It broke Sarah’s heart to see the one tear slowly run down the girl’s cheek. As quickly as the tear appeared, the girl slapped it away with her shirt sleeve, and she said with determination, “Let’s get these dishes done. Baby Girl wants a story.”
Charles and Sarah were having a late breakfast in the dining room of the lodge. Sitting by the bay window, they looked out beyond the woods at the rolling mountains and the clear blue sky. “What a beautiful day,” Sarah exclaimed. “Let’s take the children somewhere today.”
Charles looked down and Sarah could see a tightness in his face. “Charles? Is something wrong?”
“I was just thinking about the children. You know, we’ll have to leave soon and go back to our lives, and these children …”
“I know,” she said sadly. “Life is about to be turned upside down for these children. I guess that’s why I was hoping to give them one really fun day.”
“I guess I’m having trouble giving up on the idea of finding Abernathy,” Charles said. “What I’m struggling with is the fact that even though I’ve been following dead ends, I’ve had this constant feeling that Abernathy was out there waiting to be found. I have no proof or logical explanation; it’s just a vague feeling, but a feeling that I’ve grown to trust over the years.”
“You think there’s more we can do?” she asked, looking skeptical.
“I’m waiting to hear what John learned from his FBI friend. I keep thinking about the two or three workers that disappeared from Mickelson’s a few years ago. Maybe Abernathy found out something and they made him disappear as well. I just don’t feel comfortable leaving when I feel there’s so much more to know.”
“Let’s call your son this morning,” Sarah suggested. “Maybe John’s heard from his FBI friend.”
“But John said he’d call when he learned something” Looking at Sarah, he added, “I keep wondering if I should go back up to Mickelson.”
“Oh, good idea,” she responded sarcastically. “And they’re going to say, ‘yes, we killed him and buried the body.’ Charles, you can’t put yourself in that kind of danger. You don’t know how I felt when …” her voice cracked, and she looked away until she was able to compose herself. “When I thought something had happened to you …”
“Sarah, I do know, because I know how I’d feel if I thought I was losing you. Okay, you’re probably right about me going up there. I’ll wait to hear from John.”
They picked at the rest of their breakfast, but had both lost their appetite. “Show me your nature path,” Charles said as they were leaving the dining room.
“Oh! That sounds like fun. I’ll show you the overlook where I placed my calls to you. It’s beautiful up there.”
Hand in hand, they walked up the gravel path and out to the overlook. “See over there by that stream? That’s the children’s house. Ricky comes up here by crossing that gorge and climbing this steep rocky wall below us.”
Charles cautiously leaned out over the precipice and looked down. “That’s so dangerous, Sarah. So dangerous. These children need supervision.”
Sarah smiled, realizing these self-sufficient children could survive a lot longer than she or Charles could if they were left to survive on their own in the mountains.
“Let’s sit down on that boulder over there and call John,” Sarah suggested again. “He’s a busy lawyer, and he just might have forgotten.”
“Shouldn’t we wait until later in the day?”
“It’s early there right now, and he probably hasn’t gone into the office yet. Let’s just try, okay?” She was eager to get closure on the Mickelson issues, fearing that Charles would head back up there alone.
“Okay.” Charles sat down and Sarah sat next to him. After he dialed, he slipped his arm around her and gently pulled her close to his side. From a distance, one would mistake them for young lovers on their honeymoon.
“John, it’s Dad.”
“Great timing,” John responded cheerfully. “I heard from Seymour late last night and started to call you, but I remembered it was the middle of the night on the east coast.”
Eager to hear what Seymour had to say, he asked, “So, what did you learn?”
“Okay, Dad. Here’s what he had to say. What you heard was partly right; it was just way out of date. A few years ago, the Russian Mafia got their claws into Mickelson’s Mining. The elder Mickelson, Joseph Mickelson, Sr., ended up dead and the FBI got involved. Over a period of two or three months several arrests were made, and several key witnesses were moved into the witness protection program. As far as the other workers were concerned, those people simply disappeared. From there, the rumor mill took over. Mickelson’s been clean since then, as far as we know. There’s some pretty close scrutiny going on at the state and local levels. Seymour doesn’t think Mickelson’s had anything to do with your friend’s disappearance, and after hearing the whole story, I agree.”
“Yeah. From what you’ve said, I’d have to admit that I agree too. With all that monitoring, they’d be fools to pull anything illegal.”
“So, Pop. How’s it going up there? Do you have any other leads?”
“Not a one. I chased my tail for several days up in West Virginia and got nowhere. I’m back at the lodge now,” he added, deciding not to mention the layover at the hospital. “And we’re trying to decide whether to give up and get these kids placed with relatives or keep looking.”
“How long has the man been gone?” John asked.
“It’s been almost two months now since he was reportedly seen leaving the work site.”
“And, of course, you’ve checked to make sure he’s not in jail or hospitalized.”
“I did that right away after I arrived. …” Charles hesitated a moment and looked over at Sarah. “I checked the large hospitals, but now that you mention it, I was asking about a Richard Abernathy. I never thought to ask about a John Doe.”
“Why would he be a John Doe? You said he drove away; he would have had his identification with him, wouldn’t he?” John asked.
“As a matter of fact, Mickelson’s had his wallet with all his identification. They said he left in a hurry and left his wallet in his locker. What if …?” he glanced at Sarah and saw a look of despair, and he was sorry he had the phone on speaker. If Abernathy had been listed as a John Doe, that would most likely mean he was dead.
* * * * *
Later that afternoon as they were driving up to the Abernathy home, Charles suddenly said, “I think you’re right.”
“About what?” she asked.
“About taking the children out for the rest of the day. Where could we take them?”
“Well, you have your phone with instant access to the internet, and I still don’t know how that can possibly work,” she added as an aside. “Anyway, see if there are any amusement parks around. That would be fun for the children, and Baby Girl and I could ride on one of the calmer rides, like a carousel, if they even have those anymore.”
“Good idea. You go on in and make sure the kids have had lunch, and I’ll stay out here and find something fun to do.”
After a couple of searches, he suddenly said aloud, “That’s it!”
“What’s it?” a young voice asked. When he looked down, he saw Tommy looking up at him and carrying a small kitten.
“Where’d you find that?” Charles asked petting the small head which pushed into his hand with a force he couldn’t believe possible from such a small creature.
“Under the house.”
“Did you see the mother cat under there?”
“Nope. He was alone and shivering. I wanna keep him inside. He’ll freeze out here.”
“Let’s go inside and talk to Addie May about it.”
When they walked in the door, Addie May handed Tommy a box that had been lined with fabric scraps. “Now take him into the kitchen and put him near the stove where he’ll be warm.”
Tommy looked up at Charles and smiled before going over to Addie May and hug
ging her. “Thanks,” he said lovingly.
“What was that all about?” Sarah whispered to Charles.
“Tell you later,” he responded with a smile. “Now, let me tell you what I found.
The children piled into the car, all talking at once with excitement. “What’s a moosement park?” Baby Girl kept asking. Addie May tried to explain it to her, but the concept was way above the child’s head.
Finally Ricky spoke up and simply said, “Just wait and see.” The little girl accepted this word from her big brother and sat quietly until they arrived.
For the next few hours, the two boys rode together on trains and airplanes and seats that swung out over the heads of the onlookers. Sarah found a merry-go-round, and she and Addie May stood on opposite sides of the horse Baby Girl had picked out and held onto her as she went up and down with the music. Sarah had to laugh at the look on the child’s face, somewhere between ecstasy and terror. They played games, and the boys won several plastic coffee mugs at the shooting gallery after Charles gave them a quick lesson.
“Here, you can have this,” Tommy said, handing his winnings to Sarah.
Ricky watched, but hesitated and finally said, “Is it okay if I save mine for Dad?”
“Of course,” she said, finally giving into her impulse to hug him. She was surprised that he returned the hug before squaring up his shoulders and walking away.
Charles took care of the three younger children while Sarah and Addie May went on the Ferris wheel. The young girl’s eyes sparkled and she squealed the first time they cleared the top and started down the other side. “I love this,” she told Sarah once she settled into the rhythm of the ride.
“Where do you think they got to?” Addie May asked once they were back on the ground.
“They’ll find us. Let’s get an ice cream cone.” Moments later, Charles came running up and put Baby Girl into Sarah’s arms. “What’s happening?” Sarah asked.
“The boys and I have plans,” and he ran off with the boys in tow.
A few minutes later, she and Addie May heard screams from the direction of the roller coaster and, sure enough, there were both the boys and Charles squeezed into the front seat as it careened up and down the track. Charles waved when they got off the ride but, instead of joining her, the three ran and got at the end of the line to do it again.
The girls sat eating their cones and watched the boys take two more turns on the roller coaster.
On their way home, they stopped at a fast-food restaurant for a dinner of burgers, fries, and milk shakes for everyone but Charles. He had a grilled chicken sandwich and hardly grumbled about it. He told Sarah later he hadn’t had that much fun since his own boys were young.
Sarah and Charles stayed until the three younger Abernathy children were in bed. Sarah kissed Addie May goodbye, and they headed back to their temporary home on the top of the ridge.
“You have a message,” the night clerk announced as they entered the lodge. Charles took the note and frowned when he read the name.
“What is it?” Sarah asked.
“Stevenson called. Marshall Stevenson.” He looked bewildered.
“That name sounds familiar, but I don’t remember. Who is he?” Sarah asked.
“He’s the foreman at Mickelson.”
“Calling you? Why?”
“I have no idea. Maybe he’s learned something?” he speculated.
“Or maybe he found out that you had the FBI sniffing around?” Sarah suggested.
“That’s a thought. I’ll call and see.”
As it turned out, the number was not Stevenson’s personal cell but rather the worksite. Charles left his cell phone number on the machine.
“That’s strange. I don’t know why he called the lodge. I gave him my cell phone number when I was up there. I guess I gave him this number too.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and realized it was turned off. “Ah. I turned this thing off when we were on the roller coaster. I remember now that it rang and I could see you down there watching and since it wasn’t you calling me, I just switched it off. I forgot all about it.” Turning it on, he remarked. “Yep. It’s the same number.” He clicked the speaker on and played the message.”
“Parker, I need to speak with you right away. If you don’t get this before 6:00 tonight, call me in the morning. I have some information for you.”
Charles turned the television on and said, “Let’s just relax tonight. In the morning I’ll call Stevenson, and then I want to start calling the hospitals again.”
“I’ll sit and watch with you, but I need to finish hemming the binding on the children’s quilt. I promised I’d do that for them.” She had attached it the previous day using Addie May’s machine but still had the hand sewing to do. Pulling out the quilt and her sewing box, she sat next to Charles by the window. They kept the shades open, and the moon cast a shimmering light over the tree tops. Charles scanned through the movie titles.
“Remember,” she said playfully, “you still owe me a chick flick.”
* * * * *
“Stevenson,” the man bellowed trying to speak over the background noise. “Hey guys, keep it down. I’m trying to talk.” Turning back to the phone, he continued, “Sorry.”
“Good morning, Marshall. It’s Charles Parker returning your call.”
“Good. I wanted to tell you about this call I got from Bryston yesterday.”
“Bryston?”
“Bryston, Ohio. That’s our home office. Anyway, some hospital in Virginia was calling them about a patient they had with no identification. They said they had part of a pay stub that had the company name on it. It had our site code on it, and the bosses were calling to find out if we knew who it might be. I thought it might be Abernathy.”
“And they are just now finding it?”
“You’d have to ask them about that. Do you want the number?”
“Of course, I do. This is the most promising lead we’ve had. And they said he was in the hospital? Not the morgue?”
“It was the hospital that called, so I’d guess he’s a patient. I don’t know why he wouldn’t just tell them his name though. The whole thing sounds fishy.”
“Fishy is better than nothing. I’ll give the hospital a call and check this out. Thanks for calling, Marshall. You know, he’s got a family down here and we’re all hoping …”
“Yep. And if you find the guy and he’s okay, tell him he has a job here if he wants it. Best worker I ever had.”
“I’m driving up to Virginia to check this out,” Charles said after filling Sarah in about his conversations with the Mickelson foreman and the social worker at the medical center.
They were both excited about the possibility of finding Abernathy, but on the other hand, they were reticent since, if it was in fact him, he obviously couldn’t identify himself. “Do you want to go with me?”
“How far is it?”
“It’s a little over three hours,” he responded. “I want to get some breakfast first and take off right after that.”
“Okay, I’d like to go with you.” She looked over at the quilt she had finished hemming the night before.
“Do you want to go by the house before we leave?” he asked.
“No. I’m afraid Addie May would sense that something was happening and I don’t want to disappoint her. I think it’s unlikely we’re going to get good news.”
* * * * *
“We’re here to see Katherine Lathrop.”
“Lathrop? Is she a patient here?” the volunteer receptionist asked.
“No, she’s the hospital social worker.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll ring her phone.” After a short delay, she said, “Ms. Lathrop will be right out. Just have a seat.”
“I’m so glad to see you folks,” the young woman said as she came out into the lobby. “We’ve had this gentleman with us for many weeks and we’ve had no idea how to reach his family. Are you family?”
Charles stood to shake her hand and
said, “We represent the man’s family, but we don’t even know if this is the man we’re searching for. Why aren’t you able to get this man’s name from him?”
“He’s in a coma following a terrible accident up in the mountains. He was found unconscious in a ravine, and no one knows just how long he was there.” Hesitating a moment, she asked, “You say you represent his family?”
“I’m sorry,” Sarah suddenly spoke up. “I’m Sarah Parker and this is my husband, Detective Charles Parker. We’ve been asked by the family to assist in the search for a Richard Abernathy. We’re hoping your unidentified patient might be Mr. Abernathy.”
Charles looked at her somewhat surprised that she was slightly twisting the truth. She later whispered to him, “You know how fearful these places are about sharing medical information with the wrong person.”
He then reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the picture of Abernathy. He now had a blowup of the driver’s license picture obtained for him by Marvin, the deputy in Beaver Creek.
“Yes, that’s our Mr. John Doe,” the young woman responded with excitement. “I thought we’d never identify him. What’s his name again?”
“Abernathy. Richard Abernathy.”
“You say he’s in a coma?” Sarah said. “That sounds very serious.”
“Let’s go back to my office where we can speak freely.” Sarah and Charles followed Ms. Lathrop down the hall to an area marked Social Services. They took seats in her office and she offered them coffee. Sarah declined, but Charles said he’d have a cup.
“Let’s see how your coffee compares to the sludge we serve in the department,” Charles said, continuing with Sarah’s deception.
“From what our local cops tell me, ours is not much better.” She noted that Sarah Parker had remained solemn since asking about Abernathy’s condition, and she wanted to offer some relief. “I just spoke with the doctor this morning and they are hopeful. His vitals have been good for the past few weeks. His wounds have healed, but, of course, without exercise, he’s experiencing some atrophy. The nurses try to help, but there’s only so much they can do.”
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