Chapter 4
Rick was going to wring this guy's neck. "Look," he said, "I'm only going to ask you one more time. My little boy is lost, I'm sure he came here. Have you seen a kid about this tall with blonde hair wearing a school uniform?"
"Mister, that describes half the boys in London. I've seen three dozen of the little scamps come through here and it's only half past ten!" The ticket master at the Science Museum was glad he was in a booth with a barred window. This man was large and angry. "If you want to go in and have a look-round yourself, be my guest."
Rick stalked the halls and exhibition rooms of the science museum for two hours. He quizzed every curator and guard he could find. None of them recalled seeing a boy of Alex's description traveling by himself. That meant nothing. Alex was smart. He could easily have hooked up with a group of school boys to appear less conspicuous. Rick felt angry and defeated. There was no use in staying here. Evy would be worried sick at home, she needed him.
Rick found a pay phone and called his old friend Constable Barton. Waiting for Barton to come to the phone, Rick mused that 10 years ago he would never have thought he'd have a friendship with a member of law enforcement. He was truly a domesticated man. Barton assured Rick that he'd get Alex's description out on the street. Every policeman in London would be on the lookout. He'd be home soon. And then, Rick would deal with him. That boy was getting his hide tanned good whether Evy liked it or not.
*~*~*~*~*
When he arrived at the manor, Rick hardly had the front door open when Evy rushed out, calling "Alex?" She looked around for her son, and then looked accusingly at Rick.
"He wasn't there," he told her.
"You were so sure!"
"I thought I was," he said.
Now Evy was really worried. "But where then…?" she moaned.
"I don't know, but we'll find him Evy." He reached for her and at first she resisted, then collapsed against his chest, sobbing. Rick led her into the house where Jonathan was waiting. Jonathan looked questioningly at him. Rick shook his head.
"What can I do?" Jonathan asked. He was good in a crisis as long as he had clear instructions. "Do you want me to drive around and check the parks? I could go back to the science museum and look for him again."
"No," said Rick. "There's no point. The police are looking for him. He'll turn up and he'll be just fine… until I get my hands on him. He'll be doing his homework standing up for most of next week."
Evy stiffened. "Rick is that really going to be necessary?" she asked.
"Yes, it is. I'm taking care of things this time, and this time he's going to stay punished." he told her.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She stepped away from him.
"The last time we handled things your way and look what happened," he replied.
Evy couldn't believe her ears. "You're blaming this on me?" she asked.
"It was your idea to put him through two weeks of torture," he told her.
"Torture?" Evy spat. "You're calling grounding him torture when you want to beat him?"
"Not beat – spank." Rick yelled. "There's a big difference and you know it. At least a spanking is over and done with in just a few minutes. Grounding him drags it out—yes, I call that torture. That trip to the museum meant a lot to him, that's why he did what he did today."
"I can't believe you're saying this! Accusing me of torturing our son!" ranted Evy. "In the first place we agreed to ground him, it wasn't just me. In the second place, you're the one who wouldn't tell him you were taking him to the exhibit tomorrow! "I'll hold out to get my shoes shined," you said! If this is anyone's fault it's yours! If you had told him he wouldn't have gone today!"
"If I had spanked him in the first place this wouldn't have happened," yelled Rick.
"Stop it, both of you," said Jonathan stepping in between them.
"Stay out of this!" snarled Rick.
"I will not! Look at you two, fighting when you should be concerned about your son. There is an eight-year-old boy wandering around alone in London! What you need to worry about right now is getting him home, not what you'll do with him when he gets here."
That snapped them both out of it. Evy began to cry. Their little boy was out there alone.
"Jonathan's right. I'm sorry, baby." Rick took Evelyn in his arms.
She snuggled against him. "I'm sorry too," she cried. "I've never been a mother before… I'm doing the best I can."
"Well, I've never been a dad. If I'd read the job description I'd have never signed up for it."
"Don't say that, Rick. Even in jest."
"I'm sorry," he said. "It's just that parenting has its moments."
"And this is one of the bad ones," she sighed. "What are we going to with him, Rick? No matter how we punish him there's no guarantee that he'll behave."
"Maybe we can sell him to some gypsies," he mused.
"Rick, I'm being serious," she scolded.
"Yeah," he said. "They'd bring him right back."
Evy tried not to laugh but he had broken the tension of the moment and she allowed herself a miserable chuckle.
Danielle, the maid entered the parlor. "Excuse me, but it's noon. Cook thought you'd be hungry and made some sandwiches and tea." She entered with a tray and placed it on the small table in the center of the room.
"Thank you, Danielle, but I don't think I could possibly eat…" said Evy.
"Try," Rick told her. "This could be a long day." He and Jonathan sat on the couch and began devouring the finger sandwiches whole in one bite.
"I'll have Cook make some more," said Danielle as she hurried out.
"Yes, do," said Evy, suddenly hungry. She sat in the armchair opposite her husband and brother and claimed two tiny sandwiches for herself. Evy then settled in for what would be the longest afternoon of her life.
Rick was going to wring this guy's neck. "Look," he said, "I'm only going to ask you one more time. My little boy is lost, I'm sure he came here. Have you seen a kid about this tall with blonde hair wearing a school uniform?"
"Mister, that describes half the boys in London. I've seen three dozen of the little scamps come through here and it's only half past ten!" The ticket master at the Science Museum was glad he was in a booth with a barred window. This man was large and angry. "If you want to go in and have a look-round yourself, be my guest."
Rick stalked the halls and exhibition rooms of the science museum for two hours. He quizzed every curator and guard he could find. None of them recalled seeing a boy of Alex's description traveling by himself. That meant nothing. Alex was smart. He could easily have hooked up with a group of school boys to appear less conspicuous. Rick felt angry and defeated. There was no use in staying here. Evy would be worried sick at home, she needed him.
Rick found a pay phone and called his old friend Constable Barton. Waiting for Barton to come to the phone, Rick mused that 10 years ago he would never have thought he'd have a friendship with a member of law enforcement. He was truly a domesticated man. Barton assured Rick that he'd get Alex's description out on the street. Every policeman in London would be on the lookout. He'd be home soon. And then, Rick would deal with him. That boy was getting his hide tanned good whether Evy liked it or not.
*~*~*~*~*
When he arrived at the manor, Rick hardly had the front door open when Evy rushed out, calling "Alex?" She looked around for her son, and then looked accusingly at Rick.
"He wasn't there," he told her.
"You were so sure!"
"I thought I was," he said.
Now Evy was really worried. "But where then…?" she moaned.
"I don't know, but we'll find him Evy." He reached for her and at first she resisted, then collapsed against his chest, sobbing. Rick led her into the house where Jonathan was waiting. Jonathan looked questioningly at him. Rick shook his head.
"What can I do?" Jonathan asked. He was good in a crisis as long as he had clear instructions. "Do you want me to drive around and check the parks? I could go back to the science museum and look for him again."
"No," said Rick. "There's no point. The police are looking for him. He'll turn up and he'll be just fine… until I get my hands on him. He'll be doing his homework standing up for most of next week."
Evy stiffened. "Rick is that really going to be necessary?" she asked.
"Yes, it is. I'm taking care of things this time, and this time he's going to stay punished." he told her.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She stepped away from him.
"The last time we handled things your way and look what happened," he replied.
Evy couldn't believe her ears. "You're blaming this on me?" she asked.
"It was your idea to put him through two weeks of torture," he told her.
"Torture?" Evy spat. "You're calling grounding him torture when you want to beat him?"
"Not beat – spank." Rick yelled. "There's a big difference and you know it. At least a spanking is over and done with in just a few minutes. Grounding him drags it out—yes, I call that torture. That trip to the museum meant a lot to him, that's why he did what he did today."
"I can't believe you're saying this! Accusing me of torturing our son!" ranted Evy. "In the first place we agreed to ground him, it wasn't just me. In the second place, you're the one who wouldn't tell him you were taking him to the exhibit tomorrow! "I'll hold out to get my shoes shined," you said! If this is anyone's fault it's yours! If you had told him he wouldn't have gone today!"
"If I had spanked him in the first place this wouldn't have happened," yelled Rick.
"Stop it, both of you," said Jonathan stepping in between them.
"Stay out of this!" snarled Rick.
"I will not! Look at you two, fighting when you should be concerned about your son. There is an eight-year-old boy wandering around alone in London! What you need to worry about right now is getting him home, not what you'll do with him when he gets here."
That snapped them both out of it. Evy began to cry. Their little boy was out there alone.
"Jonathan's right. I'm sorry, baby." Rick took Evelyn in his arms.
She snuggled against him. "I'm sorry too," she cried. "I've never been a mother before… I'm doing the best I can."
"Well, I've never been a dad. If I'd read the job description I'd have never signed up for it."
"Don't say that, Rick. Even in jest."
"I'm sorry," he said. "It's just that parenting has its moments."
"And this is one of the bad ones," she sighed. "What are we going to with him, Rick? No matter how we punish him there's no guarantee that he'll behave."
"Maybe we can sell him to some gypsies," he mused.
"Rick, I'm being serious," she scolded.
"Yeah," he said. "They'd bring him right back."
Evy tried not to laugh but he had broken the tension of the moment and she allowed herself a miserable chuckle.
Danielle, the maid entered the parlor. "Excuse me, but it's noon. Cook thought you'd be hungry and made some sandwiches and tea." She entered with a tray and placed it on the small table in the center of the room.
"Thank you, Danielle, but I don't think I could possibly eat…" said Evy.
"Try," Rick told her. "This could be a long day." He and Jonathan sat on the couch and began devouring the finger sandwiches whole in one bite.
"I'll have Cook make some more," said Danielle as she hurried out.
"Yes, do," said Evy, suddenly hungry. She sat in the armchair opposite her husband and brother and claimed two tiny sandwiches for herself. Evy then settled in for what would be the longest afternoon of her life.