All My Secrets Ch. 8
Martin stood at the kitchen sink washing the dishes he and Danny had used for dinner. Danny wrapped his arms around Martin from behind and rested his chin on his lovers shoulder and watched him clean up.
"You've been pretty quiet since we got home. What's wrong?" Danny asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just thinking." Martin replied.
"Martin, you can talk to me about anything. We've been over this, right. No more secrets."
Martin could still feel the relief that came after telling Danny about his past. It felt like all the worries in the world had lifted off him. He had silently promised himself that he would tell Danny everything from then on, even if it wasn't in his favor. He never wanted to feel like he was drowning in negative emotions again.
"I'm can't stop thinking about Daniel and Edward Elmhurst." Martin confessed.
"There's nothing we can do about that now, Martin. You heard Jack, the case is over and we have a new one we need to focus on."
"I know! That's why it's so frustrating!" Martin said pulling away from Danny. "There has to be something we can do. You didn't see him today Danny. He looks so sad, like his world is just ended."
"In a way it just did, Martin. Daniel is so young that he doesn't understand what happened to his brother. He was taken away from everything he knows, his mother and his home. It's going to take time for him to adjust to his new life." Danny tried to comfort.
Taking a deep breath, Martin knew he had to let this go. Yes, he wanted Daniel to be happy and to be safe but that wasn't his job. His job was to find missing people, and that's what he had to focus on. It all just seemed easier said than done.
The next day Martin didn't really have time to think about Daniel individually. The classroom was filled with noise as the kids ran around chasing each other and jumping on tables and throwing things. Martin quickly realized he was way out numbered and needed help.
As if hearing his thoughts, a woman entered the classroom and promptly told the children to return to their assigned seats. Martin was a little jealous that the kids seemed to listen to the other teachers and staff while he watched them go to their seats and wait quietly for instruction. Martin told his class to continue drawing their pictures of cows, before turning to the other teacher.
"I'm sorry for the disruption. I'm new at this and apparently not very good at holding their attention for very long." Martin apologized, holding his hand out in greeting. "I'm Mr. Spelling. Andrew Spelling."
"I'm Janice Fife." She said, smiling and shaking Martins hand. "I teach the kindergarten class across the hall. If you need anything just shout, okay?"
"Thank you. I'll try to keep the circus under control here." Martin said.
Miss Fifes giggle was covered by the lunch bell.
Danny hated this case. He hated that he felt like he was back in grade school. He was ordered by Jack to find out as much as possible on the janitorial staff that worked at PS-124. To his surprise there were a lot of employers here that cleaned the place up, or maintained the grounds. Everyone he'd met so far was friendly and had no idea who Mr. Timberpin was. Danny hoped he could pull out of this operation soon.
When Danny entered the staff lounge, which was shared by janitorial staff as well as the education staff, he was immediately ridiculed.
"Oh, excuse me." Someone Danny assumed was a teacher said. "You-o are-o notta allowed-a in here-o. Comprend-a?"
Just as Danny was about to rearrange this guy's face; his attention was stolen by someone behind him clearing his throat. Turning around he found Martin standing in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt, but can I have your help in my classroom? The kids made quite a mess." Martin asked.
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Danny answered, fully intended to take care of this asshole first.
"I kind of need it done soon, before the kids get back from lunch." Martin said, trying to get his partner out of trouble.
Danny finally gave in to Martin's plea and followed him out of the lounge, down the hall and into the classroom.
"I thought you said it was a mess?" Danny accused.
"I thought you were going to get charged with murder." Martin gave right back. "You can't let those guys get to you, Danny. You know you're more than what they think you are."
"That's not the point. I can deal with them thinking I'm less important than they are, because I know I'm a FBI agent. What I can't deal with is that they think I'm a janitor because I'm Spanish and can't do any better." Danny explained. "What makes a teacher better than a janitor? What makes them think they are better than anybody else?"
"Danny? Let it go. We'll be out of here soon." Martin said, placing the horse pictures at each student's assigned seat. "We just have to-
Martin was interrupted when the classroom door opened and Miss Fife stepped in.
"Well, I guess this is as clean as we can get it. If you need anything else, Mr. Spelling just let me know." Danny said, before leaving the room.
Janice looked like she was embarrassed that the janitor had seen her here. Once Danny was out of sight she made her way up to the front of the classroom where Martin was stacking the cow drawings. She watched Martin silently for a few minutes as started placed worksheets on each students table.
"Um, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime. You know for a drink, maybe." Janice asked shyly.
Martin was a little shocked by the invitation. He hadn't known this woman for thirty minutes and she was already asking him out. This played right into the assignment perfectly, though. Jack had told him that he was to make it known that he was gay, to draw out the teachers that had issues with Mark Timberpin.
"Oh, you wouldn't want to go out with me. I'd bore you to death. Besides my boyfriend wouldn't really like me getting drinks with pretty ladies."
"Oh! You're gay?" Janice said. "I mean, you're homosexual…I mean, um."
"It's okay." Martin laughed. "Yes, I'm gay."
"Sorry. Sometimes I just don't know what to say. I never want to offend anyone." Janice apologized. "You know it's funny. Mr. Timberpin was gay, too. He had a few issues with some of the teachers here, so maybe you shouldn't, you know, broadcast? I'm sorry, I'm doing it again."
"It's alright, really." Martin tried to console her. "Do you know who I should be avoiding by any chance?"
"Well, you didn't hear it from me, but Tom Black is a second grade teacher down the hall and he really had a problem with Mark. He thought that having a gay teacher would turn all of the kids gay." Janice told Martin. "He tried to get Mark fired a couple of times and called the student's parents. Thank goodness, the school board and the parents didn't seem to mind. Than Tom got Mike Williams who is also a second grade teacher and John Woods who is a P.E. coach into the act. All three of them harassed Mark to no end."
"How do they feel now that he's gone missing? Do you think they had anything to do with his disappearance?" Martin asked.
"If I had to bet money on it, I would say Tom defiantly has something to do with Mark's disappearance. I mean, I don't think he would hurt him; he's all talk you know. But, since Mark went missing, Tom won't shut up about how he scared the faggot off."
Just then the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. The kids would be guided back to their classrooms soon. Martin thanked Janice for all the information she gave him.
When the kids came back to the classroom they all started making 'mooing' sounds, everyone except for Daniel who sat in his seat staring blankly at the paper in front of him. Martin made a quick call to Vivian in the front office to get everything she could on Tom Black, Mike Williams and John Woods, before he started teaching his temporary class barn yard animal sounds.
Later at recess, Martin found Daniel sitting on the bench by himself again. Martin knew he had to talk to Daniel today or he would regret passing up the opportunity later on.
"Hey, Daniel!" Martin said, sitting down next to the small boy. "How are you doing?"
When Martin received no answer, he figured he had to just come right out with it.
"Daniel? Why are you so sad?"
"Because you forgot who I was. You said you would think of me." Daniel said in a small voice.
Martin was a little nervous about the fact that Daniel knew who was. Of course he did, the kid wasn't stupid. They had met twice just two weeks ago. Martin decided that in order for his cover to stay safe he would have to lie to Daniel.
"You must be that Daniel." Martin said. "My twin brother Martin told me about you. Said you gave him a G.I. Joe?"
When Daniel nodded his head quickly, Martin had no doubt that the kid bought his bluff.
"Martin and I look a lot alike, don't we?" Martin asked, receiving another nod. "He remembers you Daniel. He thinks about you every day. I've seen that G.I. Joe, right where he can see it every time he sits at his desk."
"I miss him." Daniel said. "He was nice and he's good at games. I wish I could stay with him, I don't like where I have to stay."
"What do you mean? You don't like your foster home?"
"I have to share a room with a lot of other boys and sometimes I don't get to eat because I'm too little to get what's on the table. Edward lets me eat his food sometimes when he gets some." Daniel said.
"How many other boys live with you?" Martin asked.
"I don't know, a lot. Edward says it's better than where we were, but I don't like it there."
Martin's heart was breaking. How could social services place so many children in one place and not even realize that many of them were missing meals. Martin knew now that he was going to do something. He had to.
When Martin returned to the office the review had already started. Vivian placed three photos on the white board, the three men that harassed Mark Timberpin. Danny recognized them immediately as the three teachers that ridiculed the janitorial staff on a daily basis.
"Tom Black has had quite a few run in's with the law." Vivian said. "All of these accounts involved homosexual hate crimes from destruction of private property to assault. Somehow, he managed to get every one of these accounts expunged from his record."
"What Judge in their right mind would expunge a hate crime record?" Danny asked.
"Sam, get on that. We have to figure this out quick. If Black is involved, which I'm positive he is, Mark could be dead or dying. We need to find addresses and inherited properties. We're looking at an all-nighter here guys." Jack ordered.
Martin turned to his computer and brought up the FBI directory for New York City. He found the address for abused and abandoned children, and was glad it was in the same building. He quickly put in a report on the conditions of a foster house that the Elmhurst children were currently placed and signed it anonymous, before pulling up anything he could find on properties owned or left to Tom Black.