She's Not Coming Home (10 page)

Chapter Nineteen

After an unproductive
morning in which only one of his three scheduled appointments had shown up, Matt hurried down State Street to Avis Car Rental which was based opposite the Government Center. It was bitterly cold, and beginning to snow.

The block in which the offices were situated was undergoing some kind of renovation and was covered with canvas sheets, wooden hoardings and scaffolding. The scaffolding meant that the sidewalks on that block were quite narrow, and Matt had to fight his way through the crowds who were also attempting to take shelter from the weather.

After he had paid his deposit, shown his drivers licence, and completed all the requisite paperwork, the clerk behind the desk led Matt out back to the parking lot. Around twenty shiny new vehicles were parked here. The clerk checked the tag on the key fob and located the maroon Hyundai Accent which Matt had rented.

‘There’s a full tank of gas,’ the clerk said as Matt climbed in. ‘Please remember to fill up before you drop off at the end of the rental period.’

‘I will, yes,’ said Matt as he turned the key and pulled away. As he left the lot and turned into Cambridge Street he noticed the clerk standing by the door, watching him as he drove away. He also noticed the bus pull away sharply without indicating, and he managed to hit the brakes just in time. What he didn’t notice was the silver Audi A3 pulling away from its spot just a few yards up Cambridge.

It did not take Matt long to get used to driving the Hyundai, and he made his way around the one-way streets to the John F Fitzgerald Surface Road, then to the I-93 proper. Just as he passed the last set of signals before the 93, they turned amber, then red. He heard a couple of car horns sound behind, and glanced into the mirror. In the distance he could see a silver vehicle – he couldn’t pick out the make – shoot across the junction in spite of the red light. Obviously couldn’t hold his wad, he thought.

The Saturday afternoon traffic was heavy and slow, not helped by the snow which was falling heavily. At a quarter after four he was driving down the exit ramp for the streets to Gail’s place. He had a clear run off the Interstate and along Mystic Valley Parkway as far as the junction with Winthrop Street, where he hit a red.

After a minute or so the signal went to green and Matt moved away, followed by a blue SUV, a
New England Tours
bus, a silver Audi A3 and a red and white Coca Cola truck.

Gail and Ryan’s apartment block had a small parking lot at the rear of the building. Matt was quite familiar with it as he and Ruth would park there when they visited. Matt steered the Accent into the Right Turn lane, then into the parking lot. While he was waiting for a gap in traffic, the silver Audi and red truck passed him by.

After parking the car, he walked over to the building. Rather than wait for the elevator, he took the stairs up to their floor. Gail answered the door just as he knocked.

‘Saw you coming out the window,’ she said, standing in the doorway with Nathan who already had his coat on.

‘Everything okay?’ he asked Gail, whilst ruffling Nathan’s hair.

‘Absolutely fine,’ she replied. ‘We took a ride down to the Lakes for an hour or so; then it looked as if the weather was going to turn bad, so we came back and had pizza for lunch.’

Pizza for lunch. Great. No pizza for dinner then
.

‘Yes, it’s just starting to snow,’ said Matt. ‘Snowing quite heavily in the city. Better get back before it gets any worse.’

‘Okay now. You take care,’ Gail said, beginning to close the door.

‘Say thank you to Auntie Gail,’ Matt told Nathan.

‘Thank you Auntie Gail.’

‘You’re very welcome,’ Gail smiled at Nathan, and slowly closed her door.

‘Let’s take the stairs,’ Matt said, as Nathan tried to reach up for the elevator call button.

They were halfway down the first flight of stairs when Nathan grabbed his head.

‘Mr Rex!’ he cried. ‘We left Mr Rex behind!’

Then with Matt trailing behind, he rushed back up to Gail’s floor and banged on her door. As Matt reached the door, Gail opened it. With an irritated look on her face, she had a cell phone in one hand, holding it to her left ear, and in her right hand she was holding out Nathan’s dinosaur.

‘Sorry,’ Matt mouthed as Nathan grabbed the dinosaur. Gail nodded and, continuing with her call, slowly pushed the door to.

‘Have a good time with Auntie Gail?’ Matt asked as he started the car and turned the heating level up slightly.

‘Cool,’ Nathan said. ‘She took me and Mr Rex to play by the side of the lake. Till it got cold.’

‘Did you see Uncle Ryan?’ Matt asked as he stopped at the entrance to the main road.

‘Nah. He was working,’ said Nathan, as he bounced the dinosaur up and down in his lap.

‘How about Denny’s tonight?’ Matt asked. ‘As you’ve already had pizza.’

‘Cool.’

‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ muttered Matt as he pulled into the traffic.

*****

The nearest Denny’s was just off the main route to Logan International Airport, so Matt made a detour when they had been on the I-93 twenty minutes. Just after five they pulled up in the Denny’s lot, across the street from the East Boston Skatepark. The restaurant already had at least three other fathers with young sons sitting at tables. For an appetizer they shared a
Basket of Puppies
: ten miniature pancakes rolled in cinnamon and sugar, with a syrup dip. Matt then had a Club Sandwich and fries, and Nathan spaghetti and meatballs. All rounded off with apple pie and ice cream.

After the meal, Nathan yawned heavily as they got back into the car.  As Matt waited for a break in the traffic in Meridian Street he had to blink as a car in the lot switched on its lights, illuminating Matt’s rear view mirror. Blinking again, he pulled into the traffic. To his relief, it had stopped snowing: there was a little snow settled on the sidewalks, but the roads were cleared.

Nathan was asleep by the time they reached home. Matt carefully reversed the Accent into the space in their parking garage, and gently lifted him out of the car and carried him round the corner to home. Nathan stirred slightly as Matt fumbled with the door keys, but remained asleep as Matt slowly took him upstairs and laid him on his bed. He would have to go without a bath tonight, and could get undressed if and when he awoke that night. Matt looked around: he had left the T Rex in the car. Forget it: that can wait till morning. He looked down at Nathan: poor little guy, he thought, it’s been a long day for him. Will be another long day tomorrow, with the drive to the Cape.

Matt quietly closed Nathan’s door, made a quick bathroom stop, then went back downstairs. Into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee, then into the living room and switched on the TV. It was
American Idol
. He turned the volume down, put his coffee cup on the table and went over to the window to pull the drapes. As he pulled them to, he looked up and down the road. There was no sign of the snow, thank God.  A couple of cars passed by on the other side of the road. He could see three more parked on the street: two this side and one the other. He closed the drapes and sat down.

There were more than three cars parked on the street. Not for the first time that day, Matt had missed the fourth vehicle parked across the street, two buildings down.

The figure in the Audi A3 lit a cigarette and sat back in the seat.

Chapter Twenty

The next morning,
Matt and Nathan began the fifty-seven mile journey down to Matt’s parents just after eight thirty.  Matt would normally take the Pilgrim’s Highway, cross over to the island on the Sagamore Bridge, then take the Sandwich Road south easterly direction. Once he had passed through the town, he would come across his parents’ house.  This time on a Sunday morning the drive would take around over ninety minutes; however, as a special treat for Nathan, half an hour into the journey Matt pulled off the main highway and headed for a McDonalds outlet for breakfast.

After breakfast, they rejoined the highway. By now, Matt had gotten used to the Hyundai, and was comfortably cruising at sixty. He looked over at his son, clutching a purple dinosaur model and staring out of the window. Matt smiled down at the boy, relieved at how he had taken the news of his mother’s disappearance.

Nathan had woken at just after seven that morning, excited at the prospect of the trip down to the Cape. Matt was still in bed when Nathan wandered in.

‘Hey, sport,’ Matt said across the bed. ‘You’re about early. Couldn’t sleep?’

Blinking, Nathan said, ‘Are we seeing Grandma and Grandpa today?’

‘Sure thing. Come over here. I need to tell you something.’

Nathan padded over to the side of the bed. Matt lifted up the quilt. ‘Come in with me,’ he said. Nathan jumped in.

‘It’s about Mommy,’ Matt said, his heart pounding.

Nathan looked up at his father. ‘When’s she coming home?’ he asked.

‘Not for a while,’ Matt said, cuddling Nathan. ‘She has to go away for a little while, as she’s not well right now.’

He waited for a reaction.

‘Oh dear,’ Nathan said quietly. ‘I hope she gets better soon.’

‘So do I,’ said Matt, not sure how to react. He squeezed Nathan tightly. ‘So do I. But remember, no matter how long she’s away for, she loves you very much. So do I.’

‘This much?’ Nathan asked, stretching his arms out.

‘No, this much,’ Matt said, stretching his arms out now. ‘Times ten.’

Nathan looked into Matt’s eyes. ‘I love you too, Daddy,’ he said. Tears in his eyes, Matt put both arms around his son.

‘Daddy?’ Nathan asked after a moment.

‘Yes, what?’

‘Can I take a dinosaur to see Grandma and Grandpa?’

Matt released his grip and Nathan climbed off the bed.

‘Where you off to now?’

‘I need to peepee, then get ready for Grandma and Grandpa.’

‘Okay then. You go to the bathroom first. You want to have breakfast here, or stop off at Donald’s?’

‘Donald’s, please, please!’ replied Nathan excitedly.

‘Donald’s it is then.’ Matt lay back on the bed. He looked up as Nathan trotted out of the room, and into the bathroom. A tear ran down his cheek as he watched him leave. Relief that Nathan had taken the news the way he did, or something else?

As each day went by, he found it more and more difficult to understand why Ruth had gone. What kind of mother would abandon her little boy?

Matt was beginning to feel a new emotion.

Anger.

Chapter Twenty-One

‘
So what kind
of dinosaur is that?’

Nathan looked up. ‘It’s a Vossi Raptor.’

‘A what?’ Matt laughed, switching his glance between the dinosaur and the road ahead.

‘A Vossi Raptor.’

‘Oh, you mean a Velociraptor.’

‘Yes; a Vossi Raptor.’

‘I think you can call them Raptors for short.’

‘Raptors,’ said Nathan slowly, as if trying out a new word. ‘Raptors.’

There were a few moments’ silence while Nathan pondered this new word, then he spoke again.

‘It means
speedy fief
.’

‘Speedy what?’

‘Speedy fief.’

‘You mean speedy thief?

‘Speedy fief.’

‘Right. What does it mean, anyhow?’

‘Daddy, you’re not paying attention. Vossi Raptor means speedy fief. It eats little dinosaurs.’

‘Okay. Glad I’m not a little dinosaur,’ Matt chuckled.

‘Raptor. Raptor,’ Nathan muttered to himself, staring out of the window. Matt smiled again. He looked up as they passed a green sign declaring Cape Cod was six miles away.

They crossed the bridge just after ten o’clock. There was a slight delay as they turned onto the Mid-Cape Connector: a truck had overturned on the bend, and its cargo of paint drums had spilled onto the road. Fortunately, all of the drums remained intact, so the traffic was able to negotiate the accident.

Matt sounded the horn as he pulled up outside the picturesque white clap-board house the other side of Sandwich. Simultaneously, his mother emerged from behind the screen door at the front of the house and his father walked round from the rear.

‘Grandma! Grandpa!’ Nathan shouted as he leapt out of the car and ran up the steps to his grandmother. The old lady bent down to hug him.

‘Good to see you, son.’ Matthew Senior shook Matt’s hand and led him up the steps. Matt turned round to lock the car. His father nodded as the car bleeped and the lights flashed.

‘New car?’ he asked. ‘Don’t think I’ve seen that before. What is it? Hyundai?’ he added, peering at the hood.

‘U-huh. Hyundai Accent.’

‘Right. So you got rid of the Toyota?’

‘This is a rental. The Toyota was stolen.’

‘Jesus H, when?’

‘The other day. Tell you later, Dad,’ said Matt as they walked up to the house. By the time they reached the screen door, Nathan had already run inside. Matt’s mother held her arms out. They hugged.

‘I’m so sorry, Matt,’ she said. ‘Is there any more news?’

Matt shook his head. ‘Nothing.’

‘Leave all that till later, Estelle,’ Matthew Senior said as he reached the top of the steps. ‘Let’s have coffee first.’

‘Sure,’ Estelle smiled and went into the kitchen.

‘Let’s go out back,’ said Matthew. ‘Come on. Hey there, Nathan. How’s my favourite grandson?’ They bumped into Nathan outside the kitchen. He was riding on a large plastic tractor. The Raptor was in the trailer.

‘Cool, Grandpa. Look at me!’ Nathan giggled as he shot off into the kitchen with Estelle.

Matt and his father sat down on the small porch at the rear of the house. Estelle brought two mugs of coffee out.

‘Thanks. Mom,’ said Matt. ‘Where’s Nathan?’

‘Oh, he’s inside with me. Colouring in some dinosaur pictures. I found a book in town the other day.’

‘Don’t let him take over,’ Matt said.

‘Don’t worry. He’s fine.’

‘So tell us about Ruth, then. What’s happened?’ Matthew asked.

‘I thought we were going to wait till later?’ asked Estelle.

Matthew shrugged. ‘It’s later now,’ he said. ‘And the boy’s inside.’

Estelle nodded and sat down.

‘Nathan?’ she called out. ‘Shout if you want me. I’m out here with Daddy and Grandpa. Don’t touch anything.’

A voice came from inside. ‘Okay.’

‘Well?’ Matthew asked, slightly impatiently.

Matt drank some coffee, sat back, and started to retell the story of the events since the previous Tuesday. Matthew sat back in his chair, slowly nodding his head.

‘How much does Nathan know?’ Estelle asked.

‘I told him that she’s gone away for a while. That she’s not well.’

‘And how did he react?’

‘That’s the thing. He didn’t really. Just said something like I hope she gets better soon, and then asked if we were still coming here.’

Estelle looked over at Matthew.

‘It can’t have sunk in yet,’ she said.

Matt nodded. ‘No, I don’t think it has really. He was asking each day in the week, and each time I said she was away through work. Each time he just seemed to accept it.  I’m just waiting for him to…’

He paused, took a breath, and a mouthful of coffee.

‘What do you plan to do?’ Matthew asked.

‘About what?’ Matt asked. ‘About Nathan, or about Ruth? Or something else?’

‘Well, I meant about Nathan first.’

‘I’m not thinking any further than a day or two ahead. I’m hoping she’ll walk back in, and I can tell him she’s back, and well again.’

‘And about Ruth?’

When recounting the events of the last few days, Matt had omitted the part about her place of work not having heard of her, and about the cash withdrawals. He decided not to fill in the gaps now.

‘Nothing else I can do. I’ve reported her disappearance to the police, they’re investigating. Said they would contact me at least every week to update me. Unless there was news earlier.’

‘Do you think your car being stolen has anything to do with things?’ Matthew asked.

Matt shrugged. ‘Can’t see how it can. Just one god-awful coincidence.’

‘I can’t see how she can just leave the boy,’ Matthew said as he inclined his head indoors. ‘With all due respect, son, I can see her walking out on you; but not on him. What kind of woman would..?’  He stopped mid-sentence with a glare from Estelle.

‘You don’t know what’s happened,’ Estelle said. ‘She might not have gone of her own choice. She might have had a road accident, or been taken ill, or been abducted…’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Matthew. ‘People don’t get abducted. At least not people like us. Not that…’  Another glare from Estelle.

‘Has anybody called the hospitals?’ Estelle asked, trying to sound cheerful.

Matt shook his head. ‘I called every hospital in Boston. The police told me their procedure included contacting all hospitals in the State. And apparently there’s a system of checking out of state hospitals.’

‘Well, I think that’s what’s happened,’ Matthew said, nodding his head and folding his arms. ‘If we assume that Ruth would never leave Nathan –
if
– then surely a hospital is the obvious place. Jesus Christ, she might be lying in bed with amnesia or something. Or she might be lying…’

‘In a ditch somewhere. Yes, I know that.’ Matt stood up and walked over to the porch rail and looked out to sea.

His parents said nothing: just looked at each other. Estelle had a pained expression on her face.

‘I’ll need to start preparing lunch,’ she said, standing up. ‘I’ll enlist Nathan to help.’  Matt turned round and nodded, smiling slightly.

There was a moment’s silence after she left; then Matthew spoke first.

‘Look son, what I said earlier, about…  Well, I didn’t mean…  You know…’

‘It’s okay Dad, I know.’

‘I take it you’ve already called any friends, workplace; that sort of thing.’

‘Work – work said she’d not been in since the previous Friday. The only friend – that I’m aware of anyway – had heard nothing from her either.’

‘What about Ruth’s own cell phone?’

‘Tried it that night again and again. And the next. And the next. Always to voicemail.’

‘Try it again now.’

‘What?’

‘Try her cell again now.’

Matt shrugged and pulled his phone out.

‘Wait a minute,’ said Matthew as Matt was just about to dial. ‘Use this one.’ He pulled his own phone from a pouch on his belt.

‘What?’

‘Use my phone. If she is screening her calls and wants to avoid speaking to you, she might not recognize my number.’

Matt took his father’s phone and dialled.

‘Well?’ Matthew asked after Matt hung up.

‘Voicemail again,’ said Matt, giving the phone back.

‘Just a thought.’

Matt turned as Estelle appeared on the porch.

‘Lunch is ready,’ she announced.

‘Is Nathan okay?’ Matt asked.

‘He surely is. He’s been helping me with lunch, haven’t you, darling?’

Nathan nodded, proud of himself.

After lunch, which comprised a massive plate of Boston Baked Beans – a salty stewed mix of pork, onions and beans – followed by apple pie and ice cream, Matthew took Nathan around the back yard to show him how he had reorganised his workshop, while Matt sat on the porch with Estelle.

‘Don’t mind him too much,’ Estelle said. ‘The things he says about Ruth, I mean.’

‘I don’t. It’s just right now…’

‘He’s all bull and bluster. He knows you’re hurting, and it hurts him too. That’s just his way of dealing with it. Of not showing it.’

‘I know.’

‘What about that nice young lady who called round when we came to stay Christmas before last?’

‘Gail, you mean?’

‘Gail – that’s right. Does she know anything?’

‘No. Same as me. Heard nothing. As puzzled as I am.’

‘It’s a shame her parents both passed on.’

Matt looked at her, puzzled. ‘Yeah. And…?’

‘What I mean is, if you and Ruth were having problems, for argument’s sake, then at least she would have somewhere to go, to get away for a while.’

‘Oh, I see what you mean. Yes.’

‘You never met either of them, did you?’

‘No, they both died before she and I met. Her father some years back; her mother I think a few months before we got together.’

‘And no brothers or sisters?’

‘No. She was an only child.’

‘What about school friends? I read you can keep in touch on a computer.’

‘No. No; she didn’t do anything like that.’

‘Mm,’ said Estelle, sitting back in her chair.

‘Mom, what are you getting at?’ asked Matt.

‘I’m not getting at anything. I was just thinking aloud about Ruth - where she might go; what reasons she would have for going.  If she has gone anywhere. If she’s not -’

‘Lying in a ditch somewhere? Or in a coma in some hospital?’

Estelle laid her hand on Matt’s. ‘Take no notice of me dear; just my foolishness.’ She paused. ‘Has your father told you about the boat?’

‘The boat?’

‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘He’s talking about getting a boat.’

‘What the hell for?’

‘Don’t ask me. Old Harry Jobs down at Monument Beach has just gotten one, and your father spends more time on the damn thing than he did at the office before he retired.’

‘I shouldn’t worry. You know these interests soon pass. Something else will come, and he’ll have forgotten about the boat.’

‘I hope so. He doesn’t need to be messing about in some boat at his age. It takes him all his time to maintain the yard here.’

*****

An hour or so later, just as it was getting dark, Matt and Nathan set off for home.

‘Good luck, son,’ Matthew said as they shook hands. ‘Are you okay, you know, for money?’ He spoke out of the corner of his mouth.

‘Fine, thanks, Dad. Fine.’

‘Okay. Well, hope everything - well, you know…’

‘I know, Dad. Thanks.’

Estelle reached up and embraced Matt. ‘Safe drive back, and come see us again soon. Let us know if there’s any news. Or is there anything we can do.’

‘I will,’ Matt said as he started the engine and turned on the headlights. Estelle and Matthew waved at Nathan who was settling down in the back seat, clutching his velociraptor. He waved back and yawned. Matt waved again as he eased the Hyundai onto the road.

‘You still awake, sport?’ Matt asked about five miles past the Sagamore Bridge. There was no answer. He glanced into the rear view mirror and could see that Nathan had fallen asleep. It was dark by now. Matt decided that unless Nathan woke up during the journey, he would carry straight on till they got home, rather than stop for food on the way. Traffic was relatively light that night, and he could quite comfortably cruise at sixty-five.

Matt pulled in to a gas station to top up at around the halfway point, and also bought a couple of candy bars. Nathan was still asleep, so Matt ate his, then set off again.

As the city lights started to show in the distance, Matt reflected on the day’s trip. He was glad they had gone down there; his parents were the first people with whom he had been able to have an open conversation. His father’s comments about Ruth – well, not for the first time, it was just his bluster. Just like his mother said. But it was what his mother had said which gave him cause to think. Ruth had no family: she was an only child, and he had never met her parents. Or school friends. What school did she go to anyway?  Where was she raised? She must have told him; he had just forgotten.