Ravens. Part 5

Dad was still wary. "You mind if I call my lawyer first?"

"Well, that would make it an official official visit. Which would limit what I could tell you. All I want is to run your family through a few hypotheticals. Take less than ten minutes." visit. Which would limit what I could tell you. All I want is to run your family through a few hypotheticals. Take less than ten minutes."

Mom said from her sofa, "Oh, Let him in in, Mitch. Don't be rude."

Finally Dad shrugged. "All right."

He stepped aside and the visitor came in. Mom was bustling about, straightening the room. "Mrs. Boatwright? My name is Bill Rooney and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"What can I get you?" Mom asked. "Scotch, gin and tonic? What do you like?"

"I'm good, thank you. I'd just like to talk with you all."

"All of us?"

Rooney nodded. To Jase he said, "Hi fella. You should hear this too."

They all sat. Rooney took Dad's big easy chair. He unlatched his briefcase and drew from it what looked like a case file. His every move seemed studied, deliberate.

"Well, I guess what I want to tell you," he said, "boils down to this. Be ready. Because, because everything in your lives is about to change. And this change could be a source of great joy or it could be terribly destructive."

Softspoken but fervent. Not like any bureaucrat Tara had ever seen. Terribly destructive? Terribly destructive? Was he stoned? Well, why not? If he was smart, and he seemed to be, this job had to suck a.s.s, and maybe getting baked was the only way to deal with it. The thought made her smile. Rooney saw this, and gave her a little smile back. Was he stoned? Well, why not? If he was smart, and he seemed to be, this job had to suck a.s.s, and maybe getting baked was the only way to deal with it. The thought made her smile. Rooney saw this, and gave her a little smile back.

And he reminded her a little - though maybe just at the corners of the jaw - of JCD Jr.

"Mr. Boatwright," he said, "may I ask you something? What are your plans? I mean suppose you did win the jackpot. Would you give up your business?"

"No sir. Not at all. I'd like to expand expand my business." my business."

Rooney kept smiling. "Yeah? Well. I know you think you would. But you won't. I'm sorry. I'm not calling you a liar; I'm just telling you, one night pretty soon you're going to party too much, and the next morning you'll think, what the h.e.l.l, might as well sleep in a little. Just this once. And next day you will will go back to work, but you won't be able to concentrate. Because you'll be thinking, well maybe, since I've already got all the money in the world, maybe keeping up a marginal copier business in East Jesus, Georgia, is absolutely pointless." go back to work, but you won't be able to concentrate. Because you'll be thinking, well maybe, since I've already got all the money in the world, maybe keeping up a marginal copier business in East Jesus, Georgia, is absolutely pointless."

Dad gathered himself to protest: "Actually, I'm not sure, that it's, um, appropriate for you to -"

Rooney raised a hand to silence him. "Sooner or later you'll tank it and get yourself an estate in Hawaii. Then you can all get some sun, which'll be great except you'll get too much and you'll start looking like iguanas. And you'll try to make friends but who can you trust, right? So you won't know anybody and you'll stay home and watch TV and you'll be lonely as h.e.l.l and bored out of your G.o.dd.a.m.n skulls - skulls -"

"Sir!" said Dad. "Watch your language -"

"And gorge yourself on disappointment, and bitterness, and welcome to the wonderful world of winning the jackpot. And what I'm here to tell you, all of you, is there's only one one way to save yourselves from that living death. And that's to use these riches you've been given for something good. You follow me? Bring kindness into the world. Show love. Alleviate suffering. And to h.e.l.l with the house in Hawaii. To h.e.l.l with the fancy toys and the -" way to save yourselves from that living death. And that's to use these riches you've been given for something good. You follow me? Bring kindness into the world. Show love. Alleviate suffering. And to h.e.l.l with the house in Hawaii. To h.e.l.l with the fancy toys and the -"

"Now hold on!" said Dad. His voice finally with some heft. "I won't have this foul language in my house!"

Rooney didn't even look at him. He said, "Calm down, Mitch. I'll tell you a story. About this guy I know. This guy, he's doing tech support? Little old ladies, their bridge programs won't load, he talks them through it. 'Go to All Programs, click on that.' 'Go to Add or Remove Programs, click on that.' Kind of a dumb job, a grueling job, but in all those years, it never breaks the guy. He never stops dreaming. Because he knows there are powers he can tap into. Whenever he looks at the world, he thinks, this can be a world full of beauty, this can be a rapturous rapturous world. He thinks, somehow I will find the power to bring rapture and beauty into this world. world. He thinks, somehow I will find the power to bring rapture and beauty into this world.

"So one day he's on vacation. Going south - for the first time in his life. He's on I-95, he's maybe a little jacked up on dexies. He stops at a convenience store. He goes in and discovers that in this very store a jackpot ticket has just been sold. The The ticket. And he's thinking: now here I am, I have this great dream. I have all this love; I want to bring kindness and truth and virtue to the world. But I've never had the tools before, and here a tool is set down before me -" ticket. And he's thinking: now here I am, I have this great dream. I have all this love; I want to bring kindness and truth and virtue to the world. But I've never had the tools before, and here a tool is set down before me -"

Dad suddenly rose up. His hands clenched. "Get out of my house."

"What, now?"

"I'm calling the police. Get out."

"Mitch, I'm talking about our future -"

Dad drew his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open.

But Rooney dipped his hand into his briefcase and brought out a gun.

And said, "Put the phone down."

Mom cried out.

Rooney placed the muzzle of the gun against her temple. "PUT THE f.u.c.kING PHONE DOWN!"

Dad let the phone slip through his fingers. It clattered on the floor.

Jase was crying, "MOM! MOM!" But Rooney grabbed him with one hand and pulled him close and said, "One more word and I'll kill kill your mommy, little boy. Right in front of you. So shut up." your mommy, little boy. Right in front of you. So shut up."

Jase heaved with sobs but managed to stop screaming. Rooney pushed him away again, and Tara took him into her arms.

"OK," said Rooney. "Do I have everyone's attention?"

Looking from face to face.

Then he lowered the pistol. Took a breath and slowly exhaled.

"OK then. Everything in the open. My real name is Shaw McBride. What I want is half your winnings. When I get that, I go. If you cooperate and don't fuss, then I'll leave and you'll be safe, and happy, and still rich beyond your wildest dreams." He was looking right at Tara. As though it were she and not her parents who made the decisions in this household. He said, "You understand me?"

She kept her eyes lowered. "Yes."

"You'll do what I ask?"

"Yes."

But he c.o.c.ked his head skeptically. "No, you're already scheming. I can see it. You're thinking, how can we get word to the cops? How do we make a sign to the cops so they'll come rescue us and cut this weasel down? Right? Are you scheming against me?"

She kept her eyes down. "No."

"You want to know why your scheme won't work?"

She didn't know what to say. Finally she whispered, "All right."

He commanded, "Jase. Turn out all the lights."

Jase didn't move.

"TURN OUT THE f.u.c.kING LIGHTS!"

Jase, in tears, got up and flipped the wall switch, then the lamp switch. All that remained was a trickle of feeble streetlight from the window.

Shaw McBride said, "Look out there. You see him?"

A shadow, a trace. Beneath the hickory tree.

Mom moaned in fear.

Said Shaw, "I want you to go out there, Tara."

"Out there?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why? Never f.u.c.king say 'why' to me again. Just go." Never f.u.c.king say 'why' to me again. Just go."

"I'll go with you," said Dad.

Again Shaw set the pistol's muzzle against Mom's ear. "Sit down, Mitch. This is just for Tara."

Dad considered resisting, thought better of it. Sank back down. Shaw told Tara, "Go now."

She got up and went to the door and opened it. And stepped out into the front yard. The figure beneath the tree said, "Come here."

Her breathing was no longer under control. She thought she might lose consciousness. She tried to pray, but every prayer flew from her head.

Again the man summoned her. "Come here."

Then she was with him beneath the tree. Close enough to see his face in the dark. Childish. Big soft eyes, an overbite.

She wasn't sure, but she thought he might be trembling.

He said, "Listen. If you oppose us in any way, I'll kill the people you love."

He was silent a moment. Then he said, "You believe me?"

"Yes."

"I will, I really will. Your friend Clio? I'll kill her. You hear me?"

"Yes."

"I'll kill your grandmother. That's just... f.u.c.k it. And your cousin Alfred. And your cousin Vanessa, and your uncle Shelby and his whole family. Everybody. When Shaw sends me the signal. Or if I call to check in, and he doesn't answer? I go. In whatever order I choose. You won't be able to stop me. You think I'm scared? I am am scared. All I want is to get the h.e.l.l out of here, go home. But so what. I'll do what I have to." scared. All I want is to get the h.e.l.l out of here, go home. But so what. I'll do what I have to."

She nodded.

He said, "For my friend. Not for the money. For him. I hate this whole deal, but I won't fail him."

Silence.

He said, "You don't care about the money either, do you, Tara?"

"No."

"So then. It's up to us. You and me. Not Shaw, not your parents, just us. You hear what I'm saying?"

"Yes."

Then a plaintive tone - almost begging: "So let him have what he wants."

Romeo, two hours later, was driving through the dark to Nell Boatwright's bungalow - guided by the map that Shaw had made for him. 'Points of Interest' had been marked with stars, and Nell's house was the southernmost of these. It was in an old, leafy part of town. When he got there, he pulled over across the street and cut the engine. She was in her bedroom. He saw the TV glowing, the footboard of her bed, her slippered feet. He waited. two hours later, was driving through the dark to Nell Boatwright's bungalow - guided by the map that Shaw had made for him. 'Points of Interest' had been marked with stars, and Nell's house was the southernmost of these. It was in an old, leafy part of town. When he got there, he pulled over across the street and cut the engine. She was in her bedroom. He saw the TV glowing, the footboard of her bed, her slippered feet. He waited.

Presently she rose (first carefully relocating the cat she'd been holding), waddled past another window, and showed up in what he guessed was her bathroom. He couldn't see her face, but he liked how she walked. A directness, despite her stooped carriage. There was another cat on the bathroom sill, and Nell gave it a brisk knuckle rub. Then she vanished and Romeo didn't see her till she went back to the bedroom, regathered the first cat into her arms, and lay down again.

If Shaw were to text him: Go, it would mean the Boatwrights were in open rebellion, and Romeo would have to step into her house and kill her without hesitation.

He wondered, could I do that?

I told Shaw I could. Why did I tell him that?

He stayed there watching till the old woman shut off the TV and turned out the light.

Then he drove out to Rt. 17, the main north-south drag. He went to the neighborhood called Belle Point, where Tara's Uncle Shelby and Aunt Miriam had a rangy house and a basketball hoop and a badminton net, and a big backyard that unrolled right to the edge of the marsh. According to Shaw, Shelby and Miriam had two children. In an emergency, Romeo would be expected to execute the whole family.

He headed south on 17. He put Cradle of Filth in the CD player and let the music batter his cerebrum. That crematory stink was in the air. It was so heavy he could almost taste it.

At Island View he turned off and drove to Clio's house, which bordered an empty, jungly lot. He pulled over, got out and clicked the door closed, and ventured into the palmettos. It was heavy going, and with everything so dry and brittle he couldn't help but make a racket. But all over the neighborhood air conditioners were blasting away. He doubted he'd be heard, and even if he were, he was making pretty much the same noises that a deer or a dog would make, so who would give a s.h.i.+t?

He broke through to Clio's lawn, finding himself at the back of the house. White vineflowers, and deep gra.s.s, and one lighted window. He moved till he was below this, till he could look up and see Clio in her bedroom. At her desk, her laptop. She was tall and loose-limbed. Tattoos all over her arms and that silver serpent coiling through her cheek. Shaw had shown Romeo her pics on Mys.p.a.ce. It was as if Shaw had been goading him, trying to get him hot and bothered, knowing this girl was the kind he favored. And now here she was in the flesh, wearing only a T-s.h.i.+rt and panties, her right leg tucked beneath her. She seemed to feel safe. The night pressed snugly against her window. She had posters of rock bands on the wall behind her: Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, and some band called Drive Fast & Shut Your Eyes. She wore headphones. For a moment, while she considered what next to write, she hugged herself, and this brought out the shape of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and Romeo felt anxious just looking at her.

You made her her a 'Point of Interest'? Shaw, were you kidding? How am I going to hurt a 'Point of Interest'? Shaw, were you kidding? How am I going to hurt her her?

At last the mosquitoes and no-see-ums drove him away. He pushed through the jungle again, with the bugs all over him. This was too much. This heat, this a.s.signment, these no-see-ums flying around his head; and Clio flying around, and that other girl flying around: Tara. Tara who had stood there in the dark while he'd delivered his threats, saying yes yes yes to him but not yielding an inch. If she's not scared of me, then we're f.u.c.ked. When he got back to the car the prevailing stink a.s.sailed his nostrils again, and the car was filled with dancing gnats, and every f.u.c.king thing was flying around his head.

He got back onto Rt. 17 but didn't get far before he had to stop. He pulled into the parking lot of the Rent-All store, which was illumined by one of those old snappish mercury-vapor lamps. He opened his door and leaned out over the pavement. His dinner came tumbling out, blue as laundry. He stayed doubled up a while, breathing in the reek, thinking he might hurl again, but he didn't. After a while he wiped his mouth and drove on. He found a gas station called Happy Times, and in the men's room he gargled and brushed his teeth. Then he went back on patrol. No time off. Have to keep working. According to Shaw's great plan I have to keep moving at all times.

Shaw awoke from a thousand-eyed nightmare. House full of enemies, enemies everywhere. His heart swinging wildly in its cage. awoke from a thousand-eyed nightmare. House full of enemies, enemies everywhere. His heart swinging wildly in its cage.

He groped on the bed beside him till he found his Walther .32 autoloader, and let his fingers close around the handle. He sat up. Peering into the gloom. Where am I? Somebody's in here with me. Somebody's breathing. I see him. A malicious presence, glowing. Should I shoot? Kill him before he kills me?

Finally it came to him: the kid.

Jase. This was Jase's room, and Shaw was in Jase's bed while the kid himself slept on a cot. The Boatwrights, the jackpot: it all rushed back.

Except for the kid's breathing, everything was silent.

But he knew they were awake. They were just waiting for their chance.

Ah G.o.d.