the after that was the problem. And I don’t mean from me, if that’s what you’re thinkin’.” She pointed emphatically. “Sharing a bed was no picnic when Cal tooted up a storm. That stink could’ve knocked out a bear.”
Ellis couldn’t help but laugh again. “That bad, huh?”
“You wouldn’t think something so big could come out of a person that small, and not just from chickpeas. This other time, my brother took on a dare to…” She stopped there, and her gaze lowered to the ground, her joy vanishing with her words.
“What?” Ellis pressed gently. “What’d your brother do?”
She shook her head, adamant. “I don’t got—have—a brother.”
Ellis peered at her, stunned by the lie. The girl had obviously been coached. He was suddenly as eager as he was fearful to probe further. Bracing himself, he lowered to a squat and met her at eye level. “You know, you first asked me why I came. Well, it’s actually about Calvin. If you have any idea where he went, I was hoping you’d tell me.”
She curled her bottom lip. Her reluctance was clear, yet Ellis couldn’t let up.
“The thing is, I swore I’d make sure he’s okay. And I’m trying to keep that promise. But I’m not sure I can without your help.”
Studying his face, she considered his plea. Quietly she answered, “He’s with Mama.”
Ellis cocked his head before he distinguished the reference. “You mean Mrs. Millstone? The mother you live with now.”
“No,” she told him. “My old mama.”
Now he was truly perplexed. “You’re saying your mama—Geraldine—kept Calvin.”
After a moment, Ruby issued a nod.
The claim made no sense. It didn’t line up with accounts from the cabbie and the train clerk, even Geraldine herself.
“That sure is interesting to hear. See, I was told that you and Calvin rode the train with Mr. Millstone. All the way to California. Then you moved here, to Jersey, with Mrs. Millstone too.”
Ruby nodded again.
At the boardinghouse, maybe Ellis had given Geraldine enough details to locate the children on her own. Over the past week, had she reconsidered her stance? Had she managed to take her son back?
Just then, past Ruby’s shoulder, Ellis saw the teacher starting in his direction. Time was running out. “And what happened next?”
“After school one day,” Ruby said, “I got a letter from Mama. I was so excited ’cause I thought she was finally better and it was time to go home. To our farm home.”
So, the girl knew her mother was sick, maybe all along.
“What’d the letter say?”
“That she loved me very much…but…but he could only afford to look after one of us.” Ruby’s voice thinned, and tears welled in her eyes. “Since I’m older, Calvin needed her more. That’s why she’d come to fetch him.”
The bell rang.
Recess was over.
Desperate for a delay, Ellis wished he could comfort her. “Honey, I’ve got to know. Did you ever see your mom? When she came to get Calvin.”
Ruby shook her head. “It’d be too hard for her. To say goodbye again.”
“But how do you know? Did someone—”
“Sir, may I help you?”
Ellis met the teacher’s grimness with an instant smile. “Morning, ma’am.” Grudgingly he rose. “I was just happening by. As a friend of the family, thought I’d say hello.”
The woman looked to Ruby. “Is that so?” A strained pause, then the child nodded. Thankfully. “All the same, these are school hours. In the future, your visits would be best kept to the family’s personal time.”
“Right. I’ll definitely do that.”
The teacher pivoted sharply on her heels. She flicked her hand toward the other children, all funneling into the school. “Back inside, Victoria!”
Ruby shot Ellis a final glance before following the order, leaving him astounded once more. The girl was now being called Victoria.
She’d been stripped not only of her family, but even of her name.
• • •
The minute Ellis returned to the paper, he phoned the sanitarium. The director, now aware of Ellis, put Geraldine on the line. Calmly, Ellis asked about a letter to Ruby. No details of its content or other mentions of Ruby’s story, nor of the girl’s renaming.
Just as he’d feared, Geraldine was at a loss. Ellis sloughed off the letter as an apparent misunderstanding. And her request that followed—asking him to peek in on the kids every so often—further confirmed his suspicions.
Geraldine had never come for her son.
Lily was right to be concerned. Either the couple had given Calvin away or something grave had happened while Ruby was off at school. The latter could explain Sylvia’s reaction.