Thirty-Three

Jael pulled her MDX onto Route 9 and headed back toward Boston. She asked, “Why were you talking to Graxton? Your plan was to spy on him.”

“I was spying on him, actually on Oscar, but Graxton recognized me and wanted to talk.”

“Did you learn anything?”

“I learned more from Oscar than Grax—” I was interrupted by my Droid. Usually, the thing just said, “Droid,” but I had special songs for some numbers. This one was the Wicked Witch’s flying music from The Wizard of Oz.

Jael asked, “Is that your phone?”

I said, “Yes. It’s a special ringtone.”

The theme song ended and started up again, its cyclonic hyperactivity filling the car.

“Who is it?”

“My mother.” I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and answered the phone. “Hello, Ma,” I said.

“Hello,” she said. “I am going to the police station in Boston to talk to Lieutenant Lee. I thought you would like to come.”

“Why are you going to talk to him?” I asked.

“He told me to come to the police station. I had no choice.”

“Of course you have a choice. You shouldn’t even be answering their questions. They think you killed Cathy Byrd.”

“That’s ridiculous. Of course I didn’t kill her. I haven’t thought about her in years.”

“All the more reason not to talk to them.”

“Aloysius Tucker, I am not going to disobey the police. Do you want to come to this meeting with me, or should I go alone?”

“Do you have a lawyer?”

“Of course I don’t have a lawyer. I am not wasting money on a lawyer when I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Oh, for God’s sake—”

“Are you coming?”

“Yes. I’ll be there in an hour.” I hung up and turned to Jael. “Would you drive me to the police station?”

“Would you like me to accompany you inside?”

“Why not? The more the merrier.”

I settled into a sullen silence, contemplating my mother and her descent into incompetence. The woman had managed to grow up, get married, buy a home, and raise a son. She had, at one time, been a normal and productive member of society. Now she lived in a trash pile as she contracted in upon herself and rejected a world that she no longer seemed to understand.

Though the red marks on my cheek were gone, I could still hear the cracking sound of her hand across my cheek. Lee had seen it too. Probably made him feel superior, gave him the upper hand. It made me wonder why I was going to this meeting. I knew that she’d ignore my advice and that we’d probably fight. I hoped that Jael, a stranger and a woman, might be a calming influence. Besides, I was curious to hear what my mother had to—

“We are here,” Jael said, shocking me out of my reverie.

I said, “Let’s get this over with.”