Out today - 'A Town, a Disappearance, and a Cat'!

 A Town, a Disappearance, and a Cat

 

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/a-town-a-disappearance-and-a-cat-p-4963.html

 

https://www.amazon.com/Town-Disappearance-Cat-Edward-Kendrick-ebook/dp/B0CQLGSWDP/

 

GENRE: Gay Mystery Romance
LENGTH: 65,069 words

My name is Shaun Marlow and I write mysteries. When I inherited my grandfather's house, a couple of miles from the town of Winterdale, I packed up and moved into it. I wanted the serenity of small town life and chance to fully involve myself in my writing without the distractions of city living. Little did I know that wasn't going to happen.

Within a few days of the move I met three men, all gay but then so am I, and we became friends. I had no expectations of more because I find relationships almost impossible to maintain -- my fault, I know, but it is what it is.

I also met a stray cat. I named him Laird after he decided I was going to be his person. If it wasn't for him things might have turned out quite differently in my new life.

Then there was the disappearance, and ultimate murder, of Norma Willows, the town gossip and flirt. I became involved because she came on to me more than once. Lucky me? One of my new friends was the sheriff, Alan Quinn, who didn't really object when I stuck my nose into the case, once he decided I hadn't killed her.

Last but not least, I managed to obtain a stalker, much to my and Alan's dismay.

Yes, my new life was definitely turning out to be much more interesting than I'd expected.

EXCERPT:

I offered Sheriff Quinn coffee, which he declined, and then sat. He remained standing as he said, "I'd like your version of what happened with Ms. Willows at Sweeney's Saturday evening."

I told him, including her drunken comments about me and Robert being fags.

"A derogatory word as far as I'm concerned but as I said she was very drunk. Last I saw of her was when she left, with the bartender's assistance. She swore she was going to let the whole town know Robert was gay, although again she didn't use that word."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "An empty threat since I think everyone already knows. Did she drive to the bar as far as you know, Mr. Marlow?"

"From what she said I got the impression she walked. When the bartender offered to call her a cab she said something along the lines of being capable of walking home on her own."

"Actually, she said she was capable of walking three blocks," Robert put in.

Quinn nodded. "You didn't see her afterward, Mr. Marlow?"

"No, sir. I came into town yesterday to do my grocery shopping and ended up having lunch with Jason Edwards. If she was around anywhere, I didn't notice her but, then I didn't go down to her shop." I smiled sourly. "Given her attitude and the fact she tried hitting on me twice since I moved here, she'd the last person I wanted to run into."

"I probably shouldn't say it, but she does have a habit of doing that," Quinn said dryly.

"Maybe ..." I hesitated, not wanting him to think I was interfering with his job, then figured the hell with it. "Have you considered the idea she was successful after she left Sweeney's and she's shacked up with someone? It would explain why her car's still at her house."

"I have. If it happened no one's admitted it but then I'm only starting my investigation."

"Are you going to check her house?"

He slanted a look at me, replying, "From what I've heard you’re a mystery writer. If you don't mind, please don't try playing detective with me."

"I wasn't!" I protested.

"I'll take your word for it."

He didn't answer my question, but I wasn't about to push it. He thanked me for talking with him, adding he'd be in touch again if necessary. I wondered, as we went to the back door, if I was wearing a rut in the floor walking people there and back. Kidding, but still I did seem to have had a lot of visitors for only having moved in a week ago. Well, technically only four visitors I guess, Robert, Jason, Norma, and now the sheriff.

Robert grinned, waggling a finger at me, when I got back to the kitchen.

"No playing detective. And on that note I have to get going. I do own a business, and it won't run itself, damn it. I can show myself out."

I took him at his word, nodding when he thanked me for the coffee. A minute later I heard the back door open and shut and then him driving away.

At that point the cat joined me, looking pointedly at his empty food bowl. Since I hadn't eaten breakfast, I scrambled some eggs, cooked sausages, and gave him some of each which he gobbled down like he'd been on the verge of starvation.

After doing the dishes, I topped off my coffee and took the cup with me into the office to get back to work on the book. The cat followed, curling up on the sofa. I managed to make some inroads on the next chapter, but my mind wasn't on it. Instead, I pondered what could have happened to Norma.

"Did someone pick her up after she left Sweeney's?" I questioned aloud. That earned me a meow from the cat. I turned to see him sitting up, his head cocked. "Do you know?" I asked, chuckling.

He didn't answer, of course, but he did get off the sofa to jump onto the desk, settling beside the keyboard.

"Maybe she went back down the street to the Dale and someone there picked her up. Or ..." I tapped a finger on the desk. The cat took a swipe at it, and I laughed as I pulled it out of reach and continued my thought. "Or, as she was staggering home, and she was staggering, someone offered her a ride. If she came to her senses after leaving Sweeney's, she might have taken them up on the offer even if it wasn't very far to her house."

That still begged the question of where she was now. Did she make it home and something happened later? Did she end up at some man's place? If so, why would they have done something to her other than the obvious, taking advantage of her condition to get some easy sex?

I remembered what Robert had told me about her, the first time I met her. She was the town gossip.

"What are the chances she knows something about someone and threatened to tell?" I asked the cat since he was a good if non-talkative sounding board. "She sure didn't have any qualms about letting everyone at Sweeney's know Robert's gay. Not that they didn't already know. But there might be other secrets, real ones, which she's dug up."

The cat yawned.

"Boring you?" I asked with a laugh before going back to my musings. "It's a small town. There can't be too many dark secrets. I wonder how long it'll take the sheriff to come to the same conclusion, presuming he even thinks about the idea she might have been threatening to blackmail some poor schmuck."

Not having answers to any of my questions, I shelved them for the time being and got back to work.

 

38 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

Mick grabbed his coffee, and Kevin's, told the twins it was nice to have met them, and followed Kevin out onto the sidewalk, handing him his coffee. "You forgot this."

 

"Oops. Yeah. I just wanted to get away before she made any more of an issue about coming over."

 

Mick nodded. "She's got a thing for you, I think."

 

"Naw, she's just friendly, and"—he chuckled—"tenacious."

 

"If you say so."

 

They walked home slowly, both of them aware that Kevin was feeling the effects of the long day. When they reached their floor in the apartment building, Mick said impulsively, "Why don't you come eat with us?"

 

"Are you sure Will won't mind?"

 

"Naw, he's pretty easy-going," Mick replied, and hoped that was true in this case.

 

"Then sure. Let me drop my things off first. Which apartment?"

 

"That one." Mick pointed to the one at the other end of the hall from Kevin's. "I'll see you in a few then."

 

"Yep."

 

Mick watched him walk away then hurried down to his apartment. The minute he was inside he announced, "Kev's coming for supper."

 

Will cocked an eyebrow. "Good thing I made stew then."

 

"From a can?"

 

Will snorted. "Nope, from scratch. When I get the chance, I like real food. How did it go this afternoon?"

 

"Strange. Well, sort of. Sue, that's the girl we saw him with, is very nice if a bit pushy. I'm pretty sure she's got a thing for Kev."

 

"Why's that strange? As far as she knows, he's straight."

 

"It wasn't her; it's her brother. Her twin. His name is Charlie and he seems… well, possessive maybe."

 

"How so?"

 

"It's hard to put a finger on. He doesn't act it, or at least not from what little I saw of him. I mean outwardly. But when she was pushing to come over to Kev's place to help him study I caught him frowning, like he didn't like the idea."

 

"Maybe he just doesn't trust her alone with Kevin?"

 

"To study?"

 

"At his apartment, with no parent around."

 

"Damn, Will, it happens all the time and she's a big girl. I'm sure she knows how to take care of herself and say 'No' if she doesn't want something to happen."

 

"But brothers tend to worry, especially twins, I suspect."

 

Mick nodded. "There's one other thing, he's tall and blond."

 

Will didn't get a chance to comment as there was a rap on the door. Mick hurried to answer, letting Kevin in.

 

"Something smells good," Kevin said after greeting Will.

 

"My special homemade stew, which should be ready now. I finished job hunting early, and wanted to give Mick a break from cooking." He chuckled when Mick gave him the finger when Kevin wasn't looking. "So, Mick… if you'd set the table, please."

 

"I'll help," Kevin said, following Mick into the kitchen.

37 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

"Hey, Mick." Kevin eased into the chair beside Mick's with a small groan, dropping his backpack on the floor beside him while muttering, "I'm so ready to go home."

 

"Then why don't we?" Mick replied.

 

"Because you wanted to meet my friends?" Kevin chuckled wryly. "All two of them."

 

"Okay, good point. Where are they?"

 

Kevin pointed to the counter across the room. Mick saw the blonde girl standing there, talking to a taller, equally as blond young man.

 

"So she does have a boyfriend."

 

"Nope, that's her twin."

 

Studying the young man, Mick got a worried feeling. He matched to a fair degree what little Will had been able to see of one of Kevin's attackers. Which is crazy, since he's her brother, but—

 

"You okay?" Kevin asked, tapping Mick's shoulder.

 

"Yeah." He smiled, watching the twins as they came over to the table.

 

"Sue, Charlie, this is Mick, the guy I told you about."

 

Sue set one of the Styrofoam cups of coffee she was carrying down in front of Kevin and sat beside him, across from Mick. "It's nice to meet you. I hear you're planning on enrolling in college."

 

"If I can get my GED," Mick replied. "And that's a big if right now."

 

"Why?" Charlie asked, after taking the remaining chair.

 

Mick shrugged. "Things are just chaotic at the moment, what with the move and Dad looking for a job. You know how that is."

 

"Well, not really, but I'll take your word for it." Charlie turned his attention to Kevin. "You look beat."

 

"I am, so I don't think I'll be staying long. I can study at home just as well as here."

 

"I'll come help you," Sue volunteered. "Since you missed a couple of days, and there's that exam tomorrow."

 

"We both can," Charlie quickly added.

 

"No, that's all right. Honest. As small as my place is, we'd be running into each other, besides which, I was planning on napping first. I really am beat."

 

"We could come over later," Sue told him.

 

"Sue, give the guy a break," Charlie muttered. "After what he's been through, he probably needs some peace and quiet." He chuckled. "And you are neither peaceful nor quiet."

 

"But…" She sighed "Okay. But, Kev, if you do decide you want a study-buddy, you have my number."

 

Mick watched the exchange, noting Charlie's quick frown when she said that, which vanished as soon as it appeared.

 

Kevin smiled, patting her hand. "I do, and I'll at least call if I get stuck on something."

 

"You better!" Sue grinned, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'll feel personally responsible if you fail the exam because I didn't push you hard enough."

 

Charlie glanced at Mick and shook his head. "And when she pushes, she pushes. Right, Kev?"

 

"Big time," Kevin agreed. He took a swallow of his coffee and set it back down. "I think I'm going to head out now. Mick, if you want to stay and get to know them better, feel free."

 

"No, I promised Dad I'd make supper, since he's pounding the pavements job hunting, so I'll come with you."

 

"Okay. See you later, guys," Kevin said, hoisting his backpack over on shoulder.

 

"And call, damn it, if you need help," Sue said, gripping his hand for a minute. "I mean it."

 

"I will. I will." Kevin laughed. "Persistent, aren't you? I promise I will."

 

"Very persistent," Charlie said. "She wouldn't be her if she wasn't."

 

Again, Mick noticed the brief frown that was gone seconds later.

36 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

The walk to the campus was fairly quiet. Kevin pointed out a few things to Mick, as if he really was new to the city, but beyond that, they didn't talk much. He was, however, very aware of Mick's presence and was almost glad when they reached the campus and he could tell Mick where he needed to go before heading off to his first class.

 

I don't even know him. How can I be… interested?

 

But he was and he knew it.

 

Probably because he knows I'm gay, which is a stupid reason.

 

He laughed softly under his breath.

 

Very stupid.

 

"Kevin!" Sue dashed over at that moment, standing in front of him, hands on her hips as she looked him over. "Why didn't you call me? I've been worried sick since I heard about you being mugged."

 

"I'm sorry. I guess I should have. I wasn't thinking. Besides which, my mom was here and with me all the time."

 

Linking her arm in his, she nodded. "I guess I'll forgive you—this time. So what happened exactly? Did they take anything? Are you all right? Yeah, I should have asked that first. Right?"

 

Kevin chuckled. "Probably, and yeah, other than bruised ribs—well bruised everything—I'm okay. They didn't take anything because all I had with me was my laundry and my keys. I figure they were going to break into the machines and I surprised them and it pissed them off."

 

"Well I hope they catch them and make them"—she giggled—"spend the rest of their lives doing people's laundry as punishment."

 

"Yeah, that would work," Kevin agreed, laughing.

 

By then they were at the door to their classroom. When they got inside, a few of the other students asked how he was doing, which surprised and pleased him, and then things settled down and the professor began his lecture.

 

* * * *

 

From a few hundred feet away, Mick had watched the interaction between Kevin and the blonde girl he'd seen him with coming out of the movies. He was surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy when she linked arms with Kevin. Misplaced, he knew, knowing what he did about Kevin now. But still it was there.

 

He also watched the people nearby, looking for anyone who seemed overly interested in their interaction. As far as he could tell, no one was, but he suspected it would be too fortuitous for Kevin's attacker to be right there watching.

 

Even if she is the girl the attacker was talking about, which in my book she almost has to be from what Kevin's said about not being friends with anyone else.

 

Once Kevin and the girl were inside, Mick left the campus, heading downtown to meet Will. They had a laptop to buy, and then… He sighed. And then I'll be doing for real what my cover story is, studying. On the other hand, if I really can rope Kevin into helping me…

 

With that thought in mind, he felt much better. That, and the idea he was meeting Kevin at the coffee house later in the day. Yeah, things could be worse.

35 – This Gift, This Curse

 

Mick and Will were in the lobby, along with two other people who lived in the building. Mick came over as soon as Kevin stepped off the elevator.

 

"Hey, maybe you can help me?"

 

"With?" Kevin asked.

 

"We're new here and I have to figure out how to get to the college campus."

 

Playing along, Kevin said, "New student?"

 

"Well, maybe in the future. Right now I have to pick up the stuff I need to study for my GED. Oh, by the way, I'm Mick. That's my dad, Will." He nodded toward Will.

 

"I'm Kevin, and this is my mom. She's on her way back home."

 

Will came over, introducing himself to Mira. "You're from out of state?"

 

"Yes. I came out here for a short visit." At that moment they heard someone honking. "And it looks as if my cab is here. It was nice to meet you, Will."

 

Kevin held the front door open for her, saying before following her out, "I'll be right back, Mick. Don't go anywhere. I can walk you over to the campus."

 

"Great," Mick called back as the door closed.

 

When they got to the cab, Mira hugged Kevin carefully. "You keep in touch. Call me every night. Okay?"

 

"Of course it's okay." He kissed her cheek. "I'm going to be all right, so stop worrying, and you take care of yourself too."

 

She nodded. "I will." As she got into the cab she said "Love you."

 

"Love you too, Mom. And thanks for… everything."

 

"Hey, you're my son. For you, anything."

 

"A million dollars?"

 

Mira snorted, saying, "You and I both wish," before closing the cab door.

 

Kevin waved as it took off then went back inside. Mick and Will were the only people there at that point so Kevin felt free to say, "Do you really want to walk over to the campus with me?"

 

"Yeah," Mick replied. "It will be a good way for us to be seen together, so people get used to it. Obviously I can't go to class with you but maybe when you get out we can meet at that coffee house you talked about."

 

"Sure, that works." Kevin glanced at Will and grinned. "While you go job hunting."

 

Will laughed. "Or something. Now you two better get going or you'll be late for class, Kevin."

 

"Good point. See you later."

 

 

 

34 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

Kevin woke the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking. As he eased his way out of bed, he realized he was feeling better than he had the night before. Not great, his ribs ached and he was aware of the other bruises, but he could move without wanting to groan. Once I take my meds, I should be okay.

 

After a hot shower, he got dressed for the day in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt over a T-shirt then headed to the kitchen.

 

"How are you feeling?" Mira asked, as she put the bacon strips on a paper towel to drain.

 

"Hungry, achy, hungry." He saw his pills on the counter and took two of them after getting a glass of water. "These should help the aches, but not the hunger," he said with a grin.

 

"Then sit and eat, silly boy." She divided the bacon between their two plates, added scrambled eggs and toast, and set the plates on the table. As they started to eat, she asked, "Are you sure you're ready to go back to class?"

 

Kevin nodded. "Better that than sitting around here feeling sorry for myself. And honest, I'm okay. I might not look so great but that's not going to keep me from doing what I always do."

 

"All right. I just… I feel guilty about going home and leaving you here, alone."

 

"I'm not going to be alone. I have the feeling Will and Mick are going to make sure of that."

 

She chuckled. "Which you won't mind at all, at least as far as Mick is concerned."

 

"Mom!" He shook his head. "First off, he's a cop. Well, an almost cop. Secondly, he's probably got more boyfriends than the law allows and for sure wouldn't be interested in a college freshman."

 

"A very nice, sweet freshman."

 

"Mother…" He drew out the word, hoping she'd drop the subject. Sure Mick seemed nice, and he didn't mind the idea of having someone around who would accept him for what he was, but that was it. I have too much else to deal with. I don't even need to be thinking along the lines she's implying.

 

She did drop the subject, finished eating, and went into the living room to fold up the sheet and blanket she'd left on the sofa where she'd spent the night. After a quick shower, she reappeared in the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a shirt, her dark hair twisted up in a knot at the nape of her neck.

 

"We should get moving; it's almost nine," she said. "I called a cab and we still have to do our thing with Will and Mick."

 

Kevin quickly gathered up the dirty dishes, leaving them in the sink for later. After they both had put on their coats, he carefully slung his backpack over one shoulder, grabbed her suitcase, and they headed down to the lobby.

33 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

"Okay, can we get back to what I was saying?" Will said. "He saw you and pointed you out to me, Kev. You were walking away then you said something to the young lady you were with and looked back, toward the theater, I guess. I saw your face and flashed onto what was going to happen to you."

 

"Is that always the way it happens?"

 

"Most of the time the future I see is immediate, which gives me a chance to step in and try to change it for the person involved."

 

"Interesting." Kevin tapped his fingers on his book then put it aside and leaned over to get his coffee that was on the table next to the sofa. "Damn, I forgot," he growled when his aching body protested the move.

 

Mira immediately went into the kitchen, coming back with two pills and a glass of water, which she gave to him. After he swallowed them, he looked at Will again.

 

"Does it happen often?"

 

"Not every day, or even every week, but often enough—and only when someone's in danger. But enough about me for the moment, because I have a question for you. You told the officer who interviewed you that the girl you were with was just a friend."

 

"Which she is, both her and her brother. And as I told the officer, I don't know if she has a boyfriend, although if she did, I think she'd have mentioned him to me."

 

"You also said she didn't have any ex-boyfriends that you know about."

 

"Nope, but honestly, that's not anything that's come up in conversations."

 

"Is she interested in you?"

 

Kevin shook his head. "No, at least not that way. As I said, we're just friends. We study together, with her brother, since we're taking a lot of the same classes, and sometimes we just hang out at the coffee house, but that's it." He was about to say more when the meds and exhaustion took hold and he yawned instead.

 

"Okay, guys," Mira said, "I think it's time we call it a night. Kev's still recuperating, obviously, and needs to get to bed."

 

"Sorry," Will replied as he got up. "I get carried away sometimes. We'll see you in the morning."

 

"To continue the inquisition?" Kevin asked with a tired smile.

 

Will chuckled. "Nope. That'll happen after you get home from school."

 

Kevin glanced quickly at Mick then back to Will. "I can hardly wait."

 

"Out, both of you," Mira ordered.

 

"Yes, ma'am," Will replied, smiling at her.

 

For a moment she smiled back before saying sternly, "Now."

 

"Going, going," Mick said, leading the way out of the apartment.

32 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

"And Kevin and I become great buddies and lovers," Mick said with a grin.

 

"What?" Kevin's eyes widened in disbelief.

 

Mick shrugged. "Just getting that out there. Is that a problem?"

 

Kevin glanced at his mother then burst out laughing. "Not even."

 

"Okay, what hasn't someone told me?" Will asked, almost glaring at Mira.

 

Mick snorted. "If you can't figure it out from that, you're dumber than I thought."

 

"I'm gay too," Kevin said, before Will could get any more upset than he seemed to be. "Just not out, except to Mom."

 

Will frowned. "Too bad. If you were, you might never have been attacked."

 

"What do you mean? What's that got to do with what happened?"

 

Mick shook his head. "Guess you just let the cat out of the bag, Will."

 

"Well, to Kev at least," Mira said. "I already know what he can do."

 

"Okay, damn it, will someone explain what's going on here. Please?"

 

Will nodded. "I guess I might as well at this point. I'm psychic—a precognitive, to be specific. I saw you being attacked and heard what the man said to you. It wasn't quite as you remember it, Kev. What he really said was, 'She belongs to me'."

 

"She? Are you sure? That makes even less sense than thinking I have some 'thing' that he thought was his, or should be his, or whatever." Kevin stared at Will as all of what he'd said sank in. "You saw it and you didn't try to stop it?" he said, disbelief and anger warring in his expression.

 

"He did try," Mick told him. "We both did, but we didn't know who you were or where you lived." He smiled slightly. "Do you know how many alleys we went down so he could look at the backs of building trying to find the one he'd seen in his vision?"

 

"So, just out of the blue, you saw it happen?" Though he was still a bit angry, Kevin was still intrigued by the idea.

 

"Not quite that remote," Will replied. "We were on a roof, watching for something, and Mick saw you coming out of a movie." He chuckled. "His comment, if I remember correctly, was along the lines of 'why are all the cute ones straight?'."

 

Kevin looked at Mick and his lips quirked up in a small grin. "Meaning me?"

 

"Umm, yeah. And so?"

 

"Hey, I wasn't complaining, just asking."

31 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

"How did it go?" Will asked a few minutes later when he returned to the apartment.

 

"Just like I figured it would, but I have the number and she's mailing my birth certificate. She thinks our address belongs to some girl I know."

 

Will chuckled. "I guess that's good, as far as she's concerned. Okay, you ready to meet Kevin? I gave his mother a story to explain us to him. I'm an undercover cop, as well as being a friend of hers from the past."

 

He went on to lay out the rest of the details as they walked down the hall to Kevin's apartment.

 

'Twenty-two, huh," Mick said with a laugh when Will finished. "I wish."

 

"It works, for this." Will rapped on Kevin's door.

 

Mira let them in, taking them over to where Kevin was sitting, engrossed in the book in his lap as he made notes in the margin. He glanced up, looked puzzled for a moment then said, "You're the same man who came to the hospital." Before Will could reply, he added, "But then I knew that from what Mom told me. You sure look different now, and you…" He stared at Mick. "That's quite a change too but I'll tell you what, no way you'd pass for anything more than eighteen at best. That must suck."

 

Mick laughed. "It has its moments when it does." He moved closer, apparently trying to see what Kevin was studying. "History?"

 

"Yeah. A required course for freshmen, along with science and literature, some math." He shrugged. "A little bit of everything."

 

Mick shot a look at Will. "I'm never going to be able to do this."

 

"Do what?" Kevin asked.

 

"Oh, umm…"

 

"I guess your mom didn't get a chance to tell you," Will put in.

 

"She said you were an old friend and a cop so you're helping keep me safe for now. And that Mick's from the police academy."

 

"True, but that's just between the four of us. Our story, as far as anyone else is concerned, is that I'm Mick's father, we've just moved here, and he's working to get his GED. I'm job hunting, which gives me a reason to be here during the day when necessary."

 

"And he and I become friends somehow?"

 

"Yeah," Mick said. "Like maybe you volunteer to help me study for the test?"

 

"Okay, sure. Why not?" Kevin turned to Will. "How long is this going to go on? I mean I do have a real life and school and what have you."

 

"I figure two weeks," Will replied, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "If nothing happens in that time then it's probably a safe bet whoever attacked you figures you got the message."

 

Kevin snorted. "A message I don't even understand."

 

Will glanced at Mira. "What time do you leave in the morning?"

 

"Around nine."

 

"Okay. How about we run into you in the hall or better yet, the lobby, because it's more public. We introduce ourselves to Kevin and take it from there."

30 – This Gift, This Curse

 

While Will was off talking to Mira, Mick was having a conversation of his own.

 

It began when he called home, his hands shaking as he dialed the number. He wasn't certain if he hoped they'd changed it or not.

 

They hadn't. His mother answered.

 

"Gillen residence."

 

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Mom?"

 

There was such a long pause he thought she'd hung up. Then she said, "Mick, is that you? Is it really you? Oh my God."

 

"It's me, Mom."

 

"Where are you? How are you?"

 

"I'm, umm… somewhere. And I'm fine. Honest. I'm going to… well, I want to get my GED but first I need some ID and well… to get that, I need a Social Security number and maybe a birth certificate and Will says I have the number because all babies do nowadays and…" He ran out of steam at that point. "Please, Mom, do you have it somewhere?"

 

Her reply was a scathing, "Who is Will?"

 

Trust her to go there. "He's a friend, and not the way you think. He's a teacher and he's pushing me to improve myself and… yeah."

 

"Come home, Mick. You can go to school here just as well as wherever you are and you won't be involved with perverts and such."

 

At that point he almost hung up on her. Instead he said quietly, "Mom, please find my Social Security number for me. That's all I ask. Then I'll be out of your hair again."

 

"But I…"

 

"Please, Mom."

 

She sighed. "All right. I know where it is. Just don't hang up."

 

"As if," he muttered, when he heard her set the phone down. "Might want to, but I won't."

 

Five minutes later she was back. She told him his Social Security number and added, "What's your address so I can send you your birth certificate?"

 

"Mom." He rolled his eyes. "I don't have an address. Geesh."

 

"Then where are you living?"

 

"Behind the nearest dumpster," he replied snarkily before apologizing. "Look, I have a friend with a place. I bet she'd let me get a letter from you there." He could almost visualize his mother looking relieved when he said 'she'. "Hang on while I look up her address." He waited a minute then gave her the address of the apartment building. "Promise you'll send it," he said afterward.

 

"Yes, Mick, I promise." She hesitated. "Will you call again, just to let us know how you're doing?"

 

"I'll try to. Well… yeah, I will. Maybe not often but, yeah. I gotta go, Mom. The guy whose phone this is wants it back now. Tell Dad I said hello."

 

"I will. And Mick, I love you. No matter what you've done, I still love you."

 

Without replying he hung up.

 

Yeah, tell that to someone who'd believe you.

 

 

 

 

29 – This Gift, This Curse

 

"Whose fault is that?" Mira retorted. "You ran away, disappeared. Last I heard—I did try to find out where you went—you were drowning your… your sorrows in a bottle and had fallen off the face of the earth."

 

"I did, for a while," Will admitted. "And I found out I liked it 'off the edge of the earth', although I didn't like being so drunk I didn't even know what day it was. So I quit that and just—" he shrugged one shoulder, "—just lived—and learned that there's something to be said for not existing in the normal world. But that's neither here nor there at the moment. I want to keep Kevin safe."

 

"How?"

 

"Okay, the story we gave out for being at the apartment building is that Mick and I are father and son, new in town. I'm looking for a job; he's studying for his GED so he can go to college here."

 

"Is that true?"

 

"About him, yes." Will smiled slightly. "He's going to get it and get off the streets, come hell or high water."

 

"He thinks you were a teacher once, doesn't he?"

 

Will nodded. "He came up with that because I've been making him study, and I didn't say anything to refute it."

 

"Figures," she said sarcastically. "Still, how are you going to explain to Kev that the 'old family friend', who looked like a bum, is now a respectable man with a son living in the same building?"

 

"I'll tell him a version of the truth. That I was a cop, working undercover, and now I'm doing it again as a favor to you, with my captain's permission."

 

Mira frowned. "You want me to back you up on that?"

 

"It would make things simpler all around."

 

By then they were at the store. They got coffee, plus one for Kevin, and started back to the apartment building.

 

"If I go along with this, you promise to keep him safe and find out who did that to him?"

 

"I'll do my damnedest to." Will paused, smiling ruefully. "He is my son, even though he doesn't know it, and I want him safe as much as you do."

 

She put one hand on his arm to get his full attention.

 

"You have to tell him. I mean… damn it, Will, what's past is past, at least, as far as I'm concerned." When he shook his head disbelievingly, she nodded. "It is. I've had a long time to come to terms with what happened. Despite how I acted yesterday when I first saw you, I understand you did the best you could to try to save my brother. If… if he hadn't died, you and I would be married and Kevin would be our son, not just my son."

 

"I think it's too late, Mira. Let's let him go on thinking I knew you back when and am willing to help him now. It's better that way."

 

"I don't agree, but for the moment… yes, I'll play along." She smiled slightly. "Is Mick an undercover cop too, in your scenario?"

 

"Now that's a good question." Will looked thoughtful. "He could be a trainee, from the police academy. We'll say he was already working with me because he fit the image of a street kid, which I needed to have around. So I brought him in on this assignment too, since he's Kevin's age."

 

Mira cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't he a bit young to be a police trainee?"

 

"Good point. He's really twenty, umm, two, but looks young for his age."

 

"Okay, that works." Mira realized she was getting into this, strangely enough. For Kevin's sake, yes, but also because she liked plotting things out with Will. He had a sharp, devious mind when it came to that, which was one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him. Oh the plans we came up with. And they worked, for both him and Danny. Until… She forced that thought away. "Do you want me to introduce you tonight? I have to leave tomorrow. I do have a job and they like me being there."

 

"He's still awake? Oh, duh, yeah he must be if he wanted coffee."

 

She laughed. "He's studying to make up for what he missed."

 

"All right. Then let's get this over with now. The sooner he knows we're here and why, the better."