The Undertaking of Adam Novak

by Sofie Hern

  I give Aaron a hug. “Be good, okay?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “Anything you want me to bring you from home?”

  He’s thoughtful for a moment and says, “The picture of me and my mom… the one on my desk.”

  “You got it,” I tell him and kiss the top of his head. “I'll be back in a couple of days.”

  –

  Jaycob is downstairs.

  “Please take good care of him,” I say and he nods, then Howard emerges from the office. “Ready?” He’s dropping me off at the airport on his way to work.

  “Ready.”

  –

  The morning is a little cooler than it has been on previous days and according to the weather report on the radio, this is going to be one of the coldest—by LA standards.

  “Make sure they catch that asshole,” says Howard as I step out of the car.

  “Bet your ass.”

  –

  I’m glad I booked an early flight, the terminal is busy, but nothing like it will be in just a few hours, with people coming in and leaving town for the New Year. I sit waiting to board, feeling nervous. There is so much to discuss and take care of that I have no idea where to start.

  –

  When I arrive at Las Vegas airport at 8:15 a.m., Thomas is waiting for me. “Thanks again for doing this on such short notice.”

  “No problem. Let’s get busy,” he says.

  As he drives, I share the plans for the day beginning with a visit to the police to inquire about Levy so we go there first.

  “We’ll catch the guy,” Thomas assures me and I believe him.

  It is good to be home, but I miss the guys and I am still disappointed that Rita isn’t here. Okay, enough. Snap out of it, Adam. Focus. Come on.

  –

  The police station is busy and Thomas leads me inside. There are police officers at desks filling out reports. A few drunken arrestees are asleep in chairs. We walk to a small office where Thomas introduces me to the investigator who is assigned to Aaron’s case and I tell him what Aaron said.

  As soon as I see him I know he’ll be difficult to talk to. He’s a heavy man with a comb-over, a loose tie at the neck, his shirt is stained with coffee—or maybe sweat—and his desk is a mess.

  “To be honest, I can’t do much right now.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  The heavy man sits at his desk, drinking coffee and seems disinterested. “Well, first of all, we don’t have a description of the guy.”

  “I can give you a description,” I tell him. “Aaron can give you one too, and I’m sure if you look up his name you’ll find him. He’s got a criminal record, I’m sure.”

  Thomas leans forward with his hands on the desk and looks right at the man. “We don’t care if you want to do your job or not. We’re giving you important information regarding your case and we need you to get off your ass and get this going.”

  The man looks shocked, but doesn’t say a word. He takes out a pen and starts writing the information down. When he’s done, he types information into the computer and then turns the screen to us. On it is a mug shot of Levy.

  “That him?” he asks.

  “That’s him.

  He turns the screen back to him and continues to type. Seconds later, a paper emerges out of the printer with the word BOLO in black letters and Levy’s photo. Thomas removes the paper from the printer and studies it. “Okay,” he says. “He needs to be brought in and charged with attempted kidnapping. Make it fast.”

  “We’ll bring him in for questioning and—”

  “That won’t do. I’m leaving you my card. Once the suspect is in custody I need to be notified.”

  “Are you an investigator or a lawyer?” asks the detective.

  “As a matter of fact, I am married to a lawyer.” He says with a smirk. “Get it done.”

  “Fine. And just so you know, we’ll need the boy to ID him. We can’t just arrest someone based on the story of a twelve-year-old, and—”

  “He’s ten,” says Thomas.

  “I stand corrected.”

  “I can’t bring my nephew. He’s in California recovering from injuries this man caused!”

  Thomas pats my back. I’m shaking with anger.

  “We are telling you that that man attempted to kidnap the child. We need him arrested and charged with the crime,” says Thomas

  “We’ll be on the lookout. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a ton of important cases to work on.”

  –

  I am appalled at the lack of urgency.

  “This is fucking ridiculous!” I say as we walk out of the station and Thomas looks just as disgusted as me.

  “We’ll find him. I’ll get one of my best guys on this. We’ll find the fucker and bring him in. You think he’s in California?” he asks.

  “San Diego.”

  “We’ll get on it ASAP.”

  I ask him to drop me off at home to check on it and from there I’ll use Jaycob’s truck for the rest of the day.

  The familiar streets feel comforting in a strange way and sad at the same time. I get out of the car and take my bag.

  “Thanks again. I’ll talk to Colin and see if the three of us can meet for lunch later.

  “See you then,” he says and drives away.

  –

  I stand outside for a moment. Most of the flowers are dead and wilted. Dead leaves cover the grass which has turned yellow. I walk up the porch and find the neighbor’s cat sleeping on the bench.

  I walk into the familiar where the smell of fresh flowers is no longer present. I put the keys on the small table which is covered in dust. Either Charles or Rita left piles of mail on it and I’m glad they discarded any junk mail.

  I pick it up and skim through it. There is still a lot of mail for Tianna. I put the mail back on the table and walk to the kitchen. Despite it being clean, as always, it feels different.

  I go to Aaron’s room and find the photo on his desk. I pick it up and admire it for a moment, caressing Tianna’s face. I’m hit with the sad realization that my love for her has changed. It’s still there, obviously, but in a different form. It's as if my brain and my heart finally accepted that she will forever be my sister.

  I look around the room, feeling optimistic about the future. Aaron’s recovery is going so well that I am confident we’ll be home in no time. I know Jaycob is happy where he is and that he may not come home, but I’m okay with it. He’s happy and that’s all that matters.

  I take the photo with me, put it in the bag and stuff the mail in it as well. I take a deep breath and look around the living room. “We’ll be back soon,” I whisper and leave the house.

  –

  While I wait for the old truck to warm up, I call Ruth to check on the adoption. I greet her and she sounds very excited to share the news that our court date is set for the last week of January.

  She told me that I will be getting a call from the social worker assigned to the case within the next few days for a phone interview. According to Ruth, the social worker is impressed with how I’ve cared for Aaron since the accident and this is a big reason why the case is moving so quickly.

  The old truck is shaking indicating she’s ready to go. I pull out of the driveway and head north to my next stop on my agenda. The streets are busy as expected, with people driving into town for the New Year’s celebration which is only a day away.

  –

  I park across the street and walk into the office to find Marie behind the desk.

  “Adam!” She comes around the desk to give me a hug. “How are you? How’s your nephew?”

  “He’s doing great. Improving by the day.”

  “That’s so good to hear.”

  I make my way to Charles’s office. He’s sitting at his desk and stands to give me a hug.

  “How are you, son?”

  “Doing well,” I say as we sit down on the couch in his office.

  We discuss finances and he
says that everything is looking good and that we are actually under budget as far as Aaron’s expenses.

  After discussing that, we move to work topics. He’s pleased with the way I direct my team while working so far away. He says that it has not affected production one bit.

  After talking with Charles I sit in the truck for a while and before driving away, I call Colin and ask if he’ll like to meet me and Thomas for lunch to talk about Jordyn and he immediately agrees.

  “See you there,” I tell him and then I drive to my next stop.

  –

  My heart pounds as I approach the house and see her car in the driveway. I should’ve told her that I was coming, but I didn't want her to get the wrong idea. I park on the street, turn off the truck and take a deep breath.

  21

  IRENE

  Irene is having a horrible holiday season. She feels lost and has no idea how to fix her mess. She’s been smoking and drinking more than usual. Having Colin home is beyond stressful because he’s always checking on her, asking where she’s going every damn time she leaves the house. And he keeps asking endless questions about Jordyn and what her mood was like prior to the… thing.

  She’s sitting in the family room, thinking about how she’ll use the special ingredient she got from Ken. With the vial in hand, she takes one final drag of the cigarette, then puts it out in the ashtray on the table. Maybe she should just give up and take it herself. What’s the point of life anyway? You haven’t finished the job, Irene, a voice tells her. The boy is still alive. She picks up her glass of wine and takes a sip.

  At times her mind wanders and it goes far away and she can’t snap out of the trance. She thinks about Adam and the way it was when they lived together. Even though they constantly argued, she liked having him home. She refuses to admit that everything she did to keep him was a mistake. It was simply a learning experience.

  She thinks about Ken whom she has not heard from since the Julia fiasco and she no longer has Julia to talk to. The only one she has left is Colin but he’s not the same stupid kid she could manipulate. Then there’s Levy, but he’s an idiot.

  She takes another sip of her wine and is about to light another cigarette when the doorbell rings then she quickly puts the vial under a cushion. She knows the house is a mess and smells like a casino and she’s a mess, wearing sweats and a sweatshirt that is two sizes too big.

  –

  Adam is standing at the door and her heart flutters. He’s wearing a black jacket, sunglasses, and jeans and a bruised cheek.

  She smiles and gives him a hug, which he returns. His embrace is like no other and his arms fit perfectly around her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks as they pull away and wonders if he’s finally back for good.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “Come in. This is your house after all.”

  Adam steps inside and she closes the door behind her. He looks around, probably wondering what happened to his desk.

  “You’re smoking?”

  Irene feels her cheeks go red. “Bad habit, I know.”

  He shakes his head. “How are you holding up?”

  She feels embarrassed at the way the house looks. “Not so good, as you can see.” She walks into the family room where he follows.

  “Do you need anything?” he asks.

  I need you, she wants to say. “I think I'm okay.”

  They sit down. Adam takes a piece of paper from his jacket and hands it to her.

  “Here,” he says. “To help with expenses or whatever you need.”

  It’s a check, which she takes and unfolds it. It’s for $800. She wants to smile but holds back, and besides, what she wants more than anything is to kiss him.

  She puts the check on the table and Adam sits on the edge of the sofa with his elbows on his knees, clasps his hands together and she studies him for a while.

  “When are you coming home?”

  “Irene, you know I'm not coming back here.”

  Of course she knows that, but had to throw it out there, maybe get some sympathy. “Why are you here then?”

  “We need to talk about your actions at the cemetery.”

  She looks away.

  “Irene.”

  She manages to build up some tears and shakes her head. “I feel so alone. So… lost. I was angry.” She starts to cry and looks down to her hands.

  He reaches over and puts his arm around her shoulder.

  “Irene I have to file a report. What you—”

  “Adam, no. Please.”

  “—did was wrong and immature. If you want to hurt me then hurt me. Just me, but what you did hurt other people too. It hurt her friends. It hurt Jaycob more than you know. You can’t do this again, do you understand?”

  “Please, Adam. I won’t do it again. Please.”

  “Irene, I think you need help”

  “I’m not crazy, I swear!”

  “I'll be there for you. I'll help you get back on your feet, but you need to keep it together and seek help. You’ve been through a lot. I can't even imagine your pain.” He shakes his head. “You lost your baby girl.”

  She sees that he’s tearing up, but his tears are for Jordyn, not for her. “I need you here, though,” she says. But he ignores her.

  “Have you heard from Levy?”

  His question puzzles her. “No, why do you ask?”

  “We found out that he caused Aaron’s accident.”

  “You… he did?”

  He nods.

  If he finds out it was my idea I can go to jail, or worse, he'll hate me.

  “I… hope they find him. Do they know where he is?”

  He looks at her but doesn’t answer. “Well, I have to get going. I’m meeting Colin for lunch in a few minutes.”

  He walks to the door, but Irene runs ahead and blocks his way. “Don't go. Please. Let’s… let’s have a drink. One drink and then you can leave.”

  She knows the time has come. If he’s not coming back to her then he’s not returning to California either. The contents of the vial will make sure of it. She reaches for his hand and attempts to pull him back into the family room but she’s too weak. “Please? One drink?”

  He sighs and pulls his hand back. “Irene, please.”

  “Or at least take a drink to go, come on.” She takes his arm once again but he jerks away.

  “Irene, I have to go,” he says angrily and turns to the door.

  “Please, baby.” She is sobbing now. “I need you!” She falls to her knees and buries her face in her hands.

  Adam crouches down in front of her. “Irene, please don’t do this,” he says and holds her in his arms.

  Irene pushes him away so violently that he falls backward and she stands up. She wipes the tears away fiercely and says, “Why do you protect that bastard so much?” She sees the shock on his face as she stands over him. “I know… I… I know you wish he were yours but he’s not! You can never be his dad because Tianna never loved you!”

  “Shut up!” Adam gets to his feet. “Shut the fuck up!”

  Irene steps back and starts to laugh. “She was a fucking whore!”

  Adam looks furious. He approaches and is about to slap her, but brings his hand down. Instead, he turns around and walks out the door.

  She’s paralyzed with fury. Her hands are fisted and tears fall from her eyes. She goes to the window and sees him drive away and panic takes over. “What have I done?”

  Her heart is racing and her hands shake as she picks up her phone from the coffee table.

  “What?”

  “The little bastard told Adam you chased him.”

  “Again with the bullshit? How the fuck do you know?”

  “He was just here. I think he… he… he is going to the police.”

  “Son of a bitch!”

  “You have to finish this, Levy. You can’t let him win!”

  “They already know it was me you idiot.”

  “Teach him a f
ucking lesson! The boy thinks he’s smarter than you and I think he’s right.”

  He says nothing.

  “I… I have money… we can run away and—”

  “You’re fucking crazy!”

  “—we can disappear!”

  There is silence for a long time, then Levy says, “How much do you have?”

  “I… I have a lot, I have savings and… and cash and Adam just gave me money.”

  “How much?”

  “Um… well, I—”

  “How much!”

  “Thousands…. I have thousands. You can have it all.”

  “How long is Adam there for?”

  “I have no idea so we have to act fast!”

  “Let me see what I can do, but I want all the money you got. All of it in cash,” he says and ends the call.

  Murphy’s Law

  January 31, 2014

  22

  LEVY

  Since the day of the boy’s accident, Levy has been forced to stay in hiding. He lost his job because when he told his boss that he needed to lay low for a while, and the reason, his boss told him that he was no longer needed. The kid fucked everything up and now Levy’s dreams of starting his own business are only that.

  He’s now out of a job with only a few hundred dollars left; he needs to find a way out of this mess. Irene’s call changes things. He will do whatever he has to do to get that money from her.

  When Irene told him, days ago, the name of the hospital where the boy was, he and his girlfriend, Rose made their way to LA. Of course, the idea then was to make sure the boy kept his mouth shut. Now the game has changed and the stakes are higher.

  They spent day after day staking out the hospital, waiting to get a glimpse of them. His patience finally paid off when on the third day he spotted Jaycob leaving the hospital. He was with a man so Levy had to be careful. He followed them to an office building in Burbank. After waiting a few hours, he gave up and went back to the hospital.