It turned out Luke’s half-brother lived in a complex of newly renovated low-cost housing units. Luke looked around as James parked the car.
“Wow, Arinda’s come up in the world.”
Harriet got out and handed Luke the bag with the wrapped scooter in it; she and James carried the other packages.
“According to your social worker, Arinda lives in unit Twelve-D.”
They located the appropriate door on the second floor of the third building. Luke knocked, and when no one answered, he knocked again. Arinda Washington finally answered, a baby on her hip and a shy toddler hiding behind her leg.
“Oh, it’s you.” She blew a strand of over-bleached blond hair from her face. “I told your social worker I still don’t have room for you, so if that’s what you’re here for, forget it.”
Luke’s face burned red. He stood in the open doorway, unsure what to do.
Harriet stepped past him and held her hand out.
“I’m Harriet Truman, and this is my husband James. We’re Luke’s parents now.”
Harriet could almost see the wheels spinning in Arinda’s head. Now that the woman had established they weren’t asking her to take Luke, she was pretty sure Arinda was trying to figure out what she might get out of their visit.
“Luke wanted to bring a Christmas present to his brother.”
Arinda led them into a small living room. She set the baby down in a worn portable crib and scooped a mass of celebrity gossip magazines off the sofa and into a pile on the floor.
“Ta’Shawn,” she screeched. “Luke’s here.”
Harriet looked around the apartment while they waited for Luke’s brother to appear. None of them made a move to sit down on the stained and lumpy sofa. The carpet still looked new, although it was accumulating stains, but overall it appeared Arinda was attempting to keep the place clean.
After a second summons from Arinda, Ta’Shawn appeared in the hallway. A cheap set of earphones hung around his neck. His eyes got big when he saw Luke.
“Luke?”
“Hey, little bro,” Luke said with a grin. He held out his arms and after a brief hesitation, Ta’Shawn ran into them.
“Hey, I’ve missed you,” Luke said. “Are you okay?”
Ta’Shawn looked at Arinda, but she turned her back and went out on a small balcony to smoke.
“Things are a little better since we got into this apartment. It came with strings. To keep living here, you have to be working a program so you can get a job. Mom doesn’t like that part. She got pregnant again, so she gets more time. She has to keep taking classes, but then she gets a year after the new baby is born before she has to get a job.”
“Who’s the dad?”
Ta’Shawn shrugged.
“Otherwise, are things okay? Are you getting enough to eat?”
“Yeah, we get SNAP and boxes of stuff from some food place. It’s been a little tight since Grandpa disappeared.
Luke looked confused.
“What grandpa?”
“He’s not really our grandpa,”
“I know—your grandfathers are in jail.”
“I guess Joe lived with Mom’s mom when she was little. He lives in the homeless camp, but he’d bring us food and diapers for the baby. I think he got some sort of check for something. Anyway, he hasn’t been around. He went to get us a Christmas tree and never came back.” Tears filled the boy’s eyes.
Luke rubbed his brother’s back.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “Hey, I brought you a present.” He handed Ta’Shawn his Christmas present.
“Can I open it now?”
Luke looked to Harriet. “You probably should ask Arinda.”
Ta’Shawn went out to the patio while Harriet picked through the wrapped presents she and James still had in their shopping bags, choosing several that were appropriate for a toddler and a baby. She set them on the coffee table, and James put the bags by the apartment door.
“She said I can open it,” Ta’Shawn said as he came back in, followed by Arinda.
“What’s this?” Arinda asked, pointing at the wrapped packages on the table.
Harriet picked them up.
“We brought presents for the other kids.”
“You think I can’t take care of my own kids?”
“Not at all,” Harriet said. “We just thought since Luke was bringing something for Ta’Shawn, we could bring something for the little ones. He told us you had younger children.”
“Mom…” Ta’Shawn whined, dragging out her name.
“I suppose it’s okay.”
Harriet handed her the present for the baby and gave the other one to the toddler, a girl of about two with frizzy dark-blonde hair. The girl squealed when she tore into her package, revealing a baby doll. Arinda quickly opened the baby’s present, a round object that had large buttons in primary colors that lit up when you pressed them, announcing their color before playing a song.
“Thank you,” Arinda said quietly. “This was very nice of you.”
“This is the coolest present ever,” Ta’Shawn announced to the room. He looked at his mom. “Can I go outside?”
“Sure, honey,” she said, and he ran for the door, holding his scooter.
“Hey,” Luke said. “Put on a jacket.” He grabbed a small sweatshirt from a peg by the door and followed Ta’Shawn out the door.
An awkward silence followed.
“Ta’Shawn was telling us his grandpa is missing.” Harriet said.
The baby started crying, and Arinda dug a pacifier from under a magazine on the table and popped it into the child’s mouth.
“I’m not sure you call it ‘missing’ when someone is homeless. He may have moved south for the winter. He does that sometimes. Usually, he tells us before he goes, though.”
“Ta’Shawn said his name is Joe,” Harriet said.
“That’s right. Joe Smith. The people at the camp call him Smokey Joe.”
Harriet looked at James.
“What?” Arinda asked. “Do you know something?”
“No.” Harriet answered. “We deliver food to the camp at Fogg Park sometimes. The people there are looking for him, too. They said they’ve seen activity at his campsite, but no one has seen him.”
Arinda looked worried.
“It’s not like him to not stay in touch. He helps me out a little. Especially with the kids at the holidays. If he’s not going to be here, he usually sends me a little money to buy their gifts with.”
Harriet tried to focus on the idea that Arinda was worried about him, and not that she was worried about her source of income drying up.
“If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Do you know why people call him ‘Smokey’?” James asked.
“My mom told me he was firebug. He used to set stuff on fire for people. She met him when he was on probation, and he told her he’d changed his ways.”
Right, Harriet thought. Setting fires didn’t seem like the sort of habit one just decided to give up one day.
James made eye contact with her, and she gave a slight nod.
“We better get going,” he said to Arinda. “You have a Merry Christmas.”
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“Do you guys mind if we make a small stop on the way home?” Harriet asked when they were back in the car.
James put the car in reverse and backed out of their parking spot.
“If you’re thinking we should go by the homeless camp and see if Smokey Joe has turned up, I’m with you. If we swing back by the house, we can pick up some of the leftover tea sandwiches and desserts I brought home. I was going to take them over there tomorrow anyway.”
Harriet smiled at him.
“Perfect.”
The denizens of the homeless camp were all gathered around a roaring fire in the common area of the camp.
“Merry Christmas,” Joyce called out when James came into view, followed by Luke and Harriet.
“Merry Christmas to you,” James answered and held up the tray of holiday treats. “I brought you a little snack.”
Joyce peeked under the foil lid when he set it down.
“Ah, tea cakes. I’ll put the kettle on.”
James took a disposable platter from the pan and began arranging the sandwiches and treats on it.
“Have you had any luck finding Smokey Joe?” Harriet asked when Joyce had returned from filling the kettle. Joyce stirred the fire and then put the kettle on a grate over the coals.
“I’ve not seen him, but then I haven’t gone looking, either.” Joyce looked for Max among the gathered group. “Max, have you been to Joe’s campsite?” she asked him.
Max got up and came over.
“What’s your interest in Joe?”
She explained his relationship to Luke’s half-brother’s family.
“They’re pretty worried. Arinda said he never leaves the area without telling her.”
Max absently drew a circle with the toe of his muddy boot.
“I’m getting concerned myself. I went up to his camp this morning. He’s been there. At least, someone’s been there. His flannel shirt was there. Joe wore that shirt every day. He was like a kid with a blanket. When he washed it, he stood in front of the washer and dryer until it was clean again and he could put it on.”
“That does seem suspicious,” Harriet said.
Joyce poured hot water into teacups for people who wanted it. She held the pot up to Harriet. Harriet shook her head.
“I agree,” Joyce said when she’d finished serving tea. “I can’t imagine Joe without his shirt on, but on the other hand, he is living outdoors, and in our lifestyle, it can be a lot harder to keep track of your possessions.”
James looked around the clearing.
“Is there anything else we can bring you to brighten your Christmas?”
Joyce patted him on the arm.
“You’re so kind to think of us, but we’re doing fine. The Methodist church is sending a bus for those of us who want to go to the evening program tonight. The Lutheran church is doing the same in the morning for people who want to have turkey lunch at their place. We’re well taken care of in this community.”
Max chose one of the tea sandwiches and popped it into his mouth.
“Let us know if you hear anything about Joe from the boy’s family, will you?” he asked when he’d finished chewing.
“We will,” Harriet promised. “Now we’d better be on our way.”
“If Joe set the fire at Jade’s for someone else, they may have gotten rid of him when he’d completed his task,” Harriet said when they were back in her car.
“On the other hand,” James said as he pulled out of the parking lot, “he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time when one of the other murders was taking place.”
Luke leaned forward in his seat.
“Have you two considered that Joe could be the one who is killing the people in town and set the fire?”
Harriet blew out a breath.
“Somehow, I can’t see Joe as the murderer. I mean, why would he?”
“Why not?” Luke countered. “We don’t know what he was before he became homeless. Maybe he had dealings with all the victims.”
James smiled at Harriet.
“The kid has a point.”