Missing Child by Patricia MacDonald Read Free Book Online Page A

just for purposes of elimination.’
    ‘Elimination from what?’ Noah demanded.
    ‘The CODIS database,’ said the chief evenly.
    ‘I can assure you, Detective,’ said Noah, ‘none of these people are in the CODIS database.’
    ‘What’s that?’ Caitlin whispered.
    ‘The national clearing-house for sex offenders,’ said Detective Mathis, who had overheard her question.
    ‘You should fingerprint that Mr Needleman, Geordie’s teacher,’ said Naomi. ‘I’ve heard he lives with a man.’
    ‘That doesn’t make him a pedophile or a criminal, Naomi,’ Noah said impatiently.
    ‘I’m not saying it does,’ said Naomi. ‘But he does spend all his time around little kids.’
    ‘He’s a teacher for God’s sake,’ Caitlin exclaimed.
    Naomi looked at Caitlin with raised eyebrows. ‘I’m trying to think of every possibility,’ she said indignantly.
    Detective Mathis interrupted. ‘Geordie’s teacher had to be fingerprinted and cleared before he could be employed by the school,’ said Mathis evenly. ‘Every teacher is required to do that. If he is employed in this county as a teacher, he is not in the database. We know that for a fact.’
    ‘Just trying to help,’ Naomi insisted.
    Chief Burns continued: ‘Detective Mathis and these other officers will accompany you back to your home, Mr Eckhart. We want you to be there in the event that anyone tries to contact you. Or, in the happier event, that Geordie is simply lost and manages to find his way back to you. I know this is very difficult, but try to keep your hopes up. It’s early yet, and no reason to despair. We’ll find Geordie for you. We won’t rest until we do.’
    ‘Thank you,’ said Noah weakly.
    Detective Mathis ordered two waiting officers to take them all to be fingerprinted and have their DNA taken.
    ‘I’ll go first,’ said Naomi, seemingly still stung by everyone’s reaction to her suggestion about Mr Needleman. ‘I have nothing to hide.’ She followed the officer down the hallway.
    Detective Mathis turned to Paula and Westy. ‘If your grandson has run away,’ said the detective, ‘is it possible he could find his way to your home? I assume he’s been there many times.’
    ‘Ever since he was born,’ said Paula. ‘Although I doubt he could find his way on his own.’
    ‘We’ll send an officer home with you, too.’
    ‘Whatever you need to do,’ said Westy. ‘Come on, darling,’ he said to Paula. ‘Let’s get swabbed or whatever, and then go home. Maybe our little boy will somehow find us.’
    Paula nodded and then looked anxiously at Noah. ‘We should be with you.’
    ‘No, he’s right,’ said Noah. ‘You go on. In case Geordie . . . Besides, once this goes out on the television, people are going to be calling. It would help if I could tell them to call you.’
    ‘We’ll take care of all that,’ said Westy. ‘Anything you need.’
    Noah hugged his in-laws again. Then Paula turned to Caitlin. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and concern. ‘I know how much you care for him. Try to be brave, dear. They’ll find him.’
    Caitlin felt as if she might fall apart in Paula’s embrace. It felt so good to have someone acknowledge her loss.
    ‘You’ll see,’ Paula crooned. ‘He’ll come back to us. He has to.’
    ‘Come on, now,’ Westy urged his wife gruffly. ‘Let’s get on with it.’
    Paula and Westy went first toward the room where the fingerprinting and testing would be done. They were in and out in a few minutes. They waved as they left the station, accompanied by an officer.
    Noah and Caitlin were next. They were swabbed, fingerprinted, and sent back out into the corridor to wait.
    As they sat back down, Noah’s phone rang, and he answered it.
    ‘Hey, Dan, hi,’ he said. ‘Yeah. How did you know? Really. Already? Man, that was fast. Yeah. We’re still in the police station. It’s a fucking nightmare. No. Caitlin took him to school and that was it. He vanished into thin air. The police are