Fire and Fog

by Andrew Grey

  “He’s just like you in that way. Whatever you were doing, you always did completely and forgot about everything else around you.” She smiled. “I have a meeting with a couple of friends at the Asian restaurant, and I was wondering if I could take Charlie. It’s just a block or so away, and they’d love to meet him.” She watched as Charlie played. “They all have grandchildren and show them off all the time, so I was hoping I could….” She turned away and wiped her eyes with a tissue she pulled from her bag.

  Robin knew that wasn’t a good idea for Charlie or his mother. “He just ate, Mom. Charlie isn’t going to sit still in a restaurant or anywhere else. In ten minutes he’s going to be running around this room with so much energy, he won’t be able to sit still if he tried. Go on to your dinner and you can stop by afterward. Dwayne will be home by then.”

  “I was really hoping to introduce him to Gladys and Carol. I’ve known I’ve had a grandchild for four years and just met him less than a week ago. I really want a chance to be part of his life.”

  “Then spend time with him here and get to know him. But taking him to a dinner with your friends isn’t the way to do that.” Robin stood and put on the TV. Charlie watched Daniel Tiger and played happily with his blocks.

  Robin had given his answer, and that was all there was to it. His mother seemed to sense she wasn’t going to get what she wanted and backed off.

  They sat quietly for a while, watching Charlie play. The video segment ended, and Charlie jumped to his feet and raced to the front window to lean against the sill, looking out. “Big truck,” he said, pointing. “More big trucks!” He jumped up and down as he watched.

  “He has a thing for cars, trucks, and buses.” Robin went over to the window to see what Charlie was watching. He had a clear view of the sidewalk and tensed as he saw Stan approaching the front door. He pulled out the phone Dwayne had given him and sent him a text to say that Stan was here. He continued watching, then turned back to his mother, who approached the window. “What’s Stan doing here? Is he following you now? I already messaged Dwayne.” His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. The message said Dwayne was on his way.

  “I’ll take care of this.” His mother turned and headed down the stairs.

  Robin gathered Charlie into his arms to get him away from the window. He hated the thought of Stan outside their home, and he didn’t want him to even see Charlie.

  “They’re upstairs, and we’ll have to hurry and get the hell out of town,” his mother said, and Robin heard heavy treads on the stairs.

  What the hell was going on? His mother had let Stan into his apartment and they were getting out of town. They were leaving…. There is no meeting. His mother had been trying to take Charlie. His thoughts raced a mile a second, and he sprang into action. There was no way in hell anyone was taking Charlie away from him. Certainly not Stan.

  “Holy shit,” he murmured to himself as the ramifications of what he’d just heard slammed into him. Robin raced for Charlie’s bedroom in the back, shut the door, and locked it. He set Charlie on the bed. “Stay right there.” He pushed the dresser across the door, returned to the bed, and listened.

  “Robin. Everything is fine,” his mother said gently, but Robin knew it was fake. She’d used him. His mother didn’t give a shit about him. She and Stan wanted Charlie. He had no idea what the fuck was truly going on.

  Everything grew quiet, and Robin listened for any sign of what was to come. He might have heard murmurs outside the door, but he wasn’t sure, and at the moment, he was more concerned about keeping Charlie calm while he waited for Dwayne. That was all he cared about: buying the time until Dwayne got there.

  “Why are you doing this?” Robin cried through the door.

  “You should ask your friend what’s going on,” Stan answered.

  “Robin, sweetheart, I’ll take good care of Charlie. I promise you that. I’m your mother. I know how to raise children. Just bring him out and everything will be all right.”

  “You’re delusional! I’m not letting you take him, and he certainly isn’t going to be raised anywhere around Stan… or you for that matter.” His mother had been on Stan’s side the whole time. He’d thought his mother might have been gearing up to get away from him. How could he have been so stupid?

  “We need to get out of here,” Stan said.

  “If we’re leaving, I’m taking my grandson,” his mother retorted. They must have been right outside the door. “There’s plenty of money. Now get him so we can go.” The authority in her voice was frightening. He’d never heard his mother use that tone of voice before… ever.

  “Both of you, get the hell out of my home and leave us alone,” Robin yelled. “You aren’t taking Charlie, so get the hell away from us. I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but just go. I’ve already messaged Dwayne, and he’s on his way.” He hoped that was enough to scare them and get them to leave, but it seemed to have the opposite effect and made them more determined. He held tight as Charlie shook in his arms.

  “I told you we should have just left with the damned money,” Stan growled before something slammed into the door with a bang that echoed through the tiny room. Robin closed his eyes and prayed for Dwayne to get here soon. The door held, but the jamb cracked and it wasn’t going to last. Robin put his arms around Charlie’s head and face to shield him from whatever was going to happen.

  The door gave way and the dresser slid along the floor, then toppled with a bang that made both of them jump and Charlie start to cry. He turned Charlie away from the door, shielding him with his body. He wouldn’t let Stan hurt him.

  Stan bumbled into the room, nearly tripping over the toppled dresser before lumbering toward them. “Just give me the kid so we can get the hell out of here.”

  Robin had been scared of Stan for years and had done his best to stay out of the monster’s way. But this was different. Charlie wasn’t going to be at the mercy of that asshole, and it was up to Robin to make sure of it.

  Chapter Nine

  DWAYNE SHOVED his phone in his pocket and raced for Aaron’s office. “They’re at my apartment!”

  “What?” Aaron got to his feet.

  Not wasting any time, Dwayne raced to the door, and he heard Aaron issuing orders behind him. Chairs scraped against the floor, and Aaron caught up to him. “I don’t know why. All Robin said was that Stan had showed up at the apartment.”

  “You drive, and I’ll ride with you. The others will be right behind us.”

  Dwayne was already halfway to his patrol car and barely waited for Aaron to close his door before peeling out of the lot and flipping on the siren. Aaron called in to dispatch to let them know what was going on, and other officers called in as well. It seemed half the force was converging on his apartment. Not that Dwayne cared, as long as they got there in time. He tried not to imagine exactly what would happen if Stan got to Robin. He needed to keep his head clear.

  “Let me and the boys take the lead,” Aaron was saying, and Dwayne nodded. “I mean it. You’re too involved. Just let us handle it.”

  Dwayne agreed and pulled up in front of his building. He pointed to the door, and they got out as additional sirens drew closer. Aaron climbed the stairs, with Dwayne right behind him, listening for any indication of what was happening.

  “You sorry excuse for a human being!” That was Robin’s voice, followed by a deep grunt and a thud.

  “Robin!” That must have been Robin’s mother.

  “It’s too late, Mother. You made your choice… again, and now you’re going to have to live with it. All of it.”

  “Police! Stay right where you are!” Aaron yelled as he hurried to the bedroom, gun drawn and ready, Dwayne positioned as backup. Aaron reached the room first. “Get down on the floor, right now!”

  There wasn’t enough room for Dwayne to see what was happening, but a few seconds later, Robin emerged with Charlie in his arms. The little boy looked scared half to death. Dwayne pulled them to the oth
er side of the apartment as more officers streamed in.

  “We have them,” Aaron called, and Dwayne relaxed and holstered his gun.

  “It’s all right,” he told Charlie, who lifted his head and held out his arms. Dwayne took him and did his best to comfort him. “The police have the bad people, so you’re safe now.” Charlie wrapped his arms around Dwayne’s neck, and he held on so tight, he practically choked him. “I promise.” Dwayne looked over his shoulder and held out one hand to Robin, feeling better as soon as it was in his. “What happened?”

  Robin answered with a question of his own. “They showed up, determined to take Charlie, and Stan said something about just taking the money and getting out of town. What the heck is all that about?”

  “I….” Dwayne groaned. “Well, Harvey was just the muscle, if you will. The one who did the dirty work. The real power behind the rental scam was Stan and your mother. They devised it and kept it running. When Harvey was arrested, he called them for help, and they started liquidating, packing up, and were going to run.”

  “But my mother wanted Charlie,” Robin supplied.

  “I believe that’s true. It’s the only explanation as to why they came here.”

  Robin visibly crumpled. “How could I have missed that?”

  “They’ve been doing this for years and building up a lot of money in the process. I checked out Stan, but what I didn’t do was check out your mother. If I had, I would have seen the same kind of transactions.”

  “I thought my mom was being abused by Stan, but she really was going along with him the entire time.” The pain in Robin’s eyes grew as Dwayne watched the hope he’d been holding on to regarding his mother die away completely. “She really did kick me out the same as Stan did.” He leaned against him and buried his face against Dwayne’s shoulder. So help him, Dwayne wanted to beat the living shit out of the woman.

  “Robin, I—” Robin’s piece-of-crap mother said from behind him as Red led her in handcuffs toward the stairs.

  “Forget it, Mother.” Robin lifted his head, glaring at her with such disdain. “I fell for your little act once, I won’t do it again. I hope you rot in prison, and I’ll help the police make sure you stay there for a good long time. You’ve hurt a lot of people who couldn’t afford to be taken advantage of.” Robin wiped his eyes and turned away. “Get rid of her.”

  Dwayne slipped his free arm around Robin’s waist as Charlie turned to watch what was happening.

  “Is he the bad man?” Charlie asked as a still-groaning Stan was led out of the room.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m going to press charges,” Stan growled as Aaron moved him along.

  “What for?” Aaron asked.

  “He kicked me.” Stan was still walking funny, and Dwayne got a very good idea of exactly where he’d been kicked.

  “Yeah, and you probably have a concussion since the only brains you have are in your dick,” Robin retorted. “You were in my home trying to attack me, dumbass. I have every right to defend myself, and that extends to obliterating your masculinity, what little there is, if I can.” He moved away and turned to Aaron. “Can I have another shot at him? Just turn away for a few seconds.”

  “No. Though I can’t say I’m sorry. This one deserves as much hurt as possible.”

  “Hey…,” Stan said, and Aaron pushed him toward the stairs.

  “Get going.”

  “Look, everything was her idea. I only went along with it because of the money. She was the one who cooked up this entire scheme because she wanted to quit working.”

  “Bullshit, Stan!” Robin yelled. “You never worked at anything other than picking your ass. Be a man for once and accept what you’ve done.” He walked up to him, and Aaron held the cuffs to keep Stan still.

  Stan turned to Aaron. “I have nothing to say. Now let’s get this over with so I can call my lawyer.” They continued to the stairs, and Robin stood at the top as they descended.

  “I hope you end up as someone’s prison bitch!” Robin turned and walked back to where Dwayne waited.

  “I need to get your statement,” Red said as he intercepted Robin, then held up his hands. “But I better give you a few minutes to calm down.” Red stood to the side.

  Dwayne set Charlie on his feet, hugged Robin, and felt Charlie hugging his legs. “It will be all right.”

  “That gutless jerk. Blaming….” Robin rested his head on Dwayne’s shoulder and whimpered softly. “I was about to defend my mother, when she was just as involved in all this as he was.”

  “We’ll sort everything out. I can promise you that. Just talk to Red and tell him what happened.” Dwayne didn’t want to let Robin go. His guts were still tied in knots over what could have happened.

  “What do you want to know?” Robin said, not moving away but turning to look at Red. Robin told them about his mother’s visit and Stan’s arrival. “I kneed Stan in the nuts before kicking the shit out of him. Then you got here.” Robin paused just a second. “I swear on all that’s holy that the only thing that kept me from kicking his head in was Aaron’s arrival. No one is going to hurt Charlie, and they were going to have to go over my dead body to try to get him.”

  Robin roared like a lion, at least to Dwayne’s mind.

  “You didn’t know they ran the rental scam?” Red asked.

  Robin shook his head. “All I knew was that they were trying to take Charlie, and I wasn’t going to have that.” He lifted Charlie and cradled him to his chest. “No way was that happening, so it was either fight or lose him. I fought.”

  “Yes, you did.” Dwayne leaned close enough to get a whiff of the scent he slept next to every night. “I’m so proud of you. Not only did you fight for Charlie, but you stood up to Stan and even your mother. It hurts that she was part of this, but now you know where you stand and there isn’t any way she can manipulate you.”

  “You did great,” Red told Robin with a wry smile. “He’s going to be walking funny for a while, but don’t worry about anything. It was self-defense.” Red read back his notes to make sure he had everything. “I’m sure Aaron is going to want you to come down to press further charges and review and sign your new statement, but maybe this whole thing is over now.”

  Robin nodded, but Dwayne was worried about him and hated the fact that he had to go back to the station. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  “Let me call Donald and see if he’s home.” Red stepped away to make his call.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Dwayne wasn’t sure what else to tell Robin. He knew he should try to say something, but what do you tell someone who just saw their mother led away in handcuffs? They sure as hell didn’t make a Hallmark card for that.

  “I don’t see how it can be. My mother is going to prison.” Robin carried Charlie to the sofa and sat down. “Do you know how long she and Stan have been doing this?”

  “At least four years. Things really came together this afternoon.”

  “Did you know when you saw me before? Is that why you looked like you’d been kicked?” Robin asked him, and Dwayne wished he’d been able to school his expression better.

  “Yes and no. We were following the trails, and it looked like this case was lining up with the background information I’d dug up on Stan, but I didn’t know for sure and I wasn’t at liberty to talk about an ongoing investigation. That was why I told you to lock all the doors and stay here. I didn’t know about your mother for sure until we actually got here. There was the possibility that Stan had put the accounts in her name to hide the money.” He sat down next to him, the leather of his belt creaking as he did so. “I’m not glad this happened, but I am so relieved that you’re both safe. When I got your message, I nearly panicked.” He needed to hold Robin, so he put his arms around him. “All I kept seeing in my mind on the way over was you and Charlie hurt… or worse.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

  “I wish I hadn’t let her in at all.” Robin released Charlie when he squi
rmed, and he hurried to his blocks in the corner of the room and began to play, keeping an eye on both of them. The excitement was over and things were somewhat back to normal as far as he was concerned.

  Red joined them from the kitchen, where he’d been talking on the phone. “Donald is at the store. He said he’d be home in fifteen minutes. We’ll take the both of you over so you aren’t alone, and Dwayne can pick you up after we wrap everything up at the station. Hopefully it won’t be too late, but there’s going to be a lot to do.” He perched himself on the arm of the sofa. “Robin, you were a victim of a crime. You didn’t do anything to deserve it. Your mother and Stan came here with a specific objective, and they weren’t likely to back down from it. It’s likely Stan would have broken in somehow if the trick with your mother hadn’t worked. Besides, up until now, you hadn’t had any reason to suspect your mother would try to take Charlie.”

  “Yeah… but—”

  “No, Robin. This isn’t your fault. You fought like a tiger to protect him. That’s what’s really important. Because you learned some things today.”

  Robin turned to Red, and Dwayne did the same, curious as to what he had to say.

  “You learned that you’re a parent, without a doubt. You’ll fight for Charlie the way any mother or father would, and you also know that Dwayne is going to move heaven and earth to try to protect both of you. I’d say that’s a pretty winning deal.” Red smiled and hugged Robin gently. “I know you’ve been through hell with everything that’s happened with your family, but that’s all their fault, not yours. Know that, because it’s a fact. Your mother used her position to try to hurt you, and Stan, well, that guy is a shit pile.” He patted Robin on the shoulder as his phone dinged. “Gather what you’ll need for a few hours, and we’ll take you to Donald and Carter’s. Apparently Alex is anxious for Charlie to come visit.”

  “I’ll get some things together, and we can go in a few minutes.” Robin hurried to the other room, and Dwayne followed, then helped him put Charlie’s dresser upright. It seemed to have weathered the storm pretty well. He also checked the room and figured he’d call the landlord to see about insurance for fixing the door and frame.