Flush

Noah, Donna, and Paine get into the family car and go searching for Abbey at the Coral Queen dock. The guard shack light is on. When the three enter to investigate, they find Dusty inside. Donna attempts to make peace between Dusty and Paine. Noah says, “Dusty had promised to drop the criminal charges only if Dad agreed to behave. Mom must have figured that this was as good a time as any for Dad to start acting remorseful, even if he didn’t mean it” (122).

They ask if Dusty has seen Abbey. The casino owner is baffled and calls his head of security, Luno, to the shack. Noah recognizes Luno as the bald man who attacked Abbey and may have threatened or possibly killed Lice. Luno says he hasn’t seen Abbey either. The family leaves. As they drive toward home, plotting their next move, they spot Abbey walking by the side of the road. She smiles slyly and “stuck out a thumb. ‘How about a ride?’ she called out” (128).

The following morning, Abbey explains that she took the video camera from the yard and staked out the Coral Queen, hoping to catch the vessel in the act of dumping waste into the bay.