“You called his friends?”
“As many as we know of. His basketball coach is calling all the boys on the team. That’s mostly who he hangs out with.”
“And his father?”
Megan’s laugh was bitter. “His father knows nothing.”
“Does he have a car? Money?”
“Yes, he’s got a car and his bank account and an ATM card. His dad gives him money, and he’s got some money from his job last summer.” Her heart was racing as she walked to one of the cypress trees along the back fence. She held up her hand and shook the tree with everything in her, loosing her fear and anger on the shaking tree so she didn’t destroy something less flexible.
Drew said, “You know I’m going to tell you that the odds are very good that he’s upset about something, he’s going to drive up the coast for a while or hide out at a friend’s house, and then he’s going to come home.”
Megan shook the tree again and felt the ground beneath her feet move. “And I know you probably see a lot of kids who would just take off, but Adam is not like that, Drew. He’s not like that, and he didn’t pick his little sister up from the library and he has never done that before. He’s never once forgotten or not texted her that he’d be late or she needed to find another ride home or any of that. That’s not who he is, and I think his phone is off and I just know that we’ve been investigating this and what if someone thought Adam knew something about it? What if someone—?”
“Hold on now. Deep breaths, Megan. Do you have any reason to think that he’s been harmed or taken against his will? I know he’s your baby, but he’s also a tall and strong young man. It would be difficult for someone to get him to do anything against his will. Are you hearing me?”
“We know people who manipulate minds, Drew!” The tears she’d been holding back poured down her face in a torrent. “Don’t… don’t tell me that he’s big and strong. So were Katherine’s students who had their brains violated. You know what I can do with my mind—what can other people do? Do they know he’s my baby? These people are killers!”
“Mom?” Trina was standing on the edge of the lawn, waving her arms. “Mom, it’s Katherine. He’s there. He’s at their house, Mom. He’s okay.”
Megan choked on a sob and fell to the ground.
She turned the corner of the wraparound porch and saw Adam sitting on the edge of the steps leading down to the sand. Archie was lying next to him, his head under Adam’s hand.
Megan stood still and watched him for a moment.
He was as tall as his father and the spitting image of Rodney at that age. He had the lanky frame of a half-grown pony, lots of legs and arms that didn’t always land in the right place. He was young and old, man and child. The little boy who ran to her when his knee was bleeding and the young man who offered her a hug when she was having a bad day.
She sat next to him on the step and stared at the waves. “Hey.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
Megan turned and saw the tears in his eyes. “Tell me what’s going on. You haven’t been yourself for weeks.”
“I’m not upset about you and Mr. Dusi. I don’t want you to think that. I think he’s cool.” Adam’s voice caught. “That’s why— Mom, I think I did something really stupid.”
“We all make mistakes, buddy. Tell me what’s going on, and we’ll try to make it right.”
“It was weeks ago. Remember when I went over for Dusi family dinner and you stayed home ’cause you’d worked at the winery all day that Saturday?”
“Vaguely.” Megan frowned. “Did something happen?”
“Not… I mean, I didn’t realize it was a big deal until later, you know?”
“Start at the beginning.”
“I saw Henry and Mr. Dusi talking in the corner, and they looked like they were kind of arguing, you know? And I was being a nosy shit, so I followed them. I figured I might hear something or… I don’t know. I was just being stupid. I’d never seen them arguing before. I was surprised.”
Adam had a minor hero complex when it came to Henry. It didn’t shock Megan to know he’d been curious about Henry and Nico possibly fighting. “Okay, so you followed them.”
“And they went back to the greenhouse,” Adam said. “The one that got broken into.”
Megan took a deep breath. “So you heard them talking about the Poulsard vines.”
“Just how unique they were. I didn’t really understand a lot of it. Henry was saying how a successful launch or something could be worth millions and Nico was— He wasn’t disagreeing, but I could tell he was being a little more cautious. But I could tell they were a big deal. The grapevines, you know?”
“Okay.” Megan nodded. “So you knew about the Poulsard vines. I know you didn’t steal them, so—”
“I told Dad.” Adam looked sick to his stomach. “He was always joking around about me spending so much time at the Dusis’ and how he should hire me for industrial espionage. Stuff like that.”
Oh Rodney, you piece of shit. Her ex-husband was in agricultural equipment sales and had long coveted the Dusi Family Farm account, not that he’d ever get it with how Nico and Toni’s family felt about Megan.
“Okay,” Megan said carefully. “I’m listening.”
“So he was giving me shit when I was hanging out at his place the next day and… I told him about the vines.” Adam shrugged. “I thought it would just be funny. How I actually found out a secret. I didn’t think anything would happen, but then the vines were stolen. And…” He grabbed his hair in both fists. “Now I don’t know what to think.” He looked at Megan. “Is Dad involved in this? Did I get him involved by telling him? I know he’s a jerk and everything, but he’s my dad. And what if the police think I had something to do with—?”
“Oh honey.” Megan grabbed Adam and held him close. “It’s Detective Bisset who’s investigating. He knows you. And I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t know if your father had anything to do with this, but we’re going to find out, okay?” She rubbed his hair and felt his broad shoulders relax in her embrace. “This is not your fault. You had no way of knowing, okay?”
Adam pulled away and wiped his eyes. “When Ethan told me that you and his dad were, like, really going out… I just kind of panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to tell you before, but then I thought you were going to be so, so mad. And Nico would think I’m a rat and—”
“Buddy, no one is going to think that.” She took his hand. “And whatever may happen with me and Mr. Dusi, I want you to know something first: I am your mother. That is my first job now. Before work or friends or definitely a boyfriend, I am yours and Cami’s and Trina’s mama.” She looked him dead in the eye. “And that comes first. Always.”
Chapter 22
They gathered at Katherine and Baxter’s house while Adam retreated to the couch in the guest room, exhausted by his confession.