Authors: Wendy Potocki
“But what if they’re wrong?”
“Supposed to give you more reason to stay in the pack.”
“Why?”
“Well, if they’re going in the wrong direction, how are they going to be put in the right one if you remove yourself as an influence?”
“Makes sense, but they’re ignoring you.”
Todd banged his head against the headrest.
“That’s what’s so frustrating. I tried convincing them, and even turned my back on what I knew.”
“Should ‘a been something about ‘staying true to yourself’ at that police academy. Think that supersedes all the rest.”
“I guess you’re right, Dad. At the end of the day, you do have to face yourself in the mirror, but I feel so guilty going out on my own. It’s wrong. I know it is.”
“Todd, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not like you know what the hell is going on. You’re guessing right along with everyone else, and this time your guess was better.”
Todd flipped the chair into its normal position.
“You got that right. And I wasn’t entirely correct as Agent Murray so nicely pointed out. It’s just that if they’d done what I wanted, we might have cleared this whole thing up. All that evidence gone with a swipe of pine-scented ammonia.”
“Hi, baby!” Joan greeted her son who was curled up on the recliner. Kissing him on his forehead, she whispered, “You beat him to the throne, huh?”
“Yeah, I outran him,” he said rather dully.
“You okay?” she asked.
“No, he’s not. That guy he pegged turned out to be one of the main perpetrators in this crime extravaganza. He’s the one that made off with Manny—not that those bigwigs would care what happens here. I mean, we’re only a bunch of yokels and not important like they are.”
“And who was it that you pegged?”
“Mulligan,” Todd responded.
“Robert Mulligan?” Melissa asked, entering the room.
“Yes,” Todd acknowledged. “Actually, I shouldn’t be upset about being dissed since it was Melissa that first called him to my attention. I thought he was a victim, but she’s the one who knew he was a bad guy.”
The harried look Melissa wore suggested she hadn’t even heard his comment. Shrinking, she shriveled into the nearest chair, pulling her sweater’s sleeves down until they covered her hands.
“That right, Melissa?” Grant inquired.
“What?” she responded.
“Robert Mulligan. Todd says it was you that noticed him.”
“Yes, it’s true. Guy gave me the creeps,” she said hugging herself.
“Well, then why the hell isn’t she on the force?” Grant aggressively suggested.
“Good question,” Todd remarked, brushing through his hair with an open hand.
“So he really has something to do with this?” she queried.
“Yes,” Todd admitted.
“How’d you find out?” she asked, feeling as if she’d float out of her body at any moment.
“Through Bonnie. She said he came to the diner last night. Talked to Manny a bit, and then they left. Together. Manny never came back. When he didn’t show up for work this morning, Bonnie called his wife and found out he never came home.”
“Oh, no!” Joan gasped, her hand going to her stomach.
“Oh, no, is right. Damn! If I’d only fought harder,” he said, criticizing his own inaction.
Joan patted him on his back, reassuring him with comforting words.
“You did all you could. It’s not your fault they wouldn’t listen.”
“So he didn’t leave town?” Melissa mumbled, staring off in the distance. She was getting that feeling again. The one she’d had since youth … the one she got before performing adagios. It was the feeling she would get lost … lose herself and never be found.
“I don’t think so. Unless he left and came back …” Todd hypothesized.
“That wouldn’t make too much sense, would it?” Grant asserted.
“I suppose not,” Todd allowed.
“He was probably hiding,” Joan added. “Since you talked to him, maybe he thought you were onto him. It might have been part of the plan to make you think he’d left.”
“Your mom’s right … for once,” Grant teased.
“Grant …” she growled, giving a warning.
“Seriously, she’s got a point. And I’m not talking about the one on her head, but there’s something else. If that motel thought he’d skeedaddled, he’d know that room would be cleaned. They’d obliterate the evidence for him.”
“Dad, I gotta admit, that’s good. I hadn’t even thought about that. If he’d cleaned the room himself, it would have drawn suspicion, but leaving it to the motel made it seem natural. And it worked.”
“Sure did,” Grant agreed.
“Well, I say that we continue this over dinner,” Joan suggested. “It’s almost ready and Melissa helped me so you-know-who better not say anything he might regret,” she quipped, directing the remark towards her husband who dramatically flinched.
“Not a word,” he answered meekly.
Joan and Grant walked ahead, Todd hung back, waiting for the young girl who still hadn’t moved.
“You okay, baby?”
His voice broke the trance. Throwing her arms around him, she fitfully held him near. Not mistaking the impetuous act as affection, he kept his arms out to the side.
“Just hold me,” she whimpered, her face covered by her silky hair.
Slowly, he wound his arms around her, returning the embrace. Massaging her back, he tried to give her the comfort she sought.
“Is it Mulligan?” he asked, concerned about what she was going through.
She shook her head, looking up into his eyes.
“No, it’s not him, it’s me,” she confessed. “I feel so lost. So scared. Like I’ll never see you, or anyone else again. I don’t want that. I don’t,” she vowed, her eyes filling with tears.
Running a finger down the side of her face, he whispered, “There’s not a chance in the world of anything happening to you. I won’t let it. Do you understand?”
She shyly nodded, breaking into a smile. Melting into his arms, she gave him a tender kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you!” she murmured.
“Todd! Melissa! You coming?”
Breaking his hold, Todd brushed her hair back from her face.
“You know my mom. She’ll be sending out a search party if we don’t eat that roast beef.”
“It’s turkey,” she contradicted. “I should know. I stuffed it myself.”
“Impressive,” he joked, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet. “But not as impressive as this,” he added in a hushed sigh. Gathering her into his arms, he wallowed in a sumptuous kiss.
Chapter
Sixty
Grant wiped his lips, collapsing against the dining room chair.
“Well, I don’t know who was responsible for what, so I’ll just say that the dinner was delicious.”
“I’ll second that,” Todd concurred, giving a quick smile to the girl who remained subdued. Sipping coffee, his work cell rang. While he always carried it, he didn’t remember a time it was used during an off-hour. His family froze at the sound, unsure what to make of it. Robotically digging into his pocket, he answered the sound of duty.
“Cavanaugh,” he answered. The napkin discarded, his body rose, moving towards the kitchen so he wouldn’t be overheard. Angela Murray’s voice filled his ears, making him stand a little more at attention.
“Cavanaugh, I’d like you to bring Melissa Solange to Velofsky’s ASAP.”
“Melissa? Why?”
“This is not a debate,” she snapped. The hostility created from the morning’s confrontation clearly on view, he was beginning to regret his impetuous behavior. It was never a smart thing to piss off superiors … especially not in this line of work. There were always ramifications for trying to imply you were smarter than the people in charge.
“Yes, I understand,” he answered, trying hard to sweep the previous words under the rug of the past. “I’ll bring her. I just wondered the reason, that’s all.”
“You’ll be apprised when you get here!” she retorted, hanging up.
Wondering what he should do, the circumstances surrounding Hotchkins’ disappearance shot into his head. The missing fed had received a phone call … from someone purporting to be who they weren’t. Aware that he might be crazy for doing so, he called the station to make sure everything was copasetic.
“Hey, Vern, it’s Todd,” he started, speaking to the officer on hospitality duty. “Is Angela Murray in her office? Was trying to reach her, but she’s not picking up.”
“Nope, she’s been gone all afternoon. Got a call from that Russian woman. Left and took Foster with her. Might have her hands full,” he offered as an explanation.
“Thanks, Vern. I’ll just try her a little later,” he said signing off.
A conversation kicking up in the dining room, the sound of Melissa’s voice punched holes in his stomach. He wouldn’t place her in danger. Why he thought bringing her to Velofsky’s would do that, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was because it seemed to be the epicenter of the problems. If there were a nest containing the vipers, it must be there.
Hitting speed dial, he waited impatiently, hand on hip, legs jiggling as if back in college and about to compete.
“Hello,” came the familiar voice. Todd relaxed, but not entirely. He had to make sure.
“Hey, Foster,” he began. “Don’t let on it’s me.”
“Okay.”
“Where are you?”
“At the dance academy, hon.”
“And is Angela standing near you?”
“Yes, dear,” he replied, playing it just the way Todd wanted him to.
“And Angela wants me there?”
“Sure thing. I’ll pick it up on my way home, hon.”
“Yeah, you do that,” he chuckled, liking the way his friend was handling the call. “Just wanted to double check. Can’t be too careful these days.”
“Got that right, sweetie. See ya later.” Ending the call, Todd marched into the dining room, interrupting the chatter.
“Hey, Melissa. It was Angela Murray. She wants me to bring you to Velofsky’s.”
“But why?” Joan intervened.
“Doesn’t seem very smart bringing her back there,” Grant agreed.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, but they need her.”
“Do I have to go?” Melissa said quaking with fear.
“Yes.” He spoke as tenderly as possible, trying to get her to understand. “Look, Angela’s there—along with Foster. And I’ll be there and I’m not about to leave you alone. That’s not even a possibility.”
Exhaling sharply, she placed her napkin on the table, looking pleadingly at Grant and Joan.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just get my coat.”
Joan flashed a look in her husband’s direction before springing to her feet. Running to Melissa, she took her in her arms.
“It’ll be alright, Melissa. Todd will make sure nothing’s going to happen. And chances are the people responsible are about a hundred miles away from here.”
“Yeah, chances are …” she said letting her voice trail off. Smiling, she grabbed Joan’s hands, “Oh, what am I saying? It won’t be all bad. In the rush to leave, I forgot my pointe shoes. I know it sounds weird, but I’ve never been separated from them before. I know it’s not like I’m going to need them, but I want to pick them up while I’m there.”
Joan hugged her again, putting her hands on her shoulders.
“It doesn’t sound at all strange. Maybe you can put on a little performance when you get back?” she teased.
“Around the Christmas tree would be good,” Grant replied sarcastically.
“I was actually planning on climbing to the top of it, but circling around the bottom will do,” she joked, hoping it would ease the tension. Retrieving her coat, she zipped up. “All set.”
“Great, let’s go,” Todd said.
Stopping in the mud room, she put on her boots, her inner voice telling her not to go. Once outside, her nerves got to her. Stopping, she started to cry.
“What ‘s wrong?”
“I’m never going to see your parents again!” she wailed.
“What? No! That’s not right!”
“Yes, it is! I’m never coming back here! Or anywhere! Everything I wanted will be gone! I can feel it! I can feel that I’m just going to disappear—like all the rest! Todd, I’m going to be gone!”
Hugging her tightly, he rocked her in an attempt to calm her down.
“Baby, I swear nothing is going to happen to you. I will not let anything happen. They just want to talk to you. That’s it. As soon as they do, we’re outta there. I promise.”
Her tears subsiding, her body quieted down. Light laughter escaped, dissipating the hysteria shown.
“But not before I get those pointe shoes.”
Pushing his hat back, his face relaxed into a grin.
“Yeah, I forgot about them. Let me rephrase what I said. They want to talk to you and as soon as they do … and AFTER your pointe shoes are secured … we’ll leave.”