Part 71 (1/2)

looked at what had been done to Darren, the more certain he was that

there were. ”I don't know. I'm trying to find out. That's my job, to

find out.”

Having a cop for a father had never stopped Michael from embracing the

television image of justice at work.

”How do you find out?”

”By talking to people, studying the evidence. Thinking a lot.”

”Sounds boring.” But he couldn't take his eyes off the picture.

”It is, mostly-l'

Michael was glad he'd decided to be an astronaut. He looked away from

the picture and spotted the tabloid his father had just brought home. He

had a sharp mind, and put it together quickly. ”That's Brian McAvoy's

little boy. Somebody tried to kidnap him or something but he died

instead. All the kids're talking about it.”

”That's right.” Lou slipped the picture of Darren back into a folder.

”Wow. Wow! You're working on that case. Did you get to meet Brian

McAvoy and everything?”

”I met him.”

His father had met Brian McAvoy. Michael could only stare in a kind of

dazed awe. ”That's boss, really boss. Did you meet the rest of the

group? Did you talk to them?”

Lou shook his head as he began to tidy his papers. How simple life was

when you were eleven. And how simple it should be, he added as he

ruffled Michael's dark, untidy hair. ”Yes, I talked to them. They seem

very nice.”

”Nice?” Michael goggled. ”They're the best. The very best. Wait until