The Drowning Child

by Alex Barclay

  Cozy, homey, traditional. Not what I expected. Poor Shannon, a single mom working so hard to give her boy a home, then losing him so young.

  Shannon appeared from the darkness of a short hallway, carrying a stack of towels. She stopped, stared at Ren and Ruddock.

  She doesn’t want to know.

  But, still, she came toward them.

  ‘Why don’t we take a seat,’ said Ruddock.

  Shannon had tears in her eyes before they even sat down. She fell apart when they told her what the autopsy had revealed.

  You cannot fall apart with her.

  ‘We’re so sorry,’ said Ren.

  ‘I … can’t believe it,’ said Shannon. ‘I just … I can’t. Who would want to kill my baby?’

  This is gut-wrenching.

  ‘A lot of things are going to happen that we need to prepare you for,’ said Ren. ‘Your home, the bar, the entire property will be searched – the grounds and the cabins. We’ll be accessing your phone records, Aaron’s, and Seth’s. We’ll be accessing your financial records.’

  ‘When will people start coming here?’ said Shannon.

  ‘The crime scene techs? Within the hour,’ said Ren. ‘And it’s likely that once the media get a hold of this—’

  ‘Well, they won’t be hearing a word from me,’ said Shannon. ‘Or Seth.’

  ‘We also need you to fill out this questionnaire,’ said Ruddock. ‘It’s standard practice. And we’ll need Aaron’s father to do the same …’

  ‘Aaron’s father left when Aaron was six months old,’ said Shannon. ‘He died three years later in a car accident.’

  Poor kid.

  ‘Can we take you and Seth anywhere?’ said Ren. ‘To family? A friend’s house?’

  ‘No,’ said Shannon. ‘We’ll figure something out. Thank you, though. I appreciate it.’

  Ren and Ruddock went back to Tate PD and filled the others in on the autopsy results. Ren drove to the Veirs.

  ‘What is it?’ said Teddy, when she opened the door.

  ‘I wanted to let you know before you might hear it from another source,’ said Ren, ‘that Aaron Fuller’s death is no longer being treated as an accident.’

  ‘Oh my God,’ said Teddy.

  She brought Ren into the house, guided her into the living room. John came in, and sat beside Teddy, holding her hand. Ren talked them through the autopsy results. When she finished, John Veir stood up, ran for the bathroom. After a moment, they could hear him throw up.

  ‘I should go to him …’ said Teddy, sliding forward on the sofa.

  Ren put a gentle hand on her forearm. ‘Please … he’ll be back.’ I can’t have you discussing this with each other.

  ‘What does this mean for Caleb?’ said Teddy. ‘Have you lost hope for him? Do you think this is what happened to him? Aaron was found very quickly … is that a good or a bad sign for Caleb?’

  ‘Let’s wait until John comes back,’ said Ren.

  They sat in silence. Ren looked around the room. It was exceptionally tidy, with few decorative touches, except for a narrow wall of family photographs to the left of the archway into the dining area. There was one of John Veir in his army uniform, his face set, his eyes dark and blank.

  ‘When was that photo taken?’ said Ren.

  ‘Gosh,’ said Teddy, turning to follow her gaze. ‘He must have been thirty years old in that.’

  ‘He looks so young,’ said Ren.

  Teddy nodded. ‘He always did.’

  Where all three Veirs were in photos together, Teddy was smiling, and her husband and son looked, at best, tolerant; at worst, tense.

  I’d hate to be with a man like that. And have a son who looks miserable even on vacation. You have zero clue what was going on that day. And maybe they just don’t like getting their photo taken.

  John came back, white-faced, with beads of sweat along his hairline. He sat down beside Teddy, and took her hand again.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. He wiped his forearm across his brow.

  ‘You’ve had a shock,’ said Ren. ‘But this news about Aaron doesn’t mean that something bad has happened to Caleb. No one wants to alarm you, but it would be foolish for us not to at least consider a connection, based on their age profile and geographic proximity. And I want to reassure you that looking into what happened to Aaron won’t impact on our efforts to find Caleb.’

  ‘Oh, come on,’ said John. ‘It’ll take a chunk out of your resources, for sure. How couldn’t it?’

  ‘We’ll be bringing more officers in,’ said Ren. ‘And more agents from the FBI offices in Salem and Portland.’

  ‘Is there anything we can do?’ said John. ‘I can’t just sit here and do nothing. There’s a maniac out there who’s drowned a boy, who might have our son, and we’re just sitting around?’

  ‘There’s nothing you can do except be here and support each other,’ said Ren. ‘But you will have to come in later to talk to Gil Wiley and Pete Ruddock.’

  ‘There was something I discovered this morning,’ said Teddy. ‘It’s probably no big deal, but I noticed that John’s sleeping bag is missing from the attic.’

  John’s head spun toward her. ‘What?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Teddy. ‘I was going through the things Caleb kept up there, in case there was anything that might help us find him, and I realized it was gone. When was the last time we used them?’

  John shrugged. ‘I can’t remember. The summer before last?’

  Teddy nodded. ‘You’re right.’

  ‘Do you have a photo of it?’ said Ren.

  ‘I can get you one,’ said Teddy. ‘I know that it’s got a pretty distinctive black ink stain on it from a Sharpie.’

  ‘When was the last time either of you were up in the attic?’ said Ren.

  Eye-dart from John Veir.

  ‘Several months,’ said Teddy.

  ‘Caleb was talking about getting an action figure from up there on Sunday night,’ said John, ‘but I don’t know if he did in the end.’

  How convenient …

  Teddy sat forward, her eyes bright. ‘Could this mean that Caleb did run away? The suitcase, the sleeping bag …’

  Caleb, dead, rolled into a sleeping bag, sealed inside a sheet of plastic, his father closing the trunk of his car.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ said Ren.

  Suddenly, a car screeched up outside the house. Everyone stood up. A car door slammed, and there was the sound of footsteps rushing up the path. The doorbell rang, then a fist pounded on the door.

  ‘Get out here! Get out here!’

  It was a woman’s voice.

  John went to the window. Ren walked toward the front door.

  ‘Stay where you are, Teddy,’ said John.

  ‘Who is it?’ she said.

  John went into the hall, and started to open the door, trying to push his way through the gap, to get out on to the porch.

  ‘Don’t you dare! Let me in, John!’

  That’s Shannon Fuller.

  John gave in, and Shannon appeared in the hallway, just as Teddy came out from the living room.

  ‘It was you, you fucking psycho!’ said Shannon.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ said John.

  ‘Shannon,’ said Ren. ‘Please calm down—’

  ‘No!’ said Shannon. ‘No.’

  ‘John, step back, please,’ said Ren. ‘Shannon, I’m going to come over to you and—’

  Shannon Fuller was pale-faced. Her eyes locked on to Ren’s. ‘There’s something I should have told you right after I heard that Caleb was missing, but I didn’t want to sound like some psycho too—’

  Her gaze turned to Teddy.

  ‘What is it?’ said Ren.

  ‘Tell her!’ said Shannon to Teddy. ‘Tell her!’

  ‘Tell her what?’ said Teddy.

  ‘Tell her!’ said Shannon.

  ‘What … what are you talking about?’ said Teddy. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  ‘I was jus
t told my son was drowned!’ said Shannon. ‘Did you hear that? Someone deliberately drowned my son—’

  ‘We don’t know that for sure,’ said Ren.

  Shannon talked over her. ‘Someone held him under water until he couldn’t breathe any more. Someone killed my beautiful boy! Tell her, Teddy. So help me God—’

  Teddy’s eyes were filled with tears, but she looked utterly bewildered. ‘I have no idea—’

  ‘I’ll tell her, then,’ said Shannon. ‘I’ll tell her—’

  ‘Stop!’ said John. ‘Shannon, stop. Don’t—’ He stepped toward her.

  ‘No!’ said Shannon. ‘No way!’ She turned to Ren, her eyes alight, but she was speaking to Teddy. ‘Tell her! Tell this woman! Tell her!’

  ‘John,’ said Teddy, pleading. ‘What is she talking about?’ She was shaking. ‘I don’t know what you’re—’

  ‘Don’t!’ roared John at Shannon. ‘Don’t say a word. Don’t do this.’

  The pain in his eyes.

  Shannon saw it too, and it drained the fight from her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry. I’m … angry. I’m confused. I … someone drowned Aaron. Someone drowned my little boy. Why would someone do that?’

  And why would you come here directing your anger at Teddy Veir? And what does John Veir know about it?

  Ren looked at John Veir over Shannon’s shoulder, and nodded him toward his confused wife. ‘Can you please take Teddy into the living room? Thank you.’

  Ren took Shannon to one side. ‘What is going on?’

  Shannon lowered her voice, out of earshot of Teddy. ‘When Caleb was a baby, Teddy tried to drown him.’

  Oh.

  Dear.

  God.

  27

  Ren led Shannon into the kitchen.

  ‘Talk to me,’ said Ren.

  ‘When Caleb was a newborn,’ said Shannon, ‘I came across Teddy early one morning, kneeling down by Coolwater Creek, lowering Caleb into the water. I ran, got there just as his face was going under. It was horrific. I jumped in the water, and pulled him out of Teddy’s grip. Teddy was just sobbing, rambling on about no more pain. She was hysterical. She lashed out at me, scratched my face, tried to take Caleb out of my arms. She kept telling me that Caleb would only ever be safe if he was in heaven.’

  Jesus. ‘What happened next?’ said Ren.

  ‘Well, I managed to talk Teddy into coming with me back to the car,’ said Shannon. ‘I was going to drive them both to the police station, or the hospital, but Teddy begged me not to. She said her husband was in Iraq and that the baby would be taken away from her. So I brought them both back home. I told Teddy I wouldn’t call the police on three conditions: one – that she called a family member to come stay with her; two – that they brought the baby to the doctor immediately; and three – that she got psychiatric help.’

  ‘So, what family member came?’ said Ren.

  ‘It was a friend, in fact,’ said Shannon. ‘Patti Ellis.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for coming in here like that today. Teddy obviously has no memory of any of this. She must have blocked the whole thing out. I’m a mess. I’m sorry. Who would want to hurt Aaron?’

  ‘We’re going to do our very best to find that out,’ said Ren. ‘But first, I have to ask you, why did you think Teddy might? I know what you’ve just told me, but why would you think Teddy would have reason to harm your son.’

  Shannon flushed. ‘I—’

  ‘Are you and John having an affair?’ said Ren.

  Shannon sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. Tears welled in her eyes. ‘Yes … we were.’

  ‘Let’s talk about this in my car,’ said Ren. ‘If you could wait outside, I just want to have a word with John.’

  Shannon left. Ren called John into the hallway. ‘What did you say to Teddy?’

  ‘I told her it was about …’ He shrugged.

  ‘The affair,’ said Ren. ‘She knows?’

  He nodded.

  ‘But she has no memory of what happened with Caleb when he was a baby,’ said Ren.

  ‘No,’ said John. ‘I wanted to protect her.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Ren. ‘For right now, I need to go speak with Shannon. But I will need you and Teddy to come into Tate PD this afternoon.’

  Shannon Fuller was standing beside Ren’s car, her arms crossed, her head bowed. Ren walked over, unlocked the car, and they both got in.

  ‘So …’ said Ren. ‘You and John …’

  ‘Yes …’ said Shannon.

  ‘Is it ongoing?’

  ‘No … not really. It’s—’

  ‘Complicated …’ Ren smiled.

  Shannon’s shoulders relaxed.

  ‘Tell me …’ said Ren.

  ‘Well, we met when I bought the resort,’ said Shannon. ‘We’d see each other every now and then. Everything I said to you about him is true – how kind he was, what a good guy. At that point, though, that’s all I thought. Then one day last summer, I ran into him in the store at Lister Creek – he was on his way home from work, I was on my way in to visit Seth. We got to talking …’

  There is still such a sparkle in your eye for that man.

  ‘There was just … a connection,’ said Shannon. ‘Plus, he knew I was worried about Seth, and he sort of implied he’d look out for him, which I thought was really kind. Maybe that’s what it was … his compassion. I guess we don’t expect it in men who look so … tough.’ She sucked in a breath. ‘I know I should have stayed away from him.’

  ‘Life isn’t that simple, though, is it?’ said Ren.

  ‘No,’ said Shannon. ‘No.’

  ‘How did it progress from the meeting in the store into an affair?’ said Ren.

  ‘Well, we already had each other’s cell phone numbers,’ said Shannon, ‘but that evening after we met at Lister Creek – he texted me, checking if I got home OK after my visit. A couple of days later—’

  ‘When was this exactly?’ said Ren.

  ‘The end of July last year,’ said Shannon. ‘So a couple of days later, I asked him to come fix something at the bar … and it went from there … until Teddy found out in October. She was trying to hook up her phone to the Bluetooth printer at home and his second phone – he’d forgotten to power it off – showed up as an open device or whatever that’s called. She searched all over for it, and she found it in his sports bag. It was all there.’ She blushed again.

  ‘So, the “not really” part,’ said Ren. ‘I’m guessing it hasn’t really ended …’

  ‘We tried,’ said Shannon. ‘But it was just too hard. It started up again in December, ended in early January … and … when Aaron died, John was here to support me – emotionally. As a friend.’

  ‘Did Teddy know in December that it had started up again?’ said Ren.

  ‘Yes,’ said Shannon.

  ‘And nobody thought to mention this to us …’ said Ren.

  ‘I didn’t think it was my place,’ said Shannon. ‘Not when they’re going through this. I don’t want to add any more pain. And I didn’t see how it mattered. It’s over now.’

  ‘Did Seth know about it?’ said Ren.

  ‘Seth? No – he might have had his suspicions, but no. Why?’

  ‘What about Aaron or Caleb?’ said Ren. ‘Could they have known?’

  Her eyes widened. She took her time to answer. ‘That never entered my head. No …?’

  ‘Your plant pots out front …’ said Ren.

  Shannon had a resigned look on her face.

  ‘Someone trashed them?’ said Ren.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Teddy?’ said Ren.

  Shannon nodded. ‘She showed up New Year’s Day, totally lost it.’

  ‘Was Aaron there?’ said Ren. ‘Did he see it?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Shannon. ‘But he didn’t know what it was about. I told him it was to do with the bar and money I still owed the Veirs. It was the first thing that came into my head.’

  ‘Did Teddy know that John
was back offering you emotional support when Aaron died?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Shannon. ‘He decided to just come clean – he told Teddy I needed him, and that it wouldn’t feel right for him not to be there for me.’

  ‘How did she take that?’ said Ren.

  ‘He didn’t say,’ said Shannon. ‘And I didn’t ask.’

  ‘When you came here today,’ said Ren, ‘did you really think that Teddy Veir could have done something to harm Aaron?’

  ‘I know you’re expecting me to say “no”,’ said Shannon, ‘and that saying “no” is the right thing to say, but yes … yes, I did. And I’m not sure I feel any differently now.’ She paused. ‘You’ll look into it, won’t you?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘Of course.’

  Shannon stared out the window. ‘Do you think it’s karma?’

  The what now?

  ‘Bad things happening to both our sons …’ said Shannon, turning to her. ‘John and me. I mean … is God punishing us?’

  ‘No,’ said Ren. ‘No, no, no.’ Why would you even think that? ‘I don’t know why this had to happen,’ said Ren, ‘but it is not karma.’

  ‘But, wouldn’t you think it was karma if you did something shitty and someone you loved died?’

  ‘No,’ said Ren. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me … I need to get back to the Veirs. Thank you for your time.’ She got out of the car. Shannon got out, and started to walk after her.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Shannon. ‘Did I say something to upset you?’

  Ren kept walking.

  Blink.

  Blink.

  Blink.

  28

  Back at Tate PD, Ren filled the team in on the Veirs and Shannon Fuller.

  ‘I’ve asked both the Veirs to come in later,’ said Ren. ‘After I spoke with Shannon, I went back in to ask them for a photo with the sleeping bag in it. Teddy was in pretty bad shape. We need to know more about her mental health from her doctors. The episode with Caleb as a baby, particularly as he was only a week old, would suggest post-partum psychosis to me. Does that make someone susceptible to future psychotic episodes? I don’t know.’

  ‘I can try speaking with her doctor,’ said Ruddock.

  ‘Is she taking any meds?’ said Ren.