Chapter 23
Callie
How awful issilence when all you want is for it to be full of sound, some sign of something other than your complete insignificant life on this planet. Ben’s silence wasdeafening.
If there was a baby in the house, he made no noise. Not a cry, not a gurgle or coo. I ran, mind racing into each room, tearing open closets and cabinets, drawers and boxes. Each place came upempty.
In the living room, paramedics rushed Dylan onto a gurney. "Multiple stab wounds…loss ofblood…"
On the middle of the carpet was Dylan's work bag, his tools spilling out of it. A wrench and a sharply pointed plier lay on top, soaked with thick redblood.
“Dylan?” My voice cracked inagony.
“Cal…” He coughed, and blood flecked across hislips.
I started crying, wiping quickly at my tears so he wouldn’t see. There was so muchblood.
“I-I’m here,” I stammered, trying to calm the hysteria rising in my stomach. “Dylan? Where’s…where’sBen?”
His eyes closed, and a soft whimper escaped from his mouth as he tried to repeat my name.Please God, don’t let my name be the last word on his lips. Please God, don’t let himdie.
His body stilled, and I instantly panicked. "Dylan? Dylan! Stay with us, Dylan!" I touched one of his hands and held it in mine, and tears streamed down my cheeks. “Where’s the baby?Dylan?”
He needed to wake up. His head lay limp on the thin white pad of the stretcher. His blood spread on the white sheets, a stain that grew as quick as my heart wasbeating.
Dylan?
I was just going to shake him and wake him up. He needed to tell me he was okay.I just need him to tell me he was okay and Ben wasokay.
“Where’s Ben? Where’s Ben? Dylan, please no. Don’t leaveme!”
They pushed the gurney out of the house in a mad dash, clanking it down the front steps and right into the back of theambulance.
Someone held me back. Strong arms wrapped tightly around me, pinning my body against theirs. “Detective Ward? Callie? Focus. Come on,focus!”
I stilled, staring at the window, watching them close the back doors of the ambulance. “Where’sBen?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, Ward, so just calm down and take abreather.”
“Right. We’re trying to find him.” I needed to focus on findingBen.
I inhaled slow and deep. I didn’t want anyone to make me leave. I didn’t want someone telling me I couldn’t be here because I was too involved in the situation. My limbs shook, and I just nodded my head in response to the officer who was holdingme.
“I’m good, I’m good. You can let me gonow.”
The officer hesitated for a moment before I was free. “Thank you,” I said, putting my trembling fingers on his arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. I cleared my throat and put my game face on. “I’m good. Let’s search the houseagain.”
I scrambled into the corners of the room, turning over furniture and toys as I went. The actual crime scene was blocked by dozens of uniforms, pointing andtalking.
“Everybody needs to quiet down. We need to listen for ababy.”
Maybe I missed somewhere.Did I check thebathtub?
I ran through the hallway and rounded the corner into the bathroom, slamming into anotherofficer.
“Is there a baby in there?” Isobbed.
“No baby on the entire first floor,Detective.”
