The Drowning Child

26

Ren and Ruddock arrived at The Crow Bar. The door was open, but there was no one inside.

They’re dead.

Jesus.

Ruddock called into the house. ‘Hello? Shannon?’

There was no answer. Ruddock went in behind the bar. Ren followed him into the living room.

Cozy, homey, traditional. Not what I expected. Poor Shannon, a single mom working so hard to give her boy a home, then losing him so young.

Shannon appeared from the darkness of a short hallway, carrying a stack of towels. She stopped, stared at Ren and Ruddock.

She doesn’t want to know.

But, still, she came toward them.

‘Why don’t we take a seat,’ said Ruddock.

Shannon had tears in her eyes before they even sat down. She fell apart when they told her what the autopsy had revealed.

You cannot fall apart with her.

‘We’re so sorry,’ said Ren.

‘I... can’t believe it,’ said Shannon. ‘I just... I can’t. Who would want to kill my baby?’

This is gut-wrenching.

‘A lot of things are going to happen that we need to prepare you for,’ said Ren. ‘Your home, the bar, the entire property will be searched – the grounds and the cabins. We’ll be accessing your phone records, Aaron’s, and Seth’s. We’ll be accessing your financial records.’

‘When will people start coming here?’ said Shannon.

‘The crime scene techs? Within the hour,’ said Ren. ‘And it’s likely that once the media get a hold of this—’

‘Well, they won’t be hearing a word from me,’ said Shannon. ‘Or Seth.’

‘We also need you to fill out this questionnaire,’ said Ruddock. ‘It’s standard practice. And we’ll need Aaron’s father to do the same...’

‘Aaron’s father left when Aaron was six months old,’ said Shannon. ‘He died three years later in a car accident.’

Poor kid.

‘Can we take you and Seth anywhere?’ said Ren. ‘To family? A friend’s house?’

‘No,’ said Shannon. ‘We’ll figure something out. Thank you, though. I appreciate it.’

Ren and Ruddock went back to Tate PD and filled the others in on the autopsy results. Ren drove to the Veirs.

‘What is it?’ said Teddy, when she opened the door.

‘I wanted to let you know before you might hear it from another source,’ said Ren, ‘that Aaron Fuller’s death is no longer being treated as an accident.’

‘Oh my God,’ said Teddy.

She brought Ren into the house, guided her into the living room. John came in, and sat beside Teddy, holding her hand. Ren talked them through the autopsy results. When she finished, John Veir stood up, ran for the bathroom. After a moment, they could hear him throw up.

‘I should go to him...’ said Teddy, sliding forward on the sofa.

Ren put a gentle hand on her forearm. ‘Please... he’ll be back.’ I can’t have you discussing this with each other.

‘What does this mean for Caleb?’ said Teddy. ‘Have you lost hope for him? Do you think this is what happened to him? Aaron was found very quickly... is that a good or a bad sign for Caleb?’

‘Let’s wait until John comes back,’ said Ren.

They sat in silence. Ren looked around the room. It was exceptionally tidy, with few decorative touches, except for a narrow wall of family photographs to the left of the archway into the dining area. There was one of John Veir in his army uniform, his face set, his eyes dark and blank.

‘When was that photo taken?’ said Ren.

‘Gosh,’ said Teddy, turning to follow her gaze. ‘He must have been thirty years old in that.’

‘He looks so young,’ said Ren.

Teddy nodded. ‘He always did.’

Where all three Veirs were in photos together, Teddy was smiling, and her husband and son looked, at best, tolerant; at worst, tense.

I’d hate to be with a man like that. And have a son who looks miserable even on vacation. You have zero clue what was going on that day. And maybe they just don’t like getting their photo taken.

John came back, white-faced, with beads of sweat along his hairline. He sat down beside Teddy, and took her hand again.

‘Sorry,’ he said. He wiped his forearm across his brow.

‘You’ve had a shock,’ said Ren. ‘But this news about Aaron doesn’t mean that something bad has happened to Caleb. No one wants to alarm you, but it would be foolish for us not to at least consider a connection, based on their age profile and geographic proximity. And I want to reassure you that looking into what happened to Aaron won’t impact on our efforts to find Caleb.’

‘Oh, come on,’ said John. ‘It’ll take a chunk out of your resources, for sure. How couldn’t it?’

‘We’ll be bringing more officers in,’ said Ren. ‘And more agents from the FBI offices in Salem and Portland.’

‘Is there anything we can do?’ said John. ‘I can’t just sit here and do nothing. There’s a maniac out there who’s drowned a boy, who might have our son, and we’re just sitting around?’

‘There’s nothing you can do except be here and support each other,’ said Ren. ‘But you will have to come in later to talk to Gil Wiley and Pete Ruddock.’

‘There was something I discovered this morning,’ said Teddy. ‘It’s probably no big deal, but I noticed that John’s sleeping bag is missing from the attic.’

John’s head spun toward her. ‘What?’

‘Yes,’ said Teddy. ‘I was going through the things Caleb kept up there, in case there was anything that might help us find him, and I realized it was gone. When was the last time we used them?’

John shrugged. ‘I can’t remember. The summer before last?’

Teddy nodded. ‘You’re right.’

‘Do you have a photo of it?’ said Ren.

‘I can get you one,’ said Teddy. ‘I know that it’s got a pretty distinctive black ink stain on it from a Sharpie.’

‘When was the last time either of you were up in the attic?’ said Ren.

Eye-dart from John Veir.

‘Several months,’ said Teddy.

‘Caleb was talking about getting an action figure from up there on Sunday night,’ said John, ‘but I don’t know if he did in the end.’

How convenient...

Teddy sat forward, her eyes bright. ‘Could this mean that Caleb did run away? The suitcase, the sleeping bag...’

Caleb, dead, rolled into a sleeping bag, sealed inside a sheet of plastic, his father closing the trunk of his car.

‘Not necessarily,’ said Ren.

Suddenly, a car screeched up outside the house. Everyone stood up. A car door slammed, and there was the sound of footsteps rushing up the path. The doorbell rang, then a fist pounded on the door.

‘Get out here! Get out here!’

It was a woman’s voice.

John went to the window. Ren walked toward the front door.

‘Stay where you are, Teddy,’ said John.

‘Who is it?’ she said.

John went into the hall, and started to open the door, trying to push his way through the gap, to get out on to the porch.

‘Don’t you dare! Let me in, John!’

That’s Shannon Fuller.

John gave in, and Shannon appeared in the hallway, just as Teddy came out from the living room.

‘It was you, you fucking psycho!’ said Shannon.

‘What are you talking about?’ said John.

‘Shannon,’ said Ren. ‘Please calm down—’

‘No!’ said Shannon. ‘No.’

‘John, step back, please,’ said Ren. ‘Shannon, I’m going to come over to you and—’

Shannon Fuller was pale-faced. Her eyes locked on to Ren’s. ‘There’s something I should have told you right after I heard that Caleb was missing, but I didn’t want to sound like some psycho too—’

Her gaze turned to Teddy.

‘What is it?’ said Ren.

‘Tell her!’ said Shannon to Teddy. ‘Tell her!’

‘Tell her what?’ said Teddy.

‘Tell her!’ said Shannon.

‘What... what are you talking about?’ said Teddy. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘I was just told my son was drowned!’ said Shannon. ‘Did you hear that? Someone deliberately drowned my son—’

‘We don’t know that for sure,’ said Ren.

Shannon talked over her. ‘Someone held him under water until he couldn’t breathe any more. Someone killed my beautiful boy! Tell her, Teddy. So help me God—’

Teddy’s eyes were filled with tears, but she looked utterly bewildered. ‘I have no idea—’

‘I’ll tell her, then,’ said Shannon. ‘I’ll tell her—’

‘Stop!’ said John. ‘Shannon, stop. Don’t—’ He stepped toward her.

‘No!’ said Shannon. ‘No way!’ She turned to Ren, her eyes alight, but she was speaking to Teddy. ‘Tell her! Tell this woman! Tell her!’

‘John,’ said Teddy, pleading. ‘What is she talking about?’ She was shaking. ‘I don’t know what you’re—’

‘Don’t!’ roared John at Shannon. ‘Don’t say a word. Don’t do this.’

The pain in his eyes.

Shannon saw it too, and it drained the fight from her. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry. I’m... angry. I’m confused. I... someone drowned Aaron. Someone drowned my little boy. Why would someone do that?’

And why would you come here directing your anger at Teddy Veir? And what does John Veir know about it?

Ren looked at John Veir over Shannon’s shoulder, and nodded him toward his confused wife. ‘Can you please take Teddy into the living room? Thank you.’

Ren took Shannon to one side. ‘What is going on?’

Shannon lowered her voice, out of earshot of Teddy. ‘When Caleb was a baby, Teddy tried to drown him.’

Oh.

Dear.

God.