Page 18 of Little Child Gone (Nikki Hunt #10)

Christy brushed the tears off her cheeks.

“After Taylor’s father, Steve, left, I had no one to turn to for help,” Christy said.

“I was a foster kid. They threw me out when I got pregnant. I was so young and stupid, thinking that Steve was going to save me. Taylor was five weeks old when Steve disappeared, leaving me with rent and other bills I couldn’t pay because I hadn’t gone back to work yet.

I ended up working on the streets and got pregnant with Amelia.

I knew I couldn’t raise two kids living like I was, so I took a job at McDonald’s and worked as many shifts as I could.

By the time Amelia came, I’d moved into a tiny, two-bedroom apartment in a decent area of Indianapolis.

” Christy focused on her French manicure.

“I worked two jobs for a long time, but the three of us were close. It was us against the world.”

“How did the two of you meet?” Nikki asked.

“I was working at the 1933 Lounge in Indianapolis. It’s an upscale cocktail bar with fantastic tippers.” Christy leaned against Jared. “It was love at first sight for me.”

“Me, too,” Jared said. “Seven months later, we were married. Taylor and my son Caden were co-ushers and Amelia was the flower girl.”

“How long have you two been married?”

“Almost eight years.” Jared squeezed Christy’s shoulders.

“The kids all get along?”

“Oh yeah, Caden is a gentle soul,” Jared said. “His mother died from breast cancer when he was a year old. I was in residency and my hours were awful. He spent more time with sitters than me until he met Christy.” He squeezed her. “I’m so lucky they bonded.”

Christy wiped her tears. “I fell in love with him even faster. He’s mine.”

Their love for the kids warmed Nikki’s heart. “Tell us more about Taylor?”

“He’s smart,” Jared said. “Quiet.” He looked at Christy. “Introvert, don’t you think?”

“He is,” she agreed. “He learned Spanish really quickly after Jared offered to teach him. The move from Indianapolis was hardest on him.”

“Greenwood,” Jared corrected her. “It’s a suburb of Indianapolis.

I hated to move the kids from school, but HCMC offered me more money as an attending, and they allow me to have office hours to work on cosmetic procedures.

” He shrugged. “I love working in the ER. I deal with all sorts of facial injuries, flexor sheath injuries in the hand, skin grafts. You get the picture.”

“But the cosmetic stuff pays better?” Nikki assumed.

“Just a little bit, and when you have four kids, every dollar matters.”

“Four?” Nikki asked.

“Penny is three,” Christy said. “For the first time in my life, I’m able to be a stay-at-home mom. She’s with Amelia and Caden.”

“You worked before she was born?” Nikki asked.

“I did, but not at the bar. Jared got me an administrative job at county. We were together all the time.”

“How did the older kids feel about the move?” Miller asked.

“Caden was fine with it,” Christy said. “He’s that kind of kid. Amelia was sad, but she understood and was excited for a change of scenery. Taylor wasn’t happy at first, but he’s a Twins fan, so he came around by the time we moved.”

“No resentment about it?” Miller asked.

“Not that he really showed,” Jared answered. “The only issue we’ve had—other than his and Christy’s battles—was a fight at school. Taylor stood up to some kid who’d been bullying his sister. I don’t have a problem with that, even if he did get suspended for a week.”

“I do.” Christy flushed. “Violence isn’t the answer.”

“Of course it isn’t.” Jared gave Nikki and Miller a look that made it clear he was only humoring his wife.

“You mentioned battles between the two of you,” Nikki addressed Christy. “I have to ask, did they ever turn physical?”

“I would never hurt my children. Taylor hasn’t forgiven me for his early childhood being so chaotic.”

“He’s also at the age where he thinks he knows everything.”

“He doesn’t talk to you the same way?” Nikki asked Jared.

“I don’t have the past with him that Christy does,” Jared said. “And I think it’s easier to be mean to flesh and blood sometimes.”

“What do you mean, past?” Miller asked.

“It was still rough after Amelia was born for a few years,” Christy said.

“I couldn’t always afford a babysitter and relied on Taylor too much.

” She covered her face with her hands. “It’s all my fault.

I’ve failed him from the beginning. I should have gone into Menards and talked to the manager instead of leaving and going to bed. ”

Miller asked for a list of friends and contacts in Indianapolis Taylor may have reached out to. Jared handed him a folded paper he’d taken out of his pocket. “I went ahead and wrote that down for you. I’ve also put Neena and Logan’s information. They’ll be at band practice.”

“Do you mind if I look at Taylor’s room?” Nikki asked. “It helps me get a feel for someone.”

“Of course,” Jared said. “The kids are upstairs. Should we call them down so you can talk to them before you head upstairs?”

“Please do. Do all three know what’s going on?”

Jared retrieved his iPhone from his scrub pocket again and started texting.

“Penny just knows Taylor’s not here, but we told her he had to go to school early.

One of us will distract her while you talk to Caden and Amelia.

He hasn’t called either one of them,” Jared added.

“That’s what scares the hell out of me. Even if he was so mad at his mom that he decided not to keep me in the loop, he wouldn’t put his siblings through this. Kids are headed downstairs.”

Amelia led the way, her dark curls framing her face. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. Caden followed, holding little Penny’s hands. She was blond like her father, but Jared’s son Caden looked a lot more like Amelia than his dad.

Penny ran to her father, and Jared scooped her up, snuggling her neck.

“Why are all these people here?” she asked him. “Where’s Taylor?”

“He’s not here right now, sweet pea.” Jared motioned for the older kids to sit at the table across from the counter. “Amelia, Caden, this is Sheriff Miller and FBI Agent Nikki Hunt.”

Amelia stared at Nikki. “They called in the FBI?”

Nikki smiled at the two older kids. “Sheriff Miller asked me to help.”

“Who’s the FBI?” Penny wiggled in her father’s arms.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Jared said. “Chris, I’m going to get her dressed while you guys talk.”

Christy had been sitting silently, staring into space.

She nodded at her husband. Jared looked at the older kids sitting at the table.

“We don’t care if you’re keeping secrets for your brother.

Hell, we don’t have to know what they are.

Mom can leave the room if you need her to, but you need to tell these people if Taylor confided something in you, okay? ”

Amelia and Caden nodded. Jared left the room with Penny chattering the entire time.

“Your father is right.” Christy finally spoke to her older children. “No one is going to be in trouble.”

Caden and Amelia looked at each other but didn’t say anything. Nikki walked over to the table and sat down across from them. “Can you tell us when you last talked to your older brother?”

“Yesterday morning, before school.” Caden’s voice cracked. “He had to work last night.”

Amelia picked at her fingernails. “He texted me at lunchtime yesterday.”

“About anything specific?” Nikki asked.

“Just about how bad lunch was.” Amelia fought fresh tears. “I don’t understand why he hasn’t called at least one of us or told Dad where he is.”

“Did you know about the last time?” Christy demanded. “That he texted Jared he was okay and let me worry all night?”

Both kids looked at each other but said nothing.

Christy stood, shoving the barstool beneath the bar, making sure the stool lined up with the others at the counter.

“I need to get some fresh air. You have my permission to continue talking to the kids.” She left the big kitchen, taking most of the air out of the room.

“Mom’s just worried,” Caden said. “I’m sure she feels guilty.”

“Why?” Miller asked.

“She always feels guilty about something,” he answered. “She just worries a lot about everything being just right and doing everything just right.”

“For Penny,” Amelia corrected him. “She’s trying to make up for me and Taylor’s childhoods, even though we know she did the best she could.”

“She seems to think Taylor has some resentment.”

“He does,” Amelia answered. “About the whole situation. But not really at her. She just takes it that way.” Her eyes met Nikki’s, and she could tell the teenager had realized they weren’t helping their mom look any better in this situation.

“She’s a good mom. She’s just never forgiven herself for some things. ”

“Sometimes it’s easier to forgive other people for their mistakes than yourself,” Nikki said. “Were you two up when your mom came back without Taylor?”

Both nodded. “She came upstairs and told us he’d done it again and checked our phones to make sure he hadn’t texted us.”

Fresh tears spilled from Amelia’s eyes. “I told her not to worry, that he was probably being a brat again and to go to sleep. She probably would have gone looking for him if I hadn’t.”

Nikki wanted to hug her. “Honey, I don’t think you’re being fair to yourself. Your mom followed her instincts, and that’s okay. We’re not judging her. I know it’s hard raising teenagers.”

“Do you remember when your dad got home this morning?” Miller asked.

“He was home just as we were getting up at five thirty,” Amelia said. “Why?”

“We just need to make sure we have the timeline right,” Nikki said. “Your parents said Taylor had gotten into a disagreement with another student because they’d said something to you. Can you tell us about that?”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“Because when someone goes missing, we have to talk to every single person they ever had an issue with,” Nikki said. “We can’t figure out what happened until we rule them out.”