“No. I can’t think of any pay phones around here.”
“They still have them at the airport.”
“And the bus station.”
“Neither of which helps us. Both are too far away.”
Niki tapped a finger on the table. “I do have one idea, a way for me to get a closer look at that basement window, but I’d need your help.”
“Just say the word. I’ll do it.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
When Ma’am called Mia back upstairs to the kitchen, she was very angry. “What were you thinking, Mia, leaving your bucket in the middle of the floor like this?” Ma’am gave the bucket a little kick with the toe of her pointy shoe, and water sloshed over the top edge.
“Sorry, Ma’am,” Mia said.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it.”
Mia didn’t know what else to say, so she just nodded.
“Well, don’t just stand there like an idiot. This floor won’t clean itself. Get to work!”
Ma’am left the room, and Mia immediately got back to scrubbing, not even replacing the water, which had gotten cold in her absence. When Ma’am got in these kinds of moods, it infected the air, coloring everything in the house in a gray cast. Mia made a point to stay out of her way. After she was done with the floor, she began to dust, even though it wasn’t dusting day. Griswold followed on her heels as if he felt the need to be next to a friendly presence. He was a smart dog.
When Jacob walked in the door after school, Ma’am pounced on him, berating him for coming home late, but Jacob was too smart for her. He said, “I remembered what you said about me needing more exercise, so I skipped the bus and walked home. I feel great. I might do it every day.”
“Well, okay then.” She sounded flustered. “But next time call if you’re going to be late. I was worried sick.”
“Okay, Mom, I will. I’m sorry I worried you.” When Ma’am turned away, Jacob gave Mia a knowing wink. Ma’am went upstairs, and as soon as they heard the floorboards squeaking overhead, Jacob came over to Mia and whispered, “I got you a treat. I’m going to put it under your cot, okay?”
Mia bobbed her head up and down, barely able to stand her excitement. A treat just for me! Jacob really was like a big brother. After Jacob came back from the basement, he disappeared upstairs to his room, and Mia quickly ran out of things to do. For a few minutes she sat on the bottom step of the stairwell, giving Griswold some gentle petting. When a wave of tiredness came over her, she decided to lie down behind the couch for a little bit. The space between the couch and the wall made a cozy area just her size. She backed in feetfirst until she wasn’t sticking out at all, then closed her eyes to rest.
Mia didn’t mean to fall asleep, but she did. The next thing she heard was Mister coming home from work, calling out, “Hello, I’m home.” She came awake with a jolt and started to come out of her hiding spot, but then she realized that Ma’am was in the living room, sitting in a chair facing her way, waiting for Mister. Luckily, she didn’t see Mia.
“I’m in here,” Ma’am said.
Mia noticed that her voice was normal, so maybe she wasn’t in such a bad mood anymore? She heard Mister set down his suitcase, followed by his footsteps as he entered the room, and the creak of the couch as he sat down.
“How was your day, dear?” Ma’am asked.
“It was a long one. My flight was delayed,” Mister said. “I’m glad to be home.”
“Ha!” Ma’am scoffed, and Mia tensed up.
Oh no. The question about his day had been a trap. She felt sorry for Mister, because she had an idea of how things were going to go.
“You think you had a long day? You have no idea. Wait until you hear what I had to deal with.”
Mister was silent while Ma’am talked about a woman who had come to the door: “Pretending to be one of my fans.” Instead, Ma’am said, the woman was just nosing around, asking questions about how many children were in the home. “Then she followed me into the kitchen and made a snide comment about Mia’s wash bucket, saying something about my clothing, that it was too dressy for housecleaning. Not that it was any of her business!”
When Ma’am got wound up, words came out rapidly, slamming and bouncing against the walls, feeling like an angry assault. Even from behind the couch, Mia could sense her fury.
“Wait a minute,” Mister said, interrupting. “She asked how many children we have?”
Ma’am hated being interrupted, and her cold tone reflected this. “Yes, Matt. Among other things. She wanted to know my opinion of Jacob’s school. Don’t they do surveys or have focus groups for this kind of thing? You’d think they’d have a more efficient way of gauging all of this than going door to door. And since when is it my responsibility to keep them informed? They obviously have no idea how busy I am.”
“And she was a social worker who works for the county?” His words came slowly, reminding Mia of how Jacob sounded when he explained things to her.
“I told you all this already, Matt. Try to keep up.”
“Suzette, listen to me.” Mia could tell he had shifted his weight on the couch. “What if she knows about Mia and is investigating? What if someone found out she’s living here and notified them?”
“It was a routine visit, Matt. She was visiting everyone in the neighborhood.” Mia could picture Ma’am frowning and folding her arms across her chest, the way she did when displeased.
“Of course she would say that,” Mister said. “You have to be the stupidest person on the planet, Suzette, letting a social worker into the house.”
“I’m stupid? You’re saying I’m stupid?” Behind the couch Mia shifted uncomfortably. She felt the need to visit the bathroom, but there was no way she was coming out of her hiding spot now.
“In this case, yes.”
Out of nowhere, Ma’am screamed so loudly that Mia shook. No words came out—it was just an angry, frustrated cry, frightening in its intensity. It went on for so long that Mia covered her ears with her hands.
When it stopped, Mister said, “Are you finished acting like a child, Suzette?”
Mia heard Ma’am leap out of the chair. She shouted, “I don’t have to listen to this!” The next thing she heard was Ma’am storming out of the room and up the stairs, with Mister following behind her, still making his point about the social worker.
Mia shimmied out of her hiding spot and went straight to the bathroom. She did her business with a sigh. Once she’d washed her hands and dried them, she peeked out through the open door. The coast was clear. Now she just had to find something to do so she’d look busy when Ma’am came back downstairs.
Jacob had his headphones on and was deep into a game when he heard his mother scream. He paused and uncovered his ears to listen. Now what? It didn’t sound like she was hurt; the pitch was more furious than pained. After she stopped screaming, she stormed up the stairs, his father following behind her and calling her name. Another argument. It was like a battlefield around his house half the time. His father was making a point about letting someone into the house, and then he said something about Mia. It struck Jacob as ironic that little Mia, the sweetest, least threatening person ever, had the power to drive fear into his parents’ hearts.
Of course it wasn’t really her making them afraid, but the idea that they’d get into trouble because of her. Sometimes his father would go months without bringing up the subject, and even Jacob would forget that Mia’s existence in their home wasn’t legally sanctioned. If no one brought it up, it almost felt like she’d been adopted. Or saved from a horrible life, as his mother put it. But then something would happen to spook his dad, and he’d bring it up to his mom, and they’d have an all-out fight with name-calling and accusations. Each of them threatened to put the other in jail, or to out their bad deeds to his grandparents, something Jacob found funny. As old as they were, they still didn’t want their parents to know that they’d done something wrong. So stupid. The approval of his mother and father meant nothing to h
im right now. By the time he was in his forties, he would be too busy living his life to care about their opinions.
He heard his dad shout, “Would you just use your head for once, Suzette? Have you ever heard of social workers making routine calls before?”
“Of course I’ve heard of them making routine calls.” She was always so defensive. “That’s what they do, Matt.” You could never tell her anything.
Jacob got to his feet and opened the door to eavesdrop.
“I’m telling you, it sounds like someone knows about Mia and reported us.”
His mother scoffed. “Oh, Matt, stop being so dramatic. No one knows about Mia. How could they?”
His dad wasn’t going to give up. “Think for a minute! Has anyone seen her? Maybe through a window? Have you mentioned her in conversation? Was she in any photos that you posted on Facebook, maybe in the background?”
“The windows are covered, and she hasn’t gone outside in months.”
Jacob made his way down the hallway to his parents’ bedroom. The door was ajar.
“How about pictures on Facebook?”
“I never post photos from home,” his mom said imperiously. “That is my professional account. I only put up images taken during events and meetings.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
When they fought, Jacob always sympathized with his dad. His mother had a tendency to dismiss his father’s concerns, belittling him at every turn. The irony was that his dad was so much smarter than she was.
“Oh, Matt, let it go. If the woman comes back, I won’t let her in. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Jacob gave the door a gentle push so it swung open. His mother was sitting on the edge of the bed, inspecting her fingernails. His dad stood over her. Jacob cleared his throat, and both of them turned to look.
His mom said, “Jacob, darling, this isn’t a good time.”
Jacob said, “Someone did see Mia.”
“What?” His dad snapped to attention. “What did you say?”
“Someone did see Mia. A woman.”
“When was this, son?”
“Yesterday, while you were gone. Mom was in the garage talking to a neighbor, and Mia opened the door to look. Mom made a big deal out of it. She sent both of us to our rooms without any dinner.”
His dad gave his mother an accusatory look. “You weren’t going to tell me about this?”
“It was nothing. Jacob is blowing it out of proportion.” His mother stood. “Some busybody from down the street came up to talk to me when I was unloading the trunk of the Audi. We talked for a minute, and then I got rid of her.” She shrugged.
“Did she see Mia?”
“I don’t know how she could have. It was only for a second, and then I let Mia know she should close the door.”
His father said, “If it was no big deal, why did you send the kids to their rooms without dinner?”
“For not listening, of course.” She could twist things any way she wanted. “Mia was told to never open an outside door, and Jacob should have been keeping an eye on her. They both know the rules, and I needed to enforce them. Consistency is essential when disciplining children, Matt. You’d know that if you spent a little more time around here instead of gallivanting around the country doing whatever it is you do.” She waved a hand in his direction.
“And what did the busybody down the street come to talk to you about?”
His mother sighed dramatically to show that she was weary of his questioning. “She and her grandchildren just moved to the neighborhood. She wanted to know if we had any young children so she could arrange a playdate. I said we only had a teenage son and sent her on her way. Honestly, Matt, I’m getting a headache. I think we’re done talking here.” She turned and went into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.
His father went and stood with his nose to the door. “You don’t see the connection, Suzette? Someone comes and asks if we have young children, and then a social worker comes snooping around right after that? Something’s up. You’re living in a fool’s paradise if you think we can just go on like this forever. It’s time to come clean about Mia.”
“Get away from the door, Matt,” Suzette called out. “We’re done talking. Let it go.”
Chapter Thirty
That evening, Ma’am had Jacob tuck Mia in for the night since she was going to be retiring to her room for the evening. “I have an awful headache and don’t want to be disturbed,” she said, but both Mia and Jacob noticed the bottle of wine she had in her hand as she trooped back up the stairs. She hadn’t said a word to Mister, who was sprawled on the couch, watching TV, the remote control balanced on his stomach. Anyone wandering into their house right now would never guess that a major battle had just taken place.
That’s how it was sometimes. The calm after the storm.
Jacob walked Mia down the stairs, not speaking until they reached her corner of the basement. “Remember, I left a treat under your cot,” he said. “It’s in a plastic bag. Leave the wrappers and can inside the bag when you’re done, and I’ll come get them first thing in the morning.”
“Thank you, Jacob.”
“I’ll leave this unlocked,” he said, gesturing to the latch. “So you can brush your teeth after you eat. Mom is going to be kind of out of it, so I don’t think we have to worry, but be careful anyway.”
Mia nodded. They both knew the firestorm that would erupt if Ma’am ever caught Jacob sneaking her treats and leaving her door unlocked. The wine made it unlikely that she’d be coming downstairs, but it was best to be careful.
She sat cross-legged on her cot. “Jacob? Why did Mister think the lady was asking about me?”
“You heard that, huh?” He was impressed. Not much got past Mia.
She nodded earnestly.
“You don’t need to worry about anything,” Jacob said, hoping his words were reassuring. “We’ll watch out for you and make sure no one takes you away.”
“But why would someone take me away? Where would I go?”
“Look, Mia.” He crouched down to her height. “Usually when people save a child, they make it official and file paperwork and talk to a judge, stuff like that. We skipped over that part because you were in such a bad place that it was an emergency. We had to take you out of the situation right away and bring you here.”
“But couldn’t you talk to a judge now and explain?” She made it sound so simple.
He took in a deep breath. How to explain? “No, because we’d get in trouble for not doing it right away. It’s very complicated, but you don’t need to worry about it. Just eat your treat. Tomorrow things will be back to normal around here. You know how Mom gets.” He stood up, satisfied that he’d covered all her concerns.
“But if the lady comes back . . .”
“She won’t, and if she does, Mom won’t let her in.”
“Okay.” She seemed satisfied.
“Good night, Mia.”
“Good night, Jacob.”
He swung the door shut and waited, hearing her squeal of delight when she discovered the Hostess CupCakes and the Sprite.
“Thank you, Jacob,” she called out.
“You’re welcome, squirt.” He hoped she wouldn’t eat all of it at once and get sick. He almost went back to caution her against overeating, then decided against it. Mia wasn’t like him. He had no control over his cravings for food, whereas she was self-regulating and would stop when she was full. She was smart like that. Not only that, but she totally had his mother’s number. Not everyone could navigate the Suzette waters like Mia did.
For a little kid, she sure had life figured out.
Chapter Thirty-One
They pulled on their winter gear—coats, hats, scarves—Sharon even opting for winter boots, while Niki preferred the nimbleness of her sneakers. Getting her feet wet was less important than being able to scale the fence quickly and quietly.
“You sure about this?” Sharon asked,
getting the step stool out of the closet. It was the folding variety, the kind that reminded Niki of a small ladder. Sharon had grabbed a length of rope earlier from the garage, and now she looped it around the handle of the step stool, making a secure knot.
“Sure.” Niki pulled on her gloves. “What’s the worst that can happen? If they see me, I’ll run like hell.” She was not as confident as she let on. Suzette Fleming was one scary woman, and she wouldn’t put it past her to call the police and have her charged with trespassing. Of course, that could only happen if she caught her, and Niki wasn’t planning on getting caught. It was a simple plan. She’d shimmy over the fence, cross the yard, look in the window, take a few pictures, and be back again before anyone could even notice.
The social worker needed something concrete, some proof, and photos were proof. How they got the proof might be problematic, but maybe not, especially since there was a child at stake. It was easier to ask for forgiveness than it was to get permission.
It was the perfect night for a reconnaissance mission. Niki hadn’t spotted Jacob’s dad for several days, so he was probably out of town. Jacob wouldn’t be looking in that direction, since his room was on the opposite side of the house. His mother wouldn’t be a problem either, as it was too early for her to be upstairs. Niki made sure to pick a time when all the rooms facing the backyard were dark. No lights, no people. Just the mystery of a flickering light coming from a basement window.
The weather was perfect too. Snow was coming down in a powdery mist, the breeze strong enough that any footprints she made would be long gone by morning.
Niki tied the scarf over the lower half of her face and pulled the hood over her head. From head to toe, only her eyes were visible. She doubted if the Flemings had a security camera in the back of the house. Even if there was a camera, it would probably be focused on the entry points of the house, while she would be approaching from the corner of the yard. Logistically, she was unlikely to be spotted, but it was still a risk. Keeping herself covered up ensured she would be unidentifiable on film.
The Moonlight Child Page 18
