Chapter 13 The search for Isaac

Chapter 13

The search for Isaac

Like fire in a field of thorns so does the search for Isaac held in the first days in his neighborhood and those close by begins to gather force and energy and become a mass journey for the residents of the state of all ages with the blessing and encouragement of the media out of a strong and sincere wish and maybe that of some people to win the reward promised when they all hold the hope and yearning to find Isaac whose disappearance has begun receiving international attention, as Mickey and Wally continue to watch the tapes on their rare free time! The hellish red sun sets into the horizon in the quiet sea. At Eve's house the neighbors, friends, colleagues and family gather. They all try to be quiet and even whisper to each other, look at papers from around the world and show Eve her picture in the papers. She refuses to watch and even flings some down to the floor in her anguish and swallows a few tranquilizers. Gideon bitter and sour is forced unhappily to make coffee for everyone and every once in a while peeks at Eve from the corner of his eye. She hasn’t shown him any affection or fondness in] a while now and it seems to love has long gone into the depths of forgetfulness. At Abraham's house gather his friends, colleagues, family members and neighbors who also look through papers from around the world. Unlike Eve's house, the noise and chaos in Abraham's apartment is reminiscent of a party. Every time someone walks in Abraham signals Michelle to make coffee and bring refreshments. Abraham watches his photos in the international press curiously and a mysterious smile of satisfaction appears on his face! Mickey and Wally enter the apartment and stand by the people who came to visit, watching the guests and Abraham and Michelle unnoticed. Michelle stops running around the house like a confused zombie and sits down next to Abraham with a loud sigh! Abraham absorbed in himself and his friend's watches her reproachfully.

"What's the matter Michelle? Why are you moody?"

"I'm tired of running around making coffee and refreshments all the time! What am I, the waitress? I have to rest"

Abraham says with revulsion

"Come on…what do you want? You want me to do it? Aren't the tension and the suffering I'm going through enough? Why can't you be a little more considerate?"

"But Abraham! You forget that I'm pregnant! Aren't you afraid I'll harm our baby? Did you think about that?"

In plain view of everyone, Abraham quickly hugs and kisses her.

"Of course my love. I love you and our baby!! Sit down and rest next to me".

He turns to his friend Helen and says.

"Helen darling, can you help out Michelle? She's pregnant and needs to rest"

His friend Mike urges Helen to get up and replace Michelle. She gets up angrily and disappears into the kitchen. Mike turns to Abraham enviously.

"Wow…did you see Abraham? They're taking your picture in all the newspapers… you are now internationally known"

Abraham says sadly

"Yes that’s true, but believe me I would trade it all to see Isaac back home".

He sobs and mumbles to himself quietly

"If I'm lucky they'll make a Hollywood movie about this! I'll write the script, I'll play the lead and I'll direct".

Unfortunately, Mickey and Wally approach him and interrupt his thoughts and dreams of fame, glory and wealth. Mickey and Wally shake hands with him as Wally feels revulsion at Abraham's touch and his slick personality.

"How are you Abraham?"

"Thank you! I wish I was Ok! But I understand there's nothing new? No sign? No lead? Nothing? "

Mickey looks around at the chaos.

"I'd like to talk to you and Michelle outside quietly. Let's go out to the yard"

Abraham stands up unwillingly and glances at them angrily. Wally smiles at him politely and explains

"I'm going to get Michelle to the yard…anyone want a drink? Shall I bring it to the yard?"

Abraham would much rather not see their obnoxious faces. He doesn’t answer and walks off to the yard as Mickey watches his back with a smile.

"The boy is moody! Get us some coffee Wally"

Mickey sits in front of Abraham and Michelle in the yard. He lights himself a cigarette and takes a quick sip from the flask in his pocket.

"It's cough syrup! I have to drink it three times a day…doctor's orders! Every disease has a cure…and every problem a solution! Right Abraham?"

Michelle laughs and Abraham remains quiet. His face is gloomy. Wally holds four cups of coffee in his hand. He lays the coffee on the table and sits down next to Mickey.

"Don’t say I'm not spoiling you…I brought everyone a cup!!"

The three of them light a cigarette along with Mickey who already is smoking! Abraham watches everyone covertly. Angrily he says

"Michelle! I don’t want you to smoke! Don't you care about your baby? A pregnant woman shouldn’t smoke"

Michelle seems embarrassed like a school girl put in the corner as punishment, and hurriedly puts out the cigarette in the ashtray.

"Yes Abraham…you're right…I shouldn’t smoke"

Mickey watches them smilingly and talks affectionately, Abraham smiles at his words.

"Good for you Abraham that you're taking care of Michelle and your baby! Did you receive any phone calls with information? Maybe someone called to ask for money for Isaac?"

Abraham and Michelle think and look at each other desperately and shake their heads.

"No. no one has called so far…even…"

Michelle says but Abraham quickly interrupts her and explains

"No one called about information or about money… unfortunately no one called"

Wally scratches his head in embarrassment and Mickey who seems disappointed puts out his cigarette.

"Isaac could not have vanished into thin air and we have no sign or lead…"

He bangs on the table scaring everyone.

"We have to make progress with this…Abraham and Michelle!....I want you to go back to that day…that Saturday morning and try again to reenact the day…I am sure there is something important that might have slipped you mind…go even further back in time!! Try to remember if you ran into anything strange? Maybe someone strange? Try harder! The solution is with you and you're probably not aware of it! Come on, try and remember!"

Abraham and Michelle try to remember, Mickey and Wally seem frustrated and nervous. Suddenly Abraham whispers in Michelle's ear

"Say…do you remember Joshua from the bible disciples? The one that kept trying to get Isaac alone? Maybe we should tell them about Joshua? Do you think that could help?"

Michelle freezes and turns pale. She remembers Joshua's strange figure and the ridiculous members of the cult! Mickey jumps up and leans down yelling at them

"You remembered something didn’t you, right? Come on tell me. Even if it’s the stupidest thing…we'll determine if it's important or not to the investigation! You have to help us move forward with the investigation"

Abraham and Michelle are silent for moment in embarrassment and helplessness and Abraham decides to tell them

"There's someone called Joshua whom we met two weeks ago! He's quite a strange man and also the leader of a cult calling them "the bible disciples"...something like that! He and the members of the cult live in the woods near by correctional."

Abraham thinks deeply.

"He is a very strange but charismatic man controlling the cult members like a dictator… he also hosted me, Michelle and Isaac in the woods a week and a half ago…I think he is even attracted to children…he was always looking for Isaac"

Mickey and Wally look at each other with their hearts beating excitedly…they feel they've found the lead they were looking for…Michelle who seems deep in thought remembers some detail

"Listen, I even remember that Abraham gave him distractedly our address! Do you remember Abraham?"

Abraham nods his head and feels embarrassed. His eyes are sad and lowered. He may understand that he is inadvertently at fault of what happened. If he hadn’t given Joshua the address Isaac might not have been taken! Michelle continues obsessively

"I'm sure Joshua is a sort of pervert…maybe he's the man who attacked me at the apartment and took Isaac? I'm sure he's who you're looking for. Now I'm sure he looks like the man who attacked me…maybe Joshua is responsible for Isaac's disappearance?"

A deep frightening silence falls on the yard engulfing the four of them! No cars are heard on the street, the birds stopped chirping and even the noise in the house dies down inexplicably. It seems the world has stopped turning at this important moment! The cigarette falls from Mickey's mouth that takes no notice and like a destructive tornado pulls out Joshua's photo from the folder in his bag and spreads them around with shaking hands on the table.

"I want you to take a very good look at the pictures and tell me if you recognize this man"

Mickey and Wally stop breathing. They cling to Abraham and Michelle and watch them silently. Michelle and Abraham stop talking amongst themselves and look at the pictures. They place them back down on the table and mumble quietly! Michelle answers first in a shivering tone and Abraham continues.

"Yes. The man in the pictures in Joshua! It’s the same man who attacked me and he's the person we were with, in the woods with Isaac."

"Yes, that’s Joshua! Undoubtedly! This is the man I gave our address to"

He cries out in despair.

"Damn the day we met him".

Suddenly he remembers something and jumps up excitedly.

"Wait! I'm sure the pen you found in the yard belongs to him…I've seen that pen in his pocket...what was his pen doing in my yard??"

He starts sobbing.

"I'm sure he has something to do with Isaac's disappearance"

Michelle jumps up.

"I know that's the man who attacked me at the house and I am almost sure he had a fake beards and mustache."

Wally quickly gathers the photos as Mickey calls his men at the police station urgently.

"Hi Tony! It's Mickey! Listen carefully! Drop whatever you're doing and check if the fingerprints on the pen we found in the yard where Isaac disappeared from…Abraham and Eve's son…match Joshua's fingerprints. His details are in Isaac's investigative folder!! Remember? Good! Put me through to Charlie the sketch artist! Hi, Charlie!! Its Mickey…drop whatever you're doing and put a fake beard and mustache on Joshua's photo in the folder about Isaac's disappearance! Check if it matches the description we got from Benxi Aronson…I'll be right in with Abraham and his partner Michelle. She needs to see Joshua with a mustache and beard!! OK? Bye."

He dials again excitedly.

"Hello, did I reach the DA's office? This is Mickey from the station!! I need a search warrant urgently for the apartment and car belonging to a dangerous suspect, the details are in Isaac's disappearance folder – the boy who disappeared from the yard…case file number 38657/03. Got it? Good! I'm on my way. Oh and another thing"...

He says threateningly

"No leaks or it’s the end for you!!"

Mickey hangs up the phone satisfactorily. He hugs Michelle and Abraham and adds

"You're coming with us to the station!! I have a good feeling about this! This time the singing pervert and Isaac's case are coming to an end!! Wow…this is a great day for the police! If Joshua is hiding Isaac somewhere we'll find him"

They all gather their things quickly and Mickey pats Abraham and Michelle on their shoulder much to their surprise and embarrassment.

"This time we're going all the way! And don’t tell anyone anything!! Not even Eve and that guy she's living with…I forget his name…Gideon!"

He hugs Wally.

"This is your big day Wally! You suspected Joshua and it turns out you're right!! Way to go Wally!!

He winks at him.

"Now you understand why I know you'll make a great Lt.? He laughs…but only after I leave…"

The car is headed towards the station. Mickey and Wally smoke pleasantly and hum a song…Michelle and Abraham hugs tensely. Every once in awhile Michelle strokes Abraham and him in return strokes her stomach with a smile. Mickey turns on the radio through which he can send messages to the team at his disposal.

"All cars… all cars…everyone return quickly to the station urgently and await new orders from me!! I am coming to the station in fifteen minutes and if anyone is not there in time you're done! Understand?"

Everyone quickly grab the radio and confirm!! Wally remembers something important and makes an urgent call.

"Hi Jack!! How are you? Yes, Mickey and I are ok. There are new developments!! You and Joan continue following Joshua secretly wherever he goes!! Even if he goes to take a leak or a dump you follow him!!! He better not disappear on you…you will no longer be on the force if he does…you'll be in jail…understand?"

Jack answers in a frightened voice

"But he's not in the woods now! He's parked the car near an apartment and went up to it…what should we do?"

"Keep following him and report his every move"

Joan quickly says

"OK Wally…as soon as he moves on we'll report to you"

Wally hangs up and peeks at Mickey who smiles in satisfaction.

"OK Wally. You did the right thing!"

Wally says arrogantly

"I think the noose is tightening around Joshua's neck…it’s the end of him"

"You're wrong Wally…the end of Joshua will be the electric chair…he'll be electrifying."

Everyone laugh and Abraham quickly responds.

"I hope he tells us soon where Isaac is....maybe nothing happened to him and he'll be back safe and sound with his family"

"Yes Abraham…you're right!! We hope Isaac returns from this nightmare…let's pray it happens".

Mickey answers the proper thing to Abraham but Mickey and Wally's gazes meet in silence....they know Isaac isn't coming back! Usually the pervert would let the victims go the next day or two but with Isaac something must have happened and Joshua must have killed him in cold blood! People of Joshua's nature prefer killing their victims only when they have no choice....so as not to leave any signs to what they did to their helpless victim…and so the victim does not testify against them…for them death and life are meaningless!