Alex Barclay - The Drowning Child

He struggled to speak. ‘Are you here to arrest me?’

Ren smiled. ‘I am definitely not here to arrest you.’

‘Phew,’ said Seth.

‘I am so sorry, Seth,’ said Ren. ‘I know about Roger Lyle. I know what he did to you... and a lot of others.’

Tears slid down Seth’s face. He turned away.

‘I can’t imagine what you went through,’ said Ren.

‘I told one of my friends once,’ said Seth. ‘We were ten. He just laughed. He thought it was a joke. I don’t think people believe that anyone would do this. I don’t think people understand. My hair... I hated how he grabbed my hair. When I shaved my head, I was twelve years old, and I got sent home from school, because it was against the rules. But Lyle called me in for extra classes and Aunt Shannon thought that made me was special. That cliché. And I couldn’t bear to tell her the truth. Her sister was dead, she was looking after me, she was so proud of how well she was looking after me. And that son-of-a-bitch just clamped his hand around my skull and pressed his fingertips right in, and it didn’t matter...’

‘These kind of abusers are very clever,’ said Ren, ‘and there are almost no signs.’ She paused. ‘Who gave you the patch, Seth?’

‘I got it from a guy in Salem.’

Ren looked at him. ‘That’s a lie.’

He looked away.

‘I want to help you,’ said Ren. ‘And whoever gave you that patch did not. You owe them nothing, Seth. You owe it to your Aunt Shannon to tell me the truth. From what I heard, you wouldn’t be here without two people: Clyde Brimmer and your Aunt Shannon. The most obsessive safety freak in town found you. Did you know Clyde carries around all kinds of emergency supplies – epi pen, Narcan – Narcan is what saved you. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?’ She paused. ‘So you certainly owe it to him and to Shannon to tell me who gave you that patch, because whoever it was doesn’t give a shit about you, Seth. Shannon does. You owe her.’

A tear slid down his face. He looked at her. ‘That’s the problem...’

The problem? Why would it be a problem for Shannon? Ren waited for him to expand on that. He didn’t.

Oh, Jesus Christ. I know who it was.

‘John Veir...’ said Ren. ‘Was it John?’

Seth looked away. ‘John Veir saved my life.’

And once more in Seth Fuller’s damaged story, savior and killer are intertwined.

‘I know,’ said Ren. ‘So, why would he give you a fentanyl patch now?’

‘He’d heard about Wiley beating the crap out of me,’ said Seth. ‘He knew I was in pain, and that my doctors would have a hard time prescribing meds, because of my addiction issues. And Aunt Shannon would have been all over it.’

There is something so strange about this.

‘He just wanted to help,’ said Seth. ‘I feel bad.’

‘Please don’t,’ said Ren. Jesus Christ. Please fucking don’t.

Why the fuck is John Veir messing about in Seth Fuller’s pain, while his son is missing and his whole life has been turned upside down?

‘How did it happen?’ said Ren. ‘Why did he give this to you? Did you reach out to him?’

‘No,’ said Seth. ‘He just showed up. He thought he was doing the right thing by me.’

But he couldn’t possibly have!

‘Will he be prosecuted?’ said Seth.

‘Yes,’ said Ren. Oh, yes. ‘Do you know where he got the patch?’

Seth shook his head. ‘I don’t know – someone who’s sick. Not a dealer. Some lady who’s got cancer. That’s all I know.’

Patti Ellis. Jesus Christ. Is anything sacred? ‘Do you still have the package it came in?’

He shook his head. ‘No. I don’t know where it is.’

Ren stood up. ‘We’re going to get you some help, Seth. You won’t have to deal with this alone. Not the abuse, not the addiction... I want to make sure you get all the help you need. You deserve a wonderful life. Do not let the actions of one sick bastard take another day away from you.’

I want to save you. I want to save you. I want to save you.

But why, the fuck, would John Veir want to risk your life?

Ren’s cell phone rang. Gary. She picked up.

‘Ren? We’ve had a sighting.’

‘Of Jimmy Lyle?’

‘No – Caleb Veir.’

Ren pulled into the side of the road.

‘Pardon me?’

‘Yes,’ said Gary. ‘A young woman said she saw Caleb at French Prairie rest area – it’s about a forty-five-minute drive from here.’

‘And what makes this so credible?’ said Sylvie.

‘She’s an artist, she draws portraits,’ said Gary. ‘As she said to Salem PD: “Faces are my thing.” She’d have that kind of attention to detail...’

‘Jesus Christ,’ said Ren. ‘What the fuck is going on? Did this woman say anything about Caleb’s demeanor?’

‘She said that he seemed agitated,’ said Gary. ‘Wilsonville PD are on their way there now.’

‘What do you want me to do?’ said Ren.

‘Tell Teddy Veir,’ said Gary.

‘Any sign of John?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Gary. ‘but we located Jimmy Lyle’s rental tucked into the back of the church car park, close to the funeral home. So he has access to another vehicle—’

‘Or he has someone else to help him out...’

Ren pulled up outside the Veirs’ house. Teddy’s car was there, but instead of Patti Ellis’s, there was another car. When Teddy brought Ren in, she saw Alice Veir sitting on the sofa.

What the heck?

‘Alice... when did you get here?’

‘About two hours ago,’ said Alice.

Weirdness. ‘Did you stop anywhere along the way?’

She nodded, but it was as if to buy time. ‘Yes – French Prairie Rest Area.’

Ren’s heart started to pound.

They locked eyes.

‘At what time?’ said Ren.

‘About four p.m.,’ said Alice. ‘I stopped for gas, picked up some water.’

Assured. But lying.

‘Why do you ask?’ said Alice.

‘Just wondering,’ said Ren. Wondering why I’m getting the sense you know exactly why I’m asking. ‘Did you see anything out of the ordinary while you were there?’

‘No,’ said Alice.

‘No?’ said Ren.

‘Did you see John there?’ said Teddy. ‘Is that what this is?’

‘No,’ said Ren.

What do I do here? Leave them? Alice Veir is picking up on something. I’m picking up on something.

‘Ladies, can I ask you both to stay here for the time being? I’m going to have a family liaison officer come sit with you.’

They nodded.

Ren looked across their tense faces, behind them, to the walls, to the family photos.

How moments are captured, years pass, and lives are turned upside down.

Ren went into the hallway again and called Gary.

‘Something’s up with Alice Veir,’ she said. ‘She was also at French Prairie – two hours ago. She’s here with Teddy. Can you send a family liaison officer, please? I don’t want to leave them alone.’

‘No problem,’ said Gary. ‘Also, the results came in on the Lister Creek landfill search... two things were found: the first was Caleb Veir’s suitcase. The second was Rose Dennehy’s cell phone.’

‘Rose Dennehy’s cell phone?’ said Ren. ‘What the fuck?’

‘It wasn’t in the suitcase,’ said Gary, ‘but it looks like it was part of the same garbage collection.’

‘What’s that all about?’ said Ren. ‘Caleb stole Rose Dennehy’s cell phone? John Veir did?’

‘We’ll know more when we get into the phone.’

Ren drove in the direction of Tate PD, her thoughts back on Alice Veir.