Revealed (The Found Book 1) (24 page)

“How in the hell can you say that, Kali? You almost died. She was fine throwing you to the wolves, doing anything she needed to save him. She turned a blind eye. In my book that’s worse. You don’t get to say you’re a good person and have good intentions, but then let someone else do shitty things on your behalf. It’s un-fucking-acceptable.”

“He’s right Ms. Wachowski. Just don’t take this out on Joey, I’m begging you. Let me explain to him I’m going to be leaving him. It’ll confuse him too much if I just leave him like his parents did.” She started to cry again. So did Kali.

“Cyrus, we have to get our hands on Jared, he’s not going to stop. Melling is our best bet. We need her. You’ve got to cut her a deal,” Nate said.

“She’ll work with us, even if we don’t cut a deal, won’t you?” Cyrus asked.

“Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to stop that man.”

“Please Cyrus, we can’t let her go to jail,” Kali begged.

“Kali, it won’t be up to me, it will be up to the DA. However, if she cooperates I suppose there might be some leniency.”

“I don’t need leniency.”

“It won’t be your decision to make either,” Cyrus said in an icy tone. They spent the rest of their time asking Jade Melling question after question about Jared Spellman until finally they had a lead they could work with.

After the long interview, Cyrus and Nate left for California on the red-eye to work on the lead. Jade’s assistant arranged for her driver to take her home, and Noah and Kali went to their hotel. They agreed to meet at the facility in Rochester the following morning.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“I’m nervous.”

“What’s there to be nervous about, love?” Noah asked, as he held Kali’s hand. God she looked beautiful the red sweater. Her face had filled out a little. Nate had been sharing treats with her, and Sarah made her finish every meal they ate together.

Climbing the stairs they approached the sliding glass door of the Rochester Center for Long Term Care. Everybody decided not to tell Sarah about Joey, she would have been on a plane in a heartbeat. Nobody truly knew what her capabilities were, and first Noah and Kali wanted to meet him. They were taken to a room with large windows and scattered with tables and chairs.

“This is our Visitor’s Lounge,” their escort explained.

When they looked around it was obvious there were family members visiting with patients, many of whom were in specialized chairs. Noah saw some traumatic brain injury patients, and realized they were likely vets.

“Noah?”

He looked into her concerned blue eyes.

“It’s nothing, baby.”

She kissed him on the cheek.

God he loved her.

“Kelly? Noah?”

He saw Jade sitting at a table with a blond man. As they got closer, Noah realized there were Legos scattered all over the table.

“Thanks for coming. Joey, this is Kelly and Noah.” Joey didn’t look up, he was struggling to put something together that looked like a spaceship. “Joey?” Jade’s voice was firm. He finally set down his toy and looked up. Suddenly Noah was back in time, in a stadium, briefly looking into the eyes of the boy. Joey’s eyes widened.

“I know you,” he said, pointing at Noah. Then he turned to Kali. He grinned widely. “Kali!” He rushed around the table, and grabbed her in a big hug.

Kali’s eyes were as big as Joey’s. She turned to Noah, and then Jade. “I know him.” She hugged the big blond man, and they continued to hold one another.

“Kali, do you want to play Legos with me?” Joey asked. Noah picked up the box, and noticed it was for children ten and above. He, Kali and Jade only occasionally helped, instead watching to see if Joey would improve with the building project. He continued to look at the box and find pieces to put together as he talked about playing outside, running races and wrestling with his pet dog in a long forgotten time.

“What about your parents?” Jade asked.

“They died in the wreck, don’t you remember Jade?”

“I mean in the time before,” Jade probed.

“Oh, my Mom and Dad were sad when I had to leave. Remember Kali, they cried with your Nana. But they said it was good too. I cried too. But I knowed it was good.”

Noah watched as Joey grabbed Kali’s hand. “Thank you for helping me remember Kali. And you too Noah. Are you going to stay with me? I want you to be my friends forever.” Noah watched as a tear dripped down Jade’s cheek.

“Joey, what have you been doing since you’ve been here? Aren’t you bored?”

Now that was an interesting question his Kali had asked. Noah watched as Joey tipped his head to consider it.

“Yes, it’s boring here. It’s like I can’t think sometimes, like I’m mostly just playing in my old room waiting for something. I’ve been waiting for a very long time. Do you like my spaceship?” he asked, holding up the toy.

It was perfect.

“It’s really nice,” Kali said.

“You can have it. Can I go back to my room? I’m tired now,” he said looking at Jade. She looked at Joey, and nodded. She had been staring at him in wonder for the whole conversation. He walked around the table and gave her a kiss.

“When will I see you again? Can you come back tomorrow?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Yes. Can Kali and Noah come too?” He looked at them shyly.

“We’ll be here,” Noah assured him. It was so disconcerting to hear such boyish questions coming from a grown man.

As soon as Joey left, Jade turned to them. “I can’t believe it. I’ve been bringing him more complex toys every time I visit. I brought that one today because I knew you two would be here to assist him, and I thought it would help pass the time. There is no way he should have been able to do even a quarter of the work, let alone most of it.”

“I think as we meet and interact with one another it has a multiplication effect. I’ve definitely seen it with Kali and me, and then when Sarah joined us, I noticed it even more.”

“But…” Jade stopped herself.

“But what, Jade,” Kali gently prompted.

“Even with Joey? Do you really think it will work with him? I hoped. I hoped so much. He is the most loving soul I know. He deserves to have a full life. He deserves it. Nobody, and I mean nobody, deserves it more.” Nothing could or would justify what had happened to Kali by Noah’s way of thinking. But after meeting Joey, Noah understood why this woman would be working so hard to give him the life he was clearly meant to have.

They agreed to meet the following afternoon so they could have dinner with Joey. It worked out great, because Noah had plans to keep Kali up late, so she would need to sleep in.

I heard that.

Let’s see if you can see the pictures in my mind.
He teased as they walked into the warm autumn air. He liked how she cuddled up against him on the way to the car.

* * *

Noah always reached for her hand, every single time, and it made her heart warm. She wove her fingers through his, once again amazed at the difference in size. The man was huge!

Well thank you, baby.

Be good.

I thought I was good. Remember last night? Remember this morning?

“Noah, I missed you. I needed my friend, I’m so glad you rescued me.” Looking at his beautiful brown eyes and black curls, her heart melted. She intended to keep him forever.

“I like the idea of being a kept man.” He squeezed her hand gently, that was Noah, always aware of his strength, sharing it with her, making her feel loved.

“You’ll always be loved.” He kissed her, right on the steps of the facility as doctors and nurses walked past and Kali couldn’t have cared less. She was still floating when they walked into the Visitor’s Lounge. Jade and Joey were waiting for them. Joey’s smile split his face, and he yelled across the room.

“Kali! Noah! What took you so long?”

An older woman looked up and yelled at him in a foreign language. Joey looked crushed. He waited until Kali and Noah came to him. “Am I really a monkey?”

Kali realized the man was serious, so she answered him seriously. “No Joey, you’re not a monkey, what makes you think that?”

“She said I was.” He pointed at the woman who was leaving out the double doors. “A baboon is a monkey, right?”

“She was speaking Russian,” Jade said. “Joey never learned languages like the rest of the
found
.”

“Was he ever exposed to foreign languages when he lived with his adoptive parents?” Noah asked.

“No, only English. Then nine months later he was here. He was in a coma for a little over a year. When he woke up he was still the same age.” Jade turned to Kali. “I read accounts you and Sarah learned languages and I brought in people who spoke French, Spanish and Korean, but he never learned.”

“No, I never did, but I understood her.” Joey looked thoughtful, then he once again brightened. “Can we go outside for a walk? Can I hold Kali’s hand, Noah?”

“Sure Buddy.” As they walked around the grounds it was clear Joey was friends with everyone who worked or lived at the center. But as time went on, other things became disturbingly clear as well.

“That’s Trisha,” he said pointing to a hospice worker who was pushing a man in a wheelchair. Minutes later he pointed to a doctor. “That’s Dr. Michael. He was…he was making Trisha feel uncomf, uncomfor,” he stopped to glare at the doctor who immediately started walking the other way. “Dr. Michael is a weasel. I told him to stay away from Trisha, or I would hurt him like Trisha was scared he would hurt her.” Joey didn’t have the look of a child on his face now, he looked like a man who was taking care of the defenseless.

“Joey, why didn’t you come and talk to me?” Jade asked.

“Nobody wants me to tell you things. I need to keep their secrets, Jade. I just listen most of the time, but sometimes they need help. If I can, I help them. It was easy with Dr. Michael, he was just a bully. You can’t let bullies win, or they will bully another person and another person and another person.”

Kali realized the rules of the playground really were often the rules of the adult world as well. They kept walking, Joey swinging her hand as the sun started to sink.

“Hello Joey, is this your family?” An older man with his leg in a brace was raking the leaves. Joey pulled Kali over to meet him, but he was careful not to disturb the piles of leaves already stacked.

“Mr. Issa, this is Kali. Kali what is your last name?”

“Wachowski.”

“Mr. Issa, this is Kali Wachowski, we have been friends for a very long time. This is my godmother, Jade Melling, she is a wonderful artist. This is Kali’s boyfriend Noah.” Joey asked specific questions about Mr. Issa’s health and pain levels with his leg. It was obvious the man considered Joey a confidante, but was now feeling very uncomfortable discussing those same things in front of others.

“Joey, please, spend time with your family. This is fine. I am fine.” He reached to grab Joey’s arm, to better make his point, but his leg gave out. Joey caught him before he fell.

“Mr. Issa, you work for a hospital, we should talk to the director. You shouldn’t be in this much pain. “Let’s get you inside.”

“
Dont rahatsız Lütfen
,” he said waving Joey away.

“Don’t be silly, you’re not being a bother.”

When the old man continued to speak in the other language, so did Joey. A long conversation ensued, and finally the old man threw up his hands.

“Fine, take me inside.” He turned to Jade. “All these years, I didn’t know your godson was Turkish.” He turned back to Joey. “You’re a good boy Joey Melling.”

“My name is Joe Mirelli, and you’re a good man and a good friend.” Joe held out his hand. Jade burst into tears. Mr. Issa understood the importance of the moment, and responded in kind.

“Mr. Joe Mirelli, I am honored to make your acquaintance,” he said as he solemnly shook the blond man’s hand.

“I will be following up to make sure you’ve spoken to the center’s administration.”

“Evet, I mean yes, I suppose you will,” the old man smiled. “I will talk to the chief of staff in the morning.”

Apparently satisfied, he turned towards everyone. “My thinking is finally getting clearer.”

Kali saw tears well up in Jade’s eyes. Joey, Joe she mentally corrected herself pulled Jade into his arms and started to speak low into her ear. Finally she stopped crying.

Kali leaned into Noah’s side. He immediately put an arm around her, and they watched the miracle that was Joe Mirelli.

I remember him. Do you?

Yes. He was my age, I remember playing with him and his dog. It was a collie. I don’t remember him telling me he was going. How do you remember him?

I saw him at the stadium. He had such a big smile on his face. You could tell he thought this was going to be a great adventure, and look what happened.

Noah, maybe this was exactly what was supposed to happen.
Kali snuggled even closer to him, happy as he pulled her in for a heart melting kiss. When they finally broke apart it took a moment for her to become aware of her surroundings. When she did, Joe was looking at them both. Once again he wearing a big smile, like life’s adventures were just beginning.