Safe Harbor - 5

Bobby hung carefully over the edge of the roof five stories above the street, spray paint can in his free hand as he added the final touches to a small piece on the side of building. It wasn’t his best work but he was still satisfied enough with it he would add his tag, ‘Prizm’, which he did a few minutes later.

When he finished he put the empty cans in a plastic bag to dispose of them in a dumpster on his way out of the area. Then he leaned back against the low parapet while he let his adrenaline high abate. As he did he considered whether to return to the shelter or not. Father Kurt had put the word out he wanted to talk to him. The question was did he want to talk to the Father.

Father Kurt was one of only a couple of adults Bobby actually trusted. In and of itself that was unsurprising, but… Bobby ran a hand through his thick hair in frustration. He trusted the Father but it went further than that and therein was the problem. Every time he saw the man his libido went into overdrive. It was the reason he only spent time at the shelter when the weather got beyond bad and into downright miserable. If Father Kurt had been just an ordinary man Bobby would have come on to him long ago but he wasn’t. He was a priest.

Sure he’s not Catholic but he still wears the collar even though he dresses in jeans or sweats, like he doesn’t want us to forget what he is.

Once, on impulse, Bobby had checked up about priests on the main library’s computers. He’d found out that Episcopalian priests could have sex and marry and all that. Even more, there were actually gay priests in the church.

Not that it makes a damned bit of difference ‘cause for sure Father Kurt ain’t one,  Bobby had though morosely as he had shut down the computer and gone to find a vacant chair in the reading area where he could maybe catch some sleep.

"Better get moving," he muttered to himself as he stood and gathered his stuff. "Last thing I need is to be busted right now…or ever." He chuckled as he made his way across the roofs to a fire escape and hustled down to the alley. Before he actually jumped down the last few feet he made certain no one was there he needed to worry about seeing him. He spotted a couple of kids huddled together in a doorway and was tempted to warn them to move to somewhere safer then shrugged. If he warned every kid he saw he wouldn’t have time to do anything else, like make a few bucks so he’d have cash for a couple of decent meals.

Landing quietly on the balls of his feet in the alley, he quickly got rid of the evidence of his graffiti work in a dumpster then headed to the street and the nearest corner. At this hour of night the pickings would be lean but there was always someone trolling for a blowjob. He just had to make it clear he was available to service them.

An hour later he was twenty dollars richer. Not a fortune but it would get him a burger at the local all-night diner and leave him something for his next meal. He saluted the tried-looking waitress when he entered. She saluted back, as she always did, and then slid a menu in front of him after he took a seat at the counter.

"So how’s my favorite customer today?"

"Tired, hungry, homeless, Nance," he winked at her, "the usual."

She nodded. "You could always try to find a real job you know."

"So you tell me every time I come in, and maybe someday I will but for now it’s not in the cards. Besides, I like my freedom."

"Prizm, damn." She shook her head, took his order, and left after pouring him some coffee.

"There’s a lot to be said for freedom," he murmured, snagging the newspaper someone had left behind. He scanned the first few pages until a small article caught his eye. "Shit," he growled.

Now he knew why Father Kurt wanted to talk with him. "No way, not how." Yeah he’d wanted to know what happened to Minnie if the Father could find out, but dead, murdered. He was sure the Father wanted him to tell the cops what he’d seen.

'Yeah, sure detective, I saw two of your guys forcing her and Scooter to give them blowjobs before they shoved them in their car and took off.’

That would go over well. Not!

But… Bobby stared at the article about Minnie’s murder. The last line jumped out at him. She wasn’t the first. He sighed deeply, knowing then what he had to do. Not until later though, because first he needed to eat and, well, it was too early anyway. He checked the clock over the counter. Four a.m. is way too early for sure. Father Kurt wouldn’t be awake. So eat, find a place to catch some sleep, and then…face whatever comes next.