as well. A cry bubbles out of Yates before he breaks down again.
“My bairns had a wee spot of fun, but Nan is gon’ take care of ye right. Leith, get yerself a nap. When ye wake, the lad will have finally wished for death.”
As I start toward the door, Mam’s muttering how her boys have “played nice.”
“I’ll call ye when I need him finished,” Mam calls after me. She always tells Da or little Brody not to murder anyone underneath her roof. I guess the same rules apply to her too.
My brain’s shutdown. I’m wheeling into my auld room where Chevelle and I slept midday yesterday when I see the bed is empty. My eyes peel open to see if she’s still here.
Wishful feckin’ thinking. The shutters are open, and the morning sun streams into the empty room.
Stay awake. I tell myself, “Find her. Apologize, get on yer feckin’ knees and beg.” My mind starts considering a candlelight dinner for two on some far off, tropical island when someone wee jumps on my back. I realize I hadn’t followed through with searching for my wife when I roll over and end up on the floor.
Mia’s knees go into my stomach. She uses my chest and abdomen like a bouncy house. “Daddy, I want Fruit Loops!”
In the time it takes me to form a response, I hear myself snore, and Mia continues to use my abs like a playground.
“Where’s yer mam?” I croak.
“She left us.” This particular use of my body, like an inflatable fun house, sends her wee knees into my baws.
“Oh, shite,” I groan, voice dry. With my face planted into the carpet, I determine that it’s okay to stay here. My bairn put me down permanently.
While my baws pulsate in pain, I struggle to find the words. “Ye’re killin’ me, Mia! Find yer mam.”
“I said Mommy’s gone. Uncle Jamie said she no come back. I asked Uncle Lachlan and Uncle Rory. They said she no come back too. They made me and Jake cry.”
I lurch into a seated position. “Yer mam would never leave . . . us.” I probably should have been more specific and said “ye,” but I’m being hopeful. “Mummy went for a walk. When did she go?”
“Before pizza came.”
“Ye had pizza for breakfast?” I yawn. “Then why are ye bothering me about Fruit Loops?”
I’m about to commence with the pirate monologue when she says, “Last night.” I pull Mia down into my lap on the ground. “Daddy’s gonna brush his teeth. Take a shower, go to the store, and buy Fruit Loops. But can ye be so kind, please, to give Daddy a moment? A wee moment to do all these things for ye?”
“Yeah!”
“Then skedaddle.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Smiling, she climbs up, runs off, and trips on nothing in particular. In five, four, three, I go through the motions.
I jump up, go into the en suite bathroom, close the door, and pull the cellphone from my jeans. Sucking it up, I phone Chevelle. It rings and rings, then goes to voicemail.
“Beautiful, my queen, my heart, ye have a right to be angry with me. Come . . . home . . .” Feck, we dinna have a home to come to. “And be angry. I refuse to let one mistake—work-related, no cheating, none whatsoever—ruin what we have. Ye gave me a bonny wee, wee, wee lassie. Mia needs us.” I grovel on and on like this until the message is interrupted with a query about needing more time.
“Aye, more time!” I slam the cellphone into the wall, transitioning into phase two. I go into full paranoia panic mode.
If Chevelle’s not here, then where is she?
Is she with Michie?
“Och, we’ll feckin’ see about that.”
Chapter 53
Chevelle
A sweltering sun shines down when we reach the drive-through town Justice fled to. I’ve turned a twelve-hour drive to New Mexico into an eight-hour sprint and still didn’t have time to let Leith’s mess percolate. The town is miles away from any interstate freeways and an hour past Albuquerque. The main street has a McDonald’s, so we meet her there.
“Thanks, but don’t embarrass me,” I say as Brody holds the door open.
“Och, quit acting like a bitch.”
“Call me—”
“I said acting, Chevelle. I’ve never called ye out by name—can’t say the same for ye. Get yer ears checked, sweetheart.”
Pawing at his beard, Brody walks on. The McDonald’s has a playhouse in the rear. Many of the patrons are scattered close to the play area exit. Justice is in a corner booth,