a scratchythroat last night that turned into croup. I took them both to the pediatrician for throat cultures, and we just got out. I didn’t think you would mind.”
“Not at all.”
She called her kids, and they came plowing toward her full speed, managing, somehow, to stop short an inch from impact.
“Is this the policeman, Eema?” the smaller one asked.
“Yes. This is Detective Decker.” She looked at Peter. “This is Sammy and this is Jake.”
Decker extended an arm. “Pleased to meet you, boys.”
They each took a turn at shaking his hand. At least she dressed the boys like normal kids, he thought. Baseball caps, shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. Even if strings were sticking out from under the shirts.
“Do you have a gun?” Sammy asked.
“Shmuel, that isn’t—”
“It’s all right,” Decker said with a smile. “Every boy I’ve ever met has asked me the same question.” He turned to Sammy and tousled the black hair that stuck out from under the skullcap.
“Yes, I have a gun.” He unsnapped the holster and lifted out the butt of the service revolver. After the boys had a peek, he nudged it back in and closed the flap.
“Is it real?” Jake asked.
“You bet.”
“Did you ever shoot anyone?” asked Sammy with growing excitement.
“Did you ever kill anyone?” asked Jake with a gleam in his eye.
“Boys, I think that’s enough with the questions. Why don’t we eat lunch?”
“I’m not hungry,” Sammy croaked.
“Throat’s still sore, huh?” Rina asked.
“A little. I’ll just take some juice.”
“I’m not hungry, either,” Jake said.
“Don’t eat if you’re not hungry.” Rina took out a carton of cranberry juice.
“Well, I’m starved,” Decker announced.
“Can I hold your gun?” Sammy asked.
“No,” Decker said firmly. “But I’ll tell you what. How about you boys giving me a few minutes to eat and talk to your mom in private? Then, I’ll take you for a ride in my car.”
“I don’t see a police car,” Jake said, dubiously.
“I drive that beat-up old brown thing parked over there.” Decker pointed to the Plymouth. “Doesn’t look like much on the outside, does it?”
“Sure doesn’t,” the little boy agreed.
“If I was a criminal, I wouldn’t be impressed,” Sammy added.
Decker let go with a full laugh.
“I’ll pass the information on to my watch commander. Anyway, it’s stocked with a police radio and a gun rack.”
“Does it have a siren?” Jake asked.
“Yes.”
“How fast does it go?” inquired Sammy.
“Fast.”
“Can you race it for us?”
Rina interrupted the interrogation.
“Boys, let the man eat.”
“What d’you got, Eema?” Sammy asked.
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” said Rina.
Sammy parked himself next to Decker. “I changed my mind.”
“Me, too,” added Jake, taking the other side.
No matter how hard Rina tried, the boys couldn’t contain themselves from asking questions. Decker finally told her to give it up. He didn’t mind.
He related well to kids, she thought. In a short period of time he’d managed to get a good rapport with the boys. Too good…
After lunch, she instructed the kids to play by themselves. At first they protested their exile, but Decker reminded them of the excursion that awaited if they behaved, and they left without a fuss.
“Nice boys,” he said.
“They are. They’re usually not so nosy.”
“They’re inquisitive. It’s healthy.”
“They’re excited at meeting a detective,” she said, smiling.
He looked at her.
“Nice to know I can excite somebody .”
She turned away.
He chuckled self-consciously. “That was a ridiculous thing to say.”
She changed the subject.
“Do you want something else to eat?”
“No, I’m stuffed, thank you.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. Rina broke it.
“How’s the Foothill rapist—”
“Please! Don’t bring up sore spots!”
“Sorry.”
“I caught hell for not bringing in that Moshe
“Not at all.”
She called her kids, and they came plowing toward her full speed, managing, somehow, to stop short an inch from impact.
“Is this the policeman, Eema?” the smaller one asked.
“Yes. This is Detective Decker.” She looked at Peter. “This is Sammy and this is Jake.”
Decker extended an arm. “Pleased to meet you, boys.”
They each took a turn at shaking his hand. At least she dressed the boys like normal kids, he thought. Baseball caps, shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. Even if strings were sticking out from under the shirts.
“Do you have a gun?” Sammy asked.
“Shmuel, that isn’t—”
“It’s all right,” Decker said with a smile. “Every boy I’ve ever met has asked me the same question.” He turned to Sammy and tousled the black hair that stuck out from under the skullcap.
“Yes, I have a gun.” He unsnapped the holster and lifted out the butt of the service revolver. After the boys had a peek, he nudged it back in and closed the flap.
“Is it real?” Jake asked.
“You bet.”
“Did you ever shoot anyone?” asked Sammy with growing excitement.
“Did you ever kill anyone?” asked Jake with a gleam in his eye.
“Boys, I think that’s enough with the questions. Why don’t we eat lunch?”
“I’m not hungry,” Sammy croaked.
“Throat’s still sore, huh?” Rina asked.
“A little. I’ll just take some juice.”
“I’m not hungry, either,” Jake said.
“Don’t eat if you’re not hungry.” Rina took out a carton of cranberry juice.
“Well, I’m starved,” Decker announced.
“Can I hold your gun?” Sammy asked.
“No,” Decker said firmly. “But I’ll tell you what. How about you boys giving me a few minutes to eat and talk to your mom in private? Then, I’ll take you for a ride in my car.”
“I don’t see a police car,” Jake said, dubiously.
“I drive that beat-up old brown thing parked over there.” Decker pointed to the Plymouth. “Doesn’t look like much on the outside, does it?”
“Sure doesn’t,” the little boy agreed.
“If I was a criminal, I wouldn’t be impressed,” Sammy added.
Decker let go with a full laugh.
“I’ll pass the information on to my watch commander. Anyway, it’s stocked with a police radio and a gun rack.”
“Does it have a siren?” Jake asked.
“Yes.”
“How fast does it go?” inquired Sammy.
“Fast.”
“Can you race it for us?”
Rina interrupted the interrogation.
“Boys, let the man eat.”
“What d’you got, Eema?” Sammy asked.
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” said Rina.
Sammy parked himself next to Decker. “I changed my mind.”
“Me, too,” added Jake, taking the other side.
No matter how hard Rina tried, the boys couldn’t contain themselves from asking questions. Decker finally told her to give it up. He didn’t mind.
He related well to kids, she thought. In a short period of time he’d managed to get a good rapport with the boys. Too good…
After lunch, she instructed the kids to play by themselves. At first they protested their exile, but Decker reminded them of the excursion that awaited if they behaved, and they left without a fuss.
“Nice boys,” he said.
“They are. They’re usually not so nosy.”
“They’re inquisitive. It’s healthy.”
“They’re excited at meeting a detective,” she said, smiling.
He looked at her.
“Nice to know I can excite somebody .”
She turned away.
He chuckled self-consciously. “That was a ridiculous thing to say.”
She changed the subject.
“Do you want something else to eat?”
“No, I’m stuffed, thank you.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. Rina broke it.
“How’s the Foothill rapist—”
“Please! Don’t bring up sore spots!”
“Sorry.”
“I caught hell for not bringing in that Moshe
Similar Books
