Cruel Justice

72

“COME ON IN,” CHRISTINA said.

Mitch lifted a large cardboard box filled with paper and entered the room.

“I could use the company of another adult,” Christina added. “Do you by any chance know what seven, eight is?”

“I … beg your pardon?”

“You know. Five, six, pick up sticks. But I can’t remember what seven, eight is.”

“Well,” Mitch hedged, “it’s been a while for me. …”

“Yeah. Me, too. Say, don’t you work at the country club?”

“That’s right,” he said. “How did you know?”

“Oh, I remember seeing your name in Ben’s notes. What brings you here?”

“Ben asked me to sort through a few million pieces of paper and look for connections between board members and foreign countries, especially Peru. But when I reported back, he said he was too busy and told me to bring the stuff to you.”

“That’s my Ben all right.” She nodded toward the north wall. “Put the box down there. I’ll get to it as soon as the baby sleeps. If he sleeps.”

“Being difficult, is he? Here, why don’t you let me try?”

“Sure.”

Christina passed the baby to Mitch. A strange tingling sensation trickled up and down her spine. Now, that’s odd, she thought. She watched Mitch gently rock the baby in his arms. He was good with Joey. So why did she feel so uneasy?

She shrugged it off. Probably some weird offshoot of unrequited maternal instincts. She was becoming attached to the baby, so she didn’t want anyone else to hold him. “You said you brought something?”

“Oh, right.” Still cradling the baby in one arm, he reached into his back pocket. “A new pacifier.” The pacifier was shaped like a bushy black mustache, so that when he popped it into the baby’s mouth …

“Was this Ben’s idea, too?” Christina asked.

“Uh, yeah. How’d you know?”

“It’s so Ben. Practical jokes at the expense of an infant.”

He laughed. “Oh. I have something for Abie, too. Uh, where is he, anyway?”

Christina felt the tingling sensation again. He knew Abie was here? That seemed odd.

“It’s a pennant,” Mitch said as he pulled it out of the box. “You know, to hang on his wall. I understand he’s a major Drillers fan.”

The hairs on the back of Christina’s neck stood on end. He shouldn’t know that.

“I heard he lost his Drillers cap recently, so I thought, what the heck. He might like this.”

“I’m sure he would,” Christina said, forcing herself to smile. He shouldn’t know that, either.

But she knew who would.

“I’m surprised Ben told you Abie was here. We … think someone may be looking for him.”

“You mean that sick pervert? The child molester? God, I hate him.”

“You know him?”

“No, I just mean—I hate the idea. Of taking advantage of children like that. Torturing them. Forcing them to do … things they don’t want to do.”

Christina stole a quick glance at the bedroom door. Abie was not visible in the open passageway. “I understood this man was very nice to his captives.”

“Oh sure. Buy them an ice-cream cone. Take them to Celebration Station. Then rip off their clothes and make them wish they’d never been born.”

That was it. No one else could have known about Celebration Station. That detail had been deliberately left out of the papers.

He was the one.

“Here,” Christina said, “why don’t you let me take Joey off your hands?”

Mitch pulled the baby away. “Oh, he’s no trouble.”

“No, I insist.”

“Really, he’s fine.”

“No.” She laid her hands firmly on the baby. “Look, he’s practically asleep. Please.” Christina took the pacifier out of Joey’s mouth and took him back into her arms. “Merci.”

“So … where is Abie, anyway?”

“You know,” she said, trying to keep her voice even, “the funny thing is, Abie isn’t even here right now.” Please God, let him stay in the bedroom!

“He isn’t? But I understood—”

“He was, but—his mother came and got him.”

“His mother?” Mitch’s head tilted to one side. “I saw his mother in the courtroom.”

“Really?” She laughed nervously. “Well, you know how these rich women are. She probably left him with a Swedish au pair.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Mitch said slowly.

“What do you mean? That I’m lying?”

“No, of course not. I just can’t believe that even that rich bitch would leave Abie with a stranger when some maniac is looking for him.” His lips curled. “Next she’ll probably lock him in the closet.”

“I—I beg your pardon?”

“She’ll lock him in the closet, because he’s been bad. Naughty. And he’ll scream and cry and beg to be let out. But she won’t let him out.”

“I don’t under—”

“He’ll scream, ‘Mommy! Please let me out. Please.’ ” Mitch’s face was transformed from that of a man to that of a scared little boy. “I’m sorry I was bad! I’ll do anything to make up for it!’ And then his daddy will say, ‘Perhaps, son. But first you must be punished.’ ”

Christina tried to maintain a poker face. “Well, I’d better put the baby down for his nap. If you’ll excuse me—”

“What?” Mitch’s face altered again, yanked back to the present. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking about. I’ll go.”

Christina smiled, relieved. “I’ll be sure to tell Ben you came by. …”

And then a small figure appeared in the bedroom doorway.

“Can you help me?” Abie asked, pouting. “I can’t figure out where this puzzle piece goes.”

Mitch’s face contracted slowly. “But …”

Abie scanned the room, first Christina, then Mitch. He stared at Mitch so hard, Christina could almost hear his thoughts. Add a fuzzy red wig. A fake pair of glasses. And—

And then Abie screamed.

In a split second Christina raced between Mitch and Abie. She hit the coffee table, knocking it over. The phone hit the floor; the receiver spilled out of the cradle.

Mitch lunged for her, but stumbled over the table. Christina pushed Abie back into the bedroom. She slammed the door behind them—

Too late. Mitch’s foot was wedged in the door.

“You lied to me,” Mitch said. His voice was dark and heavy. “You bitch. You’re just like all the other lying bitches in the world.” He threw his shoulder against the door.

Christina held back the door with all her might. But she knew she couldn’t hold him off for long. He was far stronger and heavier than she was.

“Don’t let him in,” Abie said, sobbing. “Don’t let him hurt me.”

Christina lifted her shoe and brought the heel down hard on Mitch’s foot. Mitch screamed, then jerked back his foot. Christina slammed the door the rest of the way shut, then locked it.

An instant later Mitch threw his weight against the other side of the door. The thin worn plywood shuddered and bowed, but held for the moment.

“You think that’s going to keep me out? You filthy whore! You’re just like all the rest.”

She heard him remove something from his coat. An instant later the tip of a steely knife protruded through the door.

“You’re going to be punished,” Mitch bellowed. “All of you. That bad boy Abie. That boy baby. And you, you stupid bitch, prancing around in your short skirt, showing yourself to him whenever you can.”

She heard him panting as he thrust his knife through the door once again. “You’re all going to be punished.”