night.
“Can we talk for a moment?” she said. “It’s about Jason.”
“Sure.” He was eager to remove the focus from himself. “What’s on your mind?”
“A couple of hours after you left the house this afternoon, we discovered a bike in the garage. It happened to be a new bike that Jason really wanted, but he had never told me about it. Apparently, a stranger gave it to him. The stranger tied a birthday balloon to the handlebars, too. Isn’t that weird?”
“It sure is. What did you do?”
“We called the cops. They weren’t any help—only said that leaving an anonymous gift isn’t a crime. But they took the bike away.Jason didn’t want it anymore. He seemed very upset by the whole incident.”
“Strange. Does he have any idea who would’ve given him the bike?”
“No. That’s what worries me. There’re so many wackos loose on the streets. I hope this doesn’t lead to something else.”
“Your dad probably bought the bike for Jason. You know how he loves to spoil him.”
“I thought about that. Dad said he didn’t know that Jason wanted the bike. Jason never told him about it.”
He shrugged. “Then I’m clueless.”
She bit her lip. “Jason and his friends are up to something, Thomas. You know they’re sleeping over tonight. He’s never had friends stay overnight. I think they’re planning something.”
“Boys his age are always planning something. They’re probably planning to sneak in a few girls.”
She swatted his arm affectionately. “Be serious. I’m worried.”
“Then what should we do? Put a spy camera in the garage? Hire a private detective to track Jason and his buddies? Lock Jason in his room for the rest of the summer?”
“How about you talk to him and see what he’s doing?”
“I thought you already talked to him.”
“I did, but ... he never tells me anything. If I asked Jason to tell me if the sky was blue, he’d find a way to avoid answering me. Can you talk to him, honey? Please?”
“I’ll talk to him.” He yawned. “Tomorrow.”
“That makes me feel better.” She smiled. She kissed him softly. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
She clicked off the bedside lamp and settled on her side of the mattress.
Thomas folded his hands behind his head. Although he had brushed off Linda, he wouldn’t be able to do it much longer. Happily married couples made love. Frequently. He would either have to make love to her, thereby committing another conscience-wrecking trespass, or give her the truth, at the possible cost of their marriage.
Neither choice held any appeal for him. And time would not wait for his decision.
At three o’clock in the morning, two hours after Jason had begun his watch, he heard the telephone ring in his mother’s office.
Until the phone rang, the night had been uneventful. Mom had agreed to let Shorty and Brains sleep over, and Shorty had pulled the first shift; he reported only seeing Jason awake from yet another nightmare, curled up under a table in the living room. In the past, Jason had suffered the dream once a week. Since finding the message in the bathroom, he’d had the nightmare every night. Clearly, events were building to a head, and as he rushed into the room to answer the telephone, he wondered if this call would be the bomb that would explode the mystery at last.
The office was dark. The telephone sat on the curved wing of the desk, beside the computer. A green button on the keypad blinked in time with each ring; it emitted an eerie, alien glow in the blackness.
Neglecting to switch on the light, Jason grabbed the handset.
“Hello?” he said out of habit, for he knew who had called.
Silence.
Then he heard that strangely familiar, smooth voice.
“Did you like your gift, Jason?”
The terror that had gripped Jason during the Stranger’s first call did not seize him this time.
“Cut the games, okay?” Jason said. “Who are you?”
The Stranger chuckled. “I hope you enjoyed your present,”
“Can we talk for a moment?” she said. “It’s about Jason.”
“Sure.” He was eager to remove the focus from himself. “What’s on your mind?”
“A couple of hours after you left the house this afternoon, we discovered a bike in the garage. It happened to be a new bike that Jason really wanted, but he had never told me about it. Apparently, a stranger gave it to him. The stranger tied a birthday balloon to the handlebars, too. Isn’t that weird?”
“It sure is. What did you do?”
“We called the cops. They weren’t any help—only said that leaving an anonymous gift isn’t a crime. But they took the bike away.Jason didn’t want it anymore. He seemed very upset by the whole incident.”
“Strange. Does he have any idea who would’ve given him the bike?”
“No. That’s what worries me. There’re so many wackos loose on the streets. I hope this doesn’t lead to something else.”
“Your dad probably bought the bike for Jason. You know how he loves to spoil him.”
“I thought about that. Dad said he didn’t know that Jason wanted the bike. Jason never told him about it.”
He shrugged. “Then I’m clueless.”
She bit her lip. “Jason and his friends are up to something, Thomas. You know they’re sleeping over tonight. He’s never had friends stay overnight. I think they’re planning something.”
“Boys his age are always planning something. They’re probably planning to sneak in a few girls.”
She swatted his arm affectionately. “Be serious. I’m worried.”
“Then what should we do? Put a spy camera in the garage? Hire a private detective to track Jason and his buddies? Lock Jason in his room for the rest of the summer?”
“How about you talk to him and see what he’s doing?”
“I thought you already talked to him.”
“I did, but ... he never tells me anything. If I asked Jason to tell me if the sky was blue, he’d find a way to avoid answering me. Can you talk to him, honey? Please?”
“I’ll talk to him.” He yawned. “Tomorrow.”
“That makes me feel better.” She smiled. She kissed him softly. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
She clicked off the bedside lamp and settled on her side of the mattress.
Thomas folded his hands behind his head. Although he had brushed off Linda, he wouldn’t be able to do it much longer. Happily married couples made love. Frequently. He would either have to make love to her, thereby committing another conscience-wrecking trespass, or give her the truth, at the possible cost of their marriage.
Neither choice held any appeal for him. And time would not wait for his decision.
At three o’clock in the morning, two hours after Jason had begun his watch, he heard the telephone ring in his mother’s office.
Until the phone rang, the night had been uneventful. Mom had agreed to let Shorty and Brains sleep over, and Shorty had pulled the first shift; he reported only seeing Jason awake from yet another nightmare, curled up under a table in the living room. In the past, Jason had suffered the dream once a week. Since finding the message in the bathroom, he’d had the nightmare every night. Clearly, events were building to a head, and as he rushed into the room to answer the telephone, he wondered if this call would be the bomb that would explode the mystery at last.
The office was dark. The telephone sat on the curved wing of the desk, beside the computer. A green button on the keypad blinked in time with each ring; it emitted an eerie, alien glow in the blackness.
Neglecting to switch on the light, Jason grabbed the handset.
“Hello?” he said out of habit, for he knew who had called.
Silence.
Then he heard that strangely familiar, smooth voice.
“Did you like your gift, Jason?”
The terror that had gripped Jason during the Stranger’s first call did not seize him this time.
“Cut the games, okay?” Jason said. “Who are you?”
The Stranger chuckled. “I hope you enjoyed your present,”
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