How to Bake a Perfect Life - Barbara O'Neal [138]
“You’re doing good. Maybe when they let you out, you could come to Colorado. It’s beautiful there.”
“Yeah? You like it, huh? All those rich bitches taking care of you, I guess you would. They sure must be feeding you, because I can see with the naked eye that you’ve gained weight.”
Katie flushes. “I’m growing. I need to eat.”
Lacey narrows her eyes. “My mama was as big as a cow. Long as you remember that, you’ll be fine.”
Katie realizes she should have gone to the bathroom inside the treatment center. It’s been a long, long time, and she suddenly has to pee really bad. “Is there a bathroom in this park?”
“Yeah, baby. It’s right over there, that white building.”
“Is it safe?”
“Of course. And even if it wasn’t, I’m right here. You’ll be in my sight the whole time. Don’t sit down.”
Katie smiles. “No way.” She slides the pack off her shoulders. “I’ll be back.”
Lacey taps the ash off her cigarette. “I’ll be waiting.”
Inside, it isn’t as bad as it could be, just a normal park kind of bathroom. There are even paper towels, and Katie uses them to cover anything she has to touch, then comes out and washes her hands. Her face in the grimy, spotted mirror looks bad—circles under her eyes and her mouth all sad.
It suddenly hits her that this is how she used to look all the time.
Why in the world would she want to go back to this?
Splashing cold water on her face, she thinks about Ramona and how worried she must be. She thinks about her bedroom and her flowers and pain au chocolat, with all the layers of pastry, crisp and buttery, falling to pieces on her plate. I want to go back.
She’ll be in major, major trouble.
But it won’t be as bad as this. Taking a deep breath, she dries her hands and face and decides to endure the hour with her mother, then she’ll ask the desk clerk to call Ramona.
When she steps back outside, the sun is in her eyes and she doesn’t understand what she’s seeing right away.
Her mother is gone.
And so is the backpack with her clothes and all the money.
Ramona
We get to El Paso at about six p.m. Jonah drove the last three hours, so I slept, and I’m anxious but not exhausted when we arrive. “What first?” he asks.
Sofia emailed directions to the rehab facility, and we head there first. My heart stops when I see a cop car in front and two officers interviewing people in the main room as we go in.
“Excuse me,” I say to the woman behind the counter. “I’m looking for Lacey Wilson.”
“You and everybody else.” She jerks a thumb toward the cops. “She left on a pass with her daughter at about two, and we haven’t seen her since.”
“Her daughter was with her?”
A nod.
“Do you know where they went, where they might have—”
“Lady, if I did, the cops wouldn’t be here now, and my job is in serious trouble thanks to that crackhead, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to shut you off now, all right?”
Jonah leans in and uses his magic voice. “Where do people usually go when they get visitors?”
“Across the street, to a park by the river.”
We start there, and when we find nothing, we head to the Petroskys’ house. There is no one home.
“Why didn’t I ever buy her a cell phone?” I say without expecting an answer. I know the reason is that I didn’t think I could afford it, but I’d planned to see that she had one for the fall when she started school.
Jonah stands with me, not speaking. Merlin is hanging his head out the window, whining, and I let him out of the car to do his business. We wait there for a long five minutes, and I finally admit, “I have no idea what to do next.”
“Maybe we should have something to eat, find a room for the night, and brainstorm.”
I feel sick to my stomach. “Where could she be? Why would she go with her mom anywhere?”
Jonah just shakes his head. Then he says, “Her mom’s an addict, right? So why would she run unless she wanted to use?”
“Ah, right.”
“Do you know where Katie was living before she came to you?”
“No.” Merlin leans on my leg, and I remember that Katie said she found him near the railroad tracks. “In a house by the tracks somewhere.