Vanished!

Chapter 4 - Where the Story Begins

The flight went well and I was thankful that the taxi driver helped me to carry the stuff upstairs.

I had invited LaSalle to dinner earlier in the day under the pretense of giving him tickets to the LSU/Alabama football game. He said "okay, we'll stop by". "Chris, you need to come alone. I'll explain later."

There's a knock on the door and I ran to answer it before the baby wakes up. "Come on in LaSalle. Take a load off."

"Hey Tammy what's going on? You took off out of here like a bat out of hell. Well something has happened. Do you want the good news first or the bad?"

"Do the bad Tammy it will just continue on with the day that I have had plus my date was none too happy that I cancelled on her at the last minute."

"Well Chris, I can only tell you the bare minimum. Percy is missing." "What do you mean missing?" "Just what I said. She went off the grid on her assignment that's all I know" "Hell Tammy"

"Then what's the good news" and at his words as if right on cue, the baby starts to cry. "That's a baby Tammy." "I know Chris, let me go get him." I change his diaper before we come back out. "What baby did you steal" LaSalle jokes. "Well Chris, this Sonja's son." "Sonja has a baby?" "So why do you have him?" "Sonja asked me to take him to his father." "Why didn't he just go get him?"

"Pick up that envelope Chris. It might explain it better." "Hey little man and what's your name?" Chris pinches his cheek as he sits back down. "It's Liam" I say. "Liam Christopher LaSalle." "What? This is my son?" "I believe so Chris. That is what Sonja told me. Isn't there another envelope in there?" "Yes here it is."

"Dear Chris

He's beautiful isn't he? I hope as you hold our son that you can one day find it in your heart to forgive me.

I was just stunned to learn that I was pregnant a month after you left D.C. Even though we were so careful after the first time, medical science does confirm that conception can occur even during the first time of unprotected sex.

You will find photos of Liam's birth in the apartment. There is also a baby book and a lot of photos of him.

My caregiver came from a highly recommended agency. Her job has been limited to just caring for the baby. She has done a good job so far of recording and taking photos and caring for Liam. I have a housekeeper who comes in to clean the house and to do Liam's laundry.

I have tried to limit my time away from D.C. to no more than nine days at a time. Liam is growing so fast. There are days that I fear that he will forget me.

I know that you have a million questions. I have picked up the phone to call you several hundred times. By the time my due date came, I knew it was too late to contact you. I know that you must hate me for keeping your son away from you. I just hope that as you look at him that you will remember that his mother once told you that she loved you very much.

The lawyer also has a letter for my darling baby that I entrust to you to give to him when the time is right.

I trust that you will find a loving and kind woman that can love my son and help him to grow into a fine young man like his father.

Please never forget that this child was conceived with all the love that I have for you.

Sonja"

I almost miss the couch as I sit down.

"Chris I arranged for a DNA test tomorrow but I took a hair off your hat that was in my car and had Ms. Loretta do a test and it was a match. For legal purposes Doc Wade said that you will need the test done in a lab and the doctor will have to 'attest to the samples gathered and the rest results".