Missing Child by Patricia MacDonald Read Free Book Online

son’s project.’
    ‘Your son is Travis.’
    ‘Yes. I’m a single mother. His father was killed in Iraq.’
    Detective Mathis ignored this reference to her sympathetic status. ‘We’re questioning anyone who might have seen Geordie this morning.’
    Chief Burns hung up the phone and came out of his office. He was a ruddy-faced, silver-haired man nearing retirement age. He was dressed in his uniform, and exuded an air of calm and competence. He shook hands gravely with the family as Detective Mathis introduced him. When he came to Paula he stopped and peered at her. ‘Mrs Bergen. We’ve met before.’
    Paula blanched. ‘We certainly have. When my daughter was killed.’
    ‘Right,’ said Chief Burns, grimacing.
    Westy’s eyes flashed. ‘You can’t have forgotten our daughter, Emily. She was killed several years ago by a hit-and-run driver.’
    Chief Burns looked embarrassed. He cleared his throat and avoided Paula’s stricken gaze. ‘Of course I haven’t forgotten. Unfortunately, we never were able to find the driver.’
    ‘It’s a cold case,’ said Westy angrily. ‘Isn’t that what they call it?’
    Paula took his hand as if to restrain him. ‘Please. Just find our . . . grandson.’
    Chief Burns spoke gravely. ‘We will. I promise you. Now folks, I know how difficult this is for all of you. Your cooperation will be a great help to us. You’ve already met Detective Mathis. He will be the team leader on this case. He, and all my officers, will move heaven and earth to get Geordie back to you. I just got off the phone with the FBI. I am keeping the Boston office current with the situation.’
    ‘Are they getting involved?’ asked Noah.
    Chief Burns rubbed his hands together. ‘Right now, Mr Eckhart, we don’t know for sure that any crime has been committed. But I have alerted them. They are aware of the situation. All we can say for certain is that we have a missing child and, as Detective Mathis told you, we have issued an Amber Alert. That means that Geordie’s picture and information will be broadcast at frequent intervals both on radio and television.’
    ‘Wait till Travis hears this,’ said Naomi. ‘He’ll be all upset.’
    I’ll bet, Caitlin thought, and then chided herself for her unkindness.
    The chief continued: ‘It would help if we had a description of a car, or someone who might have been seen with Geordie this morning. We’re still trying to locate a witness. The problem is that there were a lot of people coming and going this morning because of the Fall Festival. A lot of unfamiliar faces in the school. Now, it still could be that Geordie ran away or is hiding somewhere in the vicinity of the school. We have not ruled that out yet as a possibility.’
    Oh, please God, Caitlin thought. Let him be hiding in the school.
    The chief looked at Noah. ‘I am going to have the phone tapped at your home, Mr Eckhart, in the event that there is a ransom call. I’ve already been in touch with the judge and the warrant has been obtained.’
    ‘How likely is that?’ Noah asked.
    Chief Burns exchanged a glance with Mathis.
    ‘A ransom call?’ Detective Mathis asked. ‘Well, the fact that Geordie disappeared from school makes a ransom demand less likely.’
    ‘Why do you say that?’ Westy demanded.
    ‘Kidnappings for ransom are usually planned pretty carefully. Unless he’s really stupid, the abductor would know that the school has protocols and they must contact the police immediately if a child is missing. There’s little possibility of the silence preferred by the perpetrator in a ransom situation.’
    ‘So you think it could be . . . random?’ Noah asked.
    ‘We don’t know. Until we have more information it’s useless to speculate,’ said the chief severely.
    ‘What do we do now?’ Noah asked in a shaky voice. His skin looked clammy and there were beads of sweat on his forehead.
    ‘Right now,’ said the chief, ‘we need to fingerprint all of you and take your DNA,