I hadn't seen Andy in more than a week, which was odd considering the prom was the following night. I tried his phone. It went straight to voicemail. I left a casual message asking him what he was up to. An hour later, when I'd received no reply I thought maybe he was with his current girlfriend, Naomie. I didn't have much on so I thought I'd drive around all our regular haunts. See if I could track him down. So for the next few hours I drove around town. checking out everywhere I thought he might be. Around three I gave it up as a bad job. Naomie was a very pretty blonde, right now he was probably putting the moves on her. That's if the moves hadn't already put. I was still casting around for him or Naomie when I drove past St Michael's, the middle school he and I had attended. I did a double take as I spied him waiting at the school gates. What the hell was he doing there?
I pulled over a hundred yards further up the street, in the first space I could find. Hoping I could have a word with him and find out where he'd been all this time. Preparing myself for one of his rambling descriptions. Because of the traffic I couldn't get out. I waited for a gap. Then I saw his sister Helen come up to. He took her hand. Then he did something extraordinary. His eyes narrowing he swept them across the area. Back and forth several times, before hurrying to his car. He let his sister in, doing another sweep before climbing in and driving off quickly.
This was odd. Helen always took the school bus. It stopped only a minutes walk from her home.Why would he be safeguarding his sister. Because that's what he was definitely doing. At 12 years old she had discovered independence. Helen liked it so she exercised it to the maximum. Having her big brother nanny her was a major embarrassment. Unless. Andy's dad had been public defender for a fair few years. He'd given it up and moved to general law. After becoming jaded and burnt out dealing with the worst of humanity. Perhaps some ex-con, he'd failed to get off, had made threats towards him. I wasn't unknown. I thought I should pop over. Offer some support. Inadequate as that would be. If the Vadash's had been in receipt of a threat the police would be keeping watch.
I pulled out and headed over. When I got there, I found no police presence. In these situations they usually had at least one uniformed officer visual as a deterrent. Of course the officer was off doing his rounds, that would explain it. I rang the doorbell. No one responded over the intercom. Through the glass of the door I spotted Mrs Vadash. I waved to her. Her smile of recognition vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She came to a dead halt, collecting herself as she painted on a replacement fake smile.
"Hi Luke. Good to see you." She greeted me overly enthusiastically. "What brings you here?" Her eyes darted around me, before returning to mine.
"I saw Andy picking up Helen from school."
Another fake expression was pasted on. Bewilderment?
"Oh... she's had a bit of a disagreement with another girl. It's nothing. I let Andy know you were here."
That was a polite brush off. She wanted me out of there. Whatever was going on, no one wanted to talk about it. Not to me anyway. I took the hint.
"That's cool. I'll see him tomorrow I expect. Is everything okay?"
The forced smile again.
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
That was the million dollar question, because everything wasn't okay. She was tense. Perhaps even scared. I bade her farewell, walking back to my car and driving off. I headed home, still trying to figure out what was going on. None of my business of course. Nothing to do with me. But it was, indirectly. Another puzzle to be put on the ignore pile. What could I do for them anyway? Mr Vadash was a lawyer with connections. A relatively wealthy man. Whatever the problem was he had far greater resources than I did.
When things fall apart people always say it happened suddenly. Unexpectedly. Often that wasn't the case. It was just that things had begun to unravel slowly until one event caused a catastrophic failure. Sometimes, after the clear up, you discovered there were signs it was going to happen. Things you could have done to prevent it, if only you'd known. You can't live your life with if only's. All they'll do is torment you. Bury you under a steaming pile of contrition and introspection. Paralyse your thoughts as well as slow your actions. What if's and if only's are pointless as I'd already discovered. They still fill my mind at times though. How stupid is that.
Into each life a little rain must fall. The following day I was deluged. It was prom night. I was excited. Crystal was stoical. Everything had been prepared. Thanks to the switch in my head I'd removed the previous days events from my consciousness. I went out to collect the corsage from the florist a few hours before we were due to go. Excitement was something I'd grown used to after having all the humanity stripped from me earlier in my life. I was shifting in my seat as I drove home. Wondering how I could sneak it past Crystal. So she wouldn't see it before I presented it to her. Also wondering what her prom dress would be like. I'd seen her in a suit. I'd never seen her in a dress. Shorts, yes. A gown, no.
Pulling into our street I slowed to a crawl. That way I could scope things out. Work out where she was. That last turn as our home came into sight and I was chilled to the bone. Adrenalin flooded my body as I spotted Crystal with three men. There was a large black sedan with darkly tinted windows badly parked on the road. One of the men was holding her arm as she struggled while another was dabbing at his face with a handkerchief and stabbing his finger into her face. The third one appeared to be keeping watch. His arms folded. Back to the scuffle taking place on our front porch. I did what any sane rational person would do under the circumstances. Exploded into uncontrollable rage and floored it. I wasn't doing much above 30 when I rammed my vehicle into the left rear of the black sedan. Even so it took out the guy who was on lookout as it was shoved into him. I was out of my car and moving in under a second.
"Leave her the fuck alone you motherfuckers." I yelled.
I had tunnel vision. That's my explanation for missing the huge fourth guy. At least 6 foot 3 and 200 pounds. He came at me from behind, swinging his fist into the side of my head. Spotting him at the last moment I only had time to turn my head enough so that his fist slid across my cheek. Afterwards I found a two inch gash on my face, from the fraternity ring he was wearing. He grinned at me malevolently beckoning me towards him. It was bait of course. bait I almost took, because I wasn't thinking. he swung at me again, I easily avoided the blow that would have floored me. Meanwhile the two men hassling Crystal threw her against the door and came at me. Crystal had got a few hits in on him and his buddy. They both had wounds on their faces.
"You picked the wrong people to mess with kid." The one threatening Crystal growled as they moved to encircle me.
Middle aged. dark hair in a buzz cut. The big guy was the youngest. Same short hair, blonde. Same dark suit with a white shirt. I had all their images engraved on my brain. I moved away from the one who'd hit me as he tried to grab me. Backing up as I tried to keep all of them in view.
"Ya can't run forever." He mocked me.
The middle aged guy pulled back his jacket, revealing a sidearm.
"And I bet you ain't as fast as a bullet." He snickered, reaching for it.
The third guy, who'd been holding Crystal lunged at me. I evaded him grabbing two of his fingers. Bending them back to dislocate them as I swept his legs from under him. He howled in pain. I was unable to finish him as the other two moved in. So i released my hold and backed some more.
"That fancy kung fu shit ain't gonna help ya kid." The younger one jibbed, reaching for his own.
"You shoulda just walked away ya little snot." declared the other. "Saved yerself from a lotta pain."
The sound of a rifle being cocked stopped both of them in their tracks.
"Get the fuck out of here." Crystal snarled aiming right at the leader. Now they were distracted. I could deliver a lesson. "Luke, leave it. Get over here. These gentlemen are leaving."
"Listen to yer masters voice kid." The older man smirked, his hands half raised. "Sure. We'll leave, but remember what I told ya lady, or things are gonna get real nasty."
I skirted round them, moving over to stand beside her. As I did I spotted the bruising on her face and arms. The blood from her swollen lips and nose. My face must have told her what I was going to do.
"Luke! Don't. This is nothing to do with you."
They helped up the two wounded. Still wearing grins. I glared at the senior one. My eyes boring into his.
"One day you're going to beg me to kill you."
"Oooo. I'm scared. Is that a threat?" He mocked.
"No. It's a promise."
"Luke get inside now." Crystal ordered.
They left. Still laughing as their car drove off. I had to sit down. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to control myself. The thousand yard stare, they call it. I didn't even hear her come in. The first inkling I had was when she crouched down beside me. A bowl of water and a cloth. She wet it and dabbed at my face. I couldn't look at her. I would have exploded. Right now all I wanted to do was obliterate and exterminate them. Neither of us spoke as she cleaned the wound on my face. Her soothing touch brought me back to sanity.
"You stupid... They could have hurt you." She sobbed angrily.
"They did hurt you. I'm going to punish them" I responded in a flat emotionless voice. I swivelled my head. Her face was a mess. Nothing bad, but she had a black eye, a busted lip ad a bloody nose.
"You've got to let it go Luke. The laws only apply to the little people. Not to men like them, or the people they work for. They're powerful. They have money."
"Who were they?"
"I think you might stitches."
"Who were they?" I grasped her arm as she tried to wipe off the last of the blood.
Crystal tugged free, throwing the cloth into the bowl. Standing up she walked away from me.
"That's my business Luke. Not yours."
"And if I make my business?" I asked flatly.
"I can't let you do that." Crystal sighed.
The fire was still burning within me. I didn't want to lose control of it. So I leapt up and heading for my room.
"You can't go to the prom like that, so I'm not going either."
What a prick I was. What a dumb, macho prick.
"Luke." She sobbed as I stamped off.
Why did I keep hurting the only person I loved?