by David Archer
“What kind of relationship could she have with him after his return? Was it a good relationship?”
Givens grinned. “God, yes,” he said. “She doted on that boy every minute of every day. I don’t think she ever let him out of her sight when he wasn’t in school. She wouldn’t even let him go over to his friends’ houses to play, they always had to come to our place. I think that’s why he got into computers, because she wouldn’t let him go anywhere.”
“And what about you? How did you get along with him?”
“We were great for a while,” Givens said. “Up until he was about twelve or so, we had things pretty good. I guess it was rough the first month or so, because I had to kinda make myself think of him as my son, but—when something hurts that bad, you do whatever it takes to make the pain go away. I just got to the point I was glad to have him, and then we started really getting along good. We used to play ball in the yard, and he was always helping me when I was fixing stuff up around the house.” He shut his eyes for a second, then opened them again and looked at Sam. “I guess if I’m going to be completely honest, that was another reason I knew he wasn’t really my son. Kenny, before the kidnapping, Kenny wasn’t the best student. He had a hard time learning his alphabet, and there were other problems, but afterward? The boy was smart as a whip. A lot of times, when I was trying to fix something, he’d ask me why I didn’t do it a different way, it would turn out to be better than what I was already planning.” He shook his head. “Smart as a whip, I tell you.”
“I suppose that’s why he did so well with computers,” Sam said. “How did that come about?”
“Hell, you know how it is,” Givens said. “All his friends were getting computers, so he had to have one. I bought him one for Christmas, when he was about to turn thirteen, and it seemed like he just knew exactly what to do with it from the moment he got it. We got the Internet, and he started learning all kinds of stuff on there. Next thing I knew, he was actually making money, doing stuff on the computer for other people.” He scowled. “Then he started the hacking stuff. He got into the computer where I worked and set it to give me a raise, and he thought it was absolutely hilarious. I told him he could have got me sent to jail, if we’d got caught.”
There was a sudden knock on the interrogation room door and Summer stuck her head in. She looked at Sam and nodded once, and he returned it. She closed the door and Sam turned back to Givens.
“Lou, Kenny was just brought in so that I can talk to him. I’m going to have to tell him what we’ve learned. I’m going to have to tell him that you are not really his father.”
Givens lowered his eyes to the table again, then shut them tightly as tears began to roll down his cheeks. “You tell him one other thing,” he said haltingly. “You tell him that his mama and me, we loved him. I still do.”
* * *
Sam stepped into the second interrogation room, where Kenny was waiting, and took a seat across the table from him.
“This is looking kind of ominous,” Kenny said. “Those girls told me I wasn’t in any kind of trouble.”
“You’re not,” Sam said. “The thing is, Kenny, there are some things we learned that I’m going to have to share with you, and it’s possible they may help jog your memory about what happened to you back then. I need to warn you, however, that what I’m about to say is going to come as quite a shock.”
Kenny’s eyes opened a bit wider. “This got something to do with that preacher Jensen?”
“In a way it does,” Sam said. “I can tell you that we are fairly certain that he was the one who abducted you, and other boys. We still don’t know precisely why, and that’s one of the things we are hoping you’ll be able to tell us. Are you ready?”
Kenny crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “I guess I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Sam took a deep breath, and then let it out. “Kenny, here’s the thing. How much do you remember from before you were abducted?”
Kenny tensed slightly. “That’s a pretty weird question,” he said. “Especially since the answer is that I don’t really remember much of anything before that. I talked to a doctor once, and he said it was probably because the kidnapping was so traumatic that I blocked everything out before the time I got released.”
“That’s one possible theory,” Sam said. “I’m afraid I’m going to give you another one. Kenny, your dad is in another room here right now. The reason we brought him in is because he has confessed to something that is going to have a major impact on your life. You see, when he found you the day you were released, he knew something seemed off. He went through all the motions, took you to the police station and to the hospital to get checked out, but the truth is that he knew you were not really his son.”
To Sam’s surprise, Kenny nodded. “I’ve wondered,” he said. “I knew there were a lot of differences between us, things that would usually be at least a little bit similar between father and son. Let me guess, my mom had an affair? Got pregnant and didn’t tell him until I was missing?”
Sam blinked. “No,” he said slowly. “No, Kenny, I’m afraid the truth is even stranger than that. When he found you sitting on the front step of their old house, he said he knew almost instantly that you were not really Kenny Givens. You were another boy who looked a lot like him, but there were obvious signs. Unfortunately, he chose to ignore those signs and pretend that you were his son, mostly because his wife wouldn’t have been able to handle the truth. And the truth was that their son, the real Kenny Givens, was dead.”
Kenny was staring at him. “I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Are you telling me this is really true? That my dad admitted to this?”
Sam nodded. “I’m afraid so. He also wants me to tell you that he and his wife did love you very much, and that he still does.”
“But wouldn’t my mom—I mean, his wife, wouldn’t she have known that I wasn’t really Kenny?”
“He believes that she did, but she didn’t ever say so. She was apparently in pretty bad shape when Kenny went missing, and when you were presented to her as her son, she simply clung to that and refused to acknowledge the truth. I guess it was the only way she could cope.”
Kenny’s lips were pressed together and his eyes were wide. “Do you—do you have any idea who I really am?”
Sam nodded again. “I have a strong suspicion,” he said. “Do you remember I asked you if you remember the boy named Scotty? I suspect rather strongly that your true identity is Scott Beck. I’d like your permission to run a DNA analysis to be sure.”
Kenny sat still, staring at him for quite some time, and Sam simply remained quiet. After a moment, Kenny closed his eyes.
“I’m Scott Beck,” he said. “I don’t know how I know that, but now that you said it so clearly, I just know that it’s true.” He opened his eyes and looked at Sam. “I used to be Scooby. I mean, that was—that’s what I called myself. I guess I remembered that when I wrote that story, but—I don’t know, it just didn’t seem like it was me. So you think I’m the one who was in this dark place when the real Kenny was brought in, and that he’s the one who died? And somehow, I decided to take his name?”
“It’s got something to do with displacement,” Sam said. “When people, especially children, are placed in traumatic situations, they have a tendency to create other personalities to deal with the trauma. Scooby was a nickname your father gave, because you were really into Scooby Doo. We think you may have begun using that name when you were kidnapped as a way to pretend it was only happening to Scooby, and not Scott. When Kenny died or disappeared, whatever happened to him, you may have once again transitioned into a new persona to further separate what you were going through from your real identity.”
“I’m some kind of nutcase,” Kenny said. “That’s what you’re telling me?”
“No, not at all. This sort of displacement is very common, and it’s actually a survival mechanism. It’s the way your personality protects itself. After you w
ere released, you had Lou Givens and his wife assuring you that you were really Kenny, so there was no reason for you to give up that persona. I guess it became kind of a habit to Kenny, and it was more comfortable to you than trying to remember who you really were.”
“Yeah, I’ve read about that kind of stuff,” Kenny said. “I guess it does make some kind of sense. Now all I have to do is come to grips with all this.” He focused hard on Sam’s face. “What about my real parents? Are they alive?”
“They are,” Sam said. “Your father, if you really are Scott, is actually a friend and coworker of mine. He was a police detective when you were abducted, and he never gave up looking for you. Not completely, anyway. Your mother, his wife, is not aware just yet that we may have found you.”
“But he knows?”
“Yes. I told him last night that it was possible, and that I was going to try to find out today. Would you be willing to let us take a DNA swab? Just to be absolutely certain?”
“I gotta think about this,” Kenny said suddenly. “I mean, what happens if we are right and I’m Scott? What does that do to me?”
“It doesn’t change who you are, Kenny,” Sam said. “Legally, you would become Scott Beck again, but you could always claim Kenny as a nickname, if it’s too hard to adapt to being called Scott. The thing is, you would at least know for sure who you were, and you do have parents who would truly like to get to know you.”
Kenny leaned forward and put his hands over his face with his elbows on the table. He sat that way for a long moment, then parted his fingers to look between them at Sam. “Okay. Do your test. I guess, if it gets down to it, I really want to know.”
Sam grinned at him. “I think that’s the best reason to do it.”
SIXTEEN
Steve had been a detective for many years, and was very good at what he did. He had known quite a few computer hackers in his time, and one of the main things they all seemed to have in common was a fondness for alcohol. He began prowling the bars in town shortly after leaving Fiona, and was surprised when he spotted Summer and Jade going into one just as he pulled up to it.
Obviously, they were looking for Kenny as well. That would make sense; Sam would want to talk to him, probably trying to be certain that his theory was correct before bringing Steve any further information. He held back and waited until the two girls came out of the bar, then followed them at a distance. He’d followed people enough over the years to know how to stay far enough back not to be spotted, and he was good at that, as well.
They went into another bar and came out a short time later, and he followed them again. This time, they took a left turn and drove directly to the public library. Steve turned into the parking lot shortly after they did, but made a point of going farther back. He spotted the GTO as he did so and grinned. If Kenny really was his son, then he was probably as much of a bookworm as Steve himself.
He sat in his car and waited, just in case Kenny was to come out alone, but it wasn’t long before he spotted Summer and Jade with the young man. It was obviously Kenny, and Steve recognized him from the photo Fiona had shown him. He waited until they had gotten into girls’ SUV, and then eased out of the parking lot to follow them down to the station.
Now what? he asked himself. Do I just sit here and wait? Sam wanted me to take the day off, but I really want to know if that’s my son they just took in there.
He decided to simply wait for the moment. He didn’t think Sam would be too terribly surprised if he came walking in, but he wasn’t ready to tip his hand just yet.
Fifteen minutes later, Darren Beecher came out of the station and got into his car, then drove away. Steve watched him go, thinking that he seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. He considered going inside once more, but then decided it was better to simply wait.
An hour passed, and then another. It was well past lunchtime, and Steve was getting hungry. He started his car and drove down the street to a fast food joint, grabbed a burger and fries at the drive-through and hurried back to where he had been parked before. The SUV the girls had been driving was still parked where it was, so it was a safe bet Kenny was still inside.
He took a big bite of his burger and that was when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Sam calling and answered it quickly, swallowing as he did so.
“Yeah, Sam,” he said.
“Steve,” Sam said, “are you sitting down?”
Steve swallowed again, involuntarily. “I am,” he said. “You got some news?”
“I do,” Sam said. “We brought Kenny Givens in and talked to him, Steve. During the conversation, he began to feel that he really is your son Scott, so we took a DNA swab and Darren rushed it up to Caldwell labs in Denver. They just called me a few moments ago; Steve, the DNA was a match. Kenny Givens is your son.”
Steve’s jaw began to tremble. “Sam,” he said haltingly, “I don’t—I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, why don’t you save it for when you get in here? You might think you are invisible sitting out there, but Darren spotted you as he drove out. I’ve been keeping an eye on you ever since, so you might as well come on in and meet your son.”
Steve burst out laughing. “You son of a bitch,” he said. “I’ll be a minute, I’m eating lunch.” He ended the call and dropped the phone into his pocket, then let the tears flow for real.
Scott is alive, he thought. He is actually alive. Should I call Edith now, or wait until after I meet him?
He suddenly realized that he had taken his phone out of his pocket again and had it in his hand. That was the answer, he figured. He found the icon for Edith and tapped it with his thumb, then put the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Steve,” she said as she answered the phone. “I was just about to call you. Can you pick up potatoes on your way home tonight?”
“Sure, honey,” he said automatically. “Edith? Sweetheart, are you sitting down?”
“Oh, God,” she said, “I am now. What’s wrong, Steve?”
“Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?”
“Steve, the only time you ever ask me if I’m sitting down is when you have bad news. Are you hurt? What’s going on?”
Steve broke out in a smile. “I’m not hurt,” he said. “I’m actually calling with some very good news, but it’s going to be a shock. I need you to prepare yourself, okay?”
“Okay, okay,” Edith said. “What are you talking about, Steve? What kind of shock?”
“Edith,” Steve began slowly, “if there was one thing in the world you could have that seems impossible, what would it be?”
There was silence on the line for a moment. “You know the answer, Steve,” she said. “I would want our son back.”
“Then start thanking the man upstairs,” Steve said. “Because Scotty is alive, and I’m about to meet him. Sam found him and figured out who he was because of this case we are working on, and he told me last night that he was pretty sure about it. He took a DNA swab from me last night, and they just had it compared at the lab. It confirms that it really is Scotty.”
Steve heard a sob escape his wife. “Steve? Where?”
“He was raised by a couple up here in Boulder. We’re pretty sure it was our old pastor, Jensen, who took him. Apparently he took a lot of boys, and he kept them captive in the basement under his house. It seems that when Scotty was there, another boy was brought in who looked a lot like him. That boy died or something, and somehow Scotty got switched for him. He was released and has grown up thinking his name was Kenny Givens, but Sam has told him the truth, now. He said he remembers something about it all, because he believes that he really is Scott. It’s our son, Edith. He’s alive.”
“Tell me where to come to,” Edith said. “Don’t you dare do this without me, Steve.”
Steve sighed. “Sam is waiting for me to come inside and meet him, Edith. It’ll be okay, you just come on down to Boulder and come to the police station. We’ll all be here.”
“I’ll be
there as soon as I can,” she said, and then the line went dead. Steve grinned and put the phone back in his pocket, took another couple of bites of his sandwich and then tossed it back into the bag. Food could wait; meeting his son couldn’t.
He opened the door and stepped out of his car and started toward the front door of the police department. He got about three steps when something hit him in the back and he pitched forward onto his face. Darkness started to close in, and he heard himself screaming, even though there was no sound coming out of his mouth.
* * *
The sound of the gunshot rang through the whole block, and several officers standing near the front door of the station hurried outside to see where it had come from. Two of them came rushing back in a moment later, shouting for Sam Prichard.
Sam heard his name called and stepped out of the conference room, where Kenny was now sitting with the rest of the team. He and Eric were catching up as Sam left the room.
“I’m here,” he said. “What’s going on?”
One of the officers hurried over to him. “One of your guys is laying in the street outside,” he said. “Looks like he’s been shot. We got an ambulance on the way.”
Sam pushed past him, rushed out the door, and spotted several officers gathered around the prone figure. He didn’t need to guess who it was, because Steve’s car was visible just beyond them all. He hurried over and pushed his way through the huddle of officers, then knelt down beside his old friend.
A bullet had struck Steve in the back, and it was bleeding profusely. Sam instinctively pressed his hand down on it, trying to stem the bleeding.
Steve let out a groan.
“Steve? Steve, it’s Sam, can you hear me?”
Barely conscious, Steve tried to nod. “I hear you,” he gasped out. “You tell Scotty—you tell Scotty I never gave up.”
“You can tell him that yourself,” Sam said. “You’re like me, you’re too damned ornery to die. There’s an ambulance on the way, Steve. Any idea what happened?”
“Mack truck hit me in the back,” Steve mumbled. “I didn’t…” He faded out, and Sam felt for a pulse. It was there, but it was thready and weak.