“Hello?”
“It’s me,” he said.
“I was just thinking about you,” she said. “I haven’t heard from you for a while. I hope everything’s okay.”
“I wanted to wait to see what would happen,” he said. “How much they might find out. There’s been stuff on the news. They showed the car. On TV.”
“Oh my…”
“They had a picture of it being taken away from the quarry. And they had a story today, in the newspapers, about the DNA tests.”
“Oh, this is so exciting,” she said. “I wish I was there with you. What did it say?”
“Well, it said some stuff but not others, of course. I’ve got the paper right here. It said, ‘DNA tests indicate a genetic link between the two bodies in the car, that they are a mother and son.’”
“Interesting.”
“‘Forensic tests have yet to determine whether the bodies are genetically linked to Cynthia Archer. Police are operating on the assumption, however, that the recovered bodies are Patricia Bigge and Todd Bigge, missing for twenty-five years.’”
“So the story doesn’t actually say that’s who was in the car,” she said.
“Not quite.”
“You know what they say about ‘assume.’ It makes an ass out of you and-”
“I know, but-”
“But still, it’s amazing what they can do these days, isn’t it?” She sounded almost cheerful.
“Yeah.”
“I mean, back then, when your father and I got rid of that car, who’d even heard of DNA tests? It boggles the mind, that’s what it does. You still feeling nervous?”
“A little, maybe.” He did sound subdued to her.
“Even as a boy, you were a worrier, you know that? Me, I just take hold of a situation and deal with it.”
“Well, you’re the strong one, I guess.”
“I think you’ve done a wonderful job, lots to be proud of. Soon you’ll be home and you can take me back. I wouldn’t want to miss this for the world. When the moment comes, I can’t wait to see the expression on her face.”