by Jamie Hill
“Well, I haven’t been exactly truthful with you. I didn’t lie, but you just never asked—”
“Is this something about Manny's death?”
“No, no. Forget about Manny! I told you it had nothing to do with him.” Crystal rubbed her hands over her face.
“Okay. Sorry. It’s just the detective in me trying to solve a case. Go ahead.”
“Well.” She glanced over at the boys and then back to Dunlevy. “Those kids. They aren’t mine.”
He looked at her skeptically as she asserted, “I never told you they were. You just assumed so.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “You’re right, I did. So who are they? You didn’t kidnap them, did you?”
Crystal laughed. “God no! I said I’m in trouble, but I never said I was crazy. Their father, Dave, is my next door neighbor. He pays me to watch the boys after school until he gets home from work. Trouble is, he hasn’t come home.”
He looked at her with speculation in his eyes. “The daddy you were waiting for on Thursday?”
She nodded. “We’re still waiting.”
“I called him your 'husband' and you didn’t correct me.”
“At first I didn’t say anything because I figured it wasn’t really any of your business. Then I thought it was just easier, you know, to go with the flow.”
He set his jaw and closed his eyes again briefly. He inhaled, exhaled, and then looked over at her.
She smiled at him hopefully.
He tried to give what she supposed was a disapproving look but couldn’t seem to do it successfully. “When’s the last time you saw him?”
“Wednesday morning,” Crystal replied.
The look he gave her this time made her add quickly, “He stopped by my place to see if I had plans that night. Sometimes when I didn’t, he’d go out for a drink with his friends. I told him I wasn’t doing anything Wednesday evening. That’s why I didn’t think much of it at first. But when he never showed up Thursday or Friday, I got worried.”
“It sounds like he’s taking advantage of you, if nothing else. Why do you watch the kids for him, anyway?”
She chuckled bitterly. “Well, in a perfect world, waiting tables would pay enough to take care of rent, bills, and maybe a little extra for food. In this world, it catches the rent and some of the bills. If I want to eat anything Moe hasn’t cooked, I need a second job.”
She looked back over at the boys. “And now it seems I’ve got two extra mouths to feed. Dave’s cupboards are as bare as mine. Payday’s not until Monday. Maybe I’ll start hocking the son-of-a-bitch’s stuff to make some money.”
Dunlevy chortled and kicked his legs out in front of him. “So, do you want me to try to track the S.O.B. down?”
“Well, yeah, I guess. I can tell you everything I know about him.”
He flipped out his notebook and pen.
“Have notebook, will travel,” she quipped.
“Of course,” he replied, and smiled as he began to take notes. “David Erickson?”
“Yeah.” She was surprised he remembered the surname. “He said his wife Laura died about a year ago. It was drug related. He'd never volunteer more than that. I know her maiden name was Devon. That’s where the youngest son got his name. But that’s all I know about the family. Oh, and Dave told me he worked at the loading dock over at the rail station. But I called there and they said they'd never heard of him.”
“It’s a big place,” Dunlevy acknowledged. “You could have spoken to someone who didn't recognize the name. I could check with management. Maybe find a little more out.”
“If you could, I'd be eternally grateful. Dave led me to believe there were no grandparents in the picture. But maybe he just didn’t get along with them. Who knows? If they do have grandparents, the boys should be with them.”
“Yeah.” He put his pen down and watched the boys laugh and play. “Are they always so easy going? I’ve yet to see them fight.”
“They don’t. It’s almost scary how well-behaved they are. That’s why I can’t just turn them over to anybody. I’m the closest thing to family they’ve got right now. They haven’t admitted it, but they have to be frightened that their dad has disappeared.”
“I’m sure. It’s a lousy thing to do to your kids.”
“Uh-huh.” She looked from the boys into the detective's eyes. “I know this isn’t your problem, but if you could help me, maybe I could repay you somehow.”
Dunlevy looked into her eyes and frowned. “Any police officer who wants ‘repayment’ from you in any way, shape, or form should be taken out back and shot. Actually, the same goes for any man who expects something in return for helping you.”
She dropped her gaze. “Thanks, Detective Dunlevy. I’ve been so worried. It feels good to have someone to share my burden with.”
He took her hand gently and squeezed it. “I’m going to do whatever I can to help you and the boys. But you’ve got to call me Jack. Every time you say ‘Detective Dunlevy’ I look around for my boss.”
She chuckled and looked back at him. “Okay, Jack. I’ll take your help. The boys didn’t do anything to deserve this mess. And I don’t know how to get them out of it by myself.”
He nodded slowly. “What’s for dinner?”
“Whatever Moe has on special. Saturday would be chicken.”
“Did you eat lunch there?”
She nodded.
He put his notebook back in his pocket and crossed his arms again. “There’s this pizza place close to where I live. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been itching to try it. Think the boys would be interested?”
“Why haven’t you tried it?”
He smiled. “Well, it seems the main attraction isn’t really the pizza, but this big ball pit and about a zillion video games for kids to play. I thought it might look weird for a middle-aged man to go there by himself.”
Crystal laughed out loud. “You’ve got to be kidding! I’m afraid I used the last of my quarters at the Laundromat this morning. And that was after putting jeans and underwear and everything in one load. I can't afford to take them to a place like that.”
He cocked his head at her. “I wasn’t offering to go Dutch. I’d like to take you. Come on, it’ll be fun. Please?”
She gave him a skeptical look and he repeated, “Please?”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you’re cute when you beg?”
“Oh yeah, I get that from women all the time.”
She laughed, and the pure, simple sound seemed to move him. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he finally looked at her, he asked, “Can I take that as a yes?”
She smiled and nodded.
“Great!” He stood up. “We’ll go in a little bit.” He walked toward the boys and called out, “Hey, you guys want me to push you?”
They were back on the merry-go-round, taking turns spinning each other. “Yeah!” They both yelled and climbed aboard as Jack gave them a huge push.
Crystal watched from the bench as he spun the merry-go-round until the kids were dizzy. He pushed them on the swings side by side, alternating pushes between Mark and Devon. She sighed and leaned back, feeling the weight lift off her shoulders for the first time in days.
“You guys want to try that slide over there? It’s pretty big.” Jack motioned to a large, silver piece of equipment.
“Sure!” Mark hopped out of his swing and ran to the slide.
Devon didn’t seem quite so sure. “I don’t know.” He peered up the tall ladder.
“Come on, it’s fun!” Mark called from the top.
“Sit down, please,” Jack reminded patiently.
Mark sat and slid down, a wide grin on his face.
“I don’t think I want to,” Devon said nervously.
Jack stepped next to him. “How about if I go with you?”
The boy’s face lit up. “Would you?”
“Sure.” He peeled off his leather jacket, tossed it aside and led Devon up the ladder in front of
him.
Crystal wanted a closer vantage point, and wandered over. “Wish I had a camera.” She watched as Jack settled Devon on his lap at the top of the slide.
“Blackmail photos?” He grinned down.
“Maybe,” she replied, grinning back.
“Ready?” Jack inquired and Devon nodded. “Here we go!” Jack shoved off and they flew down the slide, stopping just at as they got to the bottom edge.
The nervous look on Devon’s face evolved into laughter and he cried, “Let’s go again!”
Jack and Crystal looked at each other and laughed. He went down the slide a few more times with Devon, until the boy went by himself. When it was time to leave, he had to be dragged away from the slide.
“I promised Crystal we’d get pizza,” Jack cajoled the child. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Crystal now, would you?”
Devon looked at her. “I guess not.” He turned to Jack. “Did you say pizza?”
“Yeah.” Jack chuckled as he picked up his jacket and dusted the sand off. “Let’s go. My truck’s this way.” He led them to a black Ford Explorer, unlocked the doors and arranged some stuff in the back seat before he gave the boys a hand in. “Buckle up.” He secured their seat belts. Once they were settled, he opened the passenger door for Crystal. “Hang on.” He cleared the seat of a stack of paperwork. “I’ll just toss this in the back.”
“Thanks.”
He climbed in his side and fastened his seat belt, then looked at Crystal expectantly. “Seat belt?”
“Oh, sorry.” She buckled up. “Can’t take the girl to the big city, I guess.”
He smiled and started the engine. “Oh, I think you can. Settle back, everybody. We have about a twenty-minute ride.”
Crystal relaxed into the seat. “This is really nice of you,” she said to him quietly.
“I’m happy to do it.”
She rode in silence a few minutes, then glanced back at the kids to make sure they weren’t listening. They were busy chatting excitedly to each other, so she turned to Jack. “You think something is up with Dave, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “You have to admit, his disappearance on the same day Manny Hooper turned up dead is quite a coincidence. Or not.”
“No!” Her jaw dropped open. “He couldn’t have had anything to do with that!”
Jack shrugged again. “I hope you’re right. But for your safety, and for the sake of those kids,” he shot a glance over his shoulder, “I need to find out.”
Crystal rubbed her hands over her arms nervously. “You’re right. We need to know the truth.” I only hope I can handle it.
Chapter Three
Jack led Crystal and the boys to a table in the noisy restaurant.
“This is incredible.” Crystal looked around a dozen, running, frenzied children in the play area.
“It’s amazing!” Devon exclaimed.
Jack chuckled and tossed his jacket in the booth ahead of him. “Yeah, isn’t it great?”
Crystal removed her jacket and shoved it in the booth opposite Jack. She looked at him skeptically, and he laughed again. He leaned in to her so she could hear him. “Believe me, I appreciate the value of a quiet, candlelit restaurant. I really do. But just look at their faces.” He nodded to Mark and Devon, who gazed around in wonder.
She smiled. “I’m sure they’ve never been to a place like this.”
Jack peeled the boys’ jackets off and laid them on top of his. “Why don’t you start out in the ball pit before we eat? After dinner we’ll see if we can burn through some of these tokens.” He tossed the bag on the table and it jingled. The boys looked at it anxiously, then at the ball pit.
Jack pointed. “Take your shoes off and stick them in a cube over there. Then have fun. Crystal and I will be right here watching you.” He’d chosen a booth close to the pit, so the boys could see Crystal and him, and they could keep an eye out. Mark and Devon were slow to enter the play area, but soon got caught up in the fracas and were playing and climbing alongside everyone else.
Crystal settled in across from Jack. “You sure you’ve never been here? You seem to know an awful lot about the place.”
He grinned. “I’m a detective, after all. I should be able to figure a few things out on my own.”
“Well, you sure figured right about this place. It appears to be little-boy heaven.”
“Just for little boys?” He tried to sound disappointed, eyeing row after row of video games.
Crystal laughed as a waitress brought four colas to their table. “Your pizza will be out shortly.”
“Thank you.” Jack spread out the drinks, wishing he had a beer.
“Yeah, thanks.” Crystal smiled at the waitress and accepted her soft drink.
The young woman left and Jack saw Crystal shift in her seat uncomfortably.
“Hey.” Jack touched her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. You looked at that soda like you wished it was something stronger.”
He chuckled. “Got me. For a moment I was wishing for beer.”
“Yeah, me too. And then I had this flash. I have children to think of now. I kind of panicked, wondering if my beer-drinking days are over.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s only been a few days. I’m going to help you figure things out.”
She fiddled with her drink nervously, and changed the subject. “Did you really think we needed four large pizzas?”
“Pizza’s always better the second day, don’t you think?”
She gave him another skeptical look and finally smiled. “I haven’t had pizza in so long, I’m not sure I remember.” She settled back into the booth and studied him. “I was thinking that you’re awfully nice with these kids, Jack. Do you have any of your own?”
“Kids?” He shook his head. “Nope, never quite got around to that.”
“And no Mrs. Detective Dunlevy waiting for you at home?”
He grinned. “Not lately. There were two of them in the past, but neither could seem to get used to the waiting at home part, I guess.”
“It would be hard being a cop’s wife. Never knowing when you might get that news. You know.”
“Oh, I know. Some women can handle it, and some just can’t.”
She seemed to peruse his face. He knew there were a few small scars, but they could have been from childhood accidents as easily as police business. “So, have you ever been injured in the line of duty?”
He stirred the straw around in his drink. “A few times. One gunshot, a couple others not so serious.”
“The gunshot was serious?”
“Yeah.” He smiled sadly. “A shoulder wound, and I lost a lot of blood. Let’s just say that after I was discharged from the hospital, the first Mrs. Dunlevy was history.”
“Well, that’s pretty crappy!” Crystal exclaimed, and Jack chuckled derisively.
“I hate to break it to you, princess, but life can be crappy sometimes. Maybe you hadn’t noticed from the view out of your castle window.”
Crystal laughed out loud again, the spontaneous Christmas-tree-glowing, she-never-looked-more-beautiful laugh. Jack decided to kick up the humor a notch, in hopes that he’d get to see a lot more of that expression. He’d become a frigging comedian if it meant he could keep that look on her face even one moment longer.
He sipped his drink, still wishing he could have ordered a beer.
They talked and watched the boys play until their pizzas arrived. The waitress arranged them on the table, and Jack went to corral the boys.
“You should go wash your hands,” Crystal told them when they returned to the table. “You know that ball pit is full of germs.”
The boys started to protest, but Jack put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Give it up, guys. It’s a chick thing. When they start talking about germs, you know you’re lost.”
She smiled as he nudged them toward the bathroom. “And try to pee while you’re in there, please,” she called after them. “We don
’t need that interruption ten minutes from now.”
Jack glanced back over his shoulder at her. “I’ll try, but I don’t know.”
When Crystal laughed, Jack walked off with a self-satisfied smile planted firmly on his face.
* * * *
Crystal was stuffed. She’d never seen the boys eat so much in their lives. They seemed supremely happy as Jack took them to wash up, and she boxed up the left over pizza.
“Come on.” Jack urged her to join them in the video game room. “It’s the twenty-first century. Girls are not only allowed, but encouraged, to play video games.”
“I’m horrible at them,” she protested, but allowed him to guide her there. She stopped arguing as he inserted a token in a machine and stood behind her with his hands on her hips, his head leaning over her shoulder. “There you go, shoot those bad guys. I know you got it in ya.”
“I got it in me all right.” She aimed and wiped out a bunch of the bad guys. When it was over, she tied the high score on the machine.
“You’re a video game shark.” He spoke into her ear in the noisy, crowded room. “You should play for money.” He patted her hips.
She chuckled and leaned back against him for a moment. “I’m just lucky.”
He kept his hands on her hips and spoke quietly into her ear again. “I believe I might be the lucky one.”
Crystal’s reply caught in her throat as Devon stepped up between them and announced, “She won fifty cents at the Laundromat this morning.”
Jack looked over her shoulder and raised his eyebrows at her, and she laughed nervously.
“Playing poker,” Devon advised with a nod.
“Wow,” was all Jack could say, still looking into her eyes.
Crystal put her arms around Devon and took a step away from Jack. She smiled and shrugged. “Our jeans got dry, is all that means.”
Jack winced, as if he hated to be reminded of their situation. “Come on.” He put a hand on each of their shoulders. “We’ve got a bag full of tokens to use up. Let’s find Mark and start some serious spending.”
After two hours they'd spent all their tokens and were left with armloads of tickets. The patient clerk at the toy counter folded and counted their tickets, while an even more patient Jack helped each boy pick out the treasures they wanted to redeem their tickets for. They each acquired a bag full of tiny dinosaurs, cars, and assorted cool stuff, but were yawning so hard they almost couldn’t carry the goodies out.