Washington Square Park, Manhattan

Leaves left the trees and drifted through Washington Square Park, dancing along the trafficked walks and angular plots of lawn. Bella crossed under the LaGuardia Place entrance and walked around the east side of the park. She strolled under the elms and maples and passed the Sedum gardens and Buddleja blossoms. When she reached the northeast corner, she rested on a bench where she could view the playground. Children played on the monkey bars and swings, laughing and running. Enjoying the afternoon.

Bella wondered where such pure love went… love for everything… was it systematically carved out of us and dumped onto newspaper like the insides of a pumpkin. Why did we slowly grow to only love what suits ourselves? The image of Joseph Mackenzie lying alone on that shiny table was still reeling in her mind. How many more? When would it end? She feared she already knew the answer.

Eclectic music rang out from the center fountain. The crowds were gathered and passing through the mix of live entertainment. The juggling magician, random guitar serenades, the solo violinist. People watched and busied under the Great Arch that led out to 5th Avenue.

Bella scanned the tourists and students and flocks of mothers pushing their children through the park. She thought of her own mother. Her grandmother before her. And so on. The idea of motherhood made a wisp of intrusion she instinctively brushed off. Even the intention of her becoming a mother seemed so foreign and obtrusive she had no sensible way of relating it.

An attractive young black woman left the NYU Arts and Science building and crossed Washington Square East and entered the park. She had an athletic build with a sexy stride and she wore a small gold hoop in her left nostril. Her skin was soft and almond and the sunlight brightened her golden kinky hair. She turned and walked along the path toward the northeast corner and stopped in front of one of the many wooden benches.

'Long time no see,' she smiled widely.

Bella stood and tightly hugged the girl. 'Bunnie,' she smiled. The two girls warmly embraced like divided flames dancing on blossoms of air, intrinsically fusing as one.

Bunnie laughed, 'Boy, I'd say you really missed me.'

Bella nodded. 'You could say that. It feels like ages.'

Bunnie Wheaton had been Bella's dearest and oldest friend. Growing up on the Upper East Side they attended the same prep academy and were introduced one day during a scuffle over Michael Jackson once again becoming a lighter shade of tan. They eventually agreed it came down to lighting and a bad make-up artist and had been close friends ever since.

Bunnie led Bella toward a walk that twisted and curved to the middle of the park. 'Come on. I have big news.'

Bella leaned into Bunnie as they walked. 'You ever feel like the world is slowly closing in on you?'

'All the time. How's your mom doing?'

Bella half-grinned and gazed a gazeless stare. 'I don't know anymore… it's getting harder and harder to be with her. I don't know if she's even there.'

Bunnie put her arm around her. 'She's there, Bella. And she knows you're there. You're all she has.'

Bella looked at Bunnie. 'Yeah. I know.'

Bunnie shifted gears. 'So… guess what?'

'What?'

'I got us two invitations to the Gala at The Met. This could be really big, Bella. A lot of important people are going to be there. It could be great for the both of us.'

Bella nodded. 'When is it?'

'It's in December,' Bunnie paused, 'why? Don't you back out on me? I had to beg and plead for these tickets,' she smirked and cocked her head. 'You're going. If I have to come and drag you, you're going.'

'Okay… okay,' Bella smiled.

They walked through the square and came around the northwest corner, passing under the infamous Hangman's Elm. Bella watched the children rolling across the lawn. Carefree among the strewed piles of dead leaves.

She looked back to Bunnie. 'How have you been?'

'Busy. Caleb left me. No big deal. He was beginning to get that jealous thing. Where have you been? Why didn't you answer your phone? Why do you spend so much time at school? I just got tired of it… and, he left. His loss. If he can't handle a hardworking, beautiful, black woman he doesn't have much of a chance anyway.'

Bella softly laughed. 'That's probably the best thing I've heard in a while.'

'Hell yeah. Bet you a hundred bucks he's calling within the week wanting to come back.'

Bella smiled. 'I attempted to drop Mike, but he didn't get it. He's in his own world.'

'Imagine that. What are you gonna do?'

Bella shrugged. 'I don't know. Move,' she grinned.

'Tell him you contracted herpes. I promise he'll be gone before the week is out.'

Bella abruptly laughed. 'You're twisted.'

'It'll work,' Bunnie nudged her.

Two tall guys, built like they rowed crew, crossed their path and headed for the Arch. Bunnie followed them with her eyes and then her head began to trail.

'Now that's something I might be interested in. I'd take herpes from one of them.'

'Gross,' Bella laughed.

'What? Tell me you wouldn't.'

'I wouldn't,' Bella shook her head.

'Liar,' Bunnie smirked. 'Now I've got a hungry. Feel like some dumplings?'

'I was hoping you'd say something. I'm starving.'

They came out of the park onto Waverly Place and walked up to West 8th Street. Midblock was a Japanese eatery. Righty named Japanese Eatery. One of the best in the city. Bunnie held the glass door and they entered and sat at a small booth in the back corner they had decided to claim. The place was void of decoration and at first glance appeared to be like every other delicatessen in the city. An older Asian man scurried over and smiled and nodded. He was dressed like a Japanese leprechaun. The girls smiled.

'Hello Soko,' they both said.

'Oh… hello my beautiful girls. How are we today? I've been missing you… I already know what to get you. Made special, fresh today, okay?' Soko waved his arms with delight.

They both nodded and grinned. 'Thanks Soko.'

He smiled like a child. 'You are my special girls.'

Bunnie turned her attention back to Bella. 'Listen, Ann and Mica and I are going to the Cake Shop tonight. There's a girl called Run who does a cover of My Idea of Fun and Crimson and Clover. I hear she's really good… really good,' she emphasized.

Bella grinned. 'So is she punk or rock?'

'Punk is dead, baby. True punk anyway. It died with the Ramones. But that doesn't mean she isn't as good as people say she is.'

'You're going to try to get her on your label…'

Bunnie raised an eyebrow. 'Foxy Records? I don't know. Maybe. She sounds sexy enough. She could be the one. There's nothing cooler than a chick with a guitar strapped to her. Especially if she can play. However, if she is a rebirth of true punk… or better yet the afterbirth, she wouldn't sign with me anyhow. The true punks were anti-label, anti-establishment, anti-everything,' she laughed, 'that's why they were punks. Dig it?'

Bella smiled. 'Maybe she's not a punk.'

'How can she be? Besides, if she were posing, people wouldn't be talking about her the way they are. Word of mouth, baby. That's your true tell. Anyway, we're gonna check it out. See what the girl's got. You should come with.'

'That's the basement club on the Lower East Side, right? The one that's like a hundred and thirty degrees and packed like a meat locker.'

Bunnie smiled. 'Uh huh.'

'Maybe.'

Bunnie smirked and nodded. She knew that was meant as a definite no. Over the years Bunnie had learned Bella had a hard time saying no. Her alternative of choice had become maybe. I don't know… had become maybe and so on.

'How's your investigation coming? You haven't mentioned it for a while. I read about the boy they found in the Harlem River the other day. Sounded like something you'd be involved in. Made me think of you.'

Bella smiled. 'Thanks. The number of people that go missing on a daily basis is mindboggling. They're too random and too hard to track. But these boys. There's something different about them. Joseph Mackenzie,' Bella paused. As if mentioning his name might summon whatever evil lay in wait. She suddenly got a feverish chill.

Bunnie gave her a funny, concerned glare. 'Are you alright?'

Bella forced the shade of a smile. 'Yeah… he's the second little boy to go missing in the last several months. A few years ago the same thing happened. Young boys were randomly being abducted. There was a surge of missing children reports that coincided with these boys and then, nothing. They just stopped. The NYPD were stumped. They didn't want to classify the cases. There were just too many. They had no evidence and no leads. Things started to get desperate.'

'Jesus, Bella. Why don't I remember any of this?'

'Because the majority of missing person cases usually go away after a little while. Most aren't publicized and no one wanted to connect these few boys together. These boys were different. I did find out the FBI has a case file on some of these boys, but not all of them. Over time they couldn't put it all back together. None of the pieces fit. Because there were no bodies, there was no identifiable pattern. There were still missing children reports, but none fell under the same description. Most of the reports filed turned out to be runaways or custodial disputes, where one of the parents ran off with the child,' Bella leaned close, 'I think this has been happening off and on for over fifteen years, Bun. None of the original missing boys were ever found until now. I don't think it's a coincidence.'

'So we're talking a serial kind of thing.'

'I don't know. I think it's much bigger than that.'

'How many are we talking about?'

'Of the original missing boys that fit the pattern… nine that I know of. There may be more, I have a stack of missing children reports as thick as my thigh,' Bella breathed.

'Shitfire… I read there's an ongoing investigation, but they didn't mention any other missing children. What have the police really done? …I mean what do they know?'

Bella softly shook her head. 'I don't know. I haven't talked to anyone involved yet. They're not really too cooperative with my kind,' she half-grinned.

'But they have to work with you, right? I mean… that's their job.'

Bella smirked. 'I don't think so. Doesn't matter. I've been dealing with Social Services and child protection agencies. It's been difficult because they have trouble keeping up with the old paperwork. Anything over ten years ago is stuffed in a box or a filing cabinet somewhere. Did you know a hundred children a year are reported as abduction by a stranger? One hundred. Those are bona fide. These boys fit that description, but they were never classified because there were never any witnesses. Now, suddenly, missing children reports are on the rise again and two more boys go missing within several months of each other. I don't know… I just have a bad feeling, Bun. '

Soko brought over two plates of fresh steaming dumplings and set them down. He smiled and giggled the way an older man admiring youth would. Then he backed away.

'So… tell me what you think?'

'All of the nine missing boys I found are from within the city of Manhattan, about the same age, they all lived with their mothers or grandmothers or extended family. No fathers. They all went missing sometime in the early evening after school. All from different parts of the city. Henry Jennings, the boy who went missing in February, was the first in several years to match the description of those other boys. Now Joseph Mackenzie. I just have a weird feeling, I guess. Like whoever is doing this has been carefully biding their time. Like a hunter, I guess. I don't know… crazy, right?'

'Yeah. But do you feel it in your gut? Is it tickling at your insides?'

Bella hesitated and nodded.

Bunnie leaned back in her chair and contemplated. 'Why the break with all those other missing children? I mean, why did they stop and then start again?'

Bella shook her head. 'I don't know. Maybe something happened. Maybe that's the connection. There must be a link.'

'And now one of those boys has been found, after all that time.'

Bella nodded. 'There's something the medical examiner said that rang true.'

'What's that?'

'She said she didn't think that Joseph was supposed to be found. Her words just seemed so right.'

'Joseph? Sounds like it's getting personal, Bella. You're being careful right? You're not crusading? You know what can happen, right?'

'Yeah. Yes. Always careful,' she looked at Bunnie's face and grinned.

'So what's with the medical examiner?'

Bella nodded. 'I went and saw the boy's body at the OCME.' She was careful not to call Joseph Mackenzie by name.

Bunnie blankly looked at Bella. 'I don't think I could do that… it must have been awful.'

'More like crushing. He was so tiny and helpless. It didn't seem real. So inhuman. I'm afraid of what I might find if I dig too deep,' she shook her head.

Bunnie chewed and swallowed one of her dumplings. 'You should be. God only knows what's waiting in the dark.'