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Daniel’s gaze connected with Samuel. “So what do you suppose they talked about?”
“I’ll call Alex. He’s out at the ranch with Cooper and the canine unit. He’s already had contact with Chavez. He can go back and interview him again.”
Ray tossed the folder on the desk. “What about the sister—Rita Morin?”
“We’ll see if we can get an address on her. Maybe Morin’s holed up with her.” Samuel got to his feet as well. “We’ll work that end. You coming, Daniel?”
Daniel’s cell phone rang before he could answer. He glanced at the Caller ID. His name came up. Ironically, it was still on all the accounts at the house. He worked his way between the desks, girding himself for the conversation. “Nicole, what’s up?”
“Pop.”
His son’s voice was small. He sounded even more tense than he had the night before. “Squirt, what’s the matter?”
“I can’t stay here anymore. I . . . I miss you, Pop.”
Daniel’s throat closed. “I miss you too,hijo. I’m doing the best I can to work this out.” Christopher sounded way too old for twelve. And so despondent. Daniel never imagined he’d do this to his own children. Divorce. The children paid . . . and paid. The pause stretched. “Hijo, are you still there? Did something else happen?”
“Me and Benny could share a room. I’d help keep it clean and everything.”
Daniel saw Samuel and Ray exchange concerned glances. He moved into the break room. “Look, kiddo, it’s not about the room, it’s not about the cleaning.”
“Benny lives with you. Why can’t I?” Anger mixed with hurt bled through the telephone line.
Daniel made a fist and pounded lightly on a countertop. His hand hurt with the effort not to smash something. “You know I love you, and I want you to be with me. I’m just afraid your mother—”
“She won’t care. She doesn’t care.”
Sniffling sounds filled the line. At twelve, Christopher never cried in front of him anymore. A well adjusted macho Latino kid. “Did you try to talk to your mom about her . . . about the . . . about her friend?”
Silence. Prolonged silence punctuated by a small sniffs. “She says he’s just a friend. She says not to worry.” His voice cracked. “She’s just like you. She says don’t worry like I’m some dumb kid who can’t figure things out.”
“You’re not dumb. You’re smart. Your mom knows that and I know that. I would love to have you live with me. But if I fight your mom on this, we might never get back together. Don’t you want us all to live together again?”
“Yeah. But I don’t think Mom does.”
“She does, she just doesn’t know it.”
“He came and picked her up for lunch. They still haven’t come back.”
Daniel swallowed words he hadn’t used in a long time. Reconciliation seemed farther away than ever. “They work together. Maybe they’re reviewing a case that they have a court setting for tomorrow.”
“Maybe.”
He wasn’t convinced and neither was Daniel. “I’ll talk to your mom. But you have to sit tight, let me do it. And try not to worry, okay? I love you, Squirt.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“I always call you that.” Christopher had been a preemie, born almost two months early. A tiny wizened monkey, who’d suddenly taken off and grown like crazy with the help of his mother’s milk. Daniel had called him Squirt from day one.
“I’m not little anymore.” Stubborn determination in his voice told Daniel his son had been wanting to get this off his chest for a while.
“Got it. I love you, Christopher, or would you prefer Chris?”
“Chris is fine. Love you, too, Pop. You’re gonna talk to Mom soon—right away—today, right?”
“Tomorrow. Tomorrow, at the counseling session. I promise.”
Daniel disconnected and leaned his forehead against the wood of the cabinet, willing the room to stop spinning. He hadn’t been able to swallow the croissant sandwiches Piper had brought over for dinner. His stomach roiled at the thought.
