The Girl in the Woods

by Patricia MacDonald

  ‘I do,’ said Blair. ‘What if he comes home? I don’t want him to come back to an empty house, but thank you both for the help.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Zach. ‘I didn’t mean to …’

  ‘You didn’t …’ said Blair. ‘It’s not your fault.’

  Amanda walked her to the door. ‘I feel so terrible about this.’

  ‘He’s probably just cooling off somewhere,’ said Blair, pretending to feel calm.

  ‘I hope you’re right. You’ll let me know?’ Amanda asked.

  ‘I will.’

  Frowning, Blair went out to her car. She drove back to Ellis’s house as fast as she could. There was no one there when she arrived. Ellis had obviously taken his truck and gone looking for the boy. Blair went inside, calling Malcolm’s name, but she was greeted with silence.

  Before she even took off her jacket, a police car pulled up in front of the house. She went down to speak to the patrolman who got out. His partner remained seated in the car.

  ‘Ma’am, are you the boy’s mother?’

  ‘I’m his aunt. His mother died recently.’

  The patrolman looked up at the ramshackle house. ‘You live here?’

  ‘No. This is my uncle’s house. They lived here. My uncle went out to look for Malcolm. I’ve been calling around.’

  ‘Did the boy threaten to run away?’ the cop asked.

  Blair jammed her hands in her pockets and shook her head. ‘No. But I did find out that he was mad about something.’

  ‘Mad about what?’ the cop asked.

  Blair hesitated. ‘It’s just … it was just a misunderstanding.’

  ‘It might be important,’ said the officer.

  ‘He and a friend had a quarrel,’ said Blair. ‘It wasn’t anything serious, but the boy has been through a lot.’

  The policeman looked at her kindly. ‘Sometimes they just bolt. Boys especially are prone to this kind of thing. Have you got a photo?’

  ‘In the house,’ said Blair, leading the way up the porch steps. She went inside and the cop followed her into the living room. Malcolm’s school picture, his face pale against the blue background, was sitting on the mantle. Blair took it down and handed it to the cop. The cop removed it from the frame and handed the frame back to Blair. Blair set it back on the mantle.

  ‘Ok,’ he said. ‘We’ll make copies.’

  Blair nodded. She felt as if her stomach was clenched into a knot.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said.

  Just then there was the crunch of gravel as a vehicle pulled in the driveway. Blair ran to the window and pulled back the curtain. Uncle Ellis was getting out of his truck, alone. He came up the stairs scowling at the patrol car and greeted Blair and the officer with a snarl.

  ‘Who called the cops?’

  ‘I did,’ said Blair. ‘I’m worried. We need help.’

  ‘You didn’t need to go involving the cops.’

  ‘Well, it looks like you didn’t find him,’ Blair cried.

  ‘I didn’t lose him!’ Uncle Ellis bellowed.

  ‘All right, all right,’ said the patrolman. ‘Let’s just take it easy. Tempers get frayed at a time like this.’

  Ellis turned on him as if he was going to challenge him to a fight when the phone rang. Ellis hesitated and then picked it up. There was undeniable anxiety in his voice as he answered.

  ‘Yeah. Hello. Oh, hi Darlene.’

  Blair turned away, her slim hope that it might have been Malcolm, dashed.

  ‘What?’ Ellis cried. ‘Yeah, he’s still missing. What? You’re kidding. Oh, wait till I get my hands on him.’

  ‘What?’ Blair demanded. ‘Is it Malcolm?’

  Ellis waved off her concern. ‘Ok. Yeah. Ok. See you soon.’ He hung up the phone and turned to the cop. ‘All right. You can leave now. He’s ok.’

  ‘Where is he?’ Blair demanded.

  ‘With Darlene.’ He turned to the officer and rolled his eyes in Blair’s direction. ‘Sorry she bothered you.’

  ‘No bother,’ said the cop. ‘You should always report a missing child.’

  ‘Are we going to pick him up?’ Blair demanded.

  ‘They’re on their way here,’ said Ellis.

  Blair knew better than to ask any more. Ellis would only tell her exactly what he felt like saying.

  ‘Ok,’ said the cop. ‘I’m glad it turned out all right. You folks have a nice evening.’

  Blair walked him to the door. ‘Thank you for coming.’

  ‘No problem,’ he said. ‘That’s what we’re here for.’

  She watched him go down the steps and then she turned back to Ellis, who was looking extremely satisfied with himself.

  ‘Darlene found him?’ Blair asked.

  ‘He’s fine. That’s all you need to know,’ said Ellis.

  ‘Goddam it,’ said Blair. ‘Just tell me.’

  ‘Your sister wanted him to live with Amanda,’ Ellis said, shaking his head. ‘And Amanda’s the one who lost him. Figures.’

  ‘Do you even care?’ Blair cried. ‘You told us about a million times what a burden Celeste and I were.’

  Ellis lifted his chin defiantly. ‘I took care of you, didn’t I?’

  ‘Is that what you call it?’ Blair demanded. She shook her head.

  ‘Couldn’t have been all that bad. Your sister came back here and lived the rest of her days in this house, with her son.’

  Blair sighed. ‘I don’t know how,’ she said.

  Just then they heard a car pulling up outside. Blair went to the door and hurried down the steps, as Darlene parked her blue Toyota in the driveway. Joseph was sitting in the passenger seat and Malcolm’s small frame was visible, hunched over in the back seat. They all got out of the car.

  ‘Malcolm …’ said Blair, as the boy emerged, avoiding her gaze. She reached out to embrace him, but he flinched and evaded her. Blair looked at Darlene. ‘Did he come to your house? Is that where he’s been?’

  ‘Joseph found him,’ said Darlene. ‘He was at the bus station.’

  ‘I called the bus station earlier. They said he wasn’t there,’ Blair protested.

  ‘Tell them,’ said Darlene.

  Joseph, still dressed in his bus driver’s uniform, cheerfully obliged. ‘You called the wrong station. He was at the Philly bus station.’

  Blair looked at Malcolm in confusion. ‘Philly? How in the world …’

  ‘I took a bus,’ said Malcolm bitterly. ‘How else?’

  Joseph nodded in agreement. ‘I got off my bus and went into the Philly station to take a leak and get a cup of coffee. And I saw him there, huddled up in one of those waiting room chairs, shivering, looking lost. I know that look. The station is full of kids like that. Anyhow, I recognized him,’ said Joseph. ‘From that dinner the other night and the funeral.’

  ‘Thank God,’ said Blair.

  ‘I went up to him asked him what he was doing there, didn’t I?’

  Malcolm shrugged. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘He was pretty miserable by then,’ Joseph explained. ‘Ready to come home. So I offered him a ride back.’

  ‘He took it,’ Darlene said grimly.

  ‘We just pulled in a few minutes ago.’

  ‘You little fool,’ said Ellis, almost fondly.

  Malcolm kept his eyes lowered.

  ‘Thank you so much,’ said Blair, shaking Joe’s hand. ‘I’m so grateful to you.’

  ‘Want to come in for a beer?’ said Ellis.

  ‘I think you all have some things to sort out,’ said Darlene crisply. ‘Come on, Joe. Let’s get home.’

  Ellis looked forlornly at Darlene, as Malcolm began to climb the porch steps. ‘I didn’t know he was going to do something like this.’

  ‘Talk to him, Ellis,’ Darlene admonished him, as she climbed back in her car. ‘The boy is obviously confused.’

  ‘Thank you both,’ said Blair. Then, as they pulled away, she went up the steps and back into the house without a word to her uncle.

  Malcolm wa
s already climbing the stairs to his room when Blair called to him from the foyer. ‘Malcolm, come back down here. I think we need to talk.’

  The boy hesitated on the staircase.

  Ellis came in, slamming the door behind him. ‘Get down here, boy,’ he called out. ‘Right now.’

  Slowly, reluctantly, the boy descended the staircase and walked into the living room. Blair had taken a seat in a chair, her arms folded over her chest. Ellis leaned against the empty fireplace, staring at the empty frame on the mantel which had held Malcolm’s photo. He sighed wearily.

  Malcolm slumped down on the sofa.

  ‘What?’ Malcolm asked. His defiant tone was undermined by the actions of his cat, which was purring and rubbing himself against Malcolm’s legs.

  ‘Why’d you do that?’ Ellis demanded. ‘Hop a bus to Philly? You don’t know your way around the city.’

  ‘I just wanted to get away. Somewhere far.’

  ‘You’re lucky Joe found you there. That was a stupid thing to do,’ said Ellis.

  Malcolm shrugged.

  ‘Amanda said that you and Zach had an argument,’ said Blair.

  ‘It wasn’t an argument,’ Malcolm protested.

  ‘What was it then?’ asked Blair.

  ‘I just got tired of it. Zach was going on like he was the one who decided everything. Like I was moving into his house and he was gonna be … the boss of me,’ said Malcolm miserably, appealing to Ellis. ‘Why do I have to live there? Why can’t I stay here?’

  ‘Don’t blame me for it,’ said Ellis.

  ‘Actually …’ said Blair.

  ‘You said you were going to teach me to shoot. And this summer I want to get a boat and go fishing at the lake,’ Malcolm reminded him.

  ‘Steady on there, boy,’ Ellis protested. ‘Nobody said nothin’ about a boat.’

  ‘Do I have to leave here, Uncle Ellis?’

  Ellis hesitated. ‘Don’t change the subject, boy. You should have just said something instead of running away.’

  ‘This is where I live,’ Malcolm cried.

  Blair walked over to her nephew and sat down on the arm of the sofa. She wanted to reach out to him, but she could feel him bristle when she reached a hand toward him. She withdrew it, and folded her hands in her lap.

  ‘Malcolm, this isn’t Uncle Ellis’s decision. Your Mom decided this before she died.’

  ‘Why?’ Malcolm protested. ‘Why would she?’

  ‘Well, for one thing,’ said Blair carefully, ‘your Uncle Ellis is … getting old. You understand that, right?’

  ‘Is he gonna die too?’ Malcolm cried.

  ‘Not a thing wrong with me. Getting old,’ Ellis scoffed.

  Blair kept her focus on Malcolm. ‘No, I’m not saying that. Ornery as he is, he’ll probably live forever. But your Mom made these arrangements with the Tuckers because she thought they would be best for you. A young family like that. You’re already close to them. And Zach looks up to you like a big brother.’

  Malcolm shook his head. ‘Zach’s a jerk.’

  ‘This will be a big change for both of you,’ said Blair. ‘You and Zach. There are things you both have to get used to. Suddenly, you’ll both have a brother.’

  ‘He ain’t my brother,’ Malcolm protested.

  ‘He was awfully worried about you,’ Blair said. ‘He felt so bad about you leaving cause of what he said.’

  Malcolm stared at his hands and was quiet. Finally he said, ‘It wasn’t just that.’

  ‘What was it?’ said Blair.

  ‘I want things to be the way they used to be!’ Malcolm cried.

  ‘Before your Mom died,’ said Blair.

  Malcolm nodded miserably.

  ‘Well, that would be nice. But we don’t get a say in these things.’

  ‘I know,’ he said angrily, wiping his eyes.

  ‘Amanda is missing Celeste almost as much as you,’ Blair said. ‘She promised your Mom that she would always take care of you. It’s kind of her way of keeping their friendship alive. In fact,’ said Blair, ‘Before I do another thing, I need to call her and let them know you’re safe.’

  Blair quickly dialed the number. Amanda picked up before the first ring was over.

  ‘Amanda, he’s home. He’s ok. Yes, he took a bus to Philly, but a friend found him there and brought him home.’ Then Blair spoke to Malcolm. ‘Amanda wants to talk to you.’

  Malcolm looked like he was about to refuse, but then he reached for the phone and held it to his ear.

  ‘Yeah,’ he muttered. ‘Yeah, I’m ok.’ He got up and walked out into the foyer where his conversation would not be overheard.

  Blair and Ellis waited in the living room.

  ‘You happy now?’ Ellis asked. ‘The kid thinks nobody wants him.’

  ‘You don’t want him,’ said Blair.

  ‘But I’d keep him,’ said Ellis.

  Blair heard the truth in her uncle’s words. She understood that, for whatever reason, he actually meant it. She gazed at him thoughtfully.

  ‘I think you mean that,’ she said.

  Ellis curled his lip at her. ‘Ha! More than I can say for you.’

  Blair couldn’t argue. She knew he was right. ‘Celeste knew better than to leave him to me. I’m not much as an aunt,’ she admitted.

  At that moment Malcolm came back into the room and handed the phone back to Blair.

  Blair thanked him and slipped the phone in her pocket. ‘Everything ok?’ she asked.

  Malcolm shrugged, but he seemed less upset. ‘Zach was crying.’

  ‘Well, he was really scared.’

  ‘I guess,’ said Malcolm. ‘I told him not to worry about it.’

  ‘Good,’ said Blair.

  ‘He’s not that bad,’ Malcolm conceded.

  ‘And Malcolm, you know, even if you don’t live in this house, you can still see your Uncle Ellis. You’ll be right around the corner. You can see him all the time. He’s your uncle. He’ll always be your family. Right, Uncle Ellis?’

  Ellis looked at Blair contemptuously. But he nodded. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

  ‘And all those plans you were talking about … the boat and the hunting. You can still do them with Uncle Ellis. Isn’t that so, Ellis?’ Blair asked.

  ‘Not if you do crazy things like you did today,’ said Ellis. ‘I’m too old for it.’

  ‘See? I told you,’ said Blair. ‘He’s too old.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Malcolm muttered, but he smiled a little bit.

  Blair could feel the tension ease. ‘How about I make us some eggs?’ she said.

  ‘I hate eggs,’ said Malcolm.

  ‘We’ll order a pizza,’ she said.

  SIXTEEN

  The house was quiet and Blair was in her bedroom, trying to read, but her nerves were still buzzing from the events of the day. The evening had turned out pretty well, all things considered. The pizza was still hot when it arrived and the three of them ate together, for once, sitting around the kitchen table. Malcolm gave Blair a brief hug before he went up to bed, which lifted her heart.

  Still, what a roller coaster of emotions today, she thought. She had been so frightened when Malcolm was missing. All she could think of was Molly and the fate she had met when she started to walk home alone from this house. Thank God, Blair thought, that Joseph noticed Malcolm in the Philly bus stop and this had a different ending.

  The message beeped on her phone. It was a text from Rebecca.

  ‘Still in NYC. Leaving soon. Back very late. Need to see you tomorrow, first thing. Please come over.’ Rebecca included her address.

  ‘I’ll be there,’ Blair texted back. ‘Hope your meeting went well.’

  ‘Absolutely did,’ Rebecca wrote. ‘See you tomorrow.’

  What’s this about, Blair wondered? Could she have come across some news about the investigation? Rebecca had, by her own admission, a lot of feelers out. Maybe one of them had come up with information. Blair could not help but hope. She tried to go back to her readi
ng, but she couldn’t concentrate. When she turned off the light, oblivion wouldn’t come. It was four a.m. before she fell into a brief, deep sleep.

  Despite her lack of rest, Blair was up and out of the house before either Ellis or Malcolm were awake. It wasn’t until she was en route that she realized that she was jumping the gun a bit. Rebecca had said to come early, but this was too early. She stopped at the diner on Main Street and had a cup of coffee. Once the sky was more pink than grey, she went back out to her car. She put Rebecca’s address in her GPS and headed for her house.

  Rebecca lived far out of the town, deep in the woods. As she pulled into the driveway, she caught sight of the old house. It was sided in stucco and stained with age. The roof looked quite a bit worse for wear. Even at this early hour, smoke was curling out of the chimney. The house was in need of a lot of TLC, but its bones were good. She wondered if Rebecca owned or rented it. She parked beside her truck and went up to the front door.

  She knocked once and waited for Rebecca to answer. Blair heard someone approaching the door and undoing the locks. The door opened and a skinny woman with gray hair, wearing a chenille bathrobe and scuffs, stood there blinking at her over her half glasses.

  Blair frowned and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. My name is Blair Butler. I’m looking for Rebecca Moore. I must have the wrong house.’

  The woman did not smile. ‘No. You’ve got the right house. But it’s kind of early to come visiting.’

  ‘I got a text from Rebecca saying to be here first thing.’

  The woman shrugged. ‘Come on in.’

  Blair stepped through the door and into the living room. She understood instantly, as soon as she saw the family pictures on display and the exhausted-looking décor, that this was Rebecca’s childhood home. ‘Are you …?’

  ‘Her mother,’ the woman said wearily.

  At that a man’s grumpy voice called out from another room, ‘Who is it at this hour?’

  ‘Some girl for Rebecca.’

  Blair heard the gruff voice mutter something unintelligible.

  ‘Upstairs on the right,’ said the woman. ‘Rebecca,’ the woman yelled.

  There was no answer.

  Blair started through the house and looked back at the disheveled woman as if for permission. The woman gestured impatiently toward the steps.