She stepped over the flowing water of the drain channel, then followed it to the small pool.
The bag was a package of taco-flavored tortilla chips. It was half empty.
Squatting, she gazed through the archway. The interior pool was murky with shadowed light. A pale mist hung above the water.
‘Is she in there?’ Vivian asked.
‘I don’t see her.’ And all that Abilene could hear was the soft, hollow sound of lapping ripples. ‘Helen! ’ she yelled. She stood, kicked off her moccasins, then leaped off the edge. The hot water tossed her skirt up, clutched her body, splashed her hair and face. Pushing her skirt down, she trudged toward the opening. Her heart thudded painfully. Her bowels felt cramped.
She didn’t want to go in there.
What if Helen’s dead? Floating face down…?
Behind her, someone plunged into the water. She looked back and saw Cora. Still in her tank top. Hadn’t bothered to undress for this.
Her eyes were wide and scared. Her face was pale.
Let her go first?
No. Helen’s my responsibility. She wasn’t sure why she felt that way but, ever since that first week at Belmore, Abilene had seen herself not only as Helen’s friend but also as her protector.
She took one more step, passing through the archway. Then she stopped.
She swept her eyes over the surface of the pool. And saw only water below the gently swirling veils of mist. No floating body. No dark form suspended beneath the surface. Gazing through the white vapors, she scanned the walkway at the far side of the pool. Then the clear area off to the left. And the stools, and the bar.
‘Nothing,’ she said. Her voice reverberated through the silence.
‘She isn’t here,’ Cora called back. ‘Nobody’s here.’
‘Where is she?’ Abilene whispered, moving away from the entrance.
‘God only knows. She must’ve been here, though. She must’ve come for the keys, just like you figured.’
‘Are you coming back?’ Finley asked. ‘What are you doing?’ Cora turned toward the opening. ‘We’ll scout around for a minute. Are you two staying there?’
‘I guess so. Vivian’s still nervous about getting in the water.’
‘I will if I have to,’ Vivian said in a quiet voice as if speaking only to Finley.
‘That’s all right,’ Cora said. ‘Just stay put.’ To Abilene, she said, ‘We oughta see if the keys are still here. They shouldn’t be too hard to find if they fell out of her pocket.’
‘She might’ve already fished them out.’
‘Yeah, but maybe she didn’t. Who knows? We’re here. We might as well look.’
‘Okay. Over this way.’
Abilene in the lead, they pushed through the water toward the center of the pool.
The mist parted around them like smoke stirred and tattered by the mild breeze of their movements.
Peering down through the water, Abilene soon located the dark, barred mouth of the hot spring. As she stepped closer to it, she felt the hot currents roll against her legs and rub her panties. ‘I picked up the shorts right near here,’ she whispered.
‘Oh, great. What if the keys fell through?’
‘I know. I already thought of that.’ She took a long stride to the other side of the bars. ‘Right here,’ she said. She pressed the front of her skirt against her thighs, bent over, and lowered her face into the water. Her legs looked distorted: strangely white, bent at odd angles, undulating as if their bones had turned to squirmy soft rubber.
She could see the pale floor of the pool just fine.
She couldn’t see a key case. Not between her feet, or for a yard in front of her feet, or off to either side. Coming up for air, she glanced over her left shoulder and found Cora hunched down with her face in the water.
She pivoted to the right, ducked under again, and searched a different section of the bottom.
Still no luck.
For a long time, she and Cora hunted in the area surrounding the spring. They even searched the darkness below the crossed bars, diving down and grabbing hold, peering into the mouth of the pit. If the keys were there, however, they were out of sight and beyond reach.
They fanned out and continued looking. Later, Abilene made her way gradually toward the side of the pool, thinking that the keys might’ve dropped out of the pocket while she was returning with the shorts. She reached the wall without finding them. Standing there, she checked the granite in hopes of spotting wet footprints left by Helen.
The granite was wet all right. Puddled. And there were countless footprints. After a moment of confusion and excitement and fear, she realized that she was looking at the water they’d all left on the pool’s apron last night. It simply hadn’t dried.
Out of breath, Cora asked, ‘Anything?’
‘She might’ve climbed out over here, but I can’t tell for sure. It’s still all wet from us.’
‘But where the hell are the keys? Maybe we oughta get the other two in here for some help.’
‘Why bother? The keys just aren’t here. Either Helen already found them or they went down the hot spring.’
‘We’d better keep looking.’
‘We should be looking for Helen, not the keys. If she hasn’t got them… we can’t leave, anyway, until we find her.’
‘Helen!’ Cora shouted. ‘Helen!’
In the silence that followed the boom of her voice, Finley called from outside, ‘Did you find her?’
‘No, damn it!’
‘Find the keys?’ Finley asked.
‘No!’
‘Why don’t you come on out?’ Vivian called.
‘We’re on our way,’ Abilene answered. To Cora, she said, ‘Hey, for all we know, Helen might be back at the sleeping bags and wondering what happened to us.'
‘Fat chance.’
Abilene didn’t believe it, either.
It was about as likely, she thought, as waking up and discovering that Helen’s disappearance had been nothing but a bad dream.
They made their way slowly back through the pool, studying its bottom. Then they passed under the archway. Abilene felt guilty about quitting the search, but it was good to be in the sunlight again and very good to see Finley and Vivian. She climbed out. The morning air felt cool after the heat of the water.
‘Helen might’ve already found the keys,’ she said.
‘Unless they fell down through the grate,’ Cora added.
‘Maybe the guy took them,’ Finley said.
‘Anything’s possible,’ Abilene said.
‘They might even still be in the pool,’ Cora explained, ‘and we just couldn’t find them. Maybe later we should all go in and do a really thorough search.’
‘The main thing’s finding Helen,’ Vivian said. ‘We can get by without the keys, if we have to. We can walk out. But… God, where is she?’
‘Somebody must’ve grabbed her,’ Finley said.
Though Abilene had already suspected as much, the words struck her like a blow. ‘There’s gotta be some other explanation. ’
‘Like what? She left her shoes here. And the chips. Obviously, she went in the water to look for the keys. But she didn’t come out.’
‘How could she go in there?’ Vivian sounded as if she might start crying. ‘Was she out of her mind?’
‘Took a lot of guts,’ Cora muttered.
‘I’m sure she thought she’d let us down,’ Abilene said. ‘Wanted to make things right.’
‘But God!’
‘The thing is,’ Finley said, ‘her shoes are still here. And the chips. So she didn’t come out this way. Unless she was taken out by someone.’
‘No footprints,’ Abilene said.
‘She could’ve been taken out this way,’ Finley said. ‘The sun’s pretty damn hot. Footprints wouldn’t have lasted all that long.’ Turning around, she gazed across the field. ‘Maybe took her into the woods. If it was that kid we saw yesterday.’
‘I’m not sure he was big enough to
handle Helen,’ Cora said. ‘Maybe he wasn’t alone.’
‘Look,’ Vivian said. ‘Suppose she was in the pool and someone came in from here? She might’ve climbed out the other side and run upstairs to get away from him. She could be hiding somewhere in the lodge. Maybe she even heard us calling, but she was afraid to answer.’
‘It was all wet over there,’ Abilene said. ‘It was still wet from last night, but she might’ve gone out that way.’
‘She’s gotta be somewhere,’ Cora said.
‘We’d better search the lodge,’ Abilene said, feeling a renewal of hope. ‘Start there, at least.’
‘Come on.’
With Cora in the lead, they returned to the car. She tugged
open a rear door and Abilene braced it wide while she climbed in, crawled over the seat back and came out with a tire iron in her hand. Abilene let the door drop shut. Cora smacked the rod against her palm. ‘Just in case,’ she muttered.
‘We’d better take flashlights, too,’ Abilene said, ‘I’ll go get ’em.’ Without waiting for a response, she trotted up the remains of the slope. When the pavement leveled out, she broke into a run. Her moccasins pounded the concrete. Then she was in the deep grass and weeds of the front lawn, racing toward the section of the woods where they’d spent the night.
It felt good to be moving fast, making her own breeze, a breeze that cooled her wet skin and clothes, that slipped through her hair and caressed her hot scalp. If only there was nothing else. Just the running, the feel of the air, the sweet mixture of aromas, the strong quickness of her body. Like being a kid on a summer holiday. Savoring all the wonderful sensations, free and excited.
Just that, and no dread.
None of this numbing, gnawing fear that Helen might be gone forever.
She’ll be all right, Abilene told herself. We’ll find her. Or she’ll just show up.
Nearing the edge of the woods, Abilene suddenly knew that Helen was sitting on the porch steps of the lodge. Watching her. Wondering why she was in such a hurry. Any moment, Helen would call out, ‘What’s going on?’ Abilene would turn around, and call, ‘Where the hell have you been?’ and run to her, overwhelmed with relief and joy.
She looked over her shoulder.
The porch steps were gray, sunless, deserted.
Abilene’s throat thickened. Plunging into the forest, she didn’t dare to hope that she would find Helen waiting with the sleeping bags.
How could this have happened?
If only we’d gone back to find the keys last night.
How pould Helen have gone there alone?
It was daylight. Daylight can trick us into thinking we’re safe. The spooks that haunt the night have gone back to their dark lairs. So we think.
And if they haven’t, at least we figure we can see them coming. And get away.
Helen must’ve been possessed by that false confidence that comes with the morning light. Figured she’d do her good deed for the day. Save us the trouble of returning to the pool.
Why’d you have to do it!
Abilene burst into the clearing. She staggered to a halt on top of her own sleeping bag.
No Helen. Of course not.
The sight of the girl’s baggy, plaid Bermudas ripped Abilene’s heart. Tears flooded her eyes. She gasped out painful, breathless sobs. With wet fists, she rubbed her eyes. But new tears came, blurring her vision.
No time for this!
We’ll find you, Helen. We’ll find you. You’ll be all right.
Dropping to her knees, she scurried over the sleeping bags. She grabbed the flashlights, then the water bottle. Her mouth was parched. She wanted to drink, but doubted that she would be able to swallow. Out of breath, panting and sobbing at the same time, she figured she would choke.
Blinking to clear her eyes, she glanced around the encampment wondering if there was anything else she should take.
The lantern?
No. The flashlights would be good enough for now. Besides, she didn’t know how she might manage it along with the big plastic water bottle and the two flashlights.
Finley’s camera? Why bother?
She scurried to her feet and rushed into the trees. As she made her way through the woods, another fantasy forced itself into her mind. She would break out of the trees and see the others waiting in front of the lodge. And Helen would be standing there among them. Fat and homely in her black swimsuit. Smiling and beautiful. Waving. Calling, ‘What took you so long?’
Abilene knew it wouldn’t happen.
But it might.
She trotted out of the trees, the water bottle sloshing at her side, and gasped when she saw her friends standing in front of the lodge just as she’d imagined them. Vivian, all in white as if ready to prance onto a tennis court. Cora, as if dressed for a game of basketball in her tank top and shorts. Finley, looking like a tomboy in her safari suit. Helen, doughy white, bulging out of her black swimsuit - smiling, waving.
Then they were crouching over Abilene.
She was on her back, looking up at them.
At Finley and Vivian and Cora.
Cora, bare to the waist, was patting Abilene’s cheeks and brow with the moist rag of her tank top.
‘Are you okay?’ Finley asked.
‘Where’s Helen?’
‘We’ll find her,’ Cora said.
‘But she was with you.’
‘If only,’ Vivian muttered.
‘I saw her.’
‘You passed out, kiddo,’ Finley said, and gently squeezed her shoulder.
‘I what?’
‘Fainted. What do you think you’re doing on the ground?’
‘You… She wasn’t with you?’
From the looks on their faces, Abilene knew the answer.
‘You’d better drink some water,’ Cora said. ‘You’re probably dehydrated.’
‘You gave us an awful scare,’ Vivian said. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I… thought she was with you.’
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cora helped her sit up. Vivian uncapped the water bottle and handed it to her, but Abilene only rested it on her lap, still too breathless to drink.
Looking concerned, Vivian asked Cora, ‘Do you think it might be heat stroke or something?’
‘I doubt it. Like I said, probably just dehydration. And tension.’
‘What’s to be tense about?’ Finley muttered.
‘Her eyes are all bloodshot. What’s that a symptom of?’
‘I’ve… been crying.’
‘Oh,’ Vivian said. Suddenly her chin began to shake. The corners of her mouth turned down and tears shimmered in her green eyes.
Looking embarrassed, Finley patted her on the back and murmured, ‘Hey hey hey. Come on.’ To Abilene, she said, ‘Now look what you’ve started.’
‘Drink some of that water,’ Cora said.
Abilene took a deep breath, then lifted the bottle and filled her mouth with warm water.
‘We oughta get you into the shade. Let you rest a while.’
After swallowing, she said, ‘We’ve gotta find Helen.’
‘We will. We will.’
‘We already checked in the lodge,’ Finley said.
‘Not much of a search,’ Cora added, ‘but at least we went in for a quick look around and called her name a few times. She might be in there, but…’
‘We can take a better look later,’ Finley said.
‘Come on, let’s get you to your feet.’
Finley took the water bottle, capped it, and picked up the two flashlights. Cora shook open her tank top and pulled it down over her head. Then she and Vivian clutched Abilene by the arms and helped her up. She felt light-headed. Her heart was pounding rapidly. She was weak and shaky all over. But the girls held onto her, guiding her toward the lodge.
They lowered her onto the steps of the porch. Cora picked up her tire iron, which she’d left on the top step. Then they all sat down in the shade.
‘How you
doing?’ Finley asked.
‘I’ll be fine if Helen shows up.’ Leaning forward, she braced her elbows on her knees and rubbed her face. ‘You didn’t find… anything… inside?’
‘Some wet places. You know, in the hall and lobby. Just places where we dripped last night bringing the stuff up from the pool.’
‘I took a quick look around upstairs.’ Cora shook her head. ‘I don’t think she’s in the lodge.’
‘If she is,’ Finley added, ‘she couldn’t answer when we called.’
Couldn’t answer. Because she wasn’t there? Or because she was unconscious or dead?
Not dead. No. Jesus!
‘Maybe… she’s being held captive. In one of the rooms. Maybe she’s gagged, or something.’
‘It’s possible,’ Cora said. ‘But what we think is that she was taken into the woods. Probably out behind the lodge, somewhere. We were just talking about it when you came along and… passed out.’
‘It’s only a theory,’ Vivian muttered.
‘We know she didn’t go off on her own,’ Finley said. ‘Not without her shoes. So somebody had to take her. It was probably that kid. Maybe with some friends. But whoever it was, he had to know about the rest of us. And he’d know that the lodge is the first place we’d come looking for her. So if he didn’t want to deal with the rest of us, he’d hurry and get her away from here.’
‘Into the woods,’ Cora said.
‘She might’ve… just gone along with him,’ Vivian suggested. ‘You know? There’s no reason, really, to think that he forced her. Or hurt her. Maybe she went willingly. Maybe he’s a nice kid and they got talking, and she just… went with him somewhere.’
‘She would’ve put on her shoes,’ Finley said.
‘Not necessarily. I mean, if it wasn’t something like that, then…’ Vivian hesitated. Voice trembling, she went on. ‘Then she isn’t going to be all right. She’s probably… she’s probably already been raped. She might even be…’
‘Cut it out,’ Cora broke in. ‘Let’s not go off the deep end. We don’t know what happened. Maybe nothing, and she’ll just turn up.’
‘Here’s the thing,’ Finley said, a sudden eagerness in her voice. ‘Look, we’re assuming she was attacked. That’s really the most logical explanation. Nothing else makes much sense. Somebody got to her while she was down in the pool. And I know how bad all this looks. But if the guy’d only wanted to rape her or kill her, he could’ve done that right at the pool. And left her there. But he didn’t. He took her away instead. Would’ve been a lot easier just to leave her, even if there was a whole bunch of guys. So what I think is that he - they - plan to hang onto her.’