Missing Child (23 page)

‘Arrest?’ Caitlin cried.

‘I’ll cooperate with you in any way I can,’ said Noah. ‘But I’m telling you, there’s no time. Dan Bergen knows where my son is.’

‘Well, thanks to someone taking the law into their own hands, he may never be able to tell us anything,’ said Sam grimly.

Noah turned to Caitlin. ‘Call David Alvarez,’ he said, naming one of the partners in his firm, ‘and have him meet me down at the police station. Will you do that?’

‘Of course,’ she said.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Noah. ‘We’ll get this straightened out.’

Caitlin nodded as Sam took Noah by the arm and led him away.

David Alvarez was a stocky, gray-haired man with piercing black eyes. Tie askew and briefcase in hand, he was already at the police station when Caitlin arrived. He assured Caitlin that everything would be all right, and then accompanied Noah into the interrogation room, along with Sam and another detective.

Caitlin sat outside, waiting. She called Naomi to tell her what had happened, and Naomi announced that she was on her way before Caitlin could get the story out. Caitlin went to a vending machine, bought herself a Coke and sat back down to wait. In a few minutes, Caitlin heard a commotion at the front door of the station house. Naomi, Martha, and Travis arrived. Travis, dressed in his pajamas, slippers and a jacket, had Champ with him on a leash, and the desk sergeant was refusing to admit the boy with his dog.

Martha, normally quiet and seemingly pliant, was shaking with indignation. ‘I want to talk to Chief Burns,’ she insisted. ‘Right now.’

‘Take it easy, Mom,’ Naomi said, trying to soothe her.

‘I intend to give him a piece of my mind,’ Martha insisted.

‘That’s all well and good, ma’am,’ said the desk sergeant. ‘But that dog is not allowed in here. Now you take him out of here right now.’

‘Come on, Ma,’ said Naomi. ‘We’ll have to go.’

‘I’m not budging,’ Martha insisted, gazing off into the middle distance. She was balanced against Naomi’s arm and her small, pudgy frame was trembling. ‘My son lost his wife and this police department did nothing. Then my grandson disappeared. Still nothing. Now they are trying to blame this . . . insanity on Noah!’

‘Ma, take it easy,’ said Naomi. ‘We don’t want to make it worse.’

Caitlin felt suddenly very sorry for Naomi, who looked as if she couldn’t tolerate any more stress. Champ had begun to yip, which wasn’t helping matters.

‘Naomi,’ Caitlin said, ‘I can go outside with Travis and Champ while you two meet with the chief. We’ll go down to the Seven-Eleven and get a slurpee or something.’

‘They won’t let him in there, either,’ said Naomi in exasperation. ‘Travis, I told you to leave the dog at home.’

Travis stuck his lip out and looked away.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Caitlin. ‘I’ll figure something out. I won’t go far. I want to be here when Noah gets done with this.’

Naomi glanced at her mother, who was fuming and clearly did not intend to budge. ‘Really? That would be great,’ said Naomi.

‘Come on, Travis,’ said Caitlin. ‘Bring Champ with you.’

Travis looked to his mother. ‘Do I have to?’

‘Yes,’ said Naomi. ‘It’s your own fault for bringing that dog everywhere.’

Travis frowned and did as he was told while the desk sergeant called Chief Burns to see if he could make time to see Martha Eckhart and her daughter.

Caitlin stepped outside onto the front steps with Travis and the dog.

‘It’s freezing out here,’ said Travis.

‘It has gotten cold,’ said Caitlin. She glanced at her watch. ‘Tell you what. Why don’t we get in my car and wait? I’m parked right over there.’

Travis sighed but he clearly didn’t want to wait outside in the windy September night. He followed Caitlin to her car. Caitlin opened the passenger door, but Travis balked. ‘I want to sit in the back with Champ.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Caitlin. She opened the back door and Champ leapt into the car. Travis climbed in behind him, and Caitlin closed the door. Then she went around the car to the driver’s seat.

‘I’m hungry,’ Travis complained.

‘Did you have dinner?’ Caitlin asked.

‘Ages ago,’ said Travis. ‘Let’s go to McDonald’s.’

Caitlin was about to protest that Travis probably didn’t need a second dinner when she realized that they could get something at the drive-thru window without taking the dog inside. She thought about the nearest McDonald’s. It wasn’t far. It would give her a chance to engage him while he was eating his second meal of the night. ‘All right,’ she said.

‘Cool,’ said Travis.

They drove in silence to the fast-food restaurant. Champ was a model pup, quiet throughout the journey. Caitlin pulled up to the speaker where one placed an order.

‘What do you want?’ she asked.

‘Three cheeseburgers, a large fries and a chocolate shake,’ Travis said promptly.

‘You don’t need all that,’ said Caitlin. She spoke into the speaker. ‘A burger, small fries and a small coke,’ she said.

‘I need a burger for Champ,’ Travis protested.

Caitlin doubted that Champ would see a bite but, after a moment’s hesitation, she amended the order.

‘Pull up to the window,’ a disembodied voice replied.

She paid for and picked up the order and then pulled into a parking space just beyond the drive-thru window. She handed the bag back to Travis. There was rustling of paper in the back seat as Travis dove into it.

‘How come you didn’t get any?’ he asked through a mouthful of food.

‘I’m not hungry,’ said Caitlin. ‘I’m too worried about your uncle.’

‘What did Uncle Noah do?’ Travis asked.

‘The police think he hurt Geordie’s Uncle Dan,’ said Caitlin.

‘Did he?’ Travis asked through a mouthful of food.

‘I . . . don’t think so,’ she said. Then she hesitated. ‘You know Uncle Dan, right?’

‘He’s the one with the nice car. He goes to all the games,’ said Travis.

‘That’s the one,’ said Caitlin.

‘Geordie’s always bragging that his Uncle Dan is going to take him to the games but he never does. I told Geordie, nobody wants a little first-grade baby around at those big games.’

Caitlin glanced into the rear-view mirror. To her mild surprise she saw that Travis was dutifully sharing a hamburger with Champ. ‘How’s Champ liking that burger?’ she said.

Travis looked up, his expression furtive and guilty, and caught her gaze in the mirror. ‘I told you he would eat it,’ Travis said defensively.

‘I know, I know. It’s fine.’

‘Why are you looking at us like that?’

‘I’m not. I just wanted to ask you something.’

‘What?’ Travis asked suspiciously.

‘Travis, did Geordie ever say anything about his Uncle Dan to you?’ she asked.

‘No,’ said Travis.

‘Are you sure? Think about it, Travis. Sometimes adults ask kids to do stuff with them that they . . . shouldn’t. Things they’re ashamed of. Things their parents don’t know about. Stuff they need to keep secret.’

Travis stopped chewing and was silent for a moment. Then he balled up the paper bag and punched it, making it pop.

Caitlin turned around in the seat and looked at him gravely. He was frowning at Champ, raking his fingers through the dog’s furry coat. ‘Do you know about anything like that?’

Travis glared at her. ‘No.’

‘Travis, if you know something, no matter how bad it is, you have to tell me now. This is a matter of life and death. There can’t be any more secrets now. Do you understand me?’

Travis glared at her. ‘I’m not telling anything. You can’t make me.’

‘You do know something. What do you know?’ Caitlin demanded.

‘Take me back. I want to go back,’ he insisted.

‘Travis, you can’t go back. Not if you know something. You had better tell me right now. I’m not playing games with you, Travis.’

‘NO,’ he cried. ‘Leave me alone.’

Part of her wanted to take him and shake the truth out of him, but she knew it was wrong to threaten him. ‘OK,’ said Caitlin. ‘OK. Take it easy.’

Travis grabbed Champ and hugged him around the neck. Champ made a little pleading whine in Travis’s ferocious embrace.

‘OK, calm down now. We’re gonna go back.’

‘Right now!’ he screamed.

Caitlin had to resist the urge to slap him. She felt sure that he knew something about Geordie and he wouldn’t say it, even though Geordie’s life might depend on it. But she couldn’t force him to tell, no matter how angry she felt. She needed to calm down herself. She took a deep breath. ‘Here, Travis, give me that bag and I’ll throw it in the trash can over there,’ Caitlin said. ‘Just take it easy. There’s nothing to worry about, OK?’

Travis hesitated, and then handed the bag over the seat. Caitlin took it from him. ‘I’ll just throw this away and then I’ll take you right back to your mom. OK?’

Travis did not reply, but watched her with suspicion in his eyes.

She opened the door on her side and got out, feeling like she needed a moment to think. Obviously there was a secret, and Travis knew it. What did he know? And what did it have to do with Dan and Geordie? Was it possible that Dan had somehow been meeting secretly with Geordie? No, she thought. How could it be? She always knew where Geordie was – she made sure of that. Or she thought she knew.

She felt sick to her stomach at the idea that Geordie might have been a victim of some terrible, adult design, and she hadn’t known it. She had to find a way to learn whatever secret it was that Travis was hiding. When she thought about it, he had reacted strangely this afternoon too, when she asked about Emily. It was as if he was furious with her for bringing up Emily’s death. Well, he was probably too upset to tell her anything now. Maybe she could appeal to Naomi to try and get him to part with whatever it was he knew.

She put the bag into the trash can, turned and walked back to the car. She opened the door and slid back into the driver’s seat. ‘I’m sorry if I upset you, Travis,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to. I’m just upset myself, and this is a hard time for everybody.’ She turned around to look at him. There was no one in the back seat. Travis and Champ were gone.

TWENTY-FOUR

‘
O
h my God. Travis!’ she cried, jumping out of the car and scanning the well-lit parking lot. He was nowhere in sight. ‘Travis!’

She ran out to the street and looked up and down, but neither the boy nor the dog was visible in the darkness. Where could he have gone? Could someone have snatched him and put him in their car? Caitlin felt like she couldn’t catch her breath.

She ran back to the drive-thru window. The clerk, a bored-looking teenage girl wearing a visor, seemed vaguely startled to see her standing there.

‘Did you see a little boy get out of that car over there? With a dog?’ she cried.

‘You can’t walk up to this window,’ said the girl. ‘You have to be in your car.’

‘I’m asking you a question. This is important,’ Caitlin demanded.

‘I didn’t see anything,’ the girl said irritably.

Caitlin ran around to the front of the restaurant, which sat on a corner, darted across the parking lot and looked down the other street. ‘Travis!’ she called out. But there was no answer.

Is he hiding from me? she thought. Her hands were shaking and her heart was hammering. Stop, she thought. Get a grip. Maybe he wanted ice cream or something and went back into the restaurant. It will take one minute to look. If he’s not there, she thought, I’ll have to call the police.

She ran down to the doors nearest the service counter, and jerked them open. She burst into the restaurant with panic written on her face. As she rushed up to the counter, she came face-to-face with Geordie’s photo on a ‘Missing’ poster which was taped to the back of the register. Caitlin stopped and stared, momentarily poleaxed by the unexpected sight of her missing child’s face.

A mild-looking, middle-aged man in a striped shirt approached her. He was wearing a name tag which identified him as the manager. ‘Are you all right, ma’am?’ he asked.

‘I can’t find . . . him. A little boy – about ten – and his dog. We were eating out in the car. And I went to throw away the trash. He’s gone. Have you seen a boy and a little dog?’

The manager looked at his crew behind the counter, who all shook their heads.

‘I’m afraid not,’ he said. ‘How long ago . . .?’

‘Just a few minutes ago. No more than a few minutes.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘I’ve seen him,’ said an older man wearing a golfer’s cap, in a loud, cranky voice. He had a sour expression and was shaking his head. He started to sit down with the old woman who was waiting for him when he caught sight of the manager.

‘Damned unsanitary if you ask me. A dog in the men’s room?’

Caitlin let out a cry and doubled over in relief. ‘Oh, thank God. Oh, thank you. She began to run to the door of the men’s room.

‘Hey, wait a minute,’ said the manager. ‘You can’t . . .’

She didn’t give him time to finish. She pushed open the men’s room and door and burst inside. There was no one standing at the urinals, for which she was grateful. She bent down and instantly saw furry haunches and a pair of sheepskin slippers beneath pajamas in one of the stalls.

‘Travis!’ she cried.

The manager followed her inside.

Before he could protest, she pointed to the stall. ‘They’re in there,’ she said.

Champ let out an accommodating bark.

‘Son, you need to come out of there,’ said the manager. ‘There’s no dogs allowed in here.’

‘No,’ said Travis.

‘Your mom here is awfully worried,’ he said. ‘Now come on out, right now.’

‘She’s not my mom,’ Travis cried in a voice full of indignation.

Caitlin’s face burned as the manager frowned at her. ‘It’s true. I’m his aunt.’

‘Why did you say you were his mother?’ the manager asked suspiciously.

‘I . . . didn’t.’

‘You know we’ve had a kidnapping recently in this town. I’m not going to send this child off with just anybody,’ he scolded her.

‘You’re right. I should have explained. I’m sorry,’ said Caitlin.

‘This lady says she’s your aunt? Is that right?’ he called out to Travis.

‘Don’t make me go with her,’ Travis protested.