by Philip Cox
The figure in the Audi A3 lit a cigarette and sat back in the seat.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning, Matt and Nathan began the fifty-seven mile journey down to Matt’s parents just after eight thirty. Matt would normally take the Pilgrim’s Highway, cross over to the island on the Sagamore Bridge, then take the Sandwich Road south easterly direction. Once he had passed through the town, he would come across his parents’ house. This time on a Sunday morning the drive would take around over ninety minutes; however, as a special treat for Nathan, half an hour into the journey Matt pulled off the main highway and headed for a McDonalds outlet for breakfast.
After breakfast, they rejoined the highway. By now, Matt had gotten used to the Hyundai, and was comfortably cruising at sixty. He looked over at his son, clutching a purple dinosaur model and staring out of the window. Matt smiled down at the boy, relieved at how he had taken the news of his mother’s disappearance.
Nathan had woken at just after seven that morning, excited at the prospect of the trip down to the Cape. Matt was still in bed when Nathan wandered in.
‘Hey, sport,’ Matt said across the bed. ‘You’re about early. Couldn’t sleep?’
Blinking, Nathan said, ‘Are we seeing Grandma and Grandpa today?’
‘Sure thing. Come over here. I need to tell you something.’
Nathan padded over to the side of the bed. Matt lifted up the quilt. ‘Come in with me,’ he said. Nathan jumped in.
‘It’s about Mommy,’ Matt said, his heart pounding.
Nathan looked up at his father. ‘When’s she coming home?’ he asked.
‘Not for a while,’ Matt said, cuddling Nathan. ‘She has to go away for a little while, as she’s not well right now.’
He waited for a reaction.
‘Oh dear,’ Nathan said quietly. ‘I hope she gets better soon.’
‘So do I,’ said Matt, not sure how to react. He squeezed Nathan tightly. ‘So do I. But remember, no matter how long she’s away for, she loves you very much. So do I.’
‘This much?’ Nathan asked, stretching his arms out.
‘No, this much,’ Matt said, stretching his arms out now. ‘Times ten.’
Nathan looked into Matt’s eyes. ‘I love you too, Daddy,’ he said. Tears in his eyes, Matt put both arms around his son.
‘Daddy?’ Nathan asked after a moment.
‘Yes, what?’
‘Can I take a dinosaur to see Grandma and Grandpa?’
Matt released his grip and Nathan climbed off the bed.
‘Where you off to now?’
‘I need to peepee, then get ready for Grandma and Grandpa.’
‘Okay then. You go to the bathroom first. You want to have breakfast here, or stop off at Donald’s?’
‘Donald’s, please, please!’ replied Nathan excitedly.
‘Donald’s it is then.’ Matt lay back on the bed. He looked up as Nathan trotted out of the room, and into the bathroom. A tear ran down his cheek as he watched him leave. Relief that Nathan had taken the news the way he did, or something else?
As each day went by, he found it more and more difficult to understand why Ruth had gone. What kind of mother would abandon her little boy?
Matt was beginning to feel a new emotion.
Anger.
Chapter Twenty-One
‘So what kind of dinosaur is that?’
Nathan looked up. ‘It’s a Vossi Raptor.’
‘A what?’ Matt laughed, switching his glance between the dinosaur and the road ahead.
‘A Vossi Raptor.’
‘Oh, you mean a Velociraptor.’
‘Yes; a Vossi Raptor.’
‘I think you can call them Raptors for short.’
‘Raptors,’ said Nathan slowly, as if trying out a new word. ‘Raptors.’
There were a few moments’ silence while Nathan pondered this new word, then he spoke again.
‘It means speedy fief.’
‘Speedy what?’
‘Speedy fief.’
‘You mean speedy thief?
‘Speedy fief.’
‘Right. What does it mean, anyhow?’
‘Daddy, you’re not paying attention. Vossi Raptor means speedy fief. It eats little dinosaurs.’
‘Okay. Glad I’m not a little dinosaur,’ Matt chuckled.
‘Raptor. Raptor,’ Nathan muttered to himself, staring out of the window. Matt smiled again. He looked up as they passed a green sign declaring Cape Cod was six miles away.
They crossed the bridge just after ten o’clock. There was a slight delay as they turned onto the Mid-Cape Connector: a truck had overturned on the bend, and its cargo of paint drums had spilled onto the road. Fortunately, all of the drums remained intact, so the traffic was able to negotiate the accident.
Matt sounded the horn as he pulled up outside the picturesque white clap-board house the other side of Sandwich. Simultaneously, his mother emerged from behind the screen door at the front of the house and his father walked round from the rear.
‘Grandma! Grandpa!’ Nathan shouted as he leapt out of the car and ran up the steps to his grandmother. The old lady bent down to hug him.
‘Good to see you, son.’ Matthew Senior shook Matt’s hand and led him up the steps. Matt turned round to lock the car. His father nodded as the car bleeped and the lights flashed.
‘New car?’ he asked. ‘Don’t think I’ve seen that before. What is it? Hyundai?’ he added, peering at the hood.
‘U-huh. Hyundai Accent.’
‘Right. So you got rid of the Toyota?’
‘This is a rental. The Toyota was stolen.’
‘Jesus H, when?’
‘The other day. Tell you later, Dad,’ said Matt as they walked up to the house. By the time they reached the screen door, Nathan had already run inside. Matt’s mother held her arms out. They hugged.
‘I’m so sorry, Matt,’ she said. ‘Is there any more news?’
Matt shook his head. ‘Nothing.’
‘Leave all that till later, Estelle,’ Matthew Senior said as he reached the top of the steps. ‘Let’s have coffee first.’
‘Sure,’ Estelle smiled and went into the kitchen.
‘Let’s go out back,’ said Matthew. ‘Come on. Hey there, Nathan. How’s my favourite grandson?’ They bumped into Nathan outside the kitchen. He was riding on a large plastic tractor. The Raptor was in the trailer.
‘Cool, Grandpa. Look at me!’ Nathan giggled as he shot off into the kitchen with Estelle.
Matt and his father sat down on the small porch at the rear of the house. Estelle brought two mugs of coffee out.
‘Thanks. Mom,’ said Matt. ‘Where’s Nathan?’
‘Oh, he’s inside with me. Colouring in some dinosaur pictures. I found a book in town the other day.’
‘Don’t let him take over,’ Matt said.
‘Don’t worry. He’s fine.’
‘So tell us about Ruth, then. What’s happened?’ Matthew asked.
‘I thought we were going to wait till later?’ asked Estelle.
Matthew shrugged. ‘It’s later now,’ he said. ‘And the boy’s inside.’
Estelle nodded and sat down.
‘Nathan?’ she called out. ‘Shout if you want me. I’m out here with Daddy and Grandpa. Don’t touch anything.’
A voice came from inside. ‘Okay.’
‘Well?’ Matthew asked, slightly impatiently.
Matt drank some coffee, sat back, and started to retell the story of the events since the previous Tuesday. Matthew sat back in his chair, slowly nodding his head.
‘How much does Nathan know?’ Estelle asked.
‘I told him that she’s gone away for a while. That she’s not well.’
‘And how did he react?’
‘That’s the thing. He didn’t really. Just said something like I hope she gets better soon, and then asked if we were still coming here.’
Estelle looked over at Matthew.
‘It can’t
have sunk in yet,’ she said.
Matt nodded. ‘No, I don’t think it has really. He was asking each day in the week, and each time I said she was away through work. Each time he just seemed to accept it. I’m just waiting for him to…’
He paused, took a breath, and a mouthful of coffee.
‘What do you plan to do?’ Matthew asked.
‘About what?’ Matt asked. ‘About Nathan, or about Ruth? Or something else?’
‘Well, I meant about Nathan first.’
‘I’m not thinking any further than a day or two ahead. I’m hoping she’ll walk back in, and I can tell him she’s back, and well again.’
‘And about Ruth?’
When recounting the events of the last few days, Matt had omitted the part about her place of work not having heard of her, and about the cash withdrawals. He decided not to fill in the gaps now.
‘Nothing else I can do. I’ve reported her disappearance to the police, they’re investigating. Said they would contact me at least every week to update me. Unless there was news earlier.’
‘Do you think your car being stolen has anything to do with things?’ Matthew asked.
Matt shrugged. ‘Can’t see how it can. Just one god-awful coincidence.’
‘I can’t see how she can just leave the boy,’ Matthew said as he inclined his head indoors. ‘With all due respect, son, I can see her walking out on you; but not on him. What kind of woman would..?’ He stopped mid-sentence with a glare from Estelle.
‘You don’t know what’s happened,’ Estelle said. ‘She might not have gone of her own choice. She might have had a road accident, or been taken ill, or been abducted…’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Matthew. ‘People don’t get abducted. At least not people like us. Not that…’ Another glare from Estelle.
‘Has anybody called the hospitals?’ Estelle asked, trying to sound cheerful.
Matt shook his head. ‘I called every hospital in Boston. The police told me their procedure included contacting all hospitals in the State. And apparently there’s a system of checking out of state hospitals.’
‘Well, I think that’s what’s happened,’ Matthew said, nodding his head and folding his arms. ‘If we assume that Ruth would never leave Nathan – if – then surely a hospital is the obvious place. Jesus Christ, she might be lying in bed with amnesia or something. Or she might be lying…’
‘In a ditch somewhere. Yes, I know that.’ Matt stood up and walked over to the porch rail and looked out to sea.
His parents said nothing: just looked at each other. Estelle had a pained expression on her face.
‘I’ll need to start preparing lunch,’ she said, standing up. ‘I’ll enlist Nathan to help.’ Matt turned round and nodded, smiling slightly.
There was a moment’s silence after she left; then Matthew spoke first.
‘Look son, what I said earlier, about… Well, I didn’t mean… You know…’
‘It’s okay Dad, I know.’
‘I take it you’ve already called any friends, workplace; that sort of thing.’
‘Work – work said she’d not been in since the previous Friday. The only friend – that I’m aware of anyway – had heard nothing from her either.’
‘What about Ruth’s own cell phone?’
‘Tried it that night again and again. And the next. And the next. Always to voicemail.’
‘Try it again now.’
‘What?’
‘Try her cell again now.’
Matt shrugged and pulled his phone out.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Matthew as Matt was just about to dial. ‘Use this one.’ He pulled his own phone from a pouch on his belt.
‘What?’
‘Use my phone. If she is screening her calls and wants to avoid speaking to you, she might not recognize my number.’
Matt took his father’s phone and dialled.
‘Well?’ Matthew asked after Matt hung up.
‘Voicemail again,’ said Matt, giving the phone back.
‘Just a thought.’
Matt turned as Estelle appeared on the porch.
‘Lunch is ready,’ she announced.
‘Is Nathan okay?’ Matt asked.
‘He surely is. He’s been helping me with lunch, haven’t you, darling?’
Nathan nodded, proud of himself.
After lunch, which comprised a massive plate of Boston Baked Beans – a salty stewed mix of pork, onions and beans – followed by apple pie and ice cream, Matthew took Nathan around the back yard to show him how he had reorganised his workshop, while Matt sat on the porch with Estelle.
‘Don’t mind him too much,’ Estelle said. ‘The things he says about Ruth, I mean.’
‘I don’t. It’s just right now…’
‘He’s all bull and bluster. He knows you’re hurting, and it hurts him too. That’s just his way of dealing with it. Of not showing it.’
‘I know.’
‘What about that nice young lady who called round when we came to stay Christmas before last?’
‘Gail, you mean?’
‘Gail – that’s right. Does she know anything?’
‘No. Same as me. Heard nothing. As puzzled as I am.’
‘It’s a shame her parents both passed on.’
Matt looked at her, puzzled. ‘Yeah. And…?’
‘What I mean is, if you and Ruth were having problems, for argument’s sake, then at least she would have somewhere to go, to get away for a while.’
‘Oh, I see what you mean. Yes.’
‘You never met either of them, did you?’
‘No, they both died before she and I met. Her father some years back; her mother I think a few months before we got together.’
‘And no brothers or sisters?’
‘No. She was an only child.’
‘What about school friends? I read you can keep in touch on a computer.’
‘No. No; she didn’t do anything like that.’
‘Mm,’ said Estelle, sitting back in her chair.
‘Mom, what are you getting at?’ asked Matt.
‘I’m not getting at anything. I was just thinking aloud about Ruth - where she might go; what reasons she would have for going. If she has gone anywhere. If she’s not -’
‘Lying in a ditch somewhere? Or in a coma in some hospital?’
Estelle laid her hand on Matt’s. ‘Take no notice of me dear; just my foolishness.’ She paused. ‘Has your father told you about the boat?’
‘The boat?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘He’s talking about getting a boat.’
‘What the hell for?’
‘Don’t ask me. Old Harry Jobs down at Monument Beach has just gotten one, and your father spends more time on the damn thing than he did at the office before he retired.’
‘I shouldn’t worry. You know these interests soon pass. Something else will come, and he’ll have forgotten about the boat.’
‘I hope so. He doesn’t need to be messing about in some boat at his age. It takes him all his time to maintain the yard here.’
*****
An hour or so later, just as it was getting dark, Matt and Nathan set off for home.
‘Good luck, son,’ Matthew said as they shook hands. ‘Are you okay, you know, for money?’ He spoke out of the corner of his mouth.
‘Fine, thanks, Dad. Fine.’
‘Okay. Well, hope everything - well, you know…’
‘I know, Dad. Thanks.’
Estelle reached up and embraced Matt. ‘Safe drive back, and come see us again soon. Let us know if there’s any news. Or is there anything we can do.’
‘I will,’ Matt said as he started the engine and turned on the headlights. Estelle and Matthew waved at Nathan who was settling down in the back seat, clutching his velociraptor. He waved back and yawned. Matt waved again as he eased the Hyundai onto the road.
‘You still awake, sport?’ Matt asked about five miles past the Sagamore Bridge. There was
no answer. He glanced into the rear view mirror and could see that Nathan had fallen asleep. It was dark by now. Matt decided that unless Nathan woke up during the journey, he would carry straight on till they got home, rather than stop for food on the way. Traffic was relatively light that night, and he could quite comfortably cruise at sixty-five.
Matt pulled in to a gas station to top up at around the halfway point, and also bought a couple of candy bars. Nathan was still asleep, so Matt ate his, then set off again.
As the city lights started to show in the distance, Matt reflected on the day’s trip. He was glad they had gone down there; his parents were the first people with whom he had been able to have an open conversation. His father’s comments about Ruth – well, not for the first time, it was just his bluster. Just like his mother said. But it was what his mother had said which gave him cause to think. Ruth had no family: she was an only child, and he had never met her parents. Or school friends. What school did she go to anyway? Where was she raised? She must have told him; he had just forgotten.
As he joined the Southeast Expressway, he realised just how little he knew about his wife.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Monday morning and Lieutenant Weber and Detective Mancini were due to start their shift at ten.
‘The timing’s just about right,’ Weber had said on the phone to Mancini earlier that morning. ‘I’ll head down to see this Danny Clark guy, then meet up with you at the station for ten.’
‘I think you’re wasting your time, Sam,’ Mancini replied. ‘For one thing, it’s got nothing to do with you really; let the MPU deal with the case. And don’t we have enough work of our own to handle?’
‘Frannie, I’m doing this in my own time, aren’t I? And I’ve cleared it with O’Riordan and the MPU. I’ll make sure I’m back for ten.’
‘Up to you. Just make sure you’re on time. And fatso – I’ve told you before: don’t call me Frannie.’
Weber chuckled and hung up. He was in slow moving traffic heading down Washington Street, just three blocks away from the Cambridge Pharmaceuticals building. He managed to park in a side street, and arrived at the offices just after nine.