Chapter 1
It had been a long day. Just after 6pm, Rick O�Connell pulled into his circular driveway. Simon, the doorman stepped out into the gravel and Rick stopped next to him. �May I park the car for you, sir?� he inquired.
�Yes, thank you,� said Rick as he got out. In nearly ten years, Rick had still not gotten used to having servants, but sometimes they came in handy. Times like this. In just over three weeks the O�Connell family was going on an extended trip to Egypt and Rick had been working overtime at his export business to get things ready for his absence. Today he had had a serious dispute with one of his buyers over the purchase of a shipment of ivory figurines. Rick did not approve of the purchase of ivory; he felt that the slaughter of elephants for that kind of exploitation was wrong and would not be a part of it. The buyer, Jones, had promised an importer a large sale and Rick refused to sign off on it. They had argued and Rick ultimately had to fire him. That meant even more work to do in the little time he had left. Tonight, all he wanted to do was eat a light meal, take a shower and fall into bed. As he swung open the front door, he was greeted with his wife�s worried voice.
�Alex?� called Evy as she rushed into the entry hall. �Oh, its you�� she said.
�Ah, just what every man wants to hear when he comes home,� quipped Rick.
Evy rushed to him and wrapped her arms around her husband. He returned the embrace. �So what�s he done now?� he asked.
�Well, he�s not home, for one thing,� she replied. �And Miss Quinn called from the school again. He didn�t turn in another homework assignment.�
Rick sighed. He did not want to deal with this tonight. Their eight-year old son Alex had been a holy terror ever since they told him about the upcoming Egypt expedition. To add to his distraction, a traveling aviation exhibit was in town. All of the boys were buzzing about it and Alex spent most of his time neglecting his studies in favor of daydreaming about the distant past or the newest technology. School was almost over for the summer and Alex apparently thought he could coast through on the good grades he had gotten all year long. It wasn�t working. Rick and Evy had instated a 5pm curfew so that Alex could be supervised by his mother during the hour they had agreed upon for homework. This was the third time this month that Alex had ignored it. �I told him three strikes and he�s out,� Rick said. �I�ll take care of this when he gets home.�
Evy knew Rick meant to spank him. �Rick, don�t,� she said. She only approved of spanking for the worse offenses and she didn�t think this merited it. She empathized with her son-she was excited about the expedition herself and was having trouble concentrating on her work at the British Museum.
Rick released her and held his wife at arms length. �This is the third time, Evy��
�I know,� she said.
�We have to do something��
�We will,� she said. �We�ll ground him for two weeks. That will take him nearly through the end of school. If he�s home right after school every day and stays in on weekends he�ll get his grades back up.�
�And if he doesn�t?� asked Rick.
�Then we�ll smear him with honey and feed him to the bears at the zoo,� Evy said with complete seriousness.
Rick�s face took on a goofy grin.
�What are you thinking?� Evy asked suspiciously.
�Hmm. I got kind of sidetracked. Did you say something about being bare and smeared with honey? We haven�t done that in a really long time�� He grabbed her and pulled her close.
Evy turned her head and pretended to fight him. �Mr. O�Connell! What makes you think I�m that kind of girl?�
�I don�t know,� Rick smiled. �Maybe it�s because two nights ago you��
They were interrupted by Mrs. Wallace, the cook�s �eh-hem!� She stood in the entrance to dining room, looking discretely to the side. �Dinner is ready, ma�am. Shall I serve it now or will we be waiting for Master Alex?�
�We�ll wait,� said Evy.
�We�ll eat now,� corrected Rick.
�Very good, sir,� said Mrs. Wallace. She hurried to the kitchen.
Evy disengaged herself from her husband�s embrace and followed her, calling, �Mrs. Wallace� Do we have any honey?�
�Family obligations,� Rick sighed. Between his son and his wife, he was definitely getting no rest tonight.
*~*~*~*
Alex came home during dinner. He feigned nonchalance, even acting mildly surprised and hurt that his parents had started dinner without him. They let him finish and when he asked to be excused, Evy dropped the bomb.
�Oh, Sweetheart,� said his mother. �By the way, since you neglected your curfew for the third time now and didn�t turn in your homework today, you�re grounded for two weeks.�
Alex was stunned �Two weeks!?�
�Two weeks,� she said.
Alex looked at his father. �Two weeks,� said Rick.
�The aviation exhibit at the science museum will be gone in two weeks!� cried Alex.
�I�m sorry,� Evy said. �You should have thought about that before you broke your curfew and didn�t do your homework.�
�It�s not fair!� wailed Alex.
�Neither is the current political situation in Eastern Europe, so in perspective I think that your not being allowed to go to a museum exhibit is rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things,� his mother told him.
�But I�ve been planning on it for a month!� he protested.
�You have really been pushing our limits lately and it�s going to stop. You are grounded for two weeks and that�s final,� Evy said.
�But��
�Don�t give me any ideas,� warned Rick. �You heard your mother. Be glad that you�re only getting grounded.�
�I��
�One more word and you�re going over my knee,� said Rick. Alex knew he meant it. He turned and stalked up the stairs to his room.
*~*~*~*
Alex couldn�t believe how mean his parents were. They were surely the meanest parents in the world! They knew how much he wanted to go to that exhibit and some stupid missed homework and stupid bad test scores and they wouldn�t let him. He had to go to that exhibit! Every one of his friends was going. There would be famous airplanes there and a dirigible and balloon rides. He had planned on it ever since he saw the poster a month ago. He just had to go! Alex knew better than to argue about his punishment. That never worked; they would only increase it and maybe he�d even get spanked. They were being so unreasonable about this school thing. There had to be a way to get them to change their minds.
Alex hatched a plan. He would be pathetic. For the first week he moped around the house trying to make his eyes as big and sad as Little Orphan Annie�s. He sighed loudly at the merest physical excursion and barely spoke above a whisper. He turned down dessert every night except the one they had chocolate cake. Incredibly, none of these things had any effect at all on his parents. Were they made of stone? They even seemed amused by his suffering, though to their credit they never openly laughed at him, they just shook their heads sadly at him as if they were sympathizing. Cruel!
The second week Alex tried a different tactic. He was the most perfect, helpful, sweet boy there ever was. His speech was sprinkled with �Yes sirs, Yes ma�ams� and �I love you Mums and Dads.� He did his chores without being asked. He volunteered for extra chores. His homework was done on time and done correctly. His bedroom was kept spotless. He helped his mother fix breakfast and helped his father with the yard work. He even went to bed without being told. Amazingly, still no effect. His parents were heartless.
The final weekend of the exhibit arrived. Alex was desperate. A plan had formed in his head; a terrible, awful, dangerous plan. He had refused to entertain it for days; it was very risky and his Mum and Dad would surely relent and let him go to the exhibit� but it became evident that they would not. They were as cold and mean and heartless and evidently hated him. There was only one thing he could do: he would go to the exhibit himself.
He only had a couple of days to plan. He couldn�t do it Saturday because he would be with them all day. It would have to be on a school day because he would be out of his parent�s sight for seven hours. That should be plenty of time to go across town to the science museum, have a good look around and then make it back by curfew. OK, so there were a few flaws. He wasn�t exactly sure where the science museum was or how he would get there. Alex knew he could take the bus or train, but which one? Also, he had no money for either one, or for admission into the museum for that matter. Even if he made it home by curfew he would surely be missed at school. School would notify his parents and he would be in big trouble; probably he would get grounded for another two weeks. It would still be worth it and then it would be time to go to Egypt.
Chapter 2
Thursday night arrived. Alex had to go to the aviation exhibit tomorrow or miss it. He was in his room doing his homework; at least that was what his parents thought. Homework consisted of a chapter in his history book that he had already read and 10 vocabulary words he had already memorized. Alex was really preparing for his adventure. A non-school set of clothes was stuffed into his book bag. He had his autograph book in there too just in case he ran into Charles Lindberg. An apple and some cheese for lunch, a compass, an airplane identification book and a flashlight just in case there was a surprise eclipse or something. Now all he needed was some money. His piggy bank held only a few shillings. Too many trips to the candy store after school kept his allowance depleted. That wasn�t going to stop him.
Alex crept to the top of the stairs and peeked over the railing into the parlor. Good: Mum and Dad were in front of the radio, listening to the nightly news broadcast. This was his best chance. Hands clammy with sweat, Alex slunk along the hallway wall and into his parent�s bedroom. His mother�s handbag was on the dresser. He took a deep breath and hesitated. This was a crime surely punishable by death. It was now or never. His feet felt like lead as he walked across the room. Surely they could hear his footsteps! Alex cocked his head and listened: all he could hear was the sound of the radio floating softly up the stairs. The purse was right there. Just do it. He reached out and heard the door creak just as his hand made contact. Alex whirled, crying out �I didn�t do anything!�
It was just Cleo, his mother�s cat. She sat just inside the doorway, watching him.
�Stupid dang cat!� he cursed. �You nearly gave me a heart attack!�
Cleo stared silently back at him.
�Go away!� he hissed.
She didn�t move. The radio still played downstairs. No footsteps sounded on the stairs; the situation was still all clear. His anger at Cleo had broken the spell of fear and Alex did not hesitate to reach into his mother�s handbag and root around for her change purse. In it he found some coins and a couple of five pound notes. One should be enough, he thought, and stuffed it into his pocket. Alex carefully put the handbag back on the dresser just the way he found it. He turned to leave and found Cleo still sitting there, staring at him accusingly.
�You�d better not tell,� Alex warned.
Cleo meowed. Alex walked over and picked her up. She did not purr.
His mother appeared in the doorway. �Oh,� she said. �I thought I�d heard something up here��
�Cleo came in your room,� lied Alex. �I was just bringing her out before she messed up any of your things.�
Evy smiled and petted the cat in Alex�s arms. �She can go wherever she wants. She is the queen of the castle.� Cleo purred and pushed her head against Evy�s hand. �Did you finish your homework? You�ve been at it a long time.�
�Yes, I�m all finished. I think I�m going to go to bed early tonight,� replied Alex.
�Early?�
�I�m kind of tired.�
She hugged her boy and kissed the top of his head. �I am very proud of the way you�ve been behaving this week,� she told him.
Alex was terrified that she would hear the crinkle of the five-pound note in his pocket, but he forced himself to hug her back and said �This is the new Alex, Mum. Get used to it.�
Evy laughed and said �I�ll try.�
Alex hurried from the room to get ready for bed.
Evy went back down to the drawing room and sat on her husband�s lap. �It was just Cleo,� she said. �She got in our room and Alex was chasing her out.�
�How helpful of him,� smirked Rick.
�Oh, stop,� scolded Evy. �He�s been really trying this week. He�s cleaned the stables, dusted the library, and polished the silver� I like the �new Alex� as he calls it.�
�I like it too,� agreed Rick. He just wasn�t sure how long it was going to last. �It�s sure better than last week�s �Little Orphan Alex�.�
�Oh, God,� laughed Evy. �Don�t remind me!�
�Where did he ever get the idea that being sad and pathetic would get him anywhere?� asked Rick.
�Where?� Echoed Evy. �From you.�
�From me?�
�Yes, from you. Every time you want a little snuggle and I won�t give it to you, you put on your sad puppy face,� she laughed.
�I do not!�
�Oh, yes you do.� Evy told him. �It doesn�t work for you either. So are you going to tell the new Alex you�re taking him to the aviation exhibit Saturday?�
�No way,� said Rick. �I�m holding out to get my shoes shined!�
�And the windows washed!� added Evy.
�So where is our little wonder boy now?� asked Rick. �Re-tiling the roof?�
�No,� she said. �He�s taking a bath and going to bed early.�
�Well, that gives us the whole downstairs to ourselves, Mrs. O�Connell.�
�Whatever will we do, Mr. O�Connell?� she gave her husband a long kiss.
When they parted Rick grinned �Hmm. The kitchen floor could use a good waxing��
�Don�t we have a maid?� Rick asked.
�Yes, we do, but she could use a night off so when your finished, I�ll be waiting right here,� she told him. Rick tried his best face on her. �There�s that sad puppy face,� she laughed.
�It�s not a sad puppy face. It�s a sexy, debonair face,� Rick told her, insulted.
�No, it isn�t.�
�Yes, it is. Look.� Rick tried his best sexy debonair face. Evy burst out laughing and fell off of his lap.
�What?� he asked.
�You don�t look sexy�you look constipated!�
�No, no!� Rick climbed onto the floor. �This is sexy�� He crawled toward Evy, trying the face again. She crawled backward away from him, laughing, but not too quickly for him to catch her and pin her to the floor. �Tell me I�m sexy,� he demanded with a grin.
�Alright, if it�ll get you to stop making that face� you�re sexy!� she giggled. He tried a new face and she laughed until she cried. �Stop it! The maid hasn�t left yet��
�Well, if she comes in here she�s in for a shock�� Rick began to unbutton Evy�s blouse.
�Mr. O�Connell...� Evy admonished. �Let me help you with that.� Clothing began to fly.
The maid did hear what was going on and knew better than to go in there. Once had been enough.
*~*~*~*
Friday morning, Alex woke up early, got the paper for his dad and helped his mother fix breakfast. He kissed them both goodbye and set out in the direction of school. He went instead to the train station. It would be quicker than the bus, he figured.
The train station was huge and very confusing. Alex studied the wall map for a while, determined that the number 12 would take him right across town to the station closest to the science museum. He bought a ticket with his pilfered five pound note and knowing that the number of the train did not necessarily coincide with the number of the boarding station, promptly boarded the wrong train.
Chapter 3
Evy sat at a long wooden table in the basement of the British Museum translating one of several newly discovered papyrus scrolls. She volunteered several hours each day at the museum. Her experience had made her invaluable. The directors had tried to get her to take a full-time position, but she refused, wanting to be home for Alex and her husband.
�Mrs. O�Connell? Mrs. O�Connell, are you down there?� a voice called out. It belonged to Charles Montague of the Bembridge Scholars. Evy particularly enjoyed turning down his requests for help since he was the one who had continually stamped the word �rejected� on all of her applications years ago.
�Yes, I�m down here,� she called.
A short, fat man rushed down the stairs and up to her table. He was distraught. Evy was unimpressed. Montague was always distraught, often over the quality of the duck sauce in the museum�s dining room. �What is it?� she asked.
Montague held in his hand a golden challis of the 19th Dynasty, part of the treasure that she, Rick and Jonathan had escaped Hamanaptra with a lifetime ago and sold to the museum for a fortune. It was a priceless artifact and Montague dropped it on her desk as if it were a piece of excrement. Evy looked at him questioningly.
�Do you have any idea where I found this?� he asked.
�No, where?�
�In the new 14th Dynasty Exhibit.�
Evy was shocked. �Good God! You must be joking!�
�I only wish I was!� Montague cried. �This place is staffed entirely by cretins! You must sign on and take over here, Mrs. O�Connell. You must.�
They needed her here. Badly. Evy knew that, but her husband and son needed her more and that was far more important to her. �We�ve talked about this before, Mr. Montague. I will help out where I can but I don�t want to spend that much time away from home.�
�Please. We�ll pay you whatever you want!�
�It�s not about the money��
�Do you care nothing for museum patrons?� he pleaded. �The new exhibit was almost open! People almost saw this�� he gestured to the challis, �right in the middle of it! Can you imagine?�
It would have been horrific, Evy had to agree, but she still wasn�t willing� She was interrupted by the telephone�s ring.
*~*~*~*
At the warehouse, Jonathan followed Rick down a long aisle of stacked boxes. �For the last time, no,� Rick told his brother-in-law.
�But why?� pleaded Jonathan.
�Because,� Rick plucked the tin replica of Big Ben out of Jonathan�s hand and waved it under his nose. �These are crap,� He told him. �O�Connell Exports does not handle crap.�
�But they�re to be sold to the Yanks,� argued Jonathan. �They like crap.�
�No.� Rick gave him back the souvenir.
�But I have 20 cases of these things,� whined Jonathan.
�Please don�t tell me how you got 20 cases of those things,� said Rick.
He needn�t worry; Jonathan had no intention of disclosing that information. �What am I going to do with them?�
�I have a number of suggestions, but the one I�m going to give you is why don�t you unload them at one of your casinos?� asked Rick.
�I tried. People won�t buy them. They�re crap.�
They were approaching the office. Rick signed an invoice for a delivery man as Jonathan hovered hopefully by. Rick ignored him. Maybe he�d go away.
Marcy, Rick�s secretary called to him from inside the office. �Mr. O�Connell, your wife is on the phone��
Ah, saved by Evelyn once again. Rick went inside to take the call, shutting the door before Jonathan could enter. �Hello?�
�Oh, Rick. Something�s happened to Alex,� Evy�s voice was worried. Rick snapped to attention.
�What do you mean something�s happened to him?� he demanded.
�The school just called. He never arrived today.�
Rick shook his head. He knew the perfect Alex act wouldn�t last.
�I�m so worried that some one has taken him or something!� Evy continued. She sounded frantic.
Rick�s thoughts were of a less heinous nature. �Now calm down,� he told her. �I have an idea where he might be.�
�Where?�
�At the science museum.�
�No, Rick. He would never do anything like that!� she protested.
�Are we talking about the same kid? Short, blonde, your brains and my attitude?� he asked.
�Alex knows better than to go across town by himself.�
�Alex knows better than to do a lot of the things he does. I�m going to see to it that he thinks twice about doing this again.� Rick said.
�Rick, what are you going to do?� Evy asked.
�I�m going to go get our son.�
�And then�?� she sounded worried.
�I�ll bring him home.�
�And then�?�
�We�ll talk about that when I get there,� Rick said firmly.
Evy hesitated. She knew Rick would insist on spanking Alex this time. She knew he deserved it. She also knew her husband wouldn�t ever really hurt their son, but she wanted to be there to supervise in case his temper got the better of him. �You bring him home in one piece,� she ordered.
Rick gave a short laugh. �Don�t worry. I�ll bring him home before I draw and quarter him,� he told her. �Where are you?�
�I�m at the British Museum,� she replied.
�Stay there. I�ll have Jonathan get you and bring you home.�
�Rick, I�m perfectly capable of driving myself home,� she protested.
Rick turned away from the window so Jonathan couldn�t read his lips. �I want him out of my warehouse, Evy.�
�Well, then have him meet me there. I want to have my car.�
�Okay. Everything�s going to be alright... Love you.�
�Love you, too.�
Chapter 4
Rick was going to wring this guy�s neck. �Look,� he said, �I�m only going to ask you one more time. My little boy is lost, I�m sure he came here. Have you seen a kid about this tall with blonde hair wearing a school uniform?�
�Mister, that describes half the boys in London. I�ve seen three dozen of the little scamps come through here and it�s only half past ten!� The ticket master at the Science Museum was glad he was in a booth with a barred window. This man was large and angry. �If you want to go in and have a look-round yourself, be my guest.�
Rick stalked the halls and exhibition rooms of the science museum for two hours. He quizzed every curator and guard he could find. None of them recalled seeing a boy of Alex�s description traveling by himself. That meant nothing. Alex was smart. He could easily have hooked up with a group of school boys to appear less conspicuous. Rick felt angry and defeated. There was no use in staying here. Evy would be worried sick at home, she needed him.
Rick found a pay phone and called his old friend Constable Barton. Waiting for Barton to come to the phone, Rick mused that 10 years ago he would never have thought he�d have a friendship with a member of law enforcement. He was truly a domesticated man. Barton assured Rick that he�d get Alex�s description out on the street. Every policeman in London would be on the lookout. He�d be home soon. And then, Rick would deal with him. That boy was getting his hide tanned good whether Evy liked it or not.
*~*~*~*
When he arrived at the manor, Rick hardly had the front door open when Evy rushed out, calling �Alex?� She looked around for her son, and then looked accusingly at Rick.
�He wasn�t there,� he told her.
�You were so sure!�
�I thought I was,� he said.
Now Evy was really worried. �But where then�?� she moaned.
�I don�t know, but we�ll find him Evy.� He reached for her and at first she resisted, then collapsed against his chest, sobbing. Rick led her into the house where Jonathan was waiting. Jonathan looked questioningly at him. Rick shook his head.
�What can I do?� Jonathan asked. He was good in a crisis as long as he had clear instructions. �Do you want me to drive around and check the parks? I could go back to the science museum and look for him again.�
�No,� said Rick. �There�s no point. The police are looking for him. He�ll turn up and he�ll be just fine� until I get my hands on him. He�ll be doing his homework standing up for most of next week.�
Evy stiffened. �Rick is that really going to be necessary?� she asked.
�Yes, it is. I�m taking care of things this time, and this time he�s going to stay punished.� he told her.
�What is that supposed to mean?� She stepped away from him.
�The last time we handled things your way and look what happened,� he replied.
Evy couldn�t believe her ears. �You�re blaming this on me?� she asked.
�It was your idea to put him through two weeks of torture,� he told her.
�Torture?� Evy spat. �You�re calling grounding him torture when you want to beat him?�
�Not beat - spank.� Rick yelled. �There�s a big difference and you know it. At least a spanking is over and done with in just a few minutes. Grounding him drags it out-yes, I call that torture. That trip to the museum meant a lot to him, that�s why he did what he did today.�
�I can�t believe you�re saying this! Accusing me of torturing our son!� ranted Evy. �In the first place we agreed to ground him, it wasn�t just me. In the second place, you�re the one who wouldn�t tell him you were taking him to the exhibit tomorrow! �I�ll hold out to get my shoes shined,� you said! If this is anyone�s fault it�s yours! If you had told him he wouldn�t have gone today!�
�If I had spanked him in the first place this wouldn�t have happened,� yelled Rick.
�Stop it, both of you,� said Jonathan stepping in between them.
�Stay out of this!� snarled Rick.
�I will not! Look at you two, fighting when you should be concerned about your son. There is an eight-year-old boy wandering around alone in London! What you need to worry about right now is getting him home, not what you�ll do with him when he gets here.�
That snapped them both out of it. Evy began to cry. Their little boy was out there alone.
�Jonathan�s right. I�m sorry, baby.� Rick took Evelyn in his arms.
She snuggled against him. �I�m sorry too,� she cried. �I�ve never been a mother before� I�m doing the best I can.�
�Well, I�ve never been a dad. If I�d read the job description I�d have never signed up for it.�
�Don�t say that, Rick. Even in jest.�
�I�m sorry,� he said. �It�s just that parenting has its moments.�
�And this is one of the bad ones,� she sighed. �What are we going to with him, Rick? No matter how we punish him there�s no guarantee that he�ll behave.�
�Maybe we can sell him to some gypsies,� he mused.
�Rick, I�m being serious,� she scolded.
�Yeah,� he said. �They�d bring him right back.�
Evy tried not to laugh but he had broken the tension of the moment and she allowed herself a miserable chuckle.
Danielle, the maid entered the parlor. �Excuse me, but it�s noon. Cook thought you�d be hungry and made some sandwiches and tea.� She entered with a tray and placed it on the small table in the center of the room.
�Thank you, Danielle, but I don�t think I could possibly eat�� said Evy.
�Try,� Rick told her. �This could be a long day.� He and Jonathan sat on the couch and began devouring the finger sandwiches whole in one bite.
�I�ll have Cook make some more,� said Danielle as she hurried out.
�Yes, do,� said Evy, suddenly hungry. She sat in the armchair opposite her husband and brother and claimed two tiny sandwiches for herself. Evy then settled in for what would be the longest afternoon of her life.
Chapter 5
Rick had not finished lunch more than 20 minutes ago when he began to seriously regret his decision to stay at home and not go out looking for Alex. He was a man of action; he hated just sitting around. So he paced. As did Jonathan. Evy sat on the couch, reading the same sentence in an Egyptology book over and over while her brother and husband prowled the parlor around her. Every once in a while, Rick and Jonathan would cross each other�s path-Jonathan always letting the younger, but larger man have the right of way. The phone rang twice, Rick hurdled furniture to pick it up both times. The first call was for Jonathan: a lady angry about something that happened last night. Not an unusual type of call for Jonathan. He promised to call her back. The second call was for Rick: Marcy needed his approval to sign for an order of Venetian glass. The afternoon ticked by. When the phone rang a third time, Rick was next to it and picked the receiver up. �Hello? � Yeah, Barton. What�s up?� Rick paused, then said, �No, I�m not alone.�
Something was clearly wrong. Jonathan and Evy watched the color drain from Rick�s face. Jonathan stopped pacing. Evy gripped the back of the couch.
�What?� Rick said. �Where?�
�What is it?� asked Evy.
�Are you sure?� Rick said into the phone.
�Jonathan�.� Evy reached out for her brother but Jonathan didn�t move.
�I understand,� Rick said. �I�ll be right there.� He tried to hang up the phone but missed and the receiver fell to the floor. Rick ignored it. His vision had narrowed to a tunnel and he could hear nothing but the blood rushing in his ears.
Jonathan rushed to pick up the telephone and checked to see if anyone was still on the line. It was silent. �Rick�� he said putting a hand on his arm.
Evy was too horrified to speak. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
The physical contact brought Rick back to the room. �I have to go,� he said distractedly.
�What�s happened?� asked Jonathan.
Evy was rooted to the couch but managed to find her voice. �Did they find Alex?�
Rick didn�t want to say it. If he said it, it would be real. It couldn�t be real.
�Rick�� prompted Evy, beginning to cry.
�They found� a boy,� Rick managed to say.
�A boy?� echoed Jonathan. �Alex?�
�I have to go.� Rick said. �I have to identify him��
�Why?� Evy pushed the obvious answer out of her head. �Why can�t he say who he is? Is he hurt? Where did they find him?�
�The river,� Rick said. �They pulled him from the river.� The words were out, he said them and now it was true. He fell against the wall for support. His little boy was dead.
�No!� cried Evy standing up. �NO! It isn�t true!� She flew across the room and attacked her husband, beating his chest with her fists. �Say it isn�t true! You bastard! You liar! Say it isn�t true!�
Rick didn�t try to fight her. The minor pain she was causing momentarily distracted him from the agony he felt inside. His little boy was dead. Rick�s legs lost their strength and his slid down the wall to the floor, his face contorting with grief. Her anger spent, Evy went down with him, moaning and the two of them clung to each other in anguish.
Jonathan watched them, helpless. This couldn�t be happening, he thought. Not to his family. Not to people this good: not his baby sister, the man who was devoted to her, not to his nephew. He knelt on the floor beside the distraught couple. He had to do something. Something had to be done. What could he do? Rick had asked the person on the phone �Are you sure?� He said something about having to identify him; that meant they weren�t sure. There was a chance it wasn�t Alex. Please, God, let there be a chance. �Listen,� he said. �I�ll go get the car. I�ll go to wherever needs to be gone to and see if it�s really Alex. It might not really be Alex.�
�Get the car,� Rick said, his face buried in Evy�s hair. �I�m going.�
�You stay here,� Jonathan told him. �I�m a relative. I can do this. You don�t need to see��
�Yes, I do,� said Rick. �I�m his father.� He sat back from Evy and wiped her hair and his tears from his face.
�I�m going to,� Evy said.
�Sweetheart� no,� Rick told her.
�I can�t let you do this alone,� she said. �And if I don�t see it I�ll never believe it�s him.�
Rick stared into his wife�s eyes. There was a strength there, a strength that he needed. �Alright,� he relented. �We�ll both go.�
�I�ll get the car,� said Jonathan. He paused to embrace Evy and Rick, then rushed from the room, glad to be of use.
*~*~*~*
Jonathan drove them to London Hospital. The city morgue was located in the basement there. Rick and Evy were silent the entire trip, clutching each other�s hands and lost in their own thoughts, each determined to be strong for the other. Rick blamed himself. If he had been the man� if he had handled Alex in the first place� if he had told him about taking him to the exhibit Saturday� there were so many ifs. Evy clung to the hope that it wasn�t her baby in there. She taught her baby well. Her baby knew how to cross the street safely, how to not talk to strangers-how to swim. Alex knew how to swim. He couldn�t have drowned in the river. Alex knew how to swim.
The three of them walked numbly through the hospital lobby, Jonathan in front, Rick and Evy arm in arm behind him. Jonathan inquired at the front desk as to the location of the morgue. The clerk pointed to a bank of elevators. They got inside one and pressed the button for the basement. The elevator car moved down slowly, just as a coffin would be slowly lowered into a grave, Evy thought. No. It wasn�t her baby. He knew how to swim. Rick wondered how he was going to do this. How was he going to look at the lifeless body of a child and say �Yes, that�s my son.� How could anyone expect him to do this?
The elevator door opened to the smell of formaldehyde. At the end of a long, dim hallway was a door marked �CITY MORGUE�. �So much for subtlety,� thought Jonathan. He led the way through the door and opened it for his sister and brother-in-law. They stepped through into a waiting room lined with chairs. A man looked up from the desk in the center of the room.
�We�re here to see�� began Jonathan.
�Are you the O�Connells?� asked the man behind the desk.
�Yes,� said Jonathan. �Well, they are. I�m the uncle. Her brother.�
�We�re expecting you. Have a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly,� the man told them.
�Can we please get this over with?� asked Rick quietly.
�Yes,� said Jonathan. �This isn�t something we�d like to draw out.�
�It will just be a moment. I�ll let him know you�re here. Please have a seat.�
�We�ll stand,� Evy said knowing she�d have a hard time getting back up.
�Alright,� the man said. He went into the back room, leaving them alone. The silence was deafening. Just like it would be in a grave� �No. My baby can swim,� Evy firmly told herself.
�I can�t fall apart. I have to be strong for Evy,� Rick repeated in his head for the thousandth time. �How? How do I do this?� he wondered as he held her tightly, hoping she wouldn�t notice that he was using her to keep himself from falling to the floor.
The door finally opened. A man in a long white coat appeared. �Hello, I�m Dr. Halloran.�
�Can we just do this?� Rick asked.
�Yes,� said the doctor. He had done this so many times he knew that families just wanted to get on with it. He led them into a cold room with several metal tables, each occupied by a body covered by a sheet. The place smelled like death. Evy�s eyes were immediately drawn to the table with the smallest body. Rick followed her gaze and stiffened. This wasn�t happening. This couldn�t be happening. He wanted to run from the room. He wanted to drag Evy with him and take her someplace where they would be safe, where there would be no phone call suggesting something unthinkable, no trip to a room that smelled of death and a doctor who wanted to show them the lifeless body of their little boy. He wanted to run but he couldn�t move. The doctor approached that table and waited.
Jonathan, wanting to shield his sister and brother-in-law from whatever anguish he could, said, �I can do this. You don�t have to��
�Yes, we do,� Rick heard his own voice say though he couldn�t remember saying it. He tightened his grip on Evy and together they walked up to the table.
�My baby can swim, my baby can swim, my baby can swim�� repeated Evy to herself.
Jonathan took his place next to Rick and Evy at the table. �Ready?� asked the doctor.
Rick found himself nodding but closed his eyes as the doctor reached for the sheet. He heard the soft whisper of the sheet as it was pulled back. He heard Evy gasp, �My baby can swim!�
�What?� said the doctor.
Rick opened his eyes. It wasn�t Alex. It wasn�t Alex! He took an unsteady step backward and would have fallen down if not supported by Evy and Jonathan. �That�s not Alex,� he said, more to convince himself than inform the doctor.
�Are you sure?� asked the doctor.
On the table lay the body of a young boy Alex�s age. He had blonde hair, but it was shorter and darker. His blue lips were the wrong shape and his half open eyes were greenish and not blue. �Yes, we�re sure!� exclaimed Jonathan. �Please cover that up!�
The doctor pulled the sheet over the boy�s face again. He didn�t share their relief. This only meant he�d have to see the torment on another couple�s faces when he showed this body to them later. �Thank you,� he told the O�Connells. �You can take a moment if you need to��
�No,� said Rick. �We�ll leave now.� Only his feet wouldn�t cooperate. He stood rooted to the tile floor. Jonathan had hold of his left arm and Evy his right. They both began to move and he moved with them, out into the waiting area and then the hallway, not pausing until they reached the elevator. Forced to stop and stand still while they waited for it, the three of them embraced each other and cried.
Chapter 6
The ride back from the hospital was miserable for Rick, Evy and Jonathan. The idea that Alex was dead had invaded itself into their brains. He wasn�t that boy they had just seen, thank God for that. But then where was he? It was getting dark and their little boy was still out there somewhere. They were more worried than ever now.
They were greeted at the manor by Danielle, Simon and Mrs. Wallace who were all just as concerned as the family. The domestics were relieved by the news that the dead boy wasn�t Alex. Rick and Evy had hoped that Alex had returned home while they were away, but he hadn�t. Where was he?
*~*~*~*
Alex O�Connell had had the worst day of his life. It started when he boarded the wrong train, continued when he got lost in a strange city, and got worse when encountered that awful man in the men�s room. He had managed to make it back to London and spent two hours lost, trying to find the train to take him to the right side of town, terrified that he would never make it home-and terrified about what would happen to him when he did. Now he was in the back of a police car. Safe, but he�d be home in just a few minutes. It was way past his curfew. Alex knew he was in big trouble.
*~*~*~*
Rick and Jonathan went into the parlor to wait. When Evy followed them Rick could see she was exhausted. �Why don�t you go lie down for a while?� he suggested to her.
�I could never sleep,� she said. �Mrs. Wallace is making us some tea. I�ll be alright.� She tried to smile. Rick tried to smile back.
The tea arrived. They stared at it, uninterested for half an hour while it cooled. Suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of the doorbell. The three of them bolted for the front door. Simon had already opened it; outside stood a policeman. Behind him was Alex. The policeman grabbed him by the back of his collar and pushed him into the house where he was seized in a fierce embrace by his mother and father. Jonathan stood by and watched, overjoyed.
�Thank God, thank God you�re alright! You�re alright, aren�t you?� Evy didn�t wait for Alex to answer. She held him out at arm�s length and she and Rick turned him around in a circle looking for injuries. He was dirty, he looked tired, but he was warm and pink and alive! His mother was laughing and crying, she embraced him again. Alex hugged her neck. He hadn�t expected this kind of greeting and it scared him. What scared him even more was that his father and uncle both looked like they had been crying too.
Rick stood and grasped the policeman�s hand in a firm shake. �Thank you so much for bringing him home. Where did you find him?�
�At the train station,� the policeman replied.
�Train station?� Evy looked up from Alex. �What was he doing at the train station?�
�I presume he�d just gotten off a train. I thought I�d bring him home and let his parents sort him out,� the policeman replied.
�Oh, we�ll sort him out alright,� Rick said. Alex didn�t like the sound of that and gripped his mother�s neck tighter.
�I�m sure you will,� said the policeman. �I have to get back to the station to let everyone know he�s safe and sound.� He turned to leave. Alex felt a strong urge to go with him. The door closed. The entryway was silent.
�You. Parlor. Now,� Rick commanded his son. Alex released his mother and dragged his feet into the parlor. Evy followed him.
�Well,� said Jonathan. �Well, now that the little tyke is back safe and sound, I think I�ll pop round to the pub for a drink.� He knew what was going to happen to Alex and didn�t want to be there to hear it.
�Thank you, Jonathan,� Rick told him. �You were a big help today.�
It wasn�t often that Rick praised Jonathan for anything. �Well, it�s okay,� he said. �I�m just trying to be a good uncle.�
Rick stepped up to Jonathan, put his hand on his shoulder and looked him solemnly in the eye. �You are. And you�re a good brother,� he told him. �To Evy and to me.�
�Well,� said Jonathan, not know what else to say. He was happy and a bit embarrassed. Rick gave him a quick embrace, and Jonathan left.
*~*~*~*
Rick went into the parlor. Evy had seated Alex in the chair opposite the couch. He looked very small there with his hands folded in his lap. Evy stood in front of him with her arms crossed. Rick took his position next to her. Alex was afraid to look at them.
�Do you have any idea what you put us through today?� Evy asked Alex.
Alex was silent. That was one of those rhetorical questions that didn�t really need an answer, wasn�t it?
�Where have you been?� Evy asked.
Alex stared at his hands.
�What were you doing at the train station, Alex?� She asked. He remained silent. Evy stepped forward, took Alex�s chin and tilted his face up toward her. He averted his eyes. �Look at me and answer me,� she commanded. �What were you doing at the train station?�
His parents were a lot angrier than he thought they�d be. �I had just gotten off a train,� he squeaked and instantly regretted it.
�I�ve had enough of this,� declared Rick. He began to take off his belt. Alex was petrified. He his father had never used his belt before.
�Wait,� Evy told Rick. She was determined that she would handle at least this part of Alex�s homecoming. �Alex, you will start talking now and tell me the whole story or I will take that belt from your father and you�ll get two spankings tonight.� Alex started to cry. �That isn�t going to work,� she told him.
Alex took a breath and tried to compose himself. He was really in big trouble. The biggest ever. His parents waited silently. He knew they wouldn�t wait long. Alex tried to will himself to disappear. It didn�t work. �I wanted to go to the aviation exhibit,� he finally said. They stared at him. They wanted more. He took a deep breath and continued. �I went to the train station, bought a ticket��
�Where did you get the money?� Rick interrupted.
Oh, that, thought Alex. He�d forgotten that part. He looked at the belt in his father�s hand. �I took it out of Mom�s purse,� he said in a small voice.
Evy turned away from him for a moment, and then turned back. �And then what?� she asked. Her voice was icy cold.
Alex could no longer keep from crying. He got the story out between sobs. �I got on the wrong train,� he confessed. �It was going to Dover. I got off in some other town to take a train back to London but there wasn�t one until three so I had to wait there and I decided to look around a bit and I got lost and�� he couldn�t tell his mother about the man in the bathroom, �� and I got back on the train to London but it didn�t go to the station near the house and I got on another train �cause I thought it was the one to our side but it was going east and I�ve never been there before and I was scared and then the police found me and brought me here. I was scared, Mum. I thought I�d never make it home.�
Evy melted and started to cry too. She knelt to comfort her son. �We were scared too, baby,� she said. �We thought something awful had happened to you.�
Alex clutched her and cried. �I�m so sorry, Mum. I�m sorry. I won�t ever do it again�
�I hope you won�t Alex,� his father said. �But you are going to have to be punished for doing it this time.�
�No! No, please!� Alex clung to his mother for safety. �I swear I�ll never do it again.�
Evy held him close. �I know you�re sorry, Alex. But you�re father is right. You have got to be punished for this.�
�No,� he cried again.
�Alex, go to your room,� Rick said calmly. �Get washed up and dressed for bed, then wait for me. Now.�
It nearly broke her heart, but Evy said, �Go,� and pushed Alex away from her. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and tried to look stern. She wasn�t going to help him. Alex ran up to his room.
Evy remained on the floor where she had been kneeling in front of Alex. �Thank you for backing me up and not trying to talk me out of spanking him,� said Rick.
Evy stood. �He deserves a good spanking this time. But I will talk you out of using this.� She walked over to Rick and took the belt from him.
�Evy�� he protested.
�No,� she said. �He�s just a little boy. You are not going to whip him with this. Your hand will hurt enough.�
�Alright,� Rick relented. They embraced. �God, it�s good to have him home,� he said. �Remember when all he did was poop and pee and we could keep him in a playpen all day? I miss those days��
�Yes,� replied Evy. �Me too.�
*~*~*~*
Upstairs, Alex was beside himself. He was going to get a spanking; there was no way out of it. And Dad was going to use his belt to do it. His belt! Alex had never been spanked with a belt before but had heard other kids talk about it. It was really going to hurt.
Alex ran his bath and got undressed. He caught a glimpse of his white backside in the mirror. It wouldn�t look like that for long. He cried through his bath, and then dried himself off. As he got out his pajamas, he had an idea. It wouldn�t help much, but it would help some. He put on three pairs of underpants before he slid into his pajama bottoms. It briefly occurred to him that he could climb out the window, shimmy down the drain pipe and run away� No. They would find him and he would be in more trouble. Besides, he had already spent a lot of time being lost today and it was no fun at all. He sat on his bed, to await his fate. The only sound in the room was the tick-tock of his alarm clock and his own breathing. Five minutes passed. Ten�fifteen. What was taking so long? He heard the first heavy footstep on the stairs. Oh, God. He was coming! Alex put his hands underneath him, feeling the thickness of his three layers of protection. It wasn�t thick enough! The steps continued. Alex looked frantically toward the window again. The steps were in the hallway now� Alex stood up. There were two short knocks then his bedroom door opened and the large form of his father appeared. Alex burst into tears and ran to him, throwing his arms around him. �Dad, Dad! I�m so sorry, Dad. Really I am!�
Rick hadn�t expected this. He thought he�d probably have to drag Alex out from under the bed before getting down to business. He picked the crying boy up and carried him over to the bed. Rick sat down, held Alex in his arms and rocked him. �I know you�re sorry. I�m sorry too,� he said.
�I had the worst day of my life!� sobbed Alex.
�I did too��
�I was so scared when I was lost. I thought I could find my way around but I couldn�t. I felt so stupid.�
�Alex that is why you are not allowed to go out by yourself like that. You are too young. That�s why we made that rule.�
�I� I got on the wrong train, I got lost in the city and� and when I went into the bathroom there was that horrible man��
Rick�s blood ran cold. Remain calm, he told himself. �What horrible man, Alex? What happened in the bathroom?�
�I can�t say.�
�Yes, you can,� Rick said. �I�m your father. You can tell me anything. What happened?�
Alex wouldn�t look at him. He kept his face buried in his father�s shoulder as he talked. �Well you remember that thing you told me that every guy does and it�s okay to do when you�re alone?�
�Yes,� said Rick. He had walked in on Alex one day and found him �occupied�. His little boy was growing up. Rick wasn�t sure which of them had been more embarrassed at that moment, or during the first man to man talk he�d had with his son afterward, but they had gotten through it. Now he and Evy always knocked on Alex�s door before entering his room.
�Well, there was a man in the bathroom at the train station doing that.�
If some sick bastard had touched his boy� �Go on�� he prompted.
�I went in the bathroom and saw him standing there and I thought he was just peeing but then I saw what he was doing and he saw me see him� �
�Alex� what happened?�
�He smiled at me and asked what my name was. And then I ran. I ran and I hid behind a trash can. I was afraid he was coming after me.�
�Did he chase you?� Rick asked.
�I don�t know,� answered Alex. �He didn�t find me. I waited until it was time to get back on the train before I got out from behind the trash can.�
Rick was relieved. For the third time today he narrowly missed having a heart attack. He could feel his hair graying by the moment. �I�m glad you told me about this, Alex. Running was a good thing to do, but instead of hiding you should have found a policeman and told him what happened.�
�I was scared��
�I know, but promise me if anything like that ever happens again you will tell a policeman.�
�Alright, Dad.� Alex had calmed down and was now only sniffling.
�You should have called me or you mother or Jonathan to come and bring you home when you realized you were lost,� Rick said.
�I was afraid of what would happen when I got home,� Alex said.
�You should never be afraid of us, Alex.�
�I was afraid that you�d spank me. I�m still afraid of that...�
�Well, that�s what I�m going to do, but a stranger could do things that are a lot worse, do you understand?� Rick didn�t want his little boy to know the kind of things strangers could do.
�Yes,� Alex said. �Do you have to spank me now?�
�You broke a lot of rules today, Alex,� his father told him.
�I know�� said Alex miserably.
�You skipped school� that is something you know your mother and I won�t tolerate.�
�I know�� said Alex.
�You stole money from your mother�s purse. Stealing is one of the worse things a person can do� We have talked about that more than once.
�But you and Uncle Jonathan��
�Don�t do it anymore,� finished Rick pointedly. �We knew it was wrong when we did and we�ve both gotten into a lot of trouble for it. We stopped and you will too, understand?�
�Yes, sir,� said Alex.
�And you took a train-several trains-when you knew you weren�t allowed and got yourself lost. We were so worried about you. The police even made us go to the morgue to look at a boy they thought might have been you.�
�A dead boy?� Alex asked, aghast.
�A dead boy,� Rick said.
�Is that why Mum was crying?�
�Yes. That is why Jonathan and I cried too,� Rick told him
�You cried?� Alex had never seen his father do that.
�When I thought you were dead, yes,� said Rick.
�I�m sorry, Dad.� Alex hugged his father.
Rick hugged him back. �I�m sorry too. I�m glad you�re home and you�re safe.�
�I just really wanted to go to the aviation museum,� Alex justified.
Rick sighed. He wasn�t getting through to him, but he would. He stood Alex up before him and looked him in the eye. �You can�t just do what ever you want. Your mother can�t, I can�t, no one can. There are rules that we all have to follow and when we break them we have to face the consequences. You knew all of those things you did today were wrong and you did them anyway. That deserves a serious punishment, don�t you think?�
�I guess�� Alex admitted. He felt terrible knowing that he had made his parents cry.
�Then let�s get this over with.� Rick said.
�Are you going to use your belt?� Alex asked in a quivering voice.
�No,� Rick told him. Your mother and I talked about it and decided not to. Instead I�m going to pull your pants down and spank your bare butt.�
Alex�s heart leaped into his throat and he gulped. So much for the three pairs of underpants, he thought. He hoped his father wouldn�t notice as he was pushed face down across his lap. Rick did notice the extra fortification as he pulled down his son�s pajama bottoms, but he said nothing as he lowered the underpants too. Holding Alex firmly in place with his left hand and arm, he spanked his bare backside hard with his right, again and again and again. Alex wailed: this was the worse spanking he had ever gotten. He thought his bottom would catch fire, but through the pain Alex felt comfort in his father�s strength. He felt loved and cared for and a little less guilty for the things he had done.
When it was over, Rick pulled his boy�s underpants and pajamas back up, then held him and rubbed his back while he cried. When his sobs had subsided into sniffles, Rick picked him up and laid him on the bed. �I�ll give you half an hour, then your mother and I will bring you something to eat,� he told him.
�Okay.� Alex sniffed.
*~*~*~*
Evy had been listening at the foot of the stairs. Rick came down looking worn out. �I feel like a bastard,� he told her.
She put her arms around him. �Well, you acted like a Dad,� she said. �Let�s go fix him some dinner. I sent Mrs. Wallace home.�
The three of them had a dinner of potato-leek soup and rolls in Alex�s room. They were all famished after the long day. Alex promised to work extra hard at school the last week to make up for the day he missed. This time, they believed him.
Conclusion
That night as Rick and Evy were drifting off to sleep Alex knocked softly at their door.
�What is it?� called Evy.
Alex entered and said �I can�t sleep.� He was too old to ask to sleep in his parent�s bed, but if they offered�
�You want to sleep with us, pal?� asked Rick.
�Yeah�� said Alex.
�Come on then,� Evy said.
Alex climbed into bed in between them and they snuggled together. �Dad,� said Alex.
�Yes?�
�How did that boy die?� he asked.
Rick yawned. �What boy?�
�The boy you said you had to look at today.�
Though it was dark, Rick still felt Evy�s eyes glare at him.
�He drowned,� he said simply.
�Drowned? How did he drown?�
�We don�t know, baby,� said Evy. �Don�t think about that, just go to sleep.�
�I can�t help but think about it, Mum.�
�That�s something that will never happen to you,� she promised him. �You know how to swim and you know better than to go away alone, don�t you?�
Alex squirmed. His bottom was still a bit sore. �Yes, I know,� he said.
�We won�t let anything bad happen to you,� Rick told him. �Now try to go to sleep and try to dream about the trip we�ll be taking to Egypt. We�re going to have a great time.�
�Okay, Dad,� said Alex. �Goodnight.�
*~*~*~*
The next morning after breakfast, Rick told Alex he was taking him to the aviation exhibit. His theory about spankings was that they were over and done with and life could go on. Besides, he had been looking forward to that exhibit since he first saw the poster too. Rick invited Jonathan along and the three boys had a wonderful time. They even took a balloon ride. Rick got sick and swore he would never ever go up in a balloon again.
Evy didn�t go with them. The boys needed some time for themselves, and she wanted to go to the British Museums to make sure there were no aberrations in the new exhibit. There would be women and children there, for God�s sake! She spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about their upcoming trip. She loved Egypt. They were going to have a wonderful time.
The End