Page 8 of Silent Echo
CHAPTER SEVEN
S he was already waiting in the kitchen when she heard Eli’s car pull into the garage. He ran inside and held out his hand. “Let me see the picture.”
She gave him her phone with the picture enlarged on the screen. “See. He’s right there in the green T-shirt.”
He stared at the screen for a long moment then looked at her with pity. “I’ll admit he looks like Sebastion, but the picture’s a bit blurry. I’m sorry, Char. I think it’s just a child who resembles him.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. How can you not see that this is him? Look at his leg.” She pointed. “The birthmark! It’s him. I know it’s him.”
“It’s not a clear picture, Char.” He sighed.
“Let’s sit,” he said, guiding her to the chairs at the kitchen table.
“Honey, you know what they said. The bus sank into the Chesapeake Bay. By the time they reached the bus it was too late, they had all drowned. There’s no way that Sebastion can be alive. ”
She gave him a cold look. “I’m perfectly aware of the details of the accident.
But I know my son. And that’s him in that picture.
Nothing you say will change my mind. I’m going to the police tomorrow and showing them this picture.
Then the bookstore will have to release the name of the woman who booked the party. I’m going to find him.”
“Be reasonable. All you’re going to do is make the insurance company dispute the claim. And for what? To chase down some child that looks like ours? I wish he were alive too. Don’t you think I wish there were some way this was all one big mistake? But it’s not. This is only going to set you back.”
“The insurance? Are you for real? I still don’t understand why you took out a hundred-thousand-dollar policy on our child!”
“It’s whole life, and I have policies for both Harper and Sebastion. It’s good financial planning. Don’t you remember, we talked about this.” He shook his head. “It would have been a nice nest egg for Sebastion when he grew up.” His voice caught. “I never thought …”
“Well, I don’t care if the insurance company tries to take it back. How can you even bring that up?”
He sighed. “Charlotte, you know our financial situation is still precarious. I used that money to pay the mortgage payments that were in arrears and the credit card debt we accrued before I went back to work. All I’m saying is, why raise a red flag?
As hard as it is to accept, Sebastion is gone.
If you try to reopen the case, they could make us pay that back. We’re not in a position to do that.”
She gave him an incredulous look. “The hell with the money. I’m going to find our son. I can’t even believe—”
“Charlotte, I’ve been a patient man. I’ve been both mother and father to Harper while you’ve slept the better part of a year away.
” He put his hand up. “Not that I’m blaming you.
But now that you are finally functioning again, you’re chasing ghosts.
That picture proves nothing. It’s not Sebastion.
You have to face the cold reality that he’s gone.
The first responders found the bus. It was underwater. There’s no way he survived that.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know that for sure since they didn’t find his body.”
“Remember what the report said. The bus driver wasn’t found, nor were some of the other children. He must have tried to help them get out, and they drifted off. Bodies are lost in the water every day. What do you think? Magically, a helicopter that no one saw came and pulled him out? It’s crazy.”
But she knew in her bones that her son was alive.
This wasn’t like the other times. “I don’t know how, but somehow, he escaped.
We’re missing something. I’m requesting a copy of the accident report.
I need to see who they identified and who they didn’t.
Our son is out there somewhere, and I’m going to find him. ”