Молчаливая ночь [with w_cat]

[573] “Thanks, Ted. Glad to hear that it’s going so well. That’s the kind of Christmas story we want to be able to tell.” The anchor’s smile vanished. “There is still no trace of Mario Bonardi’s assailant, Jimmy Siddons, who was awaiting trial for the murder of a police officer. Police sources are quoted as saying that he may be planning to meet his girlfriend, Paige Laronde, in Mexico. Airports, train stations, and bus terminals are under heavy surveillance. It was nearly three years ago, while making his escape after an armed robbery, that Siddons shot and fatally wounded Officer William Grasso, who had stopped him for a traffic violation. Siddons is known to be armed and should be considered extremely dangerous.”

[574] As the anchorman spoke, Jimmy Siddons’s mug shots were flashed on the screen.

[575] “He looks mean,” Michael observed as he studied the cold eyes and sneering lips of the escaped prisoner.

[576] “He certainly does,” Barbara Cavanaugh agreed. Then she looked at her grandson’s face. “Mike, why don’t you close your eyes and rest for a little while?” she suggested.

[577] He shook his head. “I don’t want to go to sleep.”

[578] It was one minute of eleven. The newscaster was saying, “In an update, we have no further information about the whereabouts of seven-year-old Brian Dornan, who has been missing since shortly after five o’clock today.

“On this very special evening, we ask you to continue to pray that Brian is safely returned to his family, and wish you and all of your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.”

[579] In an hour it will be Christmas, Catherine thought. Brian, you have to come back, you have to be found. You have to be with me in the morning when we go see Dad. Brian, come back. Please come back.

[580] The door of the green room opened. Winick ushered in a tall man in his late forties, followed by Officer Manuel Ortiz. “Detective Rhodes wants to talk to you, Mrs. Dornan,” Winick said. “I’m outside if you need me.”

[581] Catherine saw the grave look on the faces of both Rhodes and Ortiz, and fear paralyzed her. She was unable to move or speak.

[582] They realized what she was thinking. “No, Mrs. Dornan, it isn’t that,” Ortiz said quickly.

[583] Rhodes took over. “I’m from headquarters, Mrs. Dornan. We have information about Brian, but let me begin by saying that as far as we know he’s alive and unharmed.”

[584] “Then where is he?” Michael burst out. “Where’s my brother?”

[585] Catherine listened as Detective Rhodes explained about her wallet being picked up by a young woman who was the sister of escaped prisoner Jimmy Siddons. Her mind did not want to accept that Brian had been abducted by the murderer whose face she had just seen on the television screen. No, she thought, no, that can’t be.

[586] She pointed to the monitor. “They just reported that that man is probably on his way to Mexico. Brian disappeared six hours ago. He could be in Mexico right now.”

[587] “At headquarters we don’t buy that story,” Rhodes told her. “We think he’s heading for Canada, probably in a stolen car. We’re concentrating the search in that direction.”

[588] Suddenly Catherine could feel no emotion. It was like when she was in the delivery room and was given the shot of Demerol and all the pain miraculously stopped. And she’d looked up to see Tom wink at her. Tom, always there for her. “Feels bet ter doesn’t it, Babe?” he had asked. And her mind, no longer clouded with pain, had become so clear. It was that way now, as well. “What kind of car are they in?”

[589] Rhodes looked uncomfortable. “We don’t know,” he said. “We’re only guessing that he’s in a car, but we feel sure it’s the right guess. We have every trooper throughout New York and New England on the alert for a man traveling with a young boy who is wearing a St. Christopher medal.”

[590] “Brian is wearing the medal?” Michael exclaimed. “Then he’ll be all right. Gran, tell Mom that the medal will take care of Brian like it took care of Grandpa.”

[591] “Armed and dangerous,” Catherine repeated.

[592] “Mrs. Dornan,” Rhodes said urgently. “If Siddons is in a car, he’s probably listening to the radio. He’s smart. Now that Officer Bonardi is out of danger, Siddons knows he isn’t facing a death sentence. Capital punishment had not been reinstated when he killed the police officer three years ago. And he did tell his sister that he’d let Brian go tomorrow morning.”

[593] Her mind was so clear. “But you don’t believe that, do you?”

[594] She did not need to see the expression on his face to know that Detective Rhodes did not believe that Jimmy Siddons would voluntarily release Brian.