The Deep End

by Debra Purdy Kong

“Yeah. He canned her.”

  “What?” She stopped.

  “Apparently, Ingrid started spewing the Labour Relations code in his face, so Gwyn pulled out a file full of complaints about her and the failed disciplinary measures. Seems there was so much documentation that she backed down.”

  “No doubt. Did Gwyn ask to see you?”

  Lou nodded. “I got the same spiel about cutbacks. Then he said I should come to him first if I have concerns about the company.”

  “I’m just glad it’s over.” She started up the stairs again.

  “It’s not, though,” Lou replied. “Marie wants to go ahead with certification.”

  “Is she out of her friggin’ mind?”

  “Probably. So, tell me where you’re hurt, aside from the ear and hands.”

  “There are a couple of bruises.”

  “Uh-huh. You look like you can barely move.”

  “I’m fine, Lou, really. It’s not that bad.” She tried a quicker, more fluid motion and winced with the effort.

  “I still don’t get how those scumbags knew who you were,” he said.

  “Stan will find out.” He wouldn’t stop asking questions until he had answers.

  When they finally entered their apartment, Lou said, “I thought we’d order a pizza.”

  Casey was about to suggest inviting Summer to join them when she heard shouting and pounding footsteps on the stairs.

  Lou peeked out the still-open apartment door. “She’s on the phone,” he murmured to Casey.

  “Don’t lie to me!” Summer shouted.

  A door slammed shut, muffling Summer’s voice.

  “I hope Devon’s on the receiving end of that anger,” Lou remarked. “She really needs to dump him.”

  “I’ll talk to her after she’s calmed down. Meanwhile, I need a hot bath.” And Epsom salts. “Can you keep an eye on things? I don’t want Devon in the house, and I don’t want her sneaking out. I forgot to put the alarm on.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

  But she did worry. Summer rarely shouted like that without a good reason.

  BY THE TIME CASEY FINISHED in the tub, she could scarcely keep her eyes open. However, the pizza had arrived and she supposed she should eat.

  “Summer’s off the phone,” Lou said. “I invited her up here, but she said she’d come up later.”

  “Was she okay?”

  “Her eyes were red and she looked sad. Maybe it’s finally over between her and Devon.” Lou fetched two plates. “Oh, and Kendal called. She wants you to phone her. But have some food first.” He helped himself to two large slices loaded with pepperoni, mushrooms, and back bacon. “Guess what a week from Thursday is?”

  “An extra volunteer shift at Fraserview. I’m filling in for Kendal.” When the corners of his mouth turned down, she realized this wasn’t the answer he was looking for. “What?”

  “It’s Valentine’s Day.”

  “Oh, no. Kendal asked if I could cover her shift, so she could take her mom out for dinner, but she didn’t mention Valentine’s.”

  “Because she was afraid you’d turn her down,” he replied, frowning. “Think she could take her mom for lunch instead?”

  “It depends on their work schedules, but I could find out.” Casey paused. “You usually don’t make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day.”

  “Thought I’d make an effort this year and take you to a French restaurant.”

  An unusually romantic gesture. “Sounds lovely. Which one have you booked?”

  “We’ll wing it.”

  “Seriously?” Casey tried not to grin. “Valentine’s Day is just over a week away. All the best restaurants are probably already booked.”

  He sighed. “Guess I better come up with a plan B.” Lou munched his pizza, then added, “I want this to be the best Valentine’s ever, to celebrate us living together and our future.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Okay, this was going to require giving him a really cool gift. Casey took a couple of bites, then pushed her plate away. Pain and fatigue weren’t helping her appetite. “I should see if Summer wants to talk.”

  Lou wiped his hands on a napkin. “Can it wait? You need to relax, hon.”

  “I will after I see Summer and get some homework done.”

  Lou reached for her hand. “Casey, slow down. It’s always full tilt with you. Don’t you ever want to spend an evening at a pub, just relaxing?”

  “It’s not that easy right now.”

  “Yeah, well, did you ever stop to think that you’re making it tough on yourself? You’ve become so distracted with Fraserview and Amy’s problems that you’re missing what’s going on right here.”

  It had been two weeks since he chastised her for a lack of attention on the home front. She wasn’t ready for another argument. “I’m here as much as I can be, Lou.”

  “Physically maybe. But half the time you’re not here emotionally.” He paused. “How about a little more us time? A date night once in a while. We could go to the Cultch to see a play or hear some music. I bet you’ve never even been there, and it’s only a five-minute walk away.”

  She didn’t appreciate being put on the defensive. “I know where the cultural center is, Lou, and I can tell you the name of every shop from here to Hastings Street.”

  “Because you’ve driven past them a million times. But how often have you stopped for coffee at one of the cafés?”

  She sighed; he had her there. “Point taken.” Casey’s phone rang. “It’s Kendal.” She stood. “I need to talk to her about today.” She hurried out of the apartment, keeping her back to him so he wouldn’t see the pain she felt with every bloody step.

  “I’ve got news, girlfriend,” Kendal said.

  “Where are you?”

  “At juvie. I worked nine to three-thirty, grabbed some food, then came here. The kids are on a dinner break.”

  Her shift had ended fifteen minutes before the shoplifters entered the store.

  “Justin’s out of segregation,” Kendal continued.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s scared, Casey. The kid knows you and I are friends, so he confided that he and Tanya ran because they didn’t feel safe in here.”

  Casey stopped at the second floor. “Aside from the hostility of juvie life, is something specific worrying him?”

  “I asked, but all Justin would say is that it’s about Mercedes and his stepbrother, and then he made me promise not to tell anyone in here.”

  “Interesting. What’s the connection between Mercedes and Brady?”

  “He wouldn’t tell me that either. The kid kept looking around, afraid someone would overhear.”

  Would he tell Amy what it was? She’d have to wait and see. “Listen, we had an incident with the shoplifters today.” Casey highlighted the afternoon’s events, downplaying her injuries.

  “I’m so sorry,” Kendal said. “I’ve talked to the other LPOs, all of whom I trust, and none of us found evidence of any employee feeding these kids info. Most of the staff don’t even know you exist.”

  Then how the hell had the boys learned about her? “Thanks for checking. It’s all so weird, but now that the little bastards are in custody, Stan will get answers.”

  It was only after Casey had hung up the phone that she realized she’d forgotten to ask Kendal about switching on Valentine’s. Maybe Lou was right about her not paying enough attention to her personal life.

  Slowly and painfully, Casey continued downstairs. Man, she’d be lucky if she could get out of bed tomorrow. When she finally entered the kitchen, she found Summer stirring something on the stove. Cheyenne was too busy scarfing down dog food to give Casey more than a glance. “Hi, Summer. There’s plenty of pizza upstairs.”

  “I’m not that hungry.”

  “What are you making?”

  “Hot chocolate.”

  Her favorite comfort beverage. “We couldn’t help overhear you yelling on the phone earlier. Has something happened?�
��

  Summer shook her head. “I’ll tell you about it later. I need to think some stuff through.”

  Those thoughts likely centered on Devon. Whatever the butthead had done, Casey was grateful for the trouble he’d caused in their relationship.

  EIGHTEEN

  CASEY WAS HEADING TOWARD FRASERVIEW’S entrance when someone dressed in dark clothing emerged from the trees to her left. Inhaling sharply, she stopped. When Casey spotted the red tip of a lit cigarette, she relaxed. “Phyllis?”

  The cleaning woman moved closer and took a drag on the cigarette. She seemed to be the only employee who smoked far away from the building. Maybe she preferred solitude.

  “It’s good to see at least one friendly face here,” Casey remarked.

  “There aren’t many, are there, luv?” Phyllis joined her. “Best discover who your friends are on both sides of the door.”

  Riddles again? “I assume you mean at Fraserview?”

  Phyllis peered at Casey through those big square lenses. “Everywhere. Those you depend on most are the worst, mark my words.” She crushed the cigarette.

  “I don’t depend on anyone connected to Fraserview, except Kendal, and we usually don’t volunteer together.”

  “No matter. It’s all a gamble anyway, isn’t it?” She started up the steps. “You never know who will drop by to play.”

  Another reference to gambling. What was Phyllis trying to tell her? “Do you like to gamble, Phyllis?”

  “It’s relaxing, it is. Never know who’ll you meet.”

  Like someone from Fraserview, for instance? “Which casino do you go to?”

  Phyllis gave her a name, then pressed the intercom button beside the door.

  “Yes?” Rawan responded.

  “It’s Phyllis, and the volunteer.”

  The buzzer sounded and Casey opened the door. “Phyllis, have the police talked to you since Mac’s death that night?”

  She removed her wool hat and coat. “Why would they?”

  “I heard rumors about there being too much medication in Mac’s system, which might be true because the cops called yesterday and asked again how many pills I gave him.” The officer wouldn’t say much or even tell her if Mac’s death was truly accidental or not. But they wouldn’t have called if they weren’t taking a closer look at things.

  “Rumors are always flying.” Phyllis headed toward her cleaning cart, which was parked outside the hallway entrance to the conference room.

  Rawan, who was on her cell phone, flashed a tense smile as she took Casey’s things. Had the police contacted her lately? Casey was tempted to ask, but now was not the right moment. Rawan had turned her back to Casey and was speaking a language she didn’t recognize.

  After signing in and picking up a visitor’s badge, she headed for Mac’s—now Mia’s—office to learn where she’d be assigned. The lights were off. Casey studied the dim, empty corridor. The place felt even bleaker since Mac’s death, and more ominous. If it weren’t for the conversations coming from the visitors’ area, she’d swear the building had been abandoned. She didn’t really want to continue volunteering without Mac, but Mia had seemed desperate for help. Besides, she wanted to see how Justin was doing and learn a little more about the Special Unit for her term paper. If the youth supervisors gave her the info she needed, she wouldn’t have to return.

  Casey stood in the doorway to the visitors’ lounge, happy to see Amy with Justin, until she saw the sadness on his face and Amy’s pursed mouth. Amy spotted her and waved her over. Casey stepped inside, nodding to the correctional officer at the desk. He looked at her visitor’s badge, then returned the nod.

  “Hello, Casey,” Amy said. “Justin has something to say to you.”

  Justin’s face reddened as he looked up. His eyes widened with a mix of surprise and chagrin as he gaped at her wounds. “Sorry you got hurt on the trail,” he murmured. “I told Tanya not to throw the rock, but . . .” He lowered his head.

  “I know how strong-willed she is,” Casey replied. “She only nicked my forehead. The ear injury is from something else.”

  “Some of the idiot staff think Justin and Tanya caused the director’s death and are treating him like a leper,” Amy said. “They’re furious with them for making staff look incompetent, which is why I’m filing a complaint with the executive director of Youth Custody Services.” She made her voice loud enough for the correctional officer to hear. The officer’s bored expression didn’t change.

  “Are Amir and Winson causing you problems?” Casey asked Justin.

  He shrugged, glancing at the guard.

  Casey wouldn’t be surprised if they were. She tried not to wince as she sat down. The bruises on the backs of her legs from her altercation three days ago were large and dark. Her hips and back had been aching all day. She’d tried to stay off painkillers, but had given in before coming here.

  “Our lawyer’s trying to have him transferred out of this cesspool,” Amy added, “but we’ve been told it takes time. Far too much for my liking.”

  “Did you escape because Tanya didn’t want to be transferred?” Casey asked Justin.

  He hesitated. “Yeah.”

  “How did you pull it off?”

  Justin peeked at the guard again. “With help.”

  “From whom?”

  He looked around the room. “One of the visitors, but he’s not here tonight.”

  “Who is he?” Casey asked.

  “Mercedes’s uncle. He comes here a lot.”

  “Cristano Cruz,” Casey murmured. Based on what Ruby had said about him, she wasn’t overly surprised. Cruz hung around Fraserview a lot and seemed to have an aversion to cops. She recalled the way he hurried out of the building when they arrived the night Mac died. “Why would Tanya accept his help?”

  “She knew who he was, and figured he could get us out, as a favor.”

  “And how did she figure that?”

  Justin fidgeted. “She knows Cruz is a criminal. Before Christmas break, Tanya saw him give Brady packets of drugs. Realized he was Brady’s supplier.”

  Whoa. This explained the aversion to cops. “Where did the transaction happen?”

  “At a strip mall near the high school,” Justin answered, glancing at his frowning grandmother. “Lots of kids go there at lunch to buy pizza and stuff. Tanya, Brady, and Didi went to the same school.”

  “Didi is Brady’s sister, right?” Amy had mentioned the name before.

  Justin nodded. “Tanya and her are good friends.” He bit his lower lip. “When Tanya found out she was being transferred, she got upset. Told Roxanne and Mercedes that she needed out of here. Next day, Mercedes promised that her uncle could get Tanya out fast.”

  “So, the escape was pre-arranged with Cruz’s help?”

  Justin nodded. “Tanya begged me to go with her, but I wasn’t sure.”

  “Which was why she still wanted to talk to you so badly when I interrupted that night.”

  Another nod. “Later, Winson left the unit, and I saw Tanya hurrying down the hall. She waved me over, and I just kind of went.”

  “What did Cruz want in return for helping you?” Casey asked.

  “For us to work for him. Gave us an address to go to.” Justin paused. “But I didn’t want to sell drugs, so now we’re in deep shit.”

  Casey understood now why he’d told Amy that he couldn’t repay a favor. At least Justin had sense enough to see that working for Cruz would be a no-win situation. She wanted to ask Justin how Cruz had pulled it off, but Mia was marching toward them.

  “There you are,” Mia called out to Casey. “I heard you’d arrived and have been looking for you.”

  “I asked her to join us,” Amy replied.

  Casey felt Amy’s hostility, saw the steely resolve in her eyes.

  Mia must have seen it too, because her own placid expression froze into something harsh and uncompromising. “I didn’t realize you knew each other.”

  “We work together,” Amy said
.

  “I see.” Mia turned to Casey. “You should have told me.”

  “Mac knew, and Winson knows,” she answered. “I thought you heard me talking about my relationship to Amy with the police that Friday night.”

  Mia shrugged. “It was a chaotic night. I don’t remember half of what was said. Anyhow, I’m afraid you’re needed elsewhere.”

  Casey gave Amy a reassuring nod before following Mia out of the room. Was she going to be lectured about fraternizing with Justin and his grandmother? Not that it really mattered. If all went well, she’d be done with volunteering after tonight.

  “A new girl was brought in two hours ago and she’s distraught,” Mia said. “A sympathetic ear might calm her down.”

  Just then, a boy stepped out of the gym and walked toward them. The corridor’s lousy lighting made it impossible to see his face, but Casey recognized the stocky build, short dark hair, and pigeon-toed gait right away. She should have known at least one of the shoplifters would end up here. When Stocky was only a few steps away from them, his expression first showed surprise, then transformed into a nasty sneer.

  “Nice bandage,” he remarked. “Any ear left?”

  “Pardon me?” Mia said, staring at the kid. “We show respect in here, young man. Understand?”

  Stocky ignored her as he glared at Casey, who threw it right back.

  “I said, do you understand?” Mia stepped in front of him.

  “Yeah, whatever.”

  Mia turned to Casey. “I want to talk to Jamal. You know where to find Ruby.”

  “There’s something I need to tell you first. It’s really important.” She glanced at the kid. “Can we talk privately?”

  Mia turned to Jamal. “Wait for me in your unit.”

  The kid’s defiant stare made Casey wonder how far he’d go to challenge authority. She hoped it got him into a load of trouble. Finally, he turned on his heel and stomped into the unit.

  Skipping as many details as she could about the assignment, Casey described the attack on the M5 bus. “Needless to say, the less Jamal knows about me and Kendal the better.”

  “He’s the only boy who’s been brought in this week,” Mia replied. “Since you’re in the girls’ unit you won’t cross paths, but I’ll have a chat with him anyway.”