Missing Child by Patricia MacDonald

here now.’
    Caitlin was afraid to look at Noah. ‘I really need to change into something dry. Did you want something to drink? There’s probably soda or iced tea in the fridge.’
    Karla made a smoothing motion with her hands. ‘I’m fly.’
    ‘I’ll be right back,’ said Caitlin uncertainly. She looked at Noah. ‘Honey . . .?’
    Just then, one of the officers who were forever with them came out of the kitchen. ‘Mr Eckhart. Can I have a word?’
    ‘Sure,’ said Noah, standing up abruptly. ‘Nice talking to you, Karla.’
    ‘And to you too, Noah,’ said Karla. ‘I hope everything goes good and you get your boy back.’
    Noah scowled and followed the officer into the kitchen. Caitlin ducked into their bedroom, pulled off her wet things and threw on the first dry clothes she put her hands on. She felt as if she had to get Karla out of the living room and into some less public place, but judging by Noah’s expression it was already too late. She ran a comb through her hair and returned to the living room.
    She indicated a small, book-lined room off of the living room at the front of the house. ‘Why don’t we go into the den,’ Caitlin said. ‘It’s . . . cosier.’
    Karla nodded agreeably. ‘Whatever,’ she said.
    Caitlin led the way into the den and indicated a crewel-work embroidered wing chair. Karla settled herself into it, and Caitlin curled up in the leather club chair opposite it.
    ‘You seem different, Karla,’ said Caitlin. It was true. The girl she remembered from James’s junior high school days was sullen and monosyllabic. The crucifix was new as well. Karla’s religion had been prescription drugs, mainly stolen, as Caitlin remembered it. That was why she got arrested just before Caitlin’s family left Coatesville for South Jersey.
    ‘I am different,’ said Karla. ‘Truly different. I have found the way, and the light.’
    ‘Well, that’s great,’ said Caitlin.
    ‘My Lord Jesus Christ,’ said Karla unselfconsciously.
    ‘That’s good,’ said Caitlin. ‘I’m happy for you.’
    ‘Would you like it if we said a prayer together? For your son?’ Caitlin asked.
    ‘That’s all right,’ Caitlin demurred.
    ‘We all need the Lord’s help,’ Karla insisted. ‘I’m just saying.’
    ‘I know. There’s been . . . quite a lot of praying going on,’ said Caitlin.
    ‘I’m glad to hear that,’ said Karla. ‘I figured as much. On the Net it showed a lot of people around here trying to help.’
    ‘Everyone has been very kind,’ said Caitlin. She pulled a knitted throw over her legs. She was still shivering. ‘I must admit I . . . wasn’t expecting to see you here.’
    ‘Talk about the Lord working in mysterious ways. I was surfing the Net and I came across your video. It was getting a lot of hits ’cause people love to know about missing children. Me, too. I admit it,’ she said, raising her hands as if confessing to a love for choc-olate ice cream. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t even thinking about you and all of a sudden . . . Well, I could not believe my eyes,’ said Karla. ‘There you were, looking just the same as I remembered you. Not that I saw you all that much when I was with James. You used to work somewhere else . . . Where was it?’
    ‘In New England,’ said Caitlin. ‘I was at a college in Massachusetts.’ The shivering was getting worse. Her teeth were actually chattering. Karla did not seem to notice.
    ‘That’s right. I remember now. James always said you were the smart one.’
    Caitlin nodded, pained at the mention of her brother.
    ‘I wish I coulda been here when James died,’ Karla continued. ‘First they said I could go to the memorial, but when they found out it was out of state they said no. I cried and cried. It was like the worst day of my life.’
    ‘I don’t . . . like to think about that time,’ said Caitlin.
    Karla would not be deterred. ‘When I got out, I organized a memorial service for him at my church. It wasn’t