Fire and Fog

by Andrew Grey

  “Okay.” Dwayne pulled over and jotted down the address. He and Red would look into it once he was on duty. He could also find out who owned the property and contact them just to make sure they were aware of what might be happening. His mind was shifting to work and some ideas about the case he had for Red. This property might be the chance they’d been hoping for to catch the guy who was renting these places illegally.

  “Thanks. I’ll look into it.” He pulled away and drove home.

  “What else do you need to do today?” Robin asked.

  “I need to go grocery shopping sometime soon, but other than that, I’m pretty good. We could watch a movie or something until it’s time for me to go to work.” It felt strange to do that this early in the day, but these shifts had everything messed up, and sometimes he just wanted to relax before he had to be constantly alert and focused while he was on the job.

  HE AND Robin spent a quiet morning watching an action flick. Dwayne prepared a quick lunch and made sure Robin had things for dinner before hurrying to the station to meet Red.

  “We might have gotten a break on the guy leasing illegally. Robin was out walking yesterday and saw the man he rented from. I’ve got the address of the house he was leaving.”

  “Cool. The codes department has ownership information on each property in town. Let’s look it up and see if we can contact them.”

  “That was my idea. But I was thinking that maybe we could get permission to stake out the property and see if we can catch this guy. If he’s going to try to rent the property, then he’s going to have to come back. I had Robin give me a description of Harvey—that’s the name he used—and we might be able to catch him.”

  Red smiled. “We can ask, but I don’t think we’ve got the manpower to do that, not for a property crime. If it was a murder or drug ring, we might, but not for something like this. Let’s see what we can find out. Then we can talk to the captain about how he wants to handle it.”

  Dwayne was disappointed, but Red was probably right. “Okay. I’ll get with codes.” He had already picked up the phone and was dialing as he spoke. He got the address and soon had the owner’s name. The building codes department thought the property was a rental, which fit with what Dwayne expected. It took some doing, but he located a few phone numbers and started making calls. The first number he tried was disconnected, but the second one rang and was answered.

  “I’m looking for Kyle Manning,” Dwayne said.

  “You found him. What’s this about?”

  “Do you have property at 118 East North Street in Carlisle?” Dwayne asked as Red approached the desk. Dwayne smiled at him and pointed to the phone.

  “Yeah. Is this because you’re interested in buying it?” he asked eagerly.

  “Sir, I’m Officer Rappaport with the Carlisle Police….”

  “Oh God….” He groaned. “Has someone broken in again? I just want the building to sell so it isn’t a complete pain in the ass. It’s a nice place, or it was until those people tried to rip it to shreds. I’ve fixed it up once.” He sounded irritated, definitely coming to the end of his patience.

  “Someone was seen coming out of the building yesterday, and we believe he could be a rent scammer.”

  “Those again?” Mr. Manning said. “I cleared out the renters, changed the locks, and repaired the damage they did a few months ago. Since then I’ve been trying to sell, but no one is interested. Now you’re telling me they’re back?”

  “Did you get anything about the guy who was running the scam?” Dwayne asked.

  “Only that he was a big guy who went by the name of Harvey. That was all anyone knew about him.” He banged his hand on something, the sharp sound coming through the phone. “I appreciate the call. I’ll stop by today.”

  “Do we have your permission to check out the building? It seems this Harvey character is pulling this scam all over the area.” And Dwayne really wanted to catch the bastard. Not only was he hurting property owners, but the renters as well.

  “Of course. I’d like to be there when you do. Can I meet you there in an hour?”

  “Very good. We’ll see you then, Mr. Manning.” Dwayne hung up and turned to Red. “The owner asked to meet us there in an hour. It seems he’s been the victim of this guy before.”

  “The guy has guts, I’ll give him that.” Red sat down at his computer and stared at the screen for a few minutes. “We should get going. We can check out the area and make sure there’s no other activity. I also want to watch the house to try to see what we’re walking into.”

  “Then let’s roll.” Dwayne got his things together and headed toward the door, just waiting for Red to catch up. Red chuckled at him as they reached the car and got inside. Red drove, and Dwayne watched out the window as they went through town.

  “What’s going on, Red?” He could feel the tension building and wasn’t sure why.

  “I have to ask you something.” Red pulled to a stop at the light at the Square. “Terry told me about Robin and that he’s going to hire him.”

  Dwayne nodded.

  “But I have to ask, how much do you know about this kid?”

  “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

  “Maybe a little. Though we’ve all done some crazy shit over the years.” Red moved forward when the light changed. “But I’d be less than a friend if I didn’t ask if you knew what you were doing. This is some kid you met at the club in Harrisburg and brought home because he was with a trick that went bad.” They continued through the next intersection, and then Red turned. “That doesn’t look good.”

  Dwayne didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t argue because the facts Red presented were true. “I know. But….”

  “Robin is cute, there’s no arguing with that. But are you letting cute and the chance for a little something on the side cloud your judgment? The guy can barely write, and it’s likely he has trouble reading. Who the hell knows what other kinds of educational or emotional issues he has? I’m not saying you shouldn’t help the guy, but what kind of shit are you opening yourself up for with him staying with you?” Red pulled to a stop across the street from the building.

  “You think I haven’t thought about all that? He was in trouble, and I stepped in to help him. It wasn’t planned, and now he’s staying at my place and it looks like he’s gotten himself a job. Unless Terry only hired him because of me.”

  “No. Terry said he was qualified and he hired him because of that.”

  Dwayne breathed a sigh of relief. “You think I’m nuts.”

  “Maybe a little softhearted. You don’t know anything about him at all.”

  “Did you know everything about Terry when you first met him?” Dwayne asked, and Red chuckled.

  “Yes. He was arrogant, shallow, and a pain in the ass.” He shook his head. “To this day I think it’s a miracle that we ever got to like each other, let alone anything more. But sometimes miracles happen.” Red turned to him, suddenly serious. “But don’t go looking for them. They have a tendency to happen in their own time and when we aren’t expecting them. Just be careful and make sure you find out what you can about him. You’re a police officer. Don’t turn off those instincts just because you’re dealing with your personal life.”

  “You think I should run a background check on Robin?” Dwayne asked. “Isn’t that a bit extreme? Do you run background checks on everyone you meet?” He stared at Red. That seemed like a major invasion of privacy and a breach of department policy.

  “That would be going a little far. But ask around and see if any of the guys have any ties to Mechanicsburg. See if anyone knows anything about what happened. We investigate things, so see what you can find out. I mean, you found this kid practically on the street, so how do you know he isn’t messed up with drugs? You already know he tried to sell himself. That isn’t good.”

  Dwayne chuckled. “And he managed to make a right mess of that, didn’t he?” He knew there was value in caution and in what Red told him. But he
didn’t see Robin as some sort of criminal. Or maybe that was just what he wanted to see.

  “So he’s not a very good hustler,” Red deadpanned. “Most of us on the force have a heart, and sometimes it’s led us to do things we’ve regretted. Other times it’s led to something really special. All I’m saying is to be careful. He doesn’t seem like a bad sort of guy, but for goodness’ sake, be careful.” Red nudged his arm. “And don’t fall for the kid until you’re sure of him.”

  “You and Terry are both delusional,” Dwayne said without any heat, because there was no way he was falling for Robin, even if he couldn’t seem to get him out of his mind. He was concerned for him more than anything, and maybe things were getting all twisted in his head. After all, when it came to sex and relationships, he had the worst record in history. Maybe he needed to spend some more time at the club and this time do something other than watch.

  “I don’t think so.” Red turned toward the house they were watching. “There hasn’t been any movement inside and there are no lights. I’m hoping the place is empty.”

  “Me too.” Dwayne gazed at the house as well. “Robin said the fake landlord guy was coming out. Just closed the door as though everything were normal. He obviously hadn’t broken in, because if he had, then his potential renters would be suspicious, and he’d need to give them keys to the front door.”

  A car pulled up and parked on the street right in front of them. Dwayne got out of the car and walked around to meet Red. “Mr. Manning?”

  “Yes.” He stopped and waited for them to approach.

  “I’m Officer Rappaport, and this is Officer Markham. I was the one who called you.”

  “Is anyone here?”

  “It doesn’t appear so,” Red answered. “We’ll look the place over to make sure, and then my advice is to call a locksmith and have the locks changed again. It doesn’t look as though anyone has broken in—”

  “Son of a bitch.” Mr. Manning unlocked the door, and Red followed him inside, with Dwayne behind them. The building seemed empty, and their footsteps echoed off the walls. Dwayne went upstairs, and Red continued though the main floor.

  “It’s empty up here,” Dwayne called after checking each of the various rooms.

  “Same here,” Red said, and Dwayne came back down the stairs. The house was in good shape and had obviously been cleaned up and repaired.

  “So what do you think?” Mr. Manning asked when they joined him.

  “Honestly I think he was checking out the house to see if he could pull his scam again. He was seen coming out and he isn’t going to take a chance on being caught. So my best guess is that he’s moved on. But have the locks changed, and maybe see if you can get some lights on inside. Have friends check on the place, be seen coming and going. A house sitting empty for a long time is a target.”

  “All right. I appreciate you looking into things.” Mr. Manning pulled out his phone and was already making calls by the time Dwayne and Red went back to their car.

  “He was a bundle of joy, wasn’t he?” Dwayne said sarcastically as they reached the car.

  “Just a guy who’s trying to get out from under whatever mess he’s in.” Red climbed into the car, and they drove away to finish their shift.

  “GOD, I’M glad this shift is over,” Dwayne said just after eleven, as he and Red left the station. “Some time off is needed after that.” He was so danged tired, but he didn’t want to admit it to Red. He’d also been distracted, and that was never good on duty. What Red had said earlier had planted a seed of doubt. He really didn’t know anything about Robin. “What do you think I should do about Robin?”

  Red thumped him on the back. “Just be careful and don’t get carried away. That’s my advice. I’m not one to tell anyone how to live.”

  “How are things with you and Terry?” Dwayne asked.

  “He left for that meeting in New York, and I hope he’s back by the time I get home. I miss him.” Red sighed.

  “Then talk things over and work them out.” He bumped Red’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later.” Dwayne went to his car. It seemed they had advice for each other. They were both great at giving it but not so good at taking it.

  He got in his car, made a stop for some beer, and drove home. For months he’d come home to crash and never given it any thought. There was no one else there, so he’d eat and go to sleep. He parked, grabbed his bag from the back seat, and walked to the front of the building. There were lights on in his windows, spilling out into the street. He knew Robin was up there—someone waiting for him to come home. Yeah, it was probably dumb for him to feel that way. He’d known Robin less than a week. He unlocked the door and went up to the apartment. He heard the television playing softly as he approached the living room and half expected Robin to be asleep.

  He wasn’t. Robin sat on the sofa in a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants so threadbare they were nearly indecent. Damn, that was one hell of a sight.

  “How was work?” Robin asked.

  “Tiring. We talked to the man who owns the building, and it seems he had troubles with our friend Harvey before. We’ll keep an eye on it, and he was going to do the same, along with having the locks changed.” There was only so much they could do. But Dwayne had an idea there was more to this than just rent scamming. He had no basis for it other than his gut, so until he could find proof of something, it was only intuition. “How was your afternoon?”

  “Boring. I sat here most of the day and am beyond bored, but I was afraid to go outside alone. I tried, but I kept wondering if Harvey was going to be out there somewhere.” Robin pulled the blanket up around himself like a shield. “I don’t like to think I’m a coward, but that’s how I feel.”

  Dwayne lowered himself onto the sofa next to Robin. “It’s okay. He beat you up yesterday.”

  “I didn’t think about it at all when we were out together. It never occurred to me. But this afternoon, about five, I wanted to go for a walk to get some fresh air. I got to the bottom of the stairs and stopped, unable to actually step outside.” He looked down at his feet.

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Dwayne said. “You were attacked and hurt, and it sometimes takes time to get over it.” He paused. “Has something like this happened to you before?”

  Robin nodded. “I was attacked when I was thirteen. I was bicycling home from school, and since it was a nice day, I’d taken a shortcut through the wooded trail. We did it all the time. I was alone but didn’t think anything of it.”

  “What happened?” Dwayne asked, taking Robin’s shaking hand in his.

  “It was so stupid. A man yanked me off my bike as I rode. I screamed and kicked at him, throwing him off balance, and we both fell to the forest floor. I landed with my leg on a log, and it hurt like heck.” Robin curled under the blankets even farther. “I tried to get up and run, but I could only limp, and he was bigger than me.”

  Dwayne tried not to let his imagination run away with him too much.

  “He grabbed me and threw me down on my stomach and then started pulling at my pants. I screamed as loud as I could, and he just laughed and shoved a cloth in my mouth and held it there.” Robin breathed rapidly. “He got my pants down and then I guess he was fumbling with himself. I don’t know, but he eased up, and I rolled over and managed to kick him in the nuts. I went wild, thrashing and kicking with everything I had. My foot connected with his mouth, and I remember the crunching sound.” He quivered hard, and Dwayne took his other hand, comforting him as best he could.

  “Did you get away?”

  Robin nodded. “I got my pants up and grabbed my bike. It was okay, and I rode as fast as I could.”

  “Did they ever catch him?” Dwayne asked, and Robin shook his head.

  “I got home and hurried into the house to tell my mom what happened, and she was crying at the kitchen table. I hugged her, crying in her arms, and she told me that my dad had died at work. He did construction, and a piece of wall wasn’t secured and came down on
top of him. She said a board crushed his head. We ended up crying together… her for my dad, and me for him and because I was scared. I tried to tell her what happened, but there was so much going on. And when I talked to my best friend, Amy, about it, she said that we just had to stay out of the woods.” He wiped his eyes and reached for a tissue to blow his nose.

  “So you didn’t tell anyone? No one helped you?” Oh God. That must have been frighteningly lonely.

  “What was I going to do? I shouldn’t have been riding through the woods on my own, and my mom had told me more than once to stay out of there. It was supposed to be off-limits, and I was doing something bad. I never did it again and always stayed with friends going to and from school after that. I was a dumb kid who didn’t want to get in trouble. I did tell my mom about it later, but by then I don’t think she believed me. So when I went to leave the apartment, all I kept thinking about was that man and Harvey, and what if they were outside? I know it’s dumb….”

  “It’s not.” Dwayne continued holding his hands, lightly stroking his soft knuckles with a thumb.

  “I know the guy who attacked me isn’t out there, and it isn’t likely that Harvey is waiting around the corner somewhere in case I show up. I just didn’t want to… I don’t know. Everything got messed up, and it was easier to stay inside, I guess.”

  “Well, I’m off tomorrow, so I thought we could take a walk around town and you could learn where things are.”

  “Okay.” Robin was calming down, and Dwayne sat quietly with him to let the anxiety pass. “I haven’t thought about what happened when I was a kid in a long time. Then today it came roaring back and hit me hard.”

  “Things do that sometimes. Other cops have told me that they have flashbacks after they discharged their gun in the line of duty. It happens to all of us. They taught us in the academy that post-traumatic stress can strike any of us at any time. You don’t have to go to war or be shot at to have trauma. It can happen to anyone.”