Robert Liston - The Tower of Evil

“And how many years ago was that? The last time I saw those young men they were high school linebackers.”

“Oh God, was it that long ago?”

“Uh-uh, and now you know why the young have children.” Both boys stopped what they were doing and stared at him as though he was an extra from the movie Aliens. One lad had dark hair, the other blond. “Who are your young friends?”

“This is Tommy, Karen’s boy.” She pointed to the dark-haired one. “And this is-”

“Jamie, yes. Hi, men.” He extended a hand to shake two tiny ones. “May I ask how you men happen to be here?”

“I told Karen I’d-rather we’d-babysit so she could go out to dinner and patch up things with her boyfriend.” She sighed. “I can’t keep up with them, and I don’t know what to do. I bought some toys, but they only lasted minutes. You have to help me, Walter.”

He grinned at her. ”Very well, Star Fleet to the rescue.”

“Star Fleet?”

“I don’t think kids are into the Lone Ranger or Jack Armstrong these days.” He turned to them. “What say, men, let’s head for the beach?” At once he earned delighted squeals and the clatter of four little feet heading for the door.

“The beach, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Got to burn off their excess energy, then they’ll play quietly.”

She stared at him. “When did you become such an authority?”

“I remember vividly. I was lying awake one night, when this person, an apparition really, came to me and-”

She pushed him toward the door. “I saw the same guy and he told me never to babysit more than one child at a time.”

He walked along Butterfly Beach holding Doreen’s hand while the boys made a game of trying to avoid the incoming surf, squealing when the chilly water caught their bare feet. Suddenly he stopped, reached skyward with both hands, did a full circle on the sand, letting the wonder of it all soak into him. “God, I wish I could paint.”

“What would you paint?”

He made a sweeping gesture. “All this, you and me, at least two old folks, playing on the beach with two little boys-an orange beach with a tangerine sun sparkling across dusky water.” He raised his arm again. “There would be a turquoise sky and…look, Doreen, look, it’s happening.”

“Yes, the purple mountains majesty.”

“Only happens for a few minutes at dusk. How could I ever capture it?”

“You’d think of something, love. What else would you paint?”

“Oh, the white stucco buildings and the red-tiled roofs, all nestled among the lush green foliage. I’d want to paint the riotous colors of the flowers, oh, just everything, Doreen.”

“It would be a beautiful painting, darling.”

He nodded. “I keep thinking about the essence of this place we’ve chosen. What is it that makes it special?”

“Why do I have a feeling you know the answer?”

“An idea, maybe.” They strolled along. He picked up a handful of sand, let it sift through his fingers, bending a bit in the breeze as it fell. ”By living amid beauty you become beautiful-at least a better person. When all you see in Franchise City are muffler shops, junk food emporiums and a neon forest, something wilts within you. Money becomes everything.”

“All I know is I’ve never been so happy as here. Thank you for insisting we move.”

He turned her toward him, kissed her. “We’d better catch up to the boys.” They resumed their stroll.

“I’d forgotten the worry and effort that goes into being a mother. I only remember the good stuff.”

“You always did make it harder than it was. When I babysat the kids and their pals, I figured my job was to keep them from being hit by a car. Don’t play in the street. I said yes to everything else. We got along fine, no problems.”

“And how often and for how long did you work this indulgence?” They stopped to watch the boys. Doreen picked up a heart-shaped stone. “I went to see Lorna Gould this afternoon. She’s distraught.”

“How do you know her?”

“I don’t know, I just do. She’s a friend.”

“What kind of friend? Is she someone you clutch to your bosom, shake hands with or nod at uncertainly?”

“Really, Walter, does it matter? I went to see her and she was glad to see me.” Doreen dropped her stone on the sand as not worth keeping. She turned to face him. ”The police got it wrong. Harry Gould was no suicide, he was murdered.”

“Sweetheart, love of my life, he was found face down, hole in his right temple, gun in his right hand, with a suicide note nearby.”

“He just passes the bar, hangs out a shingle and gets his first big case, so he decides to blow his brains out with a gun he doesn’t own and is terrified of ever since his father used one on himself years ago.”

Byerly stopped and stared at her. “Put that way, love, you may have a point.“

“A college chum was in town visiting him. It doesn’t make any sense for him to kill himself.”

“Male or female?”

“Lorna doesn’t know, but we ought to be able to find out.”

“He or she will probably come forward to the cops-unless he or she plugged Gould. I’ll mention it to Lupe Hernandez. She’s not on the case, but she’s watching it for us.” They were near the boys now. Jamie, the abandoned one, ran over to them. He didn’t say anything, just stood there, his blue eyes soulful. Doreen knelt and hugged him. He ran back contentedly to help with the sand castle.

“He’s very insecure.” Doreen said.

“He keeps looking at me as an oddity. I don’t think he’s used to having a man around.”

She laughed. “Maybe he thinks you’re his father.”

“My urologist would be so proud.” They sat in the sand. “I have some information for you, only I’m afraid you’d add 2 and 2 and get 22.”

“That’s the right answer sometimes. What have you got?”

He hesitated, mostly for effect. “Last Tuesday morning a young woman was forced into a black limousine, apparently against her will.” He watched her eyes widen. “I knew it, a conclusion has been leapt to.”

“Last Tuesday, that’s when Jamie was…where did this kidnapping happen?”

“If you asked for the source of my information, you wouldn’t be so sure. It comes from Henry Clay, one of my homeless and not noted for his mental agility. He probably saw somebody getting into a cab beside the library.”

“He can tell colors, can’t he? A long black cab?”

“So she likes to ride around in style.”

“What did the woman look like?”

“Don’t even bother to ask. I should report to you, madam, that no one else saw this alleged kidnapping. The police never heard of it.”

“It’s Jamie’s mother. She told Karen she had a job interview, went downtown and-”

“Which gets us not one iota closer to knowing who Jamie is or what’s to become of him. Has anyone had the good sense to call Children’s Services?”

“I’m not going to if I have to keep him myself. And don’t you dare either. This is a mystery for us to solve. The woman left Jamie with Karen La Rocca, a total stranger, simply because she was going to meet-”

“Her doom?”

“Could be. She obviously tried to hide the boy from someone.”

“His real parents?”

“She knew she would meet someone who would stop at nothing to find out where her son was.”

He looked at her and grinned. “Tell me, Nancy, last name Drew, precisely why is that young man over there so valuable?”

She looked at him, eyes wide, mouth slack, then over at the boys. “I have no idea.”

“We’re losing the light, we’d better get back. C’mon, men, supper time.”

Doreen did the shoes, he helped a little, then all four walked back home in deepening twilight. It was his favorite time of day, palms, yuccas, Norfolk pines and other exotic trees silhouetted against a lilac sky. He put his arm around Doreen’s shoulder and felt her nestle against him. “Magical, just magical,” he whispered.