television.
As usual, David was relaxed, in listening mode. He sipped his black coffee and searched the street outside, always on the lookout for someone in need. How difficult it would be to never turn that off. She could barely handle the drama bomb of one girl. How could he deal with so many desperate young souls?
But something about his calm demeanor rankled her nerves. She wanted him to yell, to call her a bad person for betraying Lorelei, for bringing on such danger.
She should have protected the child. She should have tried to persuade her to go to David for help. But Emily had stood mute on her steps, frozen as Lorelei's words singed her ears. She had watched as the shadows of the yard swallowed the girl and had done nothing. Ineffectual. Once again, Emily had let opportunity pass.
“I hate you,” Lorelei had said. “I hate your guts.”
“So,” Emily said to David. Her legs bounced nervously under the table as she stirred and stirred her drink. “So, how weird is it that I start out trying to help Lorelei, and she ends up being stalked by some muscle-bound, love-sick pedophile and a pack of bum hunters?”
“It's not your fault,” David said.
“But it is. If I hadn't taken those shots of her when she didn't want me to…If I hadn't shown them to Travis.”
“You trusted him.”
“I'm a great judge of character, huh?” Suddenly, Emily disintegrated into tears. People in the coffee shop stole glances her way, then averted their eyes.
David handed her a napkin. She wiped her nose and blew. She tried to stop, but emotion kept seeping out of her.
“You're tired,” David said. “You look exhausted.”
“I'm so worried about Lorelei. What if we never find her?”
“Look. I'll take over now. I'm obligated to contact the authorities if I think anyone is in danger. This definitely qualifies. I'll need that photo of her.”
“I thought you might.” She touched her phone.” I'm sending it to you now. Lord knows, everybody else in the world has seen it by now.”
A couple of scruffy teenagers came in. They raised a hand to David and he nodded recognition. His phone chimed. He checked it.
“Got it.” Then, “What about her parents? Any luck there?”
“Travis found them. At least he thinks it's them. Man, she is going to be so mad.” Emily hated the fevered press of tears flavored with frustration and guilt.
“Hey,” he said. He touched her hand, but she jerked away. The last thing she wanted was for David to think of her as another lost girl in need of his counseling services.
“I'm just concerned about her,” she said. “Is that so wrong?”
“It's not wrong. It's just not productive.” He sighed. “Look, don't underestimate her. She's smart. This will all work out.”
“What if her parents turn out to be total assholes?”
“We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Parents are always the first option, but you never know what situations these kids come from. They run away for a reason.”
“Way to make me feel better.”
“Emily, quit beating yourself up over this. You screwed up. So what? In the grand scheme of things that have happened to Lorelei in her short life, you're just a minor blip on her radar.”
“Wow. Again, thanks.”
“Look. At least now we know she's still in town. That's a start. I've got some friends in the Austin police force who'll be on the lookout for her.”
“Will they put out an APB like on cop shows?”
“Something like that.”
“Between you, me, Leo, those bum hunter guys, the cops and her parents, there's no way she can escape.”
“Don't be so sure. These kids can be resourceful. They always surprise you.” David hit a button on his phone. “Hello. Sgt. Jackson, please.”
She was impressed. David had the police on speed dial.
Lorelei
LEO WOULD know where to look. Of this she was sure. He had found her in L.A. and he would find her in Austin. He'd hang around the shelters. He'd learn where all the soup k
itchens were and which churches were open to street culture. He'd ask people about her. He'd hand out money to anybody who would give him information.
So even if she had felt safe from the bum hunters at the drop-in, she couldn't go anywhere near there now.
She had no choice. She had to get out of Austin. She needed transportation, but she wasn't likely to find a ride this late. Everybody was already bedded down. She needed some place safe to sleep, a location Leo wouldn't consider. It only took her a moment to decide.
She headed out of Emily's neighborhood toward Group Therapy. She could wait outside until the bar closed and then slip over the back fence again. She walked slowly. There was no need to rush since Group didn't close down until two. She had some granola bars, so she wouldn't have to dumpster dive. The thought of what she had eaten her last time there made her nauseated.
At the mouth of the alley, she assessed her situation. She could go hang out across the street as she had done before and watch for Angel and Tino to leave, or she could wait in the alley and hope they would come out and offer her another warm sandwich and glass of juice. She could scale the fence later.
The alley was sour with garbage stench. She moved past the reek into the depths of darkness. When she was sure she was out of site from the street, she crouched against a wall. She reached into her pack and took out the new knit cap and a thick pair of gloves. She took off her boots and pulled on clean wool socks. She put her boots back on. Using her backpack as a seat to buffer the cold ground, she leaned against the wall and waited.
A few people stumbled by the alley's entrance. They stopped and laughed, then moved on, happy silhouettes against the bright streetlights, their breath fogging the night around them.
She closed her eyes. Her adrenaline rush had faded, and now she felt drained, sad, exhausted and lonely. If only she could sleep, maybe she would feel better. She pulled her jacket around her, thankful for the newfound warmth.
As she began to doze, she told herself it would only be a few hours until she could climb the fence and make a fire. Then she could really sleep. And in the morning she would try the train yards. She could always find fellow travelers at train yards.
She heard the crunch of gravel under boot heels, but it didn't alarm her. She thought she was dreaming. She often dreamed of her father's footsteps, how he would pause outside their door to scrape snow from his boots, the solid thud as they thunked to the floor in the mudroom. As she floated in the twilight of her dreams, he spoke her name.
“Lorelei.”
Panic shot through her like a flame, and she was on her feet.
“I told you I'd find you.”
“Leo.” His name was bitter on her tongue.
“Baby. Why'd you run away from me?”
“How…how'd you find me?”
“It doesn't matter.” He stepped toward her, but she cowered into a corner. “All that matters is that I've come to take you home.”
“Leave me alone, you obsessive freak.”
“Now baby. Is that any way to talk to your old man?”
“You are not my old man. Get away from me.” She lunged for her pack, but he was on her and had her in his arms. She fought him, kicked and clawed, but he held her tight.
“Go on. Get it out.” His breath was sickening in her ear. “I'm here. I understand.”
“Get off!” she screamed. “Get off me!”
“I love you, Lorelei. You're my girl.”
“No!”
“Don't you miss me?” He forced his tongue into her mouth and she screamed.
“Stop!” A deep masculine voice bounced down the alley.
Leo tensed. Lorelei stopped struggling. Angel stood in a shaft of light streaming from the open kitchen door.
“Let her go,” Angel growled. “She's just a kid.”
“This is no business of yours, hombre,” Leo said.
“I make it my business.” He untied the apron at his waist and tossed it to the side.
“I've got no fight with you,” Leo said. “We were just leaving.”
“You'll have to come through me.”
Leo let her go, turned and held his hands in the air. Lorelei snatched her backpack and moved toward Angel, but Leo grabbed her arm and jerked her back. He was strong, and her arm throbbed in his grip.
“Owww,” she whined. “Stop it.”
“I'm going to kick your ass,” Angel said as he advanced toward them. He pushed up the sleeves of his shirt and bent forward into a fighting stance.
“You don't know who you're messing with, man. Back off,” Leo said. He reached into a pocket with his free hand. The blade of a knife appeared with a snap. Leo didn't hesitate, but began to slowly circle around Angel, dragging Lorelei with him toward the exit.
Angel drew his fist up and swung. Leo jumped back.
Lorelei laughed and he jerked her arm. “Shut up.”
“He won't use it,” Lorelei taunted. “Go on. Punch him, Angel.”
“Let her go,” Angel said.
“Fuck off.”
“Last chance, amigo.”
Leo shoved her behind him and she fell back into the alley. The men were suddenly shoving and swinging, arms and legs flying. There was the smack of flesh when a hit landed. They grunted and cursed. They fell, kicking each other, grabbing for a hold. Leo's bulk was not an advantage in a brawl. He was bigger and stronger, but Angel was swift and knew how to fight.
Lorelei scrambled to her feet. She dodged the fray and took off for the mouth of the alley.
The men slammed into the dumpster with a hollow, resounding thud. She looked over her shoulder in time to see Angel jump to his feet. Leo stayed down. He wiped blood from his nose. They were frozen, panting, hurt. Each man's eyes darted her direction and then back to his foe.
“Run, chica, run!” Angel yelled. “Get away!”
Leo made a move toward her, but Angel swept a quick leg beneath him, and Leo went down again. They tumbled against the dumpster, and the fight raged. Leo banged Angel's head against the gray metal, and blood appeared over an eye.
Lorelei fled down South Congress toward the river. Angel had saved her, but for how long? He couldn't keep Leo occupied forever. She had to find an escape. The train station was her only option. She needed to find the train station.
Run, chica, run, she repeated to herself. Get away.
Emily
DAVID HAD warned her that the parents might not come. He said that often parents decided at the last minute that they just couldn't do it. But Lorelei's parents had been on a plane mere hours after David contacted them.
Emily and David waited at a four-top in the Driskill's opulent dark wooden bar. It was neutral ground, a popular location to meet in Austin. It was still early. Emily felt as if she hadn't slept in days and was grateful for the coffee their waitress brought.
She was admiring the bronze sculpture of cowboys and horses galloping through the bar when the Kimballs appeared, hesitant and out of place. Maggie Kimball's frumpy pastel sweater and pleated slacks channeled the 1980s. Her soft brown hair was held back in a pale blue bow more common to toddlers. Elias Kimball wore khakis and a frayed-collared sport shirt stretched over his paunch. He had a military-style haircut. “We should have met at a pancake house,” Emily whispered before the couple approached them.
They shook hands, and introductions were made.
“Please, have a seat,” David said.
Mrs. Kimball looked uncomfortable at the prospect of sitting on the hairy black-and-white cowhide chairs. The waitress returned, and Elias ordered water. Maggie said, “Nothing for me.” Emily wondered if the woman had ever been in a bar.
“So,” David said. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Kimball.”
“Call me Elias,” he said. “And my wife's Maggie. Where's Rose?”
“We're not sure,” David said. “She's disappeared again.”
“If you don't know where she is then why are we here?” Elias asked.
“We lost her since
we spoke.”
Emily wondered if David had misrepresented their knowledge of Lorelei's whereabouts on purpose. They had looked for her everywhere, but she had eluded them.
“This isn't just another run around is it? I don't have any more time for rigmarole and dead ends,” the father said.
David reassured him. “We'll find her. I had friends in the Austin police force put a BOLO out on her.”
“BOLO?”
“Sorry. It's short for ‘be on the lookout.’ If she's in town, they'll find her.”
The older man said, “Let's just make sure we are talking about the right girl here before we go on.”
Emily had printed out a clean copy of Lorelei's cover photo. David handed it to the mother. Maggie grabbed at her neck as if clutching imaginary pearls, and tears gushed out of her.
“Mercy,” she wept. Elias put an arm around his wife.
Emily felt her own push of hot tears. She wished desperately to be less sensitive to other people's feelings, to have a more stoic side. David took her hand and squeezed softly. She managed to choke back her sympathy.
“The police told us they thought it was her, but we can't believe it. Could it be wrong? That police face identification thing?”
“It's possible I guess, but I doubt it.”
He shook his head. “Put that away. Maggie doesn't want to ever see that again. That permanent, what she did to her face?”
“It can be removed with a laser,” David said.
“What would that cost?
“I wouldn't know, sir.”
“I don't know,” he said. “I don't know. This thing she's done to herself. What else? There's no telling what else she's done.”
Maggie took a tissue from her drab department store bag.
“Right now, we have to think about what we can do to help Rose,” David said.
“We already done just about everything a parent could possibly do,” he said, defeat underlying his words.
“Ask yourself why she would run away, get these tattoos,” David said. “People do things for a reason. Something has to have pushed her to make these decisions.”
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