It opened to reveal Brent pushing past the orderly. “We should get going,” he said, glancing at Trevor.
“Why?” Taylor got to her feet.
“Another kid is reported missing,” Brent said.
“Stop this, Taylor. You have to,” Trevor said. He was pushed to the back of the bed again. All color had drained from his face.
_______________
“You can’t leave Stevie and me here, Paul!” Terri shouted at him outside the SUV in the hotel parking lot. Stevie was scared, remaining inside the vehicle. They didn’t fight often, and it was even rarer for one of them to raise their voices at one another.
“I can’t bring you guys to Red Creek, can I?” He was stressed out. Why would Taylor return there after what happened to her? Paul had spent most of her life reminding her how bad it was for her there, even though he thought the threat was gone now.
“You’ve told me a thousand times that the monster is gone, vanished with the Smiths and their precious orchard. If that’s the case, then you have no reason for not bringing us!” Terri was yelling, and Paul tried to get her to keep her voice lower. The hotel was nice, and he was glad he hadn’t used valet parking, because they were making a big enough scene a half block from the hotel entrance.
When he didn’t reply right away, Terri kept going. “Were you lying to me all those years, Paul? Is it still there?”
“No. I don’t know.” He was getting frazzled. Terri’s make-up was running down her cheeks, and Stevie was in the backseat, moving around like a trapped cat. “I mean… I think it’s gone, but I might be wrong. I can’t risk it.”
“Paul, I’m not saying it again. I’m getting in the car, and we’re going to Red Creek as a family. We’ll get Taylor as a family, and we’ll leave as a family. Got it?” The last two words were quiet, almost lost in the breeze, and Paul pulled her close now that the wind was out of her sails. She cried into his vest, and he stroked her hair.
Against all of his instincts, he agreed to her terms, mostly because he couldn’t stand to see her upset. “Fine. Let’s go.” He led her to the passenger side and opened the door for her. She gave him a weak smile and wiped her face.
Paul could hear her calming down Stevie as he walked around the Range Rover, and when he got in, Stevie tried to talk to him. “Dad. We’re going to find Taylor, right?”
“Of course, kid,” Paul said.
“Is she in trouble?” Stevie asked, and Paul wasn’t sure if he meant danger or trouble from her dad. He decided the answer would be the same.
“No. She’s not in trouble. We’re going to her now.” Paul was already driving away from the hotel, toward Red Creek.
Terri was trying to call their daughter’s phone, but it kept going to voicemail. She texted her too, but got no response.
“If she’s there, Beth has to know something about it,” Terri said, but Paul wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t think Beth would hide something like this from me, do you?” Paul was already hurt that his daughter had gone behind his back like this, but if his own sister was in on it, then he’d be doubly upset.
“We’re going to find out,” Terri said, grabbing Paul’s phone and putting the call on the vehicle’s speaker. “Stevie, just keep quiet, okay? Maybe listen to your headphones.”
Paul glanced in the mirror and saw Stevie put his headphones over his head, but doubted his son turned the volume on. He didn’t blame him either. He was scared because his parents were freaking out and acting erratically.
The phone rang, and his sister answered after two rings. “Paul. What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting…”
“Beth, is she there?” Paul asked, not wanting to bother with the normal niceties. When she didn’t answer right away, he knew the truth. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“She’s such a sweet girl, Paul. She and Izzy are like sisters, and they wanted to see each other. You should see them here. They’re thick as thieves.” Beth’s voice was high-pitched, like a kid explaining their reasoning to a parent.
“That’s no excuse. You know what happened!” Paul had to relax. He was too worked up over the whole scenario. Terri was right. Whatever he’d encountered twelve years ago was gone. Or was it? Tyler had sounded worried on the phone. He’d done a thorough check of the orchard and found nothing. If it had survived, wouldn’t it have killed before now?
“I also know that we’ve lived here for my whole life, and Isabelle is a wonderful nineteen-year-old girl. If I thought there was a reason to be concerned, then why did I stay here when you offered to help us get a place elsewhere a hundred times?” Beth said, getting defensive.
“Maybe you’re right, but I can’t believe she went back,” Paul said. Terri was fixing her make-up in the mirror, and he could tell she was trying to compartmentalize her fears and worry. She always bit her lip when she did so. It was a distraction technique she said worked for her.
“They’re fine.” His sister seemed sure of it.
“Is the boyfriend there?” Paul asked, wincing internally.
“Oh, you know about Brent,” Beth said.
“I do now. Is he an asshole? Tell me the truth,” Paul said, bracing himself.
“From what I’ve seen, he’s kind and considerate. Taylor really seems to like him,” she answered.
“Good. Good.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“Paul, are you driving?” his sister asked.
“What gave it away?” He couldn’t keep the sass out of his voice.
“Oh God, are you coming here?” she asked. Now she was the worried one.
“Is that a bad thing?” Terri asked, chiming in for the first time. Gone was any sign she’d cried at all.
Beth hesitated.
