CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Caitlin
I stay busy for the next few hours—showering and changing into soft gray running shorts, and a black tee shirt, packing up the kids’ backpacks, talking the boys through the plan, and arguing with Danny, who doesn’t want to move to another country without at least getting to say goodbye to Sam in person—but I can’t shake the sense of impending doom. When five-thirty comes and goes without a word from Gabe, I finally get so worried I pick up the phone.
My call is sent immediately to voicemail, but I try not to freak out. Gabe’s contact might have been late to meet him at the diner; they might still be in the middle of their exchange. There is probably some reasonable explanation for the delay.
I believe that, until the digital clock above the stove flicks to six, and three more calls go straight to voicemail. I’m about to tell Sherry that I’m going looking for Gabe, when my cell rings. I snatch it up from the counter where the kids are eating a subdued spaghetti dinner, my pulse racing with relief, only for my hopes to plummet when I see an unfamiliar number on the display.
It’s not Gabe, but it’s a local number, so I step into the bedroom and answer the call with a soft, “This is Caitlin.”
“Hi, Caitlin,” a familiar voice says. “This is Kimmy.”
“Oh, hi Kimmy,” I say, surprised. “What’s up?”
“Listen, I know we’re not friends or anything, but I didn’t know who else to call, and Gabe left your number the other day with the keys, just in case there was an emergency with the car, and—”
“What’s wrong?” I ask, the anxiety in Kimmy’s voice making me impatient. “Is Gabe okay? Did something go wrong while you were selling the car?”
“No, that went fine,” Kimmy says. “We got everything taken care of, he got the money, and he went across the street to Harry’s to meet a friend. I didn’t expect to see him again, but then I realized he’d left his house key in the bowl by the door. I ran down to catch him before he left and I saw him leaving the diner with this super big guy. They were walking really close together and it just looked…weird, you know? And when I called Gabe’s name, he didn’t stop or turn around, and I know he had to have heard me. I was practically shouting.”
“What did the guy look like?” I chew my thumbnail as I pace the carpet, fear that Gabe’s father has intercepted him and forced him back to Darby Hill making my heart feel like it’s punching my ribs. “Was he Gabe’s height? An older man, with—”
“No, he was young,” Kimmy says. “And taller and heavier than Gabe, with wider shoulders. I remember that, because you don’t see many men bigger than Gabe.”
Young, broad shoulders, bigger than Gabe….
A horrible suspicion sweeps through me, but I don’t want to believe it’s true. Still, I ask, “Did the man have light brown hair, a little curly at the bottom?”
“Yes,” Kimmy says, sounding relieved, though she has absolutely no reason to be. “Do you know him? Are he and Gabe friends?”
“What time did this happen?” I ignore her questions, knowing I don’t have time to explain. There’s a chance another massive guy with hair like Isaac’s decided to take a close walk with Gabe out of the diner, but my gut says that’s pretty unlikely.
“About an hour ago? Maybe a little less?”
“And you’re just calling me now?” I ask, anger tightening my voice.
“It took me a while to get worried,” Kimmy says, defensively. “And then I had to get up the guts to call you. It wasn’t easy, okay. You are the woman he dumped me for.”
I take a deep breath and rein in my temper. It’s not Kimmy’s fault something’s happened to Gabe, and without her I might not have any clue where he is. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried. Can you tell me anything else? What direction they went? If they got into a car?”
Kimmy sighs. “They were walking down the street toward The Neptune and turned left on Mark Street, headed away from downtown. That’s all I know.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I’ll see if I can track him down.”
“Do you need any help? I could take my car and cruise one side of town while you cruise another.”
“That’s okay.” I don’t know what kind of situation I’ll find, and I don’t want Kimmy in the middle of something that might turn ugly. “But thanks. I appreciate the call.”
“You’re welcome,” she says, then adds, “and let me know when you find him, will you? I’d like to know he’s okay.”
I promise to call her, hang up, and immediately call Isaac. But despite the fact that he’s been leaving me angsty messages on and off for the past two days, Isaac doesn’t pick up the phone, and when I’m transferred to voicemail, I get a message that his inbox is full. I hang up with a curse and stab out a quick text, telling Isaac to call me as soon as he gets my message. I tell him that I know he’s in town, but I don’t say anything about Gabe, not wanting to tip my hand on that just yet.
I send the text, and wait a few moments, but there are no happy “text in progress” bubbles from my ex-boyfriend. He seems to be lying low.
Or maybe he’s too busy beating the shit out of Gabe to answer the phone.
The thought makes me shove my phone into the back pocket of my shorts and jog back into the other room. I tell the kids that I’m going out, and ask them to be good for Sherry, then pull Sherry aside long enough to explain where I’m going, and why.
“But what about the flight tonight?” she asks. “Should I still get the kids ready to go?”
I bite my lip, making the call on the spur of the moment. “Yes. If I’m not back by eight o’clock, call a cab to take everyone to the airport. Hopefully, Gabe and I will meet you there. If I get stuck, and won’t be able to make it, and I’m able to call, I will.”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to call?” Sherry asks, skin paling beneath her freckles. “You don’t think Isaac has gone off the deep end, do you?”
“I don’t know.” I don’t want to scare her, but I want someone to know who might be responsible if I were to disappear along with Gabe. “But I’m going to be careful.”
Sherry nods. “Do that. Be very careful, and call me as soon as you can.”
“Will do.” I lean in, giving her an impulsive hug. “Thank you. For everything.”
“Go get your man,” Sherry says, hugging me back. “And let’s get you all on a plane before Aoife comes sniffing around and realizes you’re making plans to flee the country.”
I told Sherry that the custody battle was the reason Gabe and I had decided to make the spur of the moment, international move. Because Sherry is my friend and knows I love Emmie like a daughter, she didn’t doubt the story.
Still, I’m starting to feel all the lies I’ve told piling up around me, like concrete blocks stacked to the ceiling, ready to crash down and deliver life-threatening injuries. I need to get out of Giffney. I need to get to safety with Gabe and the kids, to a place where we can start fresh, and then maybe I can tell Sherry the truth. I want to be honest with the only friend I have left, but right now isn’t the time.
“Call soon,” I promise, pulling away and starting toward the door, grabbing the keys off the counter as I go.
Minutes later, I’m in the parking lot, heading for the rental van, so focused on puzzling out where Isaac might have taken Gabe that I don’t notice the silver Camry parked a few spots away until my sister steps out and slams the door. I increase my speed, hoping to get into the van and out of the parking lot before Aoife can trap me, but she moves fast for a pregnant woman.
She’s by my side by the time I reach the door, covering my hand with hers.