by Kit DeCanti
Shortly before dawn as usual the men signaled for the boys to come out of the cave, following the ropes they brought in with them.
“Where’s Jimmy?” Melbourne’s angry baritone voice demanded loudly. He would tolerate no lingering in the cave. “Jimmy get out here!” he bellowed again before turning his angry voice towards the boys. “Where is he?” he demanded again. Not knowing what to do Timmy looked into the dark cave and shouted “Jimmy!”
“Jimmy!” the other boys chimed in, scared of doing nothing. And scared that Jimmy wasn’t coming out of the cave. Melbourne ordered the boys back into the cave; and they called for Jimmy repeatedly. The children were panicking. They knew that it would not go well for them if they couldn’t find him. They also knew that it would mean that Jimmy was either lost or hurt.
The thought of Jimmy being gone terrified the young boys. In spite of Jimmy’s small stature, he had been the only source of security for the boys since coming to the Melbourne’s foster home. Since becoming one of Cobb’s Kids.
After a few moments Melbourne sent his henchman into the cave to join the search while he paced around the pickup until finally The Henchman came out carrying Jimmy’s rope with the opened dangling belt. The boys followed and a couple of them were crying. The look on his henchman’s face told Melbourne all he needed to know.
“Shut up! You sniveling brats! It’s your fault for not keeping your eyes on him. You know he wanders off- the little trouble maker! Serves him right!” Then glancing up towards the sky he yelled, “Get in the truck!”
And then to his henchman he said, “It’s almost daylight! We better get the brats off the ridge before they…” he lowered his voice and mumbled something more before sneering at his henchman who hated kids, “I’ve got that early morning meeting so you’ll have to watch the kids.” Then he added, “Call the school and tell them they’ve got a case of lice and keep them home for the day. I don’t want the teachers asking about Jimmy. I’ll come up with something by Monday.”
The two men got in the vehicle, making sure the boys all had the knit hats over their faces before driving off.
Monday came around and the five remaining Cobb Kids went to school. The boys were sternly instructed to not mention Jimmy. And not to answer any questions about him, except that he was sick. After all the threats they had received over the week end they didn’t have to be reminded what would happen to them if they slipped up.
Melbourne had already left a message on the schools voicemail not to expect Jimmy for a few days because he had come down with the flu.
So life continued as before for the boys except that now they were five instead of six. And now there was no one to protect the younger ones from Timmy. The younger boys braced themselves to be bullied by the men by night and by Timmy by day.
However the young foster boys noticed that a change had come over Timmy since Jimmy’s disappearance. He no longer picked on them. He no longer stole their food. He even had stepped into Jimmy’s place as protector at school. The boys truly had become brothers. Not just foster brothers anymore. Their plight had united them. The boys although growing closer to each other, were also growing more and more hopeless and depressed. The cave though always unpleasant and frightening, was now terrifying to the boys. The thought of Little Jimmy lying at the bottom of the dark hole filled them with something akin to hysteria.
Ron stopped by the school hoping to get a chance to talk to Jimmy, and during some small talk with Mr. Olsen he found out that Jimmy was home sick.
“He’ll probably be out for awhile since he has a bad case of the flu,” the principle said. “I’ve been expecting the other boys to come down with it, but so far they all seem okay.”
Ron left the school with a bad feeling in his gut. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered as he got into his squad car.
Two weeks passed uneventfully for the Cobb Kids, and then one morning Melbourne gathered the foster boys around the large dining table and said, “I have some bad news boys. I’m afraid Little Jimmy has run away.” The boys sat not blinking, unsure of what was happening. The cruel man fixed his eyes on first one boy, then the next before continuing, “Yes, it’s sad but true. He’s gone. I don’t think he’s coming back… I know you’re sad. I know you will miss him.” Melbourne said dryly, “Your teachers will no doubt try to give you sympathy over this. But of course you will tell them that I am helping you cope… with this unfortunate situation.” He stared coldly at the boys for a few moments and then asked, “Do any of you have any idea where he could be?” The boys’ eyes widened but they said nothing. “No? Well then!” the evil man said, while brushing his palms together as if washing his hands of the situation, “I guess you better get off to school before you’re late.” He stood up and marched out of the room.
Rumors of Jimmy’s disappearance beat the boys to school and the kids gathered around them hammering them with questions and demanding to know all that they knew.
“Leave us alone!” Timmy shouted. “We don’t know anything!,” He stood tall and erect between the younger foster boys and the local kids and for the first time the local boys realized just how much bigger Timmy was than them. Backing off grumbling the boys relented, but Timmy knew they wouldn’t give up so easily. He wondered what Jimmy would do in this case. The sadness that filled Timmy at the thought of his friend and brother, caused him to return to his normal slouch.
Ron was the first to arrive at the school requesting to speak to the boys. “I’m sorry,” Mr. Olsen said as he walked him back to his car. “I’m afraid Mr. Melbourne has forbid any questioning. He is adamant that his boys are traumatized enough by Jimmy’s disappearance, and does not want them subjected to any more stress.” As Ron climbed into his sheriff cruiser, the principle added, “You know I’m not surprised by this. Jimmy has been troubled ever since coming to this school. I think he’s been worried about his former foster mother, although he only spoke about her once. He didn’t talk much at all. He sure fought a lot though. Mr. Melbourne has put up with a lot. He’s a very patient and good man.” And as though just remembering he added, “Oh! Mr. Melbourne said he would be happy to answer any questions. I believe he is at his home, he said he had already made a report at your station.”
As urgent as it was for Ron to interview Melbourne, he felt torn. He needed to get to Kat. He knew that by now the rumors would be flying around her office and she would be devastated. He wanted to be with her- to comfort her. But he also knew that with each passing moment the trail to Jimmy would get colder. Again he was filled with uncertainty. What should he do first? His cell phone rang ending his dilemma.
“Ron, you have to find him!” Kat cried. “Please find him. He’s sick and he needs our help. Find him! Please Ron, before something horrible happens to him,” she sobbed. Ron promised he would and turned his cruiser towards Cobb’s Kids Foster Home.
Ron was met at the door by Mr. Melbourne. “Come in. I’ve been expecting you. I’m sorry, my wife is upstairs lying down. She’s very distraught over this as you can imagine,” the man said showing Ron to the living room. “But I’ll answer any question that I can.” He sat down and put his head in his hands. “Why didn’t I see this coming? I’ve been so blind.” Then looking up but not directly at Ron, he continued, “I knew he was upset and it’s been extremely difficult for him, since coming here. He was so traumatized from finding his former foster mother collapsed at the bottom of the stairs, as you can imagine. And he was extremely worried about her. But after I told him that she was home and would recover, he seemed much better. And especially when more boys joined him here- he was beginning to be very happy.” The man stopped talking and looked at Ron, who clearly was not buying this dramatic display of grief and worry. “But I guess you see this all the time,” Melbourne said. “I mean it’s not unusual for a foster child to run away, is it? I guess we shouldn’t be surprised either,” William Melbourne put his head back in his hands and moaned, “Where could he be? I wish I knew where to start lo
oking!” This last bit of drama evoked a look of disgust on the officer’s face, which he tried to hide by turning his head to look towards the stairs.
“Can I see his room, please?” Ron asked coldly. Without hesitation, Mr. Melbourne took Ron upstairs and opened the door to the room where Jimmy had spent only one night. Ron walked in and looking around he was silent.
Melbourne was the first to speak, “Little Jimmy loved his room… my wife worked so hard to get this room ready for him before his arrival as a surprise for him…” The man seemed prepared and started showing artwork and school papers, saying that Jimmy was very proud of his work. Ron remained silent, letting the man ramble until finally he stopped talking too. Now it was Ron’s turn to talk.
“Nice mural. Who painted it?” he asked, looking directly at the muralist’s signature. This question seemed to catch the man off guard.
“Uhh.. my wife hired a local muralist who paints Konocti murals… we… ahh… we knew Jimmy loved volcanoes.” The man replied nervously.
“How long had you anticipated Jimmy’s arrival?” Melbourne looked as though he had just realized that he had committed a blunder.
“Uhhh…. Well of course we met Little Jimmy a while back and took a liking to him… and we had hoped….”
“When did you last see the boy?” Ron interrupted noting that Melbourne’s jaw relaxed a little.
“Last night when he came up for bed,” the man replied and the nervousness was gone.
“He obviously had that answer prepared,” Ron thought.
“Can I see the clothes hamper?” Ron asked, and Melbourne froze.
“Excuse me?” he stammered.
Ron stated flatly, “I’d like to see the clothes he wore yesterday.”
“What?... uh… well… I’m not sure. I think my wife may have washed…” then regaining his composure “Yes, I’m sure that she did the laundry last night before going to bed.”
“Can you show me the pajama’s he slept in?” Ron asked in a very non condemning tone.
Again the man was taken aback- this time he paled and stammered… “ I … uh.. I .. Let me see… and started looking around the room frantically.”
“How was the boy feeling last night?” Ron asked.
“He seemed okay…” the man replied, regaining his composure and color.
“He’s been missing school for some time hasn’t he?” questioned Ron.
“Oh- yes. Yes, of course. He’s had the flu, but he’d started feeling better. I was keeping him home for a few more days to make sure he wouldn’t relapse,” the man volunteered.
“Jimmy’s lost a lot of weight since he’s been in your home.” It wasn’t a question. And the man looked uncomfortable.
“Well, he appeared thin but I think it was because he was getting taller,” Melbourne quickly countered the insin-uation. “His appetite was fine.”
After a few other questions and not getting a straight answer to any of them, Ron took his leave. He was convinced that Melbourne was hiding something. Ron had a bad feeling about it. His gut told him that Jimmy had been missing for much longer than a few hours.
“But why the cover up?” Ron worried. He didn’t believe it had anything to do with the money paid to him for being a foster parent. The man was rich. Why would Melbourne hide it? Was it to protect his license and reputation of his foster home? Or was it something much more sinister. Ron had the sick feeling that it was the latter.
Sitting in the squad car staring at the house Ron called Jack. While briefing him he saw movement at the upstairs window, and looking up he saw Melbourne watching him. He started the engine and backed up to turn around catching a glimpse of a dusty pickup on the upper level of the driveway which curved behind the house. He was still on his cell phone with Jack and asked him to check how many vehicles were registered to the Melbournes. He could do that himself, but Ron already had the feeling that William Melbourne was not a ‘subject of interest’ in the investigation; and that the department had already bought into Melbourne’s claim that Jimmy had simply ran away.
Ron headed to Mrs. Capra’s home. “If it is true, and there would be anyplace Jimmy would run to it would be there,” he thought.
Ron pulled up Mrs. Capra’s driveway and with a heavy heart saw that her front garden had not been tended in months. He wished he and Kat would have kept in touch with her. They should have helped her with things around the house.
“It was just, the thought of seeing her brought up so much guilt and pain.” Ron sighed.
Before he could get out of his vehicle a woman was out the door and standing at his car window.
“I’ve been expecting you. This is about Jimmy, isn’t it?” she said hurriedly.
“Yes- he’s missing. I need to talk to Mrs. Capra…”
“Well you can’t!” the woman inter-rupted. “She is very ill and her doctor has advised that she not be subjected to any stress at all. This would just be too much for her. Thank goodness I heard the news on the radio before she woke up. I unplugged the radio, and have been screening all her phone calls. Please, you must leave before she sees you. She’ll suspect something is wrong. She loves that little guy so much, this news would just kill her!” she said and then looked over her shoulder with real concern. “Please go!” the woman pleaded and Ron complied. It was obvious that Jimmy was not there.
“Where could he be?” Ron asked out loud as he backed down the driveway and the big mountain loomed up in his rearview mirror as if to answer.
CHAPTER NINE
The Little Lost Boys
Jack was waiting at Guido’s Pizzeria in Kelseyville. “Ironic,” thought Ron. This was the last place I was with Jimmy. After asking if he could leave his squad car there, he climbed into Jacks Jeep Wrangler.
“Nice ride,” Ron said trying to muster up a normal conversation to no avail. He couldn’t hide the fact that he was worried.
Without a word Jack spun his little Jeep around and headed for Konocti Road. Jack had his own guilt to face.
“If only I had recognized him sooner when he showed up at the retreat… By the time I did, he was gone,” Jack lamented.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Ron tried to comfort. “He didn’t look like the same happy little kid you saw hangin’ out with me…” That statement brought such a rush of guilt and pain that the words caught in Ron’s throat.
The road was even rougher than Ron remembered and he was happy that Jack had bought this new Jeep. Not only was the four wheel drive necessary to get all the way to the top, but it was small enough that they could drive it on most of the trails. Jack had already removed the top, so they were in open air which made the search for Jimmy easier- however it was still unsuccessful. They saw no sign of the young boy.
Ron was able to find the cave that he and Jimmy had ridden out the storm in, but there was no sign of Jimmy having been there. Ron personally covered each of the peaks. No signs there- and none in the walnut grove, the vineyards, or in the old settler’s cabin- not one sign of the child anywhere. By nightfall Ron had to admit that Jimmy wasn’t on Konocti and he left the mountain.
Kat was waiting anxiously when Ron drove down their driveway. Her family had come to her side as soon as they heard and were waiting with her. They were all so certain that Jimmy was up there that they were shocked when Ron came back empty handed.
“Are you sure, son?” Uncle Lenny asked, “Did you cover all three peaks? The old cabin? How about the…”
“He’s not there!” a tired and stressed out Ron interjected. “I looked everywhere. He’s just not there,” he added sadly. “There’s a search party still up there. But they are not going to find Jimmy there. He’s not there.” Ron’s eyes met Kat’s and the two fell into each other’s arms. “I won’t give up, Kat. I promise. I won’t give up,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll find our boy.”
Kat took Ron’s hand and said, “I know you will, Honey. I know you will.” For the first time she noticed that Jack wasn’t with him.
As if sensing Kat’s thoughts, before she could ask about him, Ron said “I’ve asked Jack to follow up on something for me tonight,” and he turned around to face Lenny. Kat saw a familiar look pass between the two men, and Ron walked to the back sliding door and went out on the deck with Lenny following.
Kat, Caroline, Angel and Auntie sat at the large kitchen table trying not to watch the men and trying not to look past them at the large mountain rising up out of the harbor which carried its name. But they would each find their gaze drawn to the big dark mountain, again and again, wondering if there was a little boy huddled somewhere up there.
Ron and Lenny were leaning on the deck rail looking at Mt. Konocti and Ron was giving his best pitch to persuade Lenny to join the secret investigation that he had already instigated- even before Jimmy’s disappearance. What he had learned so far made him certain that Jimmy was in danger.
“Why didn’t you say something before?” a red faced Lenny demanded.
“I’m sorry, Lenny. With Melbourne’s hero status in the county, I was afraid that I’d get stepped on before I found out anything.”
“I think with what we’ve gone through together that you would have turned to me sooner. That you would have known you could trust me.”
