Part 20 (1/2)
”I wish I had a mother like you; someone who cared about me.”
Nancy slowed her pace when Kitchie's facial expression rattled her sense of well-being. ”I hope there's meaning behind this.”
”I told your stupid, spoon-fed a.s.s not to separate me from my children. My husband even showed you proof that this Reynolds b.i.t.c.h was abusive. Now look at my baby. He won't talk.”
An officer came forward. ”Your language, ma'am, in front of the children. Calm down and tell us what the problem is.”
Junior blinked occasionally but failed to focus on anyone in particular.
”He locked us in caskets 'cause we ran away.” Secret held hands with Nise around Kitchie's back.
”The old f.a.ggot beats me 'cause...” The boy lowered his head and his voice. ”'Cause I wet the bed.”
”That ain't nothing,” Samone said. ”He ties me to the bed most nights.”
”Uh-huh, sure does.”
”That's awful. Why would he tie you to the bed?” Nancy felt her anger mounting as her cheeks turned red.
Jason stuck his tongue in Samone's direction. ”'Cause she's a creepy sleepwalker.”
”Shut up, p.u.s.s.y, I can speak for myself. At least I wasn't traded for crack.”
Nise nestled against Kitchie. ”I get punished with the nearest thing to me just for being me. Look what he did to me.” She took the cheap sungla.s.ses off.
Son of a b.i.t.c.h. An officer headed up the stairs. ”Where is this Mr. Reynolds now?”
”He locked himself inside.” Kitchie kissed Junior's forehead.
Nancy's eyes searched to find Secret's, to read them, as she took her hand. ”I know you want to go home with your mother. Telling stories won't make it-”
”Where the f.u.c.k do you get off insinuating that my child is a liar?”
”That's not what I meant.” Nancy looked at Secret, her probing eyes continuing their search for truth. ”Are you telling me that Mr. Reynolds locked you inside a coffin, a dead person's coffin? That's just a little far-fetched.”
Secret sucked her teeth. ”Yeah, me and my brother. Why do you think he's acting that way?” She aimed a finger at Junior. ”You know he's afraid of the dark. Go inside and see for yourself.”
”You got a lot of nerve,” Nise said. ”Coming down here, accusing people of lying. You don't know any of us. You high-cla.s.s white hoes is a trip, with your ugly outfits. I'm the one who let Secret and Junior out, but I guess I'm lying, too.” She pulled out a Newport. ”Somebody give me a light; this b.i.t.c.h shot my nerves.”
Kitchie shook her head, communicating much more than no.
”Sorry, Mrs. P.” She shoved the cigarette back in the pack, then placed them in the palm of Kitchie's open hand.
One officer went to the rear of the facility. Another began to interview the children one by one. Nancy and the remaining officer pounded on the heavy oak door.
The door eased open. ”Thank G.o.d you're here. I want that woman arrested.” Mr. Reynolds pointed to Kitchie.
Grief overwhelmed Miles as he watched his mother strain her tired eyes, staring at a school picture of j.a.p. Miles set his skateboard down and closed the door behind him. ”Are you okay, Ma?”
Ms. Silex lifted her saggy eyes. ”I miss him.” Her hands trembled. ”I miss him; that's all. I can feel it; he's never coming home.”
Miles walked around the gla.s.s coffee table, eased the photo from her grasp, and sat beside her. ”There's something I should tell you.”
She grabbed a hold of his wrist. ”You got your cast off. Boy, you need to get this thing some sun. It's so pale. How does it feel?” She rubbed his arm.
”It's good.”
”Now, if I can only keep you off that skateboard. You're too old to be breaking bones. Baby, you don't heal like you would if you were still a teenybopper.”
”I didn't break my arm on the board...”
Her forehead wrinkled; her brows pointed inward. ”You told me-”
”I know what I said, Ma.” His voice softened. ”That's what I came over to talk to you about.”
”Why would you lie to me about a broken arm?”
He sighed. ”Because...I didn't want you to worry.”
”Well, I'm worried.” She folded her arms.
”I owed these people some money. They broke my arm because I couldn't pay them on time.”
She took her purse from behind a throw pillow. ”I have about twenty dollars; my Social Security check will be here in a few days.”
He stopped her from rambling through the purse. ”Ma, I-”
”No, you take this money, you hear me?”
”It was ninety-thousand I owed.”
The look in her eyes was disturbing. ”How could...” She paused. An irritating silence hung heavy in the air. ”How could you owe somebody that type of money, Miles? You fooling with them cracks?”
”I have a gambling problem. I'm getting help now, and I haven't gambled since j.a.p's been missing.” His eyes fell on the photo. He whispered, ”I'm sorry, j.a.p.”
Her skin puckered with goose b.u.mps. ”What...Miles, what does j.a.p have to do with this?”
”I think they did something to him as a personal message to me.” He blinked a tear loose.
Ms. Silex nibbled on her lip. Her heart began to pound irregularly in her chest. She staggered a bit as she attempted to stand.
Miles tried to a.s.sist her.
”Keep your filthy hands off me.” She felt light-headed. ”If you're the cause of something terrible happening to j.a.p, then I've lost two sons. I'll never forgive you for...for-” She went into cardiac arrest and crashed through the gla.s.s coffee table.
”There has to be a thorough investigation done into the accusations made by these children.” Nancy followed the group to the loading dock. ”There will be someone here from Social Services around the clock. Whatever is going on here is going to stop today.”