The Puppet Master

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

FEAR

Greenwich, Connecticut

Kei Galvin couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sit for more than a few minutes at a time. She was restless, worried, a total mess.

The African violet on the coffee table lay dead, their vibrant purple flowers only a memory against the drooping green leaves. She couldn't bring herself to touch them. She hadn't checked the greenhouse for two days. The spring bulbs she'd started there in pots three weeks ago needed watering, but she couldn't rouse herself to spend time on them. She'd stopped taking her morning walk with her neighbor. She'd missed two doctor's appointments yesterday. She couldn't focus.

"I think we've waited long enough," she told her husband when he came back into their sitting room, carrying a cup of tea for her.

"I didn't know we've been waiting."

At any other time she would have appreciated his sense of humor. But not now. "He hasn't gone back to his hotel room. He doesn't answer his cell phone. He hasn't called."

"We don't know if he's gone back to his room or not. The two different desk people I spoke to on the phone just didn't know. We only know that at the time of our calls, he hasn't been there," Steven said reasonably. "And you know how it goes with the cell phone. He's not in New York City, with reception everywhere he goes. He's twenty-three years old, sweetheart. We don't have to hear from him every day. You have to-"

She whirled to face her husband. "Don't do this to me. I know my child. He knows me. He knows when I'm worried about him, and it doesn't matter where he's traveling or what time it is. He always calls or emails or somehow lets me know he's okay."

"And he will this time, too," Steven said softly. He put the cup down on the coffee table and placed both hands on Kei's shoulders, pushing her to sit down. "It's only been four days since he called."

"Eight days since I spoke to him," Kei corrected.

"Four days ago...he left a message."

She was back on her feet again, resuming her pacing. "Do we know anyone in Istanbul?" She didn't wait for an answer. "You have to know someone. Your company-"

"I sold my business, honey. It's been two years. I don't have the contacts I used to have."

"Did you have offices in Turkey?"

Steven ran a hand through his hair. Her mind ran on one track. She wouldn't hear reason. Waiting was out of the question. They'd been married nearly thirty years. He knew Kei better than she knew herself. She was all love, emotions, affection. Kei wouldn't rest until they heard from Nathan. This had been the way their marriage had gone since the day Nathan was born. Their son always came first. Steven didn't begrudge him that, of course. He was certainly not neglected. And Nathan was their only child. For all the years that Steven had been building his company and living and breathing the air that was trapped inside those concrete walls, Kei had played the part of both parents. There was no denying it, the result was a bond between Kei and Nathan that ran deeper than the father-son relationship Steven had with him.

"Please, Steven." She took his hand. "Believe me...or just humor me. But do something. Get me some news of him. I know you can. Please, love."

Steven looked at Kei's teary eyes and gathered her in his arms. They'd become so much closer since he'd sold his company. They'd rediscovered what it was that had brought them together in the first place. More than best friends, they were soul mates. He loved her more than ever. He appreciated who she was.

"Okay, my love. I'll find that monster today. You'll hear his voice. I promise you."