Part 4 (1/2)
”Tom's number is back at my apartment. So's Ron's.”
His sister's kids needed to know about their grandfather.
He kissed Gia on the top of her head. ”Got to get home and make those calls.”
Gia looked up at him. ”Can't you call information?”
”For Ron, yeah, I suppose. But I know Tom's is unlisted, him being a judge and all.”
She grabbed his hand. ”You're going to come back, aren't you?”
”Sure, I guess.”
”Jack, you shouldn't be alone tonight. This is something that needs to be shared. Vicky and I can help you through this, but you've got to let us. I know you, Jack. You're like an injured wolf that goes off to lick its wounds alone. You can't keep this bottled up. You've got to let it out. I'm-we're here for you, Jack. Please don't shut us out.” here for you, Jack. Please don't shut us out.”
”I won't. I'll make my calls and then come back.”
As Jack left, he hoped he'd be able to keep that promise.
10.
Jack sat in the cluttered front room of his apartment. Still numb, he hadn't turned on the lights. He sat in the dark with the glowing touchpad of his phone providing the only illumination. He started his calls.
The one-hundred-and-fifteenth precinct came first. A woman there told him they didn't have any information yet on how relatives could claim the bodies of the deceased. The victims were being IDed and examined, and then they'd be released.
”Was your loved one with the Hasidic group?” she said.
”No. Why?”
”Well, there's a lot of religious concerns on their part.”
”Like what?”
”Like burying the body before sundown and-”
”That's long past.”
”I know, but there are issues about icing the bodies down and-well, it's been very trying to say the least.”
”I'll bet.”
”We've got a.s.semblymen and congressmen and city council members calling, pus.h.i.+ng to expedite matters and-”
”What? Their dead are more important than my father?” Jack could feel a quick burn accelerating. His rage wanted a target-any target. ”Like h.e.l.l!”
”I'm sorry, sir. Please call tomorrow morning. The post mortems should be completed and we'll have a procedure in place by then. Thank you. Good-bye.”
Jack found himself holding a dead phone.
After taking a few moments to cool, he called Kate's ex, praying Ron would answer instead of one of the kids. Jack had never met his niece and nephew, never even spoken to them, and didn't want to start now. Kevin and Lizzie had lost their mother earlier this year; he hated being the one to tell them their grandfather was gone too.
Jack freely copped to cowardice in this.
Ron answered. It took Jack's ex-brother-in-law a moment to figure out who he was. He took it hard, asking over and over how he was going to tell Lizzie. Jack promised to get back to him with the funeral arrangements.
”Oh?” his brother-in-law said in an acid-etched tone. ”You're going to show up this time?”
Jack hadn't been able to attend his sister Kate's funeral. Forced to stay away for reasons he couldn't explain to them.
”Ron,” Jack said, feeling a lead weight in his chest, ”you don't know me, so I'll let that pa.s.s. But if you had any idea of how much I loved Kate, you'd know that I would have been there if at all possible. Talk to you soon.”
And then he'd hung up.
G.o.d. Two tough calls. And now the last and possibly least: big brother Tom.
After half a dozen rings and no pickup or answering machine, Jack was about to hang up when a slurred voice came on.
”Tom?”
”Yeah. Who's this?”
”Your brother Jack.”
”Oh-ho! Jackie, the prodigal brother. And to what do I owe this honor?”
”You been drinking?”
”What business of it is yours?”
Yep, he'd been drinking. Probably not a bad thing, considering what he was about to hear.
”None. You sitting down?”
”I'm lying down-you woke me up. I hope this is f.u.c.king important.”
”Dad's dead.”
A good ten, fifteen seconds of silence, then, ”You're not bulls.h.i.+tting me?”