The Deep End

by Debra Purdy Kong

  Before Lou followed Marie out the door, he glanced over his shoulder at Casey and shrugged.

  By the time he returned, Casey was placing the chicken in the oven. “That took a while,” she said. “Was Marie making a last desperate plea for the cause?”

  “No. I saw Summer puttering around her kitchen and stopped to see how she was doing. I’ve hardly seen her the last few days.”

  “Neither have I. She wasn’t in the kitchen when I came home.”

  Summer hadn’t talked about their excursion Sunday night either. The homeless kids had laughed when they saw Casey’s bloodied face, said she deserved it. That’s when Summer told them to shut their mouths. A shouting match erupted, and Lou pulled Summer away before things got out of hand. Casey figured Summer needed time to process the teens’ callousness and disrespect, never mind their living conditions.

  “Is she okay?” Casey asked.

  “She said she was fine, but she sounded annoyed. Probably still ticked about being grounded. Devon hasn’t been around since Saturday, which has to be a record.”

  “I’d better go talk to her.” She headed downstairs and found Summer poking something in a pot on the stove. Cheyenne was asleep in her bed. “What are you cooking?”

  “Perogies.” She didn’t look up. “They should have risen to the top by now.”

  Casey peered into the barely boiling pot. “Did you boil the water before you put them in?”

  “Oh.” Summer plunked the fork on the counter and began emptying the dishwasher.

  “How did things go at school today?”

  “I did better on the math quiz.”

  “Excellent.” She paused. “Everything else okay?”

  Summer tossed cutlery into the drawer. “Is it ever?”

  Meaning what? “Has Devon been bugging you to let him come over?”

  “Yeah. I told him no.”

  Casey waited, but Summer didn’t add anything. “If you want to talk, I’ll be home all evening.” She started out of the room.

  “Casey?”

  She turned around. “Yeah?”

  Summer looked like she wanted to say something but then changed her mind. “Nothing.” She put some plates away. “I might come up later.”

  Good. Maybe she was coming around. “Any time.” Casey walked down the hall but only got as far as the staircase before her cell phone rang.

  “Hey, girl. I’m on a break at juvie,” Kendal said. “You won’t believe what I learned.”

  Yesterday, Casey told Kendal that not everyone was upset about Mac’s death, and asked her to keep her ears open for dirt. Had she learned something new?

  “Is it about staff?”

  “You bet. Residents said that Oksana and Mac were having problems, though no one seemed to know why, except that she’s a lousy cook and a nasty human being.”

  “She must be one of the staff Mac planned to let go.”

  “Yep, and there’d also been friction between Amir and Mac. Word is that Amir didn’t think Mac was running this place properly. Now, he and Winson are conspiring to keep Mia from getting the director’s job permanently because they don’t think she’s competent either.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “The girl with the dreadlocks, Roxanne.”

  “Given Amir’s attitude about women in Fraserview, she’s probably right.”

  “I also met that youth supervisor, Ruby, you mentioned, and she said that Mia’s in the middle of a custody battle.”

  “You’re kidding. I didn’t know she had kids.”

  “Yeah, she has two. Six and eight years old. Apparently, Mia had some long-term virus that caused chronic fatigue to the point where she could barely function.”

  Kendal had a talent for getting information out of people, but for Ruby to discuss another employee’s personal life was out of line. On the other hand, Ruby had obviously found a kindred soul in Kendal, who was a true lover of gossip.

  “Did Ruby say why Mia’s having trouble getting the kids back?” Casey asked.

  “It’s all the hours she works. Seems that Mia’s an ambitious workaholic.”

  Was Ruby’s word completely reliable, though? “I have news, too. Your shoplifters showed up today.” After describing the boys’ behavior, Casey added, “Who besides the managers and loss prevention team know about me?”

  “No one.”

  As far as Kendal knew. “Is it possible that an employee overheard something and tipped them off?”

  “We’ve been careful, Casey. Maybe the boys recognized you or didn’t like the way you were looking at them.”

  “I made a point of not looking at the boys.” She’d worked in security for seven years and knew what she was doing, damn it. “I’m sorry, Kendal, but haven’t you wondered how the kids have been so successful?”

  “Of course. Don’t you think I already checked staff out?”

  “Sorry. I’m sure you did. I just need to make sure we’ve covered all our bases.”

  “I’ll check again.” A moment later, she hung up.

  Kendal’s abrupt, irritated tone was understandable. A loss prevention officer with five years of experience would resent the implication that she’d slipped up. At least Kendal had never been one to hold grudges. Still, the shoplifters’ success had to be a sore spot for her. Even in high school, Kendal had taken a great deal of pride in her accomplishments. Who else but an insider could be making her look incompetent?

  FOURTEEN

  CASEY STEPPED INTO THE GIRLS’ unit, noting familiar faces and a new resident. She hadn’t looked forward to volunteering tonight, but she was hoping to confirm Kendal’s info and see what else could be learned. The trick would be finding people willing to talk.

  Mercedes emerged from the back hallway. “How’d you get that cut on your head?”

  “I bumped into something a few days ago.” Maybe getting rid of the bandage had been a mistake.

  “Looks gross. Wanna play Scrabble till my uncle shows up?”

  “Why do you always get time with volunteers?” Roxanne said, approaching. “I play better than you, so I should get a turn.”

  “Maybe she likes me better, macha.”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  “It doesn’t mean anything bad.” Mercedes rolled her eyes. “Go play your stupid game. I’ll be busy soon anyway.”

  “I should see if the supervisor has anything planned for me first,” Casey said. “Who’s on duty?”

  “Amir,” Mercedes replied.

  “Really? I thought he was in charge of Unit Three.”

  “Not tonight.” Roxanne smirked. “Mia likes to play games too.”

  Bloody wonderful. Casey turned and saw Amir in the youth supervisor’s office, his brow furrowed as he talked on the phone. As she drew nearer, she heard him say, “What’s the big deal? The kid will be put in the Special Unit, so get Winson to process him. I’m too busy with this harem from hell.”

  Was Amir talking about Justin’s return? Amy had called this morning to tell her that he and Tanya had been picked up, and that Justin could be sent back to Fraserview. Amy had asked Casey to see if he was all right. Still feeling bad about the rift between them, Casey agreed to try and check in on him. She’d confessed her attempt to bring Justin in Sunday night. Amy had thanked her for trying, but didn’t ask for details. Maybe she wished Casey hadn’t bothered.

  Amir plunked the phone down.

  “Roxanne wants to play Scrabble,” Casey said from the doorway. “Is that okay?”

  “Fine, but when Mercedes’s visitor arrives, I want you to escort her to the visiting area. Make sure she doesn’t take any detours.” His dark eyes didn’t blink. “Think you can manage that?”

  “No problem.” Asshole.

  Roxanne had already set up the board. As she offered Casey the bag of tiles, Casey glimpsed the scars on her hand. Some were small round burns that looked like they could have been made with a cigarette. Others were cuts. One stretched across the back of her h
and from thumb to pinky. While Roxanne chose her tiles, Mercedes browsed through the bookshelves near their table. Roxanne glared at her for a few moments before focusing on the tiles.

  Casey made a point of keeping her voice low. “How are things with you?”

  She shrugged. “I’m out of this shithole soon.”

  “Great.”

  Roxanne studied her tiles. “If you say so.” She looked up. “You know Justin, right?”

  Uh-oh. “Not really. I work with a relative of his and met him a couple of times when he was little. Why do you ask?”

  Mercedes took a step toward the table.

  Leaning forward, Roxanne whispered, “Tanya doesn’t like you.”

  Casey’s forehead twinged. “I know.” The feeling was mutual. She moved her tiles around. “Did you know she was going to take off?”

  Roxanne chewed her lower lip as she studied her letters. “No, and I’m pissed that she left me alone.” She placed a word on the board. Grinder.

  “Any idea how she slipped past staff?” Casey worked on her tiles.

  “No.” The answer came a little too quickly.

  “Makes Mia look kind of bad, doesn’t it?”

  “Mia wasn’t in the unit when Tanya left.” She removed tiles from the bag. “She was supposedly trying to save Mac’s life.”

  “Supposedly?”

  Roxanne glared at Mercedes. “Why don’t you stop making such a lame attempt to listen in?”

  Mercedes spun around. “Like you have anything worth saying.”

  “We both know I do.”

  Interesting. Maybe this girl did know some things. Casey watched Mercedes stomp to a nearby table, then sit with her back to them.

  Roxanne looked at Casey with smug satisfaction, and then her expression grew serious as she mumbled, “Mia’s a two-headed snake you don’t want to mess with.”

  Mac’s words about rules and boundaries hovered in back of Casey’s mind. She didn’t want to get either of them in trouble, but the more she learned about Fraserview, the more she saw that residents weren’t the only ones breaking rules and boundaries.

  Casey placed the word tour on the board. “Why wouldn’t I want to mess with Mia?”

  “You shouldn’t have used your u,” Roxanne said. “If you get a q you’re screwed.”

  “I’ll take my chances.” Casey fumbled in the bag for new tiles. “Do people think she might have caused Mac’s death?”

  Roxanne looked up from her tiles, her eyes sharp and wary. She then turned to look at Mercedes, who was still at the table, thumbing through a magazine. “Some do.”

  “Do you?”

  She shrugged. “Dunno.”

  “I’ve heard that certain staff think Tanya and Justin had something to do with Mac’s death.”

  “Yeah, right.” Roxanne snorted. “People need to make others look bad so nobody looks too closely at them.” Anger flashed across her face. “It’s all about control and greed. Same old fucking story.”

  Roxanne grabbed the bag and seemed to be looking for specific letters. What the hell was she up to? As her search quickened, Casey worried that the girl was about to snap. Roxanne smacked tiles onto the board, separate from the other words. She stared at Casey and then nodded in Mercedes’s direction. Casey read Mias snitch. It took a couple of seconds for her to realize that Mias needed an apostrophe. Was this why Mercedes stayed close by, or did Roxanne like badmouthing her enemies?

  “I see,” Casey murmured.

  Roxanne swept the two words away as she murmured, “Outsiders need to know that Mac’s death was no accident, but none of the kids did it.”

  Mercedes had offered a motive, and now Roxanne was confirming staff involvement. But hadn’t the girl just said that people needed to make others look bad to divert suspicion? Juvie teens would be experts at this.

  Amir’s voice shattered the quiet. “Mercedes, your visitor’s here. The volunteer will take you down.” He directed a better-do-this-right look at Casey.

  “Be back shortly,” she said to Roxanne.

  Once Casey and Mercedes were in the corridor, Mercedes said, “Don’t believe anything Roxanne tells you. She’s, like, the biggest liar here, and crazy. Attacks people for no reason.”

  And Mercedes was just a sweet, innocent angel. “Got it.” Should she mention that Roxanne also believed Mac’s death was no accident? Would it help or make things worse between them?

  Mia was talking to Phyllis outside the first aid room. “There’s still mud on the floor, and you dropped a banana peel while emptying the garbage. Get it right, Phyllis.” She marched away.

  Phyllis gave Casey a faint smile. “Frosty night, inside and out.” She swished a mop in a bucket of dirty water.

  Mercedes kept walking, but Casey hung back. “Bad night, huh?”

  “For some more than others. Mind you, coming here’s always a gamble.”

  “I suppose it is.”

  Cristano Cruz stepped out from the visitors’ area. As Mercedes joined her uncle, Cruz gave Casey a brief nod. Returning the gesture, she watched the pair disappear inside.

  “That’s the bloke who helped you with Mac, isn’t it?” Phyllis said.

  “Yes. Mercedes’s uncle, Cristano Cruz.”

  Phyllis’s sweater fell from the cart’s handle. As she bent down to pick it up, she said, “Wonder when the police will arrest him.”

  Casey was taken aback. “Why would they?”

  “Well, it’s common knowledge, isn’t it? Mac died from too much medication, and Cruz hated him.”

  Geez, did everyone in Fraserview know about the meds? “What did Mac do to earn his hatred?”

  “The uncle was here too much and upset the girl, so Mac restricted his visiting time. They had words about it.” Phyllis shook her head. “Bloody foreigners.”

  “How could Cruz have messed with Mac’s medication without someone seeing?”

  Phyllis shrugged. “Visitors’ room is opposite Mac’s office. Mac didn’t stay there much, but he always left his jacket behind. Granted, it was a gamble.” She peered at Casey through her blue-framed glasses. “Lots of people take gambles. You meet all sorts on a Saturday night at the casinos.”

  Why was Phyllis bringing this up? “Like who?”

  She winked and held her finger to her lips. “It’s a secret, dearie.” She picked up her mop and went back to work.

  Why would Phyllis point the finger at Cruz for killing Mac? What an odd woman. Casey was debating whether to pursue this when two enormous sheriffs stepped into the building with a handcuffed Justin between them. It was hard to believe that exactly one week had passed since he and Tanya escaped. In the five nights since she had last seen him, it looked like Justin hadn’t had an easy time of it. Dried mud caked his jeans and ski jacket. His blond hair was matted and greasy. He had dark circles under his eyes and his lower lip was swollen. Casey could almost feel his despair. Despite the fact that he’d brought a lot of this on himself, she still felt sorry for the kid.

  The sheriffs stopped at reception, then headed for Mia’s office. One of them went inside while the other stayed with Justin. Casey fought the urge to run up to him and ask if he was okay. The boy met her gaze. She saw the fear and the shame, then the struggle not to fall apart as he looked down at the floor in defeat.

  FIFTEEN

  AS SOON AS CASEY ENTERED Mainland Public Transport’s security department, she felt the tension in the room. Where was the usual Monday morning chitchat? Why was everyone already working? At least Amy was behaving normally, but she rarely gossiped anyway. Her fingers danced over the keyboard as her gaze shifted from the computer screen to Stan’s notes.

  “Good morning,” Amy said, still typing. “Justin wants to see me, thank heaven. I’m going to Fraserview tonight.”

  “That’s great, Amy.” Casey still wasn’t sure if calling Amy after Justin’s readmission had been a good move; however, she’d seemed grateful for the news and relieved that Justin was separated from Tanya. Casey didn
’t provide details about the boy’s physical condition. Amy would learn more when she visited.

  “Thanks for all you’ve tried to do for my grandson,” Amy said. “Now that he’s willing to see me, I’m quite sure his lawyer and I can help him.”

  Tried to do was accurate, yet it still bothered her. “He’s lucky to have you both.” The boy would need all the help he could get.

  Amy checked her watch. “Stan should be ready for you.”

  Casey wasn’t sure if she was ready for him. She’d told Stan that Kendal was checking out GenMart’s staff, and Stan confirmed that he’d called the manager, but rather than elaborate, Stan had asked to see her. She figured he had news or a new strategy that involved Marie, both of which created more anxiety than she wanted to admit. Speaking of anxiety, Casey observed the accounting and human resources staff at the far end of the room.

  “Why does everyone look so serious?” she murmured to Amy.

  Amy scribbled on a notepad, which she handed to Casey.

  Gwyn knows about union bid. Trouble coming!

  Oh, crap. Had Lou signed Marie’s documents? Casey handed the pad back to Amy, who ripped the note into little pieces. Casey had been waiting for Lou to tell her whether he’d officially endorsed the certification process. Time to find out. Although Labour Relations Board rules prevented employers from firing employees who wanted to unionize, Gwyn could use ongoing cutbacks as a handy excuse. Lou, who’d never been reprimanded, had a far better track record than Marie and Ingrid and was on his way to a supervisory role. Whether he still would be after this week was another matter.

  Stan stepped out of his office. “You’re here,” he said to Casey. “Come in.”

  He took a few moments to survey the staff in the room, something Stan normally didn’t do. Casey followed him inside and sat at her usual spot in front of his desk.