"Not really. She'd take off and come back with some amazing story. And pictures. Always pictures. Do you really think she could be with Vincent?"
"I don't believe in coincidences."
I remember her telling me that Vincent was hot that day at the hotel. "You might check The Chateau. It's her favorite hotel and it's where she met Vincent to begin with."
"I'll call you if I hear anything. You swear to me, she doesn't know where you are? If she does, I want you out of there now. I'm serious."
"I swear."
I hit the end button on my phone with a shaking hand. I know at any moment I'm going to burst into tears. I can't go to class.
I run my hand through my hair, look up, and see the chapel at the top of the hill. I put my head down and quickly walk toward it.
Later that night . . .
I screw up every single dance number I do. I can't concentrate. Can't keep one train of thought.
I want to check my phone, but our dance advisor makes us leave them in our lockers during the game. I'm the first one into the locker room at halftime. We have exactly eight minutes before we have to be on the field to perform with the band.
There is one message from Garrett.
Garrett: We've tapped into Vincent's phone records. (Don't ask.) He only made one call last night to his office number. We assume that's when he told them he wouldn't be in. Haven't seen or heard from him or Vanessa. RiAnne responded to your Facebook message. She asked a bunch of questions about you, but said she is really worried about Vanessa. She said she even tried to reach Vanessa's dad, but that he is not answering his phone. She says she is "freaking out worried." We are in the process of running their credit cards. We're proceeding as if it's a kidnapping at this point. It's been nearly 24 hours.
My throat drops into my stomach.
Me: If she's not found by tomorrow morning, I'm getting on a plane and coming home.
Garrett: You will do nothing. Understand me. Nothing. Please do not compound this situation for me.
Me: I can't sit here in hiding while my friend is wherever with him. I can't.
Garrett: I am sending someone to sit outside your school. If you attempt to leave, you will be detained. Do you understand me?
And after the game . . .
The dorm is quiet. Most everyone has left for the weekend. Katie and Maggie must have already left for Annie's. Her parents are out of town and they are spending the weekend there. I wasn't invited to go with them, but they all thought I was going with Dawson.
I wash my face, put on some pjs, and fall into bed.
I am just on the edge of sleep when my phone rings.
I instantly shoot up in bed, panic griping me when I see Garrett's name.
"Did you find her? Please tell me she's okay."
"She posted a picture on Facebook. We can run it through our facial recognition software, but I thought you might know faster. I just sent you the photo."
Up pops a photo of Vanessa wrapped in a pair of deeply tanned arms.
"Ohmigawd!" I squeal with delight. "She's with Bam Bam! That's why her dad isn't reachable either. She's with her dad on Bam's yacht."
"Want to tell me who Bam Bam is?"
"Sure. His name is Juan Fabio Martinez. He's an Argentinian polo player. He's really talented, went pro at fifteen, and he's only a year older than me and Vanessa. His dad owns, well, like, South America, I think. He's awesome. He's looks like a Polo Ken doll and even comes with his own set of toys."
"His own set of toys?"
"Yeah. Yachts, boats, suitcases full of cash, a helicopter, a ranch, horses, and Ferraris. Always a Ferrari. And always red. Last count he had eight. All different years and models. Every year around this time, he has a party on the yacht. His dad does some business with Vanessa's dad, and she and I have gone the last two years. I forgot about that. If you would have let me keep my phone, I could have saved us both a lot of worry. I'm sure he texted me."
"So she's safe and not with Vincent?"
"I'm positive. She's safe and not with Vincent."
"Look at the photo carefully. Are you sure it's new, not from last year?"
"I'm positive. Vanessa is in a bikini I have never seen. She has new caramel colored highlights, and Bam has a new tattoo. See the Ferrari prancing pony on his shoulder. That's new."
Garrett lets out a big breath. "Good. I'm still worried that we don't know where Vincent is. Will you be at school all weekend?"
"No, I'm going to my loft in the morning."
He lets out another big breath. "Even better."
I get off the phone and say a prayer. Thanking God that Vanessa is okay.
Vincent has an enjoyable weekend on the yacht to an extent-she never shows up.
While he is out on the ocean with Vanessa, he recalls seeing her at the pool when she got back from Europe.
"Like I said. I wanted to celebrate. I also have big news for you."
"What's that?"
"The script is done."
"Really? That's awesome! When do I get to read it? Can you, like, messenger it to my house? Have you started auditions yet?"
"Not yet. I want to get you locked in first."
And he has a revelation. Keatyn isn't some girl fresh off the farm that can be convinced of anything. Growing up in the business means she's probably heard horror stories about the casting couch. The fact that he didn't send her the script once it was done, didn't go through an agent, and kept trying to get her to go somewhere with him probably made her nervous. He has to legitimize the remake. He has to keep going forward with the project. He needs to create hype for the remake within the industry. Get the buzz going. He knows she wants this role. Maybe she will come back to him on her own accord.
As we're walking toward the student center for lunch, Jake and Bryce tell me they have to go do something for football real quick, but that Dawson wants me to wait at the table for him. That they'll be there shortly.
"Um, no thanks. I don't have a death wish."
"Just sit there, Monroe, and don't let her give you any shit."
I sigh big. "Fine."
I'm actually kind of excited to see Whitney. I hope she looks me up and down and gives me a dirty look. It will mean that I look good. Today is the first day that I haven't worn one of Kym's looks. I'm wearing a look I put together myself. As you would expect, it started with a new pair of shoes: deep red suede Louboutin T-strap platforms with leopard heels. I paired them with the plaid skort, a cream-colored Dolce & Gabbana ruffled-front silk blouse, red silk headband, black cardigan, and a fun Juicy Couture charm bracelet.
As I'm confidently walking to the student center, I get a photo texted to me from Garrett.
I pull it up and see another photo of Vanessa with Bam. His arm is wrapped around her and she's smiling coyly. She looks really happy. And I can't help but hope that she is. I look a little closer and notice that she's cropped them out of a group of people. I can see numerous body parts behind and around them.
Me: Another photo. Why?
Garrett: Look closely. At the arm on Vanessa's right.
I enlarge the photo.
And feel like I'm going to throw up.
Not only is a scrolly Abby tattoo clear, but Vincent has a new one.
Up on his wrist.
A chaos tattoo just like mine.
Me: Holy shit! He got a tattoo just like mine?!
Garrett: What? I just saw Abby.
Me: The Chinese symbol on his wrist is in almost the exact location as Brooklyn's. It makes me feel sick. Do you think the security B has is sufficient or have they cut back too?
Garrett: I think while he's out of the country he is fine. I already suggested more undercover security for when he is back in the states. Promise me you won't go see him.
Me: I promise. I'm sorry, but that's just fucked up.
Garrett: My thoughts exactly.
The whore's movie is coming out soon. He's seen the trailer sneaks. He's heard the buzz surrounding the movie. He know she's going out on tour.
And he knows her schedule.
It's one thing to go with no makeup to win an Academy Award, but it's entirely another to go without clothes. Grandmother once lost out to an actress who did just that, of course, back then what was considered risque is much different than what it is now.
His grandmother would be horrified of what Abby has become.
His anger and frustration of not being able to find his star is starting to bubble over. He decides that the warning letters aren't enough. He needs something more concrete, more visual. Something that will upset her more than words.
He killed her first husband for her. He can certainly kill the next. And she needs to know it.
He takes a laptop to his shed behind Grandmother's house, pulls on his gloves, and makes something special just for her-a video of Tommy getting shot, of his head getting blown off in a slow motion movie.
Abby can't eat. She can't sleep. She feels like she can barely function. Even though she knows Keatyn is somewhere safe, she misses her daughter terribly. And she feels responsible. She is responsible.
The guilt is overwhelming. And although she hasn't told anyone, the letters from the stalker haven't stopped since they sent Keatyn away. In fact, they keep getting worse. Darker, more threatening. He suggests that no one in her family is safe from him.
She has to protect her children.
So she comes up with a plan.
She needs to become the focus of his obsession, not her daughter. So she's going to offer herself up to him. She's going out on tour. She's going to be highly visible.
Garrett and Tommy both have an absolute fit when she tells them she's going on tour to promote her movie.
"But that's the movie that set him over the edge," Tommy argues.
"I can't stop my career because of a stupid stalker. I won't!" she says, not taking no for an answer.
She looks at Tommy and at her babies, who are all lined up on the couch with their puppy, watching a movie, and knows what she has to do. She was lucky that Keatyn got away from Vincent at her party. She knows next time, they won't be so lucky.
So she has no choice.
She's going to have to leave them.
She just has to let it play out in the press before she does, otherwise, somehow, he will figure out the truth. And if he does, she knows without a doubt that he will kill Tommy.
Vincent knows when Abby will be in New York. And he knows that's where Lacy has to be. He knows she will see her daughter. This is too important of a job to leave to anyone else. He's going to New York and he'll follow Abby himself.
And once he's reunited with Lacy, the whore must die.
Now that everyone has their dresses, we're at a department store looking at jewelry, handbags, and shoes.
Katie, Maggie, and Annie rush over to Peyton and me. "I just heard one for the sales girls say that Abby Johnston is here. In THIS VERY STORE! Can you believe that?"
"Um, no, actually, I can't." My mom is here? Could that be true? Garrett did say she was taking a trip.
"We're all going down to the cosmetics department. That's where she's supposed to be. We're going to go stalk her and see if we can get a picture with her."
Shit. I can't go see her.
But I want to see her.
God, I want to see her.
They all take off, but Annie turns back around to look at me. I'm still standing here, frozen in my spot.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Um, you guys go. I lived in LA. Seeing a celebrity isn't that big of deal to me. I'm gonna go back and get that clutch I saw earlier. I think it would be perfect with my dress for the dance. I'll meet up with you later."
She runs off and I slink over to the second floor balcony, where I can see down to the cosmetics and perfume counters. I spot Mom right away. There are two men, Ryan and Craig, in black suits trailing closely behind her. James is not with her, which is surprising. He almost always accompanies Mom when Tommy doesn't. It makes Tommy worry less.
Which means Mom made James stay with the girls. Which means she's worried about them.
Which makes me worry.