noticed, huh?”
“How could I miss it?”
“Maybe I bring back too many memories of your father.”
“Maybe, but it’s not just you. When I asked to go to the fire station in Charleston so that I could see where my father worked and meet some of the guys he worked with, she said it wasn’t a good idea. I’m beginning to think she didn’t like him very much.”
“I know he loved her and you.”
“That’s good to know. I was only two when he died, so I don’t remember anything about him. I have a picture of him that Mom gave me. He’s very handsome. I don’t look much like him, though.”
“You have his eyes.”
She smiled, and that surprised her. She hadn’t felt at all like smiling when she’d climbed out of her bedroom window. She’d been excited about seeing Byron, but they didn’t exactly have fun when they were together. Mostly they complained about their mothers and talked about how his life sucked.
“What’s Byron like?” Vincent asked, as if reading her mind.
“He’s kind of a loner, what I’d call a deep thinker.”
“What does he deep think about?”
“Life and everything.” Kelly crossed the street and turned the corner. The park was in the next block, and it backed up to some wooded lots. Mostly it was a baby park. A slide. A few swings. A climbing tower. The best part about it was a walking track that went through the woods and over a little stream. Byron lived beyond that.
“We meet in the park,” she said. “He’s probably already there. He jogs over.”
“I’d like to meet him, if that’s okay.”
“Sure. I already told him a friend of my father’s was visiting.” She led the way toward the swings. It was darker beneath the leafy branches of the oak trees, but enough moonlight filtered through so that she could see to stay on the worn path.
There was no sign of Byron, but she dropped into one of the swings anyway. Vincent took the one next to hers, the one where Byron usually sat. She’d never arrived at the park before Byron and never really realized how dark it was here. Now she was kinda glad Vincent had stuck around.
“What did my dad like to do when he was a kid?”
“He was a baseball nut. He loved playing it, watching it and collecting the cards. His favorite team was the Yankees and he had Yankees pennants all over his room.”
“I’ve never even been to a baseball game.”
“Every year for his birthday, your father’s dad took him to Yankee Stadium. It was the high point of his year. Easily beat out Christmas.”
“Wow! Every year, and I haven’t been to New York even once.”
“I should take you there.”
“Yeah, right, like my mother would let me go. She wouldn’t even trust God to take me out of town without her. If you look paranoid up in the dictionary, you’ll see her picture.”
But Kelly was getting a little worried herself now. Byron was always here when he said he’d be. “I can’t imagine what happened to my friend.”
“Maybe he saw me and ran off.”
“Could be, but… I don’t know. I’m starting to get a really weird feeling about this.” She looked around, not that she could see much.
“I have a cell phone. Would you like to call him?”
“Can’t. I don’t know his phone number. We only talk in chat rooms or by instant messages. I don’t even know his last name. He says names aren’t important. It’s only who you are inside that matters.”
“Then why don’t we walk back home and you can contact him.”
“Can we just walk down the path a little farther first and make sure he’s not on his way. He comes from the opposite direction as me, through the woodsy area.”
“I’m not much for walking in the woods at night.”
Coming through the woods didn’t bother Byron, and he wasn’t nearly as big and muscled as Vincent. Adults were so strange. She got out of the swing and left it yanking around on the chains. Vincent followed her.
When they reached the path, she stood on the edge and looked back down the way Byron would have come. A noise came from the woods, like someone was trying to muffle a cough.
“Byron. If that’s you, come on out.” If it was him, he didn’t answer.
Vincent stepped between her and the woods. “Let’s get out of here.” He took her arm and led her out of the park.
“I just wish I knew what happened to Byron.”
“I’m sure he’ll tell you in your next instant message.”
That’s when she saw the silver pistol in Vincent’s hand. She’d never seen one up close before. “Are you a cop or something?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think there was someone in the woods?”
“No. The weapon is just a precaution.”
“Have you ever killed a guy?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
Since he didn’t answer, she figured he had. Byron would be impressed when she told him that. Only she didn’t know why a cop with a gun would be afraid to walk in the woods, even if it was dark.
THE MESSAGE from Byron came less than a minute after Kelly had connected to her server.
I thought you were coming alone.
I was, but my dad’s friend saw me sneak out of the house and tagged along. Why did you run off?”
She waited. Sometimes instant messages weren’t all that instant. Finally the new message flashed on the screen. It didn’t explain why he’d run out on her.
So what’s the guy’s name?
Vincent Jones. He’s a cop. He carries a gun. I saw it.
I never trust cops.
She laughed and grabbed a quick gulp of her soda. That was soooo Byron. Then she started typing again.
You never trust anyone.
What did you tell him about me?
That you’re a deep thinker.
Is that all?
No, I told him you’re an ax murderer. What do you think I told him, silly?
I’m just checking. Don’t tell him anything else about me. He’ll just cause trouble for us.
He’s not like that.
I’ll bet.
What about tomorrow night? Want to try again? I’ll come by myself.
We’ll see.
He was pouting. She hated it when he acted like that, especially when she took all the risks of sneaking out. Her fingers flew across the keys.
Okay. I’m off to bed.
She chose a sleepy face from the graphics, sent it off and flicked off her monitor.
It was bad enough that all her friends were leaving for New Orleans without her tomorrow. She wasn’t going to stay awake just so Byron could make her feel bad about bringing Vincent along tonight.
Besides, that had to have been