Home For Christmas

by Patricia Potter

  After ten years? Interested enough to contact his probation officer? To follow him? Ryan doubted it He looked outside. The sky was darkening. The clouds were dark, ominous. Bleak.

  He tried one more tack. “You remember any more about Castilani? Whether I ever mentioned him to you?”

  Banyon paled just as he had before, then blustered. “Why should I?”

  “Just thought you might,” Ryan said, shrugging “Can’t seem to get that name out of my head.”

  Suddenly Banyon seemed anxious, jittery Anxious to go.

  Ryan felt a moment’s satisfaction He’d struck someone’s gong

  “I gotta go,” Banyon said “You learn anything, let me know.”

  “I’ll do that,” Ryan said drily as Banyon rose, seemingly unaware of the irony in Ryan’s reply The big detective threw several bills on the table.

  Ryan stood and followed him out the door. He’d invoked some kind of reaction He only wished he knew what it was.

  Ryan held Nick as the boy very carefully attached an angel to the top of the tree, then slowly lowered him.

  “That’s my special Christmas angel,” Nick confided “Mommy says she makes wishes come true ”

  If only she did Ryan had several wishes he wouldn’t mind coming true. But he doubted if a Christmas angel involved herself in those kind of dreams. They were pretty heavy duty for a delicate crystal fairy.

  “Mommy says she winks when she grants a wish,” Nick added, just a little dubiously.

  “I thought angels rang bells,” Ryan said, then wondered where that idea came from.

  “That’s only in movies,” Julie said with a throaty chuckle. “My angel is unique My mother bought her when I was a child, and she always told me Francesca winks She said I didn’t look quick enough to see her.

  “Francesca?”

  “Francesca,” Julie said firmly.

  Ryan couldn’t stop looking at the way her eyes sparkled. He’d been captured by the boy just as he arrived back at the apartment and shanghaied into helping put up the tree. From the moment he’d entered the house he’d felt transported to a magical land. The house smelled delectably of hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies and spruce, and he’d drunk it in like an alcoholic who’d just had his first drink in months

  As he helped string lights and attach little ornaments to branches, he couldn’t help but contrast the small dingy bar to the warmth of the room Or to the loneliness he knew awaited him once he left the apartment

  “Now stand back,” Julie ordered after he and Nick had placed Francesca in her place of honor She stooped and attached an extension cord to the outlet. The tree suddenly sparkled with hundreds of tiny blinking lights, like stars in a clear sky At the top, Francesca’s wings shimmered She could very well wink, Ryan thought. The lights inside her could easily give that impression

  The lights on the tree reflected in Nick’s eyes. Julie’s cheeks were pink and her eyes bright as she looked at their handiwork. Ryan’s heart ached as he fought the feeling of belonging

  “It’s beautiful,” Nick said “Don’t you think so?”

  “I do,” he said, but it was not as beautiful as Julie She looked extraordinarily pretty with the delighted smile on her lips, the glow in her eyes. It was obvious she loved Christmas.

  Christmas. Ten years ago he’d killed a man on Christmas Eve. He’d tried not to think about Christmas But Nick had met him when he’d arrived home from Harry’s and pulled him over to the house.

  So now he sat in her living room as she brought in a tray of hot cocoa and cookies while a Christmas carol played softly in the background Had he been a masochist in his other life? Had he sat in a living room longing to be a part of something but never quite able to belong for one reason or another?

  “It’s beautiful,” Nick sighed as he snuggled on a sofa next to Ryan and stared at the blinking lights of the tree. Prissy the cat was marching around the bottom of the tree, occasionally batting a low hanging ornament and swishing branches with her tail.

  Ryan took a cup of chocolate and a cookie decorated with colored sugar even as his heart ached “Yes,” he said. but his eyes were on Julie.

  He sat there listening to carols, munching cookies, hearing Nick’s tale of his trip to Santa Claus Memorizing moments he might never have again.

  Chapter 18

  Julie found the priest! Or thought she had.

  She had assumed the job of trying to find O‘Grady from Jerry, who was busy on another case. After innumerable delays and transfers and dead ends, she’d finally located a Sean O’Grady who ran a shelter for runaway boys in Oakland, California.

  She dialed his number, but the person who answered said he was out of town seeking funds from a state agency. She left her name and number, and a message asking him to call, that it was urgent

  Nick was in school. Ryan was at work She had a million things to do, including Christmas shopping There were only fourteen days left, and she had bought no presents. She still didn’t know exactly what Nick wanted, at least his heart’s desire A puppy, yes, but there was something else he wasn’t talking about the big secret that wouldn’t come true if he told her.

  But she had difficulty focusing on Christmas. Ryan would be moving out the next week if he received his permission from Davidson. So far, it had not been forthcoming.

  Part of her, the selfish part, wished it wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even think how suddenly bereft this house—her life, and Nick’s—would become. He had given it substance, and strength He had filled the empty parts.

  More important, he had made her believe in herself again.

  Which made her realize she would have to start job hunting after Christmas. Perhaps she would work for Dan it he still wanted her By then, the publicity would have cooled. But even the thought of a new challenge was dulled Everything dulled at the prospect of not having Ryan around.

  She wanted to pick up the phone again and call some more of her old friends in Dan’s office; she’d been trying to find out more about Castilani these past few days especially after Ryan told her about Banyon’s reaction She sought rumors, links with any law enforcement personnel, supposition, anything

  She was on her fourth fruitless conversation when the call-waiting beep sounded. She quickly said goodbye and took the other call

  “O’Grady here,” said a gruff voice “You called about an urgent matter?”

  Breath caught in her throat Let him be the one, she prayed silently.

  “I’m Julie Farrell,” she said. “Are you the Father O’Grady who was in Atlanta ten years ago?”

  There was a short pause. “Yes, I am ”

  She knew her sigh must be audible over the phone. “I’m an attorney. I represent Ryan Murphy I understand you know him.”

  “Ryan?”

  She knew instantly that she had the right person. He’d said the name with recognition, even affection.

  “You did know him then?” she insisted, wanting to hear it from his own mouth.

  “What does he say?” came the cautious answer

  “He doesn’t know,” she said. “He has total amnesia”

  There was a silence as the man on the other end apparently evaluated the information “Is he still in prison?”

  “He’s out on parole, and he’s trying to find out what happened ten years ago,” she said. “I think you should also know that he saved my life and my son’s He was working on a road gang when someone ran into me and we were trapped in the car. Mr Murphy pulled both of us out He was badly injured when the car exploded ”

  “That’s how he got amnesia?”

  “Yes. And he wants to know more about his..life His former wife said she saw you at the jail. We thought he might have told you something about what happened, something about his background ”

  “How is he?”

  “Physically, he’s fine. He has a job as a mechanic.” She hesitated, then added, “But I think someone is trying to kill him.”

  She heard a swift int
ake of breath on the other end of the line three thousand miles away.

  “Will you talk to him on the phone?” she said.

  “Better than that, Ms. Farrell, I’ll fly out there.”

  “You liked him?” she said.

  “I loved him,” the answer came gruffly “I have to clear up some things here, but I’ll be on a plane Thursday or Friday.”

  “Let me know when, and I’ll pick you up.”

  “No need to do that. I’ll rent a car. I’ll call you as soon as I know something”

  “Thank you,” she breathed into the phone. She heard the line go dead on the other side of the country

  “Phone for you.”

  Ryan wiped his hands off on a nearby rag and headed for the phone

  He cradled it near his ear as he leaned against the wall. “This is Murphy.”

  “Daddy?”

  He stiffened

  “Daddy? This is Laura. I need help. Can you come to Macon?”

  He was too stunned to say anything for a moment

  “Daddy?”

  “Yes,” he finally managed, his heart thudding.

  “I can’t tell Mother, and you can’t, either. You can’t tell anyone. I need your help. Someone is ..threatening her...and me ”

  His heart pounded so loud he thought Tim could hear in the other room. “Where are you?”

  “I’ll be in the same place you met Mother. In two-and-a-half hours ”

  “You know about that?”

  “I heard Mom and Dad talk about it.”

  “Are you in danger now? Can you go to the police?”

  “No. Please come.” The phone line went dead.

  He felt his hands trembling. Should he call the police? But he didn’t trust the police. He really didn’t trust anyone but Julie He went over to Tim “I have to go.”

  Tim looked up sharply from a catalogue of parts, took one look at his face. “Okay,” he said.

  “I’ll be in early tomorrow morning.”

  “You already worked through lunch. Don’t worry about it. We’re pretty well caught up.”

  Ryan nodded his thanks and hurried out to the car. His heart still pounded at an accelerated rate. If anyone hurt his daughter..

  He looked at the clock when he left. Two o’clock. He should be there by five.

  His daughter.

  Julie felt her heart contract as her mind echoed Father O’Grady’s words I loved him.

  He’d said it so simply, so naturally. Would a priest say that about a cold-blooded killer?

  The phone rang again and she ran to catch it.

  “Mrs Farrell?” The voice was panicked, almost hysterical.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Susan at The Learning Center Is your son there? Did you pick him up?”

  “No,” Julie said, and she knew her voice was close to a scream. “He isn’t there?”

  “I...I can’t find him He was outside with the other children and..”

  “He was left outside alone?”

  “Just for a moment while one of my employees was called to the telephone. The area’s fenced, and she thought...well, she’s new and didn’t think. When she returned to the yard, she counted the children and one was missing. We looked all over for him, thought he might be playing hide-and-seek, but.. ” Her voice trailed off. “One of the children finally said a man with a badge came for him, and told them not to say anything.”

  “Call the police,” Julie said. “I’m coming over ”

  She grabbed her keys and her purse and ran out the door. She looked up at the garage apartment, but Ryan was at work She would call him from the preschool. He could stay at their house in case someone called while she looked and talked to the police.

  He’s so Little Dear God, don’t let anything happen to him.

  Numb with anxiety, she pressed her foot hard on the gas pedal.

  Police were already at the center when she arrived. She gave them a description and pulled a photo from her wallet Then the questions began.

  “Could a friend or relative have picked him up?”

  She started to shake her head when Susan, the director of the school, broke in “We’ve received some calls about Mrs. Farrell’s son.”

  “What kind of calls?”

  Susan looked uncomfortable “Several callers didn’t like the fact that Nicholas’s mother is associated with, well, a convict ”

  Two pair of eyes narrowed and sharpened as they pierced through her.

  “Who?”

  “Ryan Murphy lives behind her. He’s been paroled.”

  “Murphy?” the oldest cop said. He turned to the other. “The dirty cop that’s been in the paper,” he explained before turning back to her. “Where is he now?”

  “At the garage where he works.”

  “What’s the number?”

  She gave it to them, and the older one headed for a phone. The other didn’t say anything, just waited.

  “He’s not there Left about two hours ago,” said the patrolman as he put the phone back in the cradle.

  Julie’s fear mushroomed. He had to be there.

  “You got any reason to believe he would take your kid?”

  “I know he wouldn’t,” she said

  He stared at her for a moment, then picked up the phone again. “I want an APB posted on Ryan Murphy.” He peered at her.

  She stared at him in disbelief. “Someone tried to kill him in front of my house a few days ago. I tell you it wasn’t him.”

  “Did you report it?”

  She swallowed hard “No.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “My son...” She stopped suddenly Julie’s heart stopped. She could barely breathe Had she been wrong? If she was, what had she done to her son?

  But she would never believe Ryan would do anything to her son. Maybe Ryan had just reached the house Maybe he was there now

  “I want to go home,” she said.

  “A squad car will go with you, Ms. Farrell.”

  She nodded, realizing it would do no good to protest. And she wanted to get there. Maybe Nick was at home. Maybe there would be a phone call.

  Please let him be there.

  Ryan waited one hour, then another in the restaurant. No fifteen-year-old girl. He looked in his wallet at the most recent picture of her, the one he’d taken from the album. No one even close to the description had come in the doors.

  The waitresses were looking at him impatiently. Several people were waiting for the table. He finally rose, left a couple of dollars tip for a cup of coffee, and left

  He went to a service station next door and called his wife’s home.

  She answered on the third ring. “Mary Elizabeth?”

  “Ryan?” Surprise tinged her voice.

  “Is Laura there?”

  “I thought you weren’t going to try to contact her.”

  “She called me this afternoon, said there was trouble and asked me to meet her.”

  “It wasn’t Laura,” she said “I picked her up at school and we went shopping for her dad’s Christmas present. We just got home.”

  “Nothing was bothering her?

  “No. Didn’t seem to be ”

  “Has she said anything about me? Did she know we met?”

  “No.”

  “She couldn’t have overheard you?”

  “David and I have only mentioned you when she was out of the house.”

  A warning. Ryan felt his stomach clench Someone was telling him his daughter wasn’t safe. He felt the earth giving way under him. Or were his legs unsteady?

  “Watch out for her, Mary Elizabeth,” he said.

  There was a silence. “Do you think she’s in danger?”

  Not as long as he stayed away from her “No,” he said, “but look after her for me”

  He hung up the phone, hoping to hell he was right

  Police cars and revolving blue lights crowded the driveway as he drove up. He jumped out of the car and took the three steps of Julie
’s porch in one leap. He didn’t bother to knock.

  A crowd of men and several women were in the living room, but his eyes went directly to Julie. She was standing in the living room, her face pale. She looked ten years older than she had a few days ago.

  In two strides, he was in front of her “Nicholas,” she whispered. “He’s missing.”

  Before he could take her in his arms, two men closed in on him, one on each side.

  “Murphy?”

  He knew immediately what they wanted. Suspicion gleamed in their eyes.

  He nodded.

  “Against the wall.”

  He tried to tell Julie with his eyes that he had nothing to do with Nick’s disappearance, but he was pushed toward the wall He obediently assumed the position, leaning against the wall with his arms while one of the detectives frisked him. “He’s clean ”

  Another man in plain clothes, which meant he was a detective, moved inches from his face. “Where’s the kid?”

  “I don’t know,” Ryan said evenly.

  “How did you get here?”

  “My car.”

  “Parked outside?”

  “Yes,” he said, keeping his eyes on Julie. Now he knew why he received that phone call. It wasn’t a warning. It was a trap.

  “What does it look like?”

  “Green sedan. It’s parked just behind a squad car.”

  “Keys.”

  “I left them in the ignition when I saw your cars.”

  The detective nodded his head at another man in plain clothes “Check it out, but be careful Use gloves ”

  Ryan started to move toward Julie, but the detective who appeared to be in charge, stepped in front of him “I’m Lieutenant Kale. You want to tell us where you’ve been?”

  “Macon”

  “Your boss said you left your job suddenly.”

  There went his job, he thought As well as his apartment.

  “That was a question, Murphy ”

  Murphy closed his eyes. If he told them where he went, they would call his former wife, probably talk to his daughter

  “I went for a drive.”

  “You can do better than that”

  A stone lodged in his throat. He was a Jonah Julie was looking at him with so much fear in her eyes. He wondered whether there was also accusation in them He didn’t think he could bear that, though he would understand it.