The Perfect Solution-A Suspense of Choices (21 page)

This incident will be reported to the licensing bureau and whomever else that I think need to know. I will not sit back and let this center get away with another incident of abuse and neglect. How you have continued to remain open, I have no idea. After the things that I have heard about this center in the last two hours, I am lead to believe I should not have even allowed a dead dog to come here. I thought that childcare workers were supposed to attend workshops to learn something on kidnapping, molestation, child abuse, something. I don't know why I ever left Brhin here. The Perfect Solution, be damned. This just goes to show what's in a name. Sure the place is beautiful with its glorious colors, small-scale furnishings, large windows, and ample supplies. This nursery is terribly understaffed and horribly managed. I just let the convenience of location stifle my better judgment. Your director is absent whenever she has the urge and leaves behind innocent children to suffer at the hands of incompetent, uncaring idiots.

Every one of you had better pray that my son is returned unharmed or you all will suffer much more than I am suffering at this moment. As it is," she pointed to the television camera stationed on the cameraman's shoulder, "I hope that everyone in the city knows that you gave a crying, protesting child to a total stranger. And I hope that the person who does have my baby is watching this telecast and realizes that I will be getting my son back, and soon."

Rushing to the glass door, Catrine pushed it open with such force that it locked in the open position. Ignoring the cold, she rushed across the parking lot towards Phalene's car. "Ms. Teddi." Detective Williams caught Catrine by the arm. "I know that you are upset and I can understand that. I just want to remind you about getting a picture of your son to us as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes. I have one right here." She sniffed and coughed simultaneously. "I have always had a fear that something like this would happen and I have told myself that it was crazy to think so constantly about losing my child." Opening the catch to her purse, she rummaged through its contents. "Abduction is such a great possibility for everyone these days and I have always taken every precaution to ensure that no one would ever take Brhin away from me. I made certain that he was always buckled in to his stroller. I used a harness when he was a toddler, and never left him alone in the basket at the supermarket. As he became older, we talked a lot about strangers. I tried to give Brhin examples of every possible situation in which someone may try to take advantage of him. Not to give him fear, but to empower him. Once I realized he was such a smart little guy I saw no reason to not teach him how to take care of himself. I never thought to tell him that his teacher might force him to go with someone he did not know."

Finding what she was searching for, Catrine raised her head, pulling out a medium sized square envelope, a cigarette lighter and a crumpled packet of cigarettes from the purse, she handed the envelope to the detective. She watched as the dampness of the falling mist sprinkled its moisture on the envelope and a burning need to cry rose to her chest.

"Looks like it is gonna rain." Detective Williams spoke softly and brushed the drops from the envelope before slowly pulled out its contents.

"Yes. I've always thought of it as our kind of snow. I just hope my baby is not out in this." Catrine looked at the desolate sky and shivered at the coldness surrounding her. "The poor little guy looked as if he was about to come down with a cold, this morning. I had promised myself that I would give him something for his sniffles when he would have gotten home and now…" Shaking herself from her morose reverie Catrine turned the conversation to the envelope.

"This is a picture of Brhin, a copy of his fingerprints and vital statistics."

Putting the package of cigarettes and the lighter between her teeth, she stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out her hat, carefully positioning it on her head; she successfully protected herself from the damp mist. Holding the pack and lighter in her hands she waited for the smile that would appear on the detective's face when she looked at the picture and did not wait in vain. Brhin had such an infectious grin, whether photographed or in person. His chubby, dimpled little face invited everyone to give it a kiss.

"He is such a beautiful little boy, I can see why she would have wanted him." observed the detective.

"Yes. Thank you."

“I can also see where he got his looks from. Not saying you’re not cute and all, but…” She pointed her finger to where Austin was coming to join them.

“Yep, they do look a lot alike.” Catrine raised her face to the sky and sighed deeply before looking back down, making small circles with the toes of her shoes instead of looking Austin in the eyes.

“Is this is one of the kits that we pass out at schools and at the malls."

"Yes. That one comes from a safety seminar that was held at Parkdale Mall a couple of weeks ago. I never took it out of my purse." Putting the cigarette to her mouth and lighting it, she took a long hard drag and coughed hoarsely. "Brhin has just made three and a half but he is very intelligent." She choked out. "He knows his colors, shapes, and recognizes written numbers to thirty. He may not be able to recognize every number by sight, but he does know how to dial our phone number and 911. The only reason that woman was able to get him was because his 'teacher' told him to go. I can't get over that. I should have never taught him to obey his teachers."

"You did the right things, Ms. Teddi. This is not your fault." Detective Williams put the envelope under the clip of the board she was carrying. "Stay near the telephone when you return home. A unit will be there before the night is over to put a tracer on the line. All of your calls will be monitored until your son is returned or the tap is no longer necessary."

"What do you mean 'no longer necessary'? What are you saying? You think Brhin will be killed, don't you?"

"Cat, stop that." Phae ran to Catrine and yanked her hands from the lapels of the officer's jacket. "Calm down. And take that nasty thing out of your mouth." She slapped the curved, barely smoked cigarette from between Catrine's lips. You gave up smoking, remember? Retrieving bad habits will not make things better. Let's go to your house. You left the answering machine on didn't you? Good." Phalene smiled at the affirmative nod of Catrine's head. "Someone may have called." She climbed into the car and started the motor.

Catrine and Austin followed Phae's actions a little slower.

"Yes. You're right." Catrine turned to the detective. "I am sorry, Detective Williams. I didn't mean to grab you like that."

"I understand." Detective Williams brushed aside the apology. "Detective Serge and I will be to your home as soon as we finish up here. Try and get some rest. It won't do your son any good to come home and find out you've broken down."

"That still doesn't make the idea of resting a foreseen possibility." Catrine pulled the hat off of her head before climbing into her sister's car. She let her head fall to the headrest of the car as Phae sped out of the parking lot. "God, Phae what will I ever do without Brhin? I won't be able to go on."

"I have no answers, Catrine. I think about how I would feel right now if one of my girls were missing and all I can think of is 'stunned'. I cannot imagine what I would be doing at this very moment. I would probably be crying or searching the streets like a mad woman, and most likely I would have grabbed that stupid, skinny little teacher by the throat and killed her, in front of everyone in the room."

"That is exactly what I felt like doing. I could have killed the lot of them, but that wouldn't have put Brhin in my arms. I can only pray that they find him because I don't think I want to live without him." She choked back a sob. "Does that sound strange?" She turned her entire body to face her sister and used her hands to help express her views. "As much as I did not want him in the beginning, all I can do is keep 'want' him, now. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, of course. I know how you were when Frank and I came back to town and found out you were pregnant. The way that you ranted and raved, starved yourself and walked around totally despondent, I think the entire world knew you hadn't wanted the baby. I just wanted to make sure that Austin knew, but you would tell him nothing. I wanted to go to his house and beat the hell out of him for putting you in such a situation and then not being man enough to hang around. I hated seeing you so miserable and alone."

"I wasn't alone, Phae. You were there."

"Yeah, but I was there only for the last four months. You should have told me you were pregnant sooner."

Austin leaned forward from the backseat, his hands holding Catrine’s hands still in her lap.

“If I had known she was pregnant I wouldn’t have left her alone, I promise you. All she had to do was let me know. I would have been there. I never run from my responsibilities.”

"I was wrong in so many ways, I know. If my apologizing to you over and over tonight would change what’s going on now, I would do it none stop, Austin. All I can say is that I’m sorry. And Phae I felt like such a fool and acted like one, too. I didn’t want to burden you ‘cause you had just come from overseas. I was horrible all my life and I just"

"True, but then you went through this massive transformation and the coming of the child was all that you cared about. You studied all of those parent's advice books, bought furniture. Decorated his little room and poured all of your time into buying just the 'right' outfits. No strings, no tassels. Nothing he could choke on or be choked with. I remember when they placed Brhin in your arms, the joy just radiated from you."

"I remember. I fell in love with him on that day. I never knew you could feel so completely, so strongly for someone so new. I love him body and soul as much as I.... and now he's gone, too.”

"Don't say it like that. Everything will come out right. God has a way of doing things and it is not for us to understand. We will just have to have faith. I know that Brhin will be back. Just have faith."

"You have said that to me all of my life, Phae."

"And faith has always pulled us through. Think how hard things were when mom died. There I was, eighteen years old and two years on my job. If I would not have had that job and my boss had not had faith in my abilities and given me that promotion, you would have been taken away from me. We made it through then; we will make it through this. Brhin will be brought back."

"I hope so. I wish I had thought to have the home phone calls transferred to my cell phone. I didn't think about it until I was digging through my purse and saw the phone sitting at the bottom."

"That would have been a good idea. Hopefully he will have called and a message will be left on the machine."

"I hope so."

Turning to look out the window and avoiding Austin’s eyes in the window’s surface. He pretty much sat in the rear of the car not making a sound. Whenever she caught his glance she swallowed the urge to lower her head in shame. There was no way she could deny she was the one in the wrong. Hopefully this wouldn’t be the night she was made to pay. Catrine absently noticed her surroundings. They car sped by the park that she and Brhin visited and were now passing the McDonald's where they spent their every Saturday morning.

"You know, I always bring Brhin here for his breakfast on Saturday mornings."

"I know and you will be able to do so on this Saturday. I am sure of it. I feel it in my soul, Catrine. I feel it so plainly that I know my God would not lie to me. Try and believe that."

"I'll try. I think I'll sit here and pray until we get to my house." She closed her eyes.

"I may as well. I haven’t a clue on what else to do."

“When we get back to your apartment Catrine, I’ll need to make a phone call so I’ll stay outside for a little while.”

“That’s fine, Austin. Forget the way I acted earlier. I know you have an important job.

CHAPTER 7-EXPLANATIONS

Catrine jumped from her sister's car. Leaning against her apartment's door was a small huddled figure half hidden in the shadows of the walls. Calling out Brhin's name in anticipation as she ran, Catrine rushed to the door. As she drew closer, her pace slowed. It was Linda. The sobbing teenager stood and clutched Catrine around the neck. The tears that ran down her face rolled down the neck of Catrine's sweater.

"Calm down, Linda. Take a breath. Where's your mom?"

"She's at home. When I got home and she told me that you had called, I thought you may have needed a baby-sitter and then I saw the news and I freaked. You haven't found him?" Linda asked in a shaky voice. "How could this have happened?" She looked towards Phalene. "I really thought that he was in a great place. I feel that I let him down. Ms. Cat, I let both of you down." She began to cry again. "I should never have told you to put him there. I have no business thinking that I am so smart. I shouldn't even be a lawyer. I shouldn't even be going to college. I…"

"Hey, hey wait a minute." Catrine wrapped her arms around the crying girl's shoulders. "Don't blame yourself. Stop crying. None of this is your fault."

"If I hadn't told you about that center, Brhin would be here. We could have figured out something. I could have gone to school at night. We could have worked out something."

"No." Catrine gave her a reassuring hug, pulled a clean tissue from her jacket pocket and wiped the tears that were running down Linda's face."Brhin is not your responsibility, Sweetie. And what would you look like going to school at night. What would your social life be? Think about Paul? You would never have met him and the greatest romance of the twenty-first century would not be happening."