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“That’s scary, Dex.” Jasmin reached out to clutch his hand as a way to soothe the worry so noticeable in his voice. “I really hoped something might have turned up by now. Do you have any other ideas?”
“Only thing I could think of was to call Sara I upset the poor woman. She was heartbroken to think her beloved ward might be alone and scared. But she had an idea and was going to check it out. I said we’d meet her there.”
“Where’s there?”
“At the house where Max and Doreen used to live. It’s a few miles away from Margot’s place but just maybe he found his way home. Sara seemed to think he could do it. Says the kid’s highly intelligent, and they often used to ride the bus to all kinds of places for fun.”
“Wouldn’t it be perfect if she finds him?” Jasmin’s heart started beating faster. Smiles lit up her insides to push away the horrible worry that had begun to root there.
“I hope she’s right because I have no idea where else to look next.” Dex squeezed her hand tighter than he probably knew. “I’m so scared of what can happen to an eight-year-old in this city. If he does go back to Margots, I warned her to back off. Between you and me, I’m furious at the stupidity of the woman who was supposed to be taking care of him. I told her we’d be late. But not to scare him. That we’d get there as fast as we could.”
Jasmin gently pulled her hand away to pat his before holding the steering wheel again. Soft words and tender smiles seemedto help calm his outrage. “Just so you know, I can’t wait to meet this harridan. I’d love to give her a piece of my mind… as my mom used to say.”
“Go for it. In seconds, she’ll have the tables turned on you, and you’ll be the one walking away with your tail between your legs. She’s got a way of making everything bad about someone or something else. Never about her or her actions. Nothing is ever her fault.”
“I’ve met people like that before. They have a talent for twisting everything to make it about themselves. Ever wonder how often “I, me, my” appears in their dialogue? Think about it. My old boss, Meredith, made everything about her. If someone else started another subject, she had the knack of bringing it back to her own experience. Drove the rest of us crazy.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s a perfect description for Margot. Pure selfishness with meanness filtering throughout.”
“Then think about it. You adopting Dillon is the best thing that can happen to him. I bet your brother’s smiling down on you right now for stepping up in his place.”
Dex’s sudden, harsh sigh made her worry surface again.
“That… I’m not so sure of. I’ve no doubt it’s his voice ringing in my ear, urging me to find his son before it’s too late.”
Chapter Fifteen
The noises increased, growing louder.
Convinced someone else was inside the house, Dillon quickly gathered his things, leaving behind no signs of him being there. Thankful now that he’d remembered to close the small basement window he’d shimmied through earlier, he made sure he left this room empty.
Then he scurried for his secret hiding place. Deep in the closet there was door that takes one to the attic portion of the upstairs room. Only those who’ve lived in the house would know about the place.
Shutting himself inside, he clenched his teeth in the dark and slowly closed the wooden door. Listening carefully, he made out the sounds of footsteps downstairs. Over the thumping of his heartbeats, he heard a voice but couldn’t make out who it might be or what they were saying.
Scrunching himself into the smallest form possible, he shimmied away from the opening and scuttled further into therecess. More footsteps scared him to tears. Making sure to keep the sounds as low as he could, gulping back the fear, he covered his mouth and waited.
When the door to his room opened, he distinctly made out the sounds of a person entering. More noise… a woman’s voice.
Wait! Was that his name? Could his granny be here to fetch him back? She’d be livid. No doubt, he’d have to go without food for days after this stunt.
He put his hands over his ears, not wanting to listen. Terrified, in his anxiety, he knew for certain she’d make him pay for worrying her, and he couldn’t stand the thought. Knowing now that his uncle wasn’t coming for him, he’d rather live alone in the house than go back with her.
Holding in the sounds of gut-wrenching panic, he kept his hands over his mouth, and instead, concentrated on the pounding hum in his ears. He couldn’t let her find him. Eventually, he heard the door close again and footsteps going down the stairs. Taking a deep sniveling breath, wiping the snot from his nose, he sagged in despair.
What had he done? Now she’d be even more furious with him for not answering. This time she might even beat him with her walking stick… she threatened it a few times already, waving it his way angrily. Suffering greatly, the image of his father suddenly came to him. The two of them skiing, trying to beat his uncle Dex, who he knew had let them win.
The image of the man’s laughing face made the tears return. Why hadn’t his uncle come for him like he’d promised. He’d been kind to Dillon at the funeral. Dex had even tried to hug him only Dillon had been too embarrassed to show his tears and had flinched away.
But then Dex had been really nice to him. Said that Pretty Girl liked him too, and they wanted him to live with them. He’dpainted a nice picture of them spending time together and it made him feel better. What had changed?
Soon after, his granny had told him bluntly, “Your uncle doesn’t care about you, he just wants your inheritance.” Her voice had been sarcastic and filled with meanness. Thinking about her made him wonder. Did Granny tell Dex about him talking back and being sullen like she threatened? In fact, she’d said more than once… “Why would anyone want a boy like you, always scowling and not paying attention or doing as you’re told?”
The cold seeped into him, making him shiver even more. The dark seemed worse in this part of the attic… but he didn’t care now. He’d just lay down and never leave. He covered his eyes and tears dripped through his fingers. Soon, sniffles turned to wails of despair.
No one cared.
Chapter Sixteen
