“I know.”
“Rina can’t take them either. She’s already done enough.” When Rina started to speak, Gabe said, “No, you will not take them, Rina! Enough is enough!”
Terry said, “Then what do you suggest I do?”
Rina said, “Let me ask Peter.”
“No!” Gabe insisted. “We’re not having a repeat of what happened over a decade ago.”
“I agree, Gabe. When I said let me ask Peter, I mean if he had any advice.” Rina looked at Terry. “As much as we love Gabe and don’t resent what you and Chris did, both Peter and I are too old to foster the children. And it’s not the same situation as it was with Gabe. There wasn’t a custody battle.”
Terry’s face drooped. “You’re right. Totally right.”
“Let me ask Peter what he thinks should be done.”
“What do I do with the children in the meantime?” Terry said. “If Devek finds me, he will take them and I will never see them again.”
Silence.
“I’m not asking forever, Rina,” Terry pleaded. “Just please take them until I can sort this out legally.”
Gabe felt his anger rise. “You know that’s not going to happen! Even if she agreed, I wouldn’t let her.”
“Would you rather Juleen go back to India and be subjected to an arranged marriage?”
“I can’t help you every time you fuck up!”
“Gabe, I appreciate you coming to my defense, but let’s try to dial it down,” Rina said. “Terry, can you lie low for a bit? I’ll ask Peter if there are options for you. But this will take time.”
“And what do I do if he finds me?”
“Stop putting her in this position,” Gabe said. “It’s so unfair to ask her.”
“He’s right, Terry,” Rina said. “We can’t take the children. Even if we did, we can’t protect them. When we took Gabe, no one was threatening to kidnap him.”
“Quite the opposite—you both were very happy to let me be someone else’s responsibility.”
“Was that really necessary?” Terry shot back.
“Apparently yes, ’cause you’re doing the same thing over again.”
Rina said, “I hate to say this, Terry, but . . . you’re missing an obvious person.”
“She means Chris,” Gabe said.
“No, no, no, no.” Terry looked horrified. “He’ll kill them.”
“He wouldn’t kill them,” Gabe said.
“He’ll sleep with Juleen just for spite. He’ll turn her into a whore.”
Gabe said, “Yeah, that could happen.” A pause. “I’m kidding.”
Rina said, “He certainly could protect them. Devek wouldn’t stand a chance against Chris.”
“I’m not going to be anyone’s punching bag.” Terry had turned angry. “You two may have a relationship with him, but I don’t.”
“It’s a valid point, Terry,” Rina said. “It was just a thought.”
“I know that you’re only trying to help, Rina. And I know you can’t clean up my messes. Peter and you have been my heroes. It’s wrong for me to expect more and ask Gabe for help, but I don’t know where to turn.”
Rina said, “So where do you go from here, Terry?”
“For one thing, I’m getting out of New York. It’s a big city with lots of places to hide, but Devek knows the city because he’s lived here. I’ll go back to Los Angeles. It’s also a big city, but I know it and he doesn’t.”
“Do you need money?” Gabe said.
“I’ll be okay.”
“Stop it, Mom. I do want to help, but I can’t take the kids.” Silence. Gabe said, “Please let me do something for you. I have money of my own. You wouldn’t even be taking Dad’s money.”
Terry’s eyes began to water. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I find work. I’m still a licensed physician—”
“Stop it, Mom,” Gabe said. “How much? Five grand? Ten grand?”
“Just make out the check for whatever you want to give me.” Terry looked down. “I guess I’ll start packing, then. I’ll let you know where I am once I settle in the West Coast.”
“How about if I take the kids for ice cream and a trip to the toy store while you start making arrangements?”
“Gabriel, I don’t know if I’m being watched. I don’t want the kids out of my sight.”
“Can I order up room service?”
“As long as no one comes inside the room.”
“Okay.” Gabe turned to his foster mother. “Thanks, Rina. You’re always helpful.”
“It’s fine, honey. And Terry, I will ask Peter for some advice if you want it.”
“No thank you, Rina. I’ll manage. Gabriel is right. You two have done enough.”
Rina said, “Do you really think that you’re in danger?”
“Not from Devek. He wouldn’t hurt his own kids.” Terry sighed. “I don’t know much about the men he borrowed from. While I don’t think they’d hunt me down here in the States, I do know that they’re bad people.”
“Maybe you should hire a bodyguard.”
“It’s a thought, Mom,” Gabe said.
“It’s a thought and a good one.” She nodded. “Let me get to L.A. first and then we’ll talk strategy.”
“Maybe Peter can recommend something,” Rina said. “He knows a bit about Los Angeles.”
Terry smiled. “Those were the days.” A sigh. “Man, I was really stupid.”
“You were young and naive.”
“That, too.”
Rina stood up. “Good luck, Terry. I hope this all works out.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll walk you out, Rina. As a matter of fact”—Gabe turned to his mother—“tell the kids I went to buy them a surprise. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Will you really be back?”
“Of course, Mom.” Gabe shrugged. “I love my siblings.”
The barb thrown Terry’s way was processed with more sadness than anger.
Chapter 13
In their hearts, the Andersons had known for years that Zeke wasn’t coming back. Even so, finality, whenever it knocked, still brought a current of shock. Keith Anderson was in his fifties. He was average height and held a little extra weight around the middle. His eyes were brown, his gray hair was thick and unruly, and his silver beard was little more than stubble. He wore an open-necked white dress shirt and jeans with sandals on his feet. Mary Anderson was petite, and her sloped shoulders seemed to further decrease her diminutive size. Blond hair from a bottle framed a face that held sad brown eyes and a downward mouth. She was painfully thin, with veined, trembling hands. She wore a short-sleeved dark green dress that hung on her bony frame.
The couple invited the detectives into their home in Brooklyn.
It was a generous apartment with a view of the East River. The furnishings were modest, and scattered throughout the shelves were lots of framed pictures of a boy and a girl. The girl had turned into a woman with kids of her own. The boy stopped at twenty. Decker and McAdams were shown a seat on a cream-colored couch. Keith sat opposite in a leather chair, feet up on an ottoman. On the coffee table was a plate of cookies and several bottles of water.