CHAPTER SEVEN
"That's it? That's it? My life is decided in less than an hour?" Donnie stared at his lawyer.
"That's it," Mr. Eckstein said.
"He…He really doesn't have to worry about anything?" Evelyn asked in disbelief.
"Aside from making meetings with his probation officer, no," Eckstein said. "And I'm sure that among myself, his uncle, and his friends, Donnie won't miss any of those."
"How…how am I going to pay you?" Donnie asked.
Eckstein smiled. "Don't worry. In exchange for a promise that you won't sue for the violation of your rights and your treatment in prison, the officials at Tate and the county are covering all the court costs and your legal fees. But if you change your mind, Donnie, you've got a very strong case against them. And against that sham of a judge."
Donnie shook his head. "No…I want to get this behind me. Thank you, Eck…Thank you so much."
The lawyer shook the young man's hand. "It was a pleasure, Donnie. I rarely get a case where the defendant is so worthy of my efforts. And it gave me a chance to pay back your uncle."
Alex felt dizzy with relief. She saw the prosecuting attorney skulking away. She shook her head. "This case," she said to Bobby. "It barely lasted long enough for him to bother coming here."
"Yea," Bobby said softly. "Fortunately for Donnie, Tate and the county had no interest in reopening this case."
"I think the prosecutor didn't expect Donnie to have so much and so well organized support," Alex said. "The judge seemed impressed by the fact he had a job and a place to live. Not to mention the renowned psychiatrist and NYPD Captain in his corner."
Bobby smiled wanly. "Yea. But you gotta wonder how many guys are in prison because they don't have an uncle in the NYPD. Or what would have happened if Frank had called me…" He stared at the ground. "Excuse me…I need to thank some people…"
Mr. Eckstein enthusiastically shook Bobby's hand as Donnie shook Ross' hand. Alex heard the Captain's words to the young man.
"Your uncle has done a lot for you," Ross said. "You have a lot to live up to."
"Yes, Sir," Donnie agreed.
"Remember…He was willing to give up his career…Maybe his sanity…"
"I…I've heard that," Donnie said. "I…I'm going to do everything I can to show him and everyone that I'm worth it."
"Good," Ross said. "Good."
"Hey," Lewis announced. "We're going to have a little celebration, courtesy of Lewis' Auto Repair and Restoration. Everyone's welcome."
"I'm sorry," Ross said. "I can't come…Someone has to run Major Case."
"Thank you, Captain," Bobby said quietly.
"You're welcome, Detective," Ross replied. "He seems to be a good kid. I hope that if one of my sons ever gets into trouble that he has someone like you in his corner."
"They will," Bobby said. "They'll have you."
Ross stood for a moment. "Thank you," he said when he could trust his voice. "And I hope things work out for your nephew."
Things did work out for Donnie in the next few months, and his nephew's progress in turn helped Bobby. There were a couple of setbacks. Sent home to check on Donnie by a worried phone call from Lewis, Bobby discovered the young man in a manic episode. Donnie had removed most of Bobby's books from their shelves in a frantic effort to find something. Alex watched in admiration as Bobby calmed the younger man and persuaded him to visit his psychiatrist. Donnie spent the night in the hospital, and the doctor watched him closely for a couple of weeks while his medication was adjusted. Alex thought Bobby might have suffered more than his nephew through the episode.
On another night, Bobby's cell phone rang as Alex drove them away from a crime scene. From what she heard of the conversation, Alex learned that Donnie and several coworkers had gone out to celebrate the completion of a difficult project. They were all somewhat the worse for their celebrating.
"Don't worry, Donnie," Bobby spoke into his phone. "You did the right thing. It's no problem for me to get you…No, it's ok. It's good that you trust me. What's the address? Ok…ok…I'll be there as soon as I can. You got a phone number where I can reach you? Ok…Just stay put…And drink something nonalcoholic…It's ok, kid…Not a problem…." Bobby hung up and stared at his phone. "Oh, damn…I keep forgetting I don't have a car anymore…"
"I'll drive," Alex said. "We can pick my car up at the office…"
"Eames…"
"Is Donnie in trouble?"
"No," Bobby sighed. "But he's in no shape to drive, even if he could borrow a car. And he hasn't got enough money for a cab. And the people with him are in the same shape. Eames, I can have him get a cab and then pay it off when he gets home…"
"I don't mind," Alex insisted. "We can talk about this case. And if you need any help, I'll be there."
Bobby didn't need any help with Donnie, who was remarkably cheerful and pliant when drunk, although he was inclined to profusely thanking his uncle for everything. Two of Donnie's less than sober companions joined Alex, Bobby, and Donnie, and Alex feared for her car's interior at several points during the drives to their homes. But they managed to get everyone home before any incidents.
"I'm sorry, Bobby," Donnie mumbled after they deposited the second of the inebriated young men. "And you, Ms. Eames. I…I know I shouldn't…can't…drink…because of the meds and being on probation…Things got out of hand…"
"It's ok," Bobby assured him. "You did the right thing. You kept yourself and your friends from getting into trouble or hurting anyone."
"You…You're not going to kick me out? Or give me a lecture?"
Alex sensed Donnie had been kicked out of a lot of places and given a lot of lectures. She wondered how many came from Frank.
"Kicking you out for this would be pretty extreme," Bobby said. "And deprive me of a good cook. As for a lecture, well, you know what you did. And I suspect you may have a pretty nasty hangover tomorrow morning."
"I…I could use a bite," Alex ventured. "And the longer we keep Donnie up and the more fluids we put into him, the less the hangover."
"You…You sure, Eames?" Bobby asked.
"Absolutely." Alex glanced back at Donnie. "If our passenger's up to it."
"I think so," Donnie mumbled. "As long as I don't have to walk too far."
These two incidents were the only troubling moments. Donnie worked hard, and, encouraged by and funded partially by a loan from Lewis, he attended a community college to get his auto repair certification. Donnie also took other courses, including some in accounting. He found the subject interesting and performed well enough that Lewis began to assign him some duties in the office as well as the garage. "He's almost as smart as you are, Bobby," Lewis told his old friend. Donnie gained a wide circle of friends—he had inherited his father and uncle's charm—and even went out on a couple of tentative dates. His sessions with the psychiatrist continued to go well, and the new medications helped him without bad side effects.
It may have been the dates, or a desire to be more independent, or a wish to be less of a burden to Bobby, or a combination of all of those factors, but Donnie began to consider getting his own place. Bobby argued against the idea, noting that Donnie didn't have the money for a decent place. Donnie acknowledged this, but pointed out that getting a place closer to the garage would save on bus, subway, and cab fare. Lewis finally settled the matter by offering Donnie the empty space above the garage.
"I planned to turn it into an extra office," Lewis explained when he proposed the idea. "Or even a lounge like place where I could grab a nap. It's not big enough for storage, and it's already got plumbing and wiring. If Donnie's willing to clean it up and call the cops if he hears anything, I can give it to him rent free and claim he's working security."
On a cold, wet, October morning, Alex found herself driving her brother's borrowed pickup truck and helping to move Donnie and his few possessions.
"Wow," she said as she deposited a box and surveyed the space. "This is better than I expected."
"Yea," Donnie said excitedly. "Bobby helped me clean it…That's where we've been the last couple of nights. The fridge is only a mini, and the bathroom doesn't have a tub, but there's a small stove and it's clean. I'll need to get some furniture…Like a bed…But I'll be ok…"
Bobby sat another box on the floor. "We're going to haunt the second hand stores," he said. He seemed to be taking as much pleasure in the new rooms as his nephew. "And Donnie's promised to come back and see me to make sure I get some good, home cooked meals."
Donnie grinned. "Yea, you're not getting rid of me."
Over the next days, bits of furniture entered Donnie's place. Bookshelves made of cinder blocks and boards appeared. An old wardrobe discarded by one of Alex's sisters appeared to act as a closet. Mismatched chairs and a chest of drawers showed up as a result of trips to used furniture stores. Alex joined Donnie and Bobby on some of these trips, and was amused to discover the two men spent more time examining the used book and CD shelves than furniture. Donnie splurged on a small TV and a combination radio/CD player. Some of those used CDs and books joined the appliances on the shelves along with several plants Evelyn gave her son. Bobby and Donnie fashioned a large desk from two abandoned sawhorses and an old door. Posters of cars decorated the walls, and photos of Donnie's family and friends dotted the rooms.
"Looks a lot like my first place," Alex said one day to Evelyn. "I even had a couple of car pictures."
Evelyn, who visited her son regularly thanks to Bobby's help and encouragement, smiled. "I'm amazed he's keeping it so clean."
The two women watched as Bobby and Donnie carefully placed a large lamp together.
"I was so wrong about him…about Bobby," Evelyn said softly. "He didn't know anything about Donnie, did he?"
"Not until that day Frank told him," Alex answered.
Evelyn clenched her fists at her sides. "God…How could I be so stupid. He…He never told the truth. Never. You must think I'm terribly dumb."
"No," Alex said. "I've seen men and women do…well, not very bright things. You're not the worst by a long shot. It…I have to admit…It hurt Bobby…If he'd known about Donnie…He would've helped…And his Mom…She would've been thrilled to know she had a grandchild…It would've meant so much to her."
"I…I don't understand," Evelyn said. "Why did Frank keep him away? Why did he lie about Bobby? If…If he cared about Donnie and me at all?"
Alex shook her head. "I don't know. Bobby…Bobby thinks Frank wanted to keep him as a last resort…To hold Donnie in reserve. I think Frank wanted people to think that Bobby was the villain…The cause of his problems. But I've given up trying to figure out Frank beyond seeing him as an addict who couldn't see beyond his next fix."
"He wasn't always like that," Evelyn said. "He could be charming…He was so bright…When we first met…" The memories seemed to calm her. "But now…If it wasn't for Donnie, I could wish that I'd never met him."
"Donnie's a good kid," Alex said. "You raised him well."
"I tried to," Evelyn sighed. "I wish I would've known about this bipolar business. I could've helped him. Bobby's helped with that so much."
"Bobby's had a lot of experience with mental illness," Alex said sadly. "But at least he got a chance to help Donnie."
Donnie needed less of Bobby's help as time went by, and both his uncle and Alex saw less of the young man. When they did see him, Donnie was calmer, more confident, more independent.
"I wish there was something I could do for him," Donnie told Alex one of the few evenings she saw him. "I know…I know that by getting myself together…That's a great thing… But I wish I could do more…Something practical…"
"Too bad you can't build him a car," Alex said ruefully. "I know it hurt him to give up the Mustang."
"He ask about it? Talk about it?"
Alex shook her head. "It's like it never existed. But we passed by a beautiful one the other day—same color as his—and he looked at it for a long time."
"Uh," Donnie said and catalogued the information in his head.
"You miss Donnie," Alex told Bobby as she drove him home that night.
"Yea…I do," Bobby admitted. "Even if he was the first roommate I've had since leaving the Army…And his taste in music is…suspect."
Alex smiled. "We're getting old, Bobby. We don't know anything about popular music and don't like what we do know about it."
"Yea." Bobby stared out the car window. "But it was good to come home and just shoot the breeze with the kid."
Alex eased her car to a stop in front of Bobby's building. Cold air blasted into it when Bobby opened the passenger door. He wore only a suit jacket, and he shivered with the cold.
"You need to wear a coat," Alex gently chided him.
"My leather jacket really doesn't work with a suit," Bobby shrugged. "And the rain coat doesn't help much…"
Alex watched him with a heavy weight in her heart as he scurried away to the shelter of his building.
END CHAPTER SEVEN