Chapter 34: Lauren

October 22, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

When Katy finally calmed down, I brought her to the Indian room, then went to get Jennifer, who had become quite close to Katy in the time since Katy had moved in. I let my wives and Abbie know that we’d have dinner later, and just to keep plates warm for us.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” I asked. “Any clues?”

Katy shook her head, “No! Everything was fine. She left for school at the normal time, seemed to be in a great mood, and told me she was looking forward to lunch.”

“Has she talked to her parents recently?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I think the last time was about a month ago when they pleaded with her to come home and meet with their pastor. She refused, of course.”

“She’s doing OK in school?” Jennifer asked.

“All A’s and B’s, and the B’s are high.”

“When you talked to her friend, what did her friend say?”

“Just that Lauren didn’t show up for her 1:00pm class. She was in her 9:00am class and her 10:00am class, then went to the library to study before we were supposed to meet at noon at a diner close to campus.”

“Can we file a police report?” Jennifer asked.

“On what grounds?” I asked. “That she didn’t come home at 4:45pm? It’s only 6:00pm right now. And her parents say that she’s fine. Unfortunately, I think all we can do is wait, at least for right now.”

“Wait?!” Katy said, sounding panicked. “But what if something’s wrong?”

“Katy,” Jennifer said. “Let’s wait to see if she comes home or calls. It’s still early.”

I wondered about that. It seemed to me that her parents knew where she was, or at least knew what was going on. And that raised several questions in my mind. Could Lauren have moved back home? I honestly didn’t think so. Could she have been in some kind of accident? Maybe, but then she would have called Katy either at work or called here. If she couldn’t, then I knew she carried a card with Katy’s name and phone numbers on it that said to contact Katy in an emergency, just as I and everyone else in the house carried similar cards with contact names.

It was possible that if something had happened at school, they looked up her emergency contact information, and that still listed her parents, which could explain it. Her dad had said she was ‘fine’, but I had no idea what that meant, and it could very well have been just something he said to try to convince me to let the matter drop. I was highly suspicious, but I didn’t know what to be suspicious about.

“Katy,” I said soothingly, “Let’s eat dinner and see if she comes home or calls. We can decide what to do next after we eat.”

“That’s a good idea,” Jennifer said, taking Katy’s hand. “Come on.”

The others were only about halfway through dinner, so we got our plates from the oven and sat down at the table in the dining room. Katy was quiet, and it was obvious that she was very worried, but given the time and circumstances, I didn’t have any idea of what to do. Talking to Lauren would provide answers, but doing that might not be possible unless she came home or called us.

“Now what?” Katy asked after dinner.

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I need to head to the dōjō for practice. Hopefully, she’ll come home or call before I get back. Jennifer will stay with you.”

“OK,” Katy said, sounding like a lost little girl.

Jessica, Kara, and I all changed into our uniforms and headed to the dōjō for practice. I led the class, but I was preöccupied with thinking about Katy and Lauren. I knew I was distracted, so I kept things simple, working mainly on kata and strikes on the punching bags. When we finished, I quickly locked up the dōjō, and we hurried home. Abbie told me that Lauren had neither called nor come home. My wives and I took quick showers, then went to the Indian room where Jennifer and Katy were sitting.

“I tried to call her house,” Jennifer said. “I said I was a friend from school and was looking for her. Her dad said the same thing to me that he did to you — she’s fine, don’t worry — though he didn’t tell me not to call again.”

“So now what?” Katy asked.

“I guess wait until tomorrow and see if she shows up for class,” I said.

“I already arranged for the day off,” Katy replied. “I know her class schedule and where the classes meet.”

Something else dawned on me.

“Did she take anything from her room?” I asked.

“I checked,” Katy said. “All that is missing is her purse, the books she needed today, and her jacket, just like a normal school day. All her clothes seem to be there, and all her other stuff, including the books for her other classes. Her toothbrush and other things are in the bathroom just as they were this morning.”

That meant that either the absence was completely unplanned or that it was very well planned, and she didn’t want to give anything away. I was betting on the former, but the latter could well be true. And if it were true, had Lauren decided she didn’t want to be with Katy? If so, why not tell her. Was she struggling with her sexuality? Why not talk to Jennifer or Josie? Or even Abbie. Or me, for that matter. Something didn’t add up.

“Should we call the police?” Kara asked. “Maybe just a concern that she disappeared without taking any of her things with her?”

“Maybe,” I said. “I suppose that might help us find out what happened. You can use the phone in my study.”

She got up and went to my study to make the call.

“What are you thinking, Tiger?” Jessica asked quietly. “I can tell you’re concerned.”

“That something very fishy is going on. I don’t think Lauren would have just up and left, leaving all her stuff here. That tells me that she didn’t plan to be away. The fact that she didn’t show up for her classes also concerns me, especially given that the friend that Katy talked to didn’t know anything. Add after what Lauren’s dad said; it just makes me think something odd is going on.”

“You think maybe she’s struggling with her sexuality?”

“I don’t think so,” Jennifer interjected. “I’ve talked enough with both her and Katy to have a good idea. And her experience with you pretty much confirms that.”

“She told you about it?” I asked.

“Yes. If you think about it, it makes sense, given my own experiences.”

“True,” I said. “So then what?”

“I have no idea,” Jennifer said. “Maybe her parents intervened somehow.”

“Let’s say that happened; why wouldn’t Lauren call here?” I asked. “Or tell someone what was going on?”

“A good question to which I have no answer,” Jennifer said.

“I guess we wait to see what the police have to say,” I said. “I honestly have no clue as to what’s going on.”

“I need to get back to the coach house,” Jennifer said. “It’s almost Jesse’s bedtime.”

“Thanks for staying with Katy while we went to karate,” I said.

Jennifer and I exchanged a hug, and she hugged both my wives and headed back to her house. About fifteen minutes later, Katy came in.

“I need to go to the station in the morning and file a missing person’s report. I had thought there was some kind of waiting period, but they said that there isn’t.”

“Will they do anything before then?”

“Put her name into the computer, check incident reports, and check with hospitals. If any officer runs across her, they’ll call the Grand Central station, and they’ll call me. I’ll head to the station first thing, then head to UIC.”

“Are you going to be OK for tonight?” I asked.

“I think so.”

“If you need anything, come knock on our door,” Jessica said.

“Thanks to all of you.”

October 23, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

“She didn’t show up at school today, and the police have no information,” Katy said when I arrived home. “I gave them her picture and told them everything I know about her. They said a detective would be assigned, and he or she would check with the school, her parents, and her friends. Abbie said that she didn’t see or hear from Lauren. I feel so helpless!”

“I don’t know what to say other than to let the police do their work, and hopefully, we’ll hear something tomorrow.”

“I was thinking about driving over to her parents’ house. What do you think?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Her parents told you to stay away from there, didn’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s not likely going to do any good. I mean, unless Lauren answers the door or something, but I wouldn’t expect that.”

Katy sighed, “You’re probably right. I’m really worried about her.”

“So are the rest of us,” I reassured her. “I guess at this point, we just have to let the police do their thing.”

“I need to do something!” Katy protested.

“I’ve been there,” I said. “Where I felt I had to do something, but the proper response was to wait calmly and see what developed. I know it’s difficult, but that’s my advice.”

“That sucks,” Katy sighed.

“I know,” I said, “Let the police do their thing and see what happens tomorrow.”

“And then?” she asked.

That was a good question. I had no clue as to how to proceed. But I knew someone who might — Patrick Shaughnessy. I’d call him in the morning and ask his advice.

“In the morning, I’ll make a few calls to some people who might be able to help. I have lots of friends and contacts who might be valuable.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

“Hang in there, Katy. I know it’s difficult.”

She nodded, and I held out my arms. She stepped in close, and I hugged her tight before heading to the sunroom to join Jessica, Kara, and the kids.

October 24, 1990, Chicago, Illinois

“Do you think any of your friends can help?” Jessica asked as we walked to the hospital on Wednesday morning.

“I suppose it depends on what you mean by help. Right now, we’re flailing around in the dark. I’m hoping that Patrick Shaughnessy, Gwen Meyer, or Phil Lache can provide some ideas.”

I also had an ace in the hole in my connections to the Chicago Outfit, but I already owed them for the favor they’d done for me, and I didn’t want to increase that debt if I didn’t have to.

“What do you think happened with her?”

“I have no idea,” I said. “It’s possible she decided to break up with Katy and just decided to disappear for a bit. I tried something like that when Kara broke things off with me. But I ran home to where all my stuff was. Every single thing Lauren owns which she wasn’t wearing or carrying is in her room.”

“I did that, Tiger. Left with nothing.”

“But you came back for some of your things. She hasn’t. That’s what has me confused.”

“But only because I knew I could get in and out without being seen. I just went to the house at a time when I knew Veronica would be out with the kids and everyone else was at school or work. Abbie doesn’t take all the kids to playgroup now — playgroup comes to her because our house and yard can handle it, and she doesn’t have to try to herd six kids to someone else’s house.”

“True, though leaving all her personal items? You took your photo albums, your diary, and a couple of other things. She took nothing. That just doesn’t feel right. It sure didn’t seem to me that she was in a bad mental or emotional state on Sunday night. Katy agrees on that.”

“I know the police have supposedly done so, but I could check the hospitals for you. There’s a system we can use to do that.”

“Sure. Maybe you’ll turn up something they didn’t.”

We arrived at the hospital, and I kissed and hugged her, then headed home to run on my treadmill. As I ran, I thought about other avenues of finding out what had happened to Lauren, but I couldn’t think of any. I didn’t think my political contacts could help. Al Barton probably couldn’t do any more than what Jessica was doing, and my dad had no connections to Chicago except for NIKA, my sister, and me.

I finished my run and went up to shower. Kara joined me as she often did, though there was a minimum of horseplay because we both needed to get to work, and we were being more conscious of being together that way when Jessica wasn’t around. We did occasionally make love, just the two of us, and so did Jessica and I, but our time with Doctor Green had impressed on us the importance of being a true threesome. Fortunately, Jessica’s schedule accommodated doing that better now than it had during her hellish first year.

After breakfast with Kara, Elyse, and the kids, I headed to the office. It was too early to call either Gwen or Phil, but because Patrick’s ‘home base’ was in Ohio, it was an hour later by him. I dialed his office number, not wanting to use the cellular number. As important as this was, it didn’t rise to the level of an emergency. Not yet, anyway. And I hoped that it never did.

“Mr. Shaughnessy is not in at the moment. Would you like to speak to Mrs. Anisimova instead?”

I chuckled, “Yes, please. Tell her Stephen Rayevich is calling.”

Katya Sergeyevna greeted me a moment later.

“Stepa! How are you?”

“Good morning, Comrade Colonel! I’m fine, thank you. How is the Colonel this morning?”

She laughed, “You know very well that I am no longer a Colonel in the KGB! Everything is fine. Please call me Katya!”

I chuckled, “Until the day I die, you will be my good friend. «подполковник» Yekaterina Sergeyevna Anisimova, formerly of the KGB!” (“Lieutenant Colonel”)

“I suppose for you, I can make a small exception. Jack said you were calling for business. Is there an issue with the security system at your company or home?”

“No. It’s about a friend, a housemate, who has gone missing.”

“Have you been to the police?”

“My friend Katy has, yes, though I’m afraid they are no more use than the Moscow Militia at this point. We did call her parents’ house. They said she was fine, but we’re suspicious because she had a falling out with them and lives at my house now. All of her things, except what she was wearing or carrying for a normal day at college, are still at home.”

“What is it that you wish?” she asked.

“That’s just it. I don’t know. I was calling Patrick to see if he had any ideas on what to do. We’re kind of at a loss.”

“He’s in London right now but will be calling in soon. Such things are not my specialty. I am handling close protection, what you would call bodyguards, as well as physical security.”

I laughed, “Just like with Tatyana Ivanovna! I suppose that makes sense.”

“I am good at my job, Stephen Rayevich!”

“Indeed, Katya Sergeyevna. Please have Patrick call me or, if he prefers, pass a message through you. How is Aleksey Nikolay’ich?”

“Good! He is working for the RAND Corporation as an analyst focused on the Soviet Union.”

“Excellent. I heard from Lyudmila Alekseyevna a few weeks ago. She seems to be doing very well at Stanford.”

“She is!” she said proudly. “Either Patrick or I will call you later today, Stepa. Please take care!”

“I will. Have a good day, Comrade Colonel.”

She laughed, we said our goodbyes, and I hung up.

I had a bit of paperwork in my ‘In’ box. I quickly scanned it, scribbled some notes and comments, and put it in the ‘Out’ box. Kimmy would come by with my coffee in a few minutes and take the paperwork away. I turned to my keyboard and got started on fixing bugs. I worked for an hour, stopping only briefly to acknowledge Kimmy when she came in. By then, it was time to place my other calls. Phil wasn’t in the office, but his assistant said he’d call as soon as he got back from court.