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Bo's Journey Home - Chapter 5   Monday, June 23rd, 2003 8:30 PM LPD   Bo mulled over Nora’s brief account of her moments with Matthew that day. It wasn’t much. She had brought him to day camp, kissed him good-bye, reminded him to take the bus to Maryann’s house, and then watched him walk towards the baseball fields and the other kids. Maryann normally had him back to Nora’s by 5:00, but when she got home tonight at about 6:15, he was not there and Maryann said he did not get off the bus at her house. Bo voiced his thoughts out loud. “Maybe he missed the bus; or forgot to take it.” Bo went to his office door and called out to Antonio.   Antonio came to Bo’s office door, looking down at his notes and spoke before Bo had a chance.   “Commissioner, I have some officers along with the State Police over at the day camp, looking around. I have a call into the camp administrator; I’m waiting for a call back. I sent two officers over to the bus company that has the contract for the day camp to talk with the driver of Matthew’s bus…he paused, looking up, before continuing… and I sent Tim Garner over to Nora’s house, just in case Matthew’s gotten home in the past hour.”   Bo nodded his approval. “Great, I was thinking the same thing about the camp and the bus.”   Antonio spoke quietly, looking over at Nora on the sofa. “Commissioner, do you think someone might have taken him?”   Bo pulled Antonio out of his office so Nora wouldn’t hear. “I don’t know what to think right now. I just want to find him.” Bo was interrupted by one of his officers, clearing his throat.   “What is it Quinn?” asked Bo.   “Excuse me Commissioner,” the officer said, “but Detective Vega, your mother is on the phone. She says its’ urgent.”   Antonio hurried to his desk, concern on his face, grabbing his phone. “Mommy?”   Bo walked back into his office. Nora was still on his sofa, a distant look in her eye. He sat beside her, taking her hand in both of his, calling to her softly. “Nora, honey?” She looked at him, still not really seeing him. Bo massaged her hand between both of his. He used to do it all the time to calm her or reassure her. It was something natural and familiar that had always existed between them. He spoke to her softly. “I will find Matthew. I promise you.”   Nora had tears swelling her eyes. “I can’t lose him too, Bo. I just can’t.”   Bo thought her comment was about Sam. It stung, but he had to put his feelings aside for now. All that mattered was finding his son. Sitting across from Bo, all Nora could think about their son. Losing Bo was the hardest thing she ever had to get over, but to lose Matthew, their son, HIS son, would kill her. Matthew was all she had left of the love she had shared with Bo. Losing Matthew would kill them both.   Bo spoke to her gently, as if reading her thoughts. “We won’t lose him. I’m calling Vicki and Renee. I want you to go home and…”   Nora interrupted him. “I’m not leaving here.”   Antonio interrupted both of them. “Commissioner. Nora.” They both looked up at him. “My mother’s phone call, it was about Matthew. She says she found Matthew’s baseball bat and glove at the diner. When she saw the Amber alert, she thought it might be important.” Bo and Nora stood at the same time.   Nora started quickly for the door. “Let’s go.”   Bo grabbed her, standing in front of her to face her, his hands on both of her arms. “Whoa, there. You’re not going.”   Nora angrily tried to shake off his grasp. “You can’t stop me from going with you. He’s my son.”   Bo pulled her in close to his chest with his one hand, cupping the side of her face gently with his other hand. He leaned his face in close to her and whispered softly, so Antonio wouldn’t hear him. “Our son,” he corrected her, his face inches from hers, staring into her eyes. “Let me and Antonio go. I will call you if I find out anything.” Nora started to object and Bo continued softly. “Nora, please? I need you to go back to your house and wait there. If Matthew tries to call, you should be there. Matthew needs you to be there. You have to trust me.”   Nora looked deep into his penetrating blue eyes, seeing the struggle he was having keeping his own feelings in check; the intellectual cop against the emotional father. “And it was worse for him,” she thought. “No one even knew Bo was Matthew’s father. He was suffering through this in silence.” She slowly nodded in agreement. “All right. I’ll go home. But promise me that you will call me, with anything!”   Bo nodded. “You know I will. I’ll have one of my officers go with you.” Before he had a chance to release her, she leaned in, her lips almost touching his. “Just find our son,” she whispered. She was so close he could feel her breath against his lips. She kissed the side of his cheek right next to the corner of his mouth. Bo pulled back slightly, a strange sensation tingling where her lips had just touched his face. He nodded and released her. He then turned to the officer named Quinn. “Take Ms. Buchanan back to her home. And stay with her,” he added.   Officer Quinn nodded. “Yes sir.”   Antonio and Bo left together and the officer escorted Nora to her home. On the way to the diner, Bo took out his cell phone to call Renee and found it was turned off. He turned it on and saw he had a voice mail. When he checked it, it was Nora’s call at about 6:30. He frowned a moment, thinking. “Damn it, Gabrielle.” He had to put that thought away for the moment. He would deal with her later. He called Renee to fill her in. She promised to call Vicki and head over to Nora’s house. Antonio and Bo arrived in record time at the diner, lights flashing. They spoke with Carlotta, who really didn’t know anything; just that she had found the bat and glove with Matthew’s name on them on the floor by a booth just in front of the counter. She had been in the kitchen all afternoon and had not seen Matthew that day. Her afternoon waitress, Roxanne, had left for the day but Carlotta had called her and she was on her way back to the diner.   Monday Night, June 23rd, 2003 The Waterfront Matthew worked slowly on the chili, his stomach still in the spin cycle from swallowing so much water and maybe from the knock on his head. Harry looked over at Matthew’s full bowl of food. “Don’t like it?” he asked. Matthew shook his head. “It’s not that. My stomach is still…” He paused.   Harry nodded. “You swallowed a lot of water.” He pointed to Matthew’s head. “…and banged your head pretty hard, I suspect.” Harry continued eating. After a few minutes, he looked back at Matthew. “Want to tell me why you were walking around the dock this time of night, alone, carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? You’re a little young to be out on your own.”   Matthew stared down into the bowl of chili before answering. “I don’t know.”   Harry continued casually, still eating his dinner. “Most folks wandering down here are either running from something or trying to find something.” He paused, looking up at Matthew. “Which is it for you?”   Matthew shrugged, still moving the spoon around in the bowl but not eating. “Maybe a little of both.”   Harry jerked his head at Matthew’s food. “You done with that?”   Matthew nodded. Harry picked up their bowls and carried them to the kitchen counter. He cleaned up quickly and turned to face Matthew, as he leaned against the sink, drying his hands on a dish towel. “Why don’t you tell me what made you jump into that water?”   Matthew objected. “I didn’t jump, I fell.”   Harry nodded, not quite sure he believed him yet.“Okay then. Fell into the water.”   Matthew shrugged again. “I wasn’t paying attention to how close I was to the edge.”   Harry spoke carefully. “You looked like you had lost your best friend. I was watching you walk along the pier.” He paused briefly, before asking, “What happened to make you so sad?”   Matthew looked up at him, shaking his head and mumbling, “Nothing.”   Harry spoke quietly. “Sometimes it helps to talk things out.”   Matthew was trying to hold back tears. “I can’t talk about it.” Matthew shook his head slowly. “I just can’t.”   Harry sighed, wanting to comfort this small boy. “Aren’t there people who might be worried about you, looking for you?”   Matthew pressed his lips together before answering, “I don’t want to be found.”   Harry made a quick decision. “All right. It’s late. You can stay here for tonight.” Harry walked into the living room and into the bedroom beyond. He came out with a pillow and a light blanket. “You can bunk here on the sofa. I get up really early. I’m working on one of the boats down at the dock so I probably won’t be here when you wake up. There’s milk in the fridge, some cereal in the cabinet. I don’t have a television or a phone. I normally use the ones in the bar downstairs. Can’t say you can go in there, but you are welcome to stay up here.”   Matthew smiled slightly. “Thank you.”   Harry pressed his own lips together in thought, hoping he was doing the right thing. “You’re welcome. Good night, Matthew.”   Matthew returned the sentiment. “Good night, Harry.”   With that, Harry went back into his bedroom and closed the door. Matthew left the pillow and blanket on the sofa and walked over to the only window in the place. It had a small window seat and Matthew sat down, staring out. The view overlooked the pier, and the boats and the water beyond. The lights from the buoys were flashing, the bells clanging. Matthew just stared, sighing heavily, pressing his forehead against the screen. “Why didn’t you tell me what he did, mom?” he said in a whisper. “Why?” He sat there a long time, watching the night turn into day. The sky was just turning light when he finally drifted into a fit full sleep.   TBC...