If Angels Fall (tom reed and walt sydowski)

by Rick Mofina

  Danny Becker’s kidnapping had made Nancy vigilant,especially when Paul was at work. She looked in on Gabrielle and Ryanfrequently while they slept, rechecked the locks of their house, remindingherself the Sunset was a safe neighborhood, the best place in the city to raisekids. She was coping as rationally as could be expected, remembering howearlier, talking to Paul about it, she sought something positive in DannyBecker’s abduction.

  “Maybe now police will catch the killer. Maybe thisnew case gives them a lead and they’ll find Danny safe.”

  “Police?” Paul scoffed. “Like with the Zodiac, Nance?The cops never caught him. Don’t hold your breath for the police to stop thisguy. A.45 in the head is what it’s going to take. And it won’t come from thecops, it’ll be some kid’s old man.”

  Nancy was grateful Paul restrained himself from displayinghis Remington, out of respect for her abhorrence of guns. While the Sunset waslargely unscathed by crime, she now found comfort in the fact her husband, aformer U.S. Marine sergeant, still kept his gun.

  This morning, in her kitchen, Nancy read the latestnews about the abduction. Offer more reward money, she thought. Somebody inthis city knows where Danny Becker is.

  The kitchen phone rang. She got it.

  “Hey there, Nance!” said Wendy Sloane, her neighborand best friend.

  “Hey yourself.”

  “They still haven’t caught the creep yet. The Chronfigures he’s a parolee from a prison for child molesters. What’s the Starsay?”

  “He’s playing some kind of fantasy in his head andhe’ll strike again. Hi, handsome.” Ryan, Gabrielle’s eight-year-old brother,came yawing into the kitchen, pajama clad, and hugged her. “Can you start yourown breakfast while Mom’s on the phone?”

  He pulled a box of cornflakes from the cupboard.

  “Paul home?” Wendy asked.

  “No. He’s working. What are your two up to, with noschool today?”

  Wendy had two girls. Charlotte was nine and Elaine wasseven.

  “Fretting about the birthday parties coming up.Joannie Tyson’s is in a few days and then Gabrielle’s because they think she isprettier than Joannie and Joannie’s party is going to be so big.”

  “Lady, your daughters are cruel.”

  “They’re running around deeply concerned about what towear and who’s going to be there to impress.”

  “You’re raising a pair of debs. How proud you mustbe.”

  Both women laughed.

  “Nancy, you’re still taking Gabrielle to Joannie’sparty, right? You’re not going to overreact to this kidnapping crap?”

  “I considered not going, but I don’t want to scare thekids. Besides it would be rude not to go to Joannie’s party, then expect her tocome to Gabrielle’s.”

  “There you go, girl.”

  Nancy could hear Wendy’s smile and it warmed her toknow they were friends. They had met at the Bette Food Value Mart inStonestown, where they were part-time cashiers. When they learned they livednear each other in the Sunset, they became pals. Wendy was a big-hearted Texanfrom Austin who adored country music and joked about writing her own tune,“Livin’ ‘n’ Lovin’ in the Fogbelt.” Her husband, Rod, was a welder who drank abit. But he did have two saving graces. He brought home a regular paycheck and hecould two-step. “I’ll hang on to him. Until a better dancer with a biggerpaycheck comes along.”

  Nancy and Wendy chatted every day on the phone androutinely packed juice, snacks, a thermos of coffee, the kids, and walked thefew blocks to the playground between Moraga and Lawton. They gossiped whiletheir children played. Today was a playground day.

  “Meet you there in an hour,” Nancy said.

  “You got it.”

  “Wendy…?”

  “Yes?”

  “Bring your copy of today’s Chronicle?”

  “Oh, you old worrywart! Sure, I’ll bring it.”

  Don’t give in to a siege mentality, Nancy toldherself. Be realistic. Keep an eye on Gabrielle and Ryan. That’s all she had todo.

  In the living room, Nancy inspected the newflower-print dress she had made for Gabrielle’s birthday party. She stayed up laterto finish it. It was draped over a sofa chair. Tracing her fingers over herfine needlework, she smiled, then returned to the kitchen where Ryan wasstarting on a second bowl of cornflakes.

  “Can I join scouts today, Mom?”

  “We’ll talk about it later, okay? Get dressed whenyou’re done. We’re going to the playground.” She kissed the top of Ryan’s head.

  After showering, Nancy slipped on a pair of old Levi’sand a Blue Jays T-shirt. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail while herfull-length mirror reflected a figure women envied and men enjoyed.

  Gabrielle’s room was the freshest smelling room in thehouse. At times Nancy was certain she detected the lingering fragrance of babypowder. Were her senses deceiving her? Or, was it merely part of the bittersweetexperience of watching her daughter grow up, knowing that one day she would begone? Nearly six years old and already peering over the edge of the next.Recently, a poster of Leonardo DiCarprio had replaced one of Big Bird. Taped tothe wall above Gabrielle’s night stand was a snapshot of her hugging Jackson.It broke Nancy’s heart.

  Sensing a presence, Gabrielle stirred, then woke.

  “Hi, sleepyhead.”

  Gabrielle rubbed her eyes.

  “Time to get up. We’re going to the playground.”

  “Know what, mom?”

  “What?”

  “I dreamed Jackson was in my bed, licking my face!”

  “You’ll always have him in your dreams, sweetheart.”

  “In know. But it’s not the same as for real.”

  “We’re going to see Letty and Elaine, so rise andshine.”

  Wendy waved from their usual park bench. “Good morning,Nunns!”

  The children called to each other.

  “Boy, the joint’s jumping this morning.” Nancydeposited herself beside her friend and unscrewed the coffee thermos. “Iremember the days when we used to have the place to ourselves.”

  “You sound like an old lady.”

  The children scampered to the swings, Charlotte,Gabrielle, and Elaine held hands. Ryan trotted behind them. The women enjoyedtheir coffee and watched a pair of teenage lovebirds snuggling on a bench totheir left. A few yards away, on a tattered blanket under a tree, a scrawny manwas reading. To their right, a bearded man in sunglasses and a fedora sat alonewith his newspaper. He caught Nancy’s glance, and nodded. He went back to hisnewspaper, which reminded her of something.

  “Did you bring your Chronicle?”

  Wendy produced her rolled edition from her bag.

  Nancy began reading, gasping at the speculation thatDanny Becker’s kidnapper was a paroled pervert. She slapped the paper on thebench, looked over at Ryan and Gabrielle. If anything ever happened to then, itwould kill her.

  “How can you be so calm about it?”

  “Look at it logically. A zillion people live in theBay Area. Look at the odds. You’d win the lottery before this guy came afteryour kids.”

  Nancy considered it. “What would I do without yourTexas common sense?”

  “You’d go crackbrained and lock yourself up with thekids. Oprah would do a live show on your lawn. ‘Mrs. Nunn, it’s been twentyyears since the Bay Beast last struck — are you willing to let your grownchildren out of the house now?”

  They laughed, poured more coffee, then discussedJoanne Tyson’s seventh birthday party at the Children’s Playground in GoldenGate Park. Of all places, they groaned. Well, it was a huge park and still abeautiful choice for a little girl’s giant birthday party, they agreed. Thirtykids. Wendy was saying something about Joannie’s mom going overboard when theyheard the scream. A child’s scream. They took instant head counts. All childrenwere accounted for. All standing. None bleeding. Gabrielle was screaming. Nancycaught her breath, realizing Gabrielle was not hurt.

  “A puppy! A puppy! Look, Mommy, a puppy, just likeJackson!”
/>   A teenage girl with a cocker spaniel tugging at aleash in front of her rushed near them. Gabrielle was poised to run to the dog.

  The bearded man on the bench to their right looked upfrom his newspaper at Nancy calming her daughter.

  “Shh-shh, honey. He’s a nice puppy, just like Jackson,but he’s not Jackson. You have to try to stop thinking about him. It’s hard,but you have to try.”

  Nancy arched an eyebrow, a signal for Wendy’s help.

  “Tell me, princess,” Wendy chirped. “are you all setfor Joannie’s monster birthday party?”

  Gabrielle’s fawn eyes could melt an iceberg. “Letteand Elaine and me are going to ride the carousel and have birthday cake.”

  Gabrielle skipped back to the others.

  “Thanks, pal.” Nancy slapped Wendy’s shoulder.

  “What are you guys going to do about her puppy-dogblues?”

  “We’re surprising her with anew pup on her birthday.”

  “Might be the cure.”

  As they talked, the bearded man eavesdropped,appearing to be completing the crossword puzzle of his carefully foldednewspaper. In fact, he was making notes — notes about Gabrielle Nunn, who wouldbe six soon, about Jackson, her missing cocker spaniel, and Joannie Tyson’s upcomingbirthday party with thirty children. Chaos. The man made precise notes aboutthe time and location.

  Then Edward Keller put the pencil stub in his breastpocket. He loved today’s news, the part about religious delusions. How couldmortals distinguish between delusion and divine revelation? Keller strolledfrom the playground, tapping his folded newspaper against his leg. Behind himhe heard the Angel Gabriel’s laughter and he was bathed in the light of truth.

  Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus. Dominus Deus sabaoth.

  Keller praised God for his help.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Gabrielle Nunn joined the chorus of shrieking girls spinning in the tub of thecarousel. Its ancient organ huffed a mazurka and Gabrielle was the happiest shehad been in weeks, almost forgetting that her dog Jackson had disappeared.

  It was Saturday. Joannie Tyson’s seventh birthdayparty at the Children’s Playground in Golden Gate Park. A monster bash.Thirty-two kids. A tiny Be-In. The summer of cake and ice cream.

  Gabrielle was wearing the flowered print dress hermother made especially for her six birthday, a few days away, but Gabrielle hadpleaded to wear it today. Her mother gave in. Then Nancy Nunn plaited herdaughter’s auburn hair into French braids. Gabrielle’s favorite. Now, whirlingand laughing with friends Tracey Tanner, Millie Palmer, and Rhonda King, whomeverybody called Help-Me Rhonda, Gabrielle was having a perfect day.

  A dream day.

  Round and round she went. Her stomach tingling as ifan ecstatic butterfly were fluttering inside. She wanted to ride the carouselforever. But when they finished their third successive tour. Nancy Nunn, whowas watching the girls, feared a fourth ride would be risky, given the amountof cake and ice cream they downed earlier.

  “Can we catch up with the others now?” Millie Palmerasked.

  Between the cake eating and the present opening, theparty had separated into small groups, each chaperoned by an adult.

  Some had gone to the Troll Bridge, some to the MouseTower. Wendy Sloane had taken Letty, Elaine, and three other girls to theFarmyard.

  “Can we go to the Mouse Tower, Mrs. Nunn?” TraceyTanner asked.

  “No, the Farmyard!” Rhonda King said.

  “Before we go anywhere, ladies, who has to go to thewashroom?”

  Millie and Rhonda shot up their hands.

  Nancy herded her foursome to the nearest washroom.Millie and Rhonda each found a stall. Nancy put Gabrielle and Tracey before themirrors to check their hair. Soon Millie came out of the stall to wash herhands. Minutes passed. Rhonda was taking a long time.

  “Rhonda?” Nancy called, trying the stall door. It waslocked.

  “Oh, Mrs. Nunn, I don’t feel good,” Rhonda moaned. Theother girls looked at each other. “I feel like I’m going to-“

  Rhonda retched and vomited. The girls grimaced.

  Rhonda coughed violently.

  At Nancy’s insistence, Millie, the group’s smallestmember, scooted under the stall and unlocked the door. Rhonda was on the toiletin tears, her panties around her ankles. Humiliated. Nancy held her tremblinghand, dabbed her tears with a crumpled tissue, brushed her hair from her eyes.

  “Oh, sweetheart, don’t worry.”

  “Gross,” Tracey said.

  “It’s going to be fine, dear,” Nancy assured Rhonda.“Tracey, please get me some paper towels soaked in cold water and some dryones. Girls, stay by me while we help Rhonda.”

  “But Mom, it’s so gross!” Gabrielle complained.

  “Stay here, Gabrielle,” Nancy ordered over hershoulder while helping Rhonda pull up her underwear. “Rhonda sweetie, thishappens to every little girl, so don’t you worry.”

  Tracy gave Nancy the paper towels. None of the girlsteased Rhonda about her nickname as Nancy cleaned her up. They stood by forsupport, except for Gabrielle. The acrid order overwhelmed her.

  Gabrielle did not want to be sick herself. Lured bythe carousel’s organ puffing a new polka, she took it upon herself to waitoutside the washroom. She stood alone, watching the revolving animals, thedreamy horses, the chariots, the rocker, the turning tub. Mom should bepleased. After all, she was a big girl. A smile was blooming on Gabrielle’sface when suddenly a shadow fell over her.

  “You are Gabrielle?”

  A tall man with a beard, dark glasses, and a ball capsmiled down in her. She didn’t know him, but he had a friendly, soft voice. Hadto one of the dads for the party, she guessed.

  “You are Gabrielle Nunn whose dad is Paul, afirefighter, and your mom is Nancy.”

  Gabrielle didn’t realize she was nodding.

  “Let’s talk over here.” The man took her aside,glancing at the snapshot in his hand, giving it to her. “This would be yourpup?”

  Gabrielle’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open.

  “Yes! It’s my dog, Jackson! Where is he?”

  “In my truck.” The man nodded down the hill toward theparking lot. “Your folks wanted me to bring him to you for your birthdaysurprise. Happy birthday, Gabrielle.”

  “But it’s Joanie’s birthday today. Mine is in a fewdays.”

  “Boy did I mess up. I’m sorry. Gabrielle. Please don’ttell anybody. Please.” He looked around. Everyone near them was watching thecarousel. “I gotta go before anyone sees me,” he said, holding out his hand forthe snapshot.

  “Gabrielle!” her mother called from the washroom.

  “Just waiting by the door, Mom. I feel better here.”

  Gabrielle pulled the picture to her chest.

  She was disarmed. Whatever innate shield she hadagainst strangers evaporated as she thrilled not with doubt but delight in thebelief Jackson was nearby. If she could just hold him again.

  “Wait, mister. Can’t I just see him? Please?”

  The man rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

  “I won’t tell anybody, I promise. Please?”

  “Just a quick secret peek?”

  “Gabrielle!” Her mother’s voice echoed from thewashroom along with Rhonda’s whimpering.

  “I’m okay, Mom, I’m just waiting outside the door!”Gabrielle called. Then to the man she whispered breathlessly: “Oh please, let’shurry!”

  “Okay. Count to ten, then follow me quickly to mytruck. Don’t let anybody see you. Just a quick, secret peek.”

  The man walked away.

  Counting to ten, Gabrielle heard Rhonda retch. Hermother was going to take forever in there. She could cuddle Jackson in secretand be back before her mother missed her, if she hurried.

  Gabrielle followed the man from the carousel, down thehill to the parking lot.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Behold the Seraph’s face.

  The Angel appeared in the distance. A celestialvision.

  Edward Keller stood at his truck,
driver’s door open,Gabriel nearing him. Smiling. Empowered by God. The Angel-child. Immortal.All-knowing. Radiant with the glory and the calm.

  I am cleansed in the light of the Lord!

  Keller was overcome, blinking back tears.

  From inside the truck’s cab, Jackson saw Gabrielleapproaching and barked. The rope around his neck was knotted to the passengerdoor’s arm rest. Keller had long ago removed the door’s inside handle and lockbutton. The passenger door could not be opened from the inside.

  Gabrielle ran to the truck.

  Keller stepped aside, leaving a clear path to Jackson.

  Gabrielle hesitated, a tiny wave of unease ripplingthrough her. She wanted to hold Jackson so badly it hurt, yet something was outof place. She didn’t know what it was. Like the time she glimpsed a solitarytuft of black mingled with Santa’s white hair at the Stonestown Mall. She didn’tknow what to do, so she kept it a secret. What about now? She was not worriedabout the kidnapper, like her mom, because this man was her dad’s friend. Shewas sure about that because Jackson was right there. She just didn’t want toget the man, or herself, in trouble. She glanced back at the carousel.

  “Maybe I should tell my mom?”

  “I suppose, but it would ruin the surprise.”

  Jackson yapped, and wagged his tail. He was so cute.

  “My other door’s broken there. Won’t open. Go on inthis way and see your pup. Never seen a dog in more fierce need of a hug.”

  Jackson panted, moving as close to her as the ropepermitted.

  “Okay a quick hug, then I’ll go back and keep it asecret.”

  She crawled into the cab along the bench seat andembraced Jackson, nuzzling his face, giggling as he licked hers.

  “I missed you so much. You naughty doggie running awayfrom me!”

  Leaving the door open, Keller slipped in behind thewheel, and casually kneaded the dog’s neck.

  “My name’s Ned Jenkins. I live in the other side ofthe park. I found your little fella in my garage the other day.”

  “In your garage?”