What Follows After: A Novel by Dan Walsh Read Free Book Online

in the little round opening and dialed the zero. “Yes, operator, I’d like the police.”
    Gina began to cry.

10

    Scott and Gina sat quietly in their smallish living room on Seaview Avenue. Scott looked around. It wasn’t just the living room; the entire house was small. The whole thing could fit in the dining and living rooms of the house he’d grown up in on Clara Avenue in DeLand. But so what? This was their place, paid for without Harrison family money.
    Well, it used to be their place.
    A police officer was supposed to arrive any moment. Scott had called from the school, but the police suggested that since the boys weren’t there, it would be better to conduct the interview at the house. After calling the police, he’d called his boss to let him know what was happening.
    “I was so hoping the boys would be here when we got home,” Gina said. “And this nightmare would be over.”
    “Me too,” Scott said. He repeated the phrase “we got home” in his mind, liking the sound of it. For a moment, it was as if they were still together. Initially, Gina had moved out of the house because Scott refused to. He hadn’t done what she was accusing him of; why should he have to leave because she had jumped to the wrong conclusion? But after a few days, when it became obvious she was serious about splitting up, he’d changed his mind and told her tocome back. For her sake and the boys’, he’d get the apartment. Of course, it was stretching their budget to the breaking point.
    Gina stood up, walked over to the window, and pulled back the sheers. “Here he is. A police car just pulled up. What should we tell him?”
    “We just tell him what happened.”
    “I mean about us. Our situation.”
    “I don’t know.” He walked toward the door to let him in. “Let’s just see what he says and answer his questions honestly. They can’t help us if we’re hiding things.” She gave him a look, and he realized that last remark was kind of an insult, as if she wanted to hide information. Not enough time for an apology. He opened the door. “Hello, Officer.”
    A short heavyset man in uniform pulled out a pad and pen as he walked up the sidewalk. “Mr. and Mrs. Harrison? Officer Franklin. Can I come in?”
    “Sure,” Scott said and stepped aside.
    Gina walked back to the sofa and sat on the edge. Officer Franklin followed Scott into the living room and removed his hat. Scott sat, but the officer remained standing.
    “You called to report your children are missing? Two boys?”
    “Yes,” Scott said. “Ages eleven and six.”
    “The eleven-year-old is named Colt, the six-year-old is Timmy,” Gina added.
    He wrote both things down. “It says you last saw them at school this morning?”
    “Yes, I dropped them off. Right where I always do. They kissed me and waved good-bye, like they always do, and I watched them walk toward the front door as I drove off to work.”
    Scott could tell, she was trying hard to keep her emotions under control.
    “But you didn’t see them go in.”
    “No, I didn’t. I was running a little late.” As she said that, a pained expression came over her face.
    Scott said, “I’ve done the same thing before, Officer, when I’ve been late.”
    He didn’t write this down. “Did y’all have any arguments or conflicts this morning? Not you two, I mean with the boys.”
    “Not really,” Gina said. “We had a little tension for a few seconds, but nothing major. And the two of them were getting along fine.”
    He looked at Scott. “How about you, sir? Did you and the boys have any problems this morning, or last night?”
    What should Scott say? He hadn’t even seen the boys since Saturday. “No, no problems.” Gina gave him a look. If he read it right, she was wondering if his answer meant they were keeping their separation a secret. He half-shrugged, not sure if she got the interpretation. Not even sure what message he was trying to convey.
    “Can you tell me what kind of things