Left Behind
Chapter 5
"Thank you for coming down here to see us, Mrs. Watkins," said Monica as she and John took seats on the sofa across from the missing man's mother.
Mrs. Watkins merely nodded. Both she and John could see the strain the loss of her son had already taken on her. There was fear and uncertainty in her eyes. She was already well into her late fifties, maybe early sixties, and it looked like the strain of all this had aged her even more. She gave them a sad, but grateful smile. Mrs. Watkin's slight French Canadian accent was apparent as she said, "Thank you for all you're doing. When he went missing, I just had to come down here as quickly as I could. My husband is tying up a few loose ends in Quebec and then he'll join me here as well."
"Mrs. Watkins, is there anythin' that you can remember Colin sayin' to you the weeks prior to his disappearance?" asked John. He hated this part of his job. He hated talking to the parents of missing and killed children. It didn't matter how old your child was, he or she was still your child. Must have been how Monica felt in dealing with him all those years ago. Hell, she was still dealing with him. He felt this connection to Mrs. Watkins and yet brushed it aside. He had to focus on the missing man and he had no time for the luxuries of personal reflection. In his heart, he felt that Colin was probably dead, but there was no evidence either way as to his fate.
But Mrs. Watkins had no clues. "No. All he told me was that he had found a new group and that he thought they might somehow be the key to finding his birth parents. I didn't see how a group devoted to aliens was going to help him find his birth parents, but he just seemed so excited about it, I didn't want to discourage him."
This news got both Monica and John's attention. "Colin was adopted?" Monica asked. Their report had not noted that fact. It could be insignificant but at the same time it might be the clue that would help them crack this case wide open.
"Yes. When he was old enough, we told him. We love him so very much, but felt he had a right to know."
Before John could open his mouth to make another inquiry, Monica asked, "Then are you or your husband U.S. citizens?"
John gave Monica a quizzical look uncertain as to where this line of questioning was leading.
Mrs. Watkins shook her head. "No, our citizenship is Canadian. Colin was born here in the U.S. so when we adopted him, he was granted dual citizenship."
"That's sorta odd isn't it? Most Americans who can't adopt children here look to other countries. Most other countries don't adopt American children," said John.
"Yes it is," agreed Mrs. Watkins. "I have no idea who Colin's birth parents are. All I know is that it was the special request of the birth mother that he be placed with a family outside of the U.S., but somewhere in either North or South America. Very odd I agree, but we were just so lucky to get Colin it didn't matter to us."
John was about to say something else when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me." John left the living room and moved into the kitchen. The two women could hear him quietly talking to someone.
Monica for her part was burning with curiosity. She looked down at the pictures of Colin that Mrs. Watkins had put on the coffee table for John and her to look at. She took in his dark hair, his eyes, and facial features. He looked happy at the various stages of his life. Monica felt an internal chill cut through her. The resemblance was striking and she wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. Monica smiled at Mrs. Watkins, "He seems very happy. He must make you very proud."
Mrs. Watkins smiled at Monica and at the memories of happier times with her son. "Yes, Rene and I are very proud of him. We were sad when he decided to move to the United States and be so far away, but he always felt drawn to the land of his birth. Even as a child the U.S fascinated him. It is hard for a child growing up in a world that they are not quite a part of. I supposed that doesn't make much sense."
"No actually it makes perfect sense."
Mrs. Watkins looked down at the pictures and picked up a few of Colin when he was toddler. She contemplated out loud as she looked at them. "Even as a child he had a very sensitive nature. Sometimes he knew how I was feeling even before I did. Even now, sometimes he'll call out of the blue and just at the times I need to speak to him the most." Mrs. Watkins looked up at Monica. She finally forced out the question that she had been dreading the answer to since Monica and John first walked into her life, but she had to know. The uncertainty was what was driving her slowly crazy. "Do you think....do you think Colin is still alive?"
Monica didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to give false hope and yet at the same time there was no body, no ransom, and no forensic evidence to suggest foul play. There was still hope. So Monica responded the only way she could, "I don't know Mrs. Watkins. There's nothing to suggest that anything has happened to him yet. For now he is just missing."
"But what do you think about this group claiming that he was...abducted by aliens?"
Monica shook her head. "So far there is nothing to suggest that either."
"I'm finding it...difficult to believe that aliens abduct people Agent Reyes. What purpose would that serve? You don't believe in aliens do you?"
Monica didn't want to frightening Mrs. Watkins and tell here that she did believe so she quickly changed the conversation and asked a question that had been nagging her for a little bit. "Mrs. Watkins, Colin's name, did you chose it or was that given to him by his birth parents?"
"We kept his name as was on the adoption papers."
"Even his middle name."
"Yes. I'm not really certain where this all is going? Do you really think Colin's adoption has anything to do with this?"
"I'm not sure," said Monica honestly. She knew she had to talk to someone right away. She glanced in John's direction and saw that he was still on the phone. She turned her attention back to Mrs. Watkins. "I'm sorry, would you mind excusing me for a moment. There's a call I need to make."
Before Mrs. Watkins could make a reply, Monica had left the living room and gone out the front door. She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial button that was all too familiar.
Chapter 5
"Thank you for coming down here to see us, Mrs. Watkins," said Monica as she and John took seats on the sofa across from the missing man's mother.
Mrs. Watkins merely nodded. Both she and John could see the strain the loss of her son had already taken on her. There was fear and uncertainty in her eyes. She was already well into her late fifties, maybe early sixties, and it looked like the strain of all this had aged her even more. She gave them a sad, but grateful smile. Mrs. Watkin's slight French Canadian accent was apparent as she said, "Thank you for all you're doing. When he went missing, I just had to come down here as quickly as I could. My husband is tying up a few loose ends in Quebec and then he'll join me here as well."
"Mrs. Watkins, is there anythin' that you can remember Colin sayin' to you the weeks prior to his disappearance?" asked John. He hated this part of his job. He hated talking to the parents of missing and killed children. It didn't matter how old your child was, he or she was still your child. Must have been how Monica felt in dealing with him all those years ago. Hell, she was still dealing with him. He felt this connection to Mrs. Watkins and yet brushed it aside. He had to focus on the missing man and he had no time for the luxuries of personal reflection. In his heart, he felt that Colin was probably dead, but there was no evidence either way as to his fate.
But Mrs. Watkins had no clues. "No. All he told me was that he had found a new group and that he thought they might somehow be the key to finding his birth parents. I didn't see how a group devoted to aliens was going to help him find his birth parents, but he just seemed so excited about it, I didn't want to discourage him."
This news got both Monica and John's attention. "Colin was adopted?" Monica asked. Their report had not noted that fact. It could be insignificant but at the same time it might be the clue that would help them crack this case wide open.
"Yes. When he was old enough, we told him. We love him so very much, but felt he had a right to know."
Before John could open his mouth to make another inquiry, Monica asked, "Then are you or your husband U.S. citizens?"
John gave Monica a quizzical look uncertain as to where this line of questioning was leading.
Mrs. Watkins shook her head. "No, our citizenship is Canadian. Colin was born here in the U.S. so when we adopted him, he was granted dual citizenship."
"That's sorta odd isn't it? Most Americans who can't adopt children here look to other countries. Most other countries don't adopt American children," said John.
"Yes it is," agreed Mrs. Watkins. "I have no idea who Colin's birth parents are. All I know is that it was the special request of the birth mother that he be placed with a family outside of the U.S., but somewhere in either North or South America. Very odd I agree, but we were just so lucky to get Colin it didn't matter to us."
John was about to say something else when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me." John left the living room and moved into the kitchen. The two women could hear him quietly talking to someone.
Monica for her part was burning with curiosity. She looked down at the pictures of Colin that Mrs. Watkins had put on the coffee table for John and her to look at. She took in his dark hair, his eyes, and facial features. He looked happy at the various stages of his life. Monica felt an internal chill cut through her. The resemblance was striking and she wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. Monica smiled at Mrs. Watkins, "He seems very happy. He must make you very proud."
Mrs. Watkins smiled at Monica and at the memories of happier times with her son. "Yes, Rene and I are very proud of him. We were sad when he decided to move to the United States and be so far away, but he always felt drawn to the land of his birth. Even as a child the U.S fascinated him. It is hard for a child growing up in a world that they are not quite a part of. I supposed that doesn't make much sense."
"No actually it makes perfect sense."
Mrs. Watkins looked down at the pictures and picked up a few of Colin when he was toddler. She contemplated out loud as she looked at them. "Even as a child he had a very sensitive nature. Sometimes he knew how I was feeling even before I did. Even now, sometimes he'll call out of the blue and just at the times I need to speak to him the most." Mrs. Watkins looked up at Monica. She finally forced out the question that she had been dreading the answer to since Monica and John first walked into her life, but she had to know. The uncertainty was what was driving her slowly crazy. "Do you think....do you think Colin is still alive?"
Monica didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to give false hope and yet at the same time there was no body, no ransom, and no forensic evidence to suggest foul play. There was still hope. So Monica responded the only way she could, "I don't know Mrs. Watkins. There's nothing to suggest that anything has happened to him yet. For now he is just missing."
"But what do you think about this group claiming that he was...abducted by aliens?"
Monica shook her head. "So far there is nothing to suggest that either."
"I'm finding it...difficult to believe that aliens abduct people Agent Reyes. What purpose would that serve? You don't believe in aliens do you?"
Monica didn't want to frightening Mrs. Watkins and tell here that she did believe so she quickly changed the conversation and asked a question that had been nagging her for a little bit. "Mrs. Watkins, Colin's name, did you chose it or was that given to him by his birth parents?"
"We kept his name as was on the adoption papers."
"Even his middle name."
"Yes. I'm not really certain where this all is going? Do you really think Colin's adoption has anything to do with this?"
"I'm not sure," said Monica honestly. She knew she had to talk to someone right away. She glanced in John's direction and saw that he was still on the phone. She turned her attention back to Mrs. Watkins. "I'm sorry, would you mind excusing me for a moment. There's a call I need to make."
Before Mrs. Watkins could make a reply, Monica had left the living room and gone out the front door. She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial button that was all too familiar.
