“Ever since I saw him in it. You would too, if you’d seen him, believe me.”
“Is the boy there now?”
For the first time, Reggie acted less than certain. “I’m pretty sure he might be,” she said.
“But you’re not completely sure?”
“Why don’t we take a look and find out? He could be in the bathroom.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, ma’am. Did you see the boy in there earlier?”
“Not in so many words,” said Reggie.
“You didn’t see him in so many words?”
“I saw his toothbrush. I saw the way the man acted, he was hiding something, I saw him carrying something at night…” She trailed off, losing steam as she was forced to voice her circumstantial case aloud.
“You mean you’ve never actually seen the boy in person?” Karen struggled to keep the annoyance from her tone.
“Not exactly… but I don’t have to see something to know it’s there.”
“Have you seen his clothing?… His playthings?… His books?”
“His toothbrush.”
“Nothing else?”
“I’ve seen the man! That’s enough.”
Becker turned to George and asked him if he had seen the boy. George put both hands in the air, palms open, disavowing any connection with the whole business.
“I haven’t even seen the man.” he said, not looking toward his wife.
“Why don’t you just go see him.” Reggie demanded, “instead of standing around, calling me a liar.”
“Nobody’s calling you a liar, ma’am.” Karen said soothingly.
“Then why don’t you go see the man for yourself and ask him? Don’t rely on him.” She indicated George with a gesture that was at once both designatory and dismissive. George grinned at Becker, inclining his head ever so slightly back at Reggie, trying to involve Becker in man’s universal understanding of women.
“We’ll just have a word with him, then.” Karen said, turning toward the cabin.
“Ask him about the bedspread, let’s hear him explain that,” Reggie said, falling in step with Karen.
“I think it’s best if we conduct the interview ourselves,” Karen said.
“I know how to deal with him.” Reggie said.
“I’m sure you do, but it’s normal procedure for us to conduct an interview in private. I’m sure you would want the same consideration.”
“If I’m not there, how will you know if he’s lying?”
“We usually do this alone.” Karen repeated. “If we need further confirmation, naturally we’ll ask you.”
“I can tell you everything you want to know,” Reggie said, but she fell back, letting Karen and Becker proceed alone.
Karen leaned into the open rear window of the car to speak to her son. “Just stay here.” she said. “This shouldn’t take very long.”
“But… ”
“If there’s a pony in that room. I promise I’ll let you know,” Becker said.
“This might be easier to take if I didn’t get the impression it amuses the hell out of you.” Karen said to Becker as they started toward the cabin. “You have a very strange sense of humor.”
The woman came bustling out of the cabin before Karen and Becker were halfway there. She wore a starched white nurse’s uniform, white stockings, white orthopedic oxford shoes. Contrasted to this snowy field, her eyes seemed to be blazing an unnatural blue. The blonde hair on her head had been piled into a bun to fit within a cap, which she was not wearing at the moment, and strands had fallen loose around her head, giving her a scattered look, even in repose.
But she was not in repose. She came at Karen and Becker with the zest of someone greeting old friends, eyes flashing happily, her toothy smile another element in white.
“Is she crazy, or what?” Dee asked merrily. “A nice old woman at heart. I’m sure, but alone too much, you know? You should talk to her husband about her, he’ll give you an earful.”
“I am special agent Crist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Karen said, pulling out her identification.
“Is that right? Good for you.” She paused long enough to size up Becker from head to foot “I’ll bet you’re special, too, aren’t you?” And then to Karen, “Don’t want to make him feel bad. He’s trying his best.”
Dee grinned at Becker to let him know she was teasing. There was a quality to everything she said that was so familiar in tone that Karen wondered fleetingly if they already knew each other.
Then Dee was past them, walking briskly toward the office, speaking over her shoulder and forcing them to follow.
“My husband has eye problems. You know what that’s like. I didn’t ask for much, just for him to be left alone during the day? Is that so much to ask for? I don’t think so. Now the old lady has gone in there, scared the poor dear half to death, apparently scared herself to boot-well, you’ll straighten this out, won’t you. That’s what makes you both special, isn’t it?… Oh, look! Oh!”
Dee veered toward Karen’s car, gushing and exclaiming as if she had stumbled upon treasure.
“What’s your name?”
“Jack Hollis,” Jack said.
“You can call me Dee. And whose little boy are you?”
Jack pulled away slightly from the face coming at him through the rear window and pointed at his mother.
“Oh, he’s beautiful, he’s just such a beautiful boy!” Dee said to Karen. “You are a very lucky momma.”
“Yes, I know. Thank you.”
“And you…” Dee leaned into the car even farther. “You are so precious. I could just eat you up.”
Jack tried to smile at the strange woman, at the same time edging away until he was stopped by the sleeping bag on the seat beside him.
“How would you like to come live with me?” Dee asked. “Would you like that, would you like to live with me for a while?”
Dee turned again to Karen. “Just for a little while? Can I have him?”
“Not right now. I’m afraid. He’s going to camp today.”
“Are you? Are you going to camp? Where are you going?”
“Camp Wasaknee.” Jack said.
“You must be so excited… You’re not scared, are you? Don’t be scared, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not scared.”
“Good boy… Oh, you’re so beautiful.”
Dee turned to Becker and Karen again. Her eyes had become teary, dimming the brilliant blue.
“You are so lucky,” Dee said, touching Karen’s arm. “You have no idea. Oh, I wish he were mine.”
“He’s a wonderful boy,” Karen said.
“I hope you appreciate him,” Dee said. “You shouldn’t leave him locked in the backseat with the windows closed, by the way.”
“I do know that, actually,” Karen said quickly, offended. “And he’s not locked in. And the window’s open.”
“It’s hard to think of everything,” Dee said, patronizingly. “Especially if you’re a working mother and have to take him to work with you.”
“I’m not taking him to work. We were on our way to camp…” Karen stopped, thinking her only hope for dignity was to remain silent.
“I’m sure you try your best,” Dee said. She squeezed Karen’s arm dismissively, then turned abruptly to Becker. Her tears seemed to have evaporated within a second.
“And just what are you contributing to all this?” Dee asked, smiling.
“Just standing around,” Becker said.
“That’s what they do best, isn’t it?” Dee said to Karen.
Karen, still smarting from the implied criticism of her parenting skills, refused to be drawn into Dee’s
