About the Boy

by Sharon De Vita

  “Uh…Ma?” He hesitated. “Will you…uh…be okay by yourself? I mean, I’ve never gone away before, and well…left you all alone before…” Rusty’s voice trailed.

  “I’ll be fine, sweetheart,” she assured him, blinking back tears. Having Rusty worry about her was a switch, and he’d been doing it all week in spite of her assurances that nothing was wrong. “I’ve got tons of work to finish and this will give me a chance to dig into it uninterrupted. When you get back, the Halloween issue will be done and we can just enjoy Halloween and the carnival. I want you to go and have a wonderful time.”

  “And…uh…you’re sure you’ll…like, be okay?” he asked again, and she smiled.

  “I’ll be fine, honey. I don’t want you worrying about me. Why don’t you start getting the stuff together you want to take. Make sure you pack warm clothes, it’s going to be cold up at the lake this time of year.”

  “Yo, Katie, we got a problem,” Lindsey yelled from her desk. Katie turned and held up her finger through her office window to let Lindsey know she was on the phone.

  “Sweetheart, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll be home at the normal time. And just ask Grandma to help you with your stuff if you’re not sure what to take, okay?”

  “Okay, see you when you get home, Ma. Bye.”

  Katie hung up the phone and walked into the outer office. “Lindsey, what’s wrong now?” she asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. She was exhausted from being unable to sleep all week, and just plain worn-out from all the work she’d been doing. She could do with a little less drama and a little bit more calm in her life.

  “Mayor just called, seems he’s called an emergency meeting.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, now what?” Katie demanded, dragging a hand through her hair. “I really don’t have time for this.”

  “Katie.” Lindsey looked at her long and hard over her spectacles. “Are you feeling poorly or something? You’ve been just a might touchy all week.”

  Katie managed a smile, and felt a rush of guilt. “Sorry, Lindsey, with the Halloween issue dogging my heels and the carnival next weekend, I guess I’m just a bit tired and overwhelmed.”

  Lindsey nodded, not convinced. “Well, once we get this issue to bed, maybe you need to take a few days off.”

  The thought made Katie laugh. “I don’t think so, Lindsey, not with the election issue, and then the Christmas carnival following on the heels of the Halloween issue. We’re going to be swamped from now until the end of the year.”

  “It’s that way every year, Katie. Gotta pace yourself,” Lindsey advised, still staring at Katie over her glasses. “From late September until New Year’s it’s havoc around here, but come January, it’ll be so slow we’ll be going door to door trying to find some news to print.”

  Katie laughed, realizing Lindsey was right. Normally she loved this time of year, the hustle and bustle, the preparing for the holidays. This was her first year handling the paper during the holiday season, and broken heart or not, she was not going to let anyone take away her pleasure from finally managing the newspaper.

  “Don’t know what’s up, but the mayor’s all in a dither.” Lindsey glanced at her watch. “You’ve got five minutes to get to the chief’s office.”

  “The chief’s office?” Panic set in, knowing she’d have to face Lucas in front of the entire town council and not certain she could keep her emotions in check. “Why is the mayor having a meeting at the police chief’s office?”

  “Why’s the sky blue?” Lindsey shrugged. “Who knows what’s on the man’s mind? Not me, not old enough yet,” she said with a confirming nod. “But I imagine you’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Terrific,” Katie muttered, grabbing her purse and her notepad from her desk. She walked up to Lindsey and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “If I’ve forgotten to say it this week, Lindsey, thank you for everything. For handling the office, for juggling sixty things at once, and for keeping me on track and never losing your cool even when I lose mine.” Katie smiled. “I couldn’t run this place without you,” she added softly.

  “Know that,” Lindsey said with a nod. “That’s why I stay. That, and of course the big bucks you pay me,” she added with a smile. “Now get to your meeting so I can close this dang office up for the day. And don’t forget since you’re going to be working at home tomorrow, I’m not coming in, either. Everyone knows we close on the Friday before the Halloween carnival, but I posted a notice on the front door just in case.”

  “You enjoy your day off, Lindsey, and have a good weekend,” Katie said as she headed out the door.

  “Oh, I intend to.” Lindsey grinned. “Intend to, indeed.”

  Lucas’s office door was shut, which was odd, Katie thought nervously, as his assistant simply waved her through. Katie took a deep breath, knocked on the door then let herself in.

  Lucas, the mayor, and Lucas’s two full-time deputies were seated around the round conference table in the corner.

  “Katherine,” the mayor said, getting up to greet her. “I’m sorry about the late notice, but we’ve got ourselves a problem here.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked immediately, taking the empty chair next to the mayor and sinking into it. She laid her notepad on the table and glanced at the assembled group. When she looked at Lucas, her heart tumbled over and began to ache, but if he was unnerved by her presence, he didn’t show it. He looked absolutely normal to her, not bothering to give her more than a professional cursory nod and a glance.

  “Katie,” the mayor began. “We asked you here because we need to know how to handle this situation as far as the newspaper goes. We…uh…don’t want to alarm people, but we do want them to be extra careful.”

  “Mayor, what on earth is going on?” Her glance went from the mayor to Lucas, then back again.

  “Katie,” Lucas began. “We’ve had what appears to be two home invasions in town the past week,” Lucas stated simply.

  “What!” Shock had her voice rising. “Home invasions?” She shook her head. Crime was virtually nonexistent in this town. “I don’t understand. In Cooper’s Cove?” She glanced at the mayor and he nodded.

  “Afraid so, Katie,” the mayor said with a sigh and a sad shake of his head. “First one was on Tuesday, and the second one was just yesterday.” He sighed. “Thought the first was maybe a mistake, or an isolated incident, but I’m afraid it looks to be more now with this second one.”

  “Nothing’s been taken or vandalized,” Lucas informed the group. “And yet whoever is doing this is being deliberate, making certain they rearrange a few things so that the owners know that someone’s been in their house.”

  “But why?” Katie asked, confused. “Why on earth would someone break into a house, rearrange things, but not take anything?” She shook her head. “This doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know.” Lucas shuffled through the police reports on his desk. “Funny thing is, every home that’s been entered hasn’t been locked. So technically they’re not breaking in, but merely walking in.”

  “That’s not unusual, Lucas,” Katie said, forcing herself to look at him and hold onto her professional stance. Hadn’t he been the one to tell her that they had to keep their personal relationship from their professional one? Or rather that whatever happened privately could never affect them in their professional capacity. She wasn’t here as Rusty’s mom, or Lucas’s lover, but as the editor of the newspaper, and as such, she intended to be totally calm and professional—even if it killed her. “No one locks their doors in Cooper’s Cove, I certainly never have.”

  “Well, maybe you’d better,” Lucas said more sternly then he intended, looking directly at her. He didn’t mean to sound so gruff, but the idea of Katie and Rusty being alone, and with their doors not even locked, worried him deeply.

  The mayor cleared his throat, sensing the tension between Katie and Lucas. “Now, with the Halloween carnival next weekend, I don’t want to panic
people, but, Katie, we were thinking that until we get to the bottom of this, maybe you could run something in the paper. We want to keep the actual incidents to just the people in this room, but we’d like to put out some kind of a message from the chief, here, telling people—”

  “Reminding people,” Lucas corrected. “To lock their doors at all times, especially when they go out. I’d couch it as just a friendly reminder from the new chief that during this busy holiday season people should take extra precautions and make certain their doors and windows are locked at all times, especially when they leave the house.” Lucas frowned in thought. “I’d also add that garage doors leading into houses should be locked and checked as well.”

  The mayor frowned. “The Halloween carnival is a very popular activity, and folks from other towns usually patronize the carnival. It’s one of the biggest moneymakers of the year for the town, so we don’t want to scare people away, Katie, nor do we want to alarm anyone in town, but we do want folks to be sensible.”

  “And careful,” Lucas added. He shuffled through his notes again. “My department is on top of this, and we’re investigating numerous leads, but until we catch whoever’s doing this, precautions are going to be necessary.”

  “Lucas, do you want to write something up for the paper?” Katie asked, glancing up at him. “I can edit it and get it in when I turn the final blue lines in Saturday afternoon.”

  “Actually, Katie, I was hoping you might be able to do it since you know so much more about writing and the town.” He smiled at her. “If I have to write it, the carnival might be over before I find the right words. That is,” he added softly, “if you don’t mind.”

  She shook her head, refusing to let her gaze hold his. “No, of course not, that’s my job.” She grabbed her notepad and began making notes, not wanting to have to look directly at Lucas. It was too hard and too painful, and she didn’t want anyone else to know how deeply upset she really was. “I can get something together and have it put on the front page of the Halloween edition.” She glanced up. “Is that all right with everyone?” The group exchanged glances and nodded. “Fine, I’ll get right on it.”

  “Now, I’m going to be gone for the weekend,” Lucas informed the group. “I was going to cancel, but the mayor insisted I go.”

  “Senseless not to, Lucas,” the mayor said with a smile, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “You got an assistant chief and two full-time deputies on duty 24/7, so there’s no point in you canceling your plans. We can handle things here, can’t we, boys?” the mayor asked, looking directly at the assembled deputies, who all nodded. “So you go on and take those boys up to the cabin like you promised. I think if you canceled at this late date it would arouse suspicion and we don’t want to do that.”

  “You’re right,” Lucas agreed with a nod. “But I’m only an hour and a phone call away,” he reminded everyone, glancing around the table. “So we’re agreed then that Katie will write up something for the newspaper—”

  “Lucas, what about if I print extra copies of what I write up and ask the shops along Main Street to post them in their windows? That way, the notice can be out and up before the end of this weekend instead of waiting until next weekend when the Halloween issue comes out?”

  The mayor and Lucas exchanged glances. “That’s a great idea, Katie,” Lucas said with a smile.

  “I’ll get something written up before I go home tonight and drop it off with your assistant for your approval. Then I’ll have them printed and distributed before the weekend’s up. Is that acceptable to everyone?”

  Lucas and the mayor nodded. “As long as you’re here, Katie, why don’t we just work on something now. That way I can give it to one of the boys to have printed up and distributed and it might save some time.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” the mayor agreed and Katie almost groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was sit in Lucas’s office and try to concentrate, especially with him hovering overhead.

  The mayor pushed back from his chair, satisfied his portion of the meeting was finished. “So as long as everyone understands what they’re supposed to do and just what the situation is, I think I’ll let everyone else all go home to your dinner. Thanks for coming, especially on such short notice. And Katherine, thank you for your help.”

  Dismissed, the mayor and Lucas’s deputies all but fled, leaving Katie and Lucas alone.

  Nervous, and aware he was watching her, Katie absently flipped through her notebook looking for a blank page.

  “Katie.”

  Her hands froze and she looked up at him. “Yes?” she said in her best professional voice.

  “How are you?” he asked quietly, aching to reach across the table to touch her. She looked so tired and weary, he wanted to just drag her into his arms and hold her.

  “Busy,” she said coolly. “So I’d like to get this done as quickly as possible because I still have a lot of work to do today.”

  He nodded. “Fine.” He glanced over at her notepad. “I noticed you started writing something while the mayor was still talking. Mind if I take a look?”

  She pushed her notepad across the table from him. “Be my guest.”

  He flipped a couple of pages and too late she realized the notes she’d been taking on his past, the information she’d been trying to assemble was all right there, in her notebook.

  She knew the moment he found the information. He flipped a page over and saw his name at the top of a page.

  Lucas’s hand stilled and his head came up slowly. “Have you been spying on me?” His voice was as cold as his eyes.

  “No, Lucas, I wasn’t spying. It wasn’t like that.” Desperate, she dragged a hand through her hair as he began flipping through her notes on him. “Please, listen to me,” she demanded desperately. “I’ll admit I was trying to find out some information about your background, and your past, but not as a reporter, never as a reporter,” she assured him. “But as a woman. A woman who cares very much about you.” She hated the look in his eyes. It was as cold and sharp as an icicle and threatened to cut her to the quick.

  Lucas slammed her notepad to the table. “Do you really expect me to believe that? Believe you?” His voice was so low and controlled it sent shivers racing through her. “You’re a reporter, Katie, remember? Everything is fodder for a hot story, isn’t it?” He pushed his chair back and stood up, stalking the office in a fury. “I trusted you, Katie, because you gave me your word. And you broke it. I should have known better. Once a reporter, always a reporter. You reporters think it’s perfectly acceptable to dig into people’s lives and pasts without regard for anyone else’s feelings or emotions. All you care about is your stories, your precious stories. I thought you were different, I thought I could trust you. Now I see how wrong I was.”

  “No, Lucas, wait, it’s not like that.” She reached out to him, but he ignored her. “Please, listen to me.” Tears clogged her throat, her voice—the last thing she wanted to do was make the situation with him worse.

  “Why? So you can tell me some more lies?” He turned to her, his face a frigid mask. “Drop off the information with my assistant when it’s finished,” he said. “I’m going to dinner. Shut the door on your way out.”

  He stormed out of his office, leaving Katie stunned and staring after him.

  Heartsick and not knowing what to do about it, Katie wrote up the short article reminding everyone to start locking their doors and windows, and dropped it off with Lucas’s assistant before finally going home.

  She was both exhausted and heartsick, but she still had to make dinner, and help Rusty get packed for his trip.

  Long after Rusty went to sleep she was still in her home office, working on edits, trying to concentrate.

  Around eleven, unable to concentrate any longer, she pulled off her reading glasses, rubbed her eyes, then glanced out the window.

  She jumped up the moment she spotted Lucas get out of his car. She didn’t know what he was doing here, but she was grate
ful. She wasn’t comfortable with the way things had ended in his office this afternoon. Not loving her or not wanting a relationship with her was one thing, but thinking she was unscrupulous was quite another. And she didn’t deserve it.

  She hurried to the front door so the bell wouldn’t wake Rusty, and pulled it open just before Lucas reached for the bell.

  “Hi,” she said quietly, drinking in the sight of him.

  “Can we talk for a minute?” he asked and she nodded. His face was drawn and pale, and he looked awful. Her heart ached just looking at him and she simply wanted to pull him into her arms and comfort him.

  “Would you like to come in?” she asked and he nodded, stepping through the door.

  She pulled her robe tighter as she walked back to the family room, suddenly feeling self-conscious, which was ridiculous considering what had happened between them. But she wouldn’t think about that now, wouldn’t make any prejudgments about what he wanted to talk about. She’d simply listen.

  “Can I get you anything?” she asked quietly, mindful that Rusty was sleeping just down the hall. He shook his head, but he didn’t sit, merely paced in front of her.

  “I came to apologize for this afternoon. I was wrong, Katie, and I realize now that you had every right to know about the man who’s so involved in your son’s life. And in yours,” he added softly. “If the situation was reversed I’m sure I’d feel the same way. I don’t know how much you’ve discovered on your own—”

  “Not much,” she said quietly. “All of your records have been sealed, Lucas. But I’m sure you’re aware of that.”

  He nodded and continued pacing, slipping his trembling hands in his pockets. “That’s normal whenever there’s a murder involving a cop’s family.”

  “Murder?” Shock had her all but gaping at him. Of all the things she’d imagined, this wasn’t one of them.

  “Katie, I was a Chicago cop for seventeen years. I worked primarily undercover in the gang crimes unit. I was very close to bringing down a major gang leader who was responsible for bringing tons of drugs into the country, drugs that were flooding the streets of Chicago, hooking and killing our kids. I’d been working on this particular case for almost two years. I was married and had a son. His name was Todd and he was just a little bit older than Rusty is right now. My wife hated my work, hated that I was a cop. She wanted me to give it up and go into her father’s business. I refused.” He took a deep breath. “I won’t pretend my marriage was perfect. Far, far from it. And I don’t believe in divorce, especially when a child is involved, but my wife refused to have any more children as long as I was a cop. I refused to give up my career, so there you have it. A stalemate. Two people who were making each other seriously unhappy for no reason other than they both wanted their own way.”