“She hasn’t replied to any of my texts so far,” Adrian said, biting down on the corner of his lip. “It sounded like they were heading off the grid or something. She kept talking about a cabin. She said Oregon at first, then mentioned Idaho. I don’t think she really knew herself. I tried to let her know that everyone was going crazy looking for her, but she might be somewhere she doesn’t have service.” He shook his head. “She didn’t even think about the fact that the other girl was missing. I guess I didn’t either.”
“Did she have some kind of plan for how this would end?” Lianne asked, her voice hoarse. “Is she coming back? Is she trying to … to disappear?”
“I don’t know, Mrs. Scott.” Adrian finally looked up from where he sat, absently tracing the bubbles in the glass tabletop. Tears ran down his cheeks now. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could go back in time and change this. I wish I’d told you where she was from the get-go.”
Hesitantly, her own lips trembling, Lianne stepped toward him. She patted his back gently. “Shhh. Shhhhh.”
Tanner exhaled then, a hard stream of air all at once.
“I’m going to kill her,” he growled. “That spoiled fucking brat. I’ll kill her.”
Veronica’s eyes darted toward him. His usually dun-colored face was red, his shoulders clenched. For the first time, the charming, affable blarney was gone, and Veronica could see a version of Tanner that might lead a free-spirited daughter to run away.
Lianne gave him a shocked look. “Don’t say that. Not after what we thought had happened to her. Don’t even joke about it.”
“God damn it, Lianne, she’s has broken your heart time and time again. I’m tired of it. She didn’t even stop to think what this would do to us. Or worse … she didn’t care.” He shook his head, ran his fingers through his hair, and left it sticking up in patches. “It’s my fault, though. It’s my fault for what I put her through, back in the bad old days.”
“Don’t say that, Tanner. Please, don’t say that.”
“I think I need to find a meeting tonight.” Tanner stood there for another long moment, staring angrily at Adrian. Then he turned on his heel and went into the hall to the bedrooms. A moment later they heard a door slam.
The sound echoed through the living room. Lianne stared after him for a long moment before she turned back to Veronica.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “None of us slept last night. We’re all just so tired.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it. Then a sudden, tremulous smile broke across her face. She gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “But this is good news, right? I mean … this means she’s alive. She’s out there, somewhere, and we just have to find her.”
Veronica didn’t answer right away. She picked up her bag from where it slouched on the side table and stood, watching as her mother patted Adrian’s back.
“I should go,” she said. “I’ll check in with you guys tomorrow, okay? Give me a call if you find out anything else.”
Her thoughts raced as she let herself out. The truth was, she didn’t know what it all meant—but for now, she had to get home. Keith would be waiting, worried. And she was ready to change out of yesterday’s clothes and catch her breath.