Mercy

by Debra Anastasia

  “Henry.” I grabbed her hand.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Dick’s got his truck. Let’s take my car.” Henry and I put mismatched shoes on at the door and ran out in our pajamas.

  She was driving. All I had was my phone. I tried calling my mother again. Still no answer.

  Henry drove as quickly as she could, but she was still obeying the rules of the road. I fumbled with my phone and my hand hit the business card from Officer Quinn that I had tucked in the case.

  “Did you want to call the cops?” Henry asked when she saw me fingering the card.

  “She’d kill me if she was in the shower or something. But maybe I can ask him?” I held up the card.

  She shrugged. I dialed his number.

  He answered on the first ring. “Officer Quinn.”

  He must be used to getting random calls on his cell phone.

  “Hi. Um, this is Becca from last night. My place had the bricks through the window?” I was probably taking it too far, but it was my mom.

  “Yes, I remember you. What’s up?” He sounded unoffended by my call. I explained I was on my way to my mother’s and she wasn’t answering her phone.

  “Okay, tell me the address and I’ll do a drive-by. I can meet you there.”

  I gave him her address and added, “We’re almost there. I’m going in. Shit. I don’t have my keys.”

  “Just try knocking and see what happens. I’ll be there in five.”

  I hung up on him and looked at Henry.

  “Does anyone else in her building have her key?” Henry was thinking and I loved her for it.

  “Yes. Number 214 has a widower and they collect each other’s mail from time to time.”

  “I’ll go there and see if he’ll lend me the key. You go to your mom’s.”

  I was out of the car before Henry had it in park. I skipped the elevator and pounded up the stairs. I was wearing one of Henry’s shoes and one of Dick’s massive garden shoes. It was slowing me down. I let it slide off on the second floor and took the rest of the stairs half-barefooted.

  When I got to Mom’s door, I pounded it hard with the palm of my hand. “Mom! Mom? Are you in there? Mom?”

  I started kicking the bottom of the door. It was metal, so kicking it was completely useless. The windows were on the other side. I used both hands to pound on the door harder.

  I looked over my shoulder when I heard someone else running up the stairs. I almost didn’t recognize Officer Quinn in jeans and a white T-shirt.

  “She’s not opening it.”

  I banged on the door again.

  “You sure she’s home?”

  I put my back against it. “No, but she puts her cell phone on usually. What if the guy coming for me came for her?”

  Officer Quinn put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s figure this out before we jump to that conclusion.”

  I heard the outdoor elevator ding, and Henry and Mr. Handson, the older neighbor that my mom was friends with, headed toward us. She shook the keys.

  I held up my hands and she tossed the keys my way. The cop caught them and placed them in my hands.

  I found the correct key—she always had a pink one from Lowe’s—and jammed it into the lock and twisted it open.

  “Mom?” I threw the door open. The apartment was a mess. My mother’s clothes were tossed all over the living room. “Mom!”

  There was a set of pants I didn’t recognize as well. Officer Quinn stopped me from going forward. “I think maybe it’s okay.”

  “What?” I refused to look at him. How could he decide that? This was obviously the scene of a crime.

  “There are two wine glasses.” He grabbed my arm as I strode through the living room toward her bedroom.

  I couldn’t put together why this would make him any less concerned.

  I screamed when a completely naked Alton stepped out from my mother’s bedroom doorway.

  “Hi, Becca, I know this looks bad.” He covered his genitals with one hand and held up his other hand.

  “You motherfucker. What did you do to my mother?” I was mid-launch when Officer Quinn full on restrained me and explained, “That’s exactly what’s going on. Give it a second.”

  I tried to kick Quinn.

  He was ready and used his leg to block mine.

  My mother appeared next to Alton with her fuzzy blue robe on backwards. Her hair was a wreck and her makeup was smeared.

  “Mom? Are you okay?”

  I heard Henry put it together before I did. “Okay, Mr. Handson. You and I can wait outside, I think. Thank you for the key, though.”

  Everyone was fine except me. I stopped struggling, but Quinn still held me. “You put it together yet?”

  The clothes. The wine. The nudity. “Oh. My. God.”

  “There it is,” Quinn offered.

  “You’re fucking my mother?” I pulled at Quinn’s hold on me. He let me go this time.

  Alton looked like he was really missing his pants. The smell of the apartment hit me. “This is sex stink? You were bumping pissers? I’m going to be sick.” I turned and was looking at the wall of Quinn’s chest.

  “You want to go outside for some fresh air?”

  I put my hand over my mouth and nodded. My stomach turned. I’d busted in on my mom getting it on with Alton.

  Quinn stepped aside. “I’m just going to ask a few questions to make sure it’s all on the up and up. Be right out.”

  I made it outside and held the handrail. I heard Henry laughing and I wanted to slap her. I gave her my meanest stare and then the finger.

  She and Mr. Handson were obviously struggling not to bust out laughing some more.

  Quinn was behind me soon enough. “Your mom wants to talk to you. After a shower.”

  I got the full body willies and Henry and Handson lost their battle.

  I even got to witness Quinn doing his very best to keep a poker face. I wanted to cry. I had been so worried.

  I looked down. My tits were almost visible through this shirt. My booty shorts were obscene.

  Henry had her arm over her chest because she was having the same issue. I crossed my arms over my shirt. “Can you go in there and grab Henry and me sweaters from my mom’s front closet?”

  He lifted his eyebrows. He was obviously good at reading a scene.

  He returned with a white trench coat and a black shiny raincoat. They would do. Handson helped Henry put on her jacket like a gentleman. Quinn offered me the same treatment. I took his help. Once Henry and I were covered, we looked like a pair of strippers that were sent to my mom’s as a sing-o-gram.

  “I’m glad she’s okay. And finding happiness.” Henry dared to come close and I tried to slap her on the boob. “I’m going to check my phone and get you yours. You going to talk to Mother Monster?”

  I held my palms up. “I don’t want to.”

  Quinn put his hand in front of his face. Everyone else was finding this hilarious.

  “I just want to see Alton squirm. This is like an episode of Jerry Springer. I should Facebook Live it.” I finally decided.

  Handson offered to walk Henry to the elevator after I thanked him.

  Quinn and I stood outside Mom’s. The third floor was too far for Alton to jump from the window so he’d have to face me too.

  “This is embarrassing.” I tugged on my hair and tucked it into a knot on top of my head.

  “The birds and the bees?” Quinn seemed to be enjoying this a little too much.

  I kicked the handrail supports with my one-shoe-having foot. “No. Well, yes, but throwing up the alarm getting here. I mean, were you not even on duty?”

  He shook his head. “My day off. But I was in the area.”

  “I bet you think I’m a nimrod.” I made sure my mom’s coat was buttoned.

  “Actually, I think you were pretty badass. After the two things you’ve been through—you were willing to face whatever you had to for your mom.” He gave me a look like he was a proud coach. �
��Never do that again, by the way.”

  I shrugged. There wasn’t a thing on this planet I wouldn’t do for the people I loved—if I could.

  The door behind us opened. A ruffled-looking Alton was the embodiment of the word “sheepish”. I turned and stepped behind him to close the door. I heard the water of the shower before I sealed Alton out of my mom’s apartment. I had a few things to tell him that she didn’t need to be a part of.

  “You dirtbag. How dare you? I thought you were hitting on me? What the hell is all this?” I pointed at the now closed door.

  “I’m sorry it was such a surprise, Becca. I just…your mom and I…”

  All at once I had no tolerance for him. I didn’t want to see his stupid face.

  “You know what? Get out. Get the hell out of here right now. And this guy behind me is a cop, so consider yourself lucky. I’d go full out ninja on your dumb face if I didn’t have a witness that is probably legally required to stop me from ripping your balls off with my bare hands.” I was advancing on him. Again Quinn put his hand on my arm.

  “Let me just explain…” Alton gave me a car-selling smile.

  “Stop. She just found out she has cancer. You don’t think that maybe you getting lucky wasn’t that fucking important?” I felt my fingers curl into fists.

  It was all too much. I was mad at the person who had attacked me. I was furious with the bricks through my window. And now this guy.

  I felt myself losing a battle with common sense. Jail couldn’t be that bad.

  Quinn put his body between Alton and me. He easily held me despite the force I was using to try to free myself.

  “Hey, buddy. I highly recommend you getting the hell out of here right now and let these females talk to each other.”

  I looked up at Quinn’s eyes as soon as they were on me. “Let me go.”

  “Not right now. You’re going to hurt someone. Maybe your mom.” He gave me a pointed looked and I stopped pushing against him. It was a low blow. He was right. I needed to not get incarcerated beating up this gigolo.

  Henry appeared with Dick’s garden slide in her hand. “Hey, you lose this on the steps like Cinderella?”

  Her attempt at levity fell on silence. Alton was obviously hesitant to leave. Quinn cleared his throat, and that was all it took to get the car salesman moving on.

  My mom opened the door, her hair still wet. “Rebecca?”

  Henry put the garden slide in front of my bare foot. I put it on. “Yeah, Mom.”

  “Why are you girls here?” She was dressed and her “essential” makeup was hastily applied.

  “You weren’t answering your phone. I thought you were hurt.”

  “Ladies, if everything here’s okay, I have to be somewhere.” Quinn stepped to the side.

  Henry quickly answered, “Of course, officer. Thank you so much for meeting us here. That was very kind.”

  He nodded at her words, but looked at my face. “Listen, Knuckles. Stay out of jail for me.”

  I gave him an almost smirk. “Will do. Thanks, though. For real.”

  “You can keep my number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate. I’d really like to put an end to all this stuff so you can go on about your life.” He tipped his pretend hat and sauntered off.

  I watched my mother’s gaze trail after him. I could almost hear her calculating his annual salary in my head. “Seriously?”

  “What? I’m your mother. I don’t turn that off.” She opened the door to offer her living room to us. “You both look cute in my coats, by the way.”

  “Mom, it smells like a pecker piñata exploded in there. I’m not going in.” I waved a hand in front of my face.

  “Rebecca!” My mother seemed to want to chastise me. I gave her a flat stare. “Okay, I’m sorry I worried you. What did that officer mean? ‘All this stuff’? Did they find the man who attacked you?” She ran a ruffling hand through her hair, tossing droplets on Henry and me.

  “No, not yet. They want me to stay at Dick and Henry’s for a little while. But until we find him, I need you to answer your phone no matter what.” I indicated to my crotch.

  My mother rolled her eyes at me. “Let’s have some couth.”

  “Seriously.” I gave her my best ironic stare.

  “Listen. Alton and I had a moment of passion—it happens. I appreciate you being worried about me and I’ll keep my phone close.”

  She wasn’t putting it together.

  “I don’t want the guy who attacked me to come for you, Mom.” I felt my chin crumpling a little.

  Her defensiveness dropped. “Oh, honey, come here.”

  And then I was enveloped in her arms. I didn’t cry, but it was really hard not to. Henry patted my back. I took in a few deep breaths and tried to not picture Alton’s junk.

  “I’m fine, and I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  That was a big commitment from a lady who’d been diagnosed with cancer recently, but I liked the positivity and sentiment.

  “Okay, you have to text me a lot. Just keep me in the know about where you are or who you are with. What’s the deal with him, anyway?” I stepped back and waited to see how much I’d have to slap Alton in the junk.

  “Well, I was trying to respond to our group text, but would end up texting just Alton. Then we started talking like that. He’s really…thoughtful. And this was the culmination of me deciding I was worth it. You know? Like facing the cancer has made me miss feeling that carefree feeling. It was freeing to decide to be with a man like that after all these years.”

  My mother looked about ten years younger as she described taking a lover.

  It made sense, and I kind of loved it. But I was still mad that I’d been so worried.

  Henry hugged my mom. “That’s amazing, Ms. Stiles.”

  Mom accepted the hug, but watched me. I would forgive her. I added my hug to the mix.

  After we all were finished getting and giving love, my mom ended the conversation and the moment. “Just so you know, what you saw…Alton is a grower—not a show-er.”

  I felt my jaw drop. Henry busted out laughing.

  “You’re defending Alton’s dick size?” I pointed at her.

  She had the nerve to smile.

  “I feel sick again. Mom, we’re leaving. Text me later. Lock your doors.” I grabbed Henry’s arm and the two of us worked our way back to the elevator.

  My mom laughed at us and closed her door after shouting, “I love you!”

  Henry waited until the elevator closed before starting what I was pretty sure would be a lifetime of teasing. “We busted in on your mom getting boned.”

  I started laughing at the stupidity of it all. Henry did too and eventually we were sitting on the floor of the elevator cry/laughing all the way to the first floor.

  22

  STALKER COMPLAINTS

  Fenix

  She hadn’t used the claw machine app last night. I was hoping she would. I could have maybe texted her through the messenger. I knew she was at her friend’s house and I didn’t love it.

  Henry’s boyfriend’s house was pretty remote. The location was further from my house than I liked.

  Stalker complaints.

  I checked on Ember and Christina. Young girls were easier to track because they were in school and programs on the weekend. Which also worried me because I wasn’t sure how much time my father had invested in learning to do exactly what I was doing now.

  It was highly unlikely because of his deep alcoholism, but I didn’t like to dismiss any suspicions I had.

  Animal came downstairs with a bag of Twizzlers. He held out the bag to me and I took a breakfast-sized handful.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Not going. For now. Hey, sorry I cockblocked you last night. I know you had a few ladies there…”

  Animal smiled. “No worries. My cock has had more than his fair share in this lifetime. And I got their digits. It’s cool.” The huge man took a seat in the recliner I had for watching the machine.
“Plus, we’ve got tonight.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s a great idea. I mean—you can go, but I think I need to give her space.”

  Animal was shaking his head as I spoke. “You’re going, baby. How many times in your life can you walk among the normal like that?”

  He pointed at my face with his pinkie.

  “But I freaked her out.” I reached toward him and grabbed a few extra Twizzlers.

  “I’ll drag your ass there tonight if I have to. Don’t get wishy-washy on us now. Plus, we got to watch her.” Animal pulled the lever in the chair to elevate his feet. “I got some hits from Feybi.”

  He switched the topics and I instantly turned and logged on to the site I used for message drops.

  There were three requests for meetings. I turned back to Animal. “What’d you hear?”

  “He wants you in the worst way. He’s getting fanatical about it. Asking about you in the old channels and a few new ones.” Animal put two red candies into his mouth at once.

  “I don’t like publicity like that.” I frowned.

  “I’m betting he knows that. We killed a few of his guys via a hooker. He either wants to get even or get you working for him. That’s how I see it.” Animal leaned back in the chair so he was almost lying flat. It creaked.

  My biggest concern was that if he was involved in somehow masterminding Christina’s kidnapping, that he’d do something like that again.

  “I don’t like Feybi or how he does business. I’ll let him stew in his own juices for a while. I’d like to get my father handled, then deal with that old fart.” I stood and stretched. I needed to nap and work out. Maybe in the reverse order.

  “We’ll handle what we can when we can, but I need to leave town for a few days.” Animal was giving me a heads-up.

  His life was his. He knew more about mine than I did his. I didn’t like to push him. In the little bits he’d given me over our years of friendship, I knew he was orphaned as an infant and addicted to drugs before he took his first breath. He’d been left at a firehouse.

  I was pretty freaking surprised when he offered his reason.

  “I’ve got some family business to handle.”

  As far as I knew, I was the only family he had.