The Deep End

by Debra Purdy Kong

  After he kissed her and they sipped the wine, Lou lifted a hen onto her plate, then began serving carrots, beets, and broccoli.

  “You’re spoiling me,” Casey said.

  “This is just the start of what I hope will be many romantic evenings.”

  “It’s perfect.” She felt as if they were turning a corner. Habits and routines were becoming comfortable. A new sense of harmony was settling over the apartment like a velvet cloak.

  “Thank Kendal for agreeing to volunteer after all,” he said.

  “She said it was no problem. Her mom preferred going to lunch instead of dinner anyway, and Fraserview desperately needs help tonight. Seems that Valentine’s is a depressing night for some of the girls.”

  “Aren’t they a little young for love affairs?” He paused. “Oh, wait. Summer’s thirteen. Never mind.”

  “The residents are also hyper-emotional so it doesn’t take much to set them off.” Casey didn’t add that Kendal also welcomed the chance to dig for more dirt on Mia and other staff.

  Lou’s gray eyes shone in the candlelight and his brown hair took on a coppery sheen. Those full sexy lips parted and he started to say something, but he then stopped.

  Casey sensed his anticipation. “What is it?”

  “I was going to bring this up after dinner, but I just realized I can’t eat until I get this out.”

  It sounded serious. Lou wouldn’t have gone to this much trouble just to dump bad news on her, would he? When he stood and turned the music down, she began to worry. Casey’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “It’s Kendal. She can wait.”

  Lou sat and fiddled with his napkin. “I don’t know how to do this,” he murmured.

  Oh, god, this was bad. Had he decided to make some big, momentous change? Had he found another job?

  “You know I loved you long before we got together, right?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And you know you mean the world to me.”

  Casey nodded. His news must be really bad.

  “As far as I’m concerned, this arrangement between us is permanent,” he said.

  “Me too.” She leaned back in her chair. Was he planning to take a job out of the city? “You’re starting to scare me a little, though.”

  “Then I’m handling this badly.” Lou took a quick sip of wine, then used his napkin to wipe his brow.

  Good lord, he was starting to sweat, not something he did often. It couldn’t be the wine, and the room wasn’t that warm.

  “There’s no one else I’ll ever want to be with,” he blurted, rubbing his hands together. “But you have to understand that part of me likes tradition.”

  “I know.”

  “Okay, then. Good.” He hesitated. “Then you won’t be totally shocked by this.” He removed a tiny, blue velvet box from under his napkin. “I want us to officially be a couple.”

  As her throat went dry, heat swooshed over her face. She focused on the gorgeous little blue box, and when Lou opened it, she gasped.

  “Will you marry me?” he whispered, his face bright red and hopeful.

  Casey gaped at three half-carat diamonds, set diagonally in a wide band with a delicate swirl engraved on either side. “Oh my god.”

  “It’s platinum,” he said. “A non-traditional band for a non-traditional woman.”

  She tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come. Mesmerized, she watched Lou slip the ring on her finger. She touched the cool, smooth platinum, the diamonds, and grew lightheaded.

  “A perfect fit. How did you know?”

  “I snuck the only ring you own out of the jewelry box,” he replied. “So, what do you say, aside from oh my god.”

  Lou’s features blurred as her eyes began to glisten. “For real?”

  He kissed her hand. “For real.”

  Casey leaned close to him until their foreheads touched. “Then yes. Absolutely, yes.”

  One kiss led to three, until Lou’s stomach growled loudly. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten all day.”

  If he hadn’t eaten all day, then he must have been really nervous. “Were you afraid I’d say no?”

  He nodded. “You were so down on marriage after Greg.” He stroked her cheek. “But things change. People change their needs and wants.”

  “They certainly do.” She kissed him again. “Let’s eat before you faint, and then we can enjoy the rest of the evening in bed.”

  Lou grinned and then said, “I could use some water. How about you?”

  “Please.”

  While he headed for the kitchen, Casey’s phone pinged: a text message from Kendal. Found dirt on Amir, Rawan, and others. Will call later.

  What had she learned? As Lou returned, Casey slipped the phone under her napkin and thoughts of Fraserview faded away.

  THREE HOURS LATER, SHE WAS nearly asleep after the best night of her life. The ringing phone shattered the silence. It had to be Kendal. Casey checked the time. Nearly midnight. Why was she calling so late? Lou snored lightly. He wouldn’t notice if she took the call. Rubbing her eyes, she answered the phone.

  “This is Deanne Winters. Sorry to call so late.”

  Kendal’s mom? This couldn’t be good. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Kendal . . . There’s been an accident.”

  “A car accident?”

  “No.”

  Deanne’s distraught tone sent fear surging through Casey. “What happened?”

  “She had a bad fall at the detention center where she’s been volunteering.” Deanne’s voice cracked. “She has broken bones and a head injury. The doctors don’t know how serious it is, but there’s a possibility . . .” Deanne started to sob.

  Casey jumped out of bed. “Did she fall down some stairs?” She thought of the icy steps at the entrance to the building and the altercation in the parking lot.

  “No.” Deanne sniffed. “Into the deep end of the empty swimming pool.”

  “What?” That made no sense. What the hell would Kendal have been doing in the pool room? Had Phyllis and Oksana not closed the door properly last night, or had another employee gone inside?

  “Kendal told me that you’re also a volunteer,” Deanne said. “So, I’m hoping you can find out how this happened. She told me about the suspicious deaths of two staff members. I need to know what’s going on, Casey.”

  “I’ll do my best. When can I go and see her?”

  Deanne didn’t answer right away. “They need to do some tests. I’ll let you know.”

  Casey bit down on her lip. She put her hand on her stomach to calm the queasiness. “Kendal texted me earlier tonight and wanted to tell me something. It might have been important, so I need to talk to her.”

  “You don’t understand.” Deanne’s voice quivered. “Kendal’s in a coma. We don’t know when, or if, she’ll come out of it.”

  “Oh, no.” Casey began to shiver. “Kendal’s one of the toughest people I know. If anyone can pull through, she can.”

  “I believe that too.” Deanne’s voice was nearly a whisper. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Casey put the phone on the night table and covered her face with her hands. She felt Lou stir, and then his hand on her shoulder. She tried to tell him what happened but kept stumbling over the words. By the time she finally finished, tears were sliding down her face.

  “Two people dead and now this,” she said, reaching for a tissue. “What if Kendal learned something she wasn’t supposed to know?”

  “The cops’ll figure it out.” He stroked her hair. “Let them do their job, Casey. They’re your best hope for finding the truth.”

  Casey wasn’t so sure.

  TWENTY-THREE

  CASEY TURNED OFF HER CAR’S ignition and took a deep calming breath. She looked out the windshield, side windows, and rearview mirror, checking for enemies in Fraserview’s parking lot. She’d learned that Mia drove the silver Lexus SUV parked three stalls down, but there was no sign of Phyllis’s Smart car. Other familiar vehicles were here
, which was good. She needed to talk to the staff she knew.

  Deanne Winters had called this afternoon to report no change in Kendal’s condition. Her prognosis was still unknown. The police had no new information either, or at least nothing they were willing to share. The lack of answers surrounding the circumstances of Kendal’s fall infuriated her. She’d bet a year’s pay that it wasn’t an accident.

  Lou didn’t support her plan to interview staff, yet he’d offered to go with her. She would have appreciated his company, but without security clearance he wouldn’t be allowed inside. Besides, she didn’t want Summer left alone.

  Although Stan, not to mention the cops, frowned upon pepper spray, she was in no mood for an ambush. She fetched the can she kept under the passenger seat, then looked around once more before stepping out of the car. As Casey moved, she scanned the area, alert to noise and movement, daring some asshole to mess with her. At the top of the steps, Casey pressed the intercom and identified herself.

  “We weren’t expecting you,” Rawan said.

  “I won’t be long.” She shoved the can in her pocket. “I just need to talk to Mia about Kendal Winters’s accident.”

  The buzzer sounded and Casey stepped inside. The corridor was as dim and empty as ever, as if nothing significant had occurred.

  As Casey signed in, Rawan said, “What a gorgeous ring. I’ve never noticed it before.”

  “Thank you. I got engaged last night.”

  “On Valentine’s? That’s so romantic. Congratulations.” Her expression became wistful. “Have you set a date?”

  “No.” She’d been too upset about Kendal to let the reality of her engagement sink in.

  “If you were volunteering, I’d say leave it in your purse,” Rawan said. “But since you’re only here to see Mia, I suppose it’s all right.”

  Casey had no intention of telling Rawan that she planned to speak to others as well. “Where is Mia?”

  “No idea.” Rawan placed Casey’s coat and purse in a locker. “I can call her on the radio.”

  “Don’t bother. She won’t be hard to find.” Casey signed in, then picked up a visitor’s badge. “Were you working last night?”

  “Yes.” Rawan paused. “It’s so awful. Thank god the ambulance arrived quickly.”

  Awful didn’t begin to cover it. Casey hadn’t forgotten Kendal’s text message about finding dirt on Rawan. “Any idea how she wound up in a room that was supposed to be locked?” Casey waited for an explanation. All she got was a small shrug. “Come on, Rawan. You must have heard something.”

  “Supervisors don’t share much with me.” Rawan adjusted the elastic holding her dark, blond-streaked ponytail. “Ask Mia.”

  Casey looked down the corridor. A corrections officer was strolling toward the south end. “I take it Phyllis isn’t working tonight? I didn’t see her car.”

  “It’s her night off.”

  Damn. “How about Oksana?”

  “She’s here.”

  “Was she working last night?”

  Rawan frowned. “Why are you asking all these questions about staff?”

  “Why do you think?”

  Rawan crossed her arms. “You have no right to suspect employees. It was just an accident.”

  “Really?” Casey removed her phone from her jeans pocket, then located Kendal’s message. She held the phone in front of Rawan. “Read the text Kendal sent last night.” As Rawan did so, her mouth parted and those dark eyes filled with trepidation. “What did she find out about you, Rawan?”

  “I’ve nothing to say.” She held out her hand. “You have to leave the phone here.”

  “Like hell. No one touches this phone until the police see the message.” Casey let her anger rise. “It’s evidence in what could be attempted murder. So, start talking or I take this to Mia’s boss and the police right now.”

  Rawan gaped at her. “No. You’re wrong!”

  “Bull. Kendal is an award-winning athlete and trained security officer.” She glanced at Mia’s dark office. “I’ve known her nearly twenty years and I’ve never seen her trip over anything in her life. And with two suspicious deaths in this dump, surely you must have wondered. Now, do you want to tell me what Kendal learned about you, or should I call the authorities right now?”

  Rawan’s face paled. “I didn’t have anything to do with what happened to her, I swear.”

  “Good to know. What’s the text about?”

  Rawan propped her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands for a moment. “This has to stay between us. It’s nothing illegal.”

  “Okay, but you’ve been secretive and distracted lately. What’s going on?”

  Rawan cleared her throat and whispered, “Kendal caught Amir kissing me.”

  Good lord. What did Rawan see in that rude, macho idiot? “So?”

  “We’ve been involved for about three months. He has a wife and kids.”

  “Oh.” Casey paused. “How did he take it when he realized Kendal saw you two?”

  “He was upset. Told Kendal not to say anything or he’d make sure that . . .” Rawan gripped the edge of the counter. “Look, I know that Amir can be abrupt, but he’s not violent. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

  Right. Sure. “Is he here tonight?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been trying to break it off, but he won’t.” Despair swept over her face. “It’s not just that he’s married. My family’s from Lebanon, but we’re Christian. He’s Muslim. If his wife’s family learned about me . . . No one must know.”

  Which meant that Amir might do anything to keep their secret. And how far would Rawan go to protect herself? “Did Winson or Mac know about you two?”

  She looked away. “I don’t think so.”

  “Rawan, I saw Winson and Amir in a heated discussion a few nights ago. Was it about the two of you?”

  Despair turned to fear. “Amir never said anything to me. And it was common knowledge that Winson didn’t like Amir’s no-nonsense, militaristic style with the kids. They’d argued about it before.”

  Was that why Amir hadn’t been appointed acting director? Had Winson badmouthed him to the executive director? If Winson knew about the affair, he might have mentioned that too.

  “The night Mac died, Mia said something to you about the wife always being the last to know,” Casey remarked. “I think she has a pretty good idea about you and Amir.”

  “She can’t prove anything, and she has her own secrets to protect.”

  Did Rawan know about the gambling? Given that Kendal had caught Rawan and Amir kissing, how discreet were they? “Any idea where Mia was when Kendal fell into the pool?”

  “No.” Rawan leaned over the counter and peeked down the corridor. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if she’d been nearby.”

  “Why?”

  “That paranoid, power-tripping bitch is always lurking about, eavesdropping.” Rawan kept her voice low. “She’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants.” She leaned closer to Casey and whispered, “We both saw Mia working on Mac during the heart attack. I’ve been wondering if she was helping him, or making things worse.”

  “You honestly believe she’d go that far to get his job when the facility’s closing in a few months anyway?”

  Rawan shrugged. “She’s nasty and ambitious, and even a short period as acting director would improve her résumé. Maybe you should ask where she was when Winson died.” She looked at Casey’s phone. “You won’t tell anyone about us, will you?”

  “No.” Unless there was sufficient reason to let the police know. “I’d better go find your acting director.”

  Casey started down the corridor, glancing into the visitors’ area. Damn. Mercedes and Cristano Cruz were there. Mercedes had been released only six days ago, so how had she wound up back here so quickly? Had Cruz told her to break the law so she’d be brought back? After all, he had a score to settle with Justin.

  “Casey?” Mia said, stepping out of the conference room.
“What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see you about Kendal. Her mother wants to know what happened.”

  Mia scratched the back of her head. Her short, spiky hair looked like it needed washing. “I’ve been trying to find that out myself, but no one saw anything. I can’t begin to fathom what Kendal was doing in the pool room in the first place. The lighting is poor and Kendal was found at the far end, where the leak is worse. The tiles there are really slippery.”

  “The pool room door’s supposed to be locked, right?” Casey asked. “Who would have opened it?”

  “Phyllis is supposed to check the floor every time it rains.” Mia frowned. “She won’t admit it, but I’m sure she didn’t close the door properly. She doesn’t half the time.”

  “Someone, or something, must have drawn Kendal down there,” Casey said.

  Mia hesitated. “Jamal left the gym to use Unit Two’s bathroom and didn’t return right away.”

  Oh, crap. “Did you question him?”

  “Of course. He denied heading in that direction, and no one can place him by the pool room.”

  “But the pool’s next to the gym.”

  “There are simply no eye witness accounts, Casey.”

  “What about CCTV cameras?”

  “The one at the south end’s still not functioning. Fixing things isn’t a priority here.”

  If Jamal truly was involved, how had he figured out who Kendal was? Had he recalled seeing her in GenMart?

  “Listen,” Mia said. “I know it seems suspicious, but sometimes coincidences are just that. And sometimes accidents really are accidents.”

  Not in this place. “Who found Kendal?”

  “Amir. He called the code at 8:05 PM.”

  Damn. The bastard could have pushed Kendal in, then called for help. Even if he were innocent, he’d be the last person to share information with a volunteer.

  Casey glanced at the visitors’ room. “When did Mercedes come back?”

  “Yesterday. Why?”

  Given that she might be mixed up with Cruz, Mia mustn’t know Casey had her suspicions about him. If he’d been here, would he have ventured to the far end of the building? Why would he hurt Kendal, though?

  “She was out only about a week,” Casey answered. “I’ve gotten to know her and she seems like a good kid.”