My Brother’s Keeper - 37

Jerry greeted Roy as if he’d been gone for years, not just a little over two days. When he found out that their father had shown up at the police station and what had transpired his grin turned almost malicious. “That’ll teach him to mess with us.”

“I doubt anything will teach him that,” Roy replied with some asperity.

“Probably not,” Tad agreed. “But at least you have right, and Max, on your sides.”

“A very tired Max at this point,” the man in question said as he looked a bit pointedly at the front door of Denise’s apartment. “Jerry, Roy, we’ll meet sometime tomorrow to go over what needs to be done next.”

“I think that’s our cue to leave.” Tad said.

When they got up to his apartment Jerry wanted a blow-by-blow of what had happened. What he got was a very brief synopsis before Roy told him to get to bed. When Jerry protested that he wasn’t tired, Roy took a page from Max’s book and said, “But I am, so off with you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jerry muttered as he vanished down the hall to the guest bedroom.

“How are you doing?” Tad asked quietly once he heard the bedroom door close.

“I think I’m still in shock,” Roy admitted. “I can’t believe we really have a chance to get off the streets and back to a normal life.”

“More than a chance; it’s going to happen,” Tad told him firmly. “You’re going to have a whole new life soon, a job, your own apartment, the whole nine yards.”

“I suppose,” Roy replied, but he didn’t look as happy about that as Tad would have expected.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Roy shook his head. “I’m going to go get out of these clothes, shower and get to bed.”

“Roy…” Tad put a hand on his arm. “Talk to me.”

“Nothing to talk about. Besides I am tired so if you’ll excuse me.” He started towards the hallway only to find himself wrapped in Tad’s arms.

“Don’t walk away. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

“Not a damned thing. I’m happy about all this. See.” Roy smiled tightly, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Tad saw that and was about to press the issue and then thought better of it. “Go shower,” he muttered as he stepped back.

Roy growled, “Thanks for the permission,” as he walked away.