Mountain of Lies

Chapter 14

Mia walked through the room her mother had taken at the seniors' resort. Her belongings were set out neatly, not a thing out of place other than a damp bathing suit over the rail in the bathtub. At first Mia had been surprised when she found her mother's message on the dating site they'd agreed to use as a virtual meeting place, saying she liked to vacation at the Silver Waves Hotspring Resort. But then she'd laughed and decided it was a good sign her mother had decided to have fun while she hid out and waited for Mia. She couldn't guarantee there'd by much to enjoy about witness protection. And what better place to hide than among a resort full of seniors

Neville wagged his tail at her from his spot beside the door. She hadn't bothered to inquire about the resort's pet policy. She wasn't planning on staying longer than it took to get her mom packed and into the car she'd purchased with cash after she'd left Hudson's ride at a bus station.

He wasn't the only one with a bug-out plan—Mia was wearing a salt-and-pepper wig, a sun hat, and large sunglasses. She filled the ice bucket with water for Neville and directed him to a stay under the screened window where he had the best chance of catching a breeze. This side of the mountains fall had failed to materialize and where the coast was cooling and wet, the heart of BC's interior was enjoying an almost tropical extension of summer.

She could feel the heat of the sand even through her sandals and was suddenly grateful for the protection of the ridiculous hat. Long sleeves and pants covered her too-young skin and as she looked around at the years of sun damage on display, she reminded herself to stock up on sunscreen.

Sun loungers were set every few feet. Each one was occupied and rows of bodies dotted the sand down to the shoreline as well. Mia opted to move to the crushed shell path that ran above the line of loungers. She could see the entire beach from that vantage point, but it left her trying to identify her mother from behind.

She was nearly at the rocky slope at the far end of the cove before a familiar beach bag caught her attention. She was rushing forward, her lips rounding over the word Mom, when the person walking in front of her moved aside, and she could see the lounger was empty.

Or nearly empty. A book lay face down, spine cracked, carelessly discarded in a way that set Mia's teeth on edge. Her mother was a voracious reader who would never treat a book so badly. The beach bag that had captured Mia's attention was on its side, contents scattered. Mia forced herself to maintain a casual pace and strolled by, cataloguing the scene in her mind the way she thought Hudson might.

A piece of paper fluttered from under the book. Something about it was wrong, and Mia puzzled over it as she made the last few steps to the end of the promenade. She scanned the beach as she started back, thankful for the discretion of her sunglasses. No one was paying the slightest attention to her mother's belongings, and Mia took the chance to step closer.

A rock pinned the book flat to the cushion. The page she'd seen fluttering didn't belong to the book itself. The colour was off. That must have been what caught her eye. The scenario looked deliberate. And somehow malevolent.

The paper lifted again in the breeze, and the scent of her mom's perfume rose with it, probably from the towel draped over the back of the lounger. Mia's breath caught and she eased herself down before her legs lost their strength. She slid the book out from under the rock. It was the latest bestseller. Her mom was nothing if not current. Sure enough, a needlepoint bookmark rested between the back pages. Mia smoothed her finger over the stitches and blinked back tears. Messy, bumpy ones she'd set herself, and the tiny, neat ones her mother had put in to finish the project when Mia had given up.

She didn't give up on things anymore. She was so close. So close to getting her mother away to safety. So close to ending this whole miserable chapter of her life. But where was her mom? Mia slid the bookmark between the pages where the book had been held open and unfolded the sheet of loose paper.