28. Bax
CHAPTER 28
Bax
H earing my cell phone ring, I reach across the console and pull my vest out from under Gemma. Once I get it out of the pocket and see it’s my mom calling, I slide my finger across the screen and put it on speaker since there is no way I can hook it up to my truck while I’m driving.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey honey, I just got off the phone with Willow, and she and Clay want to confirm that you and Olivia won’t be there for dinner on Thanksgiving since they’re trying to figure out what size turkey to buy.”
“We’re having dinner with Oli’s parents, then stopping by later in the evening for dessert.”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll let them know. How are you guys? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is good. We're just waiting until this guy is caught so we can move on.”
“When Dad spoke to Cobi, he seemed hopeful that the police were going to catch him soon.”
“That’s what he’s been telling me, too,” I mutter.
Every time I’ve spoken to my cousin, he’s told me that the men hunting this guy where he was last seen in Kentucky were sure that they were close. They just needed to wait him out. And from life experience, I know someone can hide out for only so long without any contact with the outside world. Eventually, he will need to step back into the real world, and hopefully, the cops will be there to arrest him.
“I’m sorry we haven’t been around much these past few weeks. I…”
“Mom, I get it.” I cut her off before she can spiral. She always wants to be everything to all of us kids, even though we’re all adults, and then feels guilty when she can’t be. “You have a new grandbaby on the way, now Nalia is home, and the holidays are coming up. I know if I really needed you and Dad that you’d be here.”
“In an instant,” she agrees softly, then asks, “Are you on your way home?”
“I’m turning into my driveway now.”
“Well, I’ll let you go then so that you can spend time with Olivia. Tell her that we say hi and that we’re looking forward to seeing her Thursday.”
“I’ll tell her.” I hang up with her and hit the button for the garage, noticing Olivia isn’t home yet. I’m not surprised. I called her about forty-five minutes ago when I was leaving my job site, and she told me that she and the girls were finishing up their last drink before calling it a night. As much anxiety as I’ve had all day thinking about her being out, even if she is with friends and her mom, the moment I heard her voice and heard how relaxed and happy she was, that anxiety settled. I know she’s been feeling suffocated and overwhelmed by everything coming at her, and I hate that I’ve added to that with my need to protect her.
Putting my truck in park, I get out, and Gemma gets out with me.
After checking the mail, I head inside and shrug off my coat before I head down the hall to the kitchen. I feed both Gemma and Ira, then put some leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the microwave to reheat. As I’m leaning against the counter, waiting for the microwave to go off, I can’t help but notice just how quiet and lonely the house feels without Olivia here. It’s hard to remember that this was my life before she came and started taking up space and filling each of the little moments with her light.
When my cell starts to ring, I reach for it, expecting it to be Olivia, but it’s actually Liam.
“What’s up?” I answer, opening the microwave when it starts to beep.
“You home?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, I’m headed your way. I got that dresser you asked me about from my storage unit. I’m gonna drop it off so you can get it to Nalia.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. See you in a couple of minutes.” He hangs up, and I lean against the counter. As I’m eating, my cell rings again, and I slide my finger across the screen, putting the call on speaker.
“Hey,” I greet Cobi.
“They got him,” he says, and my head falls back to my shoulders. “He was picked up outside of Bowling Green. The idiot checked into a hotel using his ID. The clerk at the front desk didn’t recognize him, but he did recognize his name, so he checked him in and called the cops.”
“Thank fuck he’s an idiot.”
“They always are.” He laughs. “When I get more info from them, I’ll call and fill you in.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. Talk to you soon.”
“Talk to you later.” I hang up with him and dial Olivia’s number. As it’s ringing, Gemma takes off out of the kitchen barking, so I follow her to the front door. I’m hoping it’s Olivia pulling into the driveway, but it’s Liam getting out of his truck.
“You wanna help me with this?” he asks, walking to the bed of his pickup.
“Yeah. Give me a sec.” I end the call when it goes to voicemail and shove my cell into my pocket while Gemma takes off to chase her sister around the yard. Shutting the front door, I head down the hall to the garage and open it, hitting the button for the door.
By the time I make it to him, he’s got the dresser out of the truck and is putting in the drawers.
“I just got off the phone with Cobi,” I say as I walk up to join him at the back of his truck, and his eyes come to me. “They got him.”
“Where did they catch him?”
“Bowling Green. He checked into a hotel using his ID, and the clerk recognized his name.”
“Did you tell Olivia?” he asks as we both lift the dresser off the ground and carry it into the garage.
“I just tried to call her, but she didn’t answer. She should be here soon with your mom.”
Frowning at me, he shakes his head. “I talked to Mom about thirty minutes ago, and she was home.”
“I thought she was staying with Olivia at the bar.” I pull out my phone and dial Olivia again. When the call goes to voicemail, I hang up and dial again, and once more, it goes right to voicemail.
Fuck, I know she’s most likely okay, but even that knowledge does nothing to help ease the sudden tightness in my chest.
“Do you have any of her friends’ numbers?”
“No,” I mumble, distracted as I send her a text telling her to call me, which is going to do no fucking good if her phone is off.
“Let me try,” he says, and I watch him call her and see his brows dart together. “Her phone is off.” I want to say no shit but bite it back. “You wanna go look for her?”
I hesitate for a second, sure I’m being overprotective and paranoid, but I know I won’t be able to breathe until I see for myself that she’s alright. “Yeah, let me grab my coat.”
Once we get both dogs inside, he and I get into my truck and head towards Blues, the bar on the strip she was going to tonight. When we pull up, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see her car parked on the road out front.
“She’s here.”
“Let me out, and I’ll run in while you park,” Liam says, so I pull over, and he jumps out. I drive a little way down and parallel park, then get out and start toward the bar, but stop when Liam comes out.
“She’s not here.”
“That’s her rental,” I tell him, pointing at her car that is a few feet down the sidewalk, and he shakes his head. “She’s not in there. I even had a girl check in the bathroom for me.”
Looking up and down the sidewalk, I wonder where the fuck she could have gone. Except for a small hardware store and Blue’s, all the shops are closed for the night.
“Where the fuck could she be?” I mutter more to myself.
“I don’t know but, I’m going to run over and check the hardware store.”
I watch him jog off while I walk over to her rental; the doors are locked, and nothing is left inside. Walking to my truck, I debate calling Amy. I don’t want her to worry, but I also don’t know who else to fucking call who might know how to get ahold of her.
Fuck.
Pressing call, I swing the door open and slide in behind the steering wheel as the phone rings.
“Hey, is everything okay?” she asks on the third ring.
“I’m trying to get ahold of Olivia, but she’s not picking up, and she’s not at Blue’s.”
“What?” she asks, and I instantly hate the concern in her tone.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” I reassure her. “Cobi called me about thirty minutes ago and told me that they picked up Jack. I’m just trying to get ahold of Olivia.”
“I… We’ll, I left her with all the girls when Kourtney showed up. She said she would just have Kourtney follow her home since they were going to the same place.”
“Do you have any of their numbers?”
“I have Kourtney’s, I think. Give me a second.” The phone goes quiet. “I sent you it.”
“Thanks, Amy,” I say as my phone beeps.
“Call me back if you can’t get ahold of Kourtney.”
“I will.” I hang up with her, then look over when the passenger door is opened.
“She’s not there,” Liam says, getting back into his seat.
“Your mom just sent me Kourtney’s number.” I hand him my cell. “Call her for me. Apparently, she was going to follow Olivia home.” I take off toward home, wanting to retrace the only steps I know they’d take.
“It went right to voicemail,” he tells me, and my hands tighten around the steering wheel.
“What do you know about Kourtney?”
“Nothing much. I never had much contact with her. I know that her parents used to live around here, but they both moved away. She had a sister, but I think she died when Olivia and Kourtney were in middle school. She was a couple of years younger.”
“Fuck,” I bite out when I get back to my block and see that Olivia still isn’t home. There is no way she’d be able to park in the garage with Liam blocking her.
“It’s okay. Maybe they went to the store or stopped somewhere.”
“Maybe.” I put my truck in park and try to calm my nerves. “But why isn’t she answering her phone, and why isn’t Kourtney answering hers?”
“You know Jack was arrested.”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I know for sure that he’s the one who was fucking with Olivia.” I scrub my fingers through my hair, tugging at the roots. I don’t want to overreact, but something isn’t right. I feel it in my gut.
“Mom’s calling,” Liam says, and I drag in a breath while I take my cell from him.
“Amy,” I answer.
“Did you get ahold of her?”
“No, not yet.” I stare out the windshield. “What do you know about Kourtney?”
“I don’t know. She and Olivia were friends, but Kourtney has always kind of kept her distance from Scott and me. Her parents lived out of town near that big water tower on Burkitt, and I think they still own the property, but someone else rents it from them,” she says, then it sounds like the phone is shuffled.
“Bax,” Scott says, and my gut twists. “Tell me what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t get ahold of Olivia, and Kourtney’s not picking up either.”
“Where are you?”
“Parked in front of my house. We checked the bar the girls were supposed to be, and they weren’t there. I think I’m going to go drive around some of the backroads and see if I come across her or Kourtney.”
“I’ll do the same,” he mutters. “Call Liam and tell him to hit the road.”
“He’s with me now.”
“Tell him to get in his truck. The more ground we cover, the better.”
“Right.”
“We’ll find her.”
There is no other fucking option. “Yeah, I’ll call you.” I hang up and look over at Liam as he pushes his door open.
“If you find her first, call me.”
“Will do.” I wait until he slams the door before I take off, dialing my dad.
“What’s up, kid?”
“Olivia is missing. I can’t get ahold of her or the friend she was with.”
“I just talked to Cobi.”
“I know, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s fucking missing.”
“Alright, let me get dressed. I’ll make some phone calls and get on the road. What kind of car does she have?”
“She’s not in her car. I think she might be with Kourtney. She drives a black BMW x5.”
“Call Cobi and ask him if he can put out an APB.”
“I will.”
“Love you, kid. It will be okay.”
“Right.” I try to breathe, but my chest feels tight.
“It will be okay.”
“Love you, Dad.” I hang up with him and dial Cobi.
“What’s up, man?”
“I need you to put out an APB for Olivia’s friend’s car.”
“What?”
“She went out with friends after work, and I haven’t been able to get ahold of her or the friend she was with.”
“How long has she been missing?”
“Does it fucking matter?” I bite out.
“I need to know so that I can put that information over the scanner along with the car she drives and how she looks,” he says calmly.
“Right. I don’t know, two hours maybe. She might be in her friend’s car, a black BMW x5. You already know how she looks.”
“Alright, let me make a call, and I’ll get out on the road.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly before I hang up and head toward the water tower where Amy said Kourtney’s parents lived. I rarely come out to this side of town. It’s just dirt roads and open pastures, but with no exact place to look, it seems as good as any to start.