He stood up and put the knife away. Looking around, he realized that this was one of the boy’s room. There were two pennants on the wall, one for the NFL Rams and another for the NHL Blues. On the back of the door was a poster of a Rams player. It had a signature with the number 13 on it. A Star Wars poster was over the small desk at one end of the room. A dresser and bed filled the other end.
Michael walked over to the dresser and picked up a picture. It was a team picture of a boys’ soccer team. Smiling from the back row was his son. Next to the picture was a trophy. He set the picture down and lifted the trophy. Michael read the inscription.
Jack Duncan
Champions
Under 8 Boys Soccer
He was in Jack’s room.
Rubbing his hand over the inscription of Jack's name, he wished he could erase it, rewrite it as ‘Kristian’.
He replaced the trophy and went over to the bed, sitting on the edge. He let his hand rest on the pillow where his son's head had been. He bunched up some of the blanket and held it to his nose. He inhaled the smell of his son sleeping.
This all should have been theirs. His and Tammy's, and it had been stolen from them. These people had taken it and left in its place pain. He vowed that they'd know what it felt like.
He looked at his watch, realized his time was up, and after one last look around, went back downstairs. Cracking the front door to make sure it was clear; he slipped out, leaving it unlocked behind him.
****
Katie Duncan parked her car in front of the grocery store.
“Come on, boys, we just need to pick up a few things before going home.”
She watched them take off their seat belts and put their backpacks on the floor. She had just picked them up from school and they weren't happy about having to stop on the way home.
“Jack, take Jesse's hand.”
“I know, mom. I always do.” He rolled his eyes. Katie thought he was too young to be doing that already. She smiled to herself.
Jack was used to watching over his little brother, he had been doing it all his life, but she always reminded him anyway. Jack rarely put up a fuss; Jesse and he were best buddies.
Jack stood a head taller than Jesse and had jet-black hair, which was wavy to the point of being wild. Green eyes and broad shoulders. He was handsome in a Tom Cruise kind of way. Add in the attitude of a big brother, and you had Jack.
Jesse, on the other hand, had his dad’s straight brown hair and brown eyes. Small for his age, he was in perpetual motion. He had inherited Wade's big smile and it never seemed to leave his face.
“Will we still get our ice cream, mom?”
Katie knew this was the reason for their impatience. Every day after school, she let them go to the end of the block and meet the ice cream truck.
“If we're quick, I think we can make it home in time.”
Jesse flashed a big smile but Jack managed to look skeptical. They hurried down several aisles, Jack dragging Jesse, until they had collected the few things she needed for dinner.
Heading for the 20 items or less aisle, she nearly collided with another cart.
“Oh, I'm sorry.” She looked up to see a man smiling at her.
“It's fine. Please go ahead.”
“You sure?”
“I'm sure. No problem. I'm in no hurry. Besides, it looks like you've got your hands full.”
Katie saw him tip his head towards the boys. She smiled.
“They keep me young, that's for sure.”
“I bet. What are they, six and ten?”
Katie was loading her stuff on the counter, talking back over her shoulder.
“Jesse is seven and Jack is ten. Say hi, boys.”
The man looked at the two boys.
“Can you guys shake?”
He put his hand out to Jesse first and they shook.
“My name is Michael.”
Jack extended his hand and Michael took it. A little of Michael's smile disappeared.
“I'm Jack, and this is my brother, Jesse.”
“Nice to meet you, boys.”
Katie finished paying.
“Come on, boys, let's go”
Michael let go of Jack's hand, and they were gone.
****
Michael tried to gather himself.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Yes…no…I changed my mind.”
Michael left his cart and went to his car. He sat there, trembling. The pain mixed with the anger was making him shake. It took more than ten minutes before he was finally able to drive himself back to the motel.
The whole way, he relived that moment when he held his son's hand. Over and over, he felt the touch of his son. He wanted that again. He wanted to be hugged, to be called ‘Dad’.
And he felt the darkness taking control.
****
Katie pulled into the driveway just as the ice cream truck was coming to a stop at the end of the block. She gave Jack the dollar for him and Jesse to get a treat, and they were off. Katie gathered the two sacks and went to unlock the door. It opened without her turning the key, and she was immediately alarmed.
“Hello? Anyone here?”
There was no response, and everything looked in place. She set the bags down and called her mom.
“Hello?”
“Hi, mom, it's me. Didn't you say that you were here and would lock up when you left?”
“Yeah and I did. Why?”
Katie tried to hide the worry in her voice.
“Well, I just got home and the door was unlocked. Are you sure you locked it?”
“I know I did, dear. Maybe Wade stopped by and left it unlocked.”
“Maybe...I'll ask him. Gotta run, mom. Bye.”
Katie hung up just as the boys came in with their ice creams. The picture was always the same: Jack with his ice cream sandwich and Jesse covered in fudgsicle.
Katie pushed her worries aside and laughed.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Jesse was herded towards the kitchen sink to be cleaned.
Chapter 9
Wade Duncan rifled through the file box in the bedroom. He knew the papers had to be in there. They kept all their important stuff in the fireproof box under the bed. Finally, he saw the folder marked ‘Adoption’ and pulled it out.
He was looking for the number of the lawyer’s office that had set up the adoption. He noticed that none of the adoption paperwork had a phone number, just the address of Johnson & Carr Legal Office. An odd fact they probably should have noticed before. He found the card that Zebulin Johnson had given him that day at the cemetery.
He dialed the number.
“The number you have reached is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again.”
Wade did.
“The number you have reached…” He hung up and stared at the phone.
The gnawing feeling was getting stronger.
“What ya doing?”
He jumped when Katie spoke.
“You scared me! Oh, nothing.”
“Is that the adoption folder?”
“Yeah, I was looking for a picture of Jack taken when we first adopted him; I thought it might be in here.” He didn't like lying to Katie, but neither did he want to scare her.
After all, I might just be overreacting.
“You know all the photos are in the albums downstairs.”
“Oh, of course.”
Wade started putting everything back in the box. Katie gave him a weird look.
“Listen, I forgot to ask you, were you home earlier?”