In Front of Your Eyes Chapters 2-6
Title: In Front of Your Eyes
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Rating: PG
Series: 2/?
Summary: A retro-post; Allison still works with Devalos and Joe still has his regular job. Allison looks for a missing lawyer while Joe ponders ballroom dance lessons. The biggest surprises will come from the lawyer's children, who may know more than they say.
Chapter Archive
That Wasn't My First Choice
With a map of Phoenix spread on the hood of her car, Allison traced two routes. With a red pen, she traced a path from the Rakowsky house on Grey Street to the law offices on Parker Boulevard where Daniel Rakowsky was a consultant. Calculating mileage in her head, she estimated that it would take a normal driver going at the posted speed limits about twenty minutes to cross the city and arrive at the office. With a blue pen, she traced a trail from the law offices to the Rutledge Docks, and from the house to the Rutledge Docks. And with a black pen, she scribbled in information about Daniel Rakowsky.
“Show me where you saw your father’s car,” Allison requested of Rikki, who stood beside the car, almost astonished that anyone was taking her seriously.
Rikki peered over the map, scanning for familiar lines of latitude and longitude. Finally she said, “There. That’s where his car was.”
Allison looked to where the girl’s finger was. “That’s all the way over in Briar Heights,” she said. “Mr. Devalos told me that your father’s car was found at the Rutledge Docks.”
“There’s a river than runs through Briar Heights, isn’t there?” Rikki asked.
“Yes, the Troubadour River.”
“Then it was there.”
“Let’s go,” Allison said.
They picked up Marie at day care and strapped her into her car seat in the back seat. Megan sat next to Marie, and she seemed to enjoy Marie’s babbling. Allison drove with Rikki in the passenger seat, crawling through the subdivision of Briar Heights. “Anything look familiar, Rikki?”
Rikki shook her head. “No.” But then she sat forward and pointed to a house on the corner of Peachtree Lane. “That’s the house,” she said. “I saw that house in my dreams.”
Allison checked the address; it was 510 Peachtree Lane. The address, as far as she knew, was not in any of the case files. Indeed, it was almost twenty miles from the Rakowsky house on Grey Street. “Are you sure?”
Rikki looked as though Allison had asked her to get out of the car and run beside it. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay.” Allison pulled up to the curb and put the car into park.
”What are you doing?” Rikki asked, looking horrified.
“I’m going to find out who lives there,” Allison explained.
“Why?”
“If this is the place, then we’re going to know about it sooner or later. I’d just prefer that it be sooner.”
“You’re going to go to the door?”
“That wasn’t my first choice,” Allison said, and turned the car off.
The mailbox was a sturdy plastic one, obviously designed to reduce vandalism and attacks with baseball bats. Allison jimmied the door, which stuck, and removed a piece of mail. It was a Publishers’ Clearinghouse ad, addressed simply to “Occupant.” The next piece of mail was better; it was a letter addressed to “Jim and MaryAnn Billings, 510 Peachtree Lane.”
Allison put the mail back into the mailbox and shut the door. She got back in the car.
“Well?” Rikki asked.
“Jim and MaryAnn Billings. Does that mean anything to you?”
Rikki thought. “No,” she said at last. “Does it mean anything to you?
“No,” Allison answered. “Let’s go home.”
“Home?”
“I’ve got dinner to fix,” Allison said, “and I’d be honored if you’d eat with us. You said your brother works, anyway. You can keep the girls entertained… if you don’t mind, that is.”
Rikki smiled. “I would be honored.”
Chapter 3/?
Your Sister is Missing Too?
“Mom!” Bridgette yelled as soon as Allison opened the door. The younger girl threw her arms around her mother as Allison set Marie on the floor. “Mom! Ariel stole my Danielle book!”
“Ariel,” Allison said warningly.
“I did not, Bridge,” Ariel scoffed. “It’s on the couch where you left it.”
“Girls,” Allison said, “this is Erika Rakowsky and her sister Megan. They’re going to have dinner with us.”
“Are we having pizza?” Ariel wanted to know.
“Your father requested spaghetti,” Allison said.
“And what a good man he is,” Joe said, appearing from the bedroom, knotting a blue tie around his neck.
“Yes, so handsome, and smart,” Allison agreed as Joe gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“That Joe DuBois, he’s a Renaissance man.” Joe looked over at Rikki and Megan. “Did you pick up some strays?”
Allison gave him a smile. “Joe, this is Erika Rakowsky and her sister Megan. I’m working on a case involving Erika’s father.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Joe said, giving Erika his hand. She shook it. Joe turned to Allison. “Are we eating early tonight? Wilson just called; I guess I forgot the board meeting tonight.”
“What time?”
“Seven. Can we eat by then?”
“Sounds fine. Ariel, put on a pan of water,” Allison requested.
“Can I help, Mrs. DuBois?” Erika asked.
“Oh, no, we’re fine. Bridgette, set the table, please.”
“Are we having spinach?” Bridgette wanted to know. “Because I hate spinach.”
“Mom, Melissa invited me over for Friday night, and she said I can spend the night and we can go to the movies,” Ariel said. “Can I go?”
“Mom!” Bridgette was increasing the volume. “Are we having spinach?”
“No, Bridgette,” Allison said as she found the spaghetti noodles in the cupboard. “Ariel, your father and I will have to talk it over. Bridgette… Bridgette! One glass at a time, please!”
Two glasses crashed the floor, causing Marie to laugh and Ariel to groan. “You’re so stupid, Bridge.”
“It’s only plastic,” Bridgette said indignantly.
Allison laughed. “Don’t call your sister stupid, Ariel.”
“Don’t laugh at her, Mom,” Ariel said, aghast. “It only encourages her.”
“Yeah! Don’t laugh at me!” Bridgette chimed in.
“I’m just laughing because I love you,” Allison said.
The table set, Bridgette went back into the living room, where Rikki had parked Megan’s wheelchair, and picked up her Danielle book. “This is Danielle in the Deep End,” Bridgette said to Megan. “It’s my favorite book.”
Megan rewarded Bridgette with a smile, and the younger girl opened the book and began to read. Rikki sat on the couch next to Bridgette and watched as the pages turned and Danielle had a fun, brightly-colored adventure.
Allison poured spaghetti noodles into the pan of boiling water. “Erika,” she said, “there’s one thing I’m still confused about.”
Rikki looked up. “What is it, Mrs. DuBois?”
“Devalos said that your father was a father of four. You, Megan, and Christopher only make three.”
Rikki gave Allison a gentle smile. “My sister is, presumably, with my father.”
“Your sister is missing too?”
“They were in the car together, and neither of them has been heard from.”
“Why didn’t Devalos tell me about this?” Allison wondered aloud.
“I don’t know,” Rikki answered softly.
“Did you like Danielle in the Deep End?” Bridgette asked Megan, who gave Bridgette another smile and tossed her stuffed lamb on the floor. “’Cause I have another book that I wrote, and it’s called Danielle and the Spelling Bee. Mom, can I read her Danielle and the Spelling Bee?”
“Sure,” Allison said. “We’ll eat in fifteen minutes, if that’s all right with everyone.”
The phone shrilled. Joe, who had been ripping lettuce for a salad, dried his hands on a towel and reached over to answer it. “Hello? Yes, hang on a second.” He handed the phone to Allison. “Scanlon.”
“Hello?”
“Allison, it’s Lee Scanlon. We’ve had a break in the case.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve found Abigail Rakowsky.”
“Where?”
“We’re at the Kingfisher Apartments in Briar Heights. Can you get over here?”
“I’ll be right there.” Allison hung up the phone.
“Let me guess,” Joe said. “We’re not doing the family dinner thing.”
“Sorry, my love,” Allison said, giving him a kiss. “Scanlon needs me. Rikki, would you mind watching the girls?”
“That’s fine, Mrs. DuBois.”
“No, no,” Joe said. “I can drop them off at Wilson’s house, he’s got…”
“… Five of his own,” Allison finished the sentence for him. “I’ll be back soon. Eat.”
She got her purse from the table and was about to go out the door when Rikki said, “Mrs. DuBois?”
She turned around. “Yes?”
“Is it good news?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do,” Allison promised, giving Joe another kiss. “Girls, be good, please.”
Chapter 4/?
You'd Better Come on In
The complex of Kingfisher Apartments was relatively new. Four tall brick buildings were circled around a central courtyard, where there was a little garden, with bright flowers, iron benches, and a heavy stone fountain.
Allison saw Scanlon’s unmarked police car outside the third building. There were two marked police cars there as well. Two officers stood at the door to the building. Allison took out her ID. “I’m Allison DuBois, with the district attorney’s office. Detective Scanlon should be expecting me.”
“Allison!” Scanlon said from the hallway. “Come on in.”
The cops shifted slightly and Allison went into the hallway. Lee Scanlon was wearing neatly-pressed khaki pants and a navy polo shirt under a dark-colored sport coat; he looked as though someone had called him away from a dinner.
“What’s going on?” Allison asked.
“We got an anonymous tip today at the station, right around lunch time,” Scanlon replied. “Said if we came to the Kingfisher Apartments around six, we would find an important clue that would help us in the Rakowsky case. We got here by five-forty-five, set up surveillance. Nobody came in or out, so by six we were searching the building. It’s been empty lately for painting and plumbing repairs.”
“And?”
“We got to apartment 3A and we found Abigail Rakowsky in a closet.”
“Does she know who put her there?”
Scanlon shook his head. “No. But you’d better come on in and talk to her.”
He led her down a short flight of stairs to an apartment on the base floor. The hallway smelled like laundry detergent and wet earth. Two more cops were posted outside Apartment 3A, and as Scanlon and Allison entered, Allison could see crime scene techs working busily.
Abigail Rakowsky was standing with her back to Allison and Detective Scanlon as they approached her. She turned when Scanlon spoke her name, and Allison reflected on how varied the Rakowsky girls were; Megan was fair with blond curls, Rikki wore her red hair long, and Abigail, who appeared to be the oldest, had a face framed by dark ringlets.
“Abigail, this is Allison DuBois,” Scanlon said.
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. DuBois,” Abigail said, and extended her hand. It went towards Scanlon, though, to whose left Allison was standing.
“Yes, pleased to meet you,” Allison said, taking the girl’s. Abigail turned to face her, and Allison realized exactly why she hadn’t had any thoughts or flashes about Daniel Rakowsky.
“She doesn’t know who put her here,” Scanlon said slowly, “because she’s blind.”
Chapter 5/?
You Wouldn't Pick Up and Leave
“Would you like to go back to your house?” Allison asked in the car ten minutes later as she pulled out into traffic.
“No thank you, Mrs. DuBois,” Abigail said softly.
“Then I’ll take you to my house. Rikki and Megan are there; you can spend the night.”
“Is there any news on my father?”
“Not yet,” Allison said.
“Have you called my brother?”
“I’m sure Detective Scanlon is trying to reach him.” Allison took out her cell phone. “But Rikki asked me to call when I knew if it was good or bad news. Would you like to talk to her?”
She punched in the digits without waiting for an answer. Bridgette answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Bridge, it’s Mommy. Can you put Rikki on the phone?”
“But we’re reading Danielle Goes to Tea,” Bridgette said in a voice that bordered on a whine.
“Bridge, I don’t want to ask you again. Please put Rikki on the phone, and we’ll read Danielle Goes to Tea when I get home, okay?”
“Okay,” Bridgette finally agreed, and Allison heard her call for Rikki.
“Hello?”
“Erika, it’s Mrs. DuBois,” Allison said.
“Is it good news?”
“It is,” Allison said, and put the phone gently in Abigail’s hand.
“Hello? Rikki? It’s Abby.”
The two sisters talked for a few minutes as Allison drove towards her house. The sun had set an hour ago, and now the sky was purple, marked with black tree hand-prints. When Abigail hung up, Allison asked, “There isn’t anything you want from your house?”
“I can’t go back there,” the girl said vehemently. “Never.”
“It’s your home.”
“Not anymore.”
Allison pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. “Abigail,” she said after a moment, “I want to let you know that we’re going to find your father. He’s alive.”
“How do you know, Mrs. DuBois?” Abigail’s voice was flat, emotionless.
“I know it the same way I know that the man who took you gave you chocolate,” Allison said. The words were not prepared and she hadn’t expected them.
Abigail’s face changed. “Chocolate,” she whispered.
“Is that right?” Allison asked, but she knew it was.
The front door opened and Rikki ran out. Someone - probably Ariel - had braided her long hair, and she had forgotten to put her shoes on. She pulled the car door open and threw her arms around Abigail. “Abby,” Rikki said. “Abby, it is so good to see you.”
Abigail said something low against Rikki’s shoulder, then said it louder: “I don’t have a cane.”
“We’ll get you one,” Rikki said. “Mrs. DuBois probably has a broom.”
“How’s Megan?”
“Fine. We missed you. Come on in, get something to eat.”
Abby stood up and took Rikki’s elbow.
“Thank you for watching the girls,” Allison said to Rikki. “I hope Bridgette didn’t wear you out with her Danielle books.”
“I was quite impressed by her writing skills,” Rikki said, laughing. “I especially liked Danielle and the Ocean.”
“Joe helped her with that one.”
“That reminds me; he called and said he’d be home around ten.”
“Thank you.”
They went into the house. “Mommy!” Bridgette said. “We read Danielle and the Ocean, and Danielle Goes to Tea, and…”
“Bridgette, you and Ariel go put your pajamas on, please,” Allison said. “I’d like to talk to Erika and Abigail.”
The two DuBois girls left, leaving Allison with Erika and Abigail.
“Is there anything else I need to know about this case?” Allison asked, softly but firmly. “Anything else you need to tell me? Any other siblings missing?”
Erika shook her head. “No. I called Christopher, and he’s stuck in Indiana.”
“Why is he in Indiana?”
“He’s a truck driver.” Rikki could sense a question no one wanted the answer to. “Look, Mrs. DuBois, I know that if your father and your sister were missing, you wouldn’t pick up and leave, but if Chris doesn’t drive, we don’t eat.”
“I wasn’t about to say that,” Allison said. “I’m just thinking how frightening it must be to be alone.”
“We’re not alone,” Rikki said softly. “We have each other.”
Allison nodded. “Okay. Fine. You can stay here until we find your father, or until Christopher comes back from Indiana.”
“Oh, Mrs. DuBois, you have your girls…” Rikki started to say.
“No,” Allison said firmly. “You stay here. We’ll feed you and take care of you, and that’s more than you can do for yourselves at home.”
Rikki looked at Abigail, then whispered in her sister’s ear. Abigail nodded as Rikki spoke. Then Rikki turned back to Allison. “We’ll stay here,” she said. “And thank you for your hospitality.”
“I’ll go back to your house and get you whatever you need,” Allison said. “You can make me a list, and I’ll stop by in the morning.”
“Thank you,” Rikki said.
The door opened and Joe came in. “Hi, honey,” he said, leaning over to give Allison a kiss. Then he realized that there was another girl in the room. “Who’s this?”
“Abigail Rakowsky. Scanlon found her today. She and Erika are staying with us,” Allison said in a voice that left no room for argument. “How was the board meeting?”
“Boring and predictable,” Joe replied. “Are the girls in bed?”
“I told them to put their pajamas on,” Allison said, “but you could check on them.”
“I’ll do that,” Joe said, unknotting his tie as he went down the hall.
“I’ll get you some blankets for the couch,” Allison said. “The bed pulls out.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Rikki said.
Chapter 6/?
What's Real and What's Not
Allison woke in the night, but not because of a dream. In fact, she had not dreamed at all, but somewhere in the house, she heard an odd noise.
Next to her, Joe slept peacefully. His face was serene, and she loved him more than words could explain in that moment.
She got out of bed and opened the bedroom door. Across the hall, the girls slept on. Danielle Goes to the Zoo was open on Bridgette’s bed; she closed the book and set it on the shelf. Marie’s thumb was plugged deftly in her mouth. Allison stopped to swish the girl’s light curls off her forehead.
Allison proceeded down the hallway towards the living room, where she was surprised to see the three Rakowsky sisters on the pulled-out couch, until she remembered that the three of them were basically homeless, and basically fatherless. Abigail slept on the right side of the bed, Rikki on the left, with Megan curled between them like a sentence between quotation marks.
She didn’t remember moving into the front hall, towards the front door, or opening the door. Only when the cool air of the night hit her in the face did she realize that she was standing on the front porch in her pajamas, looking up at the stars. She could not remember now what had gotten her out of bed moments before, but now she understood.
Scanlon stood at the curb, leaning on his car. He was looking up at the sky, too, with a sucker in his mouth. When she looked over at him, he stood straight and came striding towards her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he stepped in close to her body and kissed her full on the lips. She felt a rush of heat slide from her brain to her toes, and she regretted (and loved) every second of it. “… What?” she asked, her words lost against the smooth warmth of his lips. He leaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Their bodies melted together and she felt energy twine around them, searing the moment with passion.
“You smell like patchouli,” Allison murmured.
And then her eyes opened in the dark, and the red numbers of the clock burned 2:22 into her retinas. Allison pushed back the covers and sat up. Next to her, Joe turned in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent. Then he rolled over to face her and said, “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Am I awake?”
“I hope so,” Joe said softly, and kissed her cheek gently. “You’re a lot better-looking when you’re awake. Although you’re awfully cute when you’re asleep.”
“Joe?”
“Mmm?”
“Do you ever have a hard time telling what’s real and what’s not?”
“Only when I’m with you,” Joe replied, his mouth against her neck, “and that’s just because you’re the only fantasy I’ll ever need.”
Allison groaned, and buried her head in her pillow.
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Rating: PG
Series: 2/?
Summary: A retro-post; Allison still works with Devalos and Joe still has his regular job. Allison looks for a missing lawyer while Joe ponders ballroom dance lessons. The biggest surprises will come from the lawyer's children, who may know more than they say.
Chapter Archive
That Wasn't My First Choice
With a map of Phoenix spread on the hood of her car, Allison traced two routes. With a red pen, she traced a path from the Rakowsky house on Grey Street to the law offices on Parker Boulevard where Daniel Rakowsky was a consultant. Calculating mileage in her head, she estimated that it would take a normal driver going at the posted speed limits about twenty minutes to cross the city and arrive at the office. With a blue pen, she traced a trail from the law offices to the Rutledge Docks, and from the house to the Rutledge Docks. And with a black pen, she scribbled in information about Daniel Rakowsky.
“Show me where you saw your father’s car,” Allison requested of Rikki, who stood beside the car, almost astonished that anyone was taking her seriously.
Rikki peered over the map, scanning for familiar lines of latitude and longitude. Finally she said, “There. That’s where his car was.”
Allison looked to where the girl’s finger was. “That’s all the way over in Briar Heights,” she said. “Mr. Devalos told me that your father’s car was found at the Rutledge Docks.”
“There’s a river than runs through Briar Heights, isn’t there?” Rikki asked.
“Yes, the Troubadour River.”
“Then it was there.”
“Let’s go,” Allison said.
They picked up Marie at day care and strapped her into her car seat in the back seat. Megan sat next to Marie, and she seemed to enjoy Marie’s babbling. Allison drove with Rikki in the passenger seat, crawling through the subdivision of Briar Heights. “Anything look familiar, Rikki?”
Rikki shook her head. “No.” But then she sat forward and pointed to a house on the corner of Peachtree Lane. “That’s the house,” she said. “I saw that house in my dreams.”
Allison checked the address; it was 510 Peachtree Lane. The address, as far as she knew, was not in any of the case files. Indeed, it was almost twenty miles from the Rakowsky house on Grey Street. “Are you sure?”
Rikki looked as though Allison had asked her to get out of the car and run beside it. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay.” Allison pulled up to the curb and put the car into park.
”What are you doing?” Rikki asked, looking horrified.
“I’m going to find out who lives there,” Allison explained.
“Why?”
“If this is the place, then we’re going to know about it sooner or later. I’d just prefer that it be sooner.”
“You’re going to go to the door?”
“That wasn’t my first choice,” Allison said, and turned the car off.
The mailbox was a sturdy plastic one, obviously designed to reduce vandalism and attacks with baseball bats. Allison jimmied the door, which stuck, and removed a piece of mail. It was a Publishers’ Clearinghouse ad, addressed simply to “Occupant.” The next piece of mail was better; it was a letter addressed to “Jim and MaryAnn Billings, 510 Peachtree Lane.”
Allison put the mail back into the mailbox and shut the door. She got back in the car.
“Well?” Rikki asked.
“Jim and MaryAnn Billings. Does that mean anything to you?”
Rikki thought. “No,” she said at last. “Does it mean anything to you?
“No,” Allison answered. “Let’s go home.”
“Home?”
“I’ve got dinner to fix,” Allison said, “and I’d be honored if you’d eat with us. You said your brother works, anyway. You can keep the girls entertained… if you don’t mind, that is.”
Rikki smiled. “I would be honored.”
Chapter 3/?
Your Sister is Missing Too?
“Mom!” Bridgette yelled as soon as Allison opened the door. The younger girl threw her arms around her mother as Allison set Marie on the floor. “Mom! Ariel stole my Danielle book!”
“Ariel,” Allison said warningly.
“I did not, Bridge,” Ariel scoffed. “It’s on the couch where you left it.”
“Girls,” Allison said, “this is Erika Rakowsky and her sister Megan. They’re going to have dinner with us.”
“Are we having pizza?” Ariel wanted to know.
“Your father requested spaghetti,” Allison said.
“And what a good man he is,” Joe said, appearing from the bedroom, knotting a blue tie around his neck.
“Yes, so handsome, and smart,” Allison agreed as Joe gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“That Joe DuBois, he’s a Renaissance man.” Joe looked over at Rikki and Megan. “Did you pick up some strays?”
Allison gave him a smile. “Joe, this is Erika Rakowsky and her sister Megan. I’m working on a case involving Erika’s father.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Joe said, giving Erika his hand. She shook it. Joe turned to Allison. “Are we eating early tonight? Wilson just called; I guess I forgot the board meeting tonight.”
“What time?”
“Seven. Can we eat by then?”
“Sounds fine. Ariel, put on a pan of water,” Allison requested.
“Can I help, Mrs. DuBois?” Erika asked.
“Oh, no, we’re fine. Bridgette, set the table, please.”
“Are we having spinach?” Bridgette wanted to know. “Because I hate spinach.”
“Mom, Melissa invited me over for Friday night, and she said I can spend the night and we can go to the movies,” Ariel said. “Can I go?”
“Mom!” Bridgette was increasing the volume. “Are we having spinach?”
“No, Bridgette,” Allison said as she found the spaghetti noodles in the cupboard. “Ariel, your father and I will have to talk it over. Bridgette… Bridgette! One glass at a time, please!”
Two glasses crashed the floor, causing Marie to laugh and Ariel to groan. “You’re so stupid, Bridge.”
“It’s only plastic,” Bridgette said indignantly.
Allison laughed. “Don’t call your sister stupid, Ariel.”
“Don’t laugh at her, Mom,” Ariel said, aghast. “It only encourages her.”
“Yeah! Don’t laugh at me!” Bridgette chimed in.
“I’m just laughing because I love you,” Allison said.
The table set, Bridgette went back into the living room, where Rikki had parked Megan’s wheelchair, and picked up her Danielle book. “This is Danielle in the Deep End,” Bridgette said to Megan. “It’s my favorite book.”
Megan rewarded Bridgette with a smile, and the younger girl opened the book and began to read. Rikki sat on the couch next to Bridgette and watched as the pages turned and Danielle had a fun, brightly-colored adventure.
Allison poured spaghetti noodles into the pan of boiling water. “Erika,” she said, “there’s one thing I’m still confused about.”
Rikki looked up. “What is it, Mrs. DuBois?”
“Devalos said that your father was a father of four. You, Megan, and Christopher only make three.”
Rikki gave Allison a gentle smile. “My sister is, presumably, with my father.”
“Your sister is missing too?”
“They were in the car together, and neither of them has been heard from.”
“Why didn’t Devalos tell me about this?” Allison wondered aloud.
“I don’t know,” Rikki answered softly.
“Did you like Danielle in the Deep End?” Bridgette asked Megan, who gave Bridgette another smile and tossed her stuffed lamb on the floor. “’Cause I have another book that I wrote, and it’s called Danielle and the Spelling Bee. Mom, can I read her Danielle and the Spelling Bee?”
“Sure,” Allison said. “We’ll eat in fifteen minutes, if that’s all right with everyone.”
The phone shrilled. Joe, who had been ripping lettuce for a salad, dried his hands on a towel and reached over to answer it. “Hello? Yes, hang on a second.” He handed the phone to Allison. “Scanlon.”
“Hello?”
“Allison, it’s Lee Scanlon. We’ve had a break in the case.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve found Abigail Rakowsky.”
“Where?”
“We’re at the Kingfisher Apartments in Briar Heights. Can you get over here?”
“I’ll be right there.” Allison hung up the phone.
“Let me guess,” Joe said. “We’re not doing the family dinner thing.”
“Sorry, my love,” Allison said, giving him a kiss. “Scanlon needs me. Rikki, would you mind watching the girls?”
“That’s fine, Mrs. DuBois.”
“No, no,” Joe said. “I can drop them off at Wilson’s house, he’s got…”
“… Five of his own,” Allison finished the sentence for him. “I’ll be back soon. Eat.”
She got her purse from the table and was about to go out the door when Rikki said, “Mrs. DuBois?”
She turned around. “Yes?”
“Is it good news?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do,” Allison promised, giving Joe another kiss. “Girls, be good, please.”
Chapter 4/?
You'd Better Come on In
The complex of Kingfisher Apartments was relatively new. Four tall brick buildings were circled around a central courtyard, where there was a little garden, with bright flowers, iron benches, and a heavy stone fountain.
Allison saw Scanlon’s unmarked police car outside the third building. There were two marked police cars there as well. Two officers stood at the door to the building. Allison took out her ID. “I’m Allison DuBois, with the district attorney’s office. Detective Scanlon should be expecting me.”
“Allison!” Scanlon said from the hallway. “Come on in.”
The cops shifted slightly and Allison went into the hallway. Lee Scanlon was wearing neatly-pressed khaki pants and a navy polo shirt under a dark-colored sport coat; he looked as though someone had called him away from a dinner.
“What’s going on?” Allison asked.
“We got an anonymous tip today at the station, right around lunch time,” Scanlon replied. “Said if we came to the Kingfisher Apartments around six, we would find an important clue that would help us in the Rakowsky case. We got here by five-forty-five, set up surveillance. Nobody came in or out, so by six we were searching the building. It’s been empty lately for painting and plumbing repairs.”
“And?”
“We got to apartment 3A and we found Abigail Rakowsky in a closet.”
“Does she know who put her there?”
Scanlon shook his head. “No. But you’d better come on in and talk to her.”
He led her down a short flight of stairs to an apartment on the base floor. The hallway smelled like laundry detergent and wet earth. Two more cops were posted outside Apartment 3A, and as Scanlon and Allison entered, Allison could see crime scene techs working busily.
Abigail Rakowsky was standing with her back to Allison and Detective Scanlon as they approached her. She turned when Scanlon spoke her name, and Allison reflected on how varied the Rakowsky girls were; Megan was fair with blond curls, Rikki wore her red hair long, and Abigail, who appeared to be the oldest, had a face framed by dark ringlets.
“Abigail, this is Allison DuBois,” Scanlon said.
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. DuBois,” Abigail said, and extended her hand. It went towards Scanlon, though, to whose left Allison was standing.
“Yes, pleased to meet you,” Allison said, taking the girl’s. Abigail turned to face her, and Allison realized exactly why she hadn’t had any thoughts or flashes about Daniel Rakowsky.
“She doesn’t know who put her here,” Scanlon said slowly, “because she’s blind.”
Chapter 5/?
You Wouldn't Pick Up and Leave
“Would you like to go back to your house?” Allison asked in the car ten minutes later as she pulled out into traffic.
“No thank you, Mrs. DuBois,” Abigail said softly.
“Then I’ll take you to my house. Rikki and Megan are there; you can spend the night.”
“Is there any news on my father?”
“Not yet,” Allison said.
“Have you called my brother?”
“I’m sure Detective Scanlon is trying to reach him.” Allison took out her cell phone. “But Rikki asked me to call when I knew if it was good or bad news. Would you like to talk to her?”
She punched in the digits without waiting for an answer. Bridgette answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Bridge, it’s Mommy. Can you put Rikki on the phone?”
“But we’re reading Danielle Goes to Tea,” Bridgette said in a voice that bordered on a whine.
“Bridge, I don’t want to ask you again. Please put Rikki on the phone, and we’ll read Danielle Goes to Tea when I get home, okay?”
“Okay,” Bridgette finally agreed, and Allison heard her call for Rikki.
“Hello?”
“Erika, it’s Mrs. DuBois,” Allison said.
“Is it good news?”
“It is,” Allison said, and put the phone gently in Abigail’s hand.
“Hello? Rikki? It’s Abby.”
The two sisters talked for a few minutes as Allison drove towards her house. The sun had set an hour ago, and now the sky was purple, marked with black tree hand-prints. When Abigail hung up, Allison asked, “There isn’t anything you want from your house?”
“I can’t go back there,” the girl said vehemently. “Never.”
“It’s your home.”
“Not anymore.”
Allison pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. “Abigail,” she said after a moment, “I want to let you know that we’re going to find your father. He’s alive.”
“How do you know, Mrs. DuBois?” Abigail’s voice was flat, emotionless.
“I know it the same way I know that the man who took you gave you chocolate,” Allison said. The words were not prepared and she hadn’t expected them.
Abigail’s face changed. “Chocolate,” she whispered.
“Is that right?” Allison asked, but she knew it was.
The front door opened and Rikki ran out. Someone - probably Ariel - had braided her long hair, and she had forgotten to put her shoes on. She pulled the car door open and threw her arms around Abigail. “Abby,” Rikki said. “Abby, it is so good to see you.”
Abigail said something low against Rikki’s shoulder, then said it louder: “I don’t have a cane.”
“We’ll get you one,” Rikki said. “Mrs. DuBois probably has a broom.”
“How’s Megan?”
“Fine. We missed you. Come on in, get something to eat.”
Abby stood up and took Rikki’s elbow.
“Thank you for watching the girls,” Allison said to Rikki. “I hope Bridgette didn’t wear you out with her Danielle books.”
“I was quite impressed by her writing skills,” Rikki said, laughing. “I especially liked Danielle and the Ocean.”
“Joe helped her with that one.”
“That reminds me; he called and said he’d be home around ten.”
“Thank you.”
They went into the house. “Mommy!” Bridgette said. “We read Danielle and the Ocean, and Danielle Goes to Tea, and…”
“Bridgette, you and Ariel go put your pajamas on, please,” Allison said. “I’d like to talk to Erika and Abigail.”
The two DuBois girls left, leaving Allison with Erika and Abigail.
“Is there anything else I need to know about this case?” Allison asked, softly but firmly. “Anything else you need to tell me? Any other siblings missing?”
Erika shook her head. “No. I called Christopher, and he’s stuck in Indiana.”
“Why is he in Indiana?”
“He’s a truck driver.” Rikki could sense a question no one wanted the answer to. “Look, Mrs. DuBois, I know that if your father and your sister were missing, you wouldn’t pick up and leave, but if Chris doesn’t drive, we don’t eat.”
“I wasn’t about to say that,” Allison said. “I’m just thinking how frightening it must be to be alone.”
“We’re not alone,” Rikki said softly. “We have each other.”
Allison nodded. “Okay. Fine. You can stay here until we find your father, or until Christopher comes back from Indiana.”
“Oh, Mrs. DuBois, you have your girls…” Rikki started to say.
“No,” Allison said firmly. “You stay here. We’ll feed you and take care of you, and that’s more than you can do for yourselves at home.”
Rikki looked at Abigail, then whispered in her sister’s ear. Abigail nodded as Rikki spoke. Then Rikki turned back to Allison. “We’ll stay here,” she said. “And thank you for your hospitality.”
“I’ll go back to your house and get you whatever you need,” Allison said. “You can make me a list, and I’ll stop by in the morning.”
“Thank you,” Rikki said.
The door opened and Joe came in. “Hi, honey,” he said, leaning over to give Allison a kiss. Then he realized that there was another girl in the room. “Who’s this?”
“Abigail Rakowsky. Scanlon found her today. She and Erika are staying with us,” Allison said in a voice that left no room for argument. “How was the board meeting?”
“Boring and predictable,” Joe replied. “Are the girls in bed?”
“I told them to put their pajamas on,” Allison said, “but you could check on them.”
“I’ll do that,” Joe said, unknotting his tie as he went down the hall.
“I’ll get you some blankets for the couch,” Allison said. “The bed pulls out.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Rikki said.
Chapter 6/?
What's Real and What's Not
Allison woke in the night, but not because of a dream. In fact, she had not dreamed at all, but somewhere in the house, she heard an odd noise.
Next to her, Joe slept peacefully. His face was serene, and she loved him more than words could explain in that moment.
She got out of bed and opened the bedroom door. Across the hall, the girls slept on. Danielle Goes to the Zoo was open on Bridgette’s bed; she closed the book and set it on the shelf. Marie’s thumb was plugged deftly in her mouth. Allison stopped to swish the girl’s light curls off her forehead.
Allison proceeded down the hallway towards the living room, where she was surprised to see the three Rakowsky sisters on the pulled-out couch, until she remembered that the three of them were basically homeless, and basically fatherless. Abigail slept on the right side of the bed, Rikki on the left, with Megan curled between them like a sentence between quotation marks.
She didn’t remember moving into the front hall, towards the front door, or opening the door. Only when the cool air of the night hit her in the face did she realize that she was standing on the front porch in her pajamas, looking up at the stars. She could not remember now what had gotten her out of bed moments before, but now she understood.
Scanlon stood at the curb, leaning on his car. He was looking up at the sky, too, with a sucker in his mouth. When she looked over at him, he stood straight and came striding towards her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he stepped in close to her body and kissed her full on the lips. She felt a rush of heat slide from her brain to her toes, and she regretted (and loved) every second of it. “… What?” she asked, her words lost against the smooth warmth of his lips. He leaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Their bodies melted together and she felt energy twine around them, searing the moment with passion.
“You smell like patchouli,” Allison murmured.
And then her eyes opened in the dark, and the red numbers of the clock burned 2:22 into her retinas. Allison pushed back the covers and sat up. Next to her, Joe turned in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent. Then he rolled over to face her and said, “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Am I awake?”
“I hope so,” Joe said softly, and kissed her cheek gently. “You’re a lot better-looking when you’re awake. Although you’re awfully cute when you’re asleep.”
“Joe?”
“Mmm?”
“Do you ever have a hard time telling what’s real and what’s not?”
“Only when I’m with you,” Joe replied, his mouth against her neck, “and that’s just because you’re the only fantasy I’ll ever need.”
Allison groaned, and buried her head in her pillow.