Fury pumped through Gabe’s body. “Fine. That’s what I’ll do.” He picked up his beer and pushed his way through the crowd, stopping briefly next to a group of stoners enveloped in a cloud of marijuana. A ferret-faced kid was lifting a joint to his lips. Gabe grabbed it mid-air and said, “Thanks, man,” as he slipped through the same gate Lizzie had used.
He walked to the front of the house. The sounds of the party were muffled. Gabe looked up at the star-filled sky, took a hit from the joint, and held it in his lungs before exhaling. He smiled as the stars began to dance. After a few more puffs and the rest of the brewski, he felt euphoric. The hell with Heather and her shallow, snobby, self-absorbed friends. If little Lizzie wanted him to be the one, how could he say no?
Chapter Twelve
STILL GRINNING, Gabe staggered down the long driveway. When he reached the road, he spotted the VW bus parked a couple of spaces in front of his Honda. Mumbling to himself, he made his way to the beat-up van. Coated with primer and scarred with dings and dents, it looked like somebody’s half-finished do-it-yourself project. A ragged curtain covering the side window moved and Lizzie’s face appeared. The door slid open.
“Didn’t think you were coming,” Lizzie said.
Gabe peered into bus. The rear seats had been removed to make a flat cargo area. Lizzie was kneeling on a ratty-looking sleeping bag. The air wafting from the bus smelled like stale French fries and cigarettes. Gabe’s stomach did a couple of flips.
Lizzie scooted away from the door. “Wanna come in?”
Willing his stomach to behave, Gabe climbed in, shut the door, and closed the curtain. An anemic moon cast its pale light through the windshield, faintly illuminating the shabby interior.
Despite the buzz still zinging through his body, something seemed very wrong with this scene. He knelt in front of Lizzie, their knees touching. “Why? Why are you doing this? It’s your first time. It shouldn’t be like this.”
Her eyes widened in surprise and then sparked in anger. “Because I have to. Okay?”
“Nobody has to, Lizzie. You have free will.”
She shook her head violently. “Some people do, Gabriel. I don’t.”
Shocked, Gabe wasn’t sure what to say. He put a hand on her arm. “Why do you keep calling me Gabriel?”
“You’ve never heard of the angel Gabriel?”
“I’m no angel.” Gabe released her arm and slid a finger down her cheek. “What’s your story, Lizzie?”
An involuntary shudder wracked her slight body. “I’m not here to tell you my story, so don’t ask any more questions.” She jerked away from his hand. “What’s wrong with you anyway? Don’t you like girls?”
Gabe’s anger was still close to the surface. “Hell, yes, I like girls. But here’s a clue. You order me to do it. Then you pull away. If I can’t touch you, it’s not going to work.”
They locked gazes for a long moment. Lizzie’s lower lip trembled. She reached out and took hold of Gabe’s hands. “I’m sorry. It’s complicated. I’m going to take off my clothes now.”
It didn’t take long. Off came the oversized shoes, the hoodie, and jeans. Nothing but bare naked girl underneath. Gabe gulped, unable to tear his gaze away from her slender, perfect body. Her navel was pierced with a silver ring that matched the one in her nose. A tattoo of tiny stars were scattered in a diagonal line across her white belly.
“Um, ni-nice tat,” Gabe stammered, the only thing he could think of to say under the circumstances. “Did it hurt?”
Lizzie gave a snort of disgust. “Not as much as I’m going to hurt you if you don’t get busy.”
Still, Gabe hesitated. Lizzie’s bravado didn’t quite work. He was certain her feistiness was a cover for the fear lurking behind those big, blue eyes.
She reached for the button on his shorts. “Guess I’ll have to do it.”
“Wait.” Gabe pushed her hand away and dug around in his pocket for the little foil packet he’d optimistically placed there earlier this evening. He set it on the sleeping bag and wriggled out of his shorts. His stomach felt queasy. Too much beer.
“Shirt, too,” Lizzie ordered. “It’s only fair since I’m totally bare-assed.”
Gabe ripped his shirt off, moved closer to Lizzie and cupped her face in his hands. Before he kissed her, he whispered, “Are you sure about this?”
She gave him her first real smile, one that reached her eyes. She curled her arms around his neck and whispered, “Yes, I’m sure.”
Drawn in by her electric blue gaze, Gabe lowered his mouth to hers, softly at first, but then her lips parted and he felt the touch of her silky tongue. His hands slipped to the back of her head and he deepened the kiss. She slid her hands down to encircle his waist and pulled him closer until their naked bodies were pressed against each other.
Breathing hard, Gabe broke away and groaned. “No going back now, Lizzie.”
She pushed away from him, stretched out on the sleeping bag and held up her arms. “Stop talking.”
Gabe felt around for the rubber.
“Looking for this?” Lizzie tore open the packet, pulled out the rubber, and ripped in half. “You won’t be needing it.”
“What the hell? That’s the only one I’ve got.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said, you won’t be needing it.”
“So, are you on the pill or something?” Gabe said.
“Something like that. Don’t worry about STD’s. This is my first time . . . remember?”
Jeez, this chick was something else. Just do it, Gabe.
Totally flummoxed, Gabe let nature take its course. He positioned himself over Lizzie’s small body, taking care to hold his weight on his elbows. It was her first time. Crushing her would be a real downer. His mind was still a little fuzzy from the weed, but he tried to remember what girls liked. Kissing. Lots of kissing and lovey dovey talk about how beautiful they were. But Lizzie had told him not to talk, so he’d better just stick to kissing.
He lowered his body until he felt the brush of her small firm breasts against his chest. His erection pressed against her belly. Lizzie gave a little gasp of pleasure. At least, he hoped it was pleasure. So far, so good. After a surreptitious glance at his watch, he commenced with the kissing. Five minutes? Was that long enough? He’d never been with a virgin before which, he thought, spoke volumes about his choice in girlfriends.
After approximately two minutes of smooching, he thought Lizzie was breathing a little heavier, but when he lifted his head, her eyes were still wide open and unblinking. Maybe the fabled Delgado charm was striking out.
“You okay?”
“Yes, goddamit, quit asking.”
Before Gabe could respond, she opened her legs wide and grabbed his butt with both hands. She squinched her eyes shut and yanked. Hard. She was way stronger than she looked. They both cried out at the same time. Gabe in ecstasy. Lizzie, probably in pain. Gabe wanted to stop. He really did. He lifted his head and stared at the windshield, trying desperately to hold back. But, he was lost, and in a few moments, it was over.
Gabe groaned. It was all he could do not to collapse on top of her. When he was able to focus, he looked into her eyes and murmured, “I’m sorry. That wasn’t good for you. It will be better next time.”
To Gabe’s surprise, she was smiling, even though teardrops clung to her dark lashes. She patted his cheek. “It’s okay, Gabriel. It’s fine. You can go now.”
“Go? You want me to go?”
“Yes.”
Gabe didn’t know whether to feel relieved or offended. “You’ll be okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be fine. You can go back to the party if you want.”
“Nah, I’ll just hang out here until you leave. Then, I’ll head home.”
Lizzie pushed him away, grabbed her hoody and held it to
her chest. Suddenly shy. “I need to get dressed and it’s a little crowded in here.”
She really did want him gone. Awkward. Gabe dressed quickly and put his hand on the door. “Guess this is goodbye. Maybe we’ll see each other again another time.”
“I really doubt it.”
Gabe slid the door open and stepped outside.
“Gabe,” Lizzie called. “Thank you.”
Thank you? Proper response? No problem? My pleasure? He settled for, “You’re welcome. Take care.” And slid the door shut.
He walked to the Honda and leaned against it, head tilted back, studying the sky. The stars were no longer dancing. They weren’t moving at all. But now, the world around him was spinning. He heard the engine turn over in the banged-up bus, heard the crunch of gravel as it made a U-turn and drove slowly by him. A single honk of the horn was the only indication she’d noticed him.
Gabe watched her drive away, unable to quell the sense of shame stealing through his body. He slammed a palm against his forehead. This never happened. This never happened.
As in response to his shame, his stomach chose that moment to rebel. He staggered to the side of the road, dropped to his knees and spilled the contents of his stomach into the ditch. Weak and sweating, he stayed on his knees, trying to get enough strength to stand.
A pair of strong hands gripped him by the waist and hauled him to his feet.
“Not feeling so hot, huh?”
Gabe looked over his shoulder into the face of David Bigelow. Straight arrow Biggie. The only one of his so-called friends who cared enough about him to see if he was okay.
“I’ve been better,” Gabe croaked.
“Gimme your keys, man. I’ll drive you home. Then I’ll come back and get somebody to drive your car home.”
Biggie buckled Gabe into the passenger seat and carefully pulled out onto the road. Gabe closed his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember Lizzie’s face. The only image that remained in his mind was that of the fake flower hanging from the rearview mirror. A blue rose.
“GABE . . . GABE.” The woman’s voice was distant but insistent. “It’s time to come back. When I count to five, you will be fully awake, relaxed and feeling fine. The burden of guilt and shame you’ve been carrying has been lifted. You will remember what happened. Not as a participant, but as a spectator looking back.”
Luanne’s voice.
“One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five.”
Slowly, Gabe came back to real time. He was slumped on the Templetons’ sofa, his cheeks wet with tears. Yet his body felt weightless, as if he should hold on to something solid to keep from floating off the couch. It wasn’t a bad feeling, just strange.
Abby was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to him. She reached up, took his hand and squeezed. “How do you feel?”
How much did she know? The whole experience felt like a dream and, as Luanne had said, he now felt unburdened.
“Good,” he said. “I feel good.” As the details came flooding back, a flush warmed his cheeks. “Want me to tell you what happened that night?”
Abby squirmed and looked away. Luanne said, “We know what happened, Gabe. You were living it. Believe me, we were able to fill in the blanks. You willed yourself to forget because you were ashamed.”
Gabe said, “Elizabeth Perham. Lizzie. She had a blue rose hanging from her rearview mirror. She’s Birdie’s mother. Now I know what she meant when she told me she had no choice.”
“You said she’d gone missing?”
“Yeah,” Gabe said.
Luanne shook her head. “So sad. I wonder what’s become of her.”
Gabe shrugged. “The whole Abolesco thing is like a giant puzzle. You told your mom about it . . . right?” When Abby nodded, he continued. “We only have a couple of the pieces. Lizzie’s one of them. I have to find her.”
Abby said, “I thought the note said ‘Don’t try to find me.’”
Gabe released Abby’s hand and stood. “I have to see what she knows. She’s the key. I know it. How else can I keep the baby safe?”
“Yakima’s not that far away,” Luanne said. “Although if she’s officially missing . . .”
“Actually,” Gabe said. “I was thinking about driving over there tomorrow.”
“Are you taking Birdie?” Abby said.
“Guess I’ll have to,” Gabe said. “Papi’s got plans.”
Luanne gave him a sharp look. “Is that safe? If I didn’t have to work, I’d take care of her.”
Gabe said, “She’ll be fine. I’m just going to pay a visit to the sheriff, see if anything new has come up about Lizzie.” As he spoke the words, Gabe sent up a silent prayer that he wouldn’t be exposing the baby to danger. After all, she was his kid. He’d keep her safe.
Abby glanced over at her mother. Luanne gave her a nod. Abby said, “Mind if I ride along?”
Chapter Thirteen
NINE A.M. GABE driving. Abby riding shotgun. Birdie, strapped into her car seat, snoozing in the back. As soon as they crested the top of Snoqualmie Pass and started down the eastern slope of the Cascades, they were greeted with sunshine and bright blue sky.
“So, what’s the plan?” Abby said.
Fashion-wise, Gabe saw no sign of the glam girl from the previous night. She was back in school mode. Ponytail hair. Jeans, pink sweatshirt, and sneakers. Probably a good thing. Easier to keep my mind on business.
“You’ve met my brother Simon, right?”
“I’ve seen him at the mailboxes,” Abby said. “Why?”
“He’s kind of a geek,” Gabe said, “and he can surf the Web like nobody I’ve ever seen. Last night, I challenged him. I bet him he couldn’t find out anything about Elizabeth Perham.”
“And?”
Gabe reached across Abby’s leg, opened the glove compartment, and pulled out a sheet of notebook paper folded in half. He handed it to her. The paper was filled with tiny, crabbed writing. “Everything you need to know about Elizabeth Perham. Right there. Except, of course, her whereabouts.”
Abby held the paper up close to her eyes. “His handwriting is impossible to read.”
“I’ll give you the Cliff notes version and save your eyes,” he said. “Elizabeth Perham was reported missing last Monday by Becca Sampson and Becca’s father, Joe. They must live south of Yakima, on the reservation, because they went to the tribal police first. But since Elizabeth isn’t Native American, they were referred to the Yakima County Sheriff Dept. A deputy by the name of Tom Mackey is handling the case. The Sampsons said they hadn’t seen Lizzie since Saturday and . . .”
“She went missing on Saturday?”
Gabe nodded.
“That’s just one day after she dropped the baby off at your place. Maybe she never made it back over the pass. Maybe she had a wreck. Maybe the car went off the road where nobody can see it. Maybe she’s trapped inside.” Maybe—”
“No. She made it into work on Saturday,” Gabe said. “She and Becca do a job share at a mini mart. Her boss said she showed up on time but took off at noon and never came back.”
“Weird.”
“Then,” Gabe said, “we have her foster parents, Donnie and Sheila Hodges.”
“These are the people who took her in when her parents died?”
“Yes, but if they legally adopted her, there’s no record of it.”
“So why didn’t the Hodges report her missing?” Abby said.
“Good question.”
At that moment, Birdie stirred and uttered a series of squeaks and squawks.
“Oh great,” Gabe said. “I was hoping she’d sleep until we got there. Can you reach her pacifier? It’s in her diaper bag.”
“Diaper bag?” Abby said. “What happened to the ball bag?”
Gabe grinned. “Mrs. Wachsmith said I couldn’t bring her to school without a proper diaper bag, so I kinda had to buy one.”
Abby unfastened her seat belt, stood on her knees and draped her body over the seat back. Gabe could scarcely keep his eyes on the road, what with her cute little butt in the air as she groped through the diaper bag.
Hands on the wheel, boy.
“Got it,” Abby murmured. “Hey Birdie, here’s your binky. Sounds good, eh?”
Birdie squawked in protest. The pacifier whizzed by Gabe’s head and landed on the dashboard. He steeled himself against the shrieks of rage he knew were coming. Amazed, he heard only smacking sounds.
Abby retrieved the pacifier and flopped back down in the passenger seat. “You won’t need this anymore. She found her thumb.”
Gabe glanced into the back seat. Sure enough, the baby’s thumb was jammed in her mouth and getting a thorough workout.
“Huh,” Gabe said. “First time she ever did that.”
Abby reached in her purse and pulled out a pen. She jotted something down on the back of Simon’s notes. “For the baby book.”
“Yeah,” Gabe muttered. “The baby book I don’t have. One more thing for my to-do list.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Abby said, patting his arm. “Back to the notes. What else did Simon find?”
“Addresses for the Hodges, the Sampsons, and the Sheriff Department.”
“So, what’s our first stop?”
“I’m thinking, Sheriff Department. How about you?”
“Good place to start.”
DEPUTY TOM MACKEY was a big guy with muscular freckled forearms, a shock of red hair turning gray, and a starter potbelly. He’d been summoned by the woman at the counter, whose job apparently was to glare at everyone who came in before deciding if they would be allowed to speak to an officer of the law. Lucky for them, she’d said, Deputy Mackey was on duty today. Otherwise, she’d do a written report and pass it along.
Gabe, Abby by his side, plopped Birdie on the counter. Her thumb was still in her mouth.
Baby Gone Bye Page 8
