Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

fingers together in her lap. Fixed her gaze to the clock. And waited. Four and a half times the second hand swept around. And finally the door behind her opened.
    ‘It’s me,’ Joseph said. He came around the chair to crouch at her feet. His warm hands covered hers. But all she could see was the clock. She couldn’t look at him. Because then it would be real.
    ‘Daphne, honey. Look at me.’ He gently pinched her chin and tugged her face down until she had no choice but to look into his eyes.
    Kind. Not blank anymore. Still can’t breathe .
    ‘He’s alive. Did you hear me? Ford is alive.’
    Her chest imploded. ‘What? I thought . . .’
    He smiled at her, so gently. ‘I needed to be sure before I gave you news again.’
    ‘Where? Where is he?’
    ‘In a hospital in West Virginia just past the Pennsylvania state line.’
    Hospital . ‘ West Virginia? How did he get all the way out there?’
    ‘They don’t know yet. He’s not conscious.’
    The room tilted. ‘Joseph.’
    ‘The cop I spoke to said the doctors were saying mild hypothermia, exhaustion, and dehydration. Maybe some frostbite, but not severe. No major injuries, Daphne.’
    Her face was wet. And she still couldn’t breathe. Boneless, she slid from the chair to her knees, collapsing against him. He was there, warm. So warm.
    His arms came around her, bringing her close, cradling her head against his chest, kneeling with her while the sobs wracked her body. ‘It’s okay, cry it out,’ he murmured.
    She had no choice. The floodgates had opened and she couldn’t seem to make it stop. She just held on to Joseph, sobbing and gripping his shirt like a life preserver.
    The door opened behind her. ‘Daphne?’ It was Maggie. ‘Honey?’
    Daphne sucked in a lungful of air and gritted her teeth. The tears didn’t stop, but the noise did. Her fingers tightened their grip on Joseph’s shirt.
    ‘She’s okay,’ Joseph said, rubbing her back. He dipped his head to murmur in her ear. ‘I told them the news. Because they had pitchforks and wouldn’t let me pass.’
    Daphne hiccupped a watery laugh and nodded against his chest.
    ‘I brought her some things,’ Maggie said.
    Keeping Daphne’s head cradled against him, he reached forward and one at a time dropped a box of tissues, a bottle of water, and her bottle of headache pills on the floor beside them. ‘You’re a good nanny, Maggie. Does Daphne have any extra clothes or toiletries up at your house? We’re going to get Ford.’
    ‘I’ll pack her a bag.’ There was a pause, then Maggie’s hand was stroking her hair. ‘I called your mama. She’s crying too.’
    Then she was gone and Daphne plucked a handful of tissues from the box. ‘So stupid . . . so stupid to cry. He’s alive. Why can’t I stop crying?’
    ‘This is normal, Daphne. So much emotion, all bottled up. Let it out.’
    ‘Tell me again,’ she whispered. ‘Please. Say it again. I need to hear it.’
    ‘Your son is alive,’ he said. ‘Ford is alive and he is safe. And I’m going to take you to him as fast as I can drive.’
    ‘You’re sure?’
    ‘Triple verified,’ he said wryly. ‘I had Bo call the Pittsburgh field office, then I called the local cops and the hospital. He’s there, honey. He was brought in five hours ago, but he didn’t have ID on him. One of the nurses had seen the TV reports on the shootings yesterday. When Hyatt and Bo gave their press conference after the shooting, they included photos of Ford and Kimberly. The nurse notified the locals who called the Bureau’s field office. They got patched through to me.’
    Finally the tears had slowed enough for her to think. ‘Who brought him in?’
    ‘Local PD. They responded to a 911 call from an elderly lady who discovered him on her property after her dog wouldn’t stop barking. Ford was unconscious by then.’
    ‘Why was he there to start with?’
    ‘That’s what we have to figure out. Hopefully he’ll be awake by the time we get there and he can tell us.’
    She let go of his shirt and inanely tried to smooth the fabric. ‘I keep messing up your shirts.’
    ‘I don’t mind.’ He lifted her chin, brushed his thumb over her lip. ‘Better now?’
    ‘Yes. Thank you.’
    His dark eyes changed, heating. ‘I haven’t done anything yet.’
    Last night. The solarium door. Not until I give you something to be thankful for . Her emotions swung again and the relief that had so overwhelmed her disappeared like mist in sunshine.