They entered the playroom and Jonathan ran to the toddler slide, yelling for everyone to watch him. She turned caring eyes to Victor, hoping maybe he’d confide in her.
“It’s nothing you need to worry about, my dear. Thank you.”
Reaching out, she touched his arm, something she rarely did. But maybe showing some compassion might help her reach the man, make him slip up in some way.
“I don’t like to see you so troubled. Is it the package Oscar brought in? I saw him deliver something to your office. I hope it didn’t upset you.”
Victor patted the hand on his arm. “You are too sweet, Callina. It’s one of the things Angelo loved about you. He always said you would be the perfect wife for a man like him. The package contained pictures of the monster who killed my son. He was almost within reach but somehow got away. I assure you wewillfind him and make him pay for what he did.”
Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away. Victor patted her hand again.
“I know, my dear, I miss him, too.”
He thought her tears were for Angelo. Well, let him think it. In the meantime, she wondered if she could take another risk and find any useful information to help Jack.
They watched Jonathan scamper from toy to toy for a while then went to dinner when Oscar informed them it was ready. Dinner was solemn, Victor talking about all the wonderful things Angelo had done, and Callie trying to keep from cringing. Luckily, Angelo had never pushed her in the sex department. It was apparent to her he’d preferred men over women, and was the main reason she’d agreed to continue seeing him to help the cops. Well, and Jack. Something about Jack had pulled her in and made her want to be in his presence. She still wanted to be there.
After dinner, Victor led them into the family room and pulled out a photo album. Jonathan climbed up next to him as he opened the book. This was a ritual whenever they came here. At some point Jonathan would become confused with the pictures of Angelo, but for now, he liked looking at them. What would she tell him then?
As she watched, she thought more and more about the future. Jonathan called Jack ‘daddy’now and had almost given that away at his birthday party. Could they keep it up? He was too young to understand he shouldn’t say things in front of Victor. It might become too risky. But the alternative was telling Jack to stay away and cutting all contact with his son. Her heart wept at the possibility.
An idea formed in her mind. Nothing too risky but perhaps she could find a little information that might be helpful. Pulling the diaper bag over, she took out her phone, muttering.
“Victor, my phone battery died. Do you think I could use yours? I promised Heather I would call her and let her know what time I’d be home tonight. She needed to pick up something she left at the house last week.”
“Of course, dear,” he said, offhandedly, still reminiscing with the photographs. “Use my office.”
Callie nodded her thanks, slipped her phone in her pocket then left the room. In his office she sat down at his desk and picked up his phone. Sure enough the cordless device stored all the numbers of recent calls. She quickly began to go through them, storing them in her own phone. Maybe they’d get lucky and one of the big wigs Victor had in his pocket had called recently.
She became so engrossed in this task she didn’t hear the door open until Oscar called to her.
“Miss, Mr. Cabrini says the young lad has fallen asleep on the couch.”
Shoving her phone back in her pocket, she hung up the one on the desk. “Thank you, Oscar. I guess it’s time to bring him home.”
Victor seemed uncomfortable when she walked in. Such a difference between him and Jack. Jack loved sitting with the sleeping boy in his lap. He’d stare at him, enjoying every second he had. Victor, on the other hand, looked like he had better places to be and needed the lump removed from his side.
“I’m sorry, Victor, Heather needed to tell me about her parents. Some problem they’re having with their house in Maui. I should get Jonathan in the car and head home.”
Scooping up her son, she rested him on her shoulder. “Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful as always.” She did mean that. Victor had one of the best cooks around.
He got to his feet, patted her shoulder then tousled Jonathan’s hair. The child barely stirred when she picked him up, put him in his car seat and drove away. At the first light, Callie clicked on her Bluetooth and pressed the number for Aunt Agatha. Jack would be worried when he saw her number. She never called him. Texting was one of her typical forms of communication. But she wanted him to know about the phone numbers.
As she waited for him to pick up, she said a little prayer that one of the numbers she’d gotten would be the key to Jack’s freedom. It would mean her freedom from Victor as well.
* * * *
“Mama, juice?”
Callie looked down from stacking brownies on a plate and smiled at her son.
“Hey, little cowpoke. You thirsty?”
Jonathan nodded and his cowboy hat slipped a bit. She pushed it back on his forehead then reached under the buffet table for the diaper bag with his sippy cup in it. She filled it with some of the juice on the table then handed it to him.
“Here you go, sweetie. Don’t drink it too fast.”
Jonathan took a few sips then handed it back, looking around the big room, his eyes wide as saucers. This was big doings for him. Last year he’d only been fourteen months old and she hadn’t done much with him for Halloween. The church housing the preschool he attended always threw a big party for the children and parents during the afternoon in lieu of going house to house at night, so she had allowed him to attend. And volunteered to help set up.
