MISSING

Chapter 11

Calleigh stood with a woman from Child Services, watching Timmy Robbins through the glass. The boy was intently drawing on a sheet of paper.

"How's he doing?"

"Hard to say. He seems very self-confident, as if he's coping, but I think a lot is blocked out at the moment. And he was very tired. He slept for about twelve hours."

"Does he know about his mother?"

"I've told him… He just said 'I thought so'."

"Did he witness it?" Calleigh asked.

"I don't think so. He's really not talking much. I mean, he talks, but not about anything. Perhaps he'll open up to you…"

It was one of the more difficult interviews Calleigh had done. She spent a while just chatting, trying to put the boy at ease, although she immediately understood what Child Services had meant. The boy seemed relaxed to a degree that struck her as unnatural.

"You want me to tell you what happened, right?" he said at last. "It's okay. I don't mind talking about it."

"All right…"

"Well… I was in my bedroom…"

"Getting ready for school?"

"No, not getting ready for school." He looked down at the paper and scribbled on it a bit. "I told Mom I didn't feel good… It wasn't true… I shouldn't have done that, should I?"

"Maybe not, but we've all done that sometimes. Even grown-ups."

"Anyway, I heard Mom shout, so I went to go downstairs, but a man came up and stopped me."

"Did you know the man?" Calleigh asked.

"Not then, but I know him now. He's Bob. He didn't hurt me." He smiled. "He gave me pizza."

"You like pizza?"

"Mommy doesn't let me have it very often. They took me in a car. I… got a bit scared…"

"I think you've been very brave. Where did you go in the car?"

"I don't know. To a… not a house… Up lots of stairs…"

"An apartment… Just you and Bob?"

Timmy shook his head vigorously. "And Mac. Mac didn't like me. He was very cross."

And gradually, Calleigh drew the story out of Timmy. Spending the day in Mac's apartment, the men arguing, then driving out in the Durango.

"And they crashed it – boom! Ker-ash!"

"Didn't it hurt you?"

"Nah! But Mac was very very cross. I don't know why, because it was Bob that did it. He said it was my fault for talking too much. We got out and hid, and a policeman came in his car with flashing lights, and then more cars, and a truck came to take Bob's car away. It had a yellow flashing light." The boy fell suddenly silent.

"What is it, Timmy? What happened next?"

Silence.

"Timmy?"

The boy looked at Calleigh. "Do you know 'Ratio?"

"Yes. He's my friend."

"Mac hit him on the head. They tied him up and put him in the car."

She nodded. "What happened then?"

"They took his car. A big car, not like the policeman's."

"It's called a Hummer. Did you know Horatio was a policeman too?"

"He told me. He showed me his badge. He didn't look like a policeman." He hesitated. "He had blood on his head…" He frowned. "I'm thirsty."

They took a break, while Calleigh had coffee and Timmy a soda.

Timmy said suddenly, "'Ratio said he'd come back, and he didn't."

"Oh, Timmy, he tried to. He really did. Mac hurt him, a lot. He couldn't get back to you. Do you understand?"

"Is he dead too?"

"No, sweetheart, no... He's in the hospital."

"Can I go and see him?"

Calleigh smiled. What was it about Horatio and kids? "Later, maybe. We need to talk about some other things first."

It was a long morning. After getting as much of the story as she thought she could, Calleigh presented the cooperative Timmy with a photo line-up, and the boy officially identified Rosso and McKenzie. There were still gaps. When she carefully broached the subject of his mother, Timmy had responded with a shrug.

"I know she's dead. They told me."

Calleigh thought he had no concept of what it meant, but she didn't know what else to say. Horatio would have known…

"What about your father?"

"He's gone."

"Don't you see him anymore?"

He shook his head, then added, "He came to get us, in his car. But he didn't talk to me."

They broke for a late lunch. To give the boy a break from the somewhat oppressive atmosphere of the crime lab, Calleigh took him to a nearby diner.

"Pizza?" she asked.

"Yuck, no! I've had pizza all the time. Bob kept giving me pizza."

Calleigh chuckled, and they settled for sandwiches.

"Have you got any aunts and uncles?" she asked, once they were eating. At the boy's puzzled look, she added, "You know – your Mom's sisters or brothers…"

"Don't think so."

"What about grandparents? Your Mom's Mom? Nana?"

He nodded his head slowly. "I think Nana lives a long way away. We went to visit once… when I was little."

"Do you know where she lives?"

He screwed up his face in thought. "Mom told me. Can't remember… Somewhere where they have snow. I wish it snowed here."

"Well, we'll see if we can find her."

"Can I see 'Ratio now?"

"I'll have to phone up to see if it's allowed."

Back at the lab, she phoned Child Services to explain what Timmy wanted. "My boss seems to have made an impression on him. Can I take him into the hospital?"

"I don't see why not. I'm glad something made an impression. He seems so… I don't know… I mean, he seems quite unconcerned about it all. Won't your boss mind?"

"No, though he's not very well."

"Well, I've got no objection. Let me know how it goes."

Calleigh sat Timmy down to give him a small lecture. "If I take you to the hospital, you've got to promise me that you'll be good."

"'Ratio said that…"

"Well, so do I. Horatio got badly hurt, and he's not very well… Do you understand?"

The boy nodded solemnly.

"I need to go in first, to see how he is, but, if you see him, you're not to get too excited. You're to talk quietly and sensibly. Can you do that?"

"Course I can," he said scornfully. "Do you think… he might not want to see me?"

Calleigh smiled. "Let's go and find out, shall we? Do you want to go in another Hummer?"

At the hospital, holding on firmly to her charge, she knocked and put her head round Horatio's door.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "I've got a visitor for you… If you're up to it."

He frowned questioningly.

"Timmy – he's desperate to see you."

She watched Horatio's face break into a smile, and pushed the boy forward.

Horatio's voice was gentle. "Timmy… Come here – let me look at you…"

The boy walked cautiously to the bed. "'Ratio? Did Mac hurt you?"

"A bit, Timmy. But I'm getting better. What about you, buddy – you okay?"

"Ye..es… Suppose…"

Horatio patted the bed. "Come on, sit down and talk to me."

Timmy looked back at Calleigh, who nodded. "Go on… I'll go and get a quick coffee."

Horatio murmured, "You'd better stay, Cal. Rules…"

"Oh, right…" She was aware of rules concerning children and unrelated adults, but hadn't imagined they'd apply to Horatio. She took herself quietly to a chair in the corner. "Don't make Horatio tired, Timmy."

"We'll be fine." Horatio smiled at her, extracting an arm from beneath the sheets, to help the boy get up beside him.

The sight of his bare freckled skin suddenly reminded Calleigh of her last visit to him, and an unwanted blush suffused her cheeks. She hoped he didn't notice.

TBC