by Lisa Bork
The half-dozen men seated around the stage paid no attention to me, perhaps because I had all my clothes on, but more likely because their eyes were riveted on the stage. I crossed the room to the bar and asked for Briana Engle, Gumby’s wife. The bartender sent the half-naked waitress standing at the bar to get Briana from her dressing room.
“What else can I getcha?” He smiled at me with two broken front teeth.
“Nothing, thank you.”
He hitched his pants up and walked to the other end of the bar to watch the football game.
“Hey, Jolene. I haven’t seen you since the wedding. How are you?” Briana enveloped me in a hug that brought me in contact with her own two cannonballs. They didn’t flatten an inch under her red silk robe as her chest met mine.
“Worried. My sister, Erica, is missing. I know she was in here Tuesday night. Did you see her?”
Briana pursed her lips, which were as red as her robe. “I saw her singing at the top of her lungs and hitting on all the boys. She stole my thunder. I didn’t make any tips that night. Gumby finally called Ray.”
So he called because his wife was losing money, not because my sister needed help? Surely Gumby was a better officer than that. “I’m sorry about your tips. Has my sister been back since?”
Briana called the bartender over and asked him. He shook his head. Briana shrugged. “Guess not.”
“She wanted a man to take her home that night. Do you know his name or what he looked like?”
“No name, but he’s a big, redheaded guy. Really big. Meaty. Erica kept asking him if he was big all over.”
Lovely. And unfortunately, not the same man as the one from The Lincoln House. Now I had two potential suitors for her affections, and no name for either one.
“If Erica or the redheaded man comes in again, can you call me?”
“Sure, Jolene. No problem.”
“Thanks, Briana.” I started to turn away then felt Briana’s hand on my coat sleeve.
“Can you do me a favor, too?”
“Of course.”
“When you find your sister, tell her to stay away from my husband.”
____
After Danny went to bed, I climbed into the bathtub and tried to soak off the lingering sleaze dust I’d picked up inside the strip club. I hadn’t been able to think of anywhere else to look for Erica when we left there, and I knew Danny should be in bed by nine before his first day at Wachobe Middle School.
I must have dozed off in the tub because the next thing I knew Ray was sitting on the side of the tub, giving me a soapsuds beard.
He bent to kiss me on the nose as I wiped away his handiwork.
“How was the rest of your day? Did you find Josie Montalvo’s body?”
“Not even a lead. She rented her apartment a little over a month ago. Her landlord didn’t require any information from her, just a $500 deposit, which he’s now going to have to use to hire a professional service to clean the blood off her bedroom carpet. They released the scene today.”
“I went to The Cat’s Meow to look for Erica tonight.”
“I heard. Briana called Gumby.”
“I have no secrets, do I?”
Ray gazed down at my body. “Not without the soapsuds.”
My cheeks burned. I tried to attribute it to the hot water, but the temperature of my bath had turned cold long ago. “Could you hand me a towel?”
He rose and pulled a bath sheet off the rack, holding it out so I could step into it.
I would have preferred to have him hand it to me and leave the room. Even though we’d been together for over fifteen years, I felt a little shy to step out naked in front of him. I knew where it might lead, and I couldn’t remember the last time we’d had sex. Most likely it had been in the days following Noelle’s departure, when I’d been inconsolable no matter what Ray tried.
I could tell from the look on Ray’s face what he’d like to try tonight. My hands started to shake even as I told myself how ridiculous it was to feel nervous with Ray.
Erica’s nonsense about becoming a born-again virgin crossed my mind. Absurd. Totally absurd.
I stood and stepped over the side of the bathtub with as much grace as I could muster. I slipped on the wet tile. My leg went out from under me. I flailed my arms in an effort to catch my balance.
Ray’s arms and the towel enfolded me, holding me upright. He picked me up and set me on the rug in front of the mirror then tucked the edge of the towel in securely, brushing the top of my breast with his dry hand. He met my gaze in the mirror.
“Tired?”
His voice was husky.
A tingle rippled down my back. “A little.”
I grabbed another towel and wrapped it around my head, careful not to bump him in the shrinking room. “I took Danny to The Lincoln House for dinner and asked Bernie if any guys had shown an interest in Erica.”
Ray’s hands pushed mine aside as he took over gently toweling my hair. “And?”
“Bernie said she left the other night with a quiet, dark-haired guy. He didn’t know his name.”
“A quiet one, huh?”
Ray always says to watch out for the quiet ones. I pulled the towel from his hands and nodded. “What if the guy is a serial killer? What if he’s the guy you’re looking for?”
He took off his badge and laid it on the countertop. “Then he picked too small a town. We’ll find him fast.”
“Briana said Erica tried to take home a redheaded guy at the club. Do you know any guys with red hair?”
He wrestled off his belt and laid it next to his badge. “I don’t even know any redheaded women.”
I started brushing my hair. “I might. Cory said our new customer is a redhead. He said she had a brother. In fact, I saw a red-haired woman come out of The Cat’s Meow the day Danny stole that car. I took Erica there to pick up the Porsche.”
“What’s her name?”
“I don’t remember. Cory wrote it down for me. I’ll have to go to the office tomorrow.” I put my hairbrush back in the drawer. “Which reminds me, are you off tomorrow?”
“I’m not off again until we find Josie Montalvo and her killer.”
“Oh.”
Ray stopped unbuttoning his shirt. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just the principal wanted to see us about the Nintendo. I was hoping you could handle it.”
“Sorry, Darlin’. You’ll have to handle it.” He reached for the towel encasing my body, wrapped his fingers in it, and pulled me toward him. “You can handle anything.”
I slammed my hand onto his chest, bringing me to a halt inches from him. I could feel the heat of his body, and my own body’s reaction to it. It had been a long time.
But I wasn’t feeling the love at that moment. “Ray, you just stuck me with Danny. Whatever made you think bringing him home was a good idea?”
His gaze roamed over my shoulders and the tops of my breasts. “You said you wanted to help people.”
“I did, but I wanted to do it in my own way, not yours.”
He released my towel and took a step back. “Do you want me to call Social Services and request another placement for Danny?”
My heart leapt with relief. Then I felt the all too familiar waves of guilt and responsibility. “Not now. He’s got a room here and clothes and books and … and … we’re committed to him. That’s not my point. My point is you should have consulted me first.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I saw his need, remembered what you said, and went with my gut.”
I didn’t see any point in arguing with him about it any further. “I understand.”
He bent and ran his lips down my neck and along my shoulder, sending chills down my spine. “So am I forgiven?”
I rested my hands against his chest, feeling his heartbeat.
Mine accelerated. “Yes.”
He leaned in to kiss me. His lips grazed mine. The pressure increased, drawing me in. I almost let go.
Then I heard crying. I shoved at his chest.
It was like trying to move a mountain, but he stopped. Irritation flashed in his eyes. “What?”
“I hear crying.”
Sadness replaced the irritation. “Jolene, Noelle is happy and healthy with her mother. You have to stop this.”
I slapped his chest in frustration. “No, Ray, I hear Danny crying.”
He tilted his head and listened with me. Through the open bathroom door came the distinct sound of sobbing.
Ray glanced at my towel. “I’ll talk to him.”
I pulled on my pajamas and slippers and chased after Ray.
When I entered Danny’s room, his lamp was on. I could see his red face and the tear stains on his pajamas as he sat sniffling. Ray had one hand on his shoulder, patting it soothingly.
Danny’s anguished face turned toward me, and he burst into a fresh onslaught of tears. “My dad’s going to jail. It’s all my fault. He told me to stay in the car, but I didn’t. I didn’t.”
Ray moved over so I could join them on the bed. “Danny says he got out of the car at The Cat’s Meow and tried to sneak inside to see who his dad was talking to. He tried the back door and the side door, but they were locked. He even went into the foyer, but the bouncer kicked him out.”
Danny hiccupped. “Then I went back to the car. It was open. The driver’s door and the back door. I figured my dad came out and couldn’t find me. So I got in the car and waited for him. But when he came out, he didn’t act like he knew I’d gotten out of the car. He just hopped in and took off.”
I moved closer to Danny and hugged him. “I don’t understand. What did you do that was so terrible?”
Danny looked at Ray, who replied. “He left the car, Darlin’. Danny thinks someone came and planted the woman’s arm in the car while he was circling the building.”
“Oh.” I thought about that for a minute. “But the person would need a key to get in the trunk or a remote. Your dad’s key chain didn’t have a remote on it.”
Danny’s eyes widened. “He had a remote. I know he had one.”
Ray and I exchanged glances. I’m sure he was thinking the same as me. What happened to the remote? The key chain Danny claimed to have found in the car at Dr. Albert’s office had just a key and a metal letter P. Was the car the one his father had been driving or not?
Ray patted Danny’s shoulder. “You know what, bud, we’re not going to be able to solve this tonight. You have school tomorrow. You need to go to sleep. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your dad tomorrow and we’ll figure this all out.”
Danny seemed satisfied. He allowed us to tuck him in bed. Ray and I kissed his cheeks and turned off his lamp.
When we got to our bedroom and climbed into bed, Ray and I conversed in whispers.
“What do you think happened to the remote, Ray?”
“I have no idea.”
“Do you think it fell off the key chain?”
“It’s possible.”
“Do you think someone stole it and planted the arm in the car?”
“Also possible. Anything’s possible, maybe just not probable.”
“What did Danny’s father say about the Camry?”
“Nothing. His lawyer’s trying to work some kind of a deal for his release, and, in the meantime, Danny’s father isn’t answering any questions.”
“But it was his car.”
“It was the dealership’s car. He may have stolen it. From what Danny says, he did. But none of what Danny tells us is going to be admissible in court, and Danny will never testify against him.”
“So what do we do now, Ray?”
He pulled me close and spooned. “We sleep.”
I wiggled out of his arms and sat up. “I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about this.”
“We can’t do anything tonight, Jolene. Go to sleep.”
“I can’t.”
“Then do me a favor. Sit there quietly so I can sleep.”
I arose on Monday still filled with dire thoughts regarding Erica’s whereabouts, Danny’s father, Danny’s future, and, of course, my future. To top it all off, I had to face Principal Travis.
My day only got worse when I realized I couldn’t wear the stretch pants I’d had on for the last four days. My two-size drop meant I had to put on the same skirt I’d worn when I met her last week. Hopefully she wouldn’t notice.
At 8:55 a.m. the principal’s secretary escorted Danny and me to Mrs. Travis’ office for the second time within a week. This time I was exhausted, annoyed, and embarrassed. I had the Nintendo DS in my hand.
Danny managed to enter the office hiding behind my back. I could tell from the way Mrs. Travis craned her neck to catch sight of him. I stepped to the side so she could give him the full effect of her wrath.
Instead, she greeted us both warmly and offered us the chairs in front of her desk. I offered her the Nintendo, and she accepted it. She sat on the edge of her desk, holding it in her hand and towering over Danny, her warm smile still firmly in place.
“So, Danny, how did you come by this Nintendo?”
“I found it.” His eyes didn’t meet hers.
“Where?”
“On the floor, in the hall.”
“I see.” She turned it over in her hands. “Danny, you’re new to our school. We’d like to see you get off on the right foot. In this school, when we find something that doesn’t belong to us, we bring it to the office, and my secretary places it in the lost and found. I know a Nintendo is an exciting toy, but in the future, I hope you will remember to bring anything you find on the school grounds here. Is that fair?”
Danny nodded.
Mrs. Travis stood. “All right, Danny. You can head off to class. Mr. Mathews is looking forward to meeting you.”
With a final unreadable glance at me, Danny left. I stood to follow him, relieved that Mrs. Travis had let us both off so easily.
Mrs. Travis held up her hand. “Do you have just a few minutes more for me, Mrs. Parker?”
“Sure.” I sat again with reluctance.
Mrs. Travis rounded her desk and took her seat. She opened a file and flipped through the pages inside. “After I spoke with you last week, I read Danny’s file more carefully. I even placed a call to his old school. Danny is an unusual boy. His school attendance record is perfect. He’s never missed a day, not even for an illness. He’s been late only once or twice. Danny hands in all his homework. It’s not always correct, but it’s always done. His grades tend to be above average. His father attends every teacher conference. His father signs every report card. In those aspects, Danny is a model student.”
She closed the file and leaned back in her chair. “On the other hand, Danny never rides the bus. His father transported him to and from school. His old school does not believe Danny had any friendships outside of school. Some weeks, they suspected the only showers Danny had were the ones he asked to take after his physical education class. On occasion, Danny fell asleep during lectures. His classmates often couldn’t find their lunch money. Sometimes they couldn’t find other things as well. No one could prove it was Danny, but he was the prime suspect. It led to several fights.”
She fiddled with a paperclip lying on her desk. “I know you and your husband have only had Danny in your home for a few days. Your husband indicated Danny’s father might be in jail for some time to come. I think it’s important we all work together to make sure Danny benefits from this move to our school and your home.”
I nodded and waited for her to say more. She didn’t. She just smiled at me.
I wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell me. Wasn’t it a given that we were all working together in Danny’s best interests? Was she letting me know that she knew Danny was a thief? Was she trying to tell me Danny should ride the school bus? That I should help him make friends outside of school? Or was this her carefully worded way of letting me know this school wasn’t going to tolerate any nonsense from Danny?
Mrs. Travis con
tinued to smile at me, clearly allowing me to draw my own conclusions. Instead, I decided to take the opportunity to find out what more she knew about Danny.
“We share your concerns about Danny, Mrs. Travis. In fact, Danny was very upset last night. He said his father won’t talk to him about his mother. Is there any information in the file about her?”
She tapped the file. “According to this, she passed away when he was two. At least, that’s what his father suggested to Danny’s kindergarten teacher during a teacher conference.”
So maybe Danny’s mother really wasn’t dead? “What was her name?”
Mrs. Travis flipped through the file and stopped at Danny’s birth certificate. “Jennifer James. She had Danny at age nineteen. She and Mr. Phillips lived at the same address in Newark. I don’t know if they were married.”
She flipped the file closed and seemed to hesitate before plunging on, “I don’t know if this information will be helpful to you or not, but Danny’s teachers weren’t certain Mr. Phillips knows how to read. They would show him samples of Danny’s completed assignments during the conferences, and he didn’t seem to comprehend the work.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know if it was important or helpful either, but instantly I felt sorry for the man. The inability to read would be a huge deficit in life. “Is there anything else in his file that you think might be helpful?”
“I’m afraid not. Most of it is Danny’s report cards and standardized test results, all of which tend to be above average, as I said. I think Danny’s old school worried more about what they didn’t know about Danny than what they were able to document.”
I thanked Mrs. Travis for her time and walked into the hallway. I had the overwhelming urge to peek into Danny’s classroom, just to make sure he was okay. I started to turn back to ask the secretary for permission then decided just to find my way.
The teachers’ names hung on the wall above their classroom numbers in the hallway. I walked down one hall without finding Mr. Mathews’ name. In the next, his door was second on the right. It was closed.
