Poof! Read online

  As I led Josh to the jeep, I realized I’d never seen Roberts so angry or so scared. What the hell had we gotten ourselves mixed up in?

  Chapter 14

  We spent the afternoon at the police station, answering the same questions over and over. Although I offered Mike my car to take a break after they were through with her, she declined and stayed with us until the end, mostly glued to Josh’s side. At about five, Roberts ushered Josh out of his office and said, “You, in here, now,” pointing to ‘yours truly.’

  “Wait here,” I said to Josh and Mike. They nodded, now holding hands.

  “Close the door,” he said, sitting behind his desk. It looked very much like mine, several mountains of paper and various take-out boxes and empty coffee cups littered across the top.

  I moved a box of papers and sat on a metal chair. “I thought we were done.”

  “We are and you are, do you understand?”

  “Douglas, as I told you, my job is over. I was hired to locate Josh Peabody and I did.”

  “By pure dumb luck.”

  “By being in the right place at the right time. Don’t you think it’s fortunate that Mike and I were there with Josh when he found Jimmy?”

  “And, what if you’d decided to pay Mr. Chen a visit last night?”

  “Is that when he died?”

  He raised his hand. “Shush, I’ll do the talking. What if you’d walked in while those guys were making mincemeat out of Jimmy Chen? Do you think they’d have thought twice about whacking you, too?”

  He had a point. “Well, I wasn’t, so they didn’t.” Best to keep the conversation light and breezy.

  “Don’t get cute with me, Steele. You are to stay away from anything to do with this, do you understand? Go home, catch up on your knitting or get busy with one of the hundred other odd jobs you do.”

  “I don’t knit.”

  “I mean it. These guys are nasty.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?”

  “Then stay out of it, please,” he said, eyes softening.

  “You don’t have to worry about me, Douglas. I saw the body, remember? I’m done, kaput.”

  “Good, now take that kid home and give him a shot of brandy. He looks like shit.”

  “Will do. Thanks for coming this afternoon.”

  “Get outta here.”

  I found Mike and Josh gazing out the hall window. “We can go. Anyone hungry?”

  “Believe it or not, yes,” he said. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

  “Then, let’s eat. We’ll leave your truck here and pick it up after.”

  I drove to Lizzy’s praying the dinner crowd would be light so early on a Wednesday night. It was. We took a table in the back and studied our menus for several minutes.

  Judy, one of the regular waitresses, brought three waters with lemon. “Hey, Rick, long time no see.”

  “Hey, Judy, you’re lookin’ good.”

  “Lost thirty pounds. Been jogging with my new boyfriend and working out with his trainer.”

  “Well, it shows.”

  “Thanks. Can I get you folks something to drink besides water?”

  Josh and Mike ordered beers and I asked for a Chianti. She rattled off the specials, disappeared and returned almost immediately with the drinks. “So, what’ll it be?”

  I ordered the special, baked cod, Mike, the fish stew and Josh pork chops. We all ordered salads and he got quahog chowder as well. Lizzy’s has a to-die-for quahog chowder.

  Judy headed to the kitchen.

  “You don’t see hair like that every day,” Mike said, smiling at Josh. Judy’s short spiked hair was pink this week with dark green streaks.

  “Feeling any better?” I asked.

  He took a long sip of beer. “Starting to, but I’m still freaked out.”

  “As well you should be,” I said. “Have you got somewhere to stay tonight?”

  “I spent the last four nights in a motel in Somerset. I checked out this morning, but I guess I could back. Not like they’re full.”

  “You can stay at my place,” Mike said. “My roommate won’t mind. We have a very comfy couch.”

  “Thanks, let me think about it.”

  “There’s my place, too,” I heard myself saying. Blurring the lines, as usual.

  “I know!” Mike said, clapping her hands. “My dad’s place! He’d love to have you and God knows he’s got the room.”

  “Whoa, whoa,” I said. “How do you know he be glad to have a house guest with his house torn apart?”

  “Cause I know my dad. He’s spent most of the past thirty years sleeping on dirt floors crawling with maggots, snakes and spiders. He won’t care in the slightest.”

  Yuck! I actually don’t mind snakes, but spiders and maggots—double yuck! “Okay, call him and see, if that’s what Josh wants.”

  Mike excused herself and stepped out onto Lizzy’s terrace to make her call. Meanwhile Josh looked like he was in Lalaland after three swigs of beer. I decided food was in order so waved Judy over and asked for peanuts, popcorn, anything the bar could give us quickly. She returned with a basket of popcorn and bowl of mixed nuts, which Josh dove into.

  As he ate the last of the nuts, he seemed to perk up and color returned to his cheeks. “Better?” I asked.

  “Much. I’ll miss the teaching. I really liked it and the kids.”

  “You’re not to go near the place.”

  “But what about the kids?”

  “I’m sure the police are checking it out right now.”

  “I hope so. I’m so worried about Lin.”

  “One of your students?”

  “Yes, she’s a sweetheart and so worried about her older sister, Joy.”

  “Why?”

  “Joy disappeared a week ago. Poof! Lin hasn’t seen or heard from her since. I asked in the office and they said she’d moved to a new school.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “That happens pretty often. Meridian apparently has a network of schools in different parts of the country. They’re always relocating kids, to join family members or to a school that’s better suited to their needs.”

  “Is that so. Have you ever looked into any of these other schools?”

  “I tried, but there’s nothing online about them. I’ve been trying every kind of search I can to locate them this past week, but nothing.”

  Nothing, indeed. There was something going on here and I didn’t think it involved school transfers. “How old are your students?”

  “They range in age from five to twelve. They come to Meridian to learn basic English before they can enter a regular school.”

  “And, do they master English before they leave”

  “In my opinion, no. They usually relocate them too soon. I’ve only been working there for a few months, but most of the kids that move away would have a really difficult time in a regular school. It’s weird because we’re billed as a GED program, but no one is old enough or skilled enough to even start that tract. Although I’ve heard that Meridian sponsors GED classes around the city, I’ve never seen one.”

  “How many classrooms at Water Street?”

  “Just the one. I work on English – speaking and writing – in the mornings and another teacher comes in and does math and a bunch of other stuff in the afternoon.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Kim Smith. She calls herself a social worker. Looks like she belongs on sales floor of Nordstrom’s. Wear fancy designer suits and high heels. Says she wants the kids to know she respects them so she dresses her best for school.”

  “Do you know anything about this Ms. Smith?”

  “No, and I’ve only talked to her a couple of times, in the office. There’s break room with coffee machine next to the classroom and I’ve seen her in there. When I ask the kids about her, they shake their heads and say nothing. It’s my impression that they’re not fond of her.”

  Mike returned and gave us a thumbs-up just as our salads and Josh
’s chowder arrived. “Dad’s cool. Happy to have Josh as long as he wants to stay.”

  I took several bites of my spinach salad, then set down my fork. “How many kids are we talking about?”

  “As I said, they come and go, but usually between fifteen to twenty. We had eighteen this past week before Joy disappeared.”

  “So, do they live with their families?”

  He shook his head. “Meridian’s pretty vague about that. I’ve asked a bunch of times cause I wanted to teach them some basic family words, but never got a straight answer. Apparently Meridian runs a group home somewhere in one of those massive houses in the Highlands. Jimmy’s seen it. He knows, I mean, he knew where it was. A bunch of the kids live there, not just ours.”

  “Where did they come from?” Mike asked, popping her last crouton into her mouth.

  “Most are from mainland China and the rest from India.”

  “This isn’t making sense,” Mike said, as Judy brought our entries.

  “My thoughts, exactly,” I said, smiling at Judy as she cleared the salad plates and Josh’s empty soup bowl.

  We enjoyed our meals in relative silence. Josh picked up the check amidst mild protests from us ladies. I wanted to ask him about the fifty thousand dollars his mother had mentioned, but decided that could wait. Besides, this whole affair, while tragic, was no longer my business. I would, of course, beg Douglas to look into the children’s plight, but I suspected we might already be too late.

  Mike drove Josh’s truck and he rode with her. I followed. When we arrived, Charlie was sitting on his front porch drinking a beer and reading the New York Times. “Hey,” he called, coming down to meet us, shaking Josh’s hand. “Good to meet you, Josh. Come on in. Want something to eat?”

  Mike hugged her father. “Oh, Dad, I’m sorry, we should have brought take-out for you.”

  “No problem. I’m having some of Jack’s wonderful kale soup and a couple of his chorizo rolls, to which I’m now officially addicted. Drink anyone?”

  “Thanks, I’ll pass,” I said, looking around us. The place was still rough and nowhere near completion, but it was going to be amazing. It appeared that he had knocked down walls, opened up the entire downstairs which was bisected by a massive stone two-sided fireplace. “This is incredible,” I said.

  Charlie smiled. “It will be, someday.”

  The young people disappeared upstairs, Mike giving Josh the grand tour. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Absolutely. Sounds like the kid’s in shock.”

  “A bit. Did Mike tell you?”

  “Gruesome.”

  “It was,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter, gazing out at his spectacular view of the river.

  He placed his hand over mine. “Are you okay?”

  Startled, I stood up straight, withdrawing my hand. “I’m fine, but what a way for Mike to begin her first day.”

  “She’s seen worse. She was upset about the murder, but I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time.”

  “I suspect the cute Mr. Peabody may have something to do with that.”

  He laughed. “I suspect you’re right. Thanks for doing this, Ricky. It means a lot to me.”

  “Happy to. She’s terrific. I predict that she’ll have my office whipped into shape in a couple of days. And, she was a huge help with Josh today.”

  His eyes held mine and the knee wobble started up. I cleared my throat. “Well, thanks for this. I’d better get going.”

  “Sure you don’t want a drink?”

  “Thanks, but no. Do you think Mike needs a ride?”

  “I’ll take her, if she does, or she can borrow my car. She appears in no hurry to depart.”

  I smiled at him. Charlie Bowen was a nice man.

  “You have lovely eyes,” he said, reaching out to touch my cheek, just as Mike and Josh came into the room.

  I stepped back, flustered. “I’m gonna take off. Mike, let me know if you need a ride to the office tomorrow morning, okay?”

  “I can take her,” Josh said. “Ricky, can I talk to you on the porch for a minute?”

  “Sure,” I said, nodding to Charlie and Mike and following Josh out.

  He closed the door. “I want to hire you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I want to hire you to find Joy and make sure Lin’s okay. If I can’t go back to Meridian tomorrow, I still want to know they’re safe.”

  “This is out of my league,” I said, remembering Douglas’ warning.

  “Please. I have money. I’ll pay whatever you say. Name your price.”

  “Is that what the fifty thousand dollars was for?”

  He nodded. “I asked Jimmy how to find Joy and he said I’d need lots of money. He’s the one who suggested the fifty grand. He was gonna get things started last night. See if we could find the girls.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  “Please, Ricky. I need to know they’re safe.”

  “Let me think about it overnight, okay? You can stop by the office in the morning and I’ll give you my answer.”

  He nodded. “Okay, well, goodnight.”

  “Josh?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What about Cassie? What should I tell her?”

  “I love Cassie as a friend, but it’s over. We’ve known it for months, but she hasn’t wanted to accept it. I broke off communication for a few days to think. I was actually going to call her tonight. I’ll phone her tomorrow. You don’t have to do anything, thanks.”

  I waved and walked to my car. What in the hell was I going to tell Rita?

  Chapter 15

  I was already at my desk when Josh and Mike walked, Wilda two steps behind them. We all grabbed coffee or tea and sat in the outer office bringing Wilda up to speed. As was her wont, she said little, but listened attentively, nodding occasionally. Finally, Josh looked at me. “Have you decided to help me?”

  I had thought of nothing else since the previous evening. I swallowed, pushing thoughts of broken fingers out of my mind. “I have.” I glanced at Wilda who was shaking her head.

  “While I’d rather not get involved after seeing what they did to Jimmy Chen, I’m also pissed.” I gave Wilda a look. “There are children’s lives at stake. I just can’t walk away.”

  Josh let out his breath. “Oh, God, Ricky, thank you.”

  “There is a caveat here and I’m not just saying this because I know you’re wealthy. After seeing Jimmy, I would say this is very dangerous work. I’m also going against strict instructions from Captain Roberts. If I’m going to put Wilda and myself in potential danger, I’m going to request hazardous duty pay.”

  “What’s your usual retainer?”

  “I charge a thousand a day with a retainer of twenty-five hundred.”

  Without blinking, Josh pulled out a check and made it out, handing it to me. “Twenty thousand enough for the first week?”

  “That’s probably a tad too much,” I said, picking my mouth up off the floor.

  “No, it isn’t,” Wilda said, quietly.

  “Deal then,” I said, shaking his hand. “Now, I’m late for an appointment. Not a dangerous one. I think I’ll be fine at the law offices of Brackett and Pearson.”

  “Want me to ride along?” Mike said, popping up.

  “No, thanks. You get back to your filing. Wilda, you gonna hang around today?” She nodded. “Good. I don’t think anyone should be working here alone right now. What are your plans, Josh?”

  “Much as I’d rather not, I’m headed to the Harbor, to my parents to pick up some clothes and a few things. Dr. Bowen says I can stay until the police are through with the apartment, but I’m never living there again. I’ll start looking for a new place soon.”

  “Okay, then,” I said with cheerfulness I didn’t feel. I grabbed my bag and started out. Wilda followed me into the hallway and closed the office door behind her. “Boss, got a minute?”

  “Sure.”

  “You know I have your back, but I th
ink we need back up.”

  “You got someone in mind?” She nodded. “Good, call ‘em. Twenty thousand will buy plenty of protection.”

  “Maybe,” she said, turning away.

  *****

  The law offices of Brackett and Pearson were located on North Main Street on the second floor of what had once been a lovely old bank. The woodwork gleamed and the carpeting muffled even the heaviest steps. I took the stairs and was greeted immediately by a raven-haired receptionist. “Hello, I’m Tina. Can I help you?”

  “Hello, we spoke on the phone yesterday, Tina. I’m Ricky Steele. I have an appointment with Ms. Carlson.”

  “Oh, of course. Let me ring and see if she’s free.”

  Tina had just picked up the phone when the lady herself swished in. “Ricky, hello! I was so surprised to see you on my schedule. Come in, come in. Can Tina get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Water?”

  “Thanks, I’m fine.” I smiled at Tina and followed her boss into a large office, furnished in muted greens and blues. A series of bird watercolors hung on cream colored walls, their hues perfectly coordinated with the furnishings. There were two upholstered chairs and a loveseat, their silken fabrics swirls of color and light. I’m not expert, but I would guess that cost of decorating Jill’s office exceeded the value of my home.

  “Sit, please.”

  I took one of the two armchairs and my hostess, settled herself on the loveseat stretching out like she was the queen of Sheba. Her grey silk suit had been expertly tailored, a far cry from the tennis duds she’d worn last time we met.

  “Thanks for seeing me, Jill.”

  “My pleasure. Is your sister still in town?”

  “No, she’s back home.”

  “You’re close, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Robbo always says he’s never seen siblings closer than the Steele girls. He was jealous, I think.”

  “I doubt that. He’s close to his brothers.”

  “Yes...” Her voice trailed off. “He still holds a torch for you, you know.”

  “That’s absurd.”

  She shrugged. “We have an open marriage so I get plenty of attention. I’m happy. No problem there.”