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14



Playing Hooky




“Are you sure you can take care of yourself? I mean I could stay home from school…” Nick said looking at his big brother with pleading eyes.



Brian just laughed and shook his head, “Sorry buddy but I doubt dad would go for that, besides, he’ll be home with me today.”



Nick rolled his eyes and then grabbed his backpack, “Okay then…I’ll see you later.”



“Have a good day buddy.”



“Right!”



With that being said the youngest walked out the door and headed off to school. When he walked past the store he was accused of stealing from, a new wave of anger hit him. He tried to shake the whole incident from his memory. It’s a talent he built up when he was a small child. If you block something out, eventually it won’t matter anymore. So many times, he knew that it was that philosophy that saved him from going down the wrong roads.



But still…the thought that Charlie would intentionally frame him like that, made him so unsettled he actually felt his stomach do a small flip in reply. What would he do when the two of them came face to face? Would he lose it and just start wailing on the stupid bully? Or could he force himself to just walk away and do nothing. He knew that the second choice is the one that would bother Charlie more; that alone made it more appealing.



If he walked away, wouldn’t he be branded a coward though? He shifted the weight of his backpack from one shoulder to the other and sighed. He should just say ‘the hell with it’ and play hooky. He could probably go hang out in the park all day, call himself in sick to school and no one would be the wiser. He then could double back in time for AJ to pick him up.



He stopped as he reached the corner, if he went one way, the school would be there waiting for him, if he went the other, he would be at the park. “If dad finds out about this, I’m SO dead…” He said under his breath as he turned and headed towards the park.



With every step he took away from the school his burden felt lighter. He smiled knowing that he had made the right choice, and besides it would be kind of exciting to just hang outside all day, never knowing when he would have to hide from someone who might see him.



Thoughts like that made him realize that he would probably make a kick ass agent, probably much better than the other two combined and his stupid father. For a second, his mood dampened, thinking about the announcement his dad had made at the dinner table. He did know it was coming because he had overheard him discussing the topic with Rob several times over the phone. Even still, he couldn’t believe he would still consider it after what had happened to Brian.



Suddenly he felt justified in taking a day off for himself. He started whistling as he picked up his pace towards the park.



~*~*~*~*~*




Kevin sat at his desk finishing up his third cup of coffee when Rob walked in and closed the door. “Good morning Rob, what’s going on?”



“I have some bad news Kev…” He took a seat across from Kevin and then handed him a file. “This is the autopsy report from our victim yesterday.”



At first Kevin didn’t even want to open it, already he was having a not so good day and it wasn’t even noon yet. He had woken up with the worst headache ever and he knew it was from stress. His brother getting in trouble at the store really bothered him and not even so much the fact that he was accused of shop lifting, but more that someone framed him for it.



He found himself worrying about his little brother a lot, having nightmares about the kid getting into trouble again but this time not being able to save him. It was a fear that lived deep down in his gut. That somewhere out there lied something else wanting to hurt his family. He knew he was paranoid but knowing there was a kid bullying Nicky to the point that he was actually being beaten up and now framed for something that could have been a very bad situation, made those fears resurface.



So, instead of sleeping like he should have done last night, he tossed and turned and shook his head when he saw the darkness turn into the first rays of sunlight. He almost called off work, but he knew that there was so much left to do on this case he couldn’t bring himself to play hooky. Now as he was about to open this file, knowing there was going to be bad news waiting for him, he had wished he had made that call.



Sure enough he sighed when he read the report, “Poison?”



Rob nodded, “Yes, enough to induce a heart attack.”



“Aconite?”



Once again Rob nodded, “I don’t know much about it, except that it’s from a plant and is a clear substance.”



“So it could have easily been placed in a drink of some kind?” Rob nodded his head at the agent.



“We have our lab looking into it.” Rob stood up slowly, “We need a list of anyone who came into contact with Nadia from the time she was taken into custody until the time she died; A complete one.”



“You think someone here poisoned her?”



“You said she was afraid of us right? Maybe she had reason to be…” He opened the door and then turned to face his friend, “Oh and Kevin…for the time being let’s keep this just between you and me, obviously we can’t trust someone in the office and until he know who, it’s best to act like we know nothing.”



Kevin nodded in agreement and once again looked down at the report going over several possibilities in his mind. “Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. It couldn’t have been pre meditated though, because no one knew what was going to happen. No one knew she was going to be arrested. She wasn’t initially even going to be brought in; the only reason that happened was because she ran…unless this person knew that she would run. Of course, that’s it! Whoever did this, knew she would run away because she was already being threatened by…who? An FBI agent or someone on the police force? Either way…they knew she was going to run. They knew she’d be brought here.”



“Kev?”



Kevin looked up to see Howie standing in his doorway. “Hey D!”



“You okay? You were talking to yourself. I was afraid to interrupt.”



“Sorry, sometimes I work best when I have conversations with myself.”



Howie laughed, “I know this about you.”



“So what’s up?” He asked, placing the file down and closing it before Howie could see what was inside.



The action didn’t go unnoticed by his best friend, “Is that the autopsy report?” He asked curiously.



“Yes, but I can’t go over the results as of yet, there isn’t enough information one way or the other.”



Howie nodded, “Okay…well I was just coming in to say I think I may have found another link to that Comacho kid…”



“Really?”



“Yes, turns out he used to be good friends with Nadia’s brother. His name is Charlie and he goes to the same school as Nicky.”



“Oh excellent, you should go and bring him in for questioning, although…maybe it would be best to wait unto school let’s out.”



“It doesn’t even matter, I called the school and turns out the kid is playing hooky. He’s not at home; his mom has no idea where he is.”



“Yeah, she doesn’t seem like the kind of mother who keeps track of her child’s whereabouts, she hasn’t even called to inquire about the body yet…good work Howie, maybe we’ll have someone scope out the house and wait for him to return.”



“I can do that if you want.”



“No, that’s okay…I’ll send Marcus.”



Howie nodded, “You sure? I kind of would like to do it, since I was there when we tried to bring in his sister.”



“I think that’s why I’d prefer you stay out of it this time…”



Howie looked disappointed. “Okay Kev, I understand.”



Kevin smiled at his friend as he walked out the door.



He once again picked up the autopsy report, thinking about how hard the brother must be taking the news, especially since the mom didn’t seem to care. “Poor kid…” He said to himself as he went for cup number four.



~*~*~*~*~






Nick sat under a tree eating the lunch he packed for himself. The sun was shining bright in the sky and luckily for him, it seemed to be an unseasonably warm day. He decided to stay away from the actual playground part of the park knowing that the stay at home moms would soon be bringing their children out to play on the swings and merry go round. He knew it would be safer to stay farther into the park, so he planted himself behind a thicket of bushes and under a huge tree after using a payphone to call in sick to school, pretending that he was his brother.



He took a nice nap for a few hours, resting his head on his backpack and covering himself with his jacket. It’s probably the best sleep he had for the last month ironically. Sleeping under the trees instead of in his own room where he felt less safe.



When he woke up from his nap, he decided to take out his sketch pad and draw a little bit. It’s something he barely did anymore, but finding Patty again gave him some inspiration. It was her that he pictured in his head as he drew. Making sure he got her eyes perfect. They were so green with a hint of gray, and he smiled when he managed to see them staring back at him from the paper.



He had it bad, and that wasn’t good, but just seeing her the few times he had in the last week, made him feel so alive again. Maybe she just brought out that innocent side of him, the child he had to stop being when his mom died, or maybe it’s because he had always loved her. Whatever the case, he found himself thinking about her nonstop.



“I hate Charlie.” He felt the need to say out loud as once again he was forced to think about that idiot. He smiled as he flipped the page and drew a caricature of Patty’s boyfriend, making him half rat and half weasel.



He was certain that by now, Charlie had told Patty about the incident at the store. He also was sure that he was probably made out to be the bad guy. “She’ll believe him…God, why do they always go for the jerks?”



“Did someone say something?” He heard a voice of a man and it sounded familiar. He gasped and moved deeper behind the bushes, totally shading himself from the bench where the voice came from. “Is anyone there?” he asked once more. Nick wasn’t able to make out what he looked like but he knew for sure he had heard that voice before.



“Who are you talking to? You sound like a madman…” Another voice said, taking a seat next to man number one.



“No one… just thought I heard something coming from the bushes...did you bring it?”



“Of course I did…”



“Good, everything is in place for tonight.” The man with the familiar voice said. “I expect it will go off without a hitch.”



“It better Jack, we only have one chance to get this plan in motion…we’ve been waiting too long…”



“Relax…it’ll all work out.”



“Good, now I’m going…call me as soon as it goes down.”



“I will…see ya later!”



Once man number two left, Nick slowly tried to creep closer to the bench without being seen. From his new vantage point, he was able to see the back of the man as he opened an envelope.



Nick’s eyes grew big when he saw the stacks of hundred dollar bills fall out of the envelope and onto the man’s lap, the guy laughing like a madman the entire time. He felt exhilaration when he realized he had just stumbled onto something he shouldn’t have. It was an odd sort of feeling, like he wanted to put himself right in the middle of things. He wondered if that’s how his brother felt right before solving a big crime?



The man suddenly turned to profile and Nick instantly recognized him. It was the guy who had asked him for help at the hospital. That seemed like an odd coincidence, so much for little grandchildren huh?



“Were you waiting long?” Nick froze when he heard another familiar voice, this time a little too familiar.



“No babe, just a few minutes.”



He had to be mistaken, it couldn’t be who he thought it was…could it? Just in case he took a step backwards, “I tried to get out a little earlier but my husband wouldn’t leave me alone.”



“That bastard…” The man from the hospital said, now placing his arm around Ariana’s shoulders. “Are you sure he won’t be coming around here?”



“Are you kidding? He’s too busy doing everything his lover tells him to do.”



“You mean Richardson?”



“Who else?” She answered sarcastically. Hearing his last name, Nick tensed up and almost fell over a loose rock in the ground. The sound made both people on the bench turn around.



“There it is again…is anyone out there?” Nick stood still, even afraid to breathe too loud. If he was found that would be very very bad.



“Relax babe…you worry too much.” She said as she caressed the man’s cheek.



Nick couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It all seemed too surreal to him. He never was a fan of Ariana but he never exactly thought she would be some lousy cheat either. ‘How could she do this to Howie,’ he thought to himself as the two lovers made out on the bench.



“Is that it?” She asked when she finally pulled away from the man called Jack. She straightened out her blouse and tucked in her bra straps.



“Yes, that’s the whole thing.”



She grabbed the envelope from the man and smiled wide, moving in closer for another kiss, “This is almost too easy isn’t it?”



‘This brought things to a whole other level;’ Nick thought as he saw her take the envelope and stuff it into her purse. Not only was Howie’s wife cheating on him, but she was also doing something illegal. It had to be illegal nobody comes across that much money legally, at least not in the middle of a park.



He allowed his mind to explore many different possibilities; it could be drugs, or the mafia, or maybe gambling or robbery. Maybe Ariana had something to do with the string of robberies happening all around town.



He had such big news but one major problem, who was he going to share it with? It’s not like he could run off and tell Kevin about what had just happened. There was no way anyone would even believe him especially after finding out he was playing hooky.



He had to do something though, he couldn’t just sit on this information, Howie was like a big brother to him. He needed to know that his wife wasn’t all she was cracked up to be.



“Well, I better get back before someone misses me. Call me tonight.” She stood up and moved in for a kiss.



Nick watched as Ariana moved away from the man and back towards the entrance of the park. Yes, he had to do something, but what? He took a step back, causing a twig to crack under his weight, which got Jack up on his feet and moving towards the sound, “Who’s there?” He said sounding very sure of himself this time. “Answer me dammit!”



Not sure of what to do, Nick just turned around and bolted as fast as he could. He didn’t even look back, just got himself out of there fast as lightening hoping that he wasn’t seen. His heart was racing a mile a minute as he continued through the trees and back into the playground area of the park. Every so often looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed.



Now he really had to be extra careful. The last thing he needed was for this guy to go back and say he saw Kevin’s little brother in the park…that stopped him for a second, he did mention Kevin’s name, which means he knew who his brother was. Was it possible that back at the hospital he actually knew who he was talking to? Was it a coincidence that he was asked to help with packages?



Now that exhilaration he felt earlier had taken a turn to fear. He looked down at his watch and grew even more anxious when he saw the time. “Shit!” He said as he started to run towards the school. He didn’t realize how long he had spent watching the drama unfold on the bench but it was nearly 2:30. His brother would be there soon to pick him up and the last thing he needed was for AJ to see him running in from the other direction.



~*~*~*~*~*~




AJ sat behind the steering wheel and sighed, he felt like he had been in a dreamland ever since his girlfriend said yes. Although technically she wasn’t just his girlfriend anymore, she was his fiancée. That thought made him sigh once more, he was going to be a married man and some day even a father! One of the things he wouldn’t do as a dad is treat his son the same way his own father seemed to treat his sons.



He was kind of disappointed in his dad’s reaction to the engagement. It didn’t seem like he was legitimately happy about it. Before leaving the house last night, he even confronted his father, asked if there was something about Stacey he disapproved of. Not that if he said yes and pulled out a list it would make much of a difference, but still maybe that would kind of explain things.



His father however, didn’t have any explanation for his behavior, he said that he was more than happy about the engagement and wished them all the best. Then he turned around and went back to whatever it was he was doing in the first place.



“He’s late again…” AJ announced to the empty car, as he brought himself out of his dream world long enough to look at the clock.



Even though his father’s reaction was underwhelming, he was thrilled with how happy his brothers were for him. When they got back to his place, lying in each other’s arms, Stacey asked a good question. She had asked which brother would be the best man. He wished he had a clue, part of him instantly thought it should be Kevin, just because of his age and the fact that for his younger years, it was Kevin who was his real father figure. But then he moved to Brian. He and Brian were always closest while growing up, most times he even considered Bri not only his brother but his best friend. Now with Nick in the picture, the decision wasn’t going to be an easy one. The last few years it was the baby of the family he felt closest to. Now that Brian and Kevin were doing the same thing for a living, they seemed to bond more.



“If that’s the worst of our problems…I think life is good. Don’t you agree?” She had said right before they shut off the light, and he did agree, life was good.



“Except for one little rug rat who is never on time! Where are you?” He grunted as he watched what seemed like the last of the students make their way out of the school.



“Oh God, I hope he didn’t run into that kid.” He said as he shut off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. He had just stepped out of the car when he saw Nicky running towards him. “Where were you? I was getting worried!” AJ scolded.



“Sorry, I forgot I told you to come around the back. I came out the front entrance.” Nick answered, sounding winded from running.



“Why do you have leaves all over you?”



“Huh?” Nick took a step back and then brushed off the leaves from his pants and back, feeling stupid that he didn’t think about that until it was pointed out to him, so much for being a great detective. “Oh…I fell into a pile of leaves.”



“You’re weird.” AJ stated as he opened his door and stepped back inside.



Nick took one quick glance around, just to make sure no one was running after him, before getting into the car himself. He felt like he was carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~




Jack Roberts paced back and forth in the park, not sure if he should call anyone to let them know he was spied on. When people messed up in his profession they mysteriously ended up dead. He knew because he had aided in many of those ‘mysterious’ deaths in his time. One of them was his own mother. He had to sacrifice her though, because she was asking too many questions about his job and the people he hung around with. It all worked out in the end because she wasn’t a well woman to begin with. It was very easy for him to make it look like she had fallen sick.



He tried his best to tail the person who was eavesdropping in on his conversation but, the individual in question was a little too fast for him. One thing he did notice was a swatch of blonde.



When he walked back to where he was sitting on the bench, he found some things lying on the ground. One of which was a sketch pad and some colored pencils. “Damn artists…” He grumbled when he picked it up to scour through it. Unfortunately there was no name on it, because that would have been too easy but it clearly belonged to a kid. Probably some damn kid was playing hooky from school and had nothing better to do than to listen in on his plans.



Flipping to the very first page he stopped and stared at the face for a little bit. The girl on the paper was almost a dead wringer for Anita’s daughter. “She’ll like that…” He said as he ripped it from the sketch pad and put the rest of it in the garbage.



“Everything will be okay,” he assured himself as he took one last look behind him before heading over to his ‘girlfriend’ Anita’s house. Once this was all said and done maybe he would delight in the taste of her daughter…before they both ‘accidentally’ disappeared. On second thought…maybe he would just sit here and wait…the kid might just come back when he realizes his coloring book is missing, and then he could take care of him….accidentally of course.



~*~*~*~*~*~




“Everything alright?”



Nick looked over at his big brother and nodded slowly, now would be the time to just spill everything. Let him know about what he saw. Maybe then they could team up and tell Howie together. “What do you know about Ariana?”



That question seemed to surprise AJ, “Howie’s wife?”



“Yeah.”



“I know she’s hot.”



“Besides that…do you think she would ever…” He stopped himself when he realized he was missing something, his sketch pad was still in the bushes. In his rush he had left it there, “Oh God!”



“What?” AJ was confused by his brother’s all over the place mood.



“Uh…nothing, never mind.” He started wringing his hands nervously with his sleeves. His name was all over that sketch pad, just not in plain English, but signed very small on each sketch he ever made. If that sketch pad was found…



“AJ, do you mind if we drive over to the park?”



“Park, why?”



“Because I just need to go there, okay?” The sound of desperation in his little brother’s voice had him concerned but he decided not to press.



“Okay buddy…whatever you say.”



Nick let out a sigh of relief as the two brothers turned towards the park.

Just in case you need help remembering... go to PS chapter 17 ;O)