Missing Child

by Patricia MacDonald

‘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

  ‘Oh 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.

  ‘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

  Caitlin 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 a
t 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?’