Chapter 161


    #Chapter 161 – Mind to Mind


    Victor stays in Alvin’s room that night. At some point, Burton had brought them up bowls of soup and


    rich crusty bread, but Victor hadn’t eaten his. He was pleased, though, to see that Alvin still had an


    appetite.


    The boy had been hungry and clearly was not nearly so devastated as Victor was. Victor couldn’t really


    understand why – Alvin was just a six year old kid who had just lost, apparently, his mother and his


    brother. Why wasn’t he freaking out?


    They watched some television passively, Victor letting Alvin pick whatever he wanted. Only Alvin


    watched, really. Victor, instead, watched his son.


    “Are you okay, kid?” Victor had asked, reaching out a hand to palm the back of Alvin’s head, stroking


    his soft dark hair.


    Alvin had turned to him with a shrug. “I’m sad,” he said, considering it. “But it will be okay.”


    Victor had frowned at him, confused. He had no such confidence – in fact, everything felt absolutely the


    opposite of okay right now. Everything felt deeply, deeply doomed.


    “What do you mean?” Victor asked.


    Alvin just shrugged again, turning his attention back to the television. “Don’t worry, dad,” he had said,


    leaning back into his pillows and staring at the screen. “Ian and I have a n.”


    Victor hadughed a little at this. It’s not that he didn’t take Alvin seriously – it’s just very sweet that his


    two little boys had a n in action. God, how were they only six?


    And it’s not that he didn’t believe that his sons really did have a n – but this problem was so much


    moreplicated and big than Alvin or Ian really knew or could understand. There’s no way they could


    have a real solution. Still, if it brought Alvinfort to believe that things were under control, then


    Victor wasn’t going to disturb his peace.


    “Thanks, kid,” Victor had said, leaning back against the pillows himself. “I knew I could always count on


    you.”


    Alvin nodded lightly as his dad closed his eyes to rest, just for a minute…


    It’s dawn when Victor wakes up, a curse on his lips. s**t, s**t. He hadn’t meant to sleep that long –


    there were things that he needed to do.


    Blinking, Victor looks around to see that Alvin is curled up next to him, his head pillowed on Victor’s


    arm. Victor takes a minute to smile, considering his son’s face, and then slowly begins to pull his arm


    away, doing his best to make sure Alvin’s head has a softnding on a pillow.


    Alvin stirs, but doesn’t awaken.


    Victor sits up, yawning, and grabs his phone from the table next to him. About a million messages are


    there from his Beta teams, all reporting, giving reconnaissance about Amelia’s whereabouts,


    information about insurance on the house…


    He skips through them all, looking…


    But no. No messages from Evelyn. s**t.


    He opens their text thread and sends a brief one to her. Anything, really, to get in touch.


    Victor: Evelyn?


    He waits a few moments before the phone beeps back a report.


    Undeliverable.


    s**t. s**t. What had she done?


    Victor swipes through his phone to the tracking app that he and Evelyn had added to their n through


    mutual agreement months ago, after the stalker had broken into their house. It had been a safety


    measure, but now, could it tell him where she went?


    He clicks into it, selecting Evelyn’s phone. The app whirrs for a moment, but then it, too, returns


    disappointing results.


    No location. Tracktest updated location?


    Victor curses internally and then selects Yes.


    The phone zooms in on a map, showing a gas station about an hour east of the cottage. That must


    have been where she changed the settings on her phone, maybe picked up a new sim card. He


    checked the timestamp on the phone. Yesterday – early. s**t.


    She could be anywhere by now.


    Victor sighs, putting his head in his hands, wondering about his next steps. He’d have to get his Betas


    on it – his data team pulling any and all records of Evelyn’s personal data. Maybe she’d used a credit


    card somewhere, or checked her email – there were a thousand ways they could find her –


    But he also knows she’s aware of all that. She disappeared before, she’s no amateur.


    Quickly, he checks her bank ount to see that she’s taken out thousands of dors in cash. Part of


    him is d that she’s got the funds but damnit. Cash helps you disappear.


    Alvin stirs next to him and Victor turns to look at him, sorry if, somehow, he’s woken him.


    “Daddy?” Alvin says, rubbing his eyes. “Is it time to get up?”


    “If you want it to be,” Victor says. “But you should sleep more, if you’re tired.”


    “If you’re up, I’m up,” Alvin says, smiling at him and sitting up in the bed. “Can we have breakfast?”


    “Sure,” says Victor, standing up and putting out a hand for Alvin. “Pancakes, or cereal?”


    Alvin considers for a minute as they head out the door. “Are you cooking?” He asks. “Or Burton?”


    Victor smirks down at him. “Just me today, probably. Burton’s still asleep, I’m sure.”


    Alvin makes a subtle little disappointed face. “Cereal, then.”


    Victorughs at this, swooping down and picking up his son, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack


    of grain. “Youuu traitor,” he growls and Alvin shrieks withughter as Victor bounces down the stairs,


    jiggling the little boy as he goes.


    It’s a little thing – and Victor honestly didn’t know he’d have the urge or the energy to y after such a


    horrible day yesterday, but the little boy’sughter goes right to his heart, warming it. Damnit, but at this


    moment he’s so grateful for his son.


    Luckily for Alvin, Burton is indeed awake.


    “Sir,” Burton says, dressed in his full livery.


    “Burton!,” Victor says, smiling as he puts Alvin back on his feet. “What are you doing up so early?”


    Burton just blinks at him a little. “It is my job to be up when you are up.”


    “But how did you know?” Victor asks, putting his hands into his pajama pockets.


    “It is my job to know,” Burton says, smiling cryptically. Then he turns his attention to Alvin. “And is the


    young master ready for his breakfast?”


    “Yes.” Alvin says decisively, his hands on his hips. “I will have the pancakes, please.”


    Burton stands up very straight then, a very tiny sneer just barely on his face. “I’m afraid pancakes are


    not on the menu,” he says. “I will make you crepes.”


    Alvin shrugs, not really caring, and goes to sit at the table. Burton looks at Victor inquisitively and Victor


    nods,municating that he, too, will have the crepes.


    As Victor sits at the table, Rafe and Bridgettee down the stairs. When she sees him, Bridgette


    hurries her pace andes quickly to the table, wrapping her arms around Victor from behind. Victor


    blinks in surprise – he and Bridgette weren’t very close. He hadn’t realized they were at the hugging


    stage of their rtionship.


    “Poor baby,” she croons, giving him an extra little squeeze before sitting down next to him at the table.


    “How are you doing, are you okay?”


    Rafe sits down next to Alvin, looking at Victor and waiting for an answer. Victor looks between them,


    confused.


    “Did you…” Victor says quietly, frowning a little as he looks between them, “did you sleep in me and


    Evelyn’s bed?”


    Rafe smirks and shrugs. “Well, you weren’t using it.”


    Victor opens his mouth to say that he got them a hotel room for a reason and ask what the hell they


    were doing here, but Bridgette interrupts.


    “Have you had any word from her?” she asks, her eyes wide.


    Victor closes his mouth and shakes his head no, looking down at the table, not really wanting to have


    this conversation.


    “And you’ve tracked her phone?” Rafe asks, epting a pitcher of orange juice and four sses from


    Burton. Rafe fills the sses and passes them around the table.


    “Of course,” Victor says, ring at his brother as he epts the ss. “Did you honestly think I


    wouldn’t?”


    Rafe just shrugs. “In grief, one can forget the most basic things. So, no trace of her?”


    Victor just shakes his head no, clenching his teeth in frustration.


    Alvin looks between the three adults sitting at the table as he takes a sip from his orange juice. “Well,”


    he says, cheerfully. “I know where she is.”


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Victor blinks, shocked, and just stares at him. “What?”


    Alvin nods eagerly and smiles at them all.


    “How…how do you know?” Victor says, his whole body suddenly tense.


    Alvin taps his temple with his finger. “Ian told me.”


    “Ian called you?” Rafe asks, confused.


    “No,” Alvin says, rolling his eyes at Rafe. “Ian told me. In our minds.” He squints his eyes a little,


    concentrating hard. “It’s hard to tell, because it’s mostly pictures, this far away.” He concentrates


    harder. “But they’re at a beach…Rock something? Rock…”


    “Rockport?” Bridgette offers, saying the name of a tourist town about five hours south.


    “Yes!” Alvin says, throwing up his hands in celebration. “That’s it!”


    As one, all of the adults in the room stare silently at Alvin.


    When he realizes he’s the only one celebrating, he slowly lowers his hands and looks around at each


    of them. “What?” he asks. “Did I do something wrong?”