by Kay Correll
“Go. We’ll be fine.”
She slipped out the door, and the sudden silence of the apartment unnerved him. An emptiness flooded the room like she’d sucked away the life, oxygen, and sunlight.
He shook his head. He was becoming a crazy man. As he picked up the sack of baked goods, he realized he hadn’t offered her one. Well, she’d probably grab something to eat at Magic Cafe.
He crossed to the kitchen and set the sack on the counter. The sound of small, quiet footsteps drew his attention to the doorway.
Bobby stood there, rubbing his eyes. “Hey, Mr. Hamilton. You’re here.”
“I told your mom we’d hang out again today while she works. That okay with you?”
The boy’s eyes brightened. “You bet. We can go to the beach and play invaders again and maybe to Lighthouse Point and make a wish and did Momma say I could play video games again?”
He could see Bobby had inherited his mother’s stream of consciousness conversation. “How about you go get dressed?” Did he need help? Would Bobby be offended if he asked if he needed help?
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
The sound of his feet padding down the hall was comforting after the quietude when Courtney left. Bobby was back within minutes, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.
“Hey, buddy. Shirt’s on backward.”
Bobby ducked his head and stared at the shirt. He let out one of his long sighs. The sighs that were amazingly long for such a little kid, but AJ was getting used to them. “I was hurrying.” He struggled to wiggle out of the shirt, and AJ went over to give him a hand.
“There. Now, how about some breakfast?”
“I’m starving.”
AJ put the baked goods on a plate and poured Bobby a glass of milk.
“I can’t decide which one to pick. I like Miss Julie’s cinnamon rolls, but that one there with the chocolate looks good.”
“Have them both?”
“Really?” His eyes got wide.
AJ realized he’d probably made a mistake. “Would your mother let you have both?”
“Nah.” Another long sigh.
“Well, how about if we cut them in half and you have a half of each one?”
“Hey, that works.”
He watched while Bobby inhaled his breakfast. The kid could eat, he’d give him that. Bobby finished off the milk and swiped a hand across his mouth. “Now we gotta go play.”
“I’m sure we do.” AJ got up to clear the table.
“But first I have to go brush my teeth. Momma says I have to every morning after breakfast. Every one. Moms have a lot of rules.”
“They do.” He nodded gravely, trying to hide a grin.
Bobby came back in a few minutes. “Can we go to the beach? The real beach, not the bay, the ocean beach.”
“Okay, we can do that.” He took one last look around to make sure he hadn’t left a mess for Courtney to deal with, and they headed out the door.
For the first part of the walk, Bobby stopped at each crack in the sidewalk and made an exaggerated leap over it. “I don’t wanna break Momma’s back.”
“What?”
“Step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.” Bobby looked at him like he was a clueless alien. And maybe he was to this world of kids and playing and, well, everything.
They got to the beach and played attack of the starfish invaders. Then alien invasion. Then some strange mix of the two. He couldn’t quite figure out what was going on but did what Bobby commanded and was pretty sure he saved the world a time or two.
“How about a snow-cone? Does that sound good?” He needed a break, and food was as good a way to get Bobby’s attention as any. “There’s a snow-cone stand just back that way.” He pointed down the beach to a row of small shops.
They crossed to the boardwalk at the edge of the beach and headed toward the shops. When they were almost there, Bobby stopped. “I’m gonna stand here at this walkway and watch out for aliens.”
AJ eyed the distance from the arched walkway to the beach and the shops. He’d still be able to see Bobby. “Okay, but don’t go any further than this.”
“I’ll be watching for the bad guys so we can beat them again after we have our snow-cones. I want a red one, no, purple, no, red.”
“Red it is.” AJ trotted over to the snow-cone booth and stood in line. He kept an eye on Bobby as the line moved forward. When he got to the front, he ordered two snow-cones and pulled out his wallet. He paid for the cones and turned back to the arched walkway.
Bobby wasn’t standing there at the top like before. He hurried over and climbed the walkway. “Bobby.” He looked both directions. “Bobby, where are you?”
There was absolutely no sign of the boy. AJ hurried onto the beach and stopped a couple standing at the end of the walkway. “Have you seen a little boy? Red t-shirt? About six?”
They shook their heads. His heart began to pound in his chest, and he dropped the snow-cones into the trashcan at the edge of the beach. He took off at a run to the water’s edge and looked both directions. “Bobby.” The wind buffeted his call.
Turning in circles, AJ ran his hands through his hair. What had he done? Where was Bobby? Why had he let the boy wait on the walkway instead of holding firmly to his hand every single second?
He hurried back to the walkway, up and over its arch over the dunes, and stood on the boardwalk, looking first to the left, then the right.
Nothing. No Bobby.
With his pulse racing and his mind whirling, he tugged out his phone and dialed Courtney.
“Hey, how goes the playday?” Her cheerful voice came across the airways.
“Court. I can’t find him. He’s just… gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Courtney’s heart crunched in her chest, her voice rising in a panicked crescendo. Tereza looked over at her, frowned, and hurried over.
“We played on the beach. I went to get snow-cones. He was standing right here. On the walkway to the beach… at the top of the arch over the dunes. I could see him from the snow-cone stand. But then I turned and he was just… gone.”
“The snow-cone stand by Manchester Avenue?” She swallowed, trying to think of where there were snow-cone stands on the beach.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Look around. Tell me what you see.”
“There are some shops. Terry’s T-shirts and a place called As Luck Would Have It.”
“Got it. Stay there, keep looking. I’ll be there as fast as I can.” She slid the phone into her shorts. “I’ve got to go. Bobby is missing.”
“Go, go. I’ve got this.” Tereza shooed her out of the restaurant.
Courtney ran out the door and debated whether it would be faster to race home and get her car or just run to where AJ and Bobby were. Bobby had been. She wheeled around and ran down the sidewalk, hoping it was quicker just to run there than double back for the car.
Each block seemed like a mile as she sped down the street, watching for Bobby as she raced by. She got to Manchester Avenue and cut over to the boardwalk.
AJ stood on the boardwalk looking in every direction, his face ashen. She raced up to him. “No sign?”
“None. I just turned for a minute, really. Just enough to order the snow-cones and pay for them. And he was gone. I don’t know why he left that spot. He said he was watching for bad guys—aliens—why would he leave?” Fear and panic flooded AJ’s eyes.
She paused for a moment and looked both directions. He wouldn’t just leave. He’d run off one time, but that was because Stormy was missing and he wanted to help find him. This didn’t make any sense.
“Courtney.” She whirled around at the sound of her name. Eddie and Tally came running up to her.
“We got to Magic Cafe, and Tereza said Bobby was missing.” Eddie held Tally’s hand, her face pale and eyes filled with worry.
“It’s my fault. I only turned around for a minute, but I should never have even let go of his hand.” Regret and ang
uish ricocheted across AJ’s face.
“Let’s split up and look for him.” Eddie took charge. “Tally and I will look along the beach. AJ, you look up and down the boardwalk. Courtney, why don’t you head back to the bungalow, just in case he ended up there. Let me give you my phone number.”
AJ handed Eddie his phone, and Eddie tapped in his number. AJ texted him back so Eddie would have his.
“I’m going to call the sheriff.” Tally took out her phone.
AJ reached out and touched Courtney’s hand. “I’m so, so sorry.”
She just nodded, unable to give him the consolation he needed, only concerned about Bobby for now.
AJ turned and walked briskly down the boardwalk.
“I’m headed to the apartment. I’ll call if he’s there.” She hoped he was there, though she couldn’t imagine him just wandering away from AJ like that. She sped off down the street and cut across the island to the bungalow.
She looked left and right as she ran, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bobby. Nothing. No sign of him. Her heart thundered in her chest so loud she could barely catch a breath.
Bobby.
Oh, Bobby.
She reached the bungalow and pushed open the door, her heart rising when she noticed the door wasn’t locked. He was here!
“Hello, Courtney.”
She froze in her tracks, an icy fear coursing through her veins.
“Kurt.”
“Momma?” Bobby’s frightened voice filtered across the room from where he stood, Kurt’s hand clasped onto Bobby’s shirt, keeping him plastered firmly against Kurt’s side.
Not again. No, please, not again.
Courtney darted her glance to the left and the right. She couldn’t see anything to defend herself. She tried to send Bobby an encouraging look. “Bobby, it’s okay.”
“Not really,” Kurt’s words mocked her.
“What do you want, Kurt?” She debated throwing out the fact there was a restraining order against him but didn’t want to aggravate him.
“You got a nice place here. Really nice.” There was not a trace of pleasant chit-chat in his tone. “I’m thinking you have money now. And I’m thinking I deserve some of it.”
“Sure. I can write you a check.”
“Do you think I’m a fool?” He took a step closer, dragging Bobby with him. “I want cash.”
Her phone rang, and she glanced down at it. She had two missed calls from Eddie, and this was AJ.
“Hand me the phone.” His voice was threatening.
She grasped the phone tightly then looked at him. She reluctantly loosened her grip and handed him the phone, feeling as if she were lost at sea and he’d yanked the last life jacket out of her reach.
Kurt glanced at the phone. “Who’s AJ? Is that the guy I saw you kissing the other night?”
A shiver ran up her spine. He’d been watching her. She’d sensed it. She should have done something about it instead of ignoring it.
“Momma, you kissed Mr. Hamilton?” Bobby’s eyes shone with fear and now confusion.
She had to get Bobby away from Kurt.
And she knew one sure way to do it…
Chapter 19
AJ couldn’t beat himself up any more if he tried. How could he lose Bobby? Why, oh why, had he let the boy stand on the walkway? A normal adult would have known not to let him stand that far from him. Kids wander off. Anyone with half a brain knew that. He should have known that. Who knew what space alien caught Bobby’s attention and he raced after him.
Or it could be worse. Maybe Bobby didn’t just wander off…
AJ’s father was right. He was just one colossal screwup. Just one mistake after the next.
He methodically went into every single shop along the boardwalk, asking if anyone had seen Bobby and flashing his phone with a photo of the boy Eddie had sent him.
No one had seen Bobby.
He reached the end of the boardwalk and strode over one of the arching walkways to the beach, looking as far as he could in either direction, but no little boy in a red shirt.
He turned around to walk down the boardwalk again then paused. Should he try somewhere else? His mind whirled with indecision, which wasn’t helping anyone.
He grabbed his phone and called Courtney. Five rings seemed like an eternity, but she didn’t answer. Maybe she was talking to Eddie and Tally. Maybe they’d found him. He tapped off the phone then stood staring down at it, willing it to ring.
He almost dropped it when it did ring, and he looked at the phone number.
Eddie.
“Hello?” Please, please say you’ve found Bobby.
“Any luck?” Eddie’s question dashed his hopes.
“No.”
“I tried Courtney, but she’s not answering.” Eddie’s voice took on an even more urgent concern than before.
“I tried, too.” It was strange she wouldn’t answer either of them. He would have thought she’d be right on top of the phone, waiting for word on Bobby. “I could go to the bungalow and check on her.”
“I think you should. We’re way down the beach now. You’re closer.” Eddie’s words were tense. “And, AJ?”
“Yes?”
“I’m beginning to fear we might have a problem with Courtney’s ex, Kurt. There’s a restraining order, but…”
“I’m on it. I’ll get there as fast as I can.”
He shoved his phone in his pocket and took off at a dead run toward the bungalow. No way was Kurt going to hurt Courtney again.
“Kurt, you know there’s a restraining order against you.” Courtney moved ever so slightly to the side.
“You think that would stop me?” He let out an ugly laugh that chilled her to her very bones. “You don’t get to win. You don’t get to live this perfect life while I rot in jail from your stupid charges against me.” He took another step closer.
Which was exactly what she wanted. He needed to come close enough so she could grab Bobby away from him. Get him angry enough so he would focus on her and let go of Bobby.
“You’re going to give me money. Lots of money. Cash. Then I’m gonna disappear somewhere you’ll never find me.” He sent her a self-satisfied smirk. “But you’ll always be looking over your shoulder, won’t you? Thinking I might be coming back for you. Back for Bobby.”
“I’m not giving you a dime.” She squared her shoulders and tried to sound strong and determined. She was astonished her words didn’t come out as a hollow squeak.
All she could think of was keeping Bobby safe.
Kurt pulled Bobby by his collar and charged right up to her. “Yes, you are. Or I’m disappearing with Bobby, and you’ll never see him again.”
“Momma.” Bobby’s voice was filled with terror. “I don’t wanna go with him.”
“Okay, okay. You can have money. That’s fine.” She watched while Kurt relaxed his grip on Bobby’s shirt. “I could go to the bank. Get cash. You could come with me so you can see I’m not talking to anyone. You can keep my phone.”
Kurt looked like he was considering it.
“You could leave Bobby here.”
“He’d call for help.”
“No, he wouldn’t. Not if I told him not to.” Which she knew was a daring lie, but Kurt didn’t have to know that. She sent a warning glance to Bobby.
“I want twenty-five thousand dollars.”
“I don’t have that much.”
“You’re lying. I know that old lady owns Magic Cafe. And that man who got the cops to arrest me. I know they’re your family. They got money. I need the cash to get away from this mess you’ve made of my life.”
“Okay, I lied. I have that much.” If she kept him talking, maybe he wouldn’t realize it was Sunday and the bank was closed because she couldn’t bear to think of what would happen if Kurt stayed here all night waiting for the bank to open in the morning.
“I knew you were a dirty little liar.”
She watched while history repeated itself and his arm snaked up an
d he wound up to slap her. As he concentrated on her, she reached out, grabbed Bobby, and shoved him toward the door. “Run.”
Kurt’s slap resounded across her cheek. The familiar sting. The instant pain. The automatic tears it brought to her eyes.
But that was okay. Bobby was out of Kurt’s reach now, and the man had turned his total focus on her.
The door of the bungalow flew open, and she glanced that direction. AJ stood in the light like some kind of avenging angel. Relief swept through her followed quickly by concern. Kurt was not a man to mess with.
AJ reached out and snatched Bobby up from where he was scooting away from Kurt, his eyes still wide with fear.
“Outside. Run. Hide.” AJ wasn’t taking any chances with the boy. He pulled him to his feet.
“But Momma—”
“I’ve got her. Go.”
Bobby raced out the door.
AJ looked over to where Courtney huddled on the floor, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. He balled his hands into fists, and a rage swept through him, stronger than any emotion he’d ever felt.
“You must be the guy she’s shacking up with now.” Kurt’s words held a menacing, taunting tone.
“You must be Kurt, the guy who hits women and little boys.”
“Only when she deserves it.” Kurt sounded like he believed his words, which only enraged AJ more.
He needed to get Kurt looking at him so Courtney could get away. He carefully sidestepped away from the door, leaving it open for Courtney to flee through.
“You don’t look that tough.” He took another step into the house. Kurt circled after him.
“Only a coward would hit someone weaker than they are,” he taunted Kurt and stepped back again. The doorway was now open. Kurt swung at him and caught him on the cheek. AJ shook his head, trying to clear his vision, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Kurt, pulling him toward him. “Run, Courtney.”
He saw her scramble up off the floor and race out the door.
