Private Berlin (Private 5)

A whippet-lean boy with large, welcoming eyes, Niklas looked shocked and then even more overjoyed than he’d been celebrating Cassiano’s goal.

“Socrates!” he cried, and then hugged the cat. “Where’d you come from?”

“I brought him,” Mattie said. “I wish you’d get that excited to see me.”

Niklas finally seemed to notice her. He grinned. “My mommy!”

Mattie went to him. She hugged him close to her and petted Socrates’s head. “Missed you,” she said.

Niklas pressed his head into her belly. “Missed you too. But you should have seen it, Mommy—Cassiano. He’s…like no one on Berlin ever.”

Mattie looked over at the television, studying the Brazilian who was being shown in close-up. Did he have something to do with Chris’s disappearance?

Niklas’s smile disappeared. He looked down at the cat. “Why is Socrates here?” His smile returned before she could answer. “Is Chris here?”

Mattie was amazed sometimes at how intuitive Niklas was, one of those people who seemed to sense hidden emotion. Then again, that’s how you grow up when you don’t have a father.

“I’ve got some troubling news,” Mattie said at last.

Niklas’s face tightened. “You’re working next weekend again?”

Mattie hesitated, still unsure of what to say and how to say it.

Niklas got up, dropping the cat and barging by his mother. “You promised we could go to the lake and canoe again. It’ll be too cold soon!”

“Niklas!” Mattie said sharply. “It’s Chris. That’s why Socrates is here.”

Her son stopped and looked back at her, his face suddenly pale and puzzled as the cat arched and rubbed against his ankles. “What?”

“He’s missing, Niklas. Chris is missing.”

Niklas appeared even more confused. “What does that mean?”

“No one knows where he is,” Mattie said, deciding not to tell him about the chip that was found. “And he’s been gone a long time without anyone hearing from him. Too long.”

Niklas picked up Socrates, held him tight to his chest, and asked, “Who was he with? What was he working on?”

“I don’t know.”

“You used to know everything. You always knew what he was doing.”

“Niklas, I…”

Niklas’s expression turned bitter. “If you hadn’t said you weren’t going to marry him, you might know where Chris is. He’d probably be right here watching the game with me!”

Mattie’s son burst into tears and stormed off down the hall toward his bedroom, holding on to Socrates like he was his last friend on earth.

CHAPTER 18

MATTIE’S AUNT CÄCILIA witnessed the entire episode. Upset, rubbing her hands on her apron, she shouted, “Niklas, come back here. You come back here and apologize to your mother right now!”

But Niklas slammed the door to his bedroom shut behind him.

Mattie put her hand on her aunt’s shoulder. “Let him go. He’s right. Chris and I used to share everything. I would have known.”

Her aunt looked ready to argue, but then caught the tension in Mattie. “But he’s just missing, right? Couldn’t he have gone on a vacation?”

“No. Definitely not a vacation.”