Hello!

I hope everyone had a safe Halloween! I apologize for not updating sooner. Never fear, this story is still very much on my mind. I work on it every day, I swear! Some chapters just need a little more work than others. I had planned to post this chapter and what is now Chapter 29 as one, but then it made more sense to split them in two. Chapter 29 is well on its way, and should be about as long as this one.

Enjoy!

Chapter 28

The summer of 1992 was the summer I turned ten. I had put a cross on many things from my past, but my birthday wasn't one of them. What child would forget his birthday! When August 26 came around, however, there were no birthday parties, no cake, nor cards waiting for me. To Harry and Marvin, it was a day like any other. Which made sense; they had never asked when my birthday was and I hadn't told them. This, I decided, had to change.

A year earlier, I hadn't said anything upon turning nine out of fear of Harry's reaction, but things were different now. We had grown closer, become a family. And members of a family should celebrate each other's birthday, I reasoned.

That year, my birthday fell on a weekday. Having my birthday on a weekday sucked, Harry and Marvin would be going to work, and I would be left alone. Maybe, I reflected, they would make an exception if I told them about my birthday. It was worth a shot. As I was unsure how Harry and Marvin would react, I waiting until I was alone in the basement with Marvin to test the waters.

"Can't you stay home?"

Marvin failed to pick up on the seriousness of tone.

"Stay? But I'm off to work; gotta bringing home the bacon and all.

– Why? You don't eat bacon."

Unless Harry pretended it was turkey bacon, which it never was.

"Pizza, then. Someone's got to bring home the pizza. Money doesn't grow on trees, kid."

Marvin moved to leave the basement, when I stepped in front of him.

"Don't go.

– What's wrong? Not scared of ghosts, are you?"

– No, it's my birthday." I confessed.

"Oh. Hum…"

Marvin looked around, I suspect hoping to find Harry so his partner would save him from this sticky situation.

"Can't you stay?

– I'll… I'll be back tonight. We'll do something special. Something fun!" he said with forced cheerfulness as he retreated toward the basement door. "Oh, I know, you can play piano for me.

– You don't like piano."

But Marvin had already closed the door behind him. I heard the lock turn in place and Marvin going up the stairs. I was alone. I stayed where I stood, speechless. Marvin hadn't even wished me a happy birthday! My disbelief soon turned to anger. I wasn't sure what I expected from Marvin, but running away had not been an option!

I needed an outlet for my anger. Anything! All I had was a piano. I made the best of it and spent most of the day pressing away at the keys, wondering how to get back at Marvin. I was so angry I didn't react upon hearing the van in the driveway. Unlike every other day where I would wait at the door for Harry and Marvin to unlock it, I ignored their return and kept playing. A few minutes later, I recognized the light footsteps on the stairs behind me; it was Harry. I didn't acknowledge his presence and concentrated on my song. Harry didn't interrupt. Harry never interrupts me while I play and he'll swat Marvin away if he's too distracting.

"Sounds like you'll be ready for a new music book soon, but you're still looking at your hands when you play." Harry remarked when I was done.

"It's okay; I'm supposed to look at my hands when I'm learning a song."

I couldn't hear Marvin stomp around upstairs. I feigned indifference.

"Where's Marv?

– He had business in town; He'll be back later."

How, though? Harry had driven the van back and the car was still in the driveway. I then read between the lines and realized what Harry meant; Marvin had met a girl. Some business, I reflected in disgust.

Following our move to Memphis, Harry and Marvin would sometimes spend the night out, though never at the same time. I was therefore more annoyed than worried. Figures Marvin would get himself a date on my birthday of all days!

"Come on, let's go make dinner." Harry announced. "Are you hungry? I'm making panzerotti."

Panzerotti? I loved Harry's potato croquettes filled with meat and cheese, but was surprised he would make them on a weeknight; making croquettes was a long process and Harry would usually save such time consuming recipes for weekends. Not that I minded! Panzerotti was no pizza, but it would make an acceptable birthday dinner. Did Harry know it was my birthday? Had Marvin told him? Harry didn't say a word, so I didn't mention it.

The evening started out like any other; with us preparing dinner. I was chopping vegetables for a side salad while the potatoes were boiling when we heard an engine pull in the driveway. It wasn't a car; the motor sounded harsher and higher, drawing me to the window for a peek. Given Harry's lack of panic, I knew on some level it had to be Marvin. I had, however, not been prepared to discover him riding a motorcycle.

"Wow! Can I go see! Can I go see!" I begged Harry who waved me on.

I ran to the front door and I jumped off the porch to find Marvin straddling what I would later learn was a Triumph Thunderbird.

"You bought a motorcycle? That's awesome!"

Marvin liked motorcycles as much as cars, but he wouldn't have bought one. As I believed his criminal activities to be restricted to burglaries, the notion that he might've stolen it never crossed my mind. Marvin didn't shatter my illusions:

"I'm going for a ride; you interested?"

I instantly forgot I was angry with him.

"Yeah!"

Harry, who had followed me outside, showed no surprise at this invitation, which told me he had been in on this surprise trip.

"Where did you find it?" Harry wanted to know.

"The usual spot; a nice little gated-parking garage. They left the spare keys in the trunk. That was real thoughtful of them.

– People still do that? They never learn!

– Convenience over safety; that's people for ya!" declared Marvin as he shoved a helmet similar to his own on my head. It was too big for me, but I didn't care.

"There, ready to go! But wait, you're missing something." Marvin pretended to reflect. "Oh, I know."

He then whipped out something from his coat.

"How about a pair of sunglasses?"

The sunglasses were no professional motorcycling gear, but I couldn't care less. They were new and were similar to the ones Schwarzenegger wore in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Marvin had rented the original Terminator and its sequel for us to watch, and I was totally digging the style. In retrospective, that might also be what had inspired Marvin to take me for a motorcycle ride.

"Wow, thanks Marv! They're great!

– Come on, kid; hop on!"

Marvin didn't have to tell me twice! I climbed behind him, my feet barely reaching the passenger pegs.

"Don't go too far. And be careful with the kid. Don't do anything dumb." warned Harry.

"I got this, don't worry. We'll be gone for an hour or two."

That didn't erase Harry's worried expression, but he didn't order me off the motorcycle.

"You listen to Marv. No crazy stunts; this isn't a toy!" he recommended, fastening the chinstrap of my helmet before stepping back.

"Okay, kid; hold on tight. I don't want you falling off!"

Marvin released the clutch, twisted the throttle and off we went.

It was my first time on a motorcycle. How to describe it? It wasn't like being in a car. In a car, you're separated from the scenery, witnessing it from behind a glass. In a way, being in a car is almost like watching television; a passive observer. Being on a motorcycle was experiencing the scenery, becoming a part of it. It reminded me of riding a bike, with the added thrill of speed, and I loved it! The wind, the light, the temperature, the smells; everything was sharper. It was exhilarating, it was dangerous. It made my heart pump fast, but it was also freeing and relaxing at the same time.

"Faster! Go faster!" I urged Marvin forward.

Marvin probably didn't go over the speed limit for fear of attracting the cops, but with the road rushing beneath our feet, everything felt more intense. I had no idea where we were going and didn't care. I was in it for the ride. Marvin stuck to wooden areas at first, taking me down smooth roads surrounded by trees. It was beautiful, but Marvin and I shared a thirst for speed. We left the quieter roads and headed for the interstate. It was scarier, with cars speeding around us, but Marvin proved skilled at navigating his way around the jammed lanes while staying clear of aggressive or distracted drivers.

Marvin wasn't much of a tour guide, and he wouldn't drive downtown, but he took me down the parkway, which circled Memphis, before heading for Riverside Park. That ride in the warm August evening made my tenth birthday memorable. I had an amazing time! Years later, I can still look fondly back upon it. Marvin had not disappointed. He had provided the entertainment and Harry, dinner. By the time we headed back home, the crispy golden croquettes were ready and waiting for us. We didn't often have dessert, but Harry had bought fresh cannoli for the occasion. It wasn't a birthday cake, but it was sweet, creamy and filled with chocolate chunks. I would never say no to a real cannoli!

Harry and Marvin didn't sing me a happy birthday, nor did they have wrapped presents for me, but it didn't matter. That motorcycle ride had been much better than any new toy, and I had a feeling Harry and Marvin knew it. It was a show of trust and a new step in what I hoped would lead to more frequent outings.

"Told ya we'd do something special tonight; did you have fun?" Marvin asked before going to bed.

"Yeah! Can we go for another ride tomorrow?

– Sure, but… Don't get used to this. We're not keeping the motorcycle, you know.

– We're not? Why not?

– I'm selling it, kid." Marvin revealed.

"What? Can't you keep it? Please?"

Keeping a stolen motorcycle was out of the question. Marvin had already taken enough risks by ridding it around, not to mention with an abducted child.

"I can keep it for a few days, but I'm taking it to the shop next week."

How disappointing; I had hoped our rides in the evening would become a tradition.

"When I grow up, I'll have a motorcycle." I stated with confidence. "And I'll travel all over the country."

It was the first time I expressed any plans for the future. I wasn't sure what was in my future, and at this point, Marvin probably had no clue either, but he played along.

"Really? What kind of motorcycle are you going to get?"

I didn't know much about motorcycles, so I stuck with what I had seen in movies. The first motorcycle that sprung to mind was the one Schwarzenegger rode in Terminator 2.

"A Harley Davidson." I decided on the spot.

– A Harley? You don't want a Harley!

– Why not? Harleys are cool!

– Only if you plan to spend more time at the garage than on the road."

I wasn't sure what he meant, but I trusted Marvin; if he said Harleys were out, they were out.

"Which one would you buy?

– Depends. If you want speed, nothing beats a Suzuki or a Kawasaki Ninja. But if you want a comfortable ride to tour the country, you can't go wrong with a BMW, a Honda Gold Wing or a Triumph, like the one we rode today.

– Will you help me pick one?

– Sure, kid; when you're older, we'll find you a real motorcycle."

This is one promise Marvin did keep. He would take me shopping for motorcycles on multiple occasions. He just forgot to mention we wouldn't be paying for them.

The next day, I was pleased when Marvin remembered his promise and took me for another ride, especially since Harry was opposed to it. Had I known this would be my last motorcycle ride for years, I would've made it last. None of us knew it yet, but as of Friday, I wouldn't be going anywhere.

And to think I had actually been looking forward to Friday! It was Marvin's birthday, which should've given us a good reason to party. I had therefore not been prepared for the frosty welcome Harry and Marvin gave me upon their return that evening. It was rotten luck, that's what it was. It wasn't my fault, nor was it Harry or Marvin's. Someone had fucked up royally and, once again, I was the one stuck with the short end of the stick.

"What are we doing, tonight?" I asked, wondering what fun and exciting idea Marvin had in store.

Harry had bought lamb chops to grill on the barbecue, but I was looking forward to something special. Marvin always knew how to have fun. Marvin, however, surprised me by sinking into a chair, beer bottle in hand.

"You know what kid, how about we have ourselves a quiet evening?"

A quiet evening? That didn't sound like something Marvin would say. Over the months, I had learned to read Harry and Marvin's mood. Call that self-preservation, if you will. That's how I knew that something was wrong. Harry and Marvin weren't their usual self. Harry had that scowl, which warned me to stay clear of him. As for Marvin, even if it was his birthday, he looked tired and distracted.

"Did I do something wrong?" I whispered to him when Harry disappeared in the kitchen.

Marvin sighed, twisting his beer bottle open.

"No, kid; you didn't do anything wrong. We got some bad news, that's all.

– What happened?

Marvin stared at his bottle of beer without drinking from it.

"Grown up stuff. Don't worry about it."

Every time Marvin told me not to worry, I knew trouble was brewing. Whatever had happened, it had spoiled more than our evening. Tensions were running high and there was a sinister vibe coming off Harry. My only comfort was that it didn't seem to be directed at me.

Any hope of things returning to normal the next morning was soon crushed. After breakfast, Marvin took out boxes of hair dye. This did not bode well.

"You want to dye my hair? Again? Why?"

Marvin would usually cut my hair once a month, but he hadn't dyed my hair since we had left Canada. My blond roots had become apparent, but Harry and Marvin hadn't seemed to care. After nearly a year, I had been glad to return to my natural colour.

"It's been a while. Let's change your look, I brought new colours!"

I scanned the boxes on the table for anything interesting, but they were all browns. If I had to dye my hair, did it have to be brown? I was sick of brown! And with Halloween not too far away, I was all for trying something more exotic.

"I thought you said we'd try a different colour. How about red? Red could be fun!

– Well… maybe next time. Brown looks good on you." Marvin assured me.

Although he tried to sound casual, I noted how Marvin fumbled with the brushes and bowls. Why would he be nervous? Marvin had dyed my hair plenty of time before. His nervousness coupled with Harry's attitude roused my suspicion.

"Are we moving again?

– No, no. We're not moving.

– Then why do you want to dye my hair?

– Damn it kid; stop asking questions, and do what Marv says!" snapped Harry from the living room.

His intervention was another stress factor. Why was Harry so snippy? He never meddled in our hair dye session. I looked up to Marvin with worry and was reassured by his smile. True, it was a weak smile, but I didn't seem to be in trouble.

Always looking for a way to compromise, Marvin showed me a box of dye.

"How about this one; it's sort of reddish brown." he offered. "You want to give that one a try?"

I wasn't dumb; now was no time to be difficult. I sat on the kitchen chair and let Marvin wrap a towel around my neck. Everyone was dead silent, adding to my unease. Marvin mixed my hair dye while Harry fiddled with tools in the living room. We usually had the television or the radio on as background noise, but not that morning. Everyone was much too quiet for my taste. When I couldn't stand the silence, anymore, I tried to break the awkwardness by suggesting what should've brightened up Marvin:

"You wanna go for a motorcycle ride, after?

– No!"

I nearly fell off my chair at Harry's roar.

"No one's going for a ride." he snarled, not looking at me, but at Marvin. "You get rid of that motorcycle, Marv. Not tomorrow. Today!"

Marvin didn't seem surprised by the attack and replied calmly:

"I already spoke to Al. He'll take it off my hands. Would you relax, Harry; you're spooking the kid."

I was spooked all right and things would not improve over the following days. Scared, annoyed, worried; my mood shifted in accordance with Harry and Marvin's. From seemingly out of nowhere, I was no longer allowed to skateboard in the driveway. Going fishing was over and we wouldn't eat on the screened-in porch anymore. Something had happened, something bad, but what?

I could count on Harry and Marvin not to tell me anything, but they took it one step further by keeping me away from the television news. Was there a better way to spark my curiosity? It's as if they didn't know me! Harry and Marvin controlled my access to television, but they were not as diligent with the newspaper. Every morning, Harry would throw it away as soon as he had read the news. I would then retrieve the newspaper behind his back. It was easy; I had a system and everything. Taking out the trash was my job, after all.

When I first stole the newspaper under Harry and Marvin's nose, I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I didn't have to search long; one look at the front page was all I needed to understand why Harry and Marvin were so upset.

She was young. She was pretty. She was blond.

And she was missing.

The picture looked grim indeed.

Reading the articles made it grimmer. In the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi, a girl had gone missing. It was the circumstances of her disappearance, however, that struck me. The girl had not vanished on her way to school or in a shadowy alley; someone had violently broken into her house while she was alone and had snatched her away.

That story hit too close to home for comfort.

Following the girl's disappearance, a massive search that extended all the way to Memphis has been launched. With a missing child investigation in their backyard, no wonder Harry and Marvin were going nuts! And no wonder I was grounded… It was so unfair! I never got used to it.

As I studied pictures of the girl and her shiny blond hair, Sid's words from long ago haunted me. Like everybody else, I wondered what could've happened to her. Had she had been taken by bad people? Was this the reason Marvin had insisted on dying my hair again? I tried to hide my doubts and questions, but I thought more and more about that girl. I'll admit the story disturbed me. Maybe that's why I dared to breach the subject with Harry and Marvin one night at dinner.

"Do you think she's okay?"

"Who?" replied Harry.

"The girl on the news, the one who's missing. What happened to her?"

Harry glared at Marvin over his plate.

"Why would you let him watch the news? Didn't I tell you not to let him watch the news!

– Don't blame me, I didn't let him watch the news!"

– I didn't watch the news, I read about it in the papers." I enlightened them, annoyed by their bickering.

That put a stop to the flow of accusations, but didn't answer my question. Discussing abduction cases is taboo. It's not forbidden, we just don't talk about it. I have a feeling Harry and Marvin don't like kidnappers any more than the general population does. They have always been quick to distance themselves from those "real kidnappers." Our situation is different, so they would say. We are a family, so they would remind me.

Just this once, I'm not sure why, Harry chose to answer me instead of ignoring the issue.

"What did you read?

– Only that she's missing. Someone took her. What happened?"

I never asked, but I did wonder whether Harry and Marvin knew anything about the girl's abduction. By that, I don't mean had they kidnapped her, I would've found myself with a new sister had Harry and Marvin been behind her abduction. It's just that, given their background, I thought Harry and Marvin were in a good position to discover what had become of the girl.

"Let's not talk about that; okay, kid?" Marvin tried to change the subject.

"Why not?

– You've already read everything about it in the papers. There's nothing else to say." Harry declared with an air of finality.

"Why would someone take her? Was it burglars? Or bad people?

– We don't know, kid; No one knows." Marvin explained, setting his fork down.

I didn't believe him. Just as Harry and Marvin knew what had happened to me, someone knew where the girl was. I took another bite from my plate, chewing carefully before voicing the one question that had been on the back of my mind since I had first heard that story:

"The little girl is blond. Like me.

– Lots of people have blond hair, kid." Harry remarked, taking his glass of wine to his lips.

"Sid knows bad people who like blond kids. Does he know what happened to her?"

Harry slammed his glass down in shock, spilling some on the table in the process.

"For Christ's sake!

– Well? Does he?"

For once, Harry seemed at a loss for word. I'm not sure why he was so surprised by my accusations. He had heard Sid's proposition and understood its implications much more than I did. I suppose Sid was and will always be Harry's family, making it hard for him to reconcile the ugly side of his brother with his love for him.

"Marv, would you just… fix this!

– What are you looking at me for? Sid brought it on to himself, yakking his head off!" Marvin protested.

Marvin was less surprised than amused by my accusation. Harry shot daggers at him until Marvin rolled his eyes.

"Fine! Listen, kid; Sid doesn't have anything to do with this. He's in Chicago. That's hours away. He had never heard of that girl until we all did.

– But he could know. He could find out.

– That's not how it works. Do you think Sid's connected to all the bad guys in the country? That would make his detective work way too easy. I promise he doesn't have anything to do with what happened to that girl."

Hearing that Sid was not involved in the girl's disappearance should've eased my mind, but it didn't. Our fates were so similar, yet so different. When I had heard the girl's story, I had persuaded myself that she was in no more danger than I was. I suddenly understood how different our situations were. Our captors were different. Harry and Marvin had not killed me, but that didn't mean whoever had taken that girl would be as merciful. For the first time, I contemplated how lost the girl was. It frightened me.

"But… She'll be okay, right? I mean, no one knows where she is, but she's okay, right?

– Of course she's fine!"

Marvin had been quick to answer, but he and Harry exchanged a look over their plates. That's how I knew Marvin was lying. I found his lie more revealing than anything he could've said.

"They're not going to find her, are they?" I realized.

Marvin lowered his eyes to his plate without replying. He wasn't amused anymore. I looked to Harry who, unlike his partner, didn't avert his eyes.

"No, kid; I don't think they will." he agreed.

And I believed him.

That was the last time I asked questions regarding the fate of that girl, or any other missing child.

AN:

Hope you guys liked that chapter!

I didn't make up the missing girl from Tupelo. On August 27, 1992, thirteen year old Leigh Marine Occhi disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Given the timeline, and how close Tupelo is from Memphis (about 90 minutes away), I thought it would make sense to integrate the news of her abduction into Kevin's story. It will also come into play in the next chapter.