I'll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark Read Free Book Online Page A

tonight. Tonight they all had the same face.
    Tonight they all looked like Meghan Collins.
13
    W hen Meghan went downstairs Monday morning at six-thirty she found her mother already in the kitchen. The aroma of coffee filled the room, juice had beenpoured and bread was in the toaster. Meghan’s protest that her mother should not have gotten up so early died on her lips. From the deep shadows around Catherine Collins’ eyes, it was clear that she had slept little if at all.
    Like me, Meghan thought, as she reached for the coffeepot. “Mother, I’ve done a lot of thinking,” she said. Carefully choosing her words, she continued, “I can’t understand a single reason why Dad would choose to disappear. Let’s say there was another woman. That certainly could happen, but if it did, Dad could have asked you for a divorce. You’d have been devastated, of course, and I’d have been angry for you, but in the end we’re both realists, and Dad knew that. The insurance companies are hanging everything on the fact that they haven’t found either his body or the car, and that he borrowed against his own policies. But they were
his
policies, and as you said, he may have wanted to make some kind of investment he knew you wouldn’t approve of. It
is
possible.”
    â€œAnything’s possible,” Catherine Collins said quietly, “including the fact that I don’t know what to do.”
    â€œI do. We’re going to file suit demanding payment of those policies, including double indemnity for accidental death. We’re not going to sit back and let those people tell us that Dad pulled this on you.”

    At seven o’clock Mac and Kyle sat across from each other at their kitchen table. Kyle had gone to bed still refusing to discuss his coolness toward Meg, but this morning his mood had changed. “I was thinking,” he began.
    Mac smiled. “That’s a good start.”
    â€œI mean it. Remember last night Meg was talking about the case she was covering in court all day Wednesday?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen she couldn’t have been up here Wednesday afternoon.”
    â€œNo, she wasn’t.”
    â€œThen I didn’t see her drive by the house.”
    Mac looked into his son’s serious eyes. “No, you wouldn’t have seen her Wednesday afternoon. I’m sure of that.”
    â€œI guess it was just somebody who looked a lot like her.” Kyle’s relieved smile revealed two missing teeth. He glanced down at Jake, who was stretched out under the table. “Now, by the time Meg gets a chance to see Jake when she comes home next weekend, he’ll be
per
fect
at begging.”
    At the sound of his name, Jake jumped up and lifted his front paws.
    â€œI’d say he’s perfect at begging now,” Mac said dryly.

    Meghan drove directly to the West Fifty-sixth Street garage entrance of the PCD building. Bernie had the driver’s door open at the exact moment she shifted into Park. “Hi, Miss Collins.” His beaming smile and warm voice brought a responsive smile to her lips. “My mother and I saw you at that clinic, I mean we saw the news last night with you on. Must have been fun to be with all those kids.” His hand came out to assist her from the car.
    â€œThey were awfully cute, Bernie,” Meghan agreed.
    â€œMy mother said it seems kind of weird—you know what I mean—having babies the way those people do. I’m not much for all these crazy scientific fads.”
    Breakthroughs, not fads, Meghan thought. “I know what you mean,” she said. “It does seem a little like something out of
Brave New World.”
    Bernie stared blankly at her.
    â€œSee you.” She headed for the elevator, her leather folder tucked under her arm.
    Bernie watched her go, then got in her car and drove it down to the lower level of the garage. Deliberately he put it in a dark corner