Page 24 of Wrong Turn

“I contacted the college. They have a sexual abuse survivor group. I’m going to that. It’s been really helpful to hear other people’s stories. You should come, Lei.”

Lei felt a prickling of alarm on the back of her neck. “I don’t know. I’m not a group kind of person. I’ll think about it.”

She had so much more than the one incident in Mexico banging around in the back of her brain. She might remember more about what Charlie Kwon had done to her, and she didn’t want to. If she opened that door, it could all come tumbling out and take over her life, and she was not about to let that happen.He’d stolen enough from her.

Kelly stood up. “They say it helps to tell your story, but I don’t want to tell our story in the group . . . because you know—murder and everything.”

“You and I didn’t kill anyone,” Lei said softly. “Harry did. Harry also took the baby, which I’m pretty sure was illegal. I’m not saying that was a bad thing, and I don’t know what else she could have done that would have been better for the baby. I’ve heard the orphanages are bad down there. Harry obviously fell in love with the baby, and I’m sure she’ll give the kid a good home. But the whole thing . . . it’s just not something we should ever talk about.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Kelly said. “In the group I just talked about the actual attack on the two of us, and how they kidnapped me, and what they did to me. The first time I told what happened, it felt good, like I had this giant . . . I don’t know what, like a boil or something—it popped, and all this poison came out.”

“Now that’s just gross,” Lei said, and they both laughed.

It felt good to laugh.

“I told my parents that I was stressed out, and I wanted to go to personal therapy, too. I researched a method for traumatic memories called EMDR,” Kelly said. “It’s new. It’s cutting-edge. Maybe it will help.”

“That’s great. Let me know how it goes.” But once again, Lei felt that prickling. She wasn’t ready to deal with her past, with all that had happened to her eleven years ago, let alone with what had happened to her in Mexico just two weeks ago.

The girls jogged all the way back to Kelly’s house with Keiki at their side. Kelly patted the dog’s head as they said goodbye. “I sure feel safe and secure with her,” Kelly said. “Did you see how people go way around us?”

“It makes me a little sad,” Lei said. “Keiki is so well-trained. She would never attack someone unless I told her to.”

“Well maybe you’re the one people need to be afraid of,” Kelly said, and they both laughed again.

Chapter Fifteen

Lei answeredthe door in the afternoon of the following day. An older couple stood on the porch, holding a clipboard. Both plump, gray-haired, and dressed in California casual, they had identical anxious expressions on their pale faces. “Hi. Is Rosario at home?” the woman asked.

“I’m sorry, no. She’s at the restaurant. Can I help?”

Behind her, Keiki crowded close, her chest rumbling with an incipient growl at the sight of possible intruders. Lei lowered a hand to her side and snapped her fingers. Keiki settled onto her haunches, waiting for a signal.

“Oh, that’s too bad. She knew about our project, organizing a neighborhood patrol against those robbers that have come into our area,” the older woman said. “My name is Liza, and this is my husband, Gregory.”

“I’m Lei, Rosario’s niece, and this is our dog, Keiki.” Lei gestured for Keiki to come forward to meet the couple. Both of them stepped backward nervously, and Lei held up a hand. “Keiki is a very well-trained guard dog. We got her after the burglaries began. She would never hurt you.”

The two were eventually persuaded to step forward and let Keiki sniff them. Gregory tentatively patted Keiki’s shiny head, giving her a scratch behind her ears.

“Well, since Rosario isn’t here, can we tell you what we’re organizing? Maybe you and Keiki can help us with our project,” Liza said.

“Sure. Let’s all get comfortable.” Lei gestured them to a set of wicker furniture, a little dusty and covered with leaves, out on the porch. She brushed off the cushions, and the three sat, Keiki beside Lei in her armchair.

Gregory leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and cleared his throat. “Perhaps Rosario told you about our home invasion. The robbers broke into our house while we were sleeping. When we woke up, they forced us out of bed, and tied us up. They put us in the closet. I wasn’t able to tell the police much about them, except that it was two male perpetrators—they were wearing ski masks. They were also armed.”

“That is so scary and very serious,” Lei said. “I’m so glad you weren’t injured! Yes, Aunty did tell me about that. We’ve both slept better since we got Keiki to keep an eye on our house.”

All of them looked at the beautiful Rottweiler, sitting upright beside Lei with a curious expression in her brown eyes, her head tilted as if she understood every word they were saying.

“Anyway, the police know all about it, and it’s an open case—but we’re not convinced the burglars are done with our area,” Gregory said.

“I’m not convinced of that either,” Lei said.

“Our therapist suggested that we take some action steps so that we don’t just feel like we’ve been . . . victimized, for lack of a better word,” Liza said. “So that inspired us to take this on.”

“Is that what this project is about?”

“Yes.” Liza held up the clipboard. “We are organizing nighttime foot patrols of the neighborhood. We’re asking our friends and neighbors to go in pairs throughout the area of the burglaries. We have gotten approval and support from the police for this plan, and we have a direct line to the patrol cars assigned to our neighborhood. When someone who is walking this neighborhood sees something suspicious, they are to contact the patrol cars assigned to us right away.”

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