Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

“I did. I do. But it’s not school photos. It hurts.” She swallowed. “Go ahead.”

She brought up the next progression. “One more. Luke, age eight. The forehead has become less prominent and bulbous-looking. But the principal changes involve the nose. The bridge continues to rise, and the nostril size and nose width increase a little. The forms of the lower cartilages of the nose become apparent, and the tip takes shape. He now has a mixture of permanent and baby teeth, and his mouth has widened to accept them.” She turned to Catherine. “That’s all I have right now. I’ll do one transition at age nine and the final one at eleven.”

Catherine didn’t answer, still staring at the photo on the screen.

“Catherine?”

“I’ve missed so much.”

“So has he.”

She nodded. “He won’t have any memory of me, will he?”

“Perhaps. Some memories are said to go back to the womb.”

“I don’t give a damn about all that womb business. I just want him to remember that I love him. What could he think? One moment I was there, and the next I’d just disappeared. He wouldn’t understand.” Her voice was hoarse. “Sometimes I have nightmares of Luke running in the dark searching for me. I keep calling him, but he doesn’t hear me.”

Eve could feel her own throat tighten with pain at the words. It came close to her own experience with her own loss. She’d had dreams of Bonnie, lost, frightened, when her daughter had first been taken. She would wake up sobbing, reaching out desperately for her little girl, who would never return. “I can’t tell you what Luke will remember. I only know that if you love someone enough, it goes on forever. Maybe he loved you that much, Catherine.”

Catherine didn’t answer for a moment. “Maybe. He was only two, just a baby. But maybe.” She lifted her shoulders as if shrugging off a weight. “We have to get back to work.” She stood up and took her stool back to her former position across the worktable. “When will you be finished?”

“Tomorrow, if all goes well.” She finished her coffee and set the cup on the worktable. “And I believe it’s going well. I feel as if I’m beginning to know your Luke.”

“Better than I do. He’s almost a stranger.”

“This has shaken you.” Eve asked quietly, “Do you still want me to save those progressions for you?”

“Of course. I want you to print all of them out and let me look at them and get used to each one. Yes, it hurts. But maybe it won’t after a little while. I don’t think that it will.” She looked at Eve. “I had a dream, a memory. You’re bringing that memory to life. It’s like…birth.”

“A midwife, I’m not,” Eve said. “I’m just a professional doing my job. If I do a good job, then we’ll both be happy.” She looked away from Catherine. “Now quit slacking and get to work. Actually, you’re doing a pretty good job with those bones. I couldn’t do better.”

“That’s a rare compliment. It takes concentration and patience. I’ve developed both of those qualities over the years. I told you I’d be good at this.”

“You are. Now let’s both get busy. I want to at least start this progression before Joe gets home. I want to have dinner with him. I get caught up in my work too often, and it’s not healthy for our relationship. Would you like to join us?”

Catherine shook her head. “I don’t want to intrude any more than I have already. Your Joe Quinn would not appreciate it.”

“You’re probably right. He’s not unreasonable, but he’s stubborn. Sometimes it takes time for him to come around.”

“I’ve heard a lot about him from Venable. The SEALs, the FBI, and he’s supposed to be a straight shooter. I think I could like him.” She shrugged. “If I ever got the chance…”

“I saw Catherine sitting outside her tent down by the lake,” Joe said as he came into the cottage. “She was reading something and pretty deep into it. I don’t think she even heard me drive up.”

“I’d bet she was aware of everything going on around her. She’s sharp, Joe.” Eve glanced at him. His brown hair was tousled, and there were a few dark drops on his khaki jacket. “Has the rain started? It’s supposed to be a downpour.”

“It’s only sprinkling, but the wind is up.” He took off his jacket. “I thought you’d be working late again.”

“Maybe after dinner. I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“I’m flattered,” he said. “And?”

He knew her so well. “I wanted to give Catherine time to get away by herself. She had an upsetting call from Venable today.”

“News about her son?”

“Not directly. But she was definitely distracted when you drove up. Venable e-mailed her the Rakovac surveillance file.” She went to the oven and pulled out the casserole. “Get out the rolls, will you?”

He didn’t move. “That report on Rakovac I requested came in this afternoon. He’s a very nasty customer.”

“I knew that from the moment Catherine told me about his kidnapping Luke. He would have had to be a monster. I didn’t need an official report.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Though I’m very interested in what you’ve found out.”

“That’s right, you believe everything Catherine tells you,” he said dryly as he got the rolls out of the bread drawer and put them on a plate. “I shouldn’t expect anything else. You’re thinking with your emotions where she’s concerned.”

“No, where Luke’s concerned.” She put the casserole on the table. “But I don’t think that she could lie to me if it was anything pertaining to her son. I’d know if it was the truth.”

“That bond again,” Joe said.

“Yes, I won’t deny it. It wouldn’t be honest, and I’m always honest with you, Joe.”

“It’s a dangerous bond, Eve.” He sat down in his chair at the table. “It doesn’t surprise me that Rakovac has been torturing Catherine for nine years. He’s slightly unhinged, and he’s become an expert at inflicting pain. He grew up in the Georgian town of Tiflis and joined the fighting against the Ossetians when he was only twelve. Not that he was into the cause itself. It was an opportunity to make contacts and pull himself out of the poverty into which he was born. He was involved in several ambushes and massacres. Some involving women and children. There’s a story about him burying a mother and four children alive because the father wouldn’t give him information. At nineteen, he went to Moscow and established himself with the mafia. He rose quickly in the underworld and bought, sold, and blackmailed himself into a position of power.” He paused. “Power is everything to him. He’s a complete megalomaniac. I can see that when Catherine came close to toppling him from the top of his mountain that he would go bonkers. He’s probably enjoyed every minute of the torment he’s put her through. Judging by his profile, he won’t ever stop.”

“Then who can blame Catherine for trying to put an end to it now.” Eve sat down and shook out her napkin. “Particularly since Luke may be caught in the middle if the CIA and Rakovac part ways.” She picked up her fork. “Venable as much as admitted that Rakovac may soon be a CIA target.”

Joe gave a low whistle. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving. But unless they manage to put him down with no advance knowledge, he could cause a hell of a lot of damage.”

“That’s what Catherine believes. She doesn’t want Luke caught in the blast.” She started to eat. “She’s trying to find some clue to Luke’s whereabouts in that file. Venable wasn’t encouraging about it.”

“And what if she does find something?” Joe asked. “What’s it going to mean to you?”