Page 59 of The Fix
“Thank you,” Cami said.
“Could the person who sent you the video have known about your past escape and banked on you being clever enough to find Cyrus?” Detective Mauro asked.
Cami appeared to think about the question. “Maybe. But your question supposes I was chosen solely because of the crime I experienced. It can’t be a coincidence that he’s my son.”
“That still hasn’t been confirmed.” One of the paramedics who’d driven Cyrus to the hospital had also taken a vial of blood from her. The detectives had informed Cami the results would be back in three or four days. But it was clear that Cami didn’t need a blood test to confirm the boy was hers. Rex tended to agree. Cyrus had resembled her on-screen. In person, it was even more striking. He even had some of her same expressions, which was sort of wild considering they’d never met.
“I know.”
“Also,” Rex said, “that would be assuming the motivation of the person who sent Cami the video was to rescue the kid. If that was the case, why not send the video directly to the cops? Why not rescue him themselves?”
The four of them sat there for a moment, the detectives jotting into the pads as Cami met Rex’s eyes. She gave him a small smile that spoke of her ability to remain strong. She obviously wasn’t a woman who easily crumbled in the face of stress. He’d known that, of course, but he was glad as hell to see her fighting spirit hadn’t dimmed.
A cop came in and gestured Detective Mauro over, and the older detective stood while the younger stayed with them. Cami sipped her coffee, and after a minute, the detective returned. “His foster parents have been located.”
“What’d they say?” Cami asked.
“They’re saying they thought he was at a friend’s house, but there are holes in that story. It looks more like they either didn’t notice or didn’t care. They have six other kids living with them, potentially for the checks they’re bringing in, but I don’t want to assume too much.”
Rex blew out a slow breath, tamping his anger down. These were the sorts who were chosen to care for the most vulnerable, and often emotionally damaged, children in society? Cyrus’s words came back to him, the ones they’d heard as he’d spoken to the man who brought him food:I live with a foster family who doesn’t even like me. They definitely won’t give you money. They’re probably glad I’m gone.He’d had it right, and damn but that was sad as hell, especially after he’d already lost so much. “Any information on what happened to his adoptive parents?” Rex asked.
“Only what Cyrus told us,” Detective Mauro said. “That they died in a car accident. We’re having the accident report pulled now. No family member stepped up to take him, and so he went into the system.”
“When can I see him?” Cami asked.
“During visiting hours tomorrow morning,” Detective Mauro said. “He should be released in the afternoon.”
“And then?” Cami asked, and Rex saw the way she stilled. “He can’t return to the foster parents who didn’t notice he was gone for four days. In fact, I hope those people go to prison. Can I take him back to Virginia with me?”
“He’s still in the system,” the older detective said. “Another family will have to be found.”
Cami shook her head. “That’s madness. I’m his biological mother, and I’m willing to take him to live with me.”
The detectives glanced at each other, and then Detective Mauro cocked his head and leaned back in his chair, obviously considering something. “I might know someone I can talk to. But only after it’s confirmed that no family or friends want to take him in. I’m assuming not, since they allowed him to go into foster care the first time, but it’ll need to be checked into anyway.” He paused, considering Cami. Rex was encouraged by the sympathetic look in his eyes. “This is a highly unusual situation. And there’s the issue of multiple state laws being involved.”
“Anything you can do,” Rex said. “It would be very much appreciated.”
The detective nodded, and then both men stood. “We’ll plan to be at the hospital tomorrow, too, just to be sure Cyrus isn’t still a target, and we might have a few further questions.”
“Okay,” Cami said. “Thank you.”
They said goodbye to the detectives and the few officers who were still milling around outside, and then Rex closed the door and turned to Cami.
She looked dead on her feet, but her face also held a tired sense of wonder. They stood there for a moment, their eyes locked, before they both stepped toward each other simultaneously, and Cami fell into his arms.
“We did it,” she breathed. “We did it, Rex. Against so many odds. My God.”
He held her, taking all her weight as she wrapped her arms around him so tightly, as if he were the only thing on earth solid enough for her to hang on to. He luxuriated in the feeling. He was honored by it. He liked the sound ofwefar too much. It scared him too. He couldn’t forget what it felt like to be hurt by her.
Rex let go, and her arms dropped too. She still looked tired and now partly confused. Her gaze ran over his features one by one, halting on his mouth. His body stirred. God, he liked that look. “You dropped everything to help me,” she said. “To help us.”
“I didn’t do it alone. I had help.”
“Youwouldhave done it alone. You would have tried.”
He smiled, squinted off toward the stairs. He felt embarrassed and pleased by the look of adoration in her eyes. Yeah. Yeah, he would have. He would have tried anything and everything to bring her son home to her.
“You wereshotat. You could have been killed.”
