Read Online Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark - Free Book Online Page B

ma’am. We’ve had plenty of calls to the station, but they were all to express concern.”
    â€œHe’s vanished,” Catherine said, her voice lifeless. “While Tom and I have raised the boys to basically trust people, they also know how to deal with emergencies. Brian knew enough to go to a policeman if he was lost. He knew to dial 911. Somebody has taken him. Who would take and hold a seven-year-old child unless . . . ?”
    â€œCatherine, dear, don’t torture yourself,” her mother urged. “Everyone who heard you on the radio is praying for Brian. You must have faith.”
    Catherine felt frustration and anger rising inside her. Yes, she supposed she should have “faith.” Certainly Brian had faith—he believed in that St. Christopher medal, probably enough to have followed whoever picked up my wallet. He knew it was inside, she reasoned, and felt he had to get it back. She looked back at her mother, and at Michael beside her. She felt her anger ebb. It wasn’t her mother’s fault that any of this had happened. No, faith—even in something as unlikely as a St. Christopher medal—was a good thing.
    â€œYou’re right, Mom,” she said.
    From the receiver in his ear, Graham heard the anchorman say, “Over to you, Alan.”
    Stepping back from the car, he began, “Brian Dornan’s mother is still keeping watch at the spot where her son disappeared shortly after 5:00 P.M. Authorities believe Catherine Dornan’s theory that Brian may have seen someone steal her wallet and followed that person. The wallet contained a St. Christopher medal, which Brian was desperately anxious to bring to his father’s hospital bed.”
    Graham handed the microphone to Catherine. “Brian believes the St. Christopher medal will help his father get well. If I had had Brian’s faith, I would have guarded my wallet more carefully because the St. Christopher medal was in it. I want my husband to get better. I want my child,” she said, her voice steady despite her emotion. “In the name of God, if anyone knows what happened to Brian, who has him, or where he is, please, please call us.”
    Graham stepped back from the squad car. “If anyone who knows anything about Brian’s whereabouts is listening to that young mother’s pain, we beg you to call this number, 212-555-0748.”

11

    H er eyes filled with tears, her lip quivering, Cally turned off the radio. If anyone knows what happened to Brian . . .
    I tried , she told herself fiercely. I tried. She had dialed Detective Levy’s number, but when she heard his voice, the enormity of what she was about to do overwhelmed her. They would arrest her. They would take Gigi away from her again and would put her with a new foster family. If anyone knows anything about Brian’s whereabouts . . .
    She reached for the phone.
    From inside the bedroom she heard a wail and spun around. Gigi was having another nightmare. She rushed inside, sat down on the bed, gathered her child in herarms, and began rocking her. “Sshh, it’s okay, everything’s fine.”
    Gigi clung to her. “Mommy, Mommy. I dreamed that you were gone again. Please don’t go, Mommy. Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to live with other people ever, ever.”
    â€œThat won’t happen, sweetheart, I promise.”
    She could feel Gigi relax. Gently she laid her back on the pillow and smoothed her hair. “Now go back to sleep, angel.”
    Gigi closed her eyes, then opened them again. “Can I watch Santa Claus open his present?” she murmured.
    *   *   *
    Jimmy Siddons lowered the volume on the radio. “Your mom sure is flipping out about you, kid.”
    Brian had to keep himself from reaching out to the dashboard and touching the radio. Mom sounded so worried. He had to get back to her. Now she believed in the St. Christopher medal too. He