The Devil's Labyrinth by John Saul Read Free Book Online

an inch from his post by the kitchen door. “So why don’t we just cut to what he’s done, all right? It’s not like we haven’t heard it all before.”
    Father Sebastian took a deep breath, and started over again. “Kip appears to have left campus without permission this morning. We were hoping that he’d come here, or that at least you’ve heard from him.”
    “Goddammit,” Gordy spat.
    “Gordy!” Anne shot her husband a warning glance, then turned back to the two clerics. “We haven’t heard from him.”
    “Aren’t you people supposed to keep an eye on him?” Gordy demanded, his anger focusing on Brother Francis. “Isn’t that why we sent him to St. Isaac’s? To make sure things like this didn’t happen?”
    “I’ve been working pretty closely with Kip the last eight months,” Father Sebastian replied as Brother Francis shrank back from Gordy Adamson’s anger. “He’s been doing very well—good grades and an attitude that’s been improving. Aside from the usual mischief all our kids get into now and then, he hasn’t been any trouble worth more than a quick confession and a couple of Hail Marys for penance.” His cavalier reference to the confessional had the intended effect; Gordy Adamson’s arms finally dropped to his sides and he moved closer to his wife. “Frankly, it’s a mystery to me why he left,” Father Sebastian finished.
    “We sent him to St. Isaac’s because you have a reputation for dealing with kids like that—what do you call it? ‘
At risk,
’ whatever the hell that means. So how could he just walk out?”
    “St. Isaac’s isn’t a prison, Mr. Adamson,” Father Sebastian said. “The students aren’t prisoners, and we’re not guards. I’m a psychologist, and I treat all our students—especially the so-called ‘at risk’ group—with a great deal of respect. The school has found that for the most part our students rise to our expectations, and I’m happy to be able to tell you that Kip has done exactly that, right up to this point. Which is why his disappearance is such a mystery.”
    “Something must have set him off,” Anne Adamson said, her fingers twisting a corner of her apron. “It’s what always happens. Everything seems fine, then something sets him off. It’s like he just goes crazy.” She seemed about to burst into tears, and Brother Francis reached out and took one of her hands in his own.
    “I’m sure nothing like that happened at all,” he began. He was about to say more, but fell silent as Father Sebastian shot him a warning glance.
    “Perhaps there
was
something,” Father Sebastian said. “But if there was, we don’t know what it might have been. It’s much more likely that Kip has just gone off to sort out his feelings.”
    “
Sort out his feelings?
” Gordy shot back, his voice edged with contempt. “What kind of psychobabble is that? You lose a kid you should be watching like a hawk and you say he went away to sort out his
feelings
?”
    “Perhaps I put it badly,” Father Sebastian said evenly. “The point is that he’s gone off before, hasn’t he? And he always came back home?”
    When Gordy Adamson only glowered at the priest, his wife spoke. “He’s right, Gordy.” She tried to put her hand over his, but he pulled it away.
    “We sent him to your damn school so he wouldn’t run away anymore,” Gordy said, his voice grating. “If you’re just going to let him take off, what’s the point? Maybe we shoulda kept him home. He coulda run away from here and it wouldn’t cost us a dime!”
    “Gordy, please—” Anne begged.
    Gordy Adamson’s expression darkened and he moved slightly away from his wife. “I’m just sayin’—”
    “It’s all right, Mrs. Adamson,” Father Sebastian cut in quickly. “Actually, he’s got a point. But the odds are Kip will be back by morning.”
    “And if he’s not?” Gordy challenged.
    “Then we’ll talk about it in the morning,” Father Sebastian calmly replied. “If