Shortly after that, I had the garage door open and was doing some tidying in there when I realized someone was standing by the front of the truck. It gave me a start.
“Morning,” Joan Mueller said. “You’re up awful early today. Most days, I don’t see you heading out until nearly eight. I guess you’re pretty shook up and all.”
“Yes,” I said.
“Did the police tell you I saw a car?”
“They did. Thank you for your help.”
“Well, I don’t know how much help I was. I didn’t see much. No license plate or anything like that. How’s Kelly?”
“Like you said, we were both pretty shook up.”
“Who’d do such a thing? Shoot at a window? You know what I think it was? I bet it was just kids goofing around. Stupid, stupid kids, you know? Would you like a coffee? I just started a pot and I’d be happy to go get you some.”
I shook my head. “I’ve got a few things to do, Joan. And you must have kids getting dropped off soon.”
“What if, and this is a huge thing to ask, but what if I brought you over a coffee when Mr. Bain drops off Carlson? Would you have any problem with that? He still kind of has me worried, that man does, and the more he gets the idea that I’ve got someone next door looking after me-and I’m not saying that’s what you’re actually doing because I sure wouldn’t want to impose or anything-the more I think he’s not going to give me a hard time about anything I might have heard his son say about his mom falling down the stairs the other day, if you get my drift. Maybe if you’re sort of standing out here at the front of your garage and when he comes you can wander over and say something like ‘Hey, where’s that coffee you promised me?’ ”
I sighed. Even without the events of the night before, I would have been exhausted.
“Sure,” I said.
I saw the red Explorer pull in to the drive about fifteen minutes later. Carl Bain, dressed in what looked like the same suit I’d seen him in the other day, came around the truck and opened the back door to free his son from the straps of the safety seat. I started walking over, looking down at the lawn as though I hadn’t even noticed him.
As we both neared the front door, I looked up and said, “Oh, hey. Morning.”
“Morning,” he said. His son said nothing.
“Just, uh… Joan told me to grab a coffee if I felt like it.” I felt like a damn fool. How had I allowed myself to be talked into this?
The door swung open and Joan stood there smiling, a mug already in her hand. “Well, if it isn’t the three strongest, handsomest men I know. Morning, Carlson! How are you today?”
The boy maintained his silence as he slipped into the house. Joan handed me my coffee. “There you go, neighbor. How are you today, Mr. Bain?”
He shrugged. “See you around six.”
“Okay then, well, you boys have a super day.” With that, Joan closed the door on both of us. Me standing there with a stupid cup of coffee as Bain started back for his Explorer.
No more, I thought. I won’t be dragged into this again. This has to be dealt with.
“Hey,” I said. “Wait up.”
Bain stopped and turned. “Yeah?”
“This is… this is awkward. Joan-Ms. Mueller-she’s been feeling kind of on edge lately.”
He looked instantly concerned. “She okay? She’s not gonna stop babysitting, is she? It took me a long time to find someone, and Carlson, he’s real happy here and-”
“No, it’s nothing like that. She… she has the idea you might be concerned about something with regard to your wife. I don’t know anything about you, Mr. Bain, and I don’t know what goes on in your home, but you need to know that Ms. Mueller never made any calls to anyone about-”
“What the hell are you getting at? What about my wife?”
I’d regretted agreeing to Joan’s stunt about the coffee, and was quickly starting to regret wading into this conversation. “All I’m saying is, if there are problems between you and your wife, if someone’s been to see you about rumors, I hope you’re getting the help you need, but you have to know that Joan-”
“I don’t know what the hell this is about, pal, but if you know something about my wife, and where I might find her, I’d love to hear it. Otherwise, mind your own goddamn business.”
That stopped me short. “Where you might find her?”
“Christie took off shortly after Carlson was born,” he said bitterly. “Ran off on both of us. I haven’t seen that woman in nearly four years. Carlson hasn’t seen her since he was four months old. He wouldn’t know that woman if she got her own show on the Disney Channel.”
I could have gone back and knocked on Joan Mueller’s door and asked her what the hell was going on, why she was playing me this way, whether she’d simply lost her mind, but I had a better plan. Stay as far away from her as possible.
When Kelly was eating her frosted flakes, I said, “After you get back from staying with your grandmother, you won’t be going to Ms. Mueller’s house after school anymore.”
“Why not?”
“She’s got enough kids to look after.” And I wasn’t so sure she should be looking after them, but I had my own problems right now. “We’ll check into an after-school program or something.”
