Missing Child (24 page)

‘Travis, stop it,’ Caitlin said.

The manager reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. ‘Nobody’s going to make you go anywhere, son.’ He began to punch in some numbers.

‘What are you doing?’ Caitlin asked.

‘Could you please exit the men’s room, ma’am. I’m going to have the police come get this boy and they can sort it out.’

‘What about Travis?’ Caitlin demanded.

‘He’ll be fine in there for the time being, until the police get here. I’ll stay right here with him.’

Caitlin had no choice but to accept his decision. She went and sat at a two-person formica table by the front window. She pressed Naomi’s number and waited for her sister-in-law to answer.

As soon as Naomi heard her voice she cried, ‘What is going on, Caitlin? An officer just told me that Travis is locked in a bathroom at the McDonald’s?’

‘I take it you’re still at the police station,’ said Caitlin.

‘We were just leaving,’ said Naomi. ‘Noah’s going to have stay here tonight.’

‘Oh, no,’ said Caitlin.

‘I asked you about Travis,’ Naomi said impatiently.

‘He’s fine. He’s all right,’ said Caitlin. ‘He and Champ are in the bathroom and they won’t come out until you get here.’

‘You were supposed to be minding him. Thanks a lot, Caitlin,’ said Naomi sarcastically. ‘I need this right now.’

Naomi hung up before Caitlin could apologize and as Caitlin saw a squad car, lights flashing, pulling into the fast-food emporium’s parking lot.

Caitlin put her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands. The police came in, knocked on the bathroom door and then pushed it in. While they were in the bathroom, presumably trying to reason with Travis, Naomi’s old Volvo made a right-hand turn into the parking lot and pulled up haphazardly to park. Leaving Martha inside, Naomi hopped out and came into the restaurant. She looked around and immediately spotted Caitlin.

‘Where is he?’ she demanded.

‘Still in the men’s room,’ said Caitlin.

Naomi looked at the men’s room door. They could both hear voices coming from inside and the sound of Champ, barking. ‘Oh for heaven’s sake,’ said Naomi. ‘Why did you let him come in here with that dog anyway? The whole point was to keep the dog outside . . .’

‘I didn’t let him come in with the dog. We were in the car. Travis took Champ and sneaked in here while I was tossing out the garbage.’

‘What were you thinking? You can’t let them out of your sight,’ Naomi cried. ‘Didn’t you learn anything from what happened to Geordie?’

Caitlin felt Naomi’s words like a lash but she was not about to enter into this discussion. ‘Look, why is Noah staying in jail? What about David Alvarez? Couldn’t he do anything?’

‘Call him yourself,’ said Naomi irritably.

‘Mom!’

Naomi turned to see Travis emerging from the bathroom, flanked by the police and the manager. Champ was in the lead, straining at his leash.‘Travis, what on earth were you doing in there with Champ?’ Naomi demanded.

Travis stopped short when he saw Caitlin. ‘Hiding from her,’ he said.

‘Why?’ Naomi cried in exasperation.

‘So she can’t hurt me. Don’t make me talk to her. Please.’

Naomi frowned at Caitlin. ‘What did you say to him to upset him like this?’

Caitlin shook her head. ‘Nothing, I swear. I asked him if he knew anything about Geordie . . .’

‘What could Travis know?’ demanded Naomi. ‘He’s just a little boy. Come on, Travis. You’re going with me.’ She turned to the police and the manager. With as much dignity as she could muster, she apologized for wasting their time.

‘Oh, that’s all right. From now on, though, no dogs in a restaurant, son,’ one of the officers said cheerfully to Travis. Then he looked more closely at Naomi. ‘Aren’t you Rod Pelletier’s wife?’

‘Yes,’ said Naomi, exhaling with relief at being recognized. ‘Thank you so much for this.’

‘No problem. Better get him home,’ said the cop. ‘He’s up kind of late.’

Naomi ushered Travis out the door without a backward glance at Caitlin.

Caitlin remained seated at the little formica table until her knees stopped shaking. Then, followed by the snickers and whispers of the teenaged employees, she got up and went back out to her car.

Still sitting in the parking lot, Caitlin called Noah’s partner. David Alvarez answered, sounding tired. ‘He has been arrested, yes,’ said David. ‘Attempted murder. They found Dan’s blood in his car.’

‘This is insane,’ said Caitlin. ‘Of course there’s blood in the car. They had a fight. But Noah wouldn’t try to kill him. Or anybody. It’s just not his nature.’

‘Well, presumably he believed that Dan kidnapped his son. That could drive anyone to violence. Look, Caitlin, so far the police have been unable to locate the guy whom Noah claimed helped him get his car running. His alibi, if you will. I’m hoping that the police will locate this witness before the arraignment tomorrow. It’s set for eleven o’clock. Then we can get this cleared up before Noah has to enter a plea. Try not to worry. Get some sleep. I’ll take good care of him.’

Caitlin thanked the attorney and ended the call. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to her, but she couldn’t quit just yet. She wouldn’t sleep anyway for wondering. She knew she would not be welcome, but she was going anyway. There was nowhere that she felt welcome anymore. She started the car, eased out of the parking lot, and headed for the hospital.

TWENTY-FIVE

C
aitlin knew her way around the hospital. She had been here often enough with her parents during their final illnesses. Even though the parking lot was nearly empty, visiting hours long over, she knew that intensive care never really shut down. She knew which door to go into, and she knew enough to look as if she were confident of where she was going. Even though visits to the patients in the ICU were limited and brief, there were always worried friends and relatives camped in the waiting room outside.

Caitlin greeted the hospital personnel she passed with a brittle smile and continued on her way. The waiting room for the ICU was nearly empty at this late hour. There was a heavyset couple asleep on one another’s shoulders in one corner. Sick child, Caitlin thought. She glanced around and met the frigid gaze of Haley, who was thumbing through a magazine in a chair near the door. Beside Haley, on a little Naugahyde settee was Paula Bergen, fast asleep, covered by a coat.

‘What are you doing here?’ Haley demanded in a low voice.

‘How’s Dan?’ Caitlin asked.

‘Alive. No thanks to your husband,’ said Haley.

‘Is he conscious?’

‘Caitlin, what do you want?’

Caitlin shook her head. ‘Haley, there’s no way that Noah did this. I found Dan. I saw the shape that he was in. Noah isn’t capable of hurting someone like that.’

‘Oh, really? Well, there’s no way that Dan took Geordie. But you and Noah seem to be convinced of this all the same,’ said Haley in disgust.

‘The police are the ones who found out about the cell phone . . .’

Haley raised a hand to silence her. ‘Caitlin, I don’t want to discuss it.’

Caitlin glanced over at Paula, who looked spent and exhausted, even in sleep. ‘Is Westy in there with him now?’ she asked.

‘No, he went out to get us some coffee. But you’d better leave before he gets back. He’s not going to be happy to see you.’

‘OK, OK, I’m going,’ said Caitlin. She backed out of the waiting room and started down the hall. She passed a nurse coming out of the ICU. She hesitated, trying to formulate a plausible story, and then accosted the woman. ‘Excuse me,’ she said quietly.

The nurse smiled.

‘How’s my brother doing? I just got here from the airport, and I haven’t seen him yet.’

‘Your brother is . . .?’ The nurse frowned.

‘Dan Bergen.’

The nurse nodded. ‘About the same. Did you want to see him for a minute?’

‘Could I?’ said Caitlin.

‘Sure,’ said the nurse. ‘But there’s a five-minute limit.’

Caitlin nodded. ‘I’d appreciate it.’

‘This way,’ said the nurse. She led Caitlin down the hall to the ICU. In contrast to the dark, quiet halls of the rest of the hospital at night, the ICU was brightly lit and almost noisy with the sounds of machines. She followed the nurse to a curtained alcove where Dan lay in a hospital bed, tethered to a variety of beeping pumps, lines and monitors.

‘Five minutes,’ the nurse repeated.

Caitlin nodded. She walked up beside the bars on Dan’s bed and looked down on him. The rivulets of blood were gone from his face but his skin was pale and waxy as a corpse. His eyes looked to be half-open. Caitlin put her hand over his and pressed on it, hoping to rouse him. She looked around and then put her mouth close to his ear. He smelled terrible – as if putrefication was already setting in.

‘Dan,’ she said in a low voice. ‘It’s Caitlin. Where is Geordie? Please, tell me.’

She saw his eyelids flutter but he remained silent, breathing phlegmatically.

‘Did you leave him alone somewhere? I’m scared to death,’ she said, more to herself than to Dan. ‘Tell me where I can find Geordie. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.’

Dan lay unresponsive on the bed. His hand remained limp in her own. Caitlin’s heart sank. Then, she noticed that his lips, which were cracking from dryness, seemed to be moving. ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘What are you saying?’

Dan’s eyes remained half-closed. The tip of his tongue came out and touched his top lip. She saw his lips tremble and put her ear close to them.

‘S . . . el . . . da . . .’ he whispered.

‘Soldier?’ Caitlin asked urgently.

‘What the hell are you doing in here?’

Caitlin jumped and looked up. Westy was standing at the foot of the bed, glaring at her. His pale eyes, red-rimmed with exhaustion, seemed to be smoking like dry ice. ‘Get away from my son’s bed. What kind of a hospital is this? See, I told you it wasn’t my daughter,’ he said, without turning his gaze from Caitlin, to the nurse who had offered Caitlin a chance to see Dan. ‘My daughter is dead.’

‘I’m terribly sorry,’ said the nurse. ‘Miss, you have to get out of here. Right now, or I’ll call security.’

‘I’m sorry. I’m leaving,’ said Caitlin.

A gargling sound erupted from the man on the bed. All three of them looked in Dan’s direction.

‘Get her out of here,’ Westy commanded. Then he went to Dan’s side and took up one of Dan’s limp hands in his own. ‘What is it, son?’ he asked in a pleading voice. ‘What are you trying to say?’

Caitlin wanted desperately to stay, to wait, to see if there was something useful in the words Dan was trying to utter. But she knew that was not going to happen. The nurse was glaring at her, worried, no doubt, that her kindness-induced lapse in protocol might cost her her job.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Caitlin as she rushed from the ICU. ‘My son is missing. I thought he might know something.’

‘Go,’ said the nurse. Caitlin went.

Caitlin stumbled out to her car and turned on the engine, even though she knew she was not fit to drive. She tried to watch the road but her head was filled with images of Dan, lying in that hospital bed, trying to tell her something about Geordie. About where he was? Or was that what he was saying? She couldn’t honestly tell. She had no idea if he even knew what she was asking him.

But what if he left Geordie alone in that house of his? What if he was a prisoner in there, in the dark? Restrained somehow. Afraid. No one answering when he called out. She needed to get to him. She had to get to Philly. She had to reach her son somehow. Caitlin felt a squeezing pain in her chest, and her breath was so shallow that she thought she might be having a heart attack. She thought about turning around and heading back to the emergency room, but instead she kept driving, trying to catch her breath. After a few minutes she could go no farther. She pulled over to the side of the road and opened the car door to try and get some air.

It didn’t work. With every moment, it was becoming harder and harder to breathe. She should have gone back to the hospital, she thought. She was going to die out here by the side of the road of a heart attack and Geordie would have no one to help him. All of a sudden her phone rang, and her already laboring heart leapt up in her chest. She answered the phone in a thin, shaky voice.

‘Caitlin?’

Caitlin recognized Sam’s voice. ‘Yes, what?’ she breathed into the phone.

‘What’s the matter?’ Sam asked.

‘Can’t breathe,’ she said. ‘I think it’s my heart.’

‘It’s probably an anxiety attack,’ said Sam. ‘You need to make yourself relax. Close your eyes. Put your head back and try to think of something soothing. Palm trees.’

Caitlin could not think of palm trees. All she could think of was Geordie. ‘Why are you calling at this hour?’ she asked. She glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard. It was after midnight.

‘I knew you would want to hear this,’ he said. ‘Are you sure you’re OK to talk? I mean, it’s probably not your heart but those panic attacks can still be dangerous.’

‘Hear what?’ she cried in a strangled voice.

‘The Chicago police located the store where Dan bought the phone. The clerk made a positive ID of his photo. Caitlin, are you there?’

Caitlin was trying to draw in breaths, and her whole body was shuddering. ‘Yes,’ she managed to squeak out.

‘I just talked to the police in Philly. They are on their way to Dan’s house even as we speak. They will swarm that place top to bottom. If Geordie is there, they will find him. Even if he’s not, they will confiscate his computer, check all his communications. The answer is bound to be there. Also, we have confirmed Dan’s DNA on the stuffed animal . . .’

‘Bandit,’ she whispered.

‘It’s only a matter of time now. Don’t worry. The Philly police have the manpower. They will find Geordie. I’ll call you the minute we know anything.’

Caitlin could feel the tightness in her chest beginning to ease as tears rose to her eyes. The police were probably already there, bursting in. They would find Geordie in no time. They had to.

‘OK?’ said Sam.

‘What about Noah?’ she asked.

‘Well, Noah’s going to have to stay put for the moment. We’re checking out his alibi. Even if Dan was the one who took Geordie, that didn’t give Noah the right to beat him nearly to death. Are you sure you’re OK?’