Never Look Back

“Do you really think this will work?”

Becca had been skeptical about everything Pat had suggested. All of the guys were off visiting family or getting things settled at their place. Pat’s family were all working or off doing something and they were going out to dinner so he volunteered to dedicate the day to Kelly.

“Becca, every single thing I’ve said you ask if I think it’ll work,” he said, raising an eyebrow as they walked into the motel’s lobby. They had been going in and out of them with a picture of her rogue best friend. No one had recognized her so far.

“I just don’t think she would have wasted time with a motel.”

It was true. Becca was nearly certain Kelly would have found someone’s house to stay in or just slept in her car. If she was lucky (which she was), she would have found some rock star to take her home the very same night of her arrival. It was, of course, just the way she was.

“I think it’s our best bet going right now,” Pat said. The man behind the counter looked bored and when they leaned against the counter he smiled. His eyes darted between Pat and Becca and he smirked.

“One room then?” he asked. The two looked at each other with wide eyes before protesting loudly and blushing. Pat slid the picture of Kelly across the counter.

“We were wondering if this girl got a room anytime within the last week or two. She’s been missing for a while and we’re trying to figure out where she went,” he explained. The man looked between the both of them and then down at the picture.

“Yeah! I did see this one. She was a bit funny wasn’t she? Waltzed in around noon, got a room, came out lookin’ real nice, and then around one in the morning she came back in the office with some guy, sayin’ she didn’t need the room anymore,” he said. He rubbed a fat hand over his bald head.

“You’ve seen this girl?” Becca burst out, pointing at the picture of Kelly. The man nodded and took a handful of the peanuts he was eating. Her and Pat looked at each other excitedly. This was the best news Becca had heard in a while. “When? How long ago was this?”

“Three days ago only, she came in a hurry and she left in a hurry that one.”

“Thank you so much sir,” Pat said, steering Becca out of the lobby. As soon as they got in the parking lot Becca jumped in the air. She was talking a mile a minute about how happy she was. Pat found it cute and he jumped and danced around with her.

“I knew it! I knew she would come to Tempe. You and Garrett looked at me like I was fucking crazy but I knew it!” she yelled triumphantly. Pat laughed and got in the car. She sighed happily, a grin splashed across her face. “I knew it.”

“And I knew where to look so ha! You doubted me but I told you. Three days isn’t that long ago. She’s probably still around here somewhere,” he said confidently.

“That’s true,” Becca agreed but it wasn’t necessarily the truth. It took only a minute to decide to leave a place and only a minute to get in the car and go there. Kelly was impulsive. The man at the motel had said Kelly left with a guy. Ten bucks said he had straight hair, skinny jeans, and played a bass guitar.

“You still look worried,” Pat said. Becca looked at him and smiled tightly. They were stopped at a red light and he was watching her. His eyebrows were knit together in confusion and he looked honestly concerned for her.

“I am worried. It took me one whole day to get from Chicago to Tempe. You can cover a lot of ground in three days.”

“We’re going to find her Becca. I know we will.”