Read Online Cold Silence (A High Stakes Thriller) by Danielle Girard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Girard
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Peter looked over his shoulder again. "Don't tell Dad, but he left my jacket out by the playground. Dad made me swear not to let anyone borrow it, but R.J. really liked it. I knew he wouldn't hurt it."
Cody swallowed the thickness in her throat and nodded. "I'm sure he didn't mean to leave it on the playground."
"No. He wouldn't do that. He's real 'sponsible, Mrs. O'Brien."
She blinked hard and Peter patted her hand.
"I'm sure he'll come back soon."
She forced a smile. "Thank you." She inhaled and willed her body to process the air, to keep moving. "What happened then?"
"That's all I know, 'cause when I got back from getting my stuff, Jamie Underwood told me R.J. had left with his dad."
"So you didn't see him leave?"
"No."
Cody's chest tightened. "Did you see the car?"
Peter shook his head.
Travis reappeared, carrying a tray with three mugs. "The one with marshmallows is yours," he told Peter. He set the tray down on the step beside Peter and then sat across from her, one step below his son.
He lifted one mug to Peter. "Be careful, it's hot."
Cody could picture Ryan's small, soft features against Mark's strong ones. How unfair that they'd never really had the opportunity to be father and son. She was more jealous of Travis in that moment than she'd been of anyone in a long time. Travis lifted a mug and passed it toward her. She held it tight in her hands, soaking in the heat until it was uncomfortable. At least it was a real sensation. "What exactly did Jamie Underwood say?"
Peter shrugged. "Just that R.J.'s dad had come to get him."
Cody looked at Travis. "Do you know the Underwoods?"
He shook his head. "Not well. He's a lawyer, travels a lot. She's at home."
"Where do they live?"
"A couple miles from here." He paused.
"Do you have the address?"
He gave her a reluctant nod. "Maybe I can help, go with you or something."
She shook her head. She thought about how much she wanted to call her family. Her sisters would know what to do: Ali had always been the problem solver, and Nicole always knew exactly the right thing to say. But Cody couldn't call them. She couldn't call anyone, not without risking Ryan's safety.
She was in this alone. She couldn't take anyone's help, and especially not Travis's. Plus, she still had to think about what she could say. She wasn't sure it would be the same thing she told Travis. She didn't want to start rumors about Ryan's father that he would have to deal with when he was back. She ached. Of course he would be back. She shook herself mentally. She would go there, tell them whatever she had to in order to get help.
Travis left to get the address, and she set the untouched mug back on the tray. It was then that she realized Travis had made coffee for her, not hot chocolate. She put her hand on Peter's shoulder. "Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome. Will you call when you find him? And tell him I'd really like him to come spend the night sometime."
She smiled and nodded. "I promise to call."
"Don't worry, Mrs. O'Brien. I'm sure R.J.'s dad is taking care of him."
The image of Mark watching over Ryan brought tears trickling down her cheeks. She smiled through them. She prayed he was right.
She passed an antique wooden coat rack that she'd missed coming in. Bright-colored baseball caps hung off a few of the limbs like fruit off a tree. She stopped and pushed aside a heavy leather jacket. Behind it was the small red jacket that she'd sent Ryan to school in the day before. She turned back to Peter.
"He gave it to me when he took my jacket," Peter said. "I was going to give it back when he gave me mine." He paused.
She ran her hand over the smooth, satin-like fabric, forcing herself to refrain from leaning forward to smell it. She felt a large lump in the jacket pocket. She pulled out Ryan's handheld Gameboy and shook her head. He knew he wasn't supposed to take it to school. But the thought of her baby tucking it away in his pocket and sneaking it off to school
Peter looked over his shoulder again. "Don't tell Dad, but he left my jacket out by the playground. Dad made me swear not to let anyone borrow it, but R.J. really liked it. I knew he wouldn't hurt it."
Cody swallowed the thickness in her throat and nodded. "I'm sure he didn't mean to leave it on the playground."
"No. He wouldn't do that. He's real 'sponsible, Mrs. O'Brien."
She blinked hard and Peter patted her hand.
"I'm sure he'll come back soon."
She forced a smile. "Thank you." She inhaled and willed her body to process the air, to keep moving. "What happened then?"
"That's all I know, 'cause when I got back from getting my stuff, Jamie Underwood told me R.J. had left with his dad."
"So you didn't see him leave?"
"No."
Cody's chest tightened. "Did you see the car?"
Peter shook his head.
Travis reappeared, carrying a tray with three mugs. "The one with marshmallows is yours," he told Peter. He set the tray down on the step beside Peter and then sat across from her, one step below his son.
He lifted one mug to Peter. "Be careful, it's hot."
Cody could picture Ryan's small, soft features against Mark's strong ones. How unfair that they'd never really had the opportunity to be father and son. She was more jealous of Travis in that moment than she'd been of anyone in a long time. Travis lifted a mug and passed it toward her. She held it tight in her hands, soaking in the heat until it was uncomfortable. At least it was a real sensation. "What exactly did Jamie Underwood say?"
Peter shrugged. "Just that R.J.'s dad had come to get him."
Cody looked at Travis. "Do you know the Underwoods?"
He shook his head. "Not well. He's a lawyer, travels a lot. She's at home."
"Where do they live?"
"A couple miles from here." He paused.
"Do you have the address?"
He gave her a reluctant nod. "Maybe I can help, go with you or something."
She shook her head. She thought about how much she wanted to call her family. Her sisters would know what to do: Ali had always been the problem solver, and Nicole always knew exactly the right thing to say. But Cody couldn't call them. She couldn't call anyone, not without risking Ryan's safety.
She was in this alone. She couldn't take anyone's help, and especially not Travis's. Plus, she still had to think about what she could say. She wasn't sure it would be the same thing she told Travis. She didn't want to start rumors about Ryan's father that he would have to deal with when he was back. She ached. Of course he would be back. She shook herself mentally. She would go there, tell them whatever she had to in order to get help.
Travis left to get the address, and she set the untouched mug back on the tray. It was then that she realized Travis had made coffee for her, not hot chocolate. She put her hand on Peter's shoulder. "Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome. Will you call when you find him? And tell him I'd really like him to come spend the night sometime."
She smiled and nodded. "I promise to call."
"Don't worry, Mrs. O'Brien. I'm sure R.J.'s dad is taking care of him."
The image of Mark watching over Ryan brought tears trickling down her cheeks. She smiled through them. She prayed he was right.
She passed an antique wooden coat rack that she'd missed coming in. Bright-colored baseball caps hung off a few of the limbs like fruit off a tree. She stopped and pushed aside a heavy leather jacket. Behind it was the small red jacket that she'd sent Ryan to school in the day before. She turned back to Peter.
"He gave it to me when he took my jacket," Peter said. "I was going to give it back when he gave me mine." He paused.
She ran her hand over the smooth, satin-like fabric, forcing herself to refrain from leaning forward to smell it. She felt a large lump in the jacket pocket. She pulled out Ryan's handheld Gameboy and shook her head. He knew he wasn't supposed to take it to school. But the thought of her baby tucking it away in his pocket and sneaking it off to school
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