Blind Trust

There was a bit of logic in what Eva proposed. Bringing in a K-9 meant he should go through official channels and have a judge sign off on a search warrant. Since Eva was living here, taking care of her nephew with Pete’s permission, she could search her sister’s things without going through the legal system.

“Yeah, okay. For now.”

Eva’s face relaxed with relief, and he found himself wondering if she didn’t really want to find the package her sister had taken. As soon as the thought formed, he brushed it off. From the very beginning, Eva was an innocent bystander in this mess. She’d brought Malina’s purse down to show him the cash, something she could have hidden easily. He also knew she wanted very much to find Cocoa.

And the more he thought about the cash, the more he believed Eva might be onto something about the package being gone. Where else would Malina have got that much cash? Five hundred wasn’t much for a drug dealer, but it was to your average citizen. Malina hadn’t been working. If she was a drug user, the money wouldn’t have lasted long.

“I’ll take a look through the kitchen,” Eva offered, interrupting his thoughts.

“Sure.” He forced himself to concentrate on the issue at hand. “I’ll check the living room.”

They went their separate ways. Fifteen minutes later, when the deliveryman from Gino’s Italian Ristorante arrived with their lasagna, he discovered they’d both come up empty-handed.

“I’m sure it’s gone,” Eva said morosely. “How will we get Cocoa back if we can’t find it?”

“Cocoa?” Mikey echoed.

Eva winced, and he realized she hadn’t meant to say that in front of the boy. “Officer Finn and Abernathy are still looking for him,” she promised. “They’ll find Cocoa.”

Finn helped unpack the food, then took the seat to Eva’s right, placing her between him and Mikey. “I have a good idea about what we need to do,” he said, holding out his hand. “We’ll pray.”

Eva stared at his open palm for a long moment, before placing her hand in his. With her other hand, she reached for Mikey’s. “I’m willing to try.”

The little boy didn’t seem to understand the concept of prayer, but at least this time he was paying attention. Finn wrapped his fingers gently around hers and bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we ask that You bless this food we are about to eat. We also ask for Your strength and guidance as we continue to search for truth and justice. We ask You to guide us on the right path to find Cocoa and to bring him home safely. Amen.”

“Amen,” Eva said.

“Amen,” Mikey mimicked. “Cocoa safe.”

That made Finn smile. “Yes. God will keep us all safe. Now we can eat.”

“Noodles!” Mikey gestured with his chubby hand. “I want noodles.”

“I know you do,” Eva agreed wryly. “They’re one of your favorites.”

“Nothing wrong with his appetite,” Finn said, grinning at the boy. “He’s holding up really well.”

Eva’s expression softened. “Yes, he is. He still has the occasional nightmare, but overall is adjusting well.”

“Don’t like nightmares,” Mikey said, tomato sauce and cheese smeared along his cheek. “Good dreams, right, Mommy?”

Eva froze at the little boy’s slip, but then she leaned forward to press a kiss on his forehead. “Yes, Mikey. Good dreams.”

Finn watched the interplay between Eva and Mikey, thinking about how his own mother had abandoned him all those years ago. He only vaguely remembered being hugged and kissed by her, accompanied by a hint of perfume. She’d seemed to love him the way Eva obviously loved Mikey, and to this day he couldn’t understand how his mother could have just walked away. Oh, sure, he’d found her eventually, happily married to a businessman with two pretty little daughters, who were eleven and twelve years younger than him. He’d watched them for a long time, his mother smiling with her second family after abandoning the first.

He’d considered confronting her, forcing her to acknowledge him and whaThere was a bit of logic in what Eva proposed. Bringing in a K-9 meant he should go through official channels and have a judge sign off on a search warrant. Since Eva was living here, taking care of her nephew with Pete’s permission, she could search her sister’s things without going through the legal system.

“Yeah, okay. For now.”

Eva’s face relaxed with relief, and he found himself wondering if she didn’t really want to find the package her sister had taken. As soon as the thought formed, he brushed it off. From the very beginning, Eva was an innocent bystander in this mess. She’d brought Malina’s purse down to show him the cash, something she could have hidden easily. He also knew she wanted very much to find Cocoa.

And the more he thought about the cash, the more he believed Eva might be onto something about the package being gone. Where else would Malina have got that much cash? Five hundred wasn’t much for a drug dealer, but it was to your average citizen. Malina hadn’t been working. If she was a drug user, the money wouldn’t have lasted long.

“I’ll take a look through the kitchen,” Eva offered, interrupting his thoughts.

“Sure.” He forced himself to concentrate on the issue at hand. “I’ll check the living room.”

They went their separate ways. Fifteen minutes later, when the deliveryman from Gino’s Italian Ristorante arrived with their lasagna, he discovered they’d both come up empty-handed.

“I’m sure it’s gone,” Eva said morosely. “How will we get Cocoa back if we can’t find it?”

“Cocoa?” Mikey echoed.

Eva winced, and he realized she hadn’t meant to say that in front of the boy. “Officer Finn and Abernathy are still looking for him,” she promised. “They’ll find Cocoa.”

Finn helped unpack the food, then took the seat to Eva’s right, placing her between him and Mikey. “I have a good idea about what we need to do,” he said, holding out his hand. “We’ll pray.”

Eva stared at his open palm for a long moment, before placing her hand in his. With her other hand, she reached for Mikey’s. “I’m willing to try.”

The little boy didn’t seem to understand the concept of prayer, but at least this time he was paying attention. Finn wrapped his fingers gently around hers and bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we ask that You bless this food we are about to eat. We also ask for Your strength and guidance as we continue to search for truth and justice. We ask You to guide us on the right path to find Cocoa and to bring him home safely. Amen.”

“Amen,” Eva said.

“Amen,” Mikey mimicked. “Cocoa safe.”

That made Finn smile. “Yes. God will keep us all safe. Now we can eat.”

“Noodles!” Mikey gestured with his chubby hand. “I want noodles.”

“I know you do,” Eva agreed wryly. “They’re one of your favorites.”

“Nothing wrong with his appetite,” Finn said, grinning at the boy. “He’s holding up really well.”

Eva’s expression softened. “Yes, he is. He still has the occasional nightmare, but overall is adjusting well.”

“Don’t like nightmares,” Mikey said, tomato sauce and cheese smeared along his cheek. “Good dreams, right, Mommy?”

Eva froze at the little boy’s slip, but then she leaned forward to press a kiss on his forehead. “Yes, Mikey. Good dreams.”

Finn watched the interplay between Eva and Mikey, thinking about how his own mother had abandoned him all those years ago. He only vaguely remembered being hugged and kissed by her, accompanied by a hint of perfume. She’d seemed to love him the way Eva obviously loved Mikey, and to this day he couldn’t understand how his mother could have just walked away. Oh, sure, he’d found her eventually, happily married to a businessman with two pretty little daughters, who were eleven and twelve years younger than him. He’d watched them for a long time, his mother smiling with her second family after abandoning the first.

He’d considered confronting her, forcing her to acknowledge him and what she’d done, but in the end he’d simply walked away without letting her know he’d been there. t she’d done, but in the end he’d simply walked away without letting her know he’d been there.