He probably still has it.”
“That’s something, then.” Megan turned back to the caregiver. “Did he say where he was taking Tommy?”
“Not exactly. But he did say something about buying a Christmas present.”
Bonnie frowned. “Him and everyone else on earth today.”
“And I think he mentioned getting something to eat.”
“Did he say where they might go?” Megan asked.
“He asked Tommy where he wanted to go.”
Megan leaned in anxiously. “And what did Tommy say?”
“He didn’t. Didn’t answer. You know, he didn’t really seem all that happy about going.”
Bonnie’s eyes flew open, her face livid. “Then why in the name of-”
Megan stopped her from finishing the sentence. “Excuse me. I’d like to speak to my client.” She tugged Bonnie toward the front door. “Thank you for your help, ma’am. We’ll get back to you soon.”
Once they were outside, Bonnie whirled on her. “Why did you stop me from-”
“Because it wasn’t doing us any good. Us or Tommy. And we don’t have time for it.” She took Bonnie’s hand and squeezed it. “I know how distraught you are. It’s affecting your judgment.”
Bonnie’s head fell. “You’re right.” She inhaled deeply. “What do we do now?”
“First we call the police.”
“Of course. I didn’t even think-”
“Then we start cruising all the malls and toy stores and shopping centers. I know it’s a long shot, but if you remember your ex-husband’s pickup, it’s just possible you’ll spot it.”
Bonnie shook her head slowly from side to side. Tears welled up in her eyes. “We won’t be quick enough. We won’t find him in time.”
Megan tried to use a gentle tone. “Bonnie, I think you should prepare yourself for the possibility that Tommy might not be with you for Christmas. I know that’s tough, but-”
Tears spilled down Bonnie’s face. “You don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice broken. “You don’t understand.”
Megan tried. “You’re afraid he’ll kidnap Tommy. Take him away somewhere.”
“More than that.” Her voice dropped. “You remember what I said before. How Carl feels. How selfish he is. How he thinks if he can’t have Tommy, no one can.”
Megan’s throat suddenly went dry. “Are you saying-?”
Bonnie nodded, shaking tears down her cheeks. “He’ll kill him,” she whispered. “I know he will.”
“But he’s the boy’s father! How can you think that?”
Bonnie looked up, her face red and ruined. “Because he’s tried before.”
Carl stared across the car at his son, so young, so tiny, so fragile. So easily hurt.
He pulled his eyes to the front. First things first. He had promised this boy lunch. So lunch it would be.
The sky was even darker than before. It was going to snow today; he was sure of it. Best to get inside beforehand.
He took the Western exit and wove through the heavy traffic. There was an Asian restaurant, The Snow Pea, just a short hop from the Cowboy Hall of Fame. It would be the perfect place for lunch.
He pulled his pickup into the parking lot and turned off the ignition. “How’s this look, champ?”
Tommy glanced up at the front of the restaurant and shrugged. “Whatever.”
“You like Chinese, don’t you? Stir-fry?”
“Fine.”
“If there’s something else you’d rather have-”
“No. This is fine.” He opened the car door and slithered out of the car. Carl followed.
The restaurant was decked out in glittery silver and gold tinsel. There was a Christmas tree in the corner with presents (probably empty) artfully arranged beneath. Muzaked carols played through overhead speakers. What was that one? Carl gritted his teeth. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” He was learning to hate that song.
They found a table and ordered. Carl went for the lo mein noodles; Tommy finally selected the spicy chicken with peanuts. They got Cokes from the dispenser and sat down.
“This probably isn’t very Christmassy,” Carl said. “We’ll do better tonight.”
Tommy looked up. “I thought I was spending tonight with Mommy. And Frank.”
“Is that what you want?”
“That’s what she told me we were going to do.”
“Uh-huh. And what did she tell you I was going to do on Christmas Eve?”
His son looked at him blankly.
Carl’s hand tightened around his fork. Damn that woman and her poison. Damn her and her lies. Damn her and what she had done to this family.
He had hoped they could at least get through Christmas, at least spend the day together, before Tommy went back to his mother. But now he saw that was impossible. The woman had done her venomous work too thoroughly. He had no time, no alternatives, no choices left to him.
He would prove to her that he wasn’t a total loser, that he could accomplish something. This time he would finish the job. He would finish what he had tried to do before. He would prove to his ex-wife that he wasn’t a failure at everything.
Then the conversation would be over. Permanently.
7
“He was always abusive,” Bonnie said in a hoarse whisper. Her hands drummed nervously against the passenger door of Megan’s Toyota. “Verbally. He could be so cruel. And when he lost his temper … well … sometimes he hit me. Hit me hard. But that was nothing compared to what happened toward the end.”
Megan kept her eyes on the road. “What happened?”
“He was getting into trouble with his superiors on the police force. Drinking too much. Basically, he was destroying his life, and he knew it. So he took it out on us.”
“You mean-”
“You know what I mean. Me and Tommy.”
Megan nodded grimly. They were cruising through the parking lot at Penn Square Mall, hoping to bring in a long shot. It was just possible that Carl would bring Tommy toy-shopping here, and that Bonnie might recognize the pickup. They had already called the police, who had promised to do everything they could, but given the circumstances-that Tommy hadn’t been gone long, that he was with his father, that it was Christmas Eve-that probably wouldn’t be much. Bonnie had nearly collapsed with hysteria; Megan had promised they would do everything they could think of to find the boy themselves.
“Did he … hit Tommy?” Megan asked.
“He tried once. The night before I finally left him. I’ll never forget that night. He came home livid, seething with rage. And stinking drunk. He was striking out at everything within reach. Tommy did something-I don’t even remember what. Didn’t matter-it was just an excuse. Carl reared up his fist and”-Bonnie covered her face with her hands-“I just thank God I was there. I pulled him out of the way. Told him to go to bed.” Her lips pressed tightly together. “Of course, after I did that, you can guess who became Target Number One.”
“He beat you?”
“Not at first. At first we just shouted insults at each other. I told him I was going to divorce him. He didn’t care. But then I told him I was going to take Tommy away from him. That’s when he went ballistic. Screaming, hitting. Said he would never let anyone take his son away from him. Said he’d kill him first.”
Megan’s stony demeanor was rapidly fading. “What did he do then?”
“Then he became violent. Physically violent.”
Megan swallowed. “How violent?”
