JACK KNIFED

by Christopher Greyson

  “Thank you, sir. I did want to ask you a separate question. I was wondering how far your records go back. I’m trying to find out about a car you serviced twenty-seven years ago. It—”

  The man laughed a deep rolling laugh. Jack didn’t think it was mean-spirited or directed at him, but it was contagious. Marty and Matty joined in, and Jack almost did, too. The man leaned his head back as the laughter filled the room.

  “Tell you the truth,” the old man panted, “you’d have a hard time finding a record from a car serviced last month, let alone that far back. You’d have to go through them all.” He gestured to a line of cabinets. “Matty tells me you’re a cop, so you’re welcome to it.”

  Jack held up a hand. “I’m not here officially. I wanted to know about a particular car.”

  “I’ve serviced a lot of Impalas over the years.” The man ran his fingers through his thick white hair.

  “It’s not my Impala, sir.”

  “Call me Atlas.”

  “Atlas?”

  The man grinned. “I’m Greek. My father gave me a name to let others know I’m strong.” He looked at Marty. “My son starts another tradition,” he laughed again, and Marty nudged Matty, “like candies, M&M’s. Watch, that will be the name of the garage when I’m gone.”

  “We’re not changing the name, Pop.”

  Jack cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you remember it, but you were fixing a police cruiser when the boy was killed at Buckmaster Pond.”

  Atlas’s eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his cheek. He looked at the other men before he looked back at Jack. “I’m sorry about your father. It was truly sad. I fix Mrs. Ritter’s car. We still give her a discount.”

  “Thank you for doing that. When Steven was killed, there was a cruiser—”

  “Is that the new clue?” Matty stepped forward. “Is that what they’re putting in the paper next week?”

  All three men gave him a look to be quiet.

  “Whatever,” Matty grumbled as he walked out of the office.

  “The cruiser was here. It had a broken axle. Henry got her stuck in a ditch and, instead of calling us for a tow, he tried to tow it himself.”

  “You remember that?” Jack straightened up.

  Why would he lie?

  “Can’t forget it. I didn’t talk to Henry for two years after the fight we had.”

  “Fight?”

  “Huge fight. I almost hit him with a wrench. He showed up here, one night, saying that someone must have taken the cruiser that night. I told him and Dennis that was impossible.”

  “Dennis Senior?”

  Atlas nodded.

  “Why was it impossible?”

  “It had no drive shaft. I had to order one. I was supposed to get one shipped out, but there was a screw-up so we didn’t get it for a month. I reminded Dennis that he was furious he didn’t have a patrol car for a month.”

  “When did the fight happen?”

  Atlas rubbed his chin. “A few days before the chief died. Henry showed up and started screaming that someone took the car out. I told him he was out of his mind. It got so bad that Kolina, my wife, called the police. Dennis came out. He yelled at Henry. Henry yelled at me. I yelled back, and they finally got it.”

  “What happened after that?”

  Atlas shrugged. “Nothing. That was the end of it.”

  Replacement came through the door, carrying a bag from the donut shop down the road. “Sorry it took so long.” She set the bag on the table.

  “For me?” Atlas smiled. “You’re a nice girl.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jack looked at her and one eyebrow went up. Replacement gave him a little shake of her head so he let it go.

  Why didn’t she get him the meatloaf?

  “Officer Stratton?” Matty called Jack as he popped into the room and held onto the doorframe. The tone of his voice was enough to give Jack pause, but when he saw the look on Matty’s face, he knew something was wrong. “I think you should see this.”

  Everyone followed Matty into the garage and over to the Impala. Matty was short enough to walk under the car when it was on the lift, but Jack had to duck.

  “Look at this.” He pointed to a spot inside the back bumper.

  Jack moved closer and noticed the small black box.

  I don’t have a hide-a-key…

  “It’s not a key holder. I didn’t mean anything, but I went to grab it and the magnet is really strong. I can pull it off, but—”

  “Don’t.” Jack’s voice was low and commanding.

  Matty’s hand froze.

  “I’m an officer in Darrington, and we all have GPS on our off-duty cars.” He forced a smile and patted Matty on his back. “Nice job, though.”

  “That sucks. They track you off duty, too?” Matty spit.

  “Don’t you spit in my garage.” Atlas threw his hands up and a stream of Greek swears poured out of his mouth.

  Jack moved away from Matty as both his father and grandfather let him have it. He looked at Replacement, but he saw how her eyebrows rounded up.

  She didn’t buy my lie, and now she’s scared. Great.

  “Well, thank you for your time, Atlas. I think I’ll need that rental.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Jack and Replacement walked across the lot to a blue Volkswagen Beetle.

  “Do you want to drive?” Jack held up the keys.

  “Yeah.” Replacement beamed as she dashed over to the driver’s side.

  Jack had to put his seat almost all the way back to fit in.

  “You okay?” she asked with the smile stuck on her face.

  “Fine. Hey, why didn’t you get him the meatloaf?”

  The smile vanished.

  “I tried. I went back to the restaurant, and I was nothing but nice…”

  Jack leaned the seat back. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing. I went in and the waitress who threw herself at you came up with this stupid smirk on her face. I told her I’d like to order another meatloaf. She said you must be hungry and then something about her being able to keep a man satisfied.”

  Jack closed his eyes.

  “And all I said was, ‘Well, you must have a lot of experience trying.’” Replacement’s hands went out, and her shoulders went up. Jack laughed. “Then she said something about a sister kissing her brother. I got mad and said that you’re not my brother, you’re my lover, and it kinda went downhill from there.”

  Jack kept his eyes closed.

  “You’re not going to say anything?”

  “Nope. Just drive, kid.”

  Gracie

  Replacement pulled in front of the cute colonial set back from the road. Two matching red Toyotas were in the driveway.

  “Kristine said she called to ask if we could come over.” Jack opened the door and stretched.

  “I think this lady is, like, eighty years old and a friend of your grandmother, so I’m hoping you’re not going to come to blows, right?” Replacement asked.

  Jack spread his hands out and shrugged. “Only if she starts it.” Jack smirked. “Shut up, you wiseass.”

  “Seriously, I don’t think there’s anyone we talk to that you don’t hit.”

  “It’s not just me. Did you forget the shovel?”

  “One for me.”

  “Kicking Terry in the groin?” Jack grinned.

  “Okay, two.”

  Jack hurried up the walkway and knocked on the dark-brown door.

  After a moment, an older man opened the door and smiled.

  “Jack? Alice?” He reached out a hand and then motioned for them to come in. “I’m Thomas Hickoring, but you’re here to see my Gracie.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Jack let Replacement go in before him. He could smell cinnamon and apples cooking and, even though he wasn’t hungry, his stomach growled. The house had bright wood floors and a staircase led off upstairs. A hallway ran straight back to a kitchen, and Thomas slowly led them to the family room to t
he right. He held open a glass-paned door that led into the carpeted room. An older woman sat on a loveseat with her hands folded in her lap. She had on a plain blue dress, and her leg was propped up on a footstool.

  “Come in.” Gracie beckoned them with both hands. “I’m so sorry I can’t get up just yet.”

  “No, ma’am. I’m sorry to be bothering you. I didn’t know…”

  “Sit right down here. You must be Jack, and this must be Alice.” She reached out her hands. Replacement went right over and sat next to her. Jack sat down in a high-back chair and Thomas sat in a chair next to his wife.

  “Can I get you anything? I just put a pie in the oven, but would you like something to eat?”

  “No, thank you, sir. We just ate. I only have a few questions.”

  “You take your time, son.” Thomas reached out and squeezed his wife’s hands. “We go to church with your grandmother. If there’s anything, anything at all, we can do…”

  His wife patted his leg. “My Thomas has a caring heart. We knew your father, Jack. He was a lovely boy.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. You were the police dispatcher?”

  “Among other things—secretary, log keeper, bottle washer.” She giggled. “I was covering for Stacy that night.” She placed her hands in her lap and sat up straighter.

  “Did you take the call?”

  She nodded. “It was a young girl. She was just about hysterical. I couldn’t make everything out, but I called Henry and the fire station to send the ambulance. The systems weren’t connected then.”

  “I read the report about the call. Can I ask a favor before I ask you this next question?”

  Gracie looked to Thomas, who nodded, and she did too.

  “Can this please be just between us? I don’t want anything—”

  “You don’t have to worry about that, Jack. If my knee wasn’t acting up, I’d go and stick my thumb right in Jeff Franklin’s eye.”

  Jack noticed Replacement smile approvingly.

  “That won’t be necessary, but I appreciate it. I need to ask about the two cruisers that were supposed to be at the station.”

  “They were there,” she said emphatically.

  “Are you sure? A hundred percent?”

  “One hundred ten percent.” Her white hair bobbed as she nodded. “I watched those two cars out the window the whole night, and they didn’t go anywhere. Dennis asked me about it afterward, and Henry wouldn’t let it go until Thomas told him to go soak his head.” She giggled.

  “What happened with that?” Jack leaned closer.

  “It was part of the investigation. Dennis came and asked, but he was so serious. That man loved your father. That case just changed him. By the time he asked about the patrol cars, we thought…” She looked at Thomas, and he squeezed her hand. “I thought the stress might be getting to him. He considered everyone in town, talked personally to everybody. One day, it was like he thought…” She shook her head and looked down.

  “Thought what, Gracie?” Jack whispered the question.

  “That someone in the police department was involved somehow. It was just ridiculous.”

  “What kind of man is Henry?” Jack’s question caused Gracie to frown.

  “Henry is a troubled soul. We’re friends still, and I hope and pray for him, but he’s always battled his own demons: drink, women, anger. He has a lot of flaws; we all do. But, I don’t think he had anything to do with your father’s death.”

  “How about Dennis?”

  “I told you, he loved your father.”

  “What kind of man was he?”

  “He was a professional. He loved this town and the people in it. He was a Boy Scout leader.”

  “And a deacon,” Thomas added.

  Gracie nodded. “He and Mable were wonderful. Mable passed just this past year.”

  “Where was Dennis that night?”

  “Jack.” Gracie’s jaw trembled.

  Jack quickly held out a hand. “I just have to ask.”

  “He and Mable went to visit her sister. He’d just gotten her a new Lincoln, and they stopped by the station because he had forgotten something.”

  “The coupons.” Thomas held up a finger and smiled. “They had some coupons for dinner. He was taking Mable, and her sister and husband, to a new steakhouse in Pinkerton, and he forgot them. I remember because he asked me…” A silence settled on the room. Thomas sighed before he continued. “Outside church he said, ‘If I hadn’t won those tickets, I’d have been working that night.’ He thought it might have been different. I tried to explain you can drive yourself crazy thinking that way but…” Thomas shook his head. “He had a heart attack a month later.”

  “Gracie, Thomas, I think that’s all I need. Thank you for seeing us.”

  Gracie held out her hand, and Jack moved over to her.

  “You’re more than welcome to stop by anytime. Can I please ask you another favor?”

  Jack nodded.

  “Mary Ritter is a dear, dear friend. Please find it in your heart to include her in your life. She was so devastated when she lost her poor Theo and then to have the Lord take Steven.”

  Jack nodded and added, “I will. I’m planning on it.” He forced a smile. The old woman’s face lit up.

  “I’ll go call her now. She’ll be so happy.” She squeezed Replacement’s hand and then put her hand in Jack’s. “Mary was right. You two make a handsome couple.”

  Jack tried to pull his hand away, but Replacement held onto it like a dog on a bone.

  “Thank you.” She smiled sweetly at Gracie.

  Not Her Mother

  Replacement pulled onto the highway and headed north to Pinkerton. Traffic was light so she could relax behind the wheel. After a few miles, her light drumming on the steering wheel turned into more aggressive strikes.

  “Someone put a GPS on your car?” She kept looking straight ahead.

  “Maybe it was a crazy old girlfriend. It may have been Gina,” Jack reasoned.

  “Shut up. You know that isn’t true.”

  Yeah, but I don’t want to worry you.

  “You saw how paranoid she was. Would you put that past her?”

  Jack had worked hard not to chuckle as he watched her face change expressions, finally settling on what he’d call a disbelieving frown, but he was glad she let it go.

  “What’re we going to do about Franklin?” Her voice was light, but her eyebrows scrunched together.

  “Kristine is seeing who she knows. If this works out the way I think it will, he doesn’t matter.”

  “Doesn’t matter? One Terry will sue you—the two other Terrys will be out of jobs. Not to mention your job.”

  “Don’t sweat it, kid. Seriously, we go to Pinkerton then we go home. Tonight I take you out for dinner so you can wear that pretty dress, okay?”

  “Really?” Replacement turned to hug him.

  “Drive.” Jack tried to push her back and sit up at the same time.

  “Sorry.” She swerved back into her lane.

  Jack laughed.

  She may get me killed before tomorrow.

  His smile faded as he turned to look out the window.

  I may get me killed before tomorrow.

  Replacement bounced in her seat as she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Occasionally she’d sing under her breath and wobble her head.

  “You like this car?” Jack asked.

  “I love it. It’s like me.” She grinned. “Sorry about…your girl?”

  “Don’t.” Jack made a face.

  “What? I was trying to be nice.”

  “It’s okay for a guy to call his car ‘a girl,’ but it’s just weird when you say it.”

  “Well, fine. But this is my baby…for now.” She patted the dashboard.

  “That’s okay for you to do that?”

  “This car is so cute.”

  Jack grinned and leaned his head against the window. In less than a minute, he was asleep.

  Jack co
uld hear the hum of the engine and feel the tires on the road, but he didn’t open his eyes. He stretched his legs out as he let out an enormous yawn.

  “How did you sleep?”

  Jack froze. A man’s voice came from the driver’s side of the car. Jack opened one eye to see a man in his thirties driving the car now. He had short brown hair; his skin was a light tan.

  Italian?

  Jack opened his other eye, only to realize he was in a portly old station wagon.

  I’m dreaming?

  Jack chanced a look at the man who turned his head to look over at him. He had emerald green eyes. Jack peered into the back seat. Two little boys smiled at him, along with a young woman in her early thirties. She had long hair and a bright smile.

  “You’re taking care of Alice?” the man driving asked.

  Jack nodded.

  “She missed out on a lot.” The man’s smile faded. “You need to do me a favor.”

  “What?” Jack turned to look out the windshield, but it was so dark outside now that he couldn’t see anything.

  “Let me be her father, okay?”

  “I’m not…I wasn’t trying to take your place,” Jack replied.

  The man chuckled. “You can’t. I’ll always be her father, so she doesn’t need you to try to be.”

  “I didn’t…I just…”

  “And you’re not her brother.” One of the boys sat forward.

  “We are. Don’t try to be us, either.” The other one held onto the seat.

  “I’m not trying to be a brother.”

  “Fibber.” They both stuck their tongues out.

  “Shh, boys.” The woman gently touched Jack’s shoulder and scooted forward so she slightly leaned over the seat to talk to him.

  “Lady, I can say I’m honestly not trying to be her mother.”

  She laughed in a way that sounded almost like music. The boys laughed, too, and the man grinned.

  “No. Thankfully, you’re not trying to be a mother.” She patted Jack’s arm. “I’m not concerned about what you’re trying to be for Alice, but I’m concerned about what you’re trying so hard not to be.”

  Jack shrugged and the boys poked each other.