“Aaron, please. Don’t overreact.”
Aaron stepped out of the office; he glared at Agent Kelson, and stepped over to Sergeant Henderson’s desk. He pulled the keys to his cruiser out of his pocket and dropped them on a stack of folders.
Henderson lowered his brow and lifted the keys up. “What’s this all about?”
“You just got promoted.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Disappearance
Aaron woke from a nightmare about his father’s murder. He sat up on the couch and rested his forehead in the palms of his hands as the image of a bullet passing through his father’s skull burned fresh in his mind. As he reached for the open bottle of whiskey on the coffee table, he noticed a blue light flashing on his phone. He checked the phone. Six missed messages and one voicemail, all of them from Cody.
“Crap!”
Aaron was supposed to have picked up Cody over an hour ago. As he pushed himself up from the couch, he got dizzy and fell back. He was no longer drunk, but his body reminded him of the excessive amounts of alcohol he had consumed in a short period of time. But at least he didn’t have a hangover.
Aaron stumbled to the kitchen counter and grabbed his keys. As he stepped outside, a white sedan approached the house on the gravel driveway. It parked in front of the house. Cody stepped out of it and frowned at Aaron. He lifted his hand up towards the driver, thanking him. The sedan turned around and headed back towards the highway.
With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Cody walked to the front porch and stopped just short of the steps. He glared at Aaron with narrow eyes. “Where were you? I called you six times.”
“I’m sorry, Cody.”
“Yeah, you’re always sorry.” Cody stepped to the front door and opened it. He took a whiff of Aaron, shook his head, and entered the house. He dropped his backpack on the couch and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the coffee table. He showed it to Aaron. “Is this why you didn’t pick me up? You got drunk?”
“Cody, I’m sorry. I…” Aaron shut the door and sat at the kitchen table.
“What?” Cody said, and set the bottle back on the table.
Aaron shook his head and gazed at the ceiling.
“What?” Cody asked again, and took a few steps towards the table.
Aaron turned his head towards Cody. “I lost my job today.” Cody’s eyes grew wide. “You got fired? For what?”
“I didn’t get fired. I quit.” Aaron ran his hand through his hair. “It was just a matter of time before Sheriff Donovan gave me my walking papers, anyway.”
“How could you quit? What about the… the case you… They aren’t going to be able to solve it.”
“It’s over, Cody. It’s their problem now.”
“How could you say that? What about me?”
“What about you, Cody? It’s over. I’m done. I give up. It’s in God’s hands now.” Aaron huffed. “Like that means anything.”
Cody returned to the coffee table, grabbed the bottle of whiskey, and carried it to the kitchen. “That’s this stupid liquor talking.”
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Cody dumped the rest of the whiskey down the drain. Aaron jumped from his chair, knocking it over. He snatched the bottle from Cody’s hand, but it was already empty. Aaron then grabbed Cody’s arm. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Cody yelled and pushed Aaron away. “You don’t even drink whiskey. You think getting drunk is going to make things better?”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Yeah, but you were, weren’t you?” Cody left the kitchen and went to his room, slamming his door in the process.
Aaron stared at the empty bottle for a moment, then tossed it in the trash. He sat on the couch, rested his head back, and closed his eyes. He grabbed the TV remote and tossed it across the living room. Why the hell had he quit his job? Cody was right. What was he thinking? He sat on the couch for half an hour, regretting his decisions, until his phone chimed. He received a text message from an anonymous sender.
Tick-tock. Time is running out.
The phone chimed again as another message flashed on the screen. You know what to do.
Aaron dropped his phone on the couch. Another chime came from Cody’s backpack. Aaron turned his head and stared at it, contemplating whether to check the message on Cody’s phone. Curiosity led him to dig the phone out of the backpack.
Tick-tock. Time is running out.
Aaron deleted the message and turned off the phone. Then Aaron’s phone chimed again. Without looking at the display, he turned his phone off. His heart pounded as he walked down the hall towards Cody’s bedroom. The clock in the living room chimed as soon as he opened the door. Cody was asleep on his bed.
A deep and distant voice came out of his clock radio speaker. It was a voice he recognized. A Latin phrase he recognized.
In puer mustum mori! In puer mustum mori! The child must die! The child must die!
†
Maria grabbed a bag of groceries from the trunk of her car and handed it to Samantha. None of the lights were on inside the house, which was odd, since Aaron’s Corvette was in the driveway, and it was just a few minutes past seven. As soon as she and Samantha entered their home, she turned on the kitchen light and a lamp in the living room. She saw Cody’s phone on the couch next to his unzipped backpack. The phone’s blue LED light was blinking. He never left the house without his cell phone.
“Maybe they’re with the Hendersons,” Samantha suggested.
“Yeah, maybe.”
After putting away the groceries, Maria called Aaron’s cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail. She then called Scott, and asked him if Aaron and Cody were at his house.
“No… um… I haven’t seen Aaron since this morning.”
“Well, if you hear from him can you—”
Aaron stumbling towards the living room from the kids’ bedroom hallway.
“You still there?” Scott asked.
“Yeah. Never mind. I’m sorry to bother you.”
“Wait. There’s something I need to—”
Maria disconnected the call and set the phone on the kitchen counter. Aaron staggered into the living room with one hand on his forehead and a dazed look on his face. He also had a small bloodstain on the collar of his shirt.
Maria rushed to her husband’s aid and helped him sit on the recliner. “What happened? Are you all right?”
Aaron removed his hand from his forehead and held his palm in front of his face. There was a dab of blood on the palm of his hand. “I must have passed out and hit my head.”
“Is he okay, Mom?” Samantha asked from kitchen.
“I don’t know. Go get the first aid kit for me. And some peroxide.” Maria pressed her fingers on each side of the gash on Aaron’s forehead. “This is becoming a bad habit with you, Aaron. It looks like you hit yourself pretty hard this time.”
“It’s not like I’m enjoying it. I don’t even remember it happening.”
“That’s not a good sign,” Maria said.
Samantha fetched a small first aid kit from the hallway bathroom and a bottle of peroxide and handed them to her mother. “Where’s Cody?” she asked.
“Did you check his bedroom?” Maria asked, while she dampened a cotton ball with peroxide. “He’s probably just lying down. You know he goes to bed early sometimes.”
Samantha turned on the hallway light and peeked inside Cody’s bedroom. “Um, Mom. He’s not here.”
“What do you mean, he’s not there?” Maria said, while she finished cleaning Aaron’s wound.
“Maybe he’s in our bedroom again,” Aaron said while getting up, but Maria pushed him back down.
“Let Sam check,” Maria said. She grabbed a couple of butterfly bandages from the first aid kit. While Samantha checked the master bedroom, Maria affixed the two small bandages over Aaron’s wound. “All done. But you’re going to get that checked out tomorrow morning.”
“All right. Fine.” Aaron touched one of the bandages and got up. “Ever think of becoming a nurse? Or at least playing one?”
“Very original, Aaron,” Maria said, and closed the first aid kit. “But, maybe for Valentine’s Day—“
There was a knock on the door.
“He’s not in here either,” Sam said from the master bedroom.
Aaron and Maria shared glances with each other. They both stepped up to the living room window and peeked through the blinds. Sheriff Donovan’s work vehicle and a black sedan were parked in the driveway behind Maria’s Mercedes and Aaron’s Corvette.
“Son of a…”
“I’ll get it,” Maria said, and opened the door.
Sheriff Donovan tipped his hat. “Evening, Mrs. Sanders.”
Sergeant Henderson and the two FBI agents stood behind him on the porch. Henderson had a cardboard box in his hands.
Maria glanced at the box and the men in suits. “Is there a problem, Sheriff?”
“Is yer husband here?”
Aaron stepped up to the door behind his wife. “Now is not a good time, Richard.”
“For what?” Maria peered over her shoulder. “What’s going on, Aaron?”
“Mind if we come inside?” Sheriff Donovan asked.
“Can we do this another time?” Aaron said. “We’ve got a bit of a family emergency.”
Sheriff Donovan raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Everything okay?”
“No,” Maria said. “Cody’s missing.”
“Missing?” Sergeant Henderson asked. “For how long?”
“We don’t know exactly,” Aaron said.
“Okay.” Henderson set the box on the porch. “When is the last time you saw him?”
“A couple of hours ago,” Aaron said, pinching the ridge of his nose. “He was pretty pissed at me.”
Maria turned around and faced Aaron. “And why would he be upset, Aaron?” She glared at him and lifted her hand. “No, wait. Let me guess. You forgot to pick him up from school again.” Aaron didn’t answer. “Unbelievable.”
“You folks think he mighta run away?” Sheriff Donovan asked.
Aaron shook his head. “No… I don’t know.”
Maria turned around and faced the Sheriff. “His cell phone is still here. He carries it everywhere with him.”
“Then the boy’s probably here somewhere on yer property.” He motioned his thumb towards Sergeant Henderson. “He’ll help ya’ look fer him, but we do have other matters to take care of.”
Maria leaned her head back and rested a hand on her hip. “Why are you here anyway? You and all these men.”
Agent Kelson stepped forward. “Is your daughter home, Mrs. Sanders?”
“Yes, but you need to tell me what this is about. Why do you want to speak to Samantha?”
“It’s just routine questioning, ma’am.”
“The FBI is taking over the murder investigation,” Sheriff Donovan explained. “Agent Kelson is interviewing students from Lee Hauser Middle School about Peter Slavic. He needs to get her statement about some things.” He glanced at Agent Kelson. “Like the man said, it’s only routine questioning. Nothing to be concerned about, Mrs. Sanders.”
“God, you’re so full of shit,” Aaron said. “Just tell her the truth, Richard.”
“Aaron!” Maria shot a surprised glare at him. “That’s no way to talk to the Sheriff. He’s your boss. What’s gotten into you?”
“I see. She don’t know, does she?” Sheriff Donovan shook his head. “Who’s fibbin’ now?”
“I don’t know what?” Maria glared at Aaron. “What’s he talking about?”
“I’m afraid he’s no longer employed with the Lost Maples County Sheriff’s Department, Mrs. Sanders.”
“You didn’t fire him, did you?”
“No, ma’am. Strictly voluntary. He quit this morning.”
She widened her eyes and turned to her husband. “You did what? How could you quit your job? Are you insane?”
“Maria. Mrs. Sanders,” Sergeant Henderson said. “It wasn’t all his fault. He—”
“Shut your trap, Sergeant,” Sheriff Donovan snapped. “He made his decision and…” He closed his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. He lowered his head for a few seconds before lifting it again and apologizing to Aaron. “It wasn’t my intention to upset you. Aaron, why don’t you and Scott go out lookin’ fer yer boy while Agents Kelson and Stone conduct their interview?”
“We promise not to take too much of your time, Mrs. Sanders,” Agent Kelson said.
Aaron shook his head. “No, you can interview her when Scott and I get back. It doesn’t take a panel of lawmen to get a routine statement from a twelve-year-old.”
“Mr. Sanders, please. Don’t make this—“
“What?” Aaron stepped towards the agent.
Maria put her hand against her husband’s chest. “Stop it, Aaron. She’s my daughter, and I’m making this decision, not you.”
“But you don’t understand. They—“
“Just go,” she said, without looking at him. “I’d rather you not be here right now. Go find Cody and bring him home. We’ll talk about you quitting your job later.”
Sergeant Henderson put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go find your kid. Where do you think he might be?”
Aaron took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He winced when his fingers ran across his bandaged wound. “It’s just a hunch, but I think I have an idea.”
†
Sergeant Henderson rested one hand on the roof of Aaron’s Corvette. His cruiser was parked behind it on the street near the front entrance of Saint Michael’s Catholic Church. “You really think he’s here? That’s one heck of a hike from your house.”
“He’s here,” Aaron said as he stared at the church entrance from the driver’s seat. “Besides, I think he knows how to call a cab.”
Henderson lowered his brow. “Hey, you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
“Sorry. Can’t help it sometimes.”
“Yeah, right. So, are you ready to go in or what?”
“Just give me a minute, okay?”
Henderson opened the driver’s side door and jerked his head back. “Come on. I know you don’t like churches, but it is just a building.” Aaron took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. “You have no idea, Scott.”
“No, I think I do, brother.” He squeezed Aaron’s shoulder and headed towards the church building.
Aaron shut the car door and followed his former coworker up the steps. He hesitated before opening the large double-doors and stepping inside. The church had an eerie silence at night without the voice of a priest conducting Mass in the sanctuary. It also had a dreary atmosphere, with the dim lighting.
An elderly priest greeted them in the foyer. “Feel free to worship as you please in the sanctuary. Father Sotoro is also available for confessions until nine this evening.”
“Thank you, Father Jacobs,” Sergeant Henderson said, “but we’re here on official business. We’re looking for this man’s son.” Father Jacobs lowered his brow. “Oh? Has he gone missing?”
“Yes,” Aaron answered. He handed the priest a photo of Cody. “Have you seen him come in here in the past couple of hours?”
The priest studied the photo, but shook his head. “I’m sorry, I have not, but I can check with Father Sotoro. Give me a moment and I’ll get him for you. I believe he is free right now.”
While they waited in the lobby, Henderson attempted small talk. “About this morning. I feel bad about how things went down.” Aaron gave Henderson a sideways glance, but he didn’t respond. “For what it’s worth, I think Richard was being a total dick. I think he knows it, too.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. It was the first time he’d heard Sergeant Henderson use profanity. “You’re right. He was a real dick about it.”
“You’ve got to make things right with him, though. We need you.”
“I appreciate
it, Scott, but I’ve made my decision. He was going to fire me anyway.”
Henderson twisted one side of his lips upward and shook his head. “I doubt that. Richard can be tough, but he’d never fire you.”
“Oh, I think Mayor Hollingsworth would have made sure of that.”
Henderson nodded and lifted his brow. “Yeah, well, he’s also a dick.”
Aaron smiled and squeezed the man’s shoulder. “I knew there was something I liked about you.”
Henderson laughed. “Hey, before I forget.” He handed Aaron a folded piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“A referral.”
Aaron smiled and shook his head. “I appreciate the gesture, Scott. Really, I do.” He handed the paper back to him without checking what was written on it. “I don’t need help finding another job.”
“It’s not for a job.”
Aaron eyed the man with curiosity. “Okay. Then if it’s not a job referral, what is it?”
“Name and number of a child psychologist… for Cody.”
Aaron smirked. “Thanks, but ain’t gonna happen. They don’t do any good.”
Father Sotoro entered the foyer from the sanctuary. “Blessings to you.”
“And to you, Father,” Sergeant Henderson responded.
“It has come to my attention that you gentlemen are looking for a young man by the name of Cody Sumner.”
“Have you seen him?” Aaron asked.
“You have nothing to fear, my son. He is in good hands.”
“So, he’s here?”
“Oh, yes. In my quarters. The poor soul was very exhausted when he arrived.”
“So, no cab,” Henderson said through the corner of his mouth. “He did hike down here.”
Aaron responded with a subtle jab of his elbow.
“He sought prayer and mentioned something about… a curse.”
“What else did he tell you? Did he say anything about…?” Aaron glanced at Sergeant Henderson. “Actually, just take me to him, so I can get him back home.”
“Yes, of course. This way.”
Aaron and Sergeant Henderson followed the elderly priest to the back of the sanctuary, through a door, and down a long hallway that led to a set of double-doors. It resembled the passageway to Mr. Hadley’s private quarters at Saint Hedwig Youth Home, which gave Aaron a slight chill.
Devil's Nightmare: Premonitions (Devil's Nightmare, Book 2) Page 41