by Debra Kayn
Son of a bitch. He caught up with Curley and motioned him to pull over.
As soon as he cut the engine, he asked, "Did you see where he went?"
"The alley was empty once I got there. He probably had someone waiting for him." Curley took his hands off his handlebar. "I wasn't sure it was him. I couldn't pin what it was that set you off."
"He's dyed his hair." He rotated his shoulder, trying to work the stiffness out of his muscles from being on his motorcycle all day.
"My shift is over." Curley looked at him. "You should get home, get something to eat, and stay sharp. It's been a long fucking day. Priest has another team of members who will be out keeping their eyes open overnight."
"I'm going to make a few more sweeps before I call it a night. He's around here somewhere. He can't stay hidden forever." He toed his kickstand.
"I'll ride with you, then." Curley started his bike.
Tarkio wasn't going to give him a chance to catch Dean by himself. He worried that all the attention on him would only delay finding Dean. If he could draw the fucker out by himself, he might stand a chance at ending everything.
He turned on his headlight and rode away from the side of the road. The kids would be with Joey right now, probably eating dinner together. She'd canceled her night at Riverside Bar, telling him it was okay, that she'd make up the money on Friday. But he knew she was behind on reaching her goal.
She asked no questions of him like he'd asked, and the fact that she trusted him made it all that more important that he catch Dean as soon as possible. Joey never asked for him to interrupt her life and keep her from working toward earning enough money to enter the Blackfoot Pool Tournament coming up in November.
Ten thousand was too much to take out of his company profits, especially at the end of the year, but he could help her with his personal money if she let him. Right now, she was against the help, claiming it was gambling money and not a sure thing. She wouldn't risk losing other people's money.
He turned the corner, following the flow of traffic. None of the people on the sidewalk looked suspicious. They all were going somewhere, not looking around or acting paranoid.
A half an hour later, he called it good, and signaled Curley to head on out. Escorted to the apartments, he parked and headed to the door understanding that there would be one Tarkio member hanging at the street entrance to the complex overnight, just in case Dean showed up.
He used his key to unlock the door and went inside. Jess, Travis, and Joey sat around the table, slapping playing cards down on the table.
Joey looked over and smiled. Jess shouted out in victory and yelled, "Nerts."
Travis groaned, shoving the assortment of cards in front of him to the center of the table. Joey held up her hand and high-fived his daughter, then got up from her chair and walked to him.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "I taught them to play Nerts."
"I see and hear that." He captured her lips again. "Looks like my daughter is kicking everyone's butt."
"It's so fun." Jess picked up all the cards and started dividing them into separate piles. "Do you know how to play?"
"It's been years since I played, baby." He sniffed. "What was for dinner?"
"Hamburger Helper. I saved you some. I'll go heat it up." Joey walked into the kitchen.
He caught Travis as he headed toward the couch. "School tomorrow. Did you get all your supplies put in your duffle and get your schedule off the fridge?"
Travis started his freshman year in the morning. Things would be different for him. New school and he'd have to walk from class to class. Jess wouldn't be any help to her brother since it was her Junior year. Her class load was different and her locker was in a completely different building.
"I'll double-check after I watch Miami Vice." Travis changed the channel and then plopped on the couch. "Are you taking me in the morning?"
"Nope, you're going to catch the bus and take it home afterward. You'll walk to Joey's apartment and wait until I get home."
Travis groaned. He knew his son's dislike of riding the school's transportation. It required him to get up an hour earlier to catch the bus and brought him home at five minutes after three o'clock instead of two-fifteen if someone picked him up.
He'd already asked Joey to stand outside the door and keep an eye on Travis and Jess as they got on the bus in the morning and then again when they got off the bus. For right now, until Dean was caught, he wanted his kids and Joey together.
"Don't forget, I won't be on the afternoon bus tomorrow. I'm going to volleyball tryouts after school," said Jess.
Shit. He'd forgotten and planned to be out looking for Dean.
"What time will you be done?" He walked over to the table.
"Five o'clock. Oh, and I need ten dollars for an ASB card."
"Me, too," said Travis.
He took out his wallet and passed Jess two ten-dollar bills. "Give one to your brother." He sat down at the table. "Hang on."
There would be expenses and school lunches the kids had to buy. Rather than have them pay late, he preferred they took care of business tomorrow.
Taking more money out of his wallet, he passed it all to her. "Split it between you guys and hold on to what's left for lunches this week."
"Awesome." Jess walked away, counting the money.
Joey stood by the stove, watching him with concern. He lifted his brows in question, and she smiled. Though, he'd seen something pass on her face that told him that she was paying close attention to him.
"Miss me?" he said, leaning back in the chair.
She stirred the food in the skillet and glanced at him. "Every second."
His body relaxed. It felt good having her here when he got home.
Chapter 33
Joey
THE BURNING AROMA OF ammonia tickled Joey's nose. She set the bottle of window cleaner on the floor and quickly wiped the glass surface dry. Looking for any streaks, she moved to the last window in the rec center and finished her bi-monthly job.
The tenants were good about picking up after themselves after using the rec center, but the deep cleaning was left to her. Not her favorite job, but it felt good knowing she had two more weeks until she had to do the chore again.
Mr. Baste picked up the spray bottle. "Where have you been keeping yourself, Ms. Joey?"
"I've been busy watching two teenagers all summer." She looked over the window surface. "I've forgotten how much energy kids have."
"You're still a kid to me." Mr. Baste's gaze softened. "I've missed seeing you in here practicing your game. Are you still playing in the pool tournaments?"
"I am." She shrugged. "I've missed a couple, and I'm not sure I'll earn enough for the entrance fee for the Blackfoot Tournament, but there's always next year, right?"
"You can't live thinking there will be a tomorrow or next year." His eyes welled with unshed tears. "When I married my Grace, we had made enough plans to last a lifetime. It was always about waiting until the children grew up, waiting until I retired, waiting until we saved enough money. If I would've known I'd lose her six months after I retired, I would've taken my family to all the places we dreamed about when the kids were young. I would've quit my job and gone without all the material things to have that time again with her."
Joey swallowed heavily. She'd witnessed the love Mr. and Mrs. Baste had for each other as a child, but she'd never thought about how he was doing now that his kids had moved away and his wife was gone.
"I hear you," she whispered.
He cleared his throat. "You've grown close to Mr. Carr."
Her body tingled, thinking about Wyatt. "I have."
"If you love him, tell him." Mr. Baste patted her cheek. "Don't let another day go by without celebrating that love. And, keep fighting for what you want. You've worked too hard getting where you are to give up now. I have faith in you winning the Blackfoot Tournament. It's about time someone local won the money and not one of those out-of-staters who walk
away with the pot every year."
On instinct, she hugged him tightly. She missed her grandpa terribly in times when she lacked motivation or doubted herself. He had always been her biggest supporter, and in her loss, she hadn't seen that there were people here who were helping her get stronger.
"Thank you." She kissed his cheek. "That was exactly what I needed to hear."
"Well, now that I have you set in the right direction, it's time for me to find a deck of cards. The gang is coming over to play Pinochle any minute, and my fingers are getting itchy to take their money." Mr. Baste walked away.
She gathered all her cleaning supplies and checked her watch. The day had gone by fast, and she'd been too busy to stop and have lunch.
Going back to the apartment, she looked in the fridge and pulled out the lunchmeat and Miracle Whip. She made two sandwiches and was in the middle of cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang.
She lifted the receiver. "Hello?"
"It's me."
Warmth radiated through her chest at the sound of Wyatt's voice. "Where are you?"
"At the corner of Sixth and Alder at the payphone. Can you still step out and watch Travis get off the bus for me? He'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"No problem. I remembered." She looked at the table. "I made him a sandwich to eat when he gets here."
"He'll like that." He paused. "I'm going to pick up Jess at five o'clock. I'll drop her off at your place. Do you want me to grab a pizza?"
"Are you going to be here for dinner?"
"I'm not sure yet. I might have to go back out."
"Then, don't bother. I can fix them something simple." She wound the curly phone cord around her finger. "Roddy came by this morning and left a message with me, for you. He said if I talked to you, I'm supposed to tell you the guy from the city was out at the plot of land, and they have the permit posted."
"Good. I'll check in with my crew later." He lowered his voice. "I need to go."
"Okay. Ride safe."
"Joey, wait," he said.
"I'm here."
"Watch yourself."
"I will." She smiled. "Bye-bye."
Hanging up the phone, she covered the two sandwiches with foil and then went outside to wait for Travis. Wyatt would probably never get over worrying about his son running away. It would take more than trust. It would take time for Travis to mature for Wyatt to relax. Teenaged boys often acted before they thought everything through.
Leaving the door open, she leaned against the doorframe. A cool breeze made the air chilly.
She looked up at the darkened sky. Gray clouds had rolled in within the last hour. In another month, the weather would change, and snow would come. She looked forward to winter. Wyatt mentioned his workload slowed down from October to March and most of the jobs during that time were remodels and indoors. He'd be able to spend more time at home.
The roar of a motorcycle came behind her. She turned her head and spotted one of the Tarkio members riding slowly through the parking lot. As she'd gone about doing maintenance in the complex today, she'd periodically noticed the riders and knew Wyatt had asked them to make sure everything was safe surrounding his kids.
By the dreary appearance of the sky, the Tarkio member was probably riding to find shelter in case it started raining.
She waved. The rider lifted his chin and headed toward the street.
"Yoohoo, Joey."
Recognizing Mrs. Danski voice, she stepped out from under the cover and looked up. The older woman leaned over the balcony outside her apartment.
Joey waved. "Is everything okay, Mrs. Danski?"
"Perfect, dear. I just finished watering my plants, and now it looks like it's going to rain. Have you heard if it's supposed to freeze tonight?" asked Mrs. Danski.
She stepped out into the grass to see Mrs. Danski better, and a raindrop fell on her arm. "I don't believe so." She held out her hand, palm up. "You're right, it is starting to rain."
"Oh, no. I hope it doesn't drown my plants."
"We probably have a couple of weeks before the nights get down to freezing. If you want, I can set your plants under the alcove of the stairs if you don't want them getting wet."
"That's alright. I'll move them inside this weekend." Mrs. Danski checked her watch. "Oh, the commercial is over. I need to go watch the last fifteen minutes of As The World Turns and find out who Lilly picks—Dustin or Holden. I'm rooting for Dusty. That Holden is too much of a momma's boy. Bye, dear."
"Bye." She pulled a dandelion from the grass and carried it over to the garbage can.
She'd probably need to cut the grass one more time before it stopped growing for the season. Travis had done a fantastic job over the summer keeping up with the cuttings and had asked if he could continue to work for her next summer. She promised him the job, but inside she wondered if he'd be living at the apartments or if Wyatt would follow his dream of building a house for his family. The thought made her sad.
She always worried that Wyatt would bring up the subject of moving again. Even if he invited her to live with him, it would be too hard to manage the apartments if she had to travel here every time someone called about a problem that cropped up.
The school bus stopped out on the main road. Not wanting to embarrass Travis, she waited for him in front of the apartment like Wyatt had told her to do. When he bounded off the bus, he slung his duffle over his back.
Two younger kids ran past him to get out of the rain. The Bonner kids spotted her and waved. She waved back. They'd grown like weeds over the summer.
Travis stepped up on the sidewalk at the end of the building. She headed toward him, excited to hear about his first day of high school.
"Anything exciting happen—?" Knocked in the back, her body pitched forward.
"Joey!" yelled Travis.
The fear in Travis's voice warned her at the same time a hand covered her mouth, and her body was dragged backward.
"Don't scream, kid, or I shoot her," said an unfamiliar male voice.
Travis rushed forward. She widened her eyes, silently screaming for Travis to run. Run far away and get help.
"Let her go." Travis dropped his duffle and balled his fists at his sides. "Don't hurt her."
"You have something of mine, and I want it back." The man's arm tightened around Joey's head.
"Let her go," said Travis. "You can have it. It's in our apartment."
Catching a glimpse of a pistol out of her peripheral vision, Joey stopped struggling against the male holding her captive. Her heart pounded. Afraid Travis would get hurt, she tried to get the boy to look at her, but he kept his gaze on the man.
"You're lying. I've already gone through the apartment. Now, where the hell are you hiding it?" The man dragged Joey back two steps. She struggled to keep her feet underneath her to save Travis.
Travis growled, his face contorting. Joey kicked back with her foot, hitting the man's leg holding her. Afraid Travis would do something foolish and get himself shot, she had to keep the man focused on her.
Yanked off the ground, she dangled from the man's hold on her head. Stars flickered in her vision.
"Stop it," yelled Travis. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you."
The man shoved the barrel of the pistol against Joey's head. She stilled. Her eyes burned, staring at Travis. Run! Please, run!
The man dragged her out into the grass and shoved her away from him. She fell on her hands and knees, gasping for air.
"Don't say a word and walk, or I blow a hole in the kid," said the man.
She scrambled forward, crawling, trying to get her feet under her. Rain fell on her, soaking her clothes. Grabbing handfuls of wet grass, she pushed herself to her feet and grasped Travis.
Walking backward, she made out the pistol in the man's pocket, pointed at them. Lightheaded, she panted for breath, her body trembling. She wanted to yell for help but wouldn't risk him shooting Travis.
"Turn around and keep going."
She gulped,
holding onto Travis tightly, afraid he would try to run off and get shot.
"What do we do?" whispered Travis.
"Walk slowly and do what he says, and let me think. Maybe someone will come out of their apartment and see us." She prayed that someone would notice what was going on, but also knew she'd been everywhere around the complex, cleaning and checking in with tenants that the renters wouldn't think twice about seeing her. The rain wasn't helping. Everyone was hunkered inside out of the weather.
Even if someone looked out their door, they wouldn't notice the gun in the man's pocket, aimed at them.
"I hate him," mumbled Travis.
The passion in those words gave Joey her answer to who the man was. He was the kids' former stepdad. The man who wanted to take Wyatt's children away from him.
In front of Unit C, Dean Miller ordered them to climb the stairs. There was nowhere to go but up. Her keys were back in her apartment. The four units at that end of the complex were unusable and securely locked, so no children could get inside and harm themselves.
"Open the door," said Dean.
She glanced at Travis and shook her head, reaching for the knob, expecting resistance. The door opened. She wanted to cry.
Turning around, she said, "Let Travis go. He's a child. You can take me in there and I'll do whatever you want."
Imagining the worst, she wanted to protect Travis. She held on to Travis's shirt, ready to push him away and help him escape.
"Both of you go inside." Greasy hair hung in wet strands down Dean's face. He pulled the pistol out of his pocket and pointed it at Travis's face.
She yanked Travis behind her, putting her body in front of his, though Wyatt's son was four inches taller than her. "Please, you don't want to do this. Let us go, and we won't tell anyone."
"I'm not going anywhere, bitch. It's been months of trying to get what belongs to me. I'm not leaving without it." Dean stepped toward her.
She backed up, going inside the apartment. Her stomach rolled at the musty, toxic smell permeated in the walls, the carpet, on every surface.