Something Missing_ A Novel - Matthew Dicks [64]
Less than 10 percent of all his referrals actually ended up as clients, so Martin was accustomed to disappointment. This one, however, was especially difficult to swallow. Ridgewood Road had proven to be an ideal neighborhood, and other than the presence of children, the Hughs’ home gave off all indications that they would make excellent clients. It made the jog back to the car seem especially long and painful.
Pessimism was not a common sentiment to Martin, but the disappointment at the Hughs’ home was weighing on his mind as he made his way north on Interstate 91. It had been more than ten months since Martin had added a new client to his roster, and in that same time he had lost three others. One of them had moved out of state and two others had added children to their homes, one through pregnancy and another through adoption.
The adoption had been particularly startling to Martin, considering the child had arrived without the usual warning that accompanies a pregnancy (home pregnancy tests, baby shower announcements, ultrasound photos stuck to the refrigerator, and the slow but constant accumulation of pacifiers, high chairs, and the like). Though Martin routinely went through his clients’ papers and mail, he had found nothing to indicate that the Brandners had been in the process of adopting a child. Had Molly and Scott Brandner not purchased the furniture for their four-year old son’s bedroom and left a photo of him on the dresser in a gold frame, Martin might never have known about the adoption until he was greeted at the door by the Asian boy during one of his regularly scheduled visits. Making this loss even more difficult to accept had been the fact that he had been in the process of acquiring a diamond broach from Molly Brandner at the time, a six-month-long operation that he had been forced to abandon with the new arrival.
Martin had also been denied the opportunity to say good-bye to the Brandners and achieve the degree of closure that he typically managed to attain when releasing a client. During his final visit to a client’s home, Martin dedicated much of his time to saying good-bye to the people whom he had come to know so well. He spent a few moments in each room of the house, reminiscing about the time he had passed with his clients and reflecting back upon the relationship they had established. It was a short but important bit of time that he always treasured, but upon discovering the Brandners’ newly furnished bedroom, he immediately exited the home, never to return again.
The cancellation of the Brandners had occurred less than two months ago, and part of Martin was still reeling from the suddenness of the situation. This had made the Hughs’ home even more appealing than it would have been normally. It had been nearly perfect in terms of what Martin looked for in a client location. With the exception of a two-car garage, he couldn’t have asked for a better situation, and so the signs of children were a disappointing blow.
Thankfully, the last item on his list buoyed his spirits considerably.
Following a brief stop at The Corner Pug in West Hartford for a lunch of seafood chowder and salad, and a stop at the dry cleaner to pick up pants, Martin turned his attention to the final item on his list: Alan.
Though focused on the tasks at hand, Martin had spent much of his day thinking about this final task. He was excited about the possibilities that it might bring but worried about remaining undetected. He would need to be careful. Choose his course of action carefully. Leave no evidence behind.
He ultimately decided upon a library computer located in Newington, a suburban community where he had once lived, just south of West Hartford. The Newington Public Library was located adjacent to the town hall and was well known for its excellent collection of audiobooks, giving Martin reason to