Read Online Private Berlin by James Patterson, Mark Sullivan - Free Book Online
Authors: James Patterson, Mark Sullivan
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again,
that’s how you grow up when you don’t have a father.
“I’ve got some troubling news,” Mattie said at last.
Niklas’s face tightened. “You’re working next weekend again?”
Mattie hesitated, still unsure of what to say and how to say it.
Niklas got up, dropping the cat and barging by his mother. “You promised we could go to the lake and canoe again. It’ll be
too cold soon!”
“Niklas!” Mattie said sharply. “It’s Chris. That’s why Socrates is here.”
Her son stopped and looked back at her, his face suddenly pale and puzzled as the cat arched and rubbed against his ankles.
“What?”
“He’s missing, Niklas. Chris is missing.”
Niklas appeared even more confused. “What does that mean?”
“No one knows where he is,” Mattie said, deciding not to tell him about the chip that was found. “And he’s been gone a long
time without anyone hearing from him. Too long.”
Niklas picked up Socrates, held him tight to his chest, and asked, “Who was he with? What was he working on?”
“I don’t know.”
“You used to know everything. You always knew what he was doing.”
“Niklas, I…”
Niklas’s expression turned bitter. “If you hadn’t said you weren’t going to marry him, you might know where Chris is. He’d
probably be right here watching the game with me!”
Mattie’s son burst into tears and stormed off down the hall toward his bedroom, holding on to Socrates like he was his last
friend on earth.
CHAPTER 18
MATTIE’S AUNT CÄCILIA witnessed the entire episode. Upset, rubbing her hands on her apron, she shouted, “Niklas, come back here. You come back
here and apologize to your mother right now!”
But Niklas slammed the door to his bedroom shut behind him.
Mattie put her hand on her aunt’s shoulder. “Let him go. He’s right. Chris and I used to share everything. I would have known.”
Her aunt looked ready to argue, but then caught the tension in Mattie. “But he’s just missing, right? Couldn’t he have gone
on a vacation?”
“No. Definitely not a vacation.”
“Then…”
“I need to go talk to Niklas.”
Her aunt nodded. “And then you come eat. Schnitzel with lemon zest.”
Mattie kissed Cäcilia on her cheek and went down the hall to her son’s room. She knocked. He didn’t answer. She twisted the
knob. Locked.
“Nicky? Can I come in?”
Several moments later she heard the lock freed. She went into the bedroom of her soccer-mad son. A big poster of Cassiano
hung above his bed.
Niklas climbed back onto his bed and curled himself around Socrates, who purred. Mattie sat on the bed next to them and rubbed
her son’s back.
“You have the right to be upset,” she said.
For several moments, Niklas showed no reaction, but then he asked, “Is Chris alive, Mom?”
“We have to believe so.”
“And if he’s not?”
Mattie did not answer.
“Why don’t you still love him, Mom?”
Mattie’s lower lip trembled. “I do love Chris. And I love you, and we’re going to get through this.”
“And get him back?”
“If it’s in my power. Now it’s time for pajamas and toothbrushes.”
“No book?”
“Aunt C will read to you,” she promised. “I’m starving.”
The cat meowed, squirmed from Niklas’s hold, and pranced to the door.
“Looks like he’s hungry too,” Mattie said.
“There’s still some dry food that Chris left.”
“I know where it is.”
She left her son’s room, returned to the kitchen, and saw that her aunt had already found the cat food. It was in a bowl next
to another filled with water. Socrates went to the food and ate hungrily.
“And your supper is on the table,” Cäcilia said.
Mattie kissed the old woman’s cheek again. “Niklas’s almost ready for you to read a little Harry Potter to him.”
“I’ll need to find my glasses then,” Cäcilia said, pulling off her apron.
Mattie went to the table and had her aunt’s incomparable schnitzel with
that’s how you grow up when you don’t have a father.
“I’ve got some troubling news,” Mattie said at last.
Niklas’s face tightened. “You’re working next weekend again?”
Mattie hesitated, still unsure of what to say and how to say it.
Niklas got up, dropping the cat and barging by his mother. “You promised we could go to the lake and canoe again. It’ll be
too cold soon!”
“Niklas!” Mattie said sharply. “It’s Chris. That’s why Socrates is here.”
Her son stopped and looked back at her, his face suddenly pale and puzzled as the cat arched and rubbed against his ankles.
“What?”
“He’s missing, Niklas. Chris is missing.”
Niklas appeared even more confused. “What does that mean?”
“No one knows where he is,” Mattie said, deciding not to tell him about the chip that was found. “And he’s been gone a long
time without anyone hearing from him. Too long.”
Niklas picked up Socrates, held him tight to his chest, and asked, “Who was he with? What was he working on?”
“I don’t know.”
“You used to know everything. You always knew what he was doing.”
“Niklas, I…”
Niklas’s expression turned bitter. “If you hadn’t said you weren’t going to marry him, you might know where Chris is. He’d
probably be right here watching the game with me!”
Mattie’s son burst into tears and stormed off down the hall toward his bedroom, holding on to Socrates like he was his last
friend on earth.
CHAPTER 18
MATTIE’S AUNT CÄCILIA witnessed the entire episode. Upset, rubbing her hands on her apron, she shouted, “Niklas, come back here. You come back
here and apologize to your mother right now!”
But Niklas slammed the door to his bedroom shut behind him.
Mattie put her hand on her aunt’s shoulder. “Let him go. He’s right. Chris and I used to share everything. I would have known.”
Her aunt looked ready to argue, but then caught the tension in Mattie. “But he’s just missing, right? Couldn’t he have gone
on a vacation?”
“No. Definitely not a vacation.”
“Then…”
“I need to go talk to Niklas.”
Her aunt nodded. “And then you come eat. Schnitzel with lemon zest.”
Mattie kissed Cäcilia on her cheek and went down the hall to her son’s room. She knocked. He didn’t answer. She twisted the
knob. Locked.
“Nicky? Can I come in?”
Several moments later she heard the lock freed. She went into the bedroom of her soccer-mad son. A big poster of Cassiano
hung above his bed.
Niklas climbed back onto his bed and curled himself around Socrates, who purred. Mattie sat on the bed next to them and rubbed
her son’s back.
“You have the right to be upset,” she said.
For several moments, Niklas showed no reaction, but then he asked, “Is Chris alive, Mom?”
“We have to believe so.”
“And if he’s not?”
Mattie did not answer.
“Why don’t you still love him, Mom?”
Mattie’s lower lip trembled. “I do love Chris. And I love you, and we’re going to get through this.”
“And get him back?”
“If it’s in my power. Now it’s time for pajamas and toothbrushes.”
“No book?”
“Aunt C will read to you,” she promised. “I’m starving.”
The cat meowed, squirmed from Niklas’s hold, and pranced to the door.
“Looks like he’s hungry too,” Mattie said.
“There’s still some dry food that Chris left.”
“I know where it is.”
She left her son’s room, returned to the kitchen, and saw that her aunt had already found the cat food. It was in a bowl next
to another filled with water. Socrates went to the food and ate hungrily.
“And your supper is on the table,” Cäcilia said.
Mattie kissed the old woman’s cheek again. “Niklas’s almost ready for you to read a little Harry Potter to him.”
“I’ll need to find my glasses then,” Cäcilia said, pulling off her apron.
Mattie went to the table and had her aunt’s incomparable schnitzel with
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