“You just told me you had almost four thousand dollars’ worth of traveler’s checks. Believe me, scammers know how to cash those in. As well as your Eurail pass and passport. Not to mention your credit card. In fact, we should put a stop to that right now. You’d be shocked at how quickly they can put those to use.”
“But I don’t know the number.” Meredith thought about Dad. What would he say if he got stuck with a huge bill?
“No worries. The company should be able to pull it up for us.” Carrie reached for her phone. “Is it a Visa or what?”
“Visa.”
Faith came in and, flopping into an armchair, gave Meredith a weak smile. “It’s a mess for sure, but I told you my aunt would know what to do.”
“Good that it’s Visa.” Carrie pulled out her own Visa card from her wallet, looking for the customer service number on the back. “At least they cover fraud like this. They may already be on it.” She started to dial. “I’ll get this started and then you talk to them.”
After a rather lengthy conversation with Visa, Carrie asked Meredith about her own phone. “Of course, the crooks will sell it too, wipe it clean. But if there’s tracking on it, the police might be able to use it. What’s the number?”
Meredith told her. “It’s just a cheap phone. I was worried I could lose it.” A surge of panic ran through her. “But it had phone numbers in the directory. Like my dad’s. I don’t even know his number.” She felt a lump in her throat. “Although he’s doing the PCT this summer.”
Carrie frowned. “The PCT?”
“Pacific Crest Trail.” She explained how he and two teacher buddies had done it in stages and hoped this would be the last one. “I think they’re somewhere in Oregon. Probably out of connectivity anyway.”
“What about your mom?”
“Her mom’s dead,” Faith contributed.
“Sorry.” Carrie winced. “Anyone who can wire you money? Grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends?”
Meredith felt sick inside. It had always just been her and dad. Pretty bleak to admit. “I, uh, I can’t think of anyone right now. But I’ll try.” Her dad seemed a million miles away. And she felt more alone than ever.
“Well, the consulate may be able to help.” Carrie frowned. “The trickiest thing will be waiting for your passport, which may be sold by now. These creeps are well networked and work fast. I’m guessing you were one of many victims. For all we know, your Louise and Hans could’ve raked in a hundred grand today.”
“You’re kidding! In one day?”
“Think how quickly they fleeced you, Meredith. And what they got from you could be worth as much as ten thousand.”
“But I didn’t have that much—”
“You’d be shocked at what a US passport brings in these days.”
“More like sickened.”
Carrie waved her notepad. “I need to get this information to the police. You girls start dinner while I make this call. It’s possible they’ll want to come out and talk to you in person, but I doubt it.” The way Carrie said this last part sounded like a warning for them not to get their hopes up.
As Meredith cleaned veggies for a salad, she felt fairly certain it really was hopeless. The police would never catch those criminals and retrieve her things, and they probably knew it. Sure, she was grateful for a place to stay and someone who wanted to help, but what was the point? She’d been through a lot in life but wasn’t sure she’d ever felt quite this hopeless. And besides being a stupid fool, what had she done to deserve this?
3
Despite the hard floor, strange city sounds and surroundings, and a mountain of troubles to face the next day, Meredith had slept relatively well. But when she woke up the next morning, she was lost and confused. Where should she begin to untangle this kind of mess? The police had heard her story, thanks to Carrie’s help, the credit card was stopped, and a search was on for her phone, but the rest of her challenges still lay ahead. According to Carrie, it could take weeks to get her passport replaced. And the airline might help with her missing ticket, although that sounded a bit iffy.
In the meantime, how was she supposed to live? She couldn’t sponge off her hosts the entire time. The apartment was overly crowded with three women sharing one postage-stamp-sized bathroom. This morning was quieter with Carrie sleeping in and Faith having already gone to work, but Meredith was anxious to figure out her life. To occupy herself, she’d been giving the apartment a thorough cleaning. Not that it was filthy, but perhaps it was a bit neglected.
She was just putting the finishing touches on the bathroom when she heard Carrie approaching. Not wanting to be a nuisance, she scurried out.
“Good morning,” Carrie said in a surprisingly cheerful tone.
Meredith returned a muttered greeting then scooted off, wanting to stay out of the way. She was nearly to the kitchen when Carrie called after her.
“Did you sleep okay?”
Meredith stopped, turning to her host. “Yes. Surprisingly well. Thanks.”
