Waist Deep

52

The Greyhouse Apartments weren’t ritzy, but they were nice.The shrubbery was neatly trimmed for winter and the parking lot was clean.The complex was situated at the foot of the Five Mile Hill, and up on top of the hill was the Five Mile Prairie, where most of the nicer homes in northern River City were being built.In River City, old money was on the South Hill, but new money was flocking to the Prairie.

I parked and found number nineteen easily.It was on the third floor, near the middle of the outdoor walkway.

I listened at the door, but only heard low music coming from inside.Remembering a basic tactic from my days on the job, I stood to the side of the door while I gave it a solid knock.A few seconds later, the chain rattled and the door swung open.

Kris appeared in the doorway.Her hair and face were made up but she wore a pair of jeans and a white shirt.After searching for her for the last few days, it was almost surreal to be staring her in the face.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me.“Who are you?”

“Let’s talk inside,” I said, taking her by the arm and moving through the doorway.

Kris jerked her arm from my grasp as soon as we were inside.“Who do you think you are, asshole?Get out of my apartment!”

I shook my head.“It’s over, Kris.”

“What are you talking about? How do you know my name?”

“Your dad sent me.I’m here to take you home.”

Her eyes widened again, though I couldn’t place the emotion that was in them.

“I’m not going home,” she said.

“Yes, you are.Get your things.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug.“You can come like a lady, with all of your stuff. Or I can throw you over my shoulder like a sack of grain. But you are going back.”

She backed slowly away from me, shaking her head.“No way.I can’t go home.Not now.Too much has happened.Maybe after I’m a star, but not now.”

“Your mom and dad don’t care about what’s happened or whether you’re a star or not,” I said.“They love you.”

She shook her head.“I’m not going back.”

“You’re sixteen,” I told her.“You’re a minor.One way or another, you are going back.If you don’t want to go with me, I can call the police and they will come and transport you.”

Kris licked her lips, which were painted a glossy red.She kept backing up slowly and was getting close to the bedroom.“If you call the cops,” she said,“I’ll say you raped me.”

I moved forward to close the distance between us.“Listen, I don’t have to call the cops.And if it’ll make things easier, I don’t have to tell your parents about all that’s happened.Believe me, they’re going to be so happy to see you, they won’t care about anything else.”

“They don’t want me back,” she said.

“Sure they do.”

She shook her head.“They don’t.Roger called them for me, to tell them I was all right.They didn’t want me back.”

That was a lie and I knew it.“If that’s true, then why did your dad hire me to find you?”

There was a flash of something in her eyes, like maybe I’d gotten through to her just a little bit.Then her glance flitted over my shoulder andthere was a voice from behind me.

“Because he’s an idiot,” Gary LeMond said.