Victoria: I saw your flight landed twenty minutes ago. Did you find a decent hotel yet?
Victoria: Satellite weather prediction says there’s a storm headed your way. Are you at your hotel?
Victoria: Please tell me you’re not driving in those conditions.
Victoria: Alaska has a higher rate of missing persons than the national average. Don’t be one of them, Angie.
Victoria: Answer your phone or I’m getting on the next flight to Fairbanks.
Shit! Vicky didn’t make empty threats, and unlike me, she had the means to buy another plane ticket.
I swiped to return her call. A picture of Vicky wearing a tiara that said “birthday girl” and scowling harshly filled my screen.
“What the hell, Angie? I’ve been calling you for an hour!”
I held the phone away from my ear with a wince. She could be so loud sometimes.
“Sorry, my phone was on vibrate. It’s been a stressful day.”
“For both of us, thanks to you. Human trafficking is still a concern in Alaska, y’know.”
I would laugh, except I knew my sister was serious. If there was a statistical risk of danger, she was an expert on it.
“I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Vicky sighed heavily on the other line. “I still don’t understand why you have to do this.”
“I need closure.” I need to knowwhy.
What did I do wrong—or what was wrong with me?
“Where are you right now? Please tell me you aren’t in some creepy motel.”
I considered lying to her, but there wasn’t any point. If she caught a whiff of my dishonesty, she would probably triangulate our call and find my latitude and longitude within the hour.
I couldn’t blame her for worrying. We grew up in the same household, and where I became unattached and escaped, Vicky became overly cautious and reserved. I just wished she would lighten up sometimes.
“Actually, it’s not creepy. The decor is…retro.”
“When are you going to see Evan? Did you tell him you’re in Alaska?”
“No way, that would defeat the purpose of surprising him on his doorstep and making him look like an ass.”
“Someone is going to look like a fool, Angie. I’m worried it’s you.”
“Well, you’re wrong,” I snapped. Cooling my temper, I added, “Anyway, it won’t be me because I’ve got a hot new boyfriend and he’s going with me to confront Evan. After I meet his mother, of course.”
My sister spluttered on the other line. Any normal person would have said, “What the fuck?” But when she finally found her words, Vicky only murmured, “That is such a great way to become one of Alaska’s above-average missing persons!”
Man, she was really hung up on that one.
“He’s way too polite to be a creeper. Oh look, here he comes, gotta go!”
Her voice echoed from the speaker on my phone. I ignored her, pressing the red button to hang up and pouring copious amounts of French vanilla creamer into both paper cups of coffee.
My sister’s face appeared on my screen again. I denied the call. Seconds later, a message notification trilled.
Victoria: Send me the address!!!!
