Spring Breakdown (12 page)

“What are we?” Eliza said sharply. “Like the lonely hearts club or something?”

Grandmother laughed. “Oh, my heart’s not lonely, dear. In fact, the general just called and asked if we had room for him to join us for the weekend, and I told him that would be fine. I’ll share Rhiannon’s room and he can sleep in his own bed.”

“Lovely.” Eliza rolled her eyes.

DJ was tempted to say that she wasn’t lonely either and that she had talked to Conner last night. She had assured him that Eliza was simply losing her mind and was so upset that Lane had broken up that she was trying to hurt anyone who crossed her path. Fortunately, Conner had believed DJ. But she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was concerned. “The big match is tomorrow,” he’d finally told her. “But I’ve
got a train ticket that leaves later that evening. I’ll sleep on the train and get there early Thursday morning. Harry promised to pick me up.”

DJ smiled to think of this now. She couldn’t wait to see him.

“What’s making you so smug?” Eliza asked her.

“Smug?” DJ looked at Eliza.

“Sitting there and smiling like the cat who swallowed the canary. Let me guess…you’re thinking at how great it is that you stole Lane from me.”

“I didn’t steal Lane from—”

“Girls!” Grandmother’s voice was stern. “Please, do not argue about boys.”

“We’re not arguing,” DJ told her. “I’m just telling Eliza that I have no interest in her ex-boyfriend. In fact, I was just thinking about Conner. He’s going to be here Thursday morning.”

“How nice.” Grandmother nodded and smiled. “And you girls deserve to have some fun after the hard work you did today. Josie was quite pleased.” She turned to DJ. “In fact, she seemed quite taken with you, DJ. I wasn’t surprised that she was so pleased with Taylor. But it took me aback that she was so completely impressed with
you
. Can you believe she said she’d like to shoot you and Taylor for her next new line?”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Eliza aimed her forefinger at DJ like it was a gun, narrowed her eyes, clicked her thumb, then mouthed the word “bang!” Naturally, Grandmother wasn’t looking her way. DJ laughed uneasily, but she did wonder—was Eliza really was losing it? Making threats? What was next?

Everyone was in good spirits after the photo shoot on Tuesday. To celebrate their success Grandmother invited the boys to come over for a catered seafood dinner. “But no throwing the girls into the pool,” she warned them before she headed off to her room to put her feet up. “The manager called after your Sunday night escapades and reminded me there are rules here.” She looked directly at DJ. “I’m putting
you
in charge.”

“Thanks a lot.” DJ nodded to Taylor as Grandmother exited. “And because I know how to delegate, I’m putting
you
in charge.”

“No problem.” Taylor reached for another prawn. “Hey, where’s Eliza? Doesn’t she want to come out and get something to eat before it’s too late?”

“She’s probably pouting in her room,” DJ said quietly.

“Actually, she’s not,” Casey informed them.

“So, she’s not still mad at us?” asked DJ.

“I don’t know about that, but I know she’s not pouting in her room.”

DJ studied Casey. “What are you saying?”

“That she’s not here.”

“Where is she?” asked Taylor curiously.

“On a date.” Casey grinned mischievously.

DJ glanced around the patio. All the guys were present and accounted for. “On a date with who?”

“With
whom
.” Taylor corrected her then laughed. “Yeah, who’s she with, Case?”

“I’m not sure,” Casey admitted.

“Then how do you know she’s on a date?”

“I saw her getting ready.”

“Getting ready for what?” asked DJ.

“To go out.
Duh
.” Casey looked at DJ like she didn’t have good sense.

“So much for the buddy system.” DJ just shook her head.

“She’s with a guy,” Casey insisted. “Isn’t that the same as a buddy?”

DJ was about to answer, but Seth was tugging Casey away. “Come on, my little Orange Crush.” He pulled her to him like she was his personal plaything—like he owned her, body and soul. DJ turned away in disgust. Why did Casey put up with that?

“Who wants to go to a movie?” Taylor asked as she began reading the choices from the paper. It didn’t take long for everyone to agree on a hot new release.

“I get to drive the general’s car,” Taylor announced.

“I’m going with her,” Harry joked. Then Rhiannon and Bradford said they’d ride with them.

“And we’ll go with Lane.” Seth slipped his arm around Casey. “Ready, Babe?” She just smiled, nodding her head like a silly bobblehead doll.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Lane told DJ with an apologetic smile.

“You know, I’m pretty tired,” she said. “I think I’ll pass on the movie this time.” She glanced around the messy patio. “Besides, I need to clean this up.”

“We can’t leave you with all this mess,” Lane said quickly. “I know.” He reached into the pocket of his khaki shorts then tossed his keys to Seth. “You take my car and I’ll stay here and help DJ.”

And before she could make an argument, the others took off and it was just her and Lane—and, of course, Grandmother, although she was still off in her room. DJ went right to work clearing things and, to her relieved surprise, so did Lane. In less than an hour, the place was spotless. “You do good work,” she told him.

“So East Coast boys are good for something.”

She laughed. “Want to see if there’s anything good on TV?” DJ handed him the remote then settled into a comfy club chair (avoiding the sectional where he was seated) and waited as he flipped through the channels. She knew that what they were doing was completely innocent, but she also knew that someone like Eliza could pop in and jump to all kinds of conclusions. Not that she expected to see Eliza any time soon. DJ’s guess was that Eliza had gone out with one of the admirers from the photo shoot—probably clubbing. Not that DJ thought that was a smart thing to do or that Grandmother would approve. Anyway, it seemed unlikely that Eliza would be home soon.

Finally it was getting late and DJ really was tired. “Do you mind if I call it a night?” she asked him sleepily.

“Not if you don’t mind me crashing here until the guys get back with my car.”

She glanced at the clock then shrugged. “They should be back pretty soon anyway.” She told him good night, trudged to her room, crashed in bed, and fell sound asleep.

DJ was the first one up the next morning. She tiptoed to the bathroom where she tugged on her swimsuit, then quietly crept back through the room again, trying to avoid waking Taylor. DJ had to smile to remember the old times and how she used to stomp around and make noise when Taylor was sleeping off a hangover. Thankfully those days were gone. At least she hoped so. DJ actually bent down to look at Taylor, even sniffing to be sure. Convinced that all was well, DJ quietly went out the patio doors and then slipped into the pool to swim laps. It felt delicious to slice through the smooth water. She had the pool to herself and nothing to think about but the day ahead. Maybe she’d go surfing again if she could talk Casey into joining her.

Finally, satisfied with her workout, she climbed out and sat on the edge of the pool. Unfortunately she’d forgotten to bring a towel, and before long she was shivering in the cool morning air. Just as she was about to get up, she felt someone draping a towel around her shoulders. Thinking it was Taylor she turned around with a smile. “Lane?” she said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

He gave her lopsided grin. “I actually spent the night.”

“What?”

“Seth pulled a jerk stunt last night.”

“Huh?”

“He and Casey never even went to the movie. Harry tried to call him, but his phone was off. So Taylor drove the guys back to my grandparents’ place, thinking I’d be there. Naturally, I wasn’t. So I got stuck here all night. Taylor said it was okay. Hope you don’t mind.”

She stood up and stomped a bare foot onto the cement. “Actually I do mind. I mind a lot!”

“Sorry.” He stepped back.

“No, I don’t mean you. I understand that. What ticks me off is Casey. I can’t believe she’d pull something like that here. My grandmother will be furious if she finds out.”

“Will she find out?”

DJ bit her lower lip.

“And to be fair, it might not be completely Casey’s fault. That Seth…well, I don’t like to dis on friends—not that he’s such a great friend, taking off with my car and all. But I don’t totally trust the guy.”

DJ nodded vigorously. “That’s how I feel.”

“Anyway, if you wouldn’t mind, I could use a lift back to my place. It’s only about five miles. I thought about walking.”

“Just let me get dressed,” she said as she took off back to her room. Taylor was still asleep and DJ quietly got dressed, grabbed her bag, and met up with Lane in the kitchen. “Let me leave a note for Grandmother, just in case.” She quickly scrawled something and then they left.

“I know Seth might be a jerk,” she told Lane as she drove, “but it totally irks me that Casey just lets him control her. She never used to be like that.”

“Sometimes girls change for guys,” he said in a philosophical way, “and sometimes guys change for girls.”

“Isn’t it better just to be ourselves?”

“Turn left on the next street.” He sighed. “What if the changes we make for someone else are improvements, like Harry?”

DJ nodded. “I have to admit I like Harry a lot more now that he’s quit drinking.”

“And, don’t take this wrong, DJ, but you’ve been a good influence on me.”

She glanced over uneasily. “Meaning?”

“I like the way you embrace life—the way you’re so comfortable in your own skin, and that you don’t need to drink to have a good time.”

DJ wasn’t sure that all that was true, but she thanked him anyway.

“It’s this development,” he told her. Then they passed through security and he directed her to his grandparents’ house.

“Do you mind if I go in and drag out Casey?”

“You really want to do that?”

She considered a confrontation with Seth and Casey, probably both hung over and probably not too happy to see her. “Maybe not.”

“How about if I bring her back later?”

“Will you check on her?” DJ asked quietly. “I mean—to see that she’s okay.”

He nodded. “Sure.”

Then she thanked him and drove back to the general’s house. And, yes, a part of her did feel sorry for Casey. But another part of her just didn’t get it. Why was Casey being such a fool? And why did Casey pick such loser guys? First she’d been with Garrison, which had been a train wreck from the get-go. Then she hooked up with Seth—knowing full well how it had been with him and Taylor before Taylor wised up and got sober. Maybe some girls had to be kicked around before they figured things out. DJ was thankful she wasn’t one of them. But, she knew that old saying, “but by the grace of God…” And so, as she drove, she prayed for Casey. She begged God to shake that girl up and straighten her out before her life got completely derailed.

The house was still quiet when she got back, and now DJ wondered if she should tell her grandmother. But then she
wondered…what good would it do? DJ tiptoed back to her room and was relieved to see that Taylor was awake now.

“Where have you been?” Taylor was just out of the shower, tying the belt of her bathrobe and shaking out her damp hair.

DJ quickly explained the situation. “I’m getting seriously worried about Casey,” she said finally. “It’s like she’s on a path to self-destruct.”

“That’s a path I know well.” Taylor sighed as she towel dried her hair.

“Lane promised to check on her and bring her back. And now I’m trying to decide whether to tell my grandmother…not that it will help matters.”

“Why don’t we just talk to Casey?” suggested Taylor. “Do another intervention of sorts. And you can always hold telling your grandmother over her head. I mean, if she wants to keep doing stupid stuff.”

“It’s worth a try.”

But when Lane brought Casey home, it was obvious that she wasn’t in any kind of condition to talk. “Let’s give her time,” Taylor advised DJ as they watched Casey staggering down the hallway to her room. “That girl isn’t going anywhere for a while.”

“And if it makes you feel any better,” Lane told them, “I read Seth the riot act. I told him he could pack his stuff and leave if he pulls a stunt like that again.”

“Did he listen?” asked DJ.

“Oh, yeah.” Lane nodded. “The other guys backed me up. We told him we’d throw him out.”

“Thanks.” DJ sighed. “Well, I guess I won’t be surfing today.”

“Why not?” asked Lane.

“Well, I’d been hoping Casey would—”

“I know I’m not as good a surfer as you,” he said quickly, “but I rented my board for the week.”

“So did I.” DJ glanced at Taylor now. “Should I go?”

“Why not?” Taylor nodded. “You stayed home and cleaned up last night, Cinderella, so it seems like you should have some fun today.”

“What about Casey?”

Taylor narrowed her eyes. “You don’t think I can handle that girl?”

DJ laughed. “I know you can. Probably better than any of us.”

“Leave Casey to me today. You go and have some fun.”

So that was just what DJ did. And what a great day for surfing it was—a perfectly delicious sort of day with blue sky and sun and good long rides on fast-moving waves. Only one thing could have made this day better, and DJ knew that he would be here tomorrow!

DJ had barely walked in the door of the general’s beach house when she sensed something was wrong. She could hear Rhiannon and Taylor talking quietly in the kitchen, but the tone of their voices sounded worried and somewhat urgent.

“What’s going on?” DJ asked. “Is Casey okay?”

“Casey’s just starting to feel better,” Rhiannon told her with worried eyes.

“Yeah, after barfing her guts out for most of the day.” Taylor shook her head sadly.

“Maybe this will make her think twice before she does—”

“Casey isn’t our biggest concern right now,” Taylor interrupted.

“What do you mean?”

“Eliza never came home last night either.”

DJ let out an exasperated sigh.

“We didn’t actually figure this out until just a little while ago,” admitted Rhiannon.

“It looked like her bed had been slept in,” Taylor told her, “so we just assumed that she’d come home and taken off again—probably with her mystery man.”

“Then we realized that it was possible that Eliza hadn’t made her bed from the night before.”

“But you don’t know that for sure,” DJ pointed out. “Maybe she did get home last night. Casey wasn’t there to see her, right?”

“That’s true.” Taylor nodded. “But we snooped around and it just doesn’t seem like she came home last night.”

“We think we would’ve seen her clubbing clothes,” Rhiannon said. “Because Eliza isn’t exactly tidy after a night out.”

“And the shower would’ve been used,” Taylor said, “because Eliza wouldn’t think of going out again without a shower, but it was dry and no wet towels.”

“That is strange.”

“We could be wrong…” Taylor paused at the sound of footsteps and then Grandmother entered the kitchen.

“Oh, I’m glad you girls are here,” she said. “I was thinking this might be a nice evening to go out for dinner. The general told me about a lovely little restaurant over on—”

“I, uh, I don’t think so.” DJ tried to think of some good reason, but came up blank.

Grandmother scowled. “Why not?”

“Because we already ordered pizza,” Taylor said quickly.

“Pizza?” Grandmother looked disappointed.

“Besides, we’re kind of tired,” DJ said. “It’s been a long day.”

“Are the boys coming over again?” she asked.

“Not tonight,” Rhiannon answered. “I think we all need a night off.”

“Maybe we can do something special tomorrow,” DJ offered. “Conner will be here then.”

Grandmother just nodded. “Yes, I suppose that’s a good plan.” She turned to open the refrigerator and looked in.

Taylor held up her hand like a phone and mouthed the word
pizza
. DJ nodded. And Rhiannon made the phone gesture too.
Boys
, she mouthed. DJ nodded again.

“Perhaps I’ll just finish off some of these seafood leftovers from last night…” said Grandmother. “If no one minds.”

“Help yourself,” DJ called out as she left the kitchen, heading for Casey’s room. Her plan was to get Casey to divulge more information about the whereabouts of Miss Eliza Wilton.

“Hey, Casey,” she said as she walked right in without knocking. “I hear you’re feeling better.”

Casey was sitting in a chair by the window, but she looked kind of limp and wiped out. “Uh-huh.”

DJ sat down on the end of one of the beds and considered her words. Part of her wanted to tear into Casey and give her a solid piece of her mind. But another part of her knew that could backfire. What DJ needed now was information. And it seemed the only one who knew anything would be Casey.

“So, Casey,” she began carefully, “I hear that Eliza never came home last night either.”

Casey nodded then put her hand to her forehead like it hurt. “That’s what Taylor and Rhiannon seem to think,” she said in a hoarse voice.

“But you don’t?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Because you weren’t here either.”

Casey looked down at her lap.

“Anyway…it seems you were the last one to talk to Eliza. You said she was going out on a date, right?”

“Right.”

“You assumed to a club?”

“Yeah. She was dressing up.”

“Do you remember what she wore?”

Casey frowned. “Not exactly.”

“Do you remember anything she said about who she was going with?”

Casey leaned over and put her head in her hands. “I don’t feel so good.”

“Are you going to throw up again?”

Casey didn’t answer and DJ was afraid she was about to say something stupid and so she stood up. “Sorry you’re sick,” she said stiffly. “Seems like you might want to think about that—” Then Casey took off for the bathroom and DJ left.

“Pizza is coming,” Taylor told DJ when she came back out.

“And I called the guys and told them that Eliza might be missing,” Rhiannon said, “and Bradford said they’d be on the lookout for her.”

“Should I tell Grandmother?” asked DJ.

Rhiannon nodded. “Probably.”

“It did occur to me that she could be pulling the same kind of thing I did last fall,” Taylor said. “Remember my little disappearing act after Casey humiliated me on MySpace?”

DJ nodded eagerly. “She could be doing something like that. It wouldn’t surprise me. She might be in some swanky hotel being waited on and ordering room service and just letting us freak.”

Rhiannon brightened. “You know, that does sound possible.”

“But what if we’re wrong?” asked DJ.

“What do we know for sure?” said Taylor as she reached for a notepad. “Let’s write it down.”

“Her phone is turned off,” said Rhiannon. “It goes straight to messaging and she hasn’t returned our calls.”

“What did she take with her?” asked DJ suddenly. “I mean, if she was going to hole up in a hotel, wouldn’t she take an overnight bag or some personal items?”

“Unless she wanted to make it look like she was simply missing,” said Taylor.

“Did Casey see anyone picking Eliza up?” asked Rhiannon.

“Casey can’t remember anything at the moment,” DJ said. “She hardly knows her own name.”

“Very helpful.”

DJ thought hard for a moment and suddenly knew what had to be done. “Whether or not Eliza is jerking us around, I need to inform my grandmother.”

“I think so too,” admitted Rhiannon.

“I agree.” Taylor nodded. “Just in case something really is wrong.”

“Like what if she’s been kidnapped?” Rhiannon’s eyes got wide.

“It doesn’t seem likely, but you never know.” DJ was trying to think of an easy way to break this news to Grandmother.

Taylor suddenly pointed out toward the pool. “Although there are definitely some pervs around—you never know.”

“Is our sleazy friend out there again?” asked DJ.

“No, it’s a different guy tonight.”

“Good. They probably gave the other jerk the boot.” DJ braced herself. “Well, I’m going to speak to Grandmother. Anyone else want to come?”

They both shook their heads no, so DJ went alone. She knocked on the door, waited to be asked in, and then quickly broke the news. “Eliza seems to be missing, Grandmother.”

“Missing?” She looked up from where she’d been eating at a small table by a window.

So DJ gave the details, or as many details as she could remember. Grandmother’s face grew cloudy with concern. She pushed the plate away and closed her eyes as if she wanted to shut out this bad news.

“I realize that Eliza might just be pulling a stunt,” DJ said finally, “but I felt you should know.”

Grandmother’s eyes opened wide. “Of course I should know. How long have you known she was missing?”

“Not even an hour.”

“Oh. And she’s been missing since yesterday evening?”

DJ nodded.

“Oh.” Now Grandmother looked seriously disturbed. “What shall we do, DJ? Do we call her parents?”

“Aren’t they in Nepal?”

Grandmother nodded eagerly. “Yes, you’re right. They are in Nepal. And I’m sure we can’t reach them there. Not yet anyway.”

“So, I guess we simply deal with it.”

Grandmother stood now. “Do you think that nasty security man might be involved?”

“Taylor wondered that same thing. But Casey had thought Eliza was going out last night.”

“Going out with whom?”

“We don’t know. Casey said that Eliza was dressed up for a date.”

“Did someone pick Eliza up?”

“Not that we know of.”

“Perhaps Eliza left the house, dressed up…and was abducted by that horrible security guard!”

“I—uh—I don’t know.”

But Grandmother was already on the phone. “Yes, this is an emergency,” she was telling someone. “We have a missing girl
and I need to speak to whoever is in charge immediately.” Then she gave the address and hung up. “They are on their way.”

Pizza and the security guard arrived simultaneously. But as Rhiannon and Taylor dealt with the pizza guy, Grandmother and DJ talked to the security guard. DJ filled in the details, answering his questions as best she could.

“You can call the police,” he told them, “but they may not put out a missing persons report for another day or two. In the meantime, I’ll put my guys on it around here.”

“Speaking of your guys,” Grandmother began, “we have cause for concern that one of them may be involved.”

The security guard frowned. “What are you suggesting?”

So Grandmother quickly told the story about the incident at the pool.

“Oh, you’re the ones that called up about Tom?”

“Tom?”

“The security guard that tried to get the naked girl out of the pool after hours.”

“Naked girl?” Grandmother looked stunned.

“Yeah, apparently there were a couple of them, skinny dipping.” He frowned at DJ. “You know anything about that?”

She just nodded.

“So, tell me, was the other girl the one that’s missing—this Eliza Wilton?”

“No, it was someone else,” Grandmother said quietly.

“How many girls you got, lady?”

She blinked. “Just five. One didn’t come.”

“What kind of a place are you running here anyway?”

Now Grandmother was offended. “What kind of security are you running?” she asked him bluntly.

“Naked girls in the pool, running away…” He shook his head. “Sounds like spring break to me. I doubt anyone in law enforcement will take any of this too seriously.”

“Well, thank you for your time,” Grandmother said crisply.

“I’ll let you know if we find any lost or naked girls,” he said with a chuckle.

“Wait a minute,” DJ said quickly. “What about that security guard—you said his name is Tom. Did he get fired?”

“Fired?” He laughed. “No.”

“Where is he then?”

“It’s his day off. He gets Wednesdays and Thursdays off.”

“Oh…”

“Anything else I can do for you?”

“What’s his last name?” DJ demanded.

“Tom?” He thought for a minute. “Oh, yeah. Jones.”

“His name is
Tom Jones
?” Grandmother looked skeptical.

“Yeah, he gets teased about it sometimes. He can’t sing to save his life.”

Grandmother began to pace as soon as the security guard left. DJ could tell that she was angry…and worried.

“I’m sorry about the skinny-dipping thing,” DJ told her. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Grandmother let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what to do. I just do not know what to do.”

“Should we call the police?” asked DJ. “That security guard didn’t sound too smart to me. I’m not sure we should take his advice.”

“Yes. Good point.” Grandmother nodded. “Get me the phone.”

“Wait,” said DJ. “What about the FBI?”

“Even better!”

DJ listened as Grandmother explained the situation to the person on the other end, but some of her details weren’t quite accurate. “May I speak to them?” DJ whispered.

“My granddaughter wants to talk.” She shoved the phone at DJ and DJ tried to correct some of the information. “But that’s not all,” she said finally. “I thought you should know that the girl who is missing is from one of the wealthiest families in the country. She’s an heiress.”

“Are you sure about this?” asked the woman on the other end.

“Positive. You can ask my grandmother if you like.”

Grandmother was nodding eagerly now, reaching for the phone. DJ handed it back and Grandmother made it very clear that they were, indeed, looking for a very wealthy young woman. Finally, she hung up and collapsed into a nearby chair, patting her chest as if she were about to expire.

“Are you okay?” DJ leaned over to peer into her grandmother’s pale blue eyes.

“Yes. Just rattled. And thank you, DJ. I think we may have gotten their attention.”

“I guess it’s true that money talks.”

“They asked if we have a recent photo.”

DJ thought hard. “Hey, maybe Josie could email one from yesterday’s photo shoot.”

“Yes, yes. Good thinking. I’ll call her right now.”

By eleven o’clock, they had done all they knew how to do and everyone was thoroughly concerned. “We could go out looking for her,” offered DJ.

“No!” Grandmother firmly shook her head. “Absolutely not! I will not risk losing any more girls, thank you very much.”

“The guys have been out looking,” Rhiannon told her.

“Where is Casey?” demanded Grandmother suddenly. “Please, do not tell me she’s gone missing too.”

“She’s asleep,” DJ said quickly. “She wasn’t feeling too well today.”

“She’s probably worried about Eliza,” Grandmother suggested.

DJ just nodded, exchanging glances with Taylor and Rhiannon.

“I see no reason for us to stay up all night.” Grandmother stood. “For now I am going with Taylor’s theory…let’s just hope that Eliza is simply hiding out in some five star hotel. It was obvious that she felt slighted at the photo shoot yesterday and I can understand her disappointment about losing her boyfriend’s affections. That could explain a lot.” She shook her head. “Even so, I will not tolerate this sort of behavior. If Eliza is playing us for fools, she will be going home to her parents as soon as we find her. Because I am too old for these kinds of shenanigans. I am fed up.” Then she marched off to bed.