I wasn't sure I'd get this up tonight, but yea! I did :) Thanks for the reviews and thanks to all for reading. Let me know what you think!
Legal statement still counts.
Chapter 25: Some News From Green
Bobby worked the small ball around in front of him with his hockey stick, as he ran towards the trash can they had set up to mark the goal next to the neighbor's car. Jack and Craig had been playing pretty good. He was surprised at how much more confidence Craig seemed to display on the blacktop than he did on the ice. That needed some work, the teen was actually pretty damn good when he felt more at ease, and he could be a damn good hockey player, a real hockey player. Of course that was what Bobby lived for, turning his brothers into damn good hockey players. Playing in the street was more for fun and didn't have to be as serious as a full game on the ice; maybe that difference had something to do with it.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that he just wasn't so serious while playing in the middle of the street himself and it put less pressure on the boy. He knew he needed to be more careful how he dealt with him when he was trying to teach him something new, and he would slowly work his way into that, but he was going to make the Mercer team became a team of five by the time the next Turkey Cup came up, that was a promise he made to himself while they were running up and down the street like three small children.
Bobby had already scored twice, and Jack had managed to score once. Craig had come close to a goal, but Bobby had cheated by dropping his stick in the middle of the street, running up to him, grabbing him around the waste and swinging him around once. After dropping him back to his feet he'd grabbed the boy's stick and raced Jack to the ball and had scored one of his two goals.
Now Bobby was trying to add some points to his count, with Jack and Craig both on him. He was dodging Jack's attempts at stealing the ball when out of nowhere Craig came at him, dropping his stick and jumping into him from behind, latching onto his back with his arms holding him around his shoulders and his legs wrapping around his waist. It had the desired effect; it practically stopped the senior Mercer in his tracks, causing him to lose the ball. Jack took the opportunity and picked the ball up for as casual a goal as one could get.
Normally Bobby would have been pissed, but hell, this was street hockey, and they were doin' this for fun. It felt could to hear Craig laughing and enjoying himself for a change. They needed to keep him laughing as much as possible. What was it his mother had always said? Laughter is soothing for the soul? Yeah, most people said shit like, 'laughter is the best medicine', but Evelyn Mercer had always had a way of making some things seem just a little deeper.
Bobby feigned irritation. "What is this? You can't jump on me; that's a foul!" He cried out while reaching up and grabbing the boy's arms. He did a quick spin around to his right, making several rotations before stopping and letting Craig climb down to the ground.
"Well you picked me up before, and that wasn't a foul." Craig argued, but he obviously knew his big brother was joking, because he was smiling himself.
"Hell, he's just pissed that we scored again." Jack called from a few feet away. He was breathing hard. They had been playing strong for a good thirty minutes now, and all of them were showing signs of getting tired.
Jack and Bobby had both stripped out of their coats almost immediately because of the warming air, but Bobby wouldn't let Craig, and there was a sweat on his brow now. The last thing Bobby wanted was for either one of his little brothers to end up getting sick.
"You ready for a break?" Bobby asked Jack. His little brother's face held a strained expression.
"Yeah, I think so; I'm not used to this anymore." Jack nodded his head.
"But we just tied the game." Craig spoke up.
"Yeah, we tied, but I need to take a break kid." Jack forced a deep breath. "Okay?"
Craig nodded his head. "Okay."
"Yeah, we can finish this later. You go put that trash can back on the curb." Bobby pointed to their goal.
Craig ran over to grab the trash can while Bobby picked his and Craig's sticks up out of the street. Bobby almost wished some neighborhood kids would come out so Craig would have someone to play with. Jack could go in, and Bobby could watch them from the front steps, like he used to when Craig was smaller. None of the kids had ventured out yet. It was only ten o'clock, and most of them were probably using their Christmas break from school to stay up later than they normally would be allowed, and sleeping in until noon.
Jack walked over to Bobby and glanced over at Craig. "He seems okay now. You think he is?" He looked back at Bobby. "I mean, we could stay out here a little longer if he really needs to."
Bobby shook his head. "He's good Jack. Thanks for coming out with us. You don't need to make yourself sick again by over doing it. Don't over due it because you feel guilty either. You hear me?" The sound of the metal can grinding against the street finish grated against both men's ears. "Craig, pick it up!" Bobby called out and looked over to where the teen was dragging the offensive object across the street.
Craig picked the can up and continued walking towards the curb. Bobby and Jack walked over to Bobby's car and grabbed their coats off the hood. All three met up on the sidewalk and were heading for the front porch when the sound of a car engine and a honking horn drew their attention. Bobby turned first, to see Jeremiah's car stopped at the corner. He looked at Jack and Craig. "You two go on in." He handed Craig the hockey sticks he'd been carrying. "Good game kid." He grinned at him.
Craig grinned back while he took the sticks before following Jack into the house. Bobby was glad he'd thought to tell him he'd played good. He needed to remember to tell him when he did well, no matter what it was. Craig needed to build up some self esteem, he didn't seem to have much confidence in anything he did except his drawing.
Bobby turned to watch Jerry park in front of his car. "What the hell you doin' here in the middle of the morning little brother, ain't you got work you're supposed to be doin' so that your bum assed brothers got jobs after the New Year?" He called out with a grin on his face as soon as Jerry got out of the car.
"You ain't been answering the phone." Jerry didn't respond to Bobby's joke.
"Yeah, well we've been out here playing in the fucking street, it's a little hard to hear the phone from here. Angel's in the house though." Bobby cocked his thumb towards the house as he spoke. "What's goin' on?" He could see a serious look on Jerry's face.
Jerry opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment another car pulled up, right behind Bobby's car. Green got out and shut the door carefully. "Good morning." He shot a smile towards Jerry and then to Bobby.
Bobby looked from Jerry to Green and then back to Jerry. "Okay, do we need to have this conversation out here?" He asked cautiously.
"Maybe, I don't know what all you want Craig to hear." Jerry managed a small grin.
"What's up Jerr'?" Bobby repeated his earlier question. He could feel his body growing tense, but he tried to fight down the immediate worry that was building.
Jerry looked over at Green. "Green called me about an hour ago. I tried to call you, he tried to call you, but no one would pick up. I was starting to get worried. Did you put the phone on the fucking charger?" He looked back to Bobby with an irritated look on his face. "You know, it don't do much good to own a phone if you ain't gonna let it charge enough that it's gonna work."
"Damn it Jerry, just tell me what the fuck is goin' on." Bobby was getting more worried now. If Green was there it had to be something to do with Macks. Did they drag the pond? The warm up should have hit Ohio as well, though he hadn't watched the news to check out the weather, he was just assuming. If they dragged the pond, what had they found? Was there a body at the bottom of all that muck and silt in the bottom? Had they pulled Mack out of his frozen tomb or had there been a body to pull out at all?
Green started pulling off his black leather gloves. "I expect a cup of coffee; you do know that, don't you?" He looked at Bobby with a blank expression.
"You know what; you can have a whole fucking pot of coffee, after you tell me what the hell is going on. Do I need to lock the kid up in the house for the next ten years to keep him safe?" Bobby was starting to move past irritated, and onto pissed. This wasn't the kind of shit that needed to be joked about. He needed to know if he was going to be going on a hunting trip to rid the world of Adam Macks or if the man was already dead.
Green grinned. "Calm down Bobby, this is good news." He shoved his gloves into his pocket.
Bobby gave Green a sideways look, and then shifted his eyes to find Jerry. He wasn't sure if he believed the cop or not, but if his brother confirmed it he would accept it.
Jerry nodded his head and let a big smile cross his face. "Hell yeah it's good news."
"They dragged the pond late yesterday. They got a body. It's been messed up pretty bad. Fish have been nibbling on it." Green drew in a deep breath. "There has been no positive ID on the body yet, but they do have a body now."
Bobby felt relief run through his body. It started as a warm sensation in the back of his head and seemed to travel down through his blood, relaxing some muscles he hadn't known were tense until that moment. A body had been dragged up out of the bottom of that pond, and there seemed to be little doubt that it was Macks. This wasn't just good news, this was fucking great news. He turned to Jerry, not sure exactly what to say.
"Now, can I have that pot of coffee?" Green leaned towards Bobby a bit. "There is some more I need to talk to you about."
Bobby stared at Green for a moment. "Get your ass in the house Green. I'll get the coffee goin'." He gave his head a nod towards the house.
Bobby let Jerry lead Green into the house. He wasn't surprised when Jerry stopped in the living room to check on Jack and Craig, who had decided to join Angel in playing the game system that had been so popular among all of the brothers on Christmas day. Bobby took Green's coat and hung it up on the rack in the foyer before leading the man on to the kitchen. He pointed to the kitchen table. "Have a seat officer. The Mercer home is your home." He was being a smart ass and it came out in his voice, he knew it, but some old habits seemed to die hard.
Green laughed and sat at the table. "Damn Bobby, you still got no trust in me, do you?" He didn't seem the least bit offended. "Hell, I don't blame you. Most of the cops in this town have given everyone a reason to fucking doubt us all. That's too bad too, because there are few of us good guys left."
Bobby sighed as he poured water into the coffee maker and then set about fixing the filter. "No offense Green, I just can't help thinking about the badge in your pocket. You might be one of the good guys, but you got rules you gotta go by, even if it means letting the real scum loose on the streets and bustin' the small time hoods." Bobby muttered. "Look at how long Sweet went about his business without as much as a fucking slap on the wrist."
"I know what you mean, but believe it or not, we do try to go after the real scum." Green kept his eyes on Bobby. "We had an undercover officer in Sweet's group. I can't say who it was, obviously, but we were going after him, we just needed to get the right evidence."
Bobby looked over at Green. "Fuck the right evidence. You know someone is dirty, you take them down. That's the way it should be." He kept his tone even.
"They got rights just like you and me Bobby. They have the right to defend themselves in a court of law. That means if we don't have the right evidence, and if it hasn't been acquired in the proper manner, then they walk away." Green commented quietly. "After they walk once, it's near to impossible to bust them again."
"Except for the poor bastards that are small time, stuck in their way of life because they know nothing else, right Green? They can be strong armed and screwed over." Bobby turned and looked at Green.
"Not by me. I know it happens, and if I see it I stop it, and I report it. That's all I can do." Green drew in a deep breath. "But I ain't here to talk the law with you." He shook his head. "I'm here because I thought you would like to know what's going on with Bradley Jordan."
Bobby walked over to the cupboard and pulled out three coffee mugs. "Jordan." He muttered. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was going on with that sick fucker. He would have preferred putting a bullet into the man's brain, but he was willing to give the system a chance at making him pay for touching his baby brother. "So what the fuck is going on with Jordan?" He felt the tension slipping back through his body.
"He goes on trial on January twelfth." Green informed. "The district attorney should be contacting you anytime, in fact, I'm surprised he hasn't yet."
"January twelfth. A little speedy ain't it Green?" Bobby let out a sarcastic laugh.
"He admitted to most of the charges Bobby." Green shrugged his shoulder. "Sick fucker claims he's been fighting his 'illness' since before college. He claims there were pictures of him participating in some pretty fucked up acts with some underage boys. Somehow Macks got a hold of them and forced him to do what the fuck he was told. He claims he never touched Craig, he just hauled him around, and did what Macks told him."
Bobby felt his blood run icy and it sent a chill down his back. "Bullshit." He grabbed the three mugs he'd just set on the counter and carried them over to the table, setting them down a little harder than he needed to. "You know as well as I do what that son of a bitch did to Craig." He felt his teeth grind together.
"I do know, and the D.A. knows too. He ain't stupid, but he needs that evidence. He needs something to make that particular charge stick. Jordan's going to prison, just how long depends on whether or not he goes in as a convicted child rapist or not." Green kept his voice quiet.
Bobby was grateful for Green's foresight in keeping the volume low. The last thing he wanted was for Craig to hear any of this conversation. "So what the fuck you trying to tell me Green?" He planted his hands on the table and leaned towards Green. He wasn't trying to be threatening, but he didn't like the way this was starting to sound.
"There was no DNA evidence on Craig, not after he went waist high into that water. He is going to have to talk to the District Attorney, Bobby." Green leaned forward in his chair pulling closer to Bobby, maybe to let him know he didn't feel threatened. "He is going to haveto give a statement, whether we want that to happen or not. If he doesn't, Jordan will still go to prison, and believe me, he'll find out what it means to be on the receiving end for a change, but the amount of time he's in, is going to hinge on whether this one charge can be proven. That means Craig may have to testify." Green spoke carefully.
"Oh hell no," Bobby's back stiffened, forcing him to stand straight and back off from Green.
"Bobby, think about it at least." Green tried to go on, but Bobby shook his head.
"No way Green, you can forget it. He ain't talking to no fucking attorney about shit. He can't right now." Bobby made sure his tone had the note of finality to it.
Green sighed and started to say more, but Jeremiah walked into the kitchen holding the cordless phone in his hand. "Dead as a doornail," He held the phone up as if to make some kind of a point and was smiling as he walked over to the base for the phone and let it settle into its position. He turned back to Bobby and Green. "So, I take it you told him about Jordan." He commented after looking at Bobby for a long moment.
Bobby felt his eyes shoot flames towards Jerry. "You knew about this." He shook his head.
"I told him I didn't think you would go for it. But, Bobby you might not have a choice." Jerry shook his head. "They can make him do it, or at least try to. Wouldn't it be easier if we went to him and explained it all to him and let him have some say it this?"
"Let him have some say?" Bobby couldn't believe Jerry had just said that. "Jerry, less than twenty four hours ago that kid was laying in a heap on the floor nearly out of control, remember that?" He asked.
"Yeah, I do, and that's why I think it might be better to be up front with him." Jerry nodded his head. "He's doing a hundred times better right now and it's because we made it clear that we'll be there for him. If we keep this from him, and the District Attorney comes back with papers that force us to let them talk to him, it's just gonna be a hell of a lot worse. He will not trust us if we keep this from him." He kept his voice quiet and even. He wasn't the least bit upset, or he didn't seem to be anyway, and that just infuriated Bobby even more.
"Fuck you Jerr', you can't stand by your brother for somethin' like this? There's something wrong with you being willing to throw him to the wolves." Bobby startled slightly when the coffee maker beeped, letting them know the coffee was finished.
"Actually, when I first talked to Jerry, he was calling me every name in the book, and I don't mean the Bible." Green spoke up. "He didn't like it any better than you do. But if we get Craig's statement, we may be able to keep it anonymous. He is a minor, and if we handle this right, then we can keep as much of the focus off of him as possible. No one would ever know his name. If they have to force this Bobby, they will have to issue a subpoena and that will make his name available to the public. Now what do you think the best thing would be for him?" Green spoke quickly. "Believe me Bobby, I have talked to the D.A. several times, and he is trying his best to keep Craig out of the courtroom. If we do this right, he could talk to the judge in his chambers, or make a written or recorded statement, something admissible. We're doing our best, please, at least think about it."
Bobby drew in a deep breath, holding his stare on Jerry for a long moment before walking over to the coffee maker and picking up the pot. He filled the three mugs and looked at Green, "Cream or sugar?" He asked with a flat tone. His mind was mulling over the words from both men, considering that they were probably right, and if they could keep Craig's name out of any papers and off the news that would be the best way for it all to play out. Knowing they were right didn't make him feel any less angry.
"No thanks Bobby, I'm good with it black." Green reached for a cup.
Bobby was pissed, and he knew it wasn't Green's fault, not really. He had to channel his anger though, before he relented to the inevitable and called Craig in to talk to him. "You sure about that Wilber, cause we got some flavored creamer in the fridge, Jerry loves the shit." He spoke Green's first name casually, as if he used it every day.
If he didn't know better, he could have sworn steam was starting to rise from Green, though the man didn't look up at him, when he spoke, his voice was stiff and strained. "No, thank, you." He held the cup up to his lips and took a small sip.
"Wilber," Jerry stepped over to the refrigerator and pulled out the creamer Bobby was referring to, "Wilber?" He repeated. "What the fuck kind of name is Wilber?" He started laughing. "Sorry there Wilber, no offence. I just never knew. I never expected." He shook his head as he poured the cream into his own mug of coffee. He stepped over to the refrigerator and set the creamer back inside. The door had closed securely before he lost control and started laughing. "Damn, no wonder you don't go by your first name." He barely made it to a chair to sit down. "You need anything else there Wilber?"
Green looked across the table at Jerry, but didn't smile, and Bobby seemed to feel a little less irritated. Hell, he felt a little better. Now he just had to think about what he was going to say to Craig.