Caffrey Flashback

Chapter 38: Pressure Valve

Burke family cabin, Catskills. Friday morning. March 5, 2004.

Over breakfast, Joe shared some of his proposals for projects in Baltimore, tied to a downtown revitalization project. He started out sitting on a sofa beside Noelle, paging through a portfolio and quietly discussing the buildings. But then he called Neal over, asking his opinion from the perspective of an artist. Before heading back home, Joe got Noelle's phone number and promised to call when he was in Baltimore again. Neal didn't give it much thought until Joe had left and Elizabeth said, "So, Noelle. You and Joe, hmm?"

"Oh. It isn't like that. I mean... Really, Elizabeth, he must be five years younger than me."

Neal looked up from the game of chess he'd been playing with Henry. He'd never heard Noelle sound so flustered. Henry was also watching his mother.

"That's hardly anything," Elizabeth insisted. "And I've never heard him so determined to get a woman's phone number unless she was a potential client. Isn't that right, Peter?"

Peter looked up from a book he was reading. "The fact is, Joe's been divorced about twelve years now and he's always been very reluctant to date again. He didn't want to do anything to disrupt his daughters' lives or their relationship with their mother. I'm glad to see he hasn't completely forgotten how to get a woman's phone number."

Neal returned his attention to the chess board. A few minutes later, as Henry had a piece in hand to make his next move, Noelle said, "You mentioned something about an affair?"

Henry put the piece back where it had been on the board to follow the conversation.

Peter cleared his throat. "Yeah, his wife was meeting a guy here in this cabin, in fact."

"Oh. So Joe didn't...?"

"No," Elizabeth said. "The Burke men are as faithful as the day is long."

Henry had been listening with a very serious expression, but Elizabeth's comment seemed to assuage his concerns. He grinned and said, "So Peter, if my mom marries your brother does that make you my uncle?"

Peter smiled back. "Yeah, I'd say that makes me an official uncle to you and to your honorary little brother. You know, the more I think about this, the more I like it. Noelle, you should definitely go out with Joe. He's a great guy. He deserves someone like you. And as a real uncle by marriage, I'd have a lot more authority over both of these kids."

"Yes. Well. I think this talk of marriage is rushing things a bit. But if Joe actually asks me out, I promise I'll take it seriously."

###

After lunch Neal had another session with Noelle. This time they sat at the picnic table, and they talked about how Vance had affected Neal's life even after the man was arrested. "I always avoided that greenbelt after I got back home," Neal said. "It used to be one of my favorite places to play. It seemed magical, before."

"And after?"

"It seemed haunted." Neal looked down into the valley below them, the trees glistening under a blanket of snow and ice. "You know, I think I've avoided hiking and camping and outdoorsy activities in general because I was abducted from my favorite outdoor place. But now... Now I want to come back here again someday and explore. It's like I can start to see the magic again. It's beautiful here."

When the session was over, Noelle took Neal's hand. "Yesterday you asked if I still love you. I do, very much. The fact is, I didn't expect you would get to me so quickly."

"And that's a problem. As a therapist."

"Yes, sweetie. We don't have to make a transition right away, but I don't have the objectivity you need from a therapist in the long term. I know a lot of excellent psychologists in the New York area; in fact I studied with many of them when I went to Columbia. When you're ready, I'll refer you to someone who will be a good fit. And then I'd like to focus on being your aunt."