In A Daze, With Far Away Eyes, chapter 6
"Billie," Called a soft sweet voice. I opened my eyes and she was lying next to me, her beautiful brown eyes lit up in the sunlight. I smiled.
"We need to get the boys ready." She kissed me on the forehead and got out of bed. She was already dressed. I got up, still naked and freezing. Bad combination. Adie laughed.
"What?"
"Shrinkage, Billie, shrinkage." I looked down and then back up and flipped her off. She came over and hugged and kissed me. I went and put on my boxers and lounge pants and headed down to the kitchen.
The boys were sitting at the island bar, scarfing down Frosted Flakes. I kissed them both on the head and got some coffee.
"You ready, boys? Dad's gonna drive you because I have a meeting for the clothing line."
"Okay," They said in unison. We headed out to the car.
"Billie, the least you could have done was put on a shirt." Adie laughed.
"It's hot out here," I griped.
"You weren't too hot this morning." She laughed. I glared at her and flipped her off again.
"Maybe later." She smiled. God, I loved her.
We got in the car and I took the boys to school. I hugged them both goodbye, not knowing that only one of them would be home with me that night.
"Okay, play that bass line again, Mike," I said, picking up my acoustic. We were getting back in business with the songwriting. Mike played a bass line he had been working on. I liked it. I started putting it together with a guitar riff in my head then began to play it. It sounded great.
"Man, wait till Tre gets back from New York. He'll love this shit." Mike smiled, taking a gulp of his coffee. The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Armstrong?"
"Yes."
"This is Mrs. Fulton. I'm the principal at Joey and Jakob's school. Did you or your wife happen to check Jakob out?"
I knew Adie was at a meeting, and I certainly didn't do it. "No, ma'am," I said.
"Mr. Armstrong, Jakob never came in from recess."
My stomach dropped. "Are you sure he's not there?"
"We've searched the school and playground. He's not here. We've called the police and their gonna search the area. I'm so sorry, Mr. Armstrong. I'm sure he's okay."
"Yeah," I said, still in shock.
"Goodbye, Mr. Armstrong," She said and hung up.
I pushed the off button on the phone.
"Billie, you okay?" Mike asked.
"Jakob's missing. He never came in from recess."
"No way."
"Yeah."
"Did they search the school?"
"Yeah, and they've got cops searching the area." I tried not to tear up. I knew he would be okay. Or, I hoped.
Adie came in a few minutes later. I was dreading telling her that our son was missing. Mike got up and left quickly.
"Adie, something's happened to Jakob. Now don't get too upset," I told her, seeing the look of fear in her eyes, "but he never came in from recess today."
Adie looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"He's missing, baby."
She looked as though she may collapse. I hugged her tight.
"Dan," She sobbed.
I looked at her. "What?"
"He got out a couple of weeks ago. He called me at work and threatened me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't wanna worry you, baby."
"Well, this is something to be worried about, Adrienne! Did he threaten to kidnap Jakob?"
"He threatened to kill me."
I walked her over to the couch and sat down holding her close. Anger and fear welled up in my chest.
"I'm calling the police."
"They're already looking for Jakob, Billie."
"I'm not calling about Jakob. They need be looking for that fucking bastard!"
"We don't know that he did it."
"Who else but him, Adie? Jakob wouldn't just run away!"
She buried her face in my chest and sobbed uncontrollably. I began to do the same.
"I just want my baby back, Billie!"
I stroked her hair. "Me too, baby. They're gonna find him, okay?"
She sniffed and looked up at me. "Okay."
I kissed her head and held her for a while. Joey came in a couple of minutes later. They sent him home early. He sat with us on the couch. None of us could say anything. We just sat there, hoping and praying he was gonna be alright.
"We need to get the boys ready." She kissed me on the forehead and got out of bed. She was already dressed. I got up, still naked and freezing. Bad combination. Adie laughed.
"What?"
"Shrinkage, Billie, shrinkage." I looked down and then back up and flipped her off. She came over and hugged and kissed me. I went and put on my boxers and lounge pants and headed down to the kitchen.
The boys were sitting at the island bar, scarfing down Frosted Flakes. I kissed them both on the head and got some coffee.
"You ready, boys? Dad's gonna drive you because I have a meeting for the clothing line."
"Okay," They said in unison. We headed out to the car.
"Billie, the least you could have done was put on a shirt." Adie laughed.
"It's hot out here," I griped.
"You weren't too hot this morning." She laughed. I glared at her and flipped her off again.
"Maybe later." She smiled. God, I loved her.
We got in the car and I took the boys to school. I hugged them both goodbye, not knowing that only one of them would be home with me that night.
"Okay, play that bass line again, Mike," I said, picking up my acoustic. We were getting back in business with the songwriting. Mike played a bass line he had been working on. I liked it. I started putting it together with a guitar riff in my head then began to play it. It sounded great.
"Man, wait till Tre gets back from New York. He'll love this shit." Mike smiled, taking a gulp of his coffee. The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Armstrong?"
"Yes."
"This is Mrs. Fulton. I'm the principal at Joey and Jakob's school. Did you or your wife happen to check Jakob out?"
I knew Adie was at a meeting, and I certainly didn't do it. "No, ma'am," I said.
"Mr. Armstrong, Jakob never came in from recess."
My stomach dropped. "Are you sure he's not there?"
"We've searched the school and playground. He's not here. We've called the police and their gonna search the area. I'm so sorry, Mr. Armstrong. I'm sure he's okay."
"Yeah," I said, still in shock.
"Goodbye, Mr. Armstrong," She said and hung up.
I pushed the off button on the phone.
"Billie, you okay?" Mike asked.
"Jakob's missing. He never came in from recess."
"No way."
"Yeah."
"Did they search the school?"
"Yeah, and they've got cops searching the area." I tried not to tear up. I knew he would be okay. Or, I hoped.
Adie came in a few minutes later. I was dreading telling her that our son was missing. Mike got up and left quickly.
"Adie, something's happened to Jakob. Now don't get too upset," I told her, seeing the look of fear in her eyes, "but he never came in from recess today."
Adie looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"He's missing, baby."
She looked as though she may collapse. I hugged her tight.
"Dan," She sobbed.
I looked at her. "What?"
"He got out a couple of weeks ago. He called me at work and threatened me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't wanna worry you, baby."
"Well, this is something to be worried about, Adrienne! Did he threaten to kidnap Jakob?"
"He threatened to kill me."
I walked her over to the couch and sat down holding her close. Anger and fear welled up in my chest.
"I'm calling the police."
"They're already looking for Jakob, Billie."
"I'm not calling about Jakob. They need be looking for that fucking bastard!"
"We don't know that he did it."
"Who else but him, Adie? Jakob wouldn't just run away!"
She buried her face in my chest and sobbed uncontrollably. I began to do the same.
"I just want my baby back, Billie!"
I stroked her hair. "Me too, baby. They're gonna find him, okay?"
She sniffed and looked up at me. "Okay."
I kissed her head and held her for a while. Joey came in a couple of minutes later. They sent him home early. He sat with us on the couch. None of us could say anything. We just sat there, hoping and praying he was gonna be alright.
