19. Good Cop

I sat across from Officer Charlton in his office, feeling more uncomfortable than I could ever remember feeling…well, maybe since going before a court and getting custody of my little brothers. That had been a nightmare of talking to one social worker after another, bringing in paychecks and bills and trying to prove to every single person I'd met that I could take care of my brothers. That I could be trusted to stick around and hold a job and make sure they were fed and clothed and had a roof over their heads. Soda had stressed about it almost as much as I had. Pony too, I think, even though he'd been a lot quieter about it. He didn't like talking to social workers and he'd usually clam up unless they asked him a direct question. Soda would always sit with him, his hand on our brother's back, and I remember feeling frustrated with him, wishing he'd just tell them that he wanted to stay with me.

Looking back, and even I think, at the time, I realized that he was scared to death and grieving for our parents and terrified that any wrong thing he said would lead to them taking him away. Even when I'd taken him to the doctor for those nightmares, he'd asked if we had to tell the social workers what was going on. It wasn't something I'd thought about...Mom and Dad just took us to the doctor when something was really wrong with us. I'd wondered if I'd have to report every little thing to a social worker from then on, and had given some half-answer, trying to assure him I'd take care of it.

I was pretty sure he hadn't been reassured.

When we'd gone to court to find out if I could keep them, Pony had been so pale and shaky I'd been scared he was getting sick. Soda had kept an arm around him, his other hand gripping my sleeve like a little kid. And when the judge had told us that we could stay together, they'd both just about started crying. Pony hadn't been any more talkative, though, and I'd spent that day forward trying to prove to social workers that I deserved to keep custody over them while also doing my best to take care of them…to step into our parents' shoes, a task that still felt impossible some days.

The round-faced cop regarded me quietly from his desk chair, his hands clasped on top of the desk. I'd been the one to call this meeting, so I knew he was probably waiting for me to talk, but I didn't know how to start. I shifted a little in the chair, tugging a little at my sleeves. I had no idea why I'd tried to get dressed up for this meeting. He was a cop, not a judge. Still, I wanted him to know I was serious, and this was the best way I knew how.

I'd called a couple of days ago, asking to meet so I could ask him a few things about my brother's case, and he'd agreed readily enough, telling me that he'd be happy to meet with me the following Monday morning. So I'd worked it out with my boss so I could come in a few hours late. I'd invited Sodapop to come along, but he'd had to work. We were doing our best to save as much money as we could in case we had to get a lawyer, so Soda was working extra and so was I. No way we could both miss a shift, and his boss wasn't as flexible as mine. Steve could have covered, but I guess they were busy or something. Either way, I promised to tell Soda everything when he got home.

"How can I help you, Mr. Curtis?" Officer Charlton asked, leaning in a little. I guess he got tired of waiting for me to talk.

"Um…you can call me Darrel," I invited, obviously stalling and trying to gather up the words I'd say to him.

"Darrel, then. What can I do for you? You said you had some questions about Ponyboy's case?" he asked, his tone soft and patient. He really was a nice guy for a cop…hell, for anyone. He'd been real good about getting me in early so I could go to work later, and he offered me water and everything before showing me into his office. The receptionist had been nice too, and I was used to the women who worked at desks treating me like dirt 'cause my hair was greasy and even my dress clothes weren't great.

"I, uh…I gotta tell you something about that man…Richard Norton," I blurted, hands in tight fists in my lap.

"Yes?" He seemed cautious, but at least he was willing to listen.

"He was beating on my brother."

The cop nodded, cutting me off before I could say anymore. "Yes, that is what Mr. Winston told us, but we don't have any proof of this." I shook my head, but he went on. "We have spoken to your little brother's teachers, and Ponyboy did come to school with bruises and a black eye more than once, and he did lose weight over the course of the semester, but his teachers also pointed out that he never ate at school, and even when he did buy a lunch, he wouldn't really eat it. Your brother was lethargic in class, never really speaking to other students…they believe his depression over being separated from his family and isolation from other students could have caused this."

"And the bruises?" I asked, fighting to keep the outrage out of my voice. That didn't sound at all like my little brother. It had to have been real bad for him to be acting like that...not eating and acting depressed. Why hadn't he called me? It was a question that ate at me all the time, almost as much as 'Why did I hit him?' or 'Why didn't I run after him?' I would have done something...at least gotten him moved to another place. Gone in and thrown a fit.

But I guess I knew the answer. He was scared.

"The teachers believe he was getting into fights after school. He's been seen spending time at a bar nearby…the one where Lianne was found."

I had to fight to keep myself from getting mad. This guy didn't know my brother. He didn't know how ridiculous the thought of Ponyboy Curtis, the kid that read poetry for fun and who spent his free time at the library or drawing pictures, going around picking fights was. Especially without some friends around to back him up.

"Richard was the one giving him those bruises, officer. He was beating on my little brother. He beats on all those kids."

The cop shook his head. "There were inquiries with his social worker, but she insisted that there was no abuse going on in the house."

I exploded. There's no other word for it. "That's because he's sleeping with her!" I could have kicked myself. Really, honestly kicked myself. I shouldn't have known that…there was no way for me to know that, but now that I'd said it, I had to go on. This cop was my only chance at getting someone to investigate Richard Norton, and if he wouldn't listen to me, I was out of options. I'd have to risk letting Tim take care of this.

Officer Charlton was sitting up real straight then, staring at me straight on in honest surprise. "Excuse me?"

I took a deep breath, dropping my head into my hands for a second. I didn't have a choice. I had to tell him at least some of it. "That man hurt my brother. He beat him and kicked him and…he put out lit cigarettes on his arms. The first time he did it, Pony went to that social worker, cause that's what he knew he was supposed to do. He trusted that lady, and she took him back to Richard's house. Richard told him he'd kill him if he ever tried something like that again, and threatened us too. Him and that social worker are having an affair, so she ain't gonna say nothing. He's pals with all the cops in that town, so they ain't gonna investigate."

"Darrel, do you know where your little brother is?" He sounded almost mad, and I shook my head, my eyes getting hot. He seemed to notice because he leaned back a little, looking worried.

"No. No, I don't know where my baby brother is. He's fifteen and he's been alone for almost a year in some boy's home where we weren't even allowed to call, then with a man that tortured him and now I don't even know where he is." I wanted to slam my fist down on the desk, but I didn't want a cop to think I was aggressive so I just fisted my hands in my lap.

"But you've had contact with Ponyboy? He's alive, and he's spoken to you?" The cop actually looked happy about it, so I nodded. Still, I wasn't about to rat Dally out, so I left him out of it.

"Yeah. He contacted me…called me at home. Told me all this. He's scared to death and he's on the run from this guy. Richard Norton. He beats on those kids, but they're never gonna tell because he's got 'em so scared. Ponyboy…he's only fifteen. That man beat the shit out of him and had him too scared to tell anyone. He couldn't go to the social worker or the cops and he was too afraid to call me, and even if he had, I couldn't have done anything."

That wasn't strictly true. If Ponyboy had called me and told me that the man they'd put him with was beating him and putting out cigarettes on his arms, I would have done something…I might have gone to jail for it, but damn it I would have done something.

"You don't know where your brother is?"

"No," I whispered. "He didn't tell me and I didn't ask. He wouldn't anyway. He's too scared."

Officer Charlton nodded, but he still looked troubled. "And you are sure that it was your little brother you spoke to. Ponyboy Curtis."

I almost smiled. "I'd know my brother's voice anywhere. Yeah, that was him."

"How many times have you spoken to him?"

"Just once. He called Sodapop while he was at the foster home…just said he wanted to come home but Sodat said he sounded scared. I asked the social worker if I could go see him...or meet them somewhere. But even when I did get ahold of someone in her office, she wouldn't even let me call him." I was just grateful that I hadn't told her he'd called us. She would have told Richard and who knew what that man could have done to my brother.

"Well…I am glad to hear that he's alive, at least. That's the first thing. Your little brother is alive."

I don't know why he was trying to comfort me, but I sure appreciated it. I smiled, nodding my head even though I already knew. "Yeah. He's alive."

"I'm assuming he's not in the city." The cop gave me a wry smile and I shook my head.

"I honestly don't know, Officer. I have no idea where he could be."

Actually...I did. I mean, I knew where Dally had lived before…where he might have friends willing to look after a kid they didn't know as a favor to him, but I sure wasn't about to bring that up.

"He and Lianne were attacked, he somehow got away, and has been hiding out this whole time." He looked thoughtful, then turned to me, his expression almost wry. "I suppose you don't know anything about that either?"

"No sir. He didn't come to me or Sodapop."

"These are serious allegations, Darrel," he told me, getting serious again.

"They aren't the most serious ones I've got, either."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Child abuse. A social worker and a foster parent conspiring to keep a child in an abusive situation. Corruption within a city's police force, also conspiring to keep a child in an abusive situation. Those are pretty serious, Darrel. What else do you want Richard Norton charged with?"

"Murder," I told him, not flinching. If he was going to help, I had to put as many cards as I could on the table. Maybe it wasn't the best strategy, but I never had been much of a poker player. "Richard Norton killed Lianne. He tried to kill Pony too…but Pony got away. They got him with a blade, but he got out of that jacket and ran. Found someone to help him, and disappeared."

Officer Charlton put his chin on top of his folded hands. "I don't suppose you have any proof of this."

"Ponyboy told me."

"Would your brother be willing to testify to the police?"

"The police in that city? No way. They were in on it…there was a whole crowd of guys there, when Richard killed that girl. One was a cop. Besides, he's got them after him. He's scared to death, officer. He ain't gonna come anywhere near here until it's safe." I wasn't just speaking for Pony…as desperately as I wanted him back, I had to make sure it was safe first.

"The other children in the foster home gave no indication that they suspected Richard Norton of murdering Lianne…nor did they say he was abusing them."

For a second, my heart dropped. He didn't believe me.

Then he went on.

"But it's not uncommon for children to lie when they are being abused, especially if he threatened them." He paused, looking up at me. "Lianne wasn't just murdered behind that bar…did your brother tell you that?"

I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "No…I suspected, but he was still so scared…I think he was in shock after what he saw and didn't want to talk about it."

The cop nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. What if he wouldn't help? What if he just washed his hands of us and let Ponyboy become another runaway kid…what if my little brother didn't come back? Desperate, I opened my mouth to beg one more time.

"Look…Officer Charlton…you're pretty much the last chance I got at getting my brother back. In my neighborhood, we don't go to the cops, 'cause they never wanna help us anyway. They think we're a bunch of hoods and JD's. But Pony ain't like that. We aren't like that. Sodapop dropped out of school so he could work full time and help me pay the bills after our parents died. Ponyboy is a good student. He's smart and he loves to write and read and watch movies and he always has his head in the clouds, so much that I'm always worried he's gonna get hurt. He had nightmares, especially after our parents died, and he'd wake up screaming. So Sodapop started sharing a room with him so he wouldn't be alone. They're good kids, and they love each other so much…they're closer than anyone. I did everything I could to get custody of my brothers so we wouldn't have to be separated. Then some rich kids attacked Pony in a park one night because he talked to one of their girlfriends…almost drowned him, and the State took him away and put him in a boy's home. Wouldn't let us see him or talk to him or nothing. Then they put him with Richard Norton."

I took a deep breath, refusing to look up at him. "He's my baby brother, and I love him more than anything. All his life, and since I was six, it's been my job to look after him. Make sure he's safe. And now there's nothing I can do. He's alone and scared. He had to see things he shouldn't ever have had to see. That man hurt him and I couldn't protect him." I finally looked up, ashamed that my eyes were wet and I was gonna start bawling in front of a police officer but it wouldn't matter if he'd help me. I'd do anything. "So I'm begging you. I ain't too proud to beg, Officer. He's my brother and there's nothing I won't do to get him back…to make sure he's safe. Please. Please help us."

The cop's jaw was shut real tight and for a minute, he just stared at me, so much that I thought he was gonna kick me out, tell me there was nothing he could do. Finally, though, he nodded, and I wiped at my eyes before any tears could escape. "Darrel, I'm going to do everything I can to help you, and if it's the last thing I do, we're going to get your little brother back." I felt like I'd just run ten miles for how I sunk back in that chair, boneless. "We have to get someone to testify…Ponyboy would be best, but those other kids are important too. Whoever helped Ponyboy get away. Maybe even a police officer from that city that's not in on all this. We can investigate the social worker. Richard. His wife."

He was making a list. He wasn't just saying he was going to help Pony…he was actually doing it.

I reached out a hand, and he gripped it tight. "Thank you, Officer Charlton."

"Don't thank me yet, Darrel. I've got a lot of work to do. You and your friends need to lay low for a while, alright? Try to keep Dallas Winston out of trouble."

I had to grin. "He'll stay out of trouble for Pony." It was true. As I'd recently discovered, there was a lot Dally would do for my little brother, and I sure owed him.

"We don't want Richard or any friends he may have coming to pay you a visit. If you have any trouble, here's my card. My home number's on there, so use your discretion."

I practically floated through work, somehow keeping my mind on my job and not falling off the roof when I'd never felt so relieved in my life. I needed to call Sodapop. He'd been so down lately…we needed some good news, and this cop helping us was the best news we were going to get for a while…well until Pony called. I hoped he called us soon. He'd promised to call sometime during the day so we could both talk to him but I figured he wouldn't call while we were at work because he knew we wouldn't be there…maybe I could ask him to call a couple of times a week. Heck, I'd like it better if he called every day to check in, but I knew he was still scared to call too much. For a kid who didn't use to use his head, he sure was using it now. When I thought about what had brought about that change, I felt guilty all over. Of course he used his head now. He didn't have anyone to watch his back.

Well...now he did, I reminded myself. Now he had Johnny.

I managed to make it through the day and all the way home, my mind on my brother and the cop and how we were gonna catch this guy. I'd have to make sure the guys, Sodapop included, stayed on our side of town and didn't go hunting for Richard. I'd have to call Tim, too, and let him know about the cop helping us. He'd been great, keeping an eye on things in that town and around that house. One of his buddies had even talked to Mark and Tyler a little. But there had been run-ins with some of Richard's pals and I didn't want things to escalate before Officer Charlton could do some investigating.

When I got home, Sodapop and Steve were playing cards, Steve trying and failing to catch Sodapop cheating. I grinned when Steve turned to me and Soda pulled a card out of his sleeve. "Hey guys," I greeted, hanging my tool belt up by the door and toeing off my shoes. Soda's were in the middle of the living room, as usual, and I stepped carefully around them.

"Dinner's on the stove. We already ate," Soda told me, doing his best to smile. I took a seat across from them in my recliner, leaning in and looking at him real serious, fighting the smile that threatened to take over. "Everything alright?" hhe asked, wary and trying not to look scared.

I hated that my seventeen-year-old brother had to be so scared every time I went to tell him something.

"I went to the police station and talked to that cop today. Officer Charlton," I started.

"Yeah? How'd it go?" he asked, leaning in and putting his cards down. Steve spotted the ace when I did and glared, but didn't say anything. Probably figured this was more important than a card game.

"I told him pretty much everything," I admitted. "Not about Dally. But…that we'd talked to Pony. He wasn't gonna believe me otherwise."

Steve was nodding and Sodapop shrugged a little. "I figured you might have to."

"He was glad to hear he's okay, and...he's gonna try to investigate Richard."

Soda sighed, smiling in relief. "Good." It wasn't what he meant. He was beyond relief, his eyes closing as he dropped back against the sofa. Steve reached out, clapping him on the shoulder and squeezing. "Good...glory…he's really gonna help us?" he asked, sitting up again and looking at me, practically begging me with his eyes to confirm it.

"Yeah." I reached up, trying to wipe discreetly at my eyes. "Yeah, he's gonna help us."

Soda jumped up, walking over to my recliner and throwing his arms around me. I chuckled, patting his back, and he squeezed me hard while I stared out into our front yard over his shoulder.

"He's gonna help us."

My arms around him went tight, and I barely had time to throw the both of us to the floor when the brick came through the window, sending a spray of glass into our living room.