Where could she be going? The usual places people took their kids—the dentist, the hair salon, clothes shopping—didn’t apply here. If Mia had gotten injured, he could see a trip to a hospital or walk-in clinic, but that didn’t fit with what he saw on the tracking app. Besides, whatever his mother was doing seemed premeditated.
Out of habit, Jacob opened the refrigerator door and looked in, one foot jiggling nervously. For once, nothing looked good. He shut the door and sat at the counter, looking at the tracker on his phone again. His mom had now turned onto the interstate. His grandmother in Minnesota lived in that direction, but they hadn’t gone to see her in years. He frowned, trying to figure it out. His mother would never take Mia on a visit. Besides, she had nothing good to say about his grandma or his uncle, both of whom lived in the same area.
So it probably wasn’t to visit his relatives, especially not with Mia along for the ride.
A stray thought suddenly hit him, and the awfulness of it made him drop his head into his hands. No. She wouldn’t be taking Mia back to where they found her, would she? Could his mother even find the place? And even if she found it, would the scary guy still be there waiting for his kid after all this time? No. The shack was a cesspool, and that dude had to be long gone. Mia had no memory of any of this and would be so frightened. Even his mother wouldn’t be that heartless. Or would she be?
He mulled it over some more. His mother wouldn’t kill Mia. At least he didn’t think so. It would be too messy and hard to cover up, but he wouldn’t put it past her to abandon a child. He could envision his mother stopping in front of a local police station and telling Mia to get out, then driving away.
All of these thoughts horrified him. He called his mother again. “Mom, come home right now. Whatever you’re doing, it’s a bad plan! Come home and we’ll figure out another way.” He clicked off, sure that he had probably made it worse. His mother hated being told what to do.
Oh, why didn’t he have a car? So many of the other kids at school had cars, either their own or one they could use. Meanwhile, he was the loser, the outcast who took the bus. His mind sorted through everyone he knew. Was there anyone who would lend him a car so he could follow his mother?
Only one person came to mind, and he barely knew her, but just the day before she had said, “Seriously, if I can ever help you in any way, let me know.”
He got on his coat and headed for the gas station.
Chapter Forty-One
Luckily, when Jacob arrived Niki was behind the counter and there weren’t any customers in the store. Fred was stocking the beer cooler, in sight, but out of hearing range.
Jacob was out of breath when he came barreling through the door, and he made it clear that he needed to talk to her. In three minutes, he divulged all the information she’d unsuccessfully tried to wheedle out of him the day before. His voice was frantic as he explained that the little girl who lived with them, Mia, was missing, that his mother had taken her. From what she could tell, he wanted her to lend him a car so he could follow them and make sure nothing bad had happened to the little girl. Every new piece of information he imparted led to her asking more questions; it seemed to frustrate him that she wasn’t grasping the urgency of the situation.
“I just need your car,” he said, leaning forward, his hand flat on the counter. “That’s all there is to it. If you let me borrow it, I promise I’ll fill the tank, or pay you whatever you want. I haven’t got time to explain it all.”
She held up a hand, traffic-cop style, and told him to hold on a minute. “I know you’re in a big hurry, but I need a little more information from you.”
She asked a series of questions and was astounded by the answers. When he was done spilling the family secrets, Niki recapped. “So your mother just took a little girl three years ago and she’s been in your house ever since, and no one knows about this besides you and your parents?”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah, I know it sounds bad, but it wasn’t up to me. You don’t know my mom. She was blackmailing my dad into keeping Mia because—”
Niki’s hand went up again. “I don’t really care about that part. You know we should call the police, right? This was kidnapping and God knows what else.”
He looked down. “But I don’t want my dad to get into trouble.”
“Oh, Jacob, it’s too late for that,” Niki said. “All of you are in a world of trouble. There’s no getting around it. This is a terrible, terrible thing.”
When he looked up, he had tears in his eyes. “I don’t care about me. Right now, I’m just afraid for Mia. This could go really bad for her. My mom is crazy. I don’t know what she’s gonna do.”
“Are you willing to talk to the police?” Niki asked.
“Sure, but I can’t right now. There’s no time.” His voice was getting louder. “They’ll want to investigate and ask all these questions, and all of that will take forever, and something terrible could happen to Mia in the meantime.”
“This really seems like something the authorities should handle.”
“They won’t be able to find her.” Jacob’s voice came out in a hoarse cry. “But I will.”
Fred came forward. “Jacob? What’s going on?”
“He wants to borrow my car,” Niki explained. “His mom drove off in the car with a little girl named Mia.” She and Jacob exchanged a look. “A relative of theirs. Jacob’s afraid something is going to happen to Mia.”
“What would happen?” Fred said, his head tilted to one side.
“My mom is . . . kind of unhinged. And a terrible driver. I’ve been tracking her on my phone, and I know where they are. I just need to stop her and make sure Mia is safe.”
“If you want to leave work, Niki, you can,” Fred said. “Jacob here looks too distraught to drive himself.”
Niki said, “I don’t actually own a car. I walk to work.”
Jacob said, “You made me go through all that and you don’t even have a car?” It came out as an accusatory wail.
Fred nodded regretfully. “I’d drive you myself, but I have a delivery coming in soon and I have to be here to sign for it.”
Jacob threw up his hands in frustration. “I don’t know what to do. I really need to find Mia.”
Fred reached under the counter and pulled out a ring of keys. “Tell you what—my Camry is in the back. You can use it as long as Niki drives. I’ll need it back by six at the latest.”
Niki froze, while Jacob said, “Thank you, thank you! I can pay you when I get back.”
“No need for payment. Just replace the gas.” Fred turned to her and said, “This okay with you, Niki?”
Niki couldn’t believe what had just transpired. Fred and his brother, Albert, had to have the kindest hearts of any men she’d ever met. Who just lent someone their car? “Yeah, it’s okay,” she said.
“We better get going,” Jacob said. “There’s not much time.”
Chapter Forty-Two
As soon as Wendy opened the door and saw Detective Moore standing there, hat in his hands and an apologetic look in his eyes, she knew it wouldn’t be good news.
“Good evening, Mrs. Duran.” He nodded. “Is your husband home too?”
Without a word, she let him in and went to get Edwin.
When all three of them were seated in the living room, he broke the news. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, but I heard from the medical examiner, and Morgan’s dental records were a match.”
Wendy drew in a sharp breath, his words hitting her as if she’d been physically smacked. She put her hand to her mouth and made a conscious effort to breathe. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn’t think she could bear to hear the answers. Part of her wanted Detective Moore to go, to leave them in peace, but another part was grateful for his presence and compassion. She glanced over at her husband, whose face had grown pale.
Edwin said, “It’s a positive identification, then? The remains they found are definitely Morgan?”
Detective Moore sat f
orward. “Yes, sir.”
His use of the word sir was what struck her. Before, she’d guessed him to be about the age of her own children, and now she knew this to be true. He was just a kid himself, Wendy realized. A young man doing his job, probably wishing that giving bad news wasn’t part of his workday. She blurted out, “What was the cause of death?”
“That’s still pending. I was told it didn’t look like a homicide, but it’s too early to say for sure.”
“So it may be drug-related?” Edwin asked.
“Possibly. We’ll know more later. You’ll be contacted when the investigation is finished. They’ll want to know how you want to handle the transportation.”
“Transportation?” Wendy asked, not understanding.
“For the funeral,” Edwin said gently. He turned to the detective. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, sir.”
The funeral. What a horrible thought. But of course that was what people would expect, a service to bring closure. She looked at the family photo hanging above the fireplace. She’d thought that someday when she and Edwin had passed away, this picture would remain for Morgan and Dylan and their families. Something to be passed down from generation to generation, a moment in time of the four of them. She’d never dreamed that one of her children would die first. How was that fair? How was that even possible? A lump formed in her throat.
Detective Moore said, “Again, I’m so sorry. There is another piece of news as well.”
She sat up. “Yes?”
“The medical examiner confirmed that Morgan had given birth at some point.”
“Morgan had a baby?” Wendy asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But how can they know that?” Edwin asked. “It’s been so long. I’m assuming we’re talking about skeletal remains?”
Detective Moore looked uncomfortable. “Yes, sir. I was told that the medical examiner can tell by looking at the pelvic bone. If a woman has given birth, there are a series of pockmarks along the inside of the bone.”
“So it’s for certain?” Wendy asked. “Without a doubt?”
“Yes.”
Which meant they had a grandchild and hadn’t even known it. She looked to Edwin, who said, “Any news on where Keith and the baby might be?”
“No, sir.” Detective Moore suddenly looked as if he himself was about to cry.
Wendy had a sudden thought. “But there must have been a birth certificate.”
“That would be correct, assuming the paperwork was filed,” Detective Moore said.
Wendy listened as Edwin and Detective Moore talked about what was involved with tracking down a birth certificate. As sympathetic as the police department was, she got the impression that pursuing the location of the child wasn’t a huge priority. Detective Moore said, “Of course this is an ongoing investigation, and every effort is being made to find the man who’d been living there. Even if it was an accident, the fact that the death wasn’t reported and was hidden is a crime in and of itself.”
Wendy mulled this over. She knew that without Keith’s full name or at the very least a photo it would be difficult to find him. Morgan was dead, and her baby was out there somewhere. Would they ever get answers to what had happened to them?
The detective asked if they had any other questions, and when they said no, he stood up to leave. At the door he turned and said, “When we get the full report, I’ll be in touch.”
After the door closed behind him, Wendy leaned against the wall and forced out a sigh. “So that’s it, then,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. For years she’d monitored the website, answered comments, and searched online for clues. She’d visited that horrible seedy bar, begging people for information. She’d wished for Morgan to come home, and she’d prayed for her daughter’s safety. Her prayers had been especially heartfelt and frequent, in the hope that they’d carry more weight. All this activity had kept her busy, but it hadn’t brought Morgan home, and now she was gone forever.
Edwin wrapped his arms around her, a circle of warmth and love. He held her close, and she closed her eyes, listening to his ragged breathing, and a minute or two later, the quiet sounds of his sobbing. Edwin wasn’t one who cried, hadn’t even cried at his own father’s funeral, but the finality of knowing his child was gone forever had broken him.
She said, “We have to find the baby.” Even as she said the words, the futility of it hit her full force. They hadn’t been able to find Morgan. How would they locate a child they knew nothing about?
Chapter Forty-Three
“Where are we going?” Niki asked as she adjusted the seat and mirrors. She was still in awe of Fred’s generosity, especially now that she was sitting in his car. It wasn’t new, but the interior was spotless, and it even smelled clean. If it weren’t for the assorted change in the cup holder, it could be a vehicle on a dealership lot. If this were her car, she sure wouldn’t be lending it to a teenager.
Jacob stared at his phone. “We’ll need to take I-94 north, but as we get closer it veers off to the west.”
“I’m hoping you’re going to walk me through this?” Even though she’d had her driver’s license for months now, she hadn’t done much driving. Amy had told her it would become second nature, but without access to a car, she hadn’t had the opportunity to get to that point. Right now, she still needed complete focus to drive safely.
“I’m good with directions. By the way, I really appreciate this.”
“I know.” She buckled her seat belt and started up the engine. When she heard Jacob’s buckle click, she moved forward, pulling the car out of the parking lot.
He was surprisingly good at directing her, which eased her mind somewhat. In minutes they were on the interstate heading out of town.
“You have an app to track her phone?” Niki asked.
“Yeah. She could track me too if she wanted to, but she’d have to check the app.”
“She doesn’t?”
“No.”
“Because she trusts you?”
He forced out a harsh laugh. “No. She doesn’t trust anyone. And she doesn’t bother to keep track of me because what would be the point? It clearly wouldn’t benefit her, and she’s all about her. She doesn’t give a crap about me.” He laughed bitterly. “Plus, she probably doesn’t even remember that she has the app. My mother is not what you’d call tech-savvy.”
His voice rang with disdain; there was obviously no love there. Niki knew there were parents who didn’t love their children and that the reverse was true as well, but her own mother had loved her beyond measure, and it went both ways. The fact that her mom had been addicted to drugs and alcohol was a tragedy, but she’d never doubted her mother’s love. How awful to be part of the Fleming family. On the surface they had it all, but underneath it sounded like there was no respect or affection, much less love.
“How long are we going to be on this stretch of road?” she asked, keeping her eyes ahead. Luckily, traffic was light.
“A long time. Another forty miles or so.”
“Can you do me a favor? Go into my bag and get my phone. I need to call my grandma and let her know what’s going on.”
He unzipped her bag and found her phone. She talked him through finding the contacts, told him to click on Sharon’s name, and had him put it on speakerphone. When Sharon answered, Niki explained the situation. Sharon was astounded to hear her neighbors had kept a little girl in their house for three years. Once she got over the shock of the news, she made it clear she wasn’t enthused about Jacob’s plan of action. “I really think you should have called the police,” she said, echoing Niki’s initial instincts.
“I hear you,” Niki said, keeping her eyes on the road. “That was my first thought too.”
Jacob broke in, “The police wouldn’t understand, and explaining it all would have taken too long. And now that my mom’s driven out of the county, they would have said it was beyond their jurisdiction.”
“Don’t you think t
hey would put out an AMBER Alert?” Sharon asked.
“Nah,” Jacob said. “We don’t even know if Mia is her real name, and we don’t have a last name or a picture of her or anything. They couldn’t have issued an alert. They don’t have enough information.”
He sounded so sure, as if he’d thought this through. Niki wondered where he’d gotten his facts. The internet? Law & Order?
He added, “I think we can catch up to her, and once we have her exact location, we can call the police then.”
“What’s the license plate number on your mom’s car?” Sharon asked.
A good question, Niki thought.
“I don’t know,” Jacob answered. “When we catch up to her, we can call and give it to you then. Or maybe the police can look it up?”
“The two of you chasing after her sounds like it could be dangerous. Why don’t you come on back and we’ll talk this over?”
“No,” Jacob said firmly, not even waiting for Niki to weigh in. “I need to be the one to do this. She’s my mom, and I know how she thinks. We have to keep going. Mia’s probably scared, but she knows me, so I have to be the one to find her.”
“Well, be careful,” Sharon said, her voice coming out overly loud. Niki could tell Sharon still wasn’t convinced. “And call me with updates. I’m going to put a call out to Franny Benson. She’ll know what to do. She’ll probably want the police to be involved, and she might want to talk to you first, so make sure to answer your phone, okay? Even if you don’t know the number.”
“Will do,” Niki said. After they’d ended the call, she asked Jacob, “You seem pretty sure we’ll be able to catch up to her.”
“I’m not completely sure,” he said. “But I saw her leave the house, and it was right before I went to the gas station. Plus, if you ever saw my mom drive, you’d understand. She drives really slow, like excruciatingly slow. One time she even got a ticket for it, which made her furious.” He glanced down at his phone. “She stops a lot too.”
The Moonlight Child Page 24
