Taking matters into your own hands
Kevin picked out a book and laid on Nicky’s bed knowing that his baby brother would crawl beside him, which he did. He opened the book I Love You Forever, a real Richardson classic and began to read while Nick yawned next to him and that’s how they fell asleep until Brian came walking into the room at around 3:30 in the afternoon.
Kevin opened his eyes when he heard the door creak open, only to find an amused Brian staring at them, “Sometimes I wish I had a camcorder attached to my head.”
“Hey B…God you’re home already? What time is it?”
“It’s late and you still look like crap. Are you upchucking anymore?”
“No, my stomach feels better.”
“What about the little squirt?”
“He still feels warm,” Kevin said as he touched Nick’s forehead making the child moan and move positions.
“That’s why I’m up here. I was summoned by the boss to give him Tylenol.” Brian took the bottle out of his pocket as if he had to give proof.
“The boss?”
“Yes she might as well call me Igor because I feel like her little slave most of the time. I’m in the house for ten minutes and she’s all like Brian go bring this to your brother…make sure they both don’t need anything. So I said ‘yes master’ and came up here,” Brian said slouching over the bed and lightly tapping Nicky awake.
The child opened his eyes and pouted when he saw Brian standing over him, tears falling from his eyes.
“I don’t feel good Brian.”
“Nick quit with the crocodile tears, you weren’t crying before.” Brian winked at the little boy and did his Igor impersonation tickling Nick’s neck with his head as he rubbed against him. It worked because within minutes the boy was laughing himself silly. Slowly Kevin sat up bringing Nick along with him and sat Nick on his lap as Brian handed him his aspirin.
Brian sat beside him and felt his head, “Wow you really do have a fever squirt…I’m sorry you feel crappy!”
“Don’t say crap that’s a bad word! Crap sucks!”
Kevin shook his head as Brian laughed, “AJ taught you well my young one.” He ruffled Nick’s hair.
“Yeah too well, is he home yet Brian?” Kevin countered, still shaking his head and wiping the sleep away from his eyes.
“I think I heard him singing in the bathroom.”
“Nice.”
“Brian, can I sleep in your room tonight?”
“Nick you know I’d let you but I can’t afford to get sick…maybe we’ll have a camp out in the backyard this weekend okay?” Kevin smiled at the exchange between his siblings.
“Okay,” he said disappointed but jumped off Kevin’s lap and hugged Brian anyway.
Brian looked over at Kevin and smiled.
“I’m too sexy for my cat...too sexy for my cat…” They all looked over at the door as AJ strutted in, “Hey guys.”
“Is that what you were singing in there?”
“Yup, it’s my shittin’ song.”
“That’s more info than what I needed.” Brian shook his head ready to leave the room.
“Shittin’…too funny!” Nick said giggling.
“Nick!” All three brothers said at once.
“What?”
“Don’t say that word that’s what.” AJ replied as he walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. “I am sexy,” he said randomly.
“Just curious J, do you ever just keep your thoughts in your head?”
“Never Brian.”
“Yeah that’s what I thought.”
Brian watched as his youngest brother took his chewable Tylenols and then chased them down with water, making a disgusted face as he swallowed. “You’ll feel better in no time flat Nick.”
Once again the blonde pouted, ready to cry as he clung to Brian, “Stay with me.”
“Aw I can’t buddy, I have homework to do, but I’ll be back later, maybe AJ and Kevin will keep you company.”
“No can do little chief, I have to study for a test tomorrow.”
“Wow study? I’m impressed.”
“Yeah Kev, I study believe it or not.” AJ rolled his eyes at his older brother.
“Kevin will you stay?”
“I should probably head back home Nicky.”
“But I don’t want you to go back home you aren’t safe at home. The bad man might get you.” Both Brian and AJ looked over at Kevin with worried glances.
“Bad man?” Brian finally asked, hoping his older brother wasn’t hiding anything from his siblings.
“It’s nothing B, the kid over heard a phone call.”
“You were scared Kevin.” Now Nick was in tears and this time they were the real deal as he continued, “and I don’t want you to go home where the bad man can get you.” Kevin wasn’t sure where this was all coming from but he also knew that he wouldn’t able to fool Brian. He already felt the 18 year old’s eyes boring into his head as he tried consoling Nick.
Kevin placed his hand on Nick’s back and rubbed, “No one’s going to get me baby okay? Lie down and get some sleep, I’ll stay here with you until you fall asleep.”
“Promise you won’t go.” Kevin smiled as he looked into his baby brother’s little blue eyes. Brian was right the kid had him wrapped around his little fingers.
“I promise…I’ll stay here okay?” Nick nodded but didn’t smile instead just rested his head against Kevin’s chest and closed his eyes.
By the time Nick had fallen back to sleep, Brian and AJ had long since left the room but once Kevin emerged, Brian took no time in confronting him about what just happened.
“Kevin?” Kevin turned and smiled at Brian as he kept walking towards AJ’s room to take a nap. Of course the 18 year old followed him and closed the door behind him when they both reached their destination.
“Mind telling me what Nicky was talking about?”
“I have no idea Brian.”
“The thing is… I think you do Kevin.”
“Look, it has nothing to do with anything anymore okay? I was on this case that was a little dangerous but now I’m off of it, so stop worrying.” Kevin plopped down on the bed as Brian sat across from him at AJ’s desk.
“So it’s all in the past then?”
Kevin nodded, “Yup, it’s over and done with. He heard me arguing about my old case, nothing more. I’m kind of tired now Bri so if you don’t mind…”
“Okay sure, just wanted to make sure you weren’t in trouble.”
“I’m not.” He lied; closing his eyes to make sure his brother wasn’t able to tell.
“Well I’ll leave you alone then; I don’t want to get sick although I wouldn’t mind a day off of school.”
“Bye Brian.”
Once Brian left the room Kevin fell once more into a deep sleep.
The next day even though it was advised that Kevin should take the day, he found himself back at work, much to the dismay of a still sick younger brother who all but had a temper tantrum to try to get him to stay at home.
“I don’t want you to go!” Nick was shouting almost near hysterics as he cried.
“I have to go back to work Nick.”
“But the bad man…”
“There is no bad man.” Kevin had reassured his baby brother finally kissing the top of his head and letting him cry as he walked away.
Jackie had watched the scene unfold horrified about what was going on. She had so many questions. If only she had asked.
All she managed to do was kiss her son on the forehead and once again ask him if he was sure he felt good enough to save the world. He laughed and said his cape won’t fit anyone else unfortunately so it was him or no one. So she hugged him tight and waved as he walked to his car. If Kevin had only known that scene was one of the last bits of normalcy his life would have for a long time, maybe he would have bathed in the moment a little longer.
He had called Howie in the morning to tell him that in fact he would be at work. He made sure to ask about Tyler and what he had found concerning the phone number, but Howie said that Tyler took the number looked at it, placed it in his pocket and walked away.
Of course Kevin found that behavior suspicious, so within minutes of being back in the office he found himself knocking on Tyler’s door.
Tyler looked up from his mound of paperwork and half smiled when he saw Kevin standing in his doorway. “Hey there, feeling better? I heard you were under the weather.”
“Much better thanks…I was just dropping in to see what you found after getting that number.”
He motioned for Kevin to come inside and close the door which he did as he promptly sat down across from the man who stole his case. It was wrong of Kevin to think that way, he realized that but still, he couldn’t help himself. There was a part of him that knew that Tyler was brimming with happiness now that he had the most high profile case they were working on.
“Yeah about that number…Kevin I’m not worrying about that right now.”
“What?” He couldn’t hide his disbelief at what he just heard, full aware that his voice rose to a level of disdain.
“It’s just that I can’t see getting my men on a phone number unless there is something to back it up.”
“Tyler, he told me to get back on the case, what else do you need?”
“But Kevin how can you be sure it was him? I mean it could have been anybody. Did he call you by name?”
“No, but it was him, I recognized his voice.”
“But you were also sick as a dog. It’s possible you maybe were hearing things? Anyway I just can’t risk the man power to get the paperwork needed to go see this guy based on a hunch.”
“Then let me do it.”
“Absolutely not, you have your own case to worry about.”
“Did you at least put this guy’s name through our computer to see if anything came up?”
Tyler stood up and walked over to his filing cabinet seeming more like now he was entertaining a bored child then talking to a colleague.
“Of course I did and it came up spotless, the guy doesn’t even have a traffic ticket Kevin,” he said handing the file of Jack Roberts over to Kevin who looked at the findings while shaking his head. Tyler was right, the guy had a clean record, in fact he had actually gotten a certificate of merit once for saving a babies life. Now if that wasn’t ironic Kevin wasn’t sure what would be.
“You know, even good guys go bad Tyler.”
“Kevin I know how badly this case got to you, but don’t worry about it anymore. Look if this guy calls you again…we’ll pursue it okay?”
“Did you ever find out anything more about the girl who said she was visiting me?”
“I have two people working on that actually, once I know you’ll know…okay?” That last okay was an all too familiar one, it was loaded with sarcasm, ‘if there’s anything else you want to bother me with? Speak now and I’ll shake that off too,’ it said.
Finally Kevin nodded and smiled, “Thanks Tyler,” he said getting up and shaking his hand.
When he made his way back to his office, Howie was sitting at the desk waiting for him, “So you are looking okay, feeling better?”
“Tyler is a dick.”
“Okay... I take that as a yes?” Howie laughed blowing on his coffee.
“I think we should go talk to this Roberts guy.”
“Why?”
“Because Tyler is blowing the entire thing off, I don’t want this to be a missed opportunity Howie.”
“But Rob took you off the case.”
“I don’t care, Rob isn’t the one that has some psycho calling his cell phone, I am.”
Kevin bit at his bottom lip while he thought it over, then finally he nodded, “I think I’m going to go visit this guy and see what he has to say.”
“Kevin you can’t do that it’s too dangerous.”
“I’m just going to ask him questions D, not a big deal and besides he happens to live on the way to one of the banks we need to go to anyway.”
“I don’t know man…”
“You don’t have to come with me Howie; I just need to check it out. I will forever hate myself if I didn’t check and this guy had a little girl in his basement torturing her or something.”
“If you go I go brother.” Howie said taking Kevin’s shoulder and squeezing it tight.
“Thanks man.” He said grabbing his jacket, “Let’s go see what this Jack Roberts guy is all about.”
Howie nodded and followed Kevin out the door.
Be back on Wednesday with a new chapter ;)
