Page 56 of The Eleventh Hour
I wait until they are all sitting. The silence is too much. All my thoughts go out of my head. I stare at his eyes and feel like I’m nine years old again.
“Eddie.” I stop and press my lips together. God, it hurts to call him that. “Dad, I need your help.”
He frowns and leans forward in his chair so his forearms are pressed along the worn chestnut desk. I remember playing under it with River so long ago. But alongside me, Dane and Rafael have stiffened. I refuse to look at them.
“What do you need?”
I take a deep breath. “I have a friend, and I think something’s happened to her.”
“Have you contacted the police?” He reaches for his phone, but I lift my hand to still the movement.
“No, they won’t believe that anything has happened to her. She’s poor, Eddie, like Mum was.” I feel low, throwing that in his face, but it doesn’t change the truth anymore now than it did then. “I worked with her for a few months. She’s totally dedicated to her son. Like, more than anyone I’ve ever met. She wouldn’t just up and disappear.”
Eddie frowns, and his eyes skip to Zair.
I wipe my hands on my jeans. “I need you to find someone to take care of Zair for a couple of days. Just until we can get a report in and follow up some leads.”
“You should leave this to the professionals.”
“I will.” I bite my lip and look away. “He was alone in the apartment.”
Eddie lets out a gusty sigh and sits back quickly. “Like you were?”
I look away. “He’s a good kid, and she was a good mum. No drugs, no booze. She baked cookies for the neighbours and volunteered at the community centre. Please…just for a few days.”
“When the police come, I will have to hand him over to them.”
I nod quickly.
“Why haven’t you handed him over- No, scratch that, it’s a stupid question. Of course, you wouldn’t want any kid to go into the foster system.”
He steeples his hands and presses his fingers against his lips.
“Gentlemen, can you give us the room for a moment?”
I wait as Mason, Rafe, and Dane, carrying Zair, slip out of the room and pull the door closed.
“Jackie…”
“Daddy, please. It was awful. He was screaming, and no one did anything. Just a few days.”
“All right, baby. I’ll arrange for Mrs MacKenzie to look after him, but if the police come, I’m going to have to hand him over.”
“I know.”
I stand up, move around the desk, and hug him. “Thank you for understanding.”
He snorts. “I could never refuse you anything, especially when you give me that look.”
“What look?”
“That one, big puppy eyes. All innocent.”
I pout, and he laughs.
“While we’re here, I notice you don’t have a phone. I’ve got you one.”
I step away from him, shaking my head, but he taps the desk.