The Deep End

by Debra Purdy Kong

  Lou had stayed out of the conversation. In fact, he hadn’t said much since they left the house. Didn’t need to. She’d felt his trepidation from the moment she arrived home. Still, all things considered, this wasn’t a bad trek. She’d googled a shorter way to the bridge—picking up the Westwood trail at the end of Davies Avenue, south from where she and Amy had been. The only glitch in the plan was that the homeless kids could be hanging out on the other side of the river. Though if that were the case, it would be simpler to cross the bridge on foot. She hoped they wouldn’t have to do so. The row houses on their left lit the path they were following. To their right, the river, although not particularly high, rushed by with menacing speed.

  “Just so you know, I wouldn’t have had Devon over while you guys were out,” Summer said. “It’s not like I have to see him every night.”

  Casey glanced at Summer. Yesterday, when Devon stormed out of her bedroom, it was as if she could barely cope with his departure. Why the sudden change in attitude? Or was she playing games? Whatever the reason, Casey didn’t want to discuss the boy right now.

  “I haven’t seen your girlfriends in a while, though I guess you all hang out at school.” She waited for a response, but none came. “Have you been socializing with other friends, besides Devon?”

  “They don’t like Devon, and he doesn’t like them.”

  “Oh.” Summer’s friendships had come and gone a fair bit since Rhonda’s imprisonment. To Casey’s relief, she had started socializing with a decent group of girls—that is, until Devon appeared on the scene. “Doesn’t he have any guy friends to hang with?”

  “He says I’m all he needs.”

  Alarm bells clanged in Casey’s head. She glanced over her shoulder at Lou but couldn’t decipher his expression in the shadows.

  The increasing traffic noise on Lougheed meant they were almost at the bridge. How many people would they find there? How old, how paranoid, and how violent? Casey was starting to second-guess the wisdom of this teachable moment. “Summer, maybe you should stay back a bit.”

  “I’m not waiting out here in the rain.”

  “Whoever’s under the bridge could be hostile. There might be adults as well as teens.”

  “So? Won’t they need food too?” She charged past Casey.

  “Come back here!” Casey called out. Why wouldn’t that girl listen?

  “I’ll get her.” Lou started to jog but slipped on wet leaves. “Shit!” His arms pinwheeled, causing his flashlight to shine on trees, sky, and ground. His right foot slipped out from under him and down he went, landing on his butt. As Casey helped Lou to his feet, Summer disappeared.

  “Crap,” Casey muttered, hurrying after her.

  At the bridge, the path veered to the right and sloped down. Casey followed it until she was under the bridge and realized that the east and westbound lanes were two separate structures. She found Summer staring up at a fairly wide cement ledge beneath the eastbound lanes. Two people in sleeping bags were stretched out on the ledge, end to end. Their faces were turned away and neither moved. Large boulders covered the slope between the ledge and the path.

  Casey moved past Summer and found herself standing back in the rain. She glanced up at the gap between lanes. Spots of light on the other side of a cluster of bushes caught her attention.

  “Stay behind me,” she said to Summer and Lou, who’d caught up.

  The moment Casey stepped past the bushes the lights vanished. Using her own flashlight, she zeroed in on four people to her left. They were sitting upright but immersed in sleeping bags so that only their heads were showing. There was no ledge here, or boulders, and the slope wasn’t sharp. The dirt-covered ground offered plenty of room for others. Clothes spilled out of backpacks near the group and garbage littered the ground. Flashlights suddenly blinded her.

  “We’re not cops and we’re not here to hurt you,” Casey said, shielding her eyes.

  It took a few seconds, but gradually the lights were lowered. Three of the people wore tuques, but she couldn’t distinguish facial features. The shortest person, who was closer to Casey, sported a wool cap with earflaps. A scarf covered much of this person’s face, making it impossible to determine age or gender, but she was guessing this was a female. The noise from the westbound vehicles directly above them filled the air for long seconds.

  Once the traffic had passed, a male voice bellowed, “What the fuck do you want?”

  Casey spotted a knife in the beam of his flashlight. She placed her hand in front of Summer and held her breath, praying he didn’t throw it at them.

  “Are you deaf?” he yelled. “I asked you a question.”

  Lou stepped in front of Summer and grabbed Casey’s hand with his. She gave it a quick squeeze and held on.

  “I’m looking for two teenagers,” Casey said. “A boy and a girl who were in this area last night.”

  The person closest to them pulled down the scarf and said, “Why?” Definitely a female, but not Tanya.

  “I’m a friend of a relative who’s really worried about them.”

  The traffic noise again thundered overhead. The woman turned to her companions.

  When it was quiet again, the woman said, “Got any smokes?”

  “No. Sorry.”

  Summer removed a pack from her pocket. Oh, hell. Hadn’t they gone through this nonsense a few months ago? Summer had promised she wouldn’t try cigarettes again.

  “They’re Devon’s,” Summer said, as if reading Casey’s thoughts. “He’s not allowed to smoke at home, and his mom checks his stuff.”

  This could be true. Devon reeked of smoke so much it would be amazing if his mother hadn’t noticed. Casey was about to reach for the pack when Summer scrambled up the slope and handed four cigarettes to the girl. Casey stayed close behind her, ready to pull Summer back if necessary. While the kids lit their smokes, Casey got a closer look at the group. Teenagers, who looked to be between fifteen and seventeen years old.

  Summer headed back down the slope. Casey saw the revulsion on her face and wondered what had put her off most. The stink of garbage, filthy bedding, and unwashed bodies, or the grime on their faces?

  “Did any of you see the couple in the past twenty-four hours?” Casey asked.

  The kids looked at one another, and then the girl said, “We don’t give out information for free.”

  They might not have any info at all, and what was to stop them from making things up? Traffic again rumbled above their heads. Still, it was worth a try. Casey took a ten-dollar bill from her pocket and held it high. “This is all we have.”

  One of the guys snorted. “I get more from panhandling.”

  Moron. “Look, it’s quick, easy money, and I brought food.”

  The guy with the knife said, “Any beer?”

  “No.”

  “Take it or leave it,” Lou said. “We haven’t got all night.”

  The blade glinted. “What’s to stop us from just takin’ it and kicking your ass out of here?”

  “A 911 call to the cops,” Lou replied, raising his cell phone.

  Casey wished he’d keep quiet.

  “Give us the pack,” the girl said, “and I’ll tell you what I heard.”

  “I need to verify that we’re talking about the right people first,” Casey replied.

  The kids consulted with one another, and then the girl took a drag on her cigarette. “I heard them fighting yesterday afternoon. The guy wanted to turn himself in, and the chick said if he did, she’d tell the cops he pushed Brady down the stairs . . . whoever that is.”

  Good. Not a wasted trip. Casey edged closer as she removed burgers, pop, and bags of chips from her backpack. She handed the food to the girl, who passed most of it to her friends. “What else did they say?”

  “The guy said the cops think he did it anyway. That’s when the chick said she’d make up stuff about him dealing drugs. The guy got pissed off, and then the chick went all emo and said, . . . because you’ll leave me a
nd I love you. You can’t leave! It was hilarious.”

  “They actually said all this in front of you?” Lou asked.

  “They didn’t know I was peeing behind the bushes nearby. The chick freaked out when I stood up. It was awesome.” She laughed.

  “What else did you hear?” Casey asked.

  The girl took another drag on the cigarette. “The chick said they should go to Alberta because she has family there.”

  Oh, no. “When did you last see them?”

  “About an hour before the cops came looking for them last night.”

  If the girl was telling the truth, it meant that they’d spent the night hiding elsewhere. “Have you seen them today?”

  The girl turned and was mumbling to her companions when voices on the trail ahead caught Casey’s attention. It sounded like a heated discussion. As two people appeared, Casey recognized the blue ski jacket Amy had given Justin. They spotted Casey and stopped. She shone her flashlight on Justin’s startled face. Tanya’s surprise turned to a scowl.

  “Justin?” Casey called out. “It’s me, Casey, Amy’s friend. I need to talk to you.”

  Tanya grabbed Justin’s arm and tried to haul him back up the trail. He jerked his arm free.

  “Come on!” Tanya shouted. “She’ll turn us in!”

  “Justin, please.” Casey stepped forward.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “To help you before things get worse.”

  “I told you. She’ll turn us in!” Tanya grabbed his arm again.

  “You can’t help,” he said. “You don’t know.”

  “Don’t know what?”

  Tanya started to pull Justin up the curving trail. This time he didn’t resist.

  “Wait!” Casey shouted, but both of them had taken off running. “Lou, stay with Summer!”

  “Casey, don’t!” he replied.

  She had to. This was her best shot at bringing Justin in. Casey cleared the bridge and followed the curving path. When it straightened out she spotted Justin’s jacket ahead. “Justin, please! Let’s talk!”

  The trail was slippery in spots with mud and wet, decaying leaves. Casey swung her flashlight from the ground to the kids, then back to the ground to keep from slipping. She jumped over a puddle. When she looked up again, the kids had disappeared.

  Casey squinted into the darkness, searching for signs of movement, a glimmer of blue. She ran faster, swiping at the raindrops in her eyes. There were plenty of places to hide along the trail. Casey’s breathing grew ragged and her blood pounded so hard she could scarcely hear anything. She thought she saw a flash of blue ahead, just off the path. She kept going until Tanya leapt out from behind a bush. Something sharp and hard struck Casey’s forehead.

  “Shit!” She clamped her hand over the source of the pain and felt the blood pour out.

  THIRTEEN

  AS THE M5 BUS PULLED away from the stop, Casey shifted uneasily in her seat. What was up with the shoplifters? They’d boarded together, but all three boys now sat separately. Blondie chose the front, the freckled kid went straight to the back, and Stocky grabbed a seat in the middle. Stocky, sitting nearest to Casey, tossed the occasional glance her way. Surely one small bandage on her forehead didn’t warrant this much attention. Unnoticeable as she hoped the cut was, she had to admit that after three days it still hurt when she absently touched it. More stinging, though, was her failure to bring Justin and Tanya in.

  Watching Stocky, Casey wondered if he recognized her from when she’d followed him to the donair shop on Saturday. The boys couldn’t know her reason for being on the bus, could they? This was only her second ride. She’d never been in GenMart while the suspects were there. But following them off the bus today would be impossible.

  Casey looked out the window, her senses on full alert, until Stocky eventually pulled the bell cord and headed for the exit. The kid was getting off the bus two stops earlier than he had last time. Stocky sneered at Casey, as if blaming her for his early exit. Was this a test? Were the boys waiting to see if she’d follow?

  As Stocky exited, Casey made a point of not looking at him. The bus continued on. Her attention turned to Blondie, who was watching her. He quickly looked away, then departed at the next stop. Freckles exited the one after that. She wasn’t surprised to see him also steal a furtive glance in her direction. How had these junior criminals learned about her so quickly? Casey checked her watch. Stan would still be in the office. She hit speed dial and soon found herself grimacing at her supervisor’s snarky tone.

  “What do you mean they made you?” Stan asked. “How the hell could that have happened?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe when I walked past the donair shop the kid got a better look at me than I thought.”

  “But why would that arouse suspicion? You only rode with them once, and that was four days ago. What you just described sounds like a pre-arranged plan to test your responses. The kids are either paranoid or they know something.”

  “That’s what worries me.” Casey’s thoughts swirled. “I wonder if there’s a leak inside the store.”

  “Could be, I suppose. But that’s a slippery slope, Casey.”

  “I know, yet it’s the only logical reason I can think of. It also explains why the kids have been so successful.” She hesitated. “Should I talk to Kendal about a leak, or would you rather approach the manager?”

  “Let’s do both. I need to talk to him and the police about it. If they want us to continue surveillance, Marie will have to take over.”

  Damn. She hated being pulled from an assignment. “I thought she lived too far away from the store.”

  “We now know where the suspects exit, and it’s not far from Marie’s home. She won’t have to go as far as GenMart to hook up with the bus.”

  “If I stay on as a decoy, they won’t be watching Marie.” Paying two security team members for the same assignment would be a hard sell, though.

  “You just don’t give up, do ya?”

  “It’s one of the reasons you made me second-in-command, as I recall.”

  “True. So, let’s get to the bottom of this.”

  CASEY WASN’T SURE IF COINCIDENCE played a role in fate, but when she entered her apartment and saw Marie Crenshaw cozying up to Lou on the sofa, her head damn near imploded. The woman was as nervy as ever, and, by the looks of things, her feelings for Lou hadn’t faded.

  Marie sat up. “What happened to your forehead?”

  “Just a little mishap.” She hung her coat, trying hard to hide her irritation. “What brings you here?”

  “Union business with Lou.”

  That couldn’t be done by phone? Casey zeroed in on him, noting that his Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion T-shirt had grown tighter since he first started wearing it, thanks to diligent workouts. This fact wouldn’t be lost on Marie. Casey caught Lou’s concerned expression, but whether it was about her assignment or this awkward moment was hard to tell.

  When he saw the cut to her forehead after Sunday night’s chase, he became angry. Blood had been streaming down her face and she had to admit she’d looked hideous. Lou hadn’t said a word on the ride home, nor had he mentioned the incident since, which she’d more or less expected. Whenever Lou was upset about something he opted for silence. Although she respected his desire to deal with things on his own—she often felt that desire herself—she’d begun to wonder if it was the best approach for a couple now living together.

  “Everything okay?” Lou asked, sweeping the hair from his eyes.

  “Yeah, fine.” She wasn’t about to discuss this afternoon’s setback in front of her rival. “What’s the union business?”

  “We need one more signature for certification,” Marie replied. “Since Lou expressed interest a few weeks back, I came here to see if he’d sign. God knows I’m not getting enough hours to bump into him at work.”

  Clearly, Stan hadn’t yet called her about the M5 assignment. “I thought lots of staff wanted to unionize. W
hy do you need Lou’s signature?”

  “They bailed.” Marie tucked thick red hair behind her ears and turned to Lou. “If you would just sign in a couple of places, we’ll be done and I can deliver the papers to Ingrid.”

  Then the rumors were true: Ingrid was driving the union bid. Casey headed for the kitchen. It wasn’t a good idea for Lou to get involved, but saying so in front of Marie would create tension. She sure as hell wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

  Casey entered the kitchen and found, to her disappointment, that Lou once again hadn’t started supper. She unwrapped a pack of frozen chicken thighs and set the microwave to thaw.

  “I need time to read all this before I sign anything,” Lou said to Marie.

  “Ingrid wants this wrapped up today. She’ll give us grief if we don’t.”

  “She either waits or no deal.”

  Smiling, Casey rummaged through the fridge for a marinade. Lou didn’t like being pushed into decisions. The harder people pushed, the slower he moved.

  “You won’t back out, will you?” Marie said. “You’re one of the few people at Mainland whose word means something.”

  “I never said I was in, Marie. I only said I was interested to hear what you had to say.”

  “Just keep in mind that we’re doing this for all staff, especially those who can barely pay the rent and feed their kids. Two single parents are already using food banks.”

  “As I said, I’ll read everything over.”

  “Don’t take too long,” Marie said. “Walk me downstairs?”

  Casey’s jaw clenched. God, that woman was pathetic. Casey emerged from the kitchen as Marie was saying, “Unionization will happen, sooner or later, Lou. No doubt about it.”

  Casey was betting on later. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t welcome a higher wage and better benefits, but she believed Stan when he said that the company could go under if forced to suddenly pay significantly higher wages and benefits. Given that some of her father’s assets, discovered only a couple of years ago, were still in legal limbo and the house she grew up in—and had inherited—hadn’t yet sold, keeping any wage was essential. The last thing she wanted was for Mainland Public Transport to go under.