42

JACK FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR and fishtailed through the traffic, almost causing a major accident with an ice-cream truck on the 405.

Oscar thought about saying something, but he could see there was no point to it. Jack was obsessed.

“Try Julie,” Jack said. “I want to see if Kevin has come home.”

Oscar punched in the buttons, waited as they headed south, past the Getty Museum.

The phone rang, once, twice, a third time. Then Julie picked it up.

“She’s here,” Oscar said, handing the phone to Jack.

“Hello, Julie.”

“Hey, baby.”

“Where are you right now?”

“At your place. Sitting in the dining room, grading papers.”

“You heard from Kevin?”

“Not yet. They’re a little late. Guess he and Charlie stopped at 7-Eleven to get a Slushy.”

“Jesus!” Jack felt electric anxiety shooting through his arms and legs.

“Julie, listen, if Kevin does show up, you get him out of there. Right away. And if Charlie is with him, don’t tell him where you’re going.”

“What? Jack, what are you saying?”

“Go to your sister’s place, and don’t tell anyone. But especially, don’t tell Charlie.”

Julie gnawed the end of her eraser.

“Jack, what is this all about?”

Jack felt a wave of nausea pass over him. There was no use hiding the facts any longer.

“It’s Charlie Breen, Julie. He’s our guy.”

“Jack,” she said. “C’mon. That’s crazy. Why, if Charlie would have wanted to hurt Kevin or any of us, he could have done it three times over by now. And he was beaten up by whoever is the real bad guy.”

“That was a ploy,” Jack said. “His brother Terry stole our computer while we were out and Charlie was at the baseball game with Kevin. But he didn’t find what he needed because it was on my old computer, which is stored up in the closet.”

“Jack, you’re sure?” she said. “Charlie? Good God!”

“I know,” Jack said. “It’s a shock. But trust me, this is how it is. I’ll tell you the rest later. Just make sure you get Kevin away from him.”

“Jack, they must be together right now.”

“I know,” Jack said, feeling like he was going to puke. “If he does have Kevin, he’s going to call me. If he does call home, switch him here at once. And try to sound normal. We can’t spook him.”

“Okay, Jack,” Julie said. “I love you.”

“Me, too,” Jack said.

They both hung up and Jack tore down the freeway.

“Where the hell would he go, Osc? Christ, he wouldn’t take Kevin if he didn’t have a hiding place all picked out. But where the fuck is it?”

Oscar said nothing, only stared straight ahead, lost in thought.