ground.”
“That’s what I think, Uncle
Jake. I knew you’d understand. That’s why you need to be the one to help me.”
“But Heather ,
your father should be the one …”
“Please, Uncle Jake, my dad
will just make it worse. Please just help me with Ryan. Then I can deal with
Linda myself.”
I knew what she meant about
her father. Fenton was a world-class wimp. He was smart and an excellent
lawyer, but ask him to do something physical and he was less than useless. My
sister would be better in a physical confrontation than her husband. In fact,
if Della knew what Ryan had said to Heather, she’d probably hunt him down and
kick his butt herself—or at least try. The problem was, Ryan was an
unknown factor. I didn’t know how capable or stupid he was. He might be a big
kid, an athlete capable of doing some damage to someone who didn’t know how to
fight. Heather was right. Her father was not the guy to handle this. Calling
Heather’s school would be a wasted gesture. Ryan would just deny what Heather
said. Without a witness, it was her word against his. Calling the local police
would be just as useless. There had been no assault, only an alleged verbal
threat, which Ryan would deny. Still, I didn’t have time for this.
“Heather, I …”
She must have heard it in my
voice, because she cut me off.
“Uncle Jake, please. You’re
the only one who can help me. It won’t take very long. I can show you where he
works after school. I’ll even go with you. In fact, I’d like to go with you. I
want to watch you make him wet his pants. The big jackass. Picking on a girl half his size.”
She had a point. But still …
I sighed. I knew she wasn’t going to let this go. She was like my sister in
that regard. When Della decided that something needed to be done, she’d find a
way to make it happen. As Heather entered adolescence, it was obvious that she
had inherited a good deal of her mother’s personality.
“Okay,” I said, “but listen
to me. I’m right in the middle of a big case. It’s very important and there’s
some danger involved. Maybe I can find a few minutes tomorrow afternoon. Okay?”
“Thank you, Uncle Jake. I
knew I could depend on you. You’re the best.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’ll
try to call you tomorrow. It’s not a guarantee. It depends on what happens with
this case I’m working on. I’ll try. And in the meantime, don’t go anywhere by
yourself. Always have someone with you. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“And don’t pick anymore
fights with Linda. Don’t do anything to aggravate the situation. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, sounding
somewhat annoyed. “She’s such a skank.”
“Yeah, well, just leave the
skank alone.”
“I will. Thank you, Uncle
Jake. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Great. Just
what I need. A seventeen-year-old idiot who hasn’t got enough sense to
let two little girls work out their own problems.
Chapter 17
Wednesday, Late Afternoon and Evening
We were standing next to
Alex's desk. Susan had gone home. It was just the two of us, and Wilson, who
lay on the floor with his chin on his paws, watching us closely. Alex put on
gloves and took the note out of the plastic baggie I'd put it in.
“The return address is
probably fake,” Alex said, as he looked at it. “L.A. postmark.” He opened the
envelope, took the note out and read it. He looked at the paper and the envelope.
“Looks pretty standard. Can probably buy it just about anywhere.”
Mostly he was talking to
himself. Then he looked at me and said, “The note itself isn't going to give us
anything.”
“I know.”
“But the fact that there is a note ...”
“Tells us that Monica is
being used as bait,” I said, finishing his sentence. “Whoever's got her wants
me to find her. ”
“Why?” Alex asked.
“Either, they’re after me,” I
said, “or they want both of us and are using Monica to get me.”
Alex nodded. “I agree. And
either way, whether
“That’s what I think, Uncle
Jake. I knew you’d understand. That’s why you need to be the one to help me.”
“But Heather ,
your father should be the one …”
“Please, Uncle Jake, my dad
will just make it worse. Please just help me with Ryan. Then I can deal with
Linda myself.”
I knew what she meant about
her father. Fenton was a world-class wimp. He was smart and an excellent
lawyer, but ask him to do something physical and he was less than useless. My
sister would be better in a physical confrontation than her husband. In fact,
if Della knew what Ryan had said to Heather, she’d probably hunt him down and
kick his butt herself—or at least try. The problem was, Ryan was an
unknown factor. I didn’t know how capable or stupid he was. He might be a big
kid, an athlete capable of doing some damage to someone who didn’t know how to
fight. Heather was right. Her father was not the guy to handle this. Calling
Heather’s school would be a wasted gesture. Ryan would just deny what Heather
said. Without a witness, it was her word against his. Calling the local police
would be just as useless. There had been no assault, only an alleged verbal
threat, which Ryan would deny. Still, I didn’t have time for this.
“Heather, I …”
She must have heard it in my
voice, because she cut me off.
“Uncle Jake, please. You’re
the only one who can help me. It won’t take very long. I can show you where he
works after school. I’ll even go with you. In fact, I’d like to go with you. I
want to watch you make him wet his pants. The big jackass. Picking on a girl half his size.”
She had a point. But still …
I sighed. I knew she wasn’t going to let this go. She was like my sister in
that regard. When Della decided that something needed to be done, she’d find a
way to make it happen. As Heather entered adolescence, it was obvious that she
had inherited a good deal of her mother’s personality.
“Okay,” I said, “but listen
to me. I’m right in the middle of a big case. It’s very important and there’s
some danger involved. Maybe I can find a few minutes tomorrow afternoon. Okay?”
“Thank you, Uncle Jake. I
knew I could depend on you. You’re the best.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’ll
try to call you tomorrow. It’s not a guarantee. It depends on what happens with
this case I’m working on. I’ll try. And in the meantime, don’t go anywhere by
yourself. Always have someone with you. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“And don’t pick anymore
fights with Linda. Don’t do anything to aggravate the situation. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, sounding
somewhat annoyed. “She’s such a skank.”
“Yeah, well, just leave the
skank alone.”
“I will. Thank you, Uncle
Jake. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Great. Just
what I need. A seventeen-year-old idiot who hasn’t got enough sense to
let two little girls work out their own problems.
Chapter 17
Wednesday, Late Afternoon and Evening
We were standing next to
Alex's desk. Susan had gone home. It was just the two of us, and Wilson, who
lay on the floor with his chin on his paws, watching us closely. Alex put on
gloves and took the note out of the plastic baggie I'd put it in.
“The return address is
probably fake,” Alex said, as he looked at it. “L.A. postmark.” He opened the
envelope, took the note out and read it. He looked at the paper and the envelope.
“Looks pretty standard. Can probably buy it just about anywhere.”
Mostly he was talking to
himself. Then he looked at me and said, “The note itself isn't going to give us
anything.”
“I know.”
“But the fact that there is a note ...”
“Tells us that Monica is
being used as bait,” I said, finishing his sentence. “Whoever's got her wants
me to find her. ”
“Why?” Alex asked.
“Either, they’re after me,” I
said, “or they want both of us and are using Monica to get me.”
Alex nodded. “I agree. And
either way, whether
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