Chapter 32
Phil Berger paced the Eiffel Tower, with a clipboard in one hand, a pen in the other, while an unlit cigar hung from the corner of his mouth. “Those last two episodes went way over budget, my man. We're going to have to scale back for a few weeks to stay within the quarterly projections.”
Keir sat with his legs propped on top of his desk, watching Phil work his way through a list of issues. “Yeah. I caught that.”
“I'm shifting some of the shooting schedules so that we won't accrue as much overtime.”
“That'll work.” Keir dropped his feet to the floor and jotted a few notes on a yellow pad. “I'm going to have my assistant schedule a meeting with the department heads to make certain they are aware of the tight budget and limit their spending.”
“Good move.” Phil checked an item from his list.
“I've already shifted some funds to handle the deficit. We're going to have to hold down the costs until we balance this out.”
“I hear you, boss.”
“Are the sets completed for the next few shows?” Keir rose and then strolled across the floor to the window.
He hoped to get a glimpse of Ryan on the set. Since their breakup, he'd rarely seen her. Ryan kept to herself, did her job, and went home without making any fuss.
Waiting until he regained Keir's attention, Phil chewed on the end of his cigar. When Keir glanced his way, Phil answered, “Sure are. We can save some dollars there. The shooting schedule for the next couple of weeks will use previous sets. They're ready to go.”
Keir nodded. “Good. That's what I want to hear. Anything else?”
“No. That's the end of my list.” Phil slipped his pen inside the slot at the top of the clipboard. “We're all set.”
“Good.”
While Keir leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, he felt a shift in the room. Tension filled the room. Phil shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. It reminded Keir of one of those climactic moments in the movies when all of the secrets are revealed. With a raised eyebrow, he waited, focusing on Phil.
Phil cleared his throat. “I have a question or two regarding another issue.”
“Go for it.”
“It's a delicate matter.”
“Personal stuff?” Keir asked.
Berger grinned.
Sighing, Keir shook his head. “My personal stuff.”
“Pretty much, my man.”
The studio gossipmongers were buzzing with questions about him and Ryan. No one but Phil Berger had the balls to bring it up with Keir. Lifting a dismissing hand at his production manager, Keir faced the window, searching for Ryan. “Not today.”
Phil raised a hand. “Hey, my man. It's not my business, and I won't push. But, if you need someone to talk to”â Phil shook his free hand as if there was a phone in itâ“give me a call.”
“Thanks, man. I'm okay.”
No, I'm not,
Keir thought.
But I'm a man. We don't discuss our personal feelings that way.
“I appreciate the offer.”
Phil shoved the cigar into the breast pocket of his shirt, strolled across the office floor, and opened the door. “Anytime, my man. Anytime. I'll catch you later. I need to have a word with the director's assistant.”
“Later.”
Keir scanned the sets, searching for Ryan. He felt so alone without her. What was he going to do? After three weeks, Ryan remained aloof and as stubborn as she had been the night she left his house. The only reason he allowed her to leave without a fight was that he truly expected her to come back after a few days of thinking the situation over.
Boy, had he been wrong. Ryan barely acknowledged his presence when she found herself in close quarters with him.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he expected to make her see reason or corner her and force her to talk about their problems, work out a solution, and find a way back to each other. A sour smile spread across Keir's face. Seeing Ryan at the studio was a rare occurrence.
Dwelling on his problems didn't seem to help, so Keir decided to return to his desk and get some work done. He reached for an envelope loaded with bills requiring his signature. Work always provided the best therapy until he figured out his next move. As he worked his way through a stack of invoices and checks, his cell phone rang.
He brought the phone to his ear and said, “Southhall.”
“Keir?”
“Who else would it be, Shannon? It's my phone.”
“I don't have time for this. Play those games with your girlfriend.”
He leaned back in his chair, twirling the silver Cross pen in his hand. “Love you, too. What do you need?”
“Is Adam there with you?” she asked urgently.
Keir's brows furrowed over his green eyes. What was Shannon up to? “No. Shouldn't he be in school?”
Hope dashed. Shannon's voice picked up a note of panic. “He's missing.”
Shocked, Keir sat up straight in his chair. Fear caused his heart to slam against his chest. He squeezed the pen in his hand so hard that it left an imprint in his palm.
“Missing? How?”
“I-I-I,” Shannon stammered.
He didn't give her time to answer. Instead, he bombarded her with more questions. “What do you mean? Nobody snatched him, did they? You took him to school this morning, right?”
“Of course, I did,” she answered defensively. “Just like every morning. I waited at the curb until he went through the front doors, and then I took off. I had things to do.”
Frowning, Keir asked, “Where's Emily?”
“Right here next to me.”
He sighed, happy one of his children was safe, and then asked, “Has Adam said anything to you? Maybe he wanted to get your attention?”
“No. Although, he has been a little quiet since he got back from your place. Preoccupied, rather than unhappy, would be the way I'd describe his mood. Otherwise, he's been fine. Did anything happen at your place that might have upset him?”
Immediately, Keir's thoughts shifted to the fight at the game and the subsequent fallout with Ryan. He didn't plan on exposing his private life to his ex-wife. Instead, he gave Shannon the trailer instead of the whole movie. “The incident with Lakeisha's son, Malcolm, really upset Adam. He's not the kind of kid to get in trouble. I'm sure it's probably still preying on his mind.”
“Could be.”
“What about his friends?” Thinking fast, Keir tried to consider every option. “Anyone he might go to if he felt he was in trouble? Or needed a break?”
“No one I can think of. But the school called a few minutes ago. Father Perrin said Adam disappeared right after they took attendance this morning. He never showed up for his first class.”
Keir glanced at the clock on his desk. Shaking his head, he said, “It's damn near eleven o'clock. Why are they just calling me?”
“From what the Father explained to me, the office never calls parents right away. The kids hide everywhere, including in the lavatories or in other classrooms. So they do a thorough sweep of the building before alarming anyone.”
“I'm on my way.” Grunting, Keir rose from the desk, fished the keys from his desk drawer, and shoved his wallet in his back pocket. “I should be at your place in twenty minutes.”
Shannon asked hesitantly, “Should we call the police?”
“Not yet. Hopefully, he just skipped class and is hanging out with his buddies.”
“Is there anything I need to do?”
Standing in the center of his office, he debated for a moment. “Shannon, why don't you call the parents of the neighborhood kids while you're waiting? If they know anything, maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll tell us. And don't forget to ask Emily. She always knows what's going on.”
“I hope you're right.”
“Me, too,” Keir admitted, taking note of the fact that his hands were shaking. “Sit tight. I'm on my way.”
“Please hurry,” she said softly.
“I will. My cell's on. If you hear anything, call.”
“I will.”
“And Shannon?”
“Yeah?” she answered in a worried tone.
“We'll find him.”
Keys in hand, Keir headed for the door, intent on leaving the building. Since the incident at the Little League game, Adam had been acting differently. For the past few weeks, his son had been quiet and withdrawn. No matter what outing Keir suggested, the kid didn't show any interest. He suspected this disappearance was related in some way to the incident with Malcolm. Whatever the reason, he planned to find his son and bring him home.
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Storming out of his office, Keir barely missed running into Ryan. “Sorry,” he muttered, reaching out a hand to steady her. Before he could wrap his head around the fact that she was at his door, Keir noticed his son at her side. His eyes went over the boy, searching for any signs of injury. Ryan wrapped a protective arm around Adam's shoulders and pulled him against her side.
“Adam!” Keir exclaimed, hugging his son. “Where have you been? Your mother just called. She's frantic!”
Embarrassed, Adam hunched his shoulders and refused to look at his father. The boy shuffled from one foot to the other as a dull streak of red crept up his neck and settled into his cheeks.
Shrugging, Ryan explained, “Adam's fine. He came by the studio to talk with me.”
Shifting into father mode, Keir faced his child. “Son?”
Ryan cleared her throat, gaining the attention of Keir and Adam, and said, “I can see that you two have things to discuss. I'll leave you to it.” She kissed Adam on the cheek and turned away. “Keir, it was good seeing you.”
“Thanks for bringing Adam back to me.” Keir said as he pulled out his cell phone and hit the preprogrammed number for Shannon. “I just got off the phone with his mother and was on my way to search for him.”
Smiling gently, Ryan touched Keir's hand. He squeezed her hand and held it a moment longer than necessary. “No problem. Go easy on him. Adam's heart was in the right place.”
“I'm calling your mother, and then we're going to talk,” Keir said as he tipped his head toward his door. Head bowed, Adam shuffled into the room.
“Shannon. I got him,” Keir said into his phone.
“Thank God! How is he?”
“He's fine. I'll tell you the details when I bring him home. We're going to have a little talk first.”
“How long before you get here?” she asked.
“Give us an hour. See you.” Keir disconnected the call and shoved the phone into his pocket before reentering his office and shutting the door after himself. He marched across the room and sat on the edge of the desk, folding his arms across his chest. “Want to tell me what's going on?”
Silent, Adam stared at the carpeting.
Voice edged with steel, Keir asked, “Care to tell me how you got here?”
“Taxi.”
Jesus!
Keir felt his blood pressure soar as his face scrunched up. Using superhuman control, he quickly rearranged his features into a calm mask. Anything could have happened. Kidnap, rape, even death might have been the outcome if the driver had any nefarious ideas or an inkling as to the identity of the boy he was chauffeuring around town. “You realize you might not have made it here? The cabbie could have done anything to you.”
“I was careful.”
Hands clenched into tight fists, Keir bit the soft interior of his jaw, fighting to hold on to his temper. “Where did you get the money?”
“My bank.”
Shaking his head, Keir moved behind his desk. Adam slid into the chair in front of his father.
“Why?” said Keir.
Silence filled the room. Adam refused to look at his dad. He rubbed his nose and played with the strap on his book bag while chewing on his bottom lip.
“Adam?”
“I wanted to talk with Ryan. Me and Emily miss her.”
Holding Adam's gaze with his own, Keir asked, “Did your sister help you do this?”
“No.”
Putting on his sternest father's voice, Keir said, “You realize you scared your mother and me to death.”
Fidgeting with his hands, Adam mumbled, “Sorry.”
“Sorry is not what I'm looking for.” Keir jumped out of the chair and rounded the desk, standing over the boy. “You're my son, and I love you. I want you to be safe. Anything might have happened, and that's part of the reason we were so worried.”