by Rhea Wilde
“That’s what I’m asking you,” I said. “Do you know a Victor Castle?”
Max looked back up at me but didn’t respond. His eyes widened for just a second. It was quick but long enough for me to notice it.
“Max?”
He didn’t say anything. He just suddenly turned around and went back to the garden.
“All right, people,” he said. “Let’s keep working and show this mud who’s boss.”
It was as if he hadn’t heard me. He picked up a spade and went back to poking at the dirt.
“Max. Max, are you listening to me? Did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you,” he said, his head down as he looked at the dirt.
“Do you know who he is?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because I think he’s responsible for what happened to Kimmy.”
“And what if he is?”
“I…”
I shook my head in confusion. I thought I’d misheard him.
“I’m going to turn him in,” I said. “I’m going to report him to the police.”
Max finally looked back up at me. A slight frown replaced the usual cheeriness on his face. I was so surprised at seeing him disappointed I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Sheila,” he sighed. “You haven’t been back to New Gardens for very long. But I guess it was only a matter of time until you figured it out.”
“Figured out what?”
“How things work around here. You think you’re just gonna find this guy and turn him into the cops and that’ll be it?”
“If he’s a bad guy, then that’s what will happen.”
“If he’s a bad guy, he would have already been caught. He would’ve been locked up for a long time. There’s no chance you can put him away. He probably has connections.”
“What kind of connections?”
“Every connection. Drug dealers. Pimps. Thugs. Bikers. Corrupt cops. You don’t know who the worst people in this city are because everybody is afraid of them.”
“I’m not.”
“You will be.”
Max turned his attention back to the soil but I wasn’t about to give up so easily.
“So, you do know who he is?”
Max ignored me. He kept his head down and kept shoveling the dirt with his spade. It was clear he was just waiting for me to leave.
“Max. Max, please. Just look at me for a second.”
He didn’t pay attention to me. I put my hand on his shoulder and he jerked his body around to me.
“Max… She’s only sixteen. It’s not fair to her for me to sit here and do nothing.”
“And what about me? What about the people who care about you? Sheila, I… I don’t want you getting involved in this. I don’t want you to get into any trouble because there are some things you can’t talk your way out of.”
“I’m an adult. I’m a grown woman. I have a chance. Kimmy never did.”
I didn’t know what else to say. If I couldn’t convince Max to give me the information I needed, there would be nowhere left for me to turn.
Max clenched his jaw and looked away from me for a second. He stared off into the distance, his hands clutched tightly around his spade.
“You’re not gonna stop me from doing this,” I said.
“I know,” he sighed. “Look… I’m sorry about what happened to Kimmy. But you’re on your own.”
He made it clear to me his mind was made up. Max wasn’t going to help me.
“Okay,” I said. “I understand.”
I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t sad. The only thing I felt was frustration. I couldn’t put Max in my shoes. I couldn’t make him feel what I felt. If anything was going to get done, I was going to have to do it myself.
I headed back toward the shelter. I watched all of the people working in the garden, going about their business like nothing was wrong even though the heat was sweltering and sweat drenched their bodies. Max worked just as hard as the rest of them. He stopped just for a second to look at me. He stared at me, his face emotionless with no expression. Then he turned back to the dirt he was shoveling.
I kept watching all of them work, searching for my next option.
What am I supposed to do now?
Chapter 8
New Gardens had changed so much from the city I saw in my youth. It wasn’t subtle. Most metropolitan cities would have stayed relatively the same even over the course of 20 years. New Gardens was the exception.
The Watson building was abandoned and torn down. Same with the Zara building. Barnett tower was remodeled and restructured into the Taurus tower. The richest people in the city who made their fortunes here had left for greener pastures. It was strange. You would think someone worth billions would stick around. Even if you couldn’t point to it specifically, something in this city had changed. It couldn’t be denied.
Now instead of skyscraper after skyscraper, there were construction sites at every corner. Abandoned buildings stood ominously, hollowed out entirely like something out of a horror movie. Potholes littered the streets. Poverty seemed to be spreading from one block to the next.
I sat inside of a coffee shop, taking it all in. Alone with my thoughts, I was distracted by the sight in front of me. Only a city like this could something happen to an innocent girl like Kimmy.
What am I supposed to do?
I was a social worker. I helped people get back on their feet when times were rough. I’d been doing it for years. The task in front of me now was different. I couldn’t get something done short of being Superwoman herself.
A text message I sent to a friend asking about Castle went unanswered. I didn’t have any other contacts in the city. I contemplated going to the police. I thought about telling them the name of Victor Castle to see if anything happened. Max’s warning stayed with me. The look he gave me was enough to tell me that wasn’t the best option. If I were going to do anything, I would have to do it by myself, without anybody finding out.
I didn’t know how long I sat there. I nursed a cup of iced coffee while I watched the city pass me by. All of the inhabitants went about their business like nothing was wrong, but underneath it all, something sinister was lurking.
I came to my senses one moment and realized the sun had gone down. Night had come and I wasn’t any closer to doing anything for Kimmy.
I couldn’t stay here any longer. I had to do something, anything, or else I would drive myself mad.
Instinct took over. Any sense I had left was gone. Out of fear. Out of desperation. Whatever the case was, I realized there was only one hope left. One possible option.
I took a cab to Underwood and walked the rest of the way down the street. Just as I arrived, I saw Noah standing next to the garage, putting it under lock and key.
He looked the same as I remembered him, some combination of young and rugged handsomeness I couldn’t put into words. A long day of toiling with greasy auto parts was evidenced on his formerly white tank-top. The same gray beanie he wore rested on his hair, sticking to it like glue even though it looked like it could fall off at any second. His jeans were tight and it took a noticeable amount of effort to avoid staring at him while he had his back turned to me.
When he turned around, he greeted me with a laugh.
“Sheila! I… I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you.”
“Sure. I was just closing up. Is this about last night?”
“No. It’s not actually. But… I did enjoy myself. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I enjoy spending time with you.”
“Oh… Thanks.”
Not now, Sheila.
As hard as it was, I had to stop myself from being flattered to focus on a more important task at the moment.
“Do you wanna grab a drink and we can talk about whatever it is you wanna talk about?”
“Actually… I was hoping we could speak somewhere more private.”
“Oh,” Noah said, his eyebrows raised.
I could feel my face flush with embarrassment.
“No!” I said as I put my hands up, hoping he wouldn’t get the wrong idea. “That’s not what I meant. I mean… It’s about work. The work I do. I… I need your help.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Noah gave me a sly grin. It was subtle. It wasn’t for very long. It was only long enough for me to know it was there.
Now is not the time for that.
“I guess we can talk in the garage,” he said. “Nobody will bother us there.”
“You just closed it up.”
“It only takes a few seconds. Don’t worry about it.”
Just like he said, he removed the lock and pulled the chains down to open the garage door. It was just as stuffy as I remembered it. I stepped inside and the door slammed down behind me.
“Have a seat,” he said.
I took a seat in the chair I sat in the last time I was here and Noah stood in front of me with his arms crossed.
“This sounds serious,” he said.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because you’ve got a look in your eye.”
“What look is that?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something I see. Something… different.”
The way he stared at me made me feel like I’d known him for years. It felt like being with a friend. Something about his eyes was so familiar. Strange considering I’d only known him for a few days.
Focus.
“It’s, um…” I started. “It is serious.”
“What is it?”
“One of the girls at the shelter I work at ended up in the hospital.”
“What?”
“It’s bad. Really bad. They don’t know if she’ll make it. The hospital doesn’t know what happened. The police don’t know what happened. Nobody knows.”
“That’s terrible.”
“I… I can’t go to the police with this…”
“With what?”
I looked down at the ground for a moment and sighed. Noah was the only option I could see at this point. Now that he was in front of me, it was harder than I ever thought it would be.
“Noah,” I said as I looked up at him. “You saved my life.”
“You don’t have to—”
“No. Please. Let me finish.”
He nodded for me to continue.
“I don’t want to get you involved but I don’t know who else to turn to. I…”
I started laughing to myself.
“I don’t have many friends in this city. I feel like I can rely on you.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“No, I want you to know that this is my responsibility. This is my problem. I just need you to point me in the right direction.”
“All right. I get it. What is it you’re asking me?”
“I just… I need information. On a guy named Victor Castle. Have you heard of him?”
Noah looked around the room for a second like he was searching his brain for an answer. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed.
“The name sounds familiar. I might have heard it in passing. But I don’t have anything for you. I don’t know who he is.”
“Yeah… It’s all right. I didn’t expect you to—”
“But I might know someone who does.”
“You do?”
My eyes widened. A glimmer of hope after a miserable day.
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I can’t make any promises. But it’s a possibility—”
“A possibility is good enough. Who is this guy? Where can I talk to him?”
“I’ll take you to him.”
“Noah, I told you I don’t want you involved. This is—”
“I’m already involved,” he interrupted me. “If you go, I go. That’s the deal.”
I couldn’t refuse him. I could see genuine concern in his eyes for me. I didn’t know where it came from but it was there. And if I were being honest with myself, I didn’t want to refuse him. I wanted him there with me.
“All right,” I said with a nod. “Where are we going?”
“Step outside for a second.”
Noah opened the garage again and I stepped out into the night, back onto Underwood. A few moments later, Noah slowly wheeled out a chopper. As he sealed the garage up, I examined the bike in front of me. I couldn’t tell one bike from the next, so the black chopper looked just as unwieldy as anything else I’d ever seen.
“Is this your bike?” I asked.
“No,” he said as he shook his head.
“Whose bike is it?”
“One of my customers,” he said as he hopped on.
“Are you sure they’re not going to mind you taking it for a spin?”
“Only if I crash,” he said with a wink. “And I don’t plan on doing that. Hop on.”
He patted the seat behind him. I looked down and it appeared there was barely enough room for me.
“I don’t know if—”
“Just squeeze in and hold on,” he said. “Trust me.”
“Okay…”
I gingerly sat down on the bike. I moved forward and there was just enough room for me to sit on it. All it took was for me to press up against him tightly.
“Hold on,” he said back to me. “Hold on real tight.”
I reached my arms around him and locked my hands together. The hard muscles of his abdomen pushed back against my forearms.
I could get used to this…
“Aren’t we supposed to be wearing helmets?” I asked.
“Like I said, I don’t plan on crashing.”
Without warning, the bike zoomed across the pavement. I let out an embarrassing yelp but it was drowned out by the sound of the exhaust.
The movement of the bike was nauseating. The wind rushed against my face to the point I had to press my head against his back. My hair flowed behind me so fast I thought it was going to fly off my head completely at any second. I squeezed down my arms against Noah as hard as I could. He didn’t seem to mind.
Something strange happened. I started getting used to it. The motion of the bike became less dizzying. I managed to peek my head up and watch my surroundings. The buildings and people moved by in a blur. Noah kept the bike steady as we made our way down the streets. Just as I had grown accustomed to the view, Noah slowed down and pulled the bike to a halt.
“All right,” he said. “We’re here.”
“Okay,” I replied.
“Um, Sheila.”
“Yeah?”
“You can let go.”
“Oh…”
I was holding him so tight that when I released my arms, I felt the soreness. I stepped off the bike and Noah turned and looked at me.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “I take it you’ve never been on a bike before.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Don’t worry,” he said, not answering my question. “It takes a little bit of getting used to. This way.”
He got off the bike and held his hand out, leading me forward. I looked around and noticed I was in a part of New Gardens I’d never been to before. I knew I’d never been there because I couldn’t read any of the signs.
“What is—”
“Chinatown. It’s a little farther than the part of town you live in. I guess without a car you’ve never been out this far.”
“I’ve never really had a reason to.”
“Well, maybe you’ll let me show you around one day. For now…”
I walked with Noah a few steps toward the building in front of us. I looked through the window and saw what appeared to be a restaurant. Noah stepped inside and I followed just behind him. The place didn’t seem out of the ordinary. It appeared to be a small, family-owned restaurant, little different from any Chinese place I’d been to before.
A man greeted us at the entrance.
“Hello,” he said. “Welcome. T
he dining hall is closed, so we’re only serving takeout.”
“It’s all right,” Noah responded. “I’m here to see Tommy.”
“Tommy?”
“Yes, Tommy.”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“Look. Just tell him Noah Miles wants to speak to him. Please. If he says he’s busy, we’ll leave.”
The man eyeballed Noah for a few seconds then glanced at me before nodding and turning around. The man disappeared into the back of the restaurant. Over the sound of soft jazz music, I could hear some men talking in the back in a language I couldn’t understand.
A few moments later, a different man appeared from the back. The first thing I noticed was the big beaming smile across his face as he saw Noah.
“Noah! It’s good to see you!”
“It’s good to see you, too, Tommy.”
The two of them exchanged a hug like old high-school buddies meeting after a long time.
“Where have you been?” the man asked.
“I’ve just been busy.”
“Always busy. Too busy.”
The man glanced at me, the same smile on his face he had when he greeted Noah. He was an older Asian man. His head was shaved completely bald. The only hair he had was gray and underneath his chin. His skin was fair and only just beginning to wrinkle, slightly weathered from age and experience I suppose. His chest stuck out as he reached his hand out to me.
“This is Sheila,” Noah said. “Sheila, this is Tommy. He’s a good friend.”
“Lovely to meet you,” he said as he shook my hand. “Come here. Have a seat. Let me get you something to eat.”
“No, we’re not here to eat—”
“No. I insist. Come here.”
Tommy barked in Chinese at a couple of men working in the restaurant and they disappeared into the back. Then he escorted Noah and me to a table in the back corner of the restaurant. Tommy’s enthusiasm didn’t die down. He leaned forward after taking a seat at the table across from us.
“What’s this all about?” he asked. “You two on a date?”
“W-what?” I exclaimed.
Noah and I glanced at each other then back at Tommy.
“N-no,” I said.
“It’s not a date,” Noah said with a chuckle. “It’s something serious.”
“A date is serious,” Tommy said.
