Part 16 (2/2)
The old man didn't move, he just kept staring out over the water. ”You ain't got nothing I want to hear, you black devil.”
”I know you and I have had our differences, but this can't wait.”
”You don't know how to talk, boy. All you know how to do is throw those fists of yours.” This time Perch's head came around slowly. ”Your daddy must be moaning in his grave with shame, boy.”
Blu saw the scar above the old man's right eye. He'd known facing Perchwouldn'tbe easy. And he couldn't deny he'd oftenwondered what his father would havesaid to a son who had chosen to make money with his fists.Pus.h.i.+ng the thought away, not havingthe time or the energy to contemplate his past mistakes-Blu acknowledged that the sooner he found the proof he was looking for, the sooner he could get back to a more important matter, looking for Angel and Mandy.
”Got amessage for Curt. Is he around?”
”No, he ain't. You got something to say to him, you can say it to me. Curt don't like you any more than I do.”
Blu kept coming,limping as hislongstride ate upthe dock. When it ran out, he vaulted onto the deck of the boathouse with one lithe maneuver that easily confirmed his injured leg had never slowed him down. ”I guess I'll just have a look around and make sure Curt'snot hiding under the bed.”
”No, you won't! You got no right to trespa.s.s on me, boy.” Perch jerked to his feet.
Blu clamped his hand on the man's bony shoulder and shoved him back on the chair. He didn't like playing rough, but if he couldn't get anywhere being nice, then he'd play the role Perch expected him to play. ”Sit, old man, and don't move. I've hit you before, and you know how hard I can hit. But I don't mind showing you again.”
”b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Perchcontinued to cuss, but he stayed down-he was no match for the Blu Devil, and they both knew it.
Inside the boathouse, Blu came face-to-face with a wall covered with dozens of house-blessing masks. He'd forgotten about the masks.Down at Cruger's he'dheard that Perch's collection was second only to Lema's at Spirit World.
A hintof lemon clungin the air, and he turned his head to the left tocatch sight of a smoke stream coming from an incense cone sitting on a shelf next to a picture.
A picture...
Blu moved closer, and there in the picture was theproof sitting next to Perch on the old pilothouse. Without adoubt,his Angel wasPerch's Kristie.
Blufelthis throat close off, felt his heart thud loudly in his chest. He left the boathouse seconds later, stepping past Perch without looking at him,then vaultingthrough the air to the dock. Halfway to the Nightwing,still not looking back, he called out to Perch. ”I'll be in touch, old man. Maybe Christmas will come early this year.”
Perch's reply was short and to the point. Two words clearly stated what he thought of Blu duFray. * * * Kristen woke to the sound of Rose duFray teachingAmanda how to sing ”Mary Had a Little Lamb.” She quickly dressed in her yellow tank top and fitted jeans, then emerged from the bedroom braiding her long hair into a single plait.
”Good morning, child. Did you sleep well?”
Kristen glanced at Amanda, who was on her knees helping Rose stir a huge bowl of cookie dough.
Well, she wasn't really helping, she was stealing nuts whenever the spoon wasn't in motion.
”Amanda, don't do that,” Kristen scolded.
”Look, Mommeee, nut.” Holding it out to Kristen, she offered her mother the pecan half.
Kristen ateit.”Mmm, it's good, isn't.i.t?But we need to leave the rest for the cookies.”
”She's adorable,” Rosecomplimented. ”And sosmart.”
”I want to thank you for letting us stay here last night. And for not calling Blu and telling him we were here.”
”I still think that was a mistake, but it was your decision to make.”
Kristen dodged the subject. ”If you'd like some help in the store for a few hours, I'd be happy to do it.
But we'll be leaving later this afternoon.” ”Leaving? Where are you going?”
She was beginning to detest the lying. But just once more, Kristen thought. ”I have a friend at the
women's shelter, Sister Marian. She's.e.xpecting us for supper.” ”I could use you downstairs after lunch for a few hours. My helper is still sick.” Rose turned to the sink,washed and dried her hands, then picked up Amandaand washed her sticky fingers, too. ”Look in here,sweetheart.” Rose eased Amanda down and opened a cupboard with plastic bowls stacked inside. ”Youcan play with anything you like.”
Amanda stretched her little body and looked into the cupboard. When shebacked upand looked at Kristen, her eyes were wide and hesitant.
”Go ahead. She said you could.”
Of course, Amanda, like any two-and-a-half-year old, was more than eager to make a mess of Rose's cupboard, but messes had never been allowed at the Maland estate.She hesitated a few minutes more, glanced at Kristen again, then finally reached inside and began to empty the cupboard.
Rose poured two gla.s.ses of orange juice and brought them to the small table where Kristen sat. ”So, whatdid Blu do to make you leave theNightwing?”
”What makes you think he did something?”
”Because I know my son. I don't like the word 'hothead,' but he can be ornery and stubborn.”
”I haven't really noticed that,” Kristen replied. ”Not often, anyway.”
”Really. That's interesting.”
”No. I left theNightwingbecause I just didn't want to impose on Blu with Amanda.” There, that sounded reasonable.
”About Amanda?” ”She's my child,” Kristen said quickly. ”Iknow. She looks just likeyou. So, Blu didn't ask you to leave theNightwing?” ”No.” ”But you felt you should, and he agreed?” ”Not exactly.” Kristen refused to admit the real reason she'd left. ”I'm sorry for burdening you like this.
I'm going back home in a few days.” It wasn't a lie. She was going home, in aroundabout way. Home waswhere you felt safe and happy, and she intended to finda place where she and Amanda could live without looking over their shoulders.
”If I can do anything... I have plenty of room, child.You can stay here as long as you like.” Rose stood, glanced down to where Amanda was enjoying herself building a tower of bowls. ”Did Blu tell you about those poor children he rescued last year?”
Kristen was taking a sip of juice. She set the gla.s.s down. ”No. Henever mentioned any children to me.”
”That's how he got shot. You knew that he'd been shot?”
”No, I didn't know.”
”That's thereason he limps. Didn't he tell you anyof it?”
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