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Chapter 7
My call withRoberta Herring convinced me. I couldn’t ignore a friend like Emily when she was in trouble. I felt like I needed to go to DC and look for her myself. Not that I doubted the FBI would be able to handle it. But if I was in DC, I might do things the FBI couldn’t.
The kids were at school, Brian at work, Juliana out with some friends. Mary Catherine and I were alone in the kitchen. She had shuffled in to grab a cup of coffee, still in her bathrobe. Even in terry cloth printed with a family photograph and a message from the kids—WE LOVE YOU, MARY CATHERINE—she looked like a model of beauty and grace.
Her blond hair hung loose down her back and created a halo effect around the top of her head. She had to be on board with this plan because there was no way I could go against her wishes.
We sat on the couch together. Then she realized something was up.
I reached across and held both of her hands.
“What’s wrong, Michael?”
“Emily Parker has disappeared in Washington, DC.”
“Oh, my Lord, that’s terrible. Do the police have any leads?”
I told her everything I had learned so far. Then I leaned in and said, “I feel like I should go down there and help look for her. I have no idea if the FBI will even talk to me. But Roberta Herring said she’d find me a liaison if I wanted to try.”
Then I waited. All I really wanted was to hear how Mary Catherine felt about the idea. She took longer than I thought. I felt surprisingly anxious, but then I remembered the depth of Mary Catherine’s compassion. She could no more ignore a friend in need than she could ignore one of the kids. She might have had reservations about my getting involved, but she knew I had to do something.
Then Mary Catherine looked me in the eyes and said, “If you really think you can help, you have to go to Washington. Emily’s an effective FBI agent, and she’s been too much help to this family for us to ignore her when she’s in trouble.”
There it was. One of the reasons I’d married her. Support. She didn’t hesitate to highlight that we were in this together. As a family. Helping people who needed help.
Emily and I definitely had a history, and Mary Catherine knew every detail, including that we almost took a shot at romance years before. Plus, she had eyes. She could see Emily was beautiful.
Even though I considered Mary Catherine in a class by herself, I couldn’t testify to her own insecurities. But that was one of the reasons I loved her. She didn’t believe in running away from problems.
All Mary Catherine asked was “How long will you be gone?”
I shrugged. I had no idea.
She said, “Please try to be home for Trent’s ceremony. I’ve never seen that boy so excited.”
I leaned across and kissed her on the lips. This was a woman who got me. Who could ask for anything more out of life?
