TWENTY-SIX

I’m still not sure I understand why we couldn’t have tried calling these women first,” Kevin complained. “We could have eliminated flying willy-nilly all over the East Coast. And I don’t know why you thought it was necessary to involve me in this scheme of yours.”

“We thought you’d enjoy this, seeing how much you like to fly, Kevin.” Robert sat with his seat back, his eyes closed, and smirked.

“You’re a cruel and heartless man, Rob,” Kevin told him. “If you’re going to make me go with you, the least you could do is buy a bigger plane so that I don’t feel quite as claustrophobic.”

“Boys, boys. Please.” Susanna shook her head. There were times when the two of them reverted to an age somewhere under the established age of reason, which she believed to be twelve. At such times, who would believe that one was an international business mogul and the other a Catholic priest with the weight of his parishioners’ souls on his shoulders?

“We already agreed that phone calls were out,” she reminded them. “We’d run the risk of giving a heads-up to the woman we’re trying to locate. And we need you, Kevin. People will open up to a priest, maybe say things they wouldn’t say to a layperson like me or Robert. So, now what we have to establish is what we’ll do when we get to…” She glanced at the list on the empty seat next to her. “Travesty, West Virginia.”

“Now, there’s a place where bad things could happen,” Kevin said. “Yes sir, if I were to kidnap a child and try to pass him off as my own, I’d head straight for Travesty.”

“We haven’t talked about what we’ll do if we find Ian,” Susanna reminded them.

“We call the police. We call the FBI.” Kevin sat up and looked directly at Robert, whose eyes were still closed. “We do not force our way into anyone’s home, all right? We don’t take Ian and run like crazy people. We’re going to do this the right way.”

He leaned across the aisle and poked his cousin. “I know you heard me. Nod if you’re too lazy to speak.”

“Kevin’s right, Rob. You need to put Ian first in this,” Susanna said.

“Of course we’re putting Ian first.” Robert sat up.

“That means we all keep in mind how terrified he would be if three strangers tried to snatch him and take him away from the only…” She was unable to force the word mother past her lips. “The only caretaker he knows.”

As Susanna expected, Robert prickled. “He’s my son.”

“He doesn’t know that,” she said softly.

She could tell by the look of resignation that crossed his face that he knew she was right, but couldn’t bring himself to say so. She knew that-should the gods be with them and they were lucky enough to find Ian-Robert’s first inclination was going to be to grab his son and hold him. She couldn’t blame him for feeling that way, but at the same time, she didn’t want his child’s introduction to his father to be tainted with fear.

“We need to do it the right way,” Kevin repeated. “We need to go about this in whatever way is least traumatic for Ian.”

“It’s going to be very hard for you to hold back, Rob,” Suse said. “But just remember that there may come a time when he may not even remember what happened. The last thing any of us want is for his return to you to be marked by trauma.”

Rob nodded. “You’re right. I know you’re right…”

As the day progressed, Robert had managed to be smart about their attempts to find his son. They’d been to two of the addresses already-one in West Virginia, one in Pittsburgh, but neither door had been answered. A quick canvass of the neighborhood by Kevin had determined that no children lived in either home. Disheartened but encouraged by the fact that only three names remained on the list, they flew to Erie and rented a car. Kevin drove, and navigation directed them to the third house they would visit that day.

They parked down the street from the small Cape Cod to give them time to observe, but even from several houses down, the Big Wheel on the front walk was clearly visible. Robert all but hyperventilated.

“Stay calm,” Kevin admonished him. “It doesn’t mean a thing. It could belong to the kid next door. Knock it off, will you?”

In the distance, they saw a woman walking with a stroller. She got as far as the Cape Cod, then stopped and let the occupant out. A curly-haired boy dashed for the Big Wheel and sat, his little legs barely reaching the pedals.

“Dear God in heaven, that’s him.” Robert’s hand was on the door handle.

“It’s not going to be that way. We’re going to do this right. You agreed,” Susanna reminded him. “Kevin, how are you going to handle this one? Do you want me to come with you?”

Kevin’s eyes never left the child. He shook his head and told her, “I need to do this alone. I’m not sure what I’ll tell her. I’ll think of something. But I need to go in alone. Let’s just pray that the right words come to me once I get there.”

“Prayer isn’t much of a plan, Kev.”

“Sorry, bro. It’s all I’ve got.” Kevin opened the car door and got out. He leaned back in and told Susanna, “Keep him with you.”

She nodded and he slammed the door.

“Maybe we should talk to the neighbors,” Robert said, clearly unnerved by having to sit by and watch the child he thought could be his, the child he’d been missing for so long-and not be able to go to him.

“What would we say to them?” Suse asked.

“We could ask how long she’s lived there. Did she have the child when she moved in? Or did she have him after she moved here? Had she been visibly pregnant?”

“You’d make a good investigator,” she told him. “Those are good questions.”

“You’re humoring me.” Robert got out of the back seat, and before Susanna could react, he’d opened the driver’s side door and got in. She breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“Yes, I am,” she acknowledged without shame. “I’m trying to give Kevin some time to talk to this woman.”

They watched as Kevin approached the woman-Carole Woolum-and began to talk to her. He leaned down and said something to Ian, and the boy reached out and touched his hand.

“Jesus, how long do I have to sit and watch this?” Robert held his hands across his abdomen as if he were in pain.

“As long as it takes, Rob. Till Kevin tells us otherwise.”

Kevin and the woman talked for a few more minutes, then she picked up the boy and started inside.

“What’s she doing? What do you suppose Kevin said to her? Do you think he tipped our hand?” Robert worried aloud.

“Relax, Rob.” She wanted to reach out to him, but knew now was not the time. He was fixated on the boy, who had dark curls much like Ian had had. It must be killing him, she thought.

She started to say exactly that, when there was a rapping on the driver’s side window. Rob and Susanna both turned to look at the same time. A police officer stood next to the car, gesturing to them to roll down the window.

“Hello, officer,” Robert greeted him with a friendly smile.

“May I see some identification?” The officer was not smiling.

“Sure.” Somewhat confused, Robert pulled his wallet from his pants pocket and handed over his driver’s license. The officer looked at it, then leaned closer to the window.

“You too, miss,” he told Susanna, who promptly handed over her own license, which he scrutinized as closely as he had Robert’s. He walked back to the car and handed them through the window to the officer who sat behind the wheel.

“What do you suppose is going on?” Susanna asked Robert.

“Maybe one of the neighbors called about a strange car being parked on the street here,” Robert said. “Or maybe someone was concerned when they saw Kevin go into the house. Maybe there have been burglaries in the neighborhood and people are being overly cautious. In any case, I’m betting the police were called by someone right around here.” He looked across the street. “My money’s on the woman hiding behind the post on the porch over there. I think we need to think of something fast, unless of course you think we should tell him the truth?”