Neal enlists Peter's help to make one of Sara's most precious dreams come true.
Lost and found
Chapter 1
August was a very busy month in the Caffrey household. It meant the family vacation, shopping for school clothes and supplies and just generally planning for the new school year for two busy teens and two working parents. Luckily, Sara Ellis-Caffrey was a very organized woman. Despite working full-time at Sterling Bosch as an analyst and keeping the household running smoothly, she was the main coordinator of all things 'logistic' in the household and her husband deferred to her when it came to keeping everyone in the family on the straight and narrow. Over the years, both Neal and Sara had fallen into distinct and specific roles with their children – although both were equally involved, their tasks were varied and the kids knew instinctively which of their parents was the go-to person, depending on the situation.
Neal was still working at Finch and Johns as an art authenticator although he had cut down to three days a week in preparation for the opening of his new art gallery in January. He was also teaching an art history class at the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU and working the odd white collar case whenever Peter needed his expert talents which seemed to be happening more than usual lately. Neal guessed that it might have something to do with the fact that Peter was retiring at the end of the year – Peter wouldn't admit it but he had become very nostalgic about his years working with Neal and he seemed to be holding on to those good times by recruiting his ex-CI a little more frequently.
Neal was painfully aware that August also brought with it a sad anniversary for his wife. Every year, as August 28th loomed nearer, he would begin to observe subtle changes in her behavior. Not anything dramatic; Sara was a very no-nonsense woman after all and her life was full and very busy. But in the days leading to that fateful date, he would begin to notice her becoming quieter, a little more morose and, over the years, he had worked at finding the perfect balance between being sensitive and giving her the space she needed. Sure, as a married couple, they shared everything and supported each other through the highs and lows but this was her heartache and she tended to keep the sadness and pain to herself. This year was going to be particularly tough, Neal thought, it would be 35 years since Sara's sister disappeared without a trace and that was bound to hit even harder than usual.
'Guys, if you're not in the car in ten minutes, we are leaving without you!' called Sara from the bottom of the stairs. The kids had both heard that threat many times before but they still heeded the warning, knowing the wrath of their mom all too well. Liam thought that the chances that his mom would actually leave an 11-year-old alone for two weeks were slim but he really wasn't ready to take that chance.
'Mom, you say that all the time' he said as he trudged down the stairs lugging a basketball, a tennis racket and some sneakers 'and you never do it!'
'Don't tempt me, buddy!' said Sara deadpan, as she ruffled his hair. 'Hope, what are you doing?'
Hope appeared at the top of the stairs holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder and Sara could hear her talking softly 'It's only two weeks' she was saying 'I'll miss you too. No, there's no phone service but I'll text you as soon as I get back.' She was slowly making her way down the stairs seemingly without a care in the world, balancing some art supplies, a bag full of clothes, her laptop and her phone – no doubt talking to Justin, the new boy in her life. At 16, Hope was a knockout and there was no shortage of interested young men gravitating around her. Although Hope was a very independent and strong young woman who was quite content doing her own thing, she had not been immune to the charms of the cutest guy in grade 11 when he had started to show her some attention. Sara rolled her eyes and she heard Neal calling to them from the driveway.
'Today, people!' he was saying as he placed what he hoped was the last of the luggage in the car. Sara could hear Raphael, the family dog, barking excitedly; he knew he was going somewhere but he had no idea where... that didn't stop him from being agitated though, just being in the car was excitement enough for him.
They finally settled in and headed north, Neal at the wheel, Raffie running from one side of the car to the other and the kids engrossed in reading or playing video games. As co-pilot, it was Sara's job to be up on all the road conditions, any closures due to repairs and all possible stops along the way. Considering they had been heading out to the same vacation spot every year for the past fourteen years, that wasn't too much of a stretch. Neal knew the road inside out and they settled in for the long drive towards the Canadian border en route to the most beautiful cottage in the world – at least in their minds.
Neal and Sara had discovered the cottage years ago when Hope was about two years old. Sara had been preparing for chemo treatments following her surgery for ovarian cancer and they had needed a getaway. They had fallen in love with the beauty of Lake Muskoka and had returned every summer since. Both of the kids couldn't remember a summer when they didn't go – except of course, for that one year that no one ever talked about.
Once there, the days – and nights – went by seamlessly, evenings were spent around the fire, listening to the loons and enjoying each other's company. The days were spent by the water, swimming, snorkeling, reading or just plain relaxing. Neal had put up a net so he and Liam could play some tennis and all four of them enjoyed playing some two on two basketball before dinner every night. But best of all, were the leisurely summer days hanging out by the dock as everyone enjoyed the warm sun and gorgeous Canadian scenery.
'Dad, I forgot the frisbee' said Liam from the lake. He had already taken the plunge – he absolutely adored the water and he was always the first one in and the one last out.
'Alright, I'll get it' said Neal as he climbed back up towards the cottage
He walked in and as he did, he could hear some faint whimpering from the bedroom he shared with Sara. Instantly, he remembered the date – it was today. With all the activity and the days melting into one another, he had not bothered to check the calendar since they'd left home. He followed the noise and sure enough, found his wife sitting with an all too familiar photograph in her hands.
'Sara...' he said softly as he walked in and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.
She looked up, eyes welling up with tears 'It's thirty five years today, Neal' she said quietly. 'I can't believe it – 35 years of not knowing. Even knowing she's dead would be easier than this'
Neal put his arm around his wife, pulling her into him 'I know, baby, I know' he whispered into her hair, feeling totally useless, as he always did on this particular anniversary.
He had offered on more than one occasion to look into Emily's disappearance but Sara, for all her talk of 'knowing being better than not knowing', had steadfastly refused his offer. The truth was, Neal suspected, that it was easier for Sara to continue to believe that Emily was somewhere safe and happy. To know the truth might shatter that illusion – but, he thought, it could also have a happy ending and he was becoming increasingly uneasy with not knowing...
WCWCWC
Liam sat with his Uncle Peter at the table on the backyard deck as they went through vacation photographs on his laptop.
'And check this out, Uncle Peter, here's Dad attempting a cannonball' he said laughing
'That was a perfectly respectable cannonball' contested Neal as he proceeded to flip the burgers on the barbecue. It was Labor Day weekend, the last long weekend of the summer and the Caffreys were hosting the Burkes. Hope was cuddling up to Justin in a corner of the yard by the pool and Neal kept one eye on the two of them while keeping the other on the grill; meanwhile Elizabeth and Sara were in the kitchen putting together a salad for dinner.
'So, you had a good time?' asked Elizabeth as she sliced some cucumber
'The best – always!' answered Sara 'I realize that it's a question of time before the kids stop coming with us, though. They'll be getting summer jobs soon and won't want to leave the city but for now, we're enjoying doing this as a family'
Elizabeth nodded. 'So what about this boy?' she asked looking out the window to where Hope and Justin were curled up
'I don't know...' said Sara 'she seems to really like him but when he's not around, she doesn't seem to miss him much. She's really very independent'
'The pot calling the kettle black' mused Elizabeth, looking at her friend 'you've always been very strong and self-sufficient...'
'Well, you can be very self-sufficient and still be madly in love' she responded, glancing out the window at her husband who seemed totally engrossed in the task of placing the burgers on a serving platter
The Burkes had continued to be a strong presence in the young family's lives. Neal and Peter had remained the closest of friends and Sara and Elizabeth had bonded years ago and shared secrets and laughter the way all best friends do. As Hope's godparents, Peter and Elizabeth were included in all the family outings and just as Neal had always been welcome in their home, it was now their turn to spend much of their time in the Caffrey home in White Plains.
Neal's burgers were a hit, as usual and as dinner wound down, talk turned to everyone's projects for the fall, including the preparations for the opening of the gallery in January.
'So, what's happening with the gallery opening?' asked Elizabeth 'Have you pinned down a date?'
Sara looked at her husband proudly. After years of generating amazing pieces of art, they had finally scraped together the money for Neal to buy his own art gallery in Manhattan. It had taken a lot of time and the right contacts but he'd managed to pull it off and in a few months, he would be the proud owner of his very own gallery showcasing his art as well as pieces from up and coming new artists, mostly students from the class he was teaching at NYU.
'Probably the third week in January' answered Neal, smiling 'The renovations are moving along nicely'
'Well, don't forget my offer to do the opening for you. It would be an honor' Elizabeth reminded him
'Oh, I didn't forget. I've started to prepare a list of guests for you to start working on' added Neal
'Mom' interrupted Hope 'can Justin and I go up to my room and watch TV?'
'I prefer you watch it in the family room, Hope' said Sara, calm but direct
Hope looked over at her dad pleadingly, hoping for a different answer
Neal just shrugged 'You heard your mom' he said
'Maybe we'll just go for a walk, then' said Hope, taking the young man's hand and heading into the house
'Mom, can I be excused?' asked Liam 'Will's meeting me at the park for some one on one'
'Sure, but be back before dark' said Sara as Liam took his leave
After dinner, the guys offered to do the dishes while Sara and Elizabeth remained out on the deck with their coffee and the last of the apple rhubarb pie Neal had baked that afternoon.
'Peter, I need your help – and if I'm going to do this, it would be much easier if we did it while you're still with the FBI' Neal said, keeping his voice down
'Is this Emily again?' asked Peter, knowing how Sara's pain and heartache affected Neal
'Yeah, it was 35 years this year and Sara was really broken up about it. It's time, Peter, it's time to get to the bottom of it' Neal looked into his partner's eyes, pleading
'Okay, I'm in' said Peter, seeing the desperation in his best friends eyes, 'We know where the trail starts but I'm warning you, it'll be cold after such a long time' he added
'It's just going to take some digging, that's all – and I can be very persistent and very persuasive when I want to be' said Neal
'Tell me about it!' said Peter knowingly 'But you've got the gallery opening in January and this could be very time consuming.'
'I can take some time off work, what about you?' said Neal
'I'm already easing into retirement – there's no problem there' answered Peter, excited at the prospect of this new adventure
'But Peter, Sara can't know. She won't want me doing this and if it's not good news, I want to be able to figure out what to do...'
'Are you asking me not to tell Elizabeth?' Peter asked, looking at his partner
'Not to tell Elizabeth what?'
They both turned to see the woman in question staring at both of them, waiting for an answer.
Neal looked at Elizabeth, then nervously glanced over at Peter
'Later...' mouthed Peter as he saw Sara come into the kitchen
But he knew he'd have to come up with something – Elizabeth was like a dog with a bone when it came to secrets and she could not easily be fooled. The fact that she had x-ray vision when it came to Peter's thoughts and intentions didn't help. Still, thought Peter, this was something he wanted to do for Neal and for Sara and he had to find a way to respect his partner's wishes.
TBC