Chapter Six

"So, I'm assuming you went back."

"Every week till he was realeased, it took a lot of convincing but I did finally get him to agree to let his mother visit."

"Jesus is this traffic ever gonna lighten up." Alex says more as a statement than a question.

"Three car accident, we'll be here for at least an hour."

"Damn," Alex exclaims.

"What's the matter? That's not that long."

She checks her watch, "Stuck here for an hour, back to the station to finish up the paperwork, another forty minutes to get home….I'll have to break it off again."

"Break it off with whom?"

"His name is Roger Thornton," she checks the look on Bobby's face. "Don't wrack your brains trying to figure out who he is, he's not a cop. He's a…." She whispers, "An accountant."

"A what?" he says grinning.

"You heard what I said, don't make me repeat it."

"So he's an accountant, who cares?" he crosses his arms, "Except maybe you."

"It is stupid isn't it, what difference does it make, he's a very nice guy, but…."

"But what?" he presses for more information.

"He's not….I keep comparing men to Joe."

"Joe? Who's Joe?"

"My husband," she smiles weakly at her partner. "Yes I was married."

"Where is he?"

"He was murdered, he was a cop."

"I'm sorry," he says with compassion.

"Thanks it was a long time ago but….anyway when ever I go out with other men I think strange things like Joe would never wear that color suit or Joe would never order fish, he'd order a steak, stupid things like that."

"That's not stupid."

You're very sweet, "I suppose not. We were at the time of his death just beginning to talk about having kids," she traces the steering wheel with her finger. "I think sometimes that what if I was pregnant at the time of his death, shit!"

He looks around the car, "Shit what?"

"Not many people know this, but I was pregnant at the time of his death," he tries to suppress his surprise, "Whoa."

She continues, "I knew I couldn't do it alone I was too focused on my career, selfish. Just plain selfish." She looks over at her partner who she is relieved is now looking straight ahead. "Thanks," he says.

She sniffles as she removes a tissue from her bag, "Thanks, thanks for what."

"For telling me that, I'm honored." Unbeknownst to him she flashes a sweet smile at him, you're something else Bobby Goren. He points ahead, "Look the car in front has moved up a few feet."

She puts the car in gear and lightly tapping on the gas pedal she steers the car five feet. "Wow only another 50 miles to go." They share a much-needed laugh.

"So," she absentmindedly pats his thigh, "Tell me more of the story."

He exhales trying to remember where he left off. "Let's see….he served 9 months, celebrated his 12th birthday there and when he was released it was summer time. Hung out at home doing nothing all day, I found a summer rec place for him to attend. He went a few times but….Well September came and it was back to school. However with the grades he got at Spofford he was able to go into the sixth grade but all his friends were now in Junior High but many," he wags his finger. "No make that all of them were forbidden to hang out with him so he started hanging out with older kids, and you know as well as I they were not honor students."

"High school kids?" Alex says trying to sound surprised.

"Yes he was their gopher, hey Tony go get us some smokes, and of course he didn't buy them." He shakes his head in disgust remembering. "One night they decided to visit the school after hours, they broke in and destroyed all the trophy cases."

"Jesus, let me guess they got caught."

"No," he says sharply, "Tony got caught….the cleaning crew was still there and since they heard the noise they tracked them down, now as the kids were running away he tripped and fell and of course no one came back to save him."

"He got suspended," she says flatly.

"No," he answers quickly. "It wasn't his school he got arrested and went back to Spofford. Served three months, got out a month before his thirteen birthday. So when he comes out he's the cool kid with the record to his delinquent friends. He never ratted them out and they in their own way respected him."

"Oh boy." She says as she shakes her head.

"So he goes back to school and even attends summer school and graduates to Junior High, however." He points his finger in the air, "This is when he starts to abuse drugs. He got caught with pot in his locker."

"Back to Spofford," Alex says so matter of fact.

"How'd ya know," he expels a long breath. "For six months this time, celebrates his 14th birthday there. I would visit every time and he was open and honest with me, but there was so much he didn't let go of. Anyway by the time he was released it was May, he was allowed back in school and even though he attended school in Spofford he was behind again, so he gets bored and starts to hang out with the same kids."

"Did you have any idea what it was?" Alex asks.

"We," he stretches out his long legs as far as he can. "Cheryl and I thought it was do to the fact that he was with his father at the time he lost his life, but," he shakes his head. "We know now it wasn't." He opens his window to let in some air. "Anyway he started to use school as just a place to go. Attend classes just to make it look good. But he failed everything, she convinced him to attend summer school but it was too late, so Cheryl decides that come September he would go to a new school…a Catholic school."

"Too late, I gather."

"She was at a lose, she didn't know what to do. I had suggested that he and she go to a counselor and they did, but it didn't help, his anger was so suppressed. The counselor wasn't able to break through."

"Did he get kicked out Catholic school?"

"Oh yeah, by the time he goes back to public school he's still smoking pot but by the time he reaches his fifteenth birthday he was a junkie, heroin."

October 1999

St. Mary's Hospital

"Cheryl," she smiles at the sound of the voice. "Bobby, thank you for coming." After a quick and needed embrace, "Anytime, I'm glad you called. What happened?"

"What happened? My son is a junkie, for quite a while I'm presuming. How could I be so blind?"

"They are very good at hiding it."

She stares at him, pointing in his direction, "You?"

He shakes his head, "No not me, my brother."

Bobby leads her to one of the empty couches in the waiting room. "He was also beaten; the doctor says he's not allowed visitors now and after he gets cleaned up or out he'll be here for about a week."

Four Days Later

Tony cannot hide his elation when he sees Bobby come into the room. "Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?"

"Not bad," he sits up. He looks past Bobby, "Is my Mom with you?"

"No, she'll be here later" he says, pointing at the teenager, "Nasty bruise, who did it?"

He shrugs his shoulders, "I have no clue. I don't remember."

When Bobby pulls one of the chairs next to the bed he notices a ripped up card on the floor. He bends down to pick up the scraps of paper, he can read a name, "Who is George Pound?"

Tony turns his head away, "I'm really tired," he lies down pulling the blanket up to his neck. Bobby frowns, "Sure I'll see you later," Tony raises his arm and waves, "See you later."

Bobby stuffs the ripped up pieces of paper into his pocket. Moments after he gets to his car he receives a call from his CO. "Yes Sir, I'll be right there."

The Present

"He sent him a get well card," Alex covers her mouth with her hand, "Oh my God the nerve."

"After I got home I had forgotten about it till I took off my jacket and a piece of it fell out of my pocket. So I sat at the kitchen table and put it back together," he chuckles.

She pats his arm, "What?"

"Shows you how exciting my nights are, anyway," she has to laugh, "Yeah as exciting as mine."

They share a much-needed laugh, "Anyway," he continues. "I'll never forget what he wrote. Hope you get well soon my special friend."

Alex response is, "Eww."

"I know, at the time I knew this kid for almost four years. I never heard of this guy." He lightly smacks his forehead. "Then it hit me like a friggin' bolt of lightening. I knew I had to talk to Cheryl."

"And look at that, the traffic is moving," Alex says as she puts the car in drive.

"First exit you come to, please get off I have to take a leak."

"You and me both," she says.

TBC