The Drowning Child

29

Everyone reconvened at the command center to swap notes on their interviews with the Veirs.

‘Teddy Veir admitted to the meltdown at The Crow Bar,’ said Gary. ‘She backed up what Shannon already told you, Ren. I also asked her whether she’d told anyone else about the affair, and she said no.’

‘Sounds to me like the anger was specific to the circumstances,’ said Ruddock.

Ren shrugged. ‘Unless she’s one of those people who’s prone to explosive rage.’

‘Do you think she might have done something to Caleb?’ said Ruddock.

‘It’s a possibility,’ said Ren. ‘She clearly has a temper, but... exceptional circumstances. Though maybe she did lose it with Caleb, and that’s why the Veirs seem like they’re lying? Maybe John is protecting her.’ She shrugged.

Sylvie came into the office.

‘OK – I just spoke with Caleb’s teacher again,’ she said. ‘Caleb told one of his friends back in December that he was getting a PlayStation for Christmas – apparently he found it in the garage. Only – here’s the weird part – he was never given it. So someone bought it for him, then changed their mind. Or someone bought a PlayStation that wasn’t intended for Caleb and stored it in the Veirs’ garage...’

‘Imagine his little face on Christmas morning,’ said Ren. ‘Who would do that to a child?’

Sylvie looked at her patiently. ‘John or Teddy Veir, obviously.’

Ren stood up. ‘Are they still here?’ She didn’t wait for an answer. She ran out to reception. John and Teddy were just about to leave. They turned when they heard their names.

‘One of Caleb’s friends said that Caleb found a PlayStation in the garage before Christmas,’ said Ren. ‘Do you know anything about that?’

Bing: John Veir does.

‘No,’ said John. ‘Really?’

‘I don’t know anything about that,’ said Teddy. ‘John is the one who takes care of those kind of gifts. But we hadn’t planned on getting Caleb one.’ She turned to John. ‘You didn’t change your mind about that, did you?’

‘No,’ said John. ‘I did tell Caleb if he behaved better – consistently – that I would buy him one. He had gotten a little disrespectful, he was creating tension in the house. He’s our son, we love him, but I couldn’t tolerate that kind of behavior.’

‘Tolerate is a strong word,’ said Ren. ‘How bad had it gotten?’

‘Maybe I expect too much,’ said John. ‘Maybe I should “tolerate” more.’

Teddy raised her eyebrows.

‘I have high expectations of Caleb,’ said John.

‘We both do,’ said Teddy.

‘If he didn’t live up to them,’ said John, ‘there had to be consequences. So he knew it wasn’t a promise or, at least, that it was conditional: if these conditions are met, you will get a gift or permission to go somewhere or whatever it was he wanted at that time.’ He paused. ‘So the only thing I can think of is that either his friend was lying when he said that, or that Caleb was lying to his friend.’

‘Did Caleb have a habit of lying?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Teddy.

‘No,’ said John a few beats later.

‘So, Teddy,’ said Ren, ‘you definitely know nothing about this...’

‘No, nothing,’ said Teddy.

‘I’m asking because we were also told that there was a change in your relationship with Caleb after Christmas,’ said Ren. ‘That maybe things had gotten a little more...’ God, I hate doing this. This poor woman. ‘… difficult?’

Tears welled in Teddy’s eyes. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And I don’t know why.’

‘OK,’ said Ren. She turned to John. ‘Can I just ask – did you expressly say to Caleb that he was creating tension in the house?’

‘No,’ said John. ‘Of course not.’

‘It’s just a concern,’ said Ren. ‘If he thought that he was causing a problem at home, he might have decided to run away, thinking it would either solve the problem, or teach you a lesson, depending on how he took it.’

‘Well, I probably made that sound worse than it was when I said it just there,’ said John.

I can only imagine what it may have sounded like to a twelve-year-old boy.

As Ren walked back to her desk, her phone beeped with a text. She looked down.

Joe Lucchesi. Shit.

Why would I be in Denver next week?

Do not encourage this. You would be a disaster together.

Seriously: how sane can a man be whose wife and son were almost killed by a serial killer and whose daughter was fathered by him? And whose wife died in childbirth because of what that same killer did to her first time around.

Maybe saner than a grief-stricken bipolar FBI agent.

Oh. God.

Joe and I are made for each other.

Run.

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.