My Brother’s Keeper - 31

“Absolutely not!”

“Our leaving is the only way to keep you safe, Tad.”

“Safe how, Roy? Daws knows I live here, now. He obviously has no more love for me than he does for you, so we’re all safer sticking together. It doesn’t have to be here, but for damned sure I’m not letting the two of you go back to living on the streets. Besides,” Tad glanced at Jerry who was curled up in the lounge chair sleeping, “he’s still far from being well enough to survive out there even if Daws wasn’t after your hide.”

“Had to play that card, didn’t you,” Roy said angrily.

“It’s still the truth.” Tad paced the length of the living room and back again, deep in thought. “There has to be a way to deal with him.”

“Meaning what?” Roy asked, afraid he knew where Tad was heading and not liking the idea at all.

Tad dropped down onto the sofa beside Roy, saying pensively, “Some way to draw him out. The police officer said they’d issue an APB but he admitted that Daws was too street-wise. He’s not going to show his face for a while I bet, especially since he knows we called the cops. Or he’s going to be damned careful if he does.”

“Yeah, well lots of people have reported him to the cops and that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to terrorize everyone who lives on the streets. He gets off on it. Cock of the walk and all that.”

“Did you know he’s not living rough any more? At least that’s what the police said.”

“I heard a couple of rumors about that, yeah. Not sure I believe them. He’s everywhere, all the time, looking to cause trouble.”

“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have a home base.” Tad tapped his thumbnail against his lips. “We just have to find it without his knowing we’re out there.”

“Like that’ll happen. We’re all in his sights now, not just me and Jerry.”

“We’re keeping Jerry out of this. I’ll see if Denise would be willing to have him stay at her place while we’re gone.”

“Tad, you can’t impose on her like that. Damn.”

“Trust me, she’d be pissed if she found out we left him up here by himself. He may be sixteen and street-toughened but he’s sick and, well…” Tad shrugged. “If anything she’ll see it as some big adventure, and her new boyfriend is no one to screw around with, and he’s there most nights.”

“Oh he’ll just love having a kid hanging around I bet.”

Tad chuckled. “Probably not, but she’ll convince him. She’s an expert at that.”

“This is all well and good except, like I said, Daws knows us.”

“Then we change us.”