“Yeah. Mrs. Massa said we should try to draw the planets first, then close the book and try to remember the names.”
“But you could peek if you wanted to?” Frank wanted to learn how Jackson would react to being honorable.
“I guess. But I won’t. That wouldn’t be fair.” Jackson said this as if it were obvious. “Besides, we’re going to get a quiz on it Friday. So if anybody cheats on their homework, they might not pass the test.”
“Jackson, you are very astute.”
“What is a stute?”
Frank chuckled. “The word is ‘astute.’ It means smart.”
“Uh. OK. I guess we’ll find out when I take the test on Friday!”
“Well, get busy then. I’ll check your work after you’re done.”
“Okeydokey.” Jackson sat at the kitchen table, took a blank sheet of paper, opened his science book to the map of the solar system, and began to make circles. He stopped once he got to Mars and realized he was not going to have room on his paper for the rest of the planets. He scrapped the first attempt and started again.
Frank leaned over and turned the paper sideways. “That oughta give you more room for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto.”
Jackson looked up at Frank and nodded.
“Here’s a way to remember the names. M.V.E.M.J.S.U.N. M stands for Most. V stands for Valuable. E stands for Earth. M stands for My Name. J stands for Jackson. And the rest is easy. S.U.N.”
“Wow! How did you do that?” Jackson’s knee was bobbing.
“It’s called a mnemonic.”
“A what?”
Frank replied phonetically. “A neh monic.”
“Do I have to remember that, too?” Jackson made a face.
Frank chuckled. “No. But give it a try.”
Jackson looked down at the letters. “But what if I forget the letters?”
“You know all the names, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“OK. First thing you do is write down all the names. They don’t have to be in order. Then you take the first letter of each name and underline it,” Frank instructed. “Go ahead. Give it a try.”
Jackson got very serious and spoke as he wrote: “Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Earth, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, Uranus.” He looked up at Frank. “What about Pluto?”
“Is it still a planet?” Frank asked.
“They call it a dwarf planet.” Jackson was proud that he knew that tidbit.
“Well, then, it should be easy to remember him last. Like a period at the end of a sentence,” Frank said.
“What if I get Mars and Mercury mixed up?”
Frank hadn’t thought about that. “How about this. Earth is spelled ‘e, a, r, t, h.” What comes after the E in Earth?
“A.”
“Mercury starts with m, e. Mars starts with m, a. What comes after the E in earth?”
“An A.”
“Correct. So the planet that comes after earth, has an a.”
Jackson thought about all of this.
“Are you confused yet?” Frank half-teased him.
“Kinda.”
“Give it a try.”
Jackson thought really hard. He underlined the first letter of each planet. M is for Most. And it comes before Earth—E—so it can’t be Mars. Right?”
“Right.”
“V is for valuable. So it has to be Venus. Then Earth. Then Mars. Jackson, Jupiter!” He squealed with delight. “Saturn, Uranus, Neptune! And a period for Pluto!”
“Excellent! ”
“Wow. That was kinda hard. But I think I’ll remember them!” Jackson looked up at Frank, and they gave each other a high five. “How come you were never a teacher?”
“I taught other things.”
“In a classroom?”
“Sort of,” Frank explained. “I worked with men in the military, and I had to teach them tactical things. You play video games, right?”
“Only when my mom lets me.”
“Well, you know you have to develop skills to win, right?”
“Oh, sure.”
“That’s kind of the same thing. I taught soldiers how to win.”
“Cool.” Jackson took out a clean sheet of paper and drew his circles again. This time, he included the names of each planet inside the circles as he was going through the mnemonic Frank had just taught him. When he finished, he slid the paper over to Frank. “Did I get it right?”
“You did indeed! Good job!” They gave each other another high five.
“Is there anything else you need to work on today?”
“Nope. And ya know what, Mr. Chadwick? It didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”
“Glad to hear it. Now go change your clothes, then you can head over to Buddy’s.”
“Yay!” Jackson bolted from his chair.
“Hold on a second. Put away your papers and pack up your bag so it’s ready for you tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Jackson spun around and did what he had been told.
“Good boy!” Frank patted him on the shoulder.
Jackson whipped down the hall and put on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. He grabbed his ball and glove, donned his cap, and marched toward the front door.
“Do you have a key?” Frank asked.
Jackson halted and thought a moment. “In my backpack.”
“Maybe you should take it with you.”
“Good idea, Mr. Chadwick. Jeepers, you are full of good ideas.”
“I don’t think my wife would agree with you.” Frank laughed, and so did Jackson.
Both left the house, with Jackson locking the front door. Frank went to his house, and Jackson headed to Buddy’s.
Right on schedule, Colleen returned home just before 4:00. She changed into a pair of linen pants and a clean blouse, checked her makeup, and ran a brush through her hair. She refreshed her perfume just a little. She didn’t want to knock Officer Pedone over when he came into the house. On the other hand . . .
When the front doorbell rang, she got butterflies in her stomach. She was almost giddy. She smoothed the front of her pants and opened the door.
“Good afternoon!” She was beaming.
“Good afternoon to you.” Officer Pedone removed his hat.
“Please come in.” She swung the door open and stepped back to let him in. She had forgotten how tall he was. Probably because she had been sitting down most of the time when he first came. He was also in great shape. She could see the muscles pushing against the sleeve of his shirt. Calm down, girl. “Sit. Please.” She motioned toward the dining-room table. “What kind of coffee do you prefer? Decaf? Caffeinated? Espresso? American?”
“Wow. This is like a Starbucks,” Pedone joked. “Do you have something between espresso and American? Or did I come to the wrong coffee bar?”
“I have a Nespresso coffee maker. It uses capsules. I have a nice one that might be to your liking. Decaf or regular?”
Pedone checked his watch. “Better do decaf; otherwise, I might be up all night.”
“Decaf it is. How do you take it?”
“You are quite the barista, eh?” Pedone teased.
“Yeah. Just in case I need to get a second job.” She wasn’t joking.
Pedone sensed she wasn’t kidding. “Seriously?”
“Well, yes and no. But if Mitchel doesn’t have a job and can’t come up with child support, I just might have to.”
“What’s he doing to find gainful employment?”
“I have no idea. We haven’t spoken since that night.” Colleen was working on the coffee.
“How do you communicate about Jackson?”
“Through his mother, Vivian.”
“And how is that going?” Pedone asked.
“Not too bad, considering.”
“Considering what?”
“I don’t want to speak ill of people, but let’s just say that Vivian can be difficult at times.” Colleen was not exaggerating. There were always arguments as to who w
as going where during the holidays, and Vivian had never been flexible. And in Colleen’s mind, there was no reason for her not to be. It was just Vivian that Vivian had to worry about. It wasn’t as if she hosted a dozen people. Greg and Elaine were always flexible, so they weren’t the issue. After enough fights with Mitchel, Colleen acquiesced and spent her holidays resenting Vivian’s stubbornness. “But I have to admit, she’s been fine lately. No one can seem to guess what’s gotten into her.”
“What do you mean?” Pedone was curious.
“I don’t want to gossip, but evidently when she took Jackson and Mitchel out last Saturday, she came back in a most upbeat mood. Everyone was in shock. It was as if she’d had some kind of epiphany.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Pedone nodded in her direction.
“True. I just hope it lasts.” Colleen took the mug from the coffee maker. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Just a little cream, please. Thank you,” Pedone said politely.
Colleen poured some into the mug, got a napkin and some cookies, and placed them on the table. “I baked them on Saturday. I think they might still be fresh. Or close.”
“A barista and a baker? You sure you don’t want to open your own café?” he teased her again.
“Not if I don’t have to.” She smiled and took a seat across from him.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Pedone finally got to the point.
“I have new neighbors moving in across the street.” Colleen was fidgeting with her spoon. “They have two children. A son and daughter. The son is twelve, and the daughter is a little younger than Jackson.”
“Well, that should be a good thing for him. Having other kids on the block, right?”
“Here’s the thing.” Colleen went straight to the heart of the matter. “The kid was in trouble. He stole a motorcycle or moped or something. They knocked it down to shoplifting and sent him to a facility where he would be scared straight.”
“I’m familiar with the program. Surprisingly, if you get the kid at the right age, and he’s essentially not a bad kid, that often works. After a year of probation, we rarely see them again.” Pedone took a sip of his coffee. “This is good.”
“Thanks,” Colleen said, and continued, “Is there any way to know if he is a good kid who had a lapse in judgment? I know the records are sealed and all.” Her voice drifted off.
“That’s true.” He looked up at her and realized she was concerned about it. “But that doesn’t mean people can’t remember what happened.”
“I’m not following you.” And she wasn’t.
“Let’s just say someone has a conversation with someone who is familiar with the incident. There is no law saying that you can’t speak about it. You simply cannot have access to the legal documents; therefore, the information cannot be used against the person in any way, such as keeping the person from employment et cetera.”
Colleen gave him a sideways look. “Interesting. That makes sense because the real-estate agent had no problem telling me.”
“Exactly.” Pedone helped himself to a cookie. He took a bite. “I can attest that these are still fresh. And delicious.”
Colleen thought she might be blushing and got up to fix another cup of coffee. “Are you ready for a refill?” she asked over her shoulder.
“If you don’t mind, that would be great. Thank you.”
“Would it make you feel better if I ask around? See if anyone has any recollection? Obviously, I can’t access his jacket.”
“Jacket?”
“Police lingo for a file on someone who has a record.”
“Aha.” Colleen ran her wrists under cold water. “If you wouldn’t mind, and if it doesn’t get you into any trouble, I would appreciate it immensely.”
“Let me see what I can ferret out for you. I know you’ve been through a lot and have a rocky road ahead of you. You don’t need to be worrying about something else. You have his name?”
“Yes, it’s Randy Gaynor. I don’t know if it’s Randolph or not.”
“The name Randolph would be enough to put anyone in a bad mood,” Pedone joked.
Colleen laughed at his joke. “Oh, I cannot thank you enough. You are so right. I’m trying to keep it together for Jackson’s sake, and I almost unraveled the other day when the real-estate agent told me about the kid.”
Pedone initially resisted the temptation to take her hand, and he was delighted when she touched his. “You have no idea how grateful I am.”
“I haven’t done anything yet,” Pedone said, leaving his hand under hers.
“You have done more than you think.” Colleen realized that she had kept her hand on top of his for a tad longer than she probably should have and pulled it away. “Really. The night of the incident, the Taser, and your kindness.” She started to get choked up. “It has meant a lot to me.” As hard as she tried, she could not stop the tears from running down her face.
Pedone picked up his napkin and handed it to her. As much as he wanted to wipe her tears away, he thought that might be just a little too personal.
“Thanks.” She sniffled. Then she let out a big sigh and dabbed her face.
“Any time,” Pedone said. He was getting a little uncomfortable. His first reaction would have been to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be OK, but he couldn’t. It would be unprofessional, and how did he know if things really would be OK?
He finished his coffee and decided it was better that he leave before he made a fool of himself.
He checked his watch. It wasn’t as if he needed to be anywhere, but he thought the gesture would be a good way for him to leave graciously. “I’d better get going. Thanks very much for the coffee and cookies. It was a treat compared to the swill they serve at the station.”
“Thank you for coming by, and for, well, everything.” Colleen resisted the temptation to kiss him on the cheek.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as I hear anything.” Pedone put his hat under his arm.
“Thanks again.” Colleen opened the door for him to leave.
A few minutes later, her phone rang. It was Ellie. In unison, they both said, “Is everything all right?” And then they laughed. Ellie said, “You go first.”
Colleen told Ellie she thought something might have happened to Jackson, and Ellie told Colleen she was worried about the patrol car in front of the Haywood house again.
“Everything is fine.” Colleen was coming to grips. “I had some questions for Officer Pedone, and he was kind enough to come by so we could talk.”
“Glad to hear it. There have been more visits by the police in the past two and a half weeks than in the whole time I’ve lived here,” Ellie noted.
“It’s just that I’m so popular with the men in blue.” Colleen laughed lightly.
“Apparently so,” Ellie stated.
“It’s good to know someone has your back. You know what I mean?”
“Absolutely. I don’t know what I would do without Hector.”
“He’s a great kid,” Colleen said, acknowledging how much he did for Ellie.
“So all is OK on Birchwood Lane?” Ellie prodded.
“So far,” Colleen answered, and changed the subject. She didn’t want to let on that she might have a crush on the kind, attractive officer. “I hope Jackson isn’t making a pest of himself.”
“Jackson? Not at all. I look forward to his visits as much as Buddy does. I’m very happy my big pooch has someone who will play with him. For hours no less. It takes the guilt off me.” Ellie was acutely aware how easy it was to talk to Colleen. And she liked the feeling.
“You can send him home anytime,” Colleen reminded Ellie. “By the way, he mentioned something about Italian fried chicken.”
Ellie laughed. “Last night, I was making dinner when he and Jackson were in the yard. I guess the aroma wafted outside.”
“He said it ‘smelled real good,’ so I hope you’ll give me the recipe, unless it’s a family secret.”
Ellie thought, No, I’m the only family secret. “It’s not complicated. It’s called chicken Milanese, but when I told him what it was called, he didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. I mean, what kid knows what Milanese is, so I told him it was Italian fried chicken.”
“Too funny. It must be better than the Colonel’s, I’m sure.”
“Without a doubt. I’ll write the recipe down and have Hector bring it over to you.”
“Thanks, Ellie. That would make a nice surprise for Jackson.”
“Yes, but when I told him I put salad on top, he didn’t seem very impressed anymore.” Ellie chuckled.
“I’ll give it a go anyway. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ve gotta go. Someone is having a computer crisis.”
“OK. Talk soon.” Colleen disconnected the call. She was feeling a lot better about things. Onward.
Chapter Twenty-six
Several days after Officer Pedone visited Colleen, a large moving van pulled onto the street. She hadn’t heard back from him and was beginning to feel anxious. She thought of calling him again but didn’t want to make a pest of herself. She had to leave for school, so she would not get to watch the new family move in. No point in belaboring the subject. Time to get herself and Jackson out the door.
* * *
Andy was sitting in the front sunroom of his house. It was the only place other than the kitchen that there was a chair that wasn’t piled with papers. He sipped his instant coffee and watched the van unload furniture and boxes. He was curious as to their taste. Was it modern? Midcentury? Early American? That style was something he loathed. Rustic? Even that could give him the willies if it weren’t done right.
First came a parade of boxes, followed by several beds. He was getting antsy waiting for the big reveal. He didn’t want to miss going to Sissy’s but could not resist spying on the new neighbors. It wasn’t exactly spying, he told himself. It was a healthy curiosity about the people who would be living within a hundred or so feet from him. He had a right to know. He sat up and peered through the window. The sofa. Modular. Meh. Maybe it was for the family room. He continued watching the contents of the large van being moved into the house. A coffee table. Another meh. More of the same cookie-cutter, chain-store furniture collection. Then came the enormous television. Andy wondered if it would fit through the door. He hadn’t had any personal experience with flat screens. True, he had visited people who had them but had never paid much attention. He had been using the same television for the past twenty-five years. With rabbit ears for an antenna, no less. It was no wonder he could only tune in three stations, but he didn’t care. The news was the news, and there was little or nothing he could do about it. He was resigned to the adage that ignorance is bliss.
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