Raphael slid the patio door closed and shut the blinds. He peered out the side window to see Jeb stop in his tracks, turn, and head back home. Raphael chuckled momentarily until he spotted movement on the side of Jeb’s house. A body, hiding in the brush. Quickly he opened the blinds and sliding door and stepped out onto the patio.
“Hey, you plaque picking platypus, were you heading this way?” he asked Jeb, watching the bushes. Raphael’s head was down as he opened an app on his phone, activating the motion recorders in the security system. His thumb slid across the screen to angle the camera at the bushes.
“Why are you always calling me that?” Jeb asked. “You know it’s nice, Hoyt-O, that all these years later, our kids ended up together. At one point, I had hoped for the same with me and your sister.”
“My sister disliked you as much as I do, Jeb, but I’m not going to hold that against the kids,” he replied, still focusing on the shrubbery. The slender body in the bushes began to crawl away, vanishing into the darkness of the side street. Jeb wasn’t the least bit aware that anyone was in the shrubbery, or at least he didn’t seem as if he noticed.
“I don’t know why you’ve never liked me. I’ve never done anything to you, Hoyt-O,” Jeb said, holding a tepid beer in a sweating can in his hand.
“Yes, you have and frequently do each time you address me. It is not Hoyt-O, just Hoyt. If you’re making a reference to my Hispanic heritage by adding an O to the end of my name like macho, or taco, or bambino, that would make you a racist. My daughter doesn’t need to date the son of a racist,” he said, watching the street for signs of lights from cars.
“I’m not a racist!”
“The why the fuck do you keep calling me Hoyt-O? It’s Hoyt, you steaming pile of bad decisions,” Raphael responded.
“I’m sorry. It was just a name from when we were kids,” Jeb said, appearing to be genuinely shocked that his attempt to remind his world traveling neighbor of their childhood bond had failed.
“It was a racist taunt, you calculus crumbling Caucasian. We aren’t kids anymore, you balding beer bellied bootleg buffoon,” Raphael replied.
“You’re mean!” Jeb said, looking forlorn. “And very alliterative.”
“Good. Stay the hell away from me,” he added, shooting another wave with a bird and stepping back inside. He had bigger fish to fry than Jeb Malone. There was a body in the bushes that had arrived to watch them and find Willow and the girls. He was quickly learning that the intuition of not only the woman being on point, but Karli had it as well. If Willow had felt the weight of something coming all week, then it had arrived.
He didn’t run.
He wasn’t going to run.
He would look at the tape, see what he could find out on the busy bush baby, and go from there.
Raphael looked up to see Willow standing in the doorway staring at him. She had questions, but the fear in her gut was back. Something was wrong. She could feel the wrongness.
“Yes, Willow?” he asked.
She smiled, trying to tamp down the fear. Utilizing his tactic, she too changed the subject to other matters. “So, you’re Hispanic. Are you bilingual as well?”
Chapter Nineteen – Forgery
RAPHAEL’S EYES WERE on the phone screen when the security lights on the back porch came on. The clock read 10:50 P.M. Dusty had made it home with 10 minutes to spare, and the sound of her hushed voice on the back porch concerned him. Although it wasn’t in his nature to be a snoop, he wanted to know what was happening on the back porch with that walking penis Skylar and his Punkin Puss.
“Daddy, I bet he’s going to try and kiss Dusty,” Karli said, coming to sit next to him. “Even if he does, she’s not going to like it.”
“And why do you say that, Pooh Bear?”
“Because, I think Dusty likes Jamal,” she said as a matter of fact. “I like him too. He has what I heard Marcella says is swagger. He’s swaggalicious for a 13-year-old.”
Raphael’s lips were pursed as he looked over at Karli, afraid to know what she was going to utter next, but in some ways, happy she was there to relieve the tension. The look she gave her father made him want to send her to bed before she opened her adorable little mouth. But he was all in and ready.
“Daddy, I’d bet you three cookies he tries to kiss her using his tongue,” Karli said.
“What do you know about kissing someone with your tongue and wait, why are you betting me with cookies?”
“Because I don’t have any money. I gave Mommy that 20 to put with my allowance to get me a tablet. All I have is the three cookies I’ve been holding onto since the Father Daughter dance. That cookie and sugar stuff is like a drug,” she said, giving him the side eye. Suddenly she bounded from the couch going to the sliding door. She peered through the blinds, spying on her big sister. Raphael watched the two on the porch from his phone.
“See...look at him, trying to be all touchy and stuff. She should knee him in his ding-ding,” Karli said, looking back at her father. “Can you go out there and shoot him?”
“He’s done nothing wrong, Karli,” he tried to say in a calm voice, but he was thinking what she was thinking, and he didn’t like thinking the same thoughts as a 10-year-old.
“Yes, he has. That shirt is all wrong, the color does not suit him, and he’s trying to kiss her with his mouth all wide open like he’s trying to feed baby birds. It’s gross and so is he. He’s not smooth like Jamal,” she said, looking over her shoulder again with that factual look. “Jamal is going to be my man as soon as I grow some boobies.”
“Karli, go to bed!”
“Daddy, don’t hate on my love for Jamal,” she said with her hands on her non-existent hips. “He’s taught me so much. He’s a Potterhead. I’m a Potterhead. He even taught me how to cast a spell with my wand with a gentle swish and a flick of my wrist. In order to ward off the bad you need to say ‘expect a pronoun’. Or something like that. I don’t know what it means, but that boy is a teacher and I love him.”
“Willow! Willow, come get this child. Also, please check her room for a hidden stash of cookies. She’s hyped up on sugar,” he said, going to the door to pull his young daughter out of the drapery and open the entryway. “Say goodnight, Skylar.”
“Goodnight Skylar,” the boy repeated.
“Thank you for a nice evening, Skylar,” Dusty said, coming into the house and leaning against the door jamb.
Willow asked, “Did you have a good time, sweetie?”
“Mom, it was the best. I danced with Jamal, Skylar, and few other boys. The girls all danced in a circle and I even exchanged numbers with a few other kids,” she said, giving Raphael the side eye. Dusty shook her phone at him but her eyes were on Karli. “Mom, are you taking Karli up to bed?”
“I was just about to do that,” Willow said. “Don’t be up late.”
“Yes ma’am, just want to show Daddy a few pictures,” she said, waiting for her mom and sister to leave. Karli wasn’t ready to go yet.
“Dusty, did he stick his tongue in your mouth? You know that’s really unsanitary,” Karli said. “He looks like his breath is smelly.”
“Goodnight, Karli,” Dusty said, taking a seat on the couch and waiting for her father to come and join her. She took her time opening the phone. Raphael was uneasy as she spoke in a low voice. “A man followed us to the Rec Center.”
Raphael tensed. “How do you know he was following you?”
“I spotted him as we walked across the street. He was trying too hard to stay in the shadows, which made me pay closer attention,” she said. “When we were inside, I kept an eye on the door. He came in to go to the bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you call me? I told you that if anything seemed off or you were uncomfortable to call me, Dusty,” he said, using his Daddy reprimand voice.
“Please, don’t be upset, but this man is no expert,” she said.
“You don’t know that. He could have been a psycho waiting for you outside of the door and
thrown you in the back of a van and shot Skylar or worse. Don’t take chances like this. What makes you think he wasn’t an expert?”
“Daddy, he came inside and went to the bathroom. When he came out, I could see he was looking for me, but I was standing behind him. Then he turned around and I snapped this photo,” she said, showing Raphael her phone. “He took off Daddy. An expert would have tried to take the phone from me. It was like he knew I was going to show it to you.”
The photo appeared on the phone, and it was Rami Slanecki. The fucking Glitter Man was hiding in his bushes. He knew that fucker wasn’t going to give up on finding his sister, which is why he never went to her or Cady, but why was he here on the island after all of these years? Rami had to have known he spotted him at the farm with Wrong Way. What was he doing?
“Daddy, do you know this man?”
“I do, and he’s no harm to any of you, but if you see him again, please let me know. And next time, you spot someone ... never mind. There won’t be a next time,” he said.
“That’s not fair!”
“I gave you specific instructions, and you wanted to play Nancy Drew. You could have been kidnapped, hurt, or worse. This is a nasty world filled with nasty people who want nothing more than to hurt you for their sick pleasure. Don’t take chances, Dusty,” he scolded.
“You’re right about the world but wrong about me. Daddy, I’m a fighter. We deserve this life and no one following me, hiding in the shadows, or trying to intimidate me is going to take it away,” she said, getting to her feet. “If you want to ground me, ground me, but I’m not going down without a fight. When that doorbell rang earlier in the day, we were all frozen with fear that a person could have been at the door to take us away from you. I’m done being scared of men. I’m done hiding under beds and in closets and worse to keep disgusting men from ruining my life. They will not take this from us, and the next time that doorbell rings I will answer it with a knife in my hand. I’m through being scared. I’m ready to fight. Your daughter is a fighter. I’m fighting for this life with you.”
He was taken aback by how aggressive her stance was. She spoke with power. She spoke with purpose. She spoke with conviction.
“I receive your words. I won’t let anyone take this life from you either. Goodnight, Dusty Rose Hoyt,” he said.
“Goodnight, Daddy,” she said, leaning to kiss his cheek.
He sat quietly for a moment, wanting to go upstairs and keep his promise to Willow, but he was entirely too exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically to do anything but crash headfirst into a pillow. He went to his office, pulled out the notebook and went over the list again.
Clean the gun.
Threaten teenage boy (girl) with gun. (Dusty is hardheaded)
Show daughter how a boy is supposed to hold her when they dance.
Dance lessons with teen daughter.
Clean bigger gun and knife to threaten teenage boy girl.
Movie night.
Set time with the girls on for Saturdays.
Write financial plan, include stocks, bonds, index funds and a few blue chips.
Talk to Willow about setting an allowance for the girls.
Talk to Willow about her monthly allowance for the house and personal accounts.
Debit card for Willow’s crafting.
Swimsuits for the girls and Willow. Get those on the way.
Remind Willow to pack dresses for the girls. White gloves for tea? Straw hats?
A tablet for Karli.
Create online account with child parameters for Karli to buy 100 books.
Enroll the girls in a self-defense class
Who the hell was Jamal(?)
“Jesus, this takes a lot,” he said, securing the back door and setting the alarm. Tomorrow, he would talk to the Archangel about a tracking system for The Glitter Man and more. Tonight, he needed to sleep.
Chapter Twenty – Photocopy
RAPHAEL WAS ALWAYS taught to start with the good news first. The good news was that the girls were quiet. A four hour and 12-minute drive was blessedly silent, which was the good news. The bad news was that the quiet came at a price. In Karli’s mind, Dusty Rose had committed a horrific sin and smiled for two minutes too long at Jamal, to which she declared on the back porch in front of all of her sister’s friends that Jamal was her man.
The kids found it rip roaring funny since Karli was only 10 and Jamal was a cool teenager of an entire three years too old for a little girl. Dusty took too long to defend her sister, which turned out to be worse than a mortal sin, but more than anything, Karli’s feelings were hurt. Raphael had to intervene and send all the kids home, which made Dusty angrier at Karli. Even a quick stop in Coosawhatchie, South Carolina for the swimsuits didn’t loosen their lips.
It didn’t bother him much, but Willow was concerned.
“Karli, do you think possibly you overstepped a bit with Dusty’s friends?” she asked her youngest daughter.
“Friends? Friends? Those people aren’t her friends. A friend wouldn’t have allowed those people to talk to me that way, make fun of me, or laugh at me like I was a stupid kid. A good sister would have thrown those people off the patio and told them never to come back,” Karli said through tight lips.
“Karli, I asked you to go inside,” Dusty Rose said. “You came back and sat under Jamal. Marcella said something about you always hanging out around us. I asked you again to come inside with me. You refused and threw a tantrum because you’ve been sneaking into the sugar and you hid cookies in your bedroom.”
“Oh, so now you’re tattling on me too. I divorce you as my sister!” Karli said, crossing her arms.
Willow looked at Raphael, hoping for some help. He remained quiet, much to her dismay. His mind seemed to be elsewhere. She too left the subject matter alone and focused her eyes on the road ahead. They were headed to Concord, North Carolina to a lodge with an indoor swimming pool.
Dusty Rose tried to rationalize with her younger sister, explaining once again, “Karli, Jamal is too old for you. He is a bit too worldly for a 10-year-old. For the love of Pete, he is going to the eighth grade, and you’ll only be a fifth grader!”
“You act as if he can drive a car. Jamal still rides his skateboard or bicycle to get around, which makes him a kid and he likes me too. He told me so,” Karli said. “What I don’t like right now is you! I asked you not to mess this up for us with our new Daddy and look at us fighting like cats because you don’t listen. Daddy told you to stop letting all those kids come to the house. He said he wasn’t feeding the neighborhood, and still you let them all come back. You made snacks to give to those ungrateful Muggles and you’re hardheaded, Dusty Rose, and it’s going to cost all of us.”
Raphael looked up in the rear-view mirror at his Pooh Bear. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she sat on the back seat with a kitten and puppy that lay quietly as he drove. The kitten had a carrier, but once inside the vehicle, Karli had set Daniel Craig free. Pierce had no interest in the kitten and lay quietly with his head resting on Dusty’s thigh.
“I’m sorry your feelings were hurt, Karli. I’m sorry you feel that I disobeyed Daddy, which I did not. I had a bowl of the leftover chips Mommy made and a couple of pieces of fruit for myself that I shared. It was my portion of food that I divvied up between my guests. I was in the process of asking them to leave when you steamrolled your way into the group and sat down under Jamal,” she told her. “I have to agree with you on one thing, Jamal is as fine as the hairs on Daniel Craig’s head, but Karli, he’s not interested in dating a 10-year-old. He can be a Potterhead and show you the ways of Muggles and wizards, but he can’t be your man.”
“And what if I told you he kissed me on the cheek and said he wanted to be my guy?” Karli said with her mouth pursed tightly. “See, you didn’t know that, did you? Stay in your lane, Dusty Rose, or I’m going to run you smack over, sis!”
She folded her arms and stared out the window as if she’d spoken the absolute
gospel of life with feeling and meaning. Willow’s eyebrows were raised and she placed her hand across her heart. The words which needed to be spoken next required the voice of the head of the family. He didn’t want to talk to them because he had other issues on his mind.
Raphael gripped the steering wheel, wondering where he’d gone wrong in life. By the end of the second hour of driving, he was convinced the Archangel had placed a special request with God to torture him for all of his past sins and sent these three people to drive him insane. The mother was going to get him fat and empty his balls as he lay in bed making animal noises thinking he was in Gomorrah in a den of human pleasures. The other two would break his heart and bring home boys, men, and other kids that he wanted to harm for simply breathing. Jamal. Jamal. He’d gone outside to meet the kid. There was no doubt that the boy did have swag, personality, and good looks. The kid wasn’t gangly and awkward like most teenage boys his age, but appeared to have been born with muscles. He saw the appeal to Karli.
“Raphael, are you going to say anything to the girls?” Willow asked, touching his arm and petting him as if that was going to make him address a 10-year-old who thought she had a man.
“Nope,” he said, checking the rear-view mirror for the black truck driven by The Glitter Man. “I have other things to worry about right now. This meeting tonight is important. I need all of you on your best behavior to make a good appearance. These people are very important to what I do. It is ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no sir’ when you speak to the adults, understand?”
“Yes sir,” they both said. Pierce barked and Daniel Craig mewled, but it was Karli who made eye contact with him in the rear-view mirror. She held his gaze then cut her eyes at her sister. Raphael shook his head no.
He was not taking sides with either of them. She folded her arms and turned her head to stare out the window again. Raphael saw the tear run down Karli’s cheek and she quickly wiped it away. All of it was painful for his Pooh Bear, but he couldn’t do anything about it and he most definitely was not going to scold Dusty to make Karli feel better.
Blind Copy (The Technicians Series Book 5) Page 22