Page 12 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

“Did someone find you?” Ryan asked.

“No, I had to pee really bad, so I peeked out. Nobody was there, so I peed. I was really hungry, so I went to the office. Mary, she works at the motel, was in the office. She’s always nice, so I asked her if I could have something to eat. She asked me where Mommy and Daddy was, and I told her some men took them away. I guess she called the police ’cause they came and got me.”

“You did good, Sam,” Wyatt said. “What did the two men look like?”

“They had brown hair.”

“What else?”

Sam shrugged. “I don’t remember. Are you mad at me ’cause I don’t remember?”

“No, of course not. What about their eyes? Do you know what color they were?”

“Brown?”

“Okay. What about scars? Did either of the men have any scars on their faces or arms?”

“I don’t think so. Oh, they had a picture on their arms.”

“Like a tattoo?” Sam nodded, and Wyatt held out his arm. “Can you show me where?”

Sam pointed to the inside of his wrist.

“Very good, Sam. Did both men have a tattoo?”

“Uh-huh. I saw them when they picked up Mommy.”

“What did the tattoos look like?”

“I can draw a picture. I draw good.”

“Fantastic.” Wyatt glanced at Matti. “Can you get us a pencil and paper?”

“Sure.” She left, returning a minute later with pencil and a yellow legal pad. “Here you go.”

“You want me to draw now?” Sam said.

Wyatt nodded. “Yes, please.”

As Sam began to draw, his tongue poked out the side of his mouth as he concentrated on the picture he was making. He hadn’t lied. He could indeed draw very well, and the image that was emerging was disturbing.

When he finished, Sam handed the legal pad to Wyatt. “That’s what they looked like. I didn’t like them.”

Ryan didn’t blame the boy. He didn’t like them either. The skull and bones with flames coming out the top of the head was menacing. The eye sprockets were blackened in, and the mouth was open in a grimace with a row of teeth showing.

“And each man had one exactly like that on his wrist?” Wyatt asked.

Sam nodded.

Wyatt reached over and placed his hand on Sam’s knee. “Thank you, Sam. You’ve been a big help today.”

“You’ll put them in jail so they won’t come back?”

“I’m going to do my best.”

Sam looked up at Ryan. “Can I play with my fire truck now?”

“If Matti says it’s okay.” Sam kept turning to him for direction and approval, but he needed to get that from Matti. She was responsible for him. He’d noticed, though, that for some reason, she held herself back from Sam. She was caring and all that she should be, but there was distance between her and Sam and it was coming from her. He doubted Sam saw it, but he sensed it, which was why the boy kept turning to Ryan.