Chapter 56: Home Sweet Home
MacGyver grabbed the handle of the large suitcase as he watched Joanna take one final look around Charlie's old apartment.
"Got everything?" he asked, as if the weight of her luggage wasn't answer enough.
"Yeah," she replied listlessly. When she turned to face him, he once again noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the frown on her lips.
"You okay?"
She nodded. Of course she was okay. She was okay even when she wasn't. "I'm just tired."
"After everything you've been through these last couple days I'd be worried if you weren't," Mac observed. "Why don't you just go home and rest and I'll see you tomorrow."
"What are you gonna do this afternoon," Jo asked as they walked toward her car, Frog prancing beside her still showing off his gaiting prowess from the dog show.
"I thought I'd check in at Challengers and then spend what's left of the day being a couch potato." He had hoped his corny response would coax a smile from her. It didn't.
Joanna opened the driver side door but instead of getting in, she just stood there, her eyes boring into his chest, her frown deeper. "I owe you an apology."
MacGyver's breath caught. Of all the things he expected her to say, it certainly wasn't that. "What'd ya mean?"
"Last night, at the restaurant, I shouldn't have been so insistent on going back to my room. If I would have just stayed like you told me to you wouldn't have had to risk your life rescuing me. I don't ever want to be the reason you put yourself in harm's way."
His heart filled with more love than he ever thought possible, he stepped around the open car door and drew her to him. "Aw, baby, it's not your fault. I wouldn't have given in so easily if I knew what was goin' to happen. The important thing is that everyone's okay and with the information the kidnappers provided, we not only shut down a nationwide dognapping ring but a big gambling operation as well."
She pulled away from him ever so slightly. "I know, but-"
Before she could say another word, Mac's mouth covered hers. If she didn't believe his words, she had to believe his kiss.
"I, uh, guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," she whispered hoarsely when their lips finally broke apart. A whisper of a smile floated across her face and she settled into the driver's seat and pulled away. Frog followed the car to the end of the driveway and sat there whining until she was far out of sight.
XXXXX
MacGyver and Frog arrived at Challengers that afternoon to find a bunch of boys ranging in age and size engaged in a competitive game of basketball. A few hollered greetings before quickly turning their attention back to the contest. Inside, Mac was happily greeted by Rosie and Geena who were both managing the reception desk. Not to be left out, the two women made sure to give Frog several affectionate strokes before he ambled over to his favorite corner. MacGyver looked around the large, crowded recreation area before turning back to his friends.
"I see there are lots of new faces here," he observed. "You ladies have been busy."
Rosie grinned, "I'm afraid you have my son to thank for all the new members."
"How so?"
"A few weeks ago, Raul took a shortcut through the barrio on his way home from the grocery store. He ended up making friends with Freddie and in a few days had almost all the kids in the neighborhood coming to Challengers."
"That's great!" Mac exclaimed. "And I'm glad Raul found a guy his age to hang out with. He's always been such a loner. Are they here?"
"They were a minute ago," Rosie answered before calling to her son. "Raul! Come introduce your friend to Mr. MacGyver!" She then gave Mac a smirk he couldn't define as Geena choked back a laugh.
He watched as Rosie's son emerged from the sea of teenage bodies, a tall, skinny girl with long, straight, black hair following him. MacGyver's jaw dropped and the two women behind him began to giggle at the sight.
"Hi! This is my new friend!" Raul announced.
Mac cleared his throat, smiled, and offered his hand. "Name's MacGyver, but you can call me 'Mac'."
The girl shook his hand. "My name is Fredricka Martinez, but you can call me 'Freddie'."
"Freddie and her abuela moved here a few months ago," Raul offered, "but she goes to a different high school."
"Ah," Mac nodded in understanding as he watched the girl whisper something in Raul's ear.
"Ma, I'm gonna walk Freddie home. She has another stomach ache."
"That's fine," Rosie told him, "Just make sure you're home in time for supper. I'm making chicken enchiladas, your favorite."
"Awesome! Can Freddie come?"
A worried look floated across his mother's face. "Of course, if her stomach feels better and her grandmother agrees."
"Thanks!" Raul smiled and waved at the adults before leaving.
"Wow," was all Mac could say, scrubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
Rosie smiled. "He's no longer a boy, MacGyver. He is becoming a young man."
"I'll say," Mac agreed. "Are you okay with that?"
"I don't have much of a choice," Rosie laughed, "Though he is already pestering me to sign him up for a driver's education class when he turns sixteen later this summer."
"He really is growing up fast," MacGyver muttered to no one in particular.
By the time Mac got home that night, the events of the previous days were catching up with him so he flopped onto the couch, grabbed the TV remote, and clicked on the NHL Stanley Cup finals though he had little interest in the outcome. Detroit was ready to sweep, anyway. His eyes were just drifting closed when he heard Frog's mournful whine. He glanced under the coffee table, but the dog wasn't in his usual spot. Curious, Mac levered himself up on his elbows to find Frog sitting and staring at the common wall between his apartment and Charlie's. MacGyver rolled off the couch with a groan and went to the crying canine, bending down to ruffle his ears.
"She's not over there anymore, buddy," he said. "She went home."
Frog gazed up at him, a plaintive look on his wrinkled face.
"I miss her, too, but she was only staying there until you won the dog show."
Apparently not satisfied with his human's explanation, Frog got up and scrabbled over to the front door.
"Fine. I'll prove it to you," Mac sighed, grabbing the keys to the apartment next door and stepping out into the cool night air.
As soon as MacGyver opened the front door next to his, Frog wriggled past, nose to the ground, sniffing every inch as he waddled through the downstairs area. When he came to the spiral staircase, he paused and looked expectantly at Mac before lumbering up the stairs with his master behind him. Here in the bedroom, even MacGyver could still easily smell Joanna's signature coconut scent. He grinned when he found freshly washed and folded linens and towels on the bed with a hastily scrawled note: For whoever's next!
Frog barked once and Mac looked down into his canine friend's imploring eyes. "Okay. I'll give it a shot."
XXXXX
When MacGyver pulled into Challengers the following morning, he noticed Joanna's car was already there. He entered the building, surprised to find Geena behind the reception desk.
"'Mornin'," he greeted her. "I thought Rosie was taking the morning shift for the summer."
"She is," Geena replied, "But she called and asked if I could cover for her today. When she got home yesterday, Raul had a stomach ache and hardly ate any dinner. He was still sick this morning, so she wanted to stay home in case he needs her."
Mac grinned. "Thanks for the report. He probably just caught a twenty-four hour bug. I'll try to check in on him later." As he strode toward his office, he found Jo already there, leaning against the outer wall, Frog laying at her feet.
"I see we have some new members," she observed.
"Yeah. Thanks to Raul."
"I don't recognize them from school or the neighborhood."
"According to Raul, they go to a different high school and live in the barrio."
"The barrio?!" Joanna turned toward him, concern and confusion altering her features. "You mean those slums a few miles from here?"
"I guess," MacGyver shrugged.
"I thought the city took ownership and condemned those buildings years ago."
"Apparently not," he replied, opening his office door. "Listen, could you come in for a minute? There's something I want to talk with you about."
"Sure," she agreed, confusion still shadowing her face.
"What's up," Joanna asked once Mac had settled into the chair behind his desk as she sat across from him.
"I've finally decided what to do with Charlie's side of the townhouse. That is, if you agree," he stated.
"Mac, it's your place! You can do whatever you want with it. You don't need my permission."
Encouraged by her words, MacGyver straightened and summoned the crooked little smile he knew she could never say 'no' to. "In that case, I want you to move into Charlie's place."
"What?!" she exclaimed, breath whooshing from her lungs, eyes wide.
"Look, I know this a big decision for you, so take some time to think it over," he said calmly, "But it really is a very practical idea."
"Oh really?" she asked, an eyebrow quirked.
Mac got out of his chair and walked around his desk to stand in front of her before taking her hands, pulling her to her feet, and loosely draping his arms around her waist.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I mean, you're gonna move in when we get married anyway, you spend almost all your free time there now, and you wouldn't have to always drive home late at night. Besides, Frog misses you."
His heart warmed as a smile tugged at her lips. "You want me to move into Charlie's because your dog misses me?"
"Yeah. And, I kinda miss you, too." He lowered his head, aiming to capture her lips but she spoke again.
"You promise you'll give me time to think about this?" she asked warily.
"I promise," he assured her. "I never want to ask you to do something you don't want to do."
"Then it's a deal," Joanna declared, standing on tiptoe to place a quick, chaste kiss on his lips.
"How about you come on over for dinner tonight. I wanna stop and check on Raul so I'll pick something up on the way."
"It's a date," she confirmed.
That evening, Joanna was waiting in his living room when he arrived home carrying a casserole dish covered with tin foil.
"How's Raul?" she asked as soon as he walked in the door.
"Better. He plans on being at Challengers tomorrow, and Rosie sent leftover chicken enchiladas." He punctuated his statement by raising the dish as if it were a trophy. "She says they're best reheated in the oven, not the microwave. Could you pop them in while I go up and grab a quick shower?"
"No problem," Jo replied as she eagerly relieved him of his burden.
When MacGyver stepped out of the bathroom, his nostrils were assaulted with the spicy aroma of what promised to be a delicious authentic Mexican meal. He was halfway down the spiral staircase when he noticed Joanna and stopped to watch her. She moved about the small kitchen with grace and confidence as she dished up their meal, Frog's snores echoing from under the coffee table. He marveled at how right this entire scene felt. As if he could watch it night after night for the rest of his life and never tire of it.
Hours later, Mac and Jo stood by the front door, wrapped in each other's arms, relishing in a long, languid good-night kiss. Both were breathless when they finally, reluctantly pulled apart.
"I really need to get going," Joanna muttered.
"If you lived here you'd already be home," Mac gently pointed out.
Jo placed the palm of her hand in the middle of his chest and pushed back just enough to look him in the eye. "You promised you'd give me time to think about it," she reminded him calmly.
"You're right, I did," MacGyver sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything. But maybe we can talk about it some other time?"
"Yeah, sure," Joanna agreed even as a shadow of misgiving flitted across her face.
MacGyver arrived at Challengers early the next morning to find Rosie at her usual post.
"Welcome back!" he greeted her. "Is Raul feeling better?"
"See for yourself," she smiled, looking across the recreation room to where her son was engaged in a competitive game of pinball with Freddie while their friends were sprawled on couches and draped over threadbare chairs either napping or playing hand-held video games.
"Back to normal," Mac grinned before changing the subject. "Do you have the files on the new kids?"
Rosie shook her head. "Joanna had them yesterday. They're probably still in her office, but she's not in yet."
"No problem," MacGyver assured her, digging in his pocket for the office keys. "I'll go get 'em."
Mac had no sooner set foot in Jo's office when Frog barreled in next to him, sending him swerving into a small wastepaper basket that immediately tipped over, spewing its contents on the floor. With a groan, MacGyver bent over, righting the bin and collecting the trash when his eyes fell on a large bridal catalogue. His lips instinctively twitched upward. So, Joanna was planning their wedding in secret. But why had she relegated this to the trash? Intrigued, he sat down in the chair behind her desk and began to flip through the well-worn pages. His heart turned to a lead ball that sank to his stomach as he found pictures of dresses, bouquets, and other wedding must-haves circled but then scratched out, handwritten notes in the margins scribbled over. His brain latched onto the only logical reason. She had changed her mind about marrying him. That's why she was stalling about moving into Charlie's place. He was so immersed in his own thoughts he didn't hear her enter the room.
"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.
Hurt and anger launched him out of the chair. "Finding out the hard way why you don't wanna move. Finding out that you don't want to get married! That's what I'm doing!" He slammed the magazine down on her desk and brushed past her toward the door.
"MacGyver, wait."
Something in her tone caused him to pause instead of stomping from her office like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum.
"For a former Phoenix operative you sure can be dumb sometimes," she observed, her voice oddly neutral.
"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, turning to find her holding the catalogue out to him.
"Look at the date on the cover," she instructed.
Taking the magazine back, his gaze quickly found the numbers she indicated and he groaned.
"I bought that when I was in high school. I found it tucked away in a dresser drawer and thought it might be fun to look at again."
"But why is everything crossed out?"
"Because, in case someone found this before it got incinerated, I didn't want to be incriminated for my bad taste back then."
"Then...you still wanna marry me?" he asked cautiously.
"Of course I still wanna marry you! Even if you are a big jerk sometimes!"
"Then why won't you move into Charlie's?"
Joanna sighed and motioned for him to have a seat across the desk from her as she dropped her purse on the floor and collapsed into her chair.
"You asked me to move in right after the kidnapping incident at the dog show. I thought maybe you just wanted me nearby so you could keep an eye on me and flex your protective muscles."
MacGyver leaned forward, elbows on knees, and sighed, "Aw baby, I asked you so soon after that because I realized I had gotten used to having you around and I missed that. The place just feels so empty when you're not there."
Before either one of them could continue, a ruckus from the rec room interrupted their conversation and pulled them out of the office. Mac arrived in time to see Rosie Garcia in the middle of a group of Hispanic teens rattling off stern instructions in Spanish. Properly chastised, they spread out and resumed various activities in relative silence.
"What's going on out here? Are you okay, Rosie?" MacGyver asked.
"Si, I am fine," she said. "Teenagers! They make so much noise over nothing! I told them if they can't behave they need to go home and not come back."
"Those are some of Raul's new friends, aren't they?" This time it was Joanna asking the question.
"Yes, the kids from the barrio," she sighed as she once again settled in at the reception desk. "If they aren't picking fights they're lying around doing nothing. Sometimes I wish Raul had never invited them here." Shuffling papers, her mouth now in a thin line, it was clear Rosie was done talking.
"Mac, can we talk?" Jo asked, already heading to his office. When he entered, she closed the door. "I spent a lot of time watching Raul's new friends yesterday and something's not normal."
"They're teenagers. They aren't supposed to be normal," MacGyver chuckled.
"That's not what I meant," Joanna snapped with a concerned frown. "When I was going through their files I noticed they all attend the same high school."
"Yeah, so? Just 'cause they don't go to Lincoln doesn't mean they can't come here," he pointed out defensively.
"That particular school," Jo continued, "is known for its special education programs and I'm willing to bet that most, if not all, of them have some type of learning or behavioral challenge. That, coupled with the fact they grew up in the barrio raises a red flag for me."
"What kind of red flag?" Mac asked, now truly intrigued. It wasn't like Joanna to go ferreting out puzzles. That was his job.
"I don't want to say anything in case I'm wrong. I've arranged to meet with the school administrator this afternoon since summer school is underway and see if I can get some information."
For the first time that day, MacGyver noticed that instead of her normal casual summer attire she had chosen to wear a floral print sundress with a lacy white sweater covering her shoulders.
"I'll come with you," he stated, but was met with another frown.
"It's better if I go alone. Students' personal information isn't public domain. As a teacher, I'm more likely to get someone to talk to me."
Mac had to admit she had a point. "Fine. Come to my place for dinner and tell me what you learned?"
"You got it!" she smiled victoriously.
MacGyver was standing at the stove, tending to their supper when Joanna walked in the front door that evening.
"Hey Nancy Drew! Did you solve your mystery?" he teased.
Jo wrinkled her nose at him before looking over his shoulder.
"Soup?" she asked, her voice full of dismay.
"What's wrong with soup?" Mac countered.
"Nothing," she said with a nonchalant shrug. "At least it isn't tofu."
"If you don't like my cooking, why don't you do your share?"
"I just may," she retorted before plopping on the couch with a sigh. "Are we really arguing over soup?" she asked.
Mac chuckled. "Yeah, I think we are. You gonna tell me what you found out at the school today?"
"I was right. All the kids from the barrio are in some sort of remedial program for one reason or another. A few have been diagnosed with learning difficulties, but many of them have missed too many days due to illness, head and stomach aches in particular, to be able to keep up with normal class. Added to that, behavior tends to be an issue."
MacGyver carefully carried two bowls of soup over to the couch and sat down next to Jo. "So, does that tell you anything?"
She nodded. "I think they're suffering from lead poisoning."
Mac was glad he had decided to set his liquid meal on the coffee table otherwise he would surely have spilled it in his lap. "Whoa! Slow down! I know those are all possible symptoms, but aren't you making quite a leap?"
"Not really," she replied. "Remember when I told you I thought the city had condemned the houses in that area?"
"Yeah. Go on."
"They were supposed to be torn down because of the danger their lead pipes and lead paint posed to the residents, especially children."
"Then what happened? Why are people still living there?" Joanna's theory was beginning to make sense enough to make Mac uneasy.
"I don't know. I was gonna go online when I got home tonight and do some research."
"Why don't we do it now," Mac suggested, walking over to his computer and booting it up as he and Jo took a seat in front of the monitor. He quickly called up local newspaper articles on the subject which they both read carefully. After thirty minutes of staring at the monitor, Joanna sat back and rubbed her eyes as MacGyver summarized the information they had gathered.
"So a big time real estate agency in New York swooped in and bought the houses from the city on the pretense that they would refurbish the neighborhood, but all that came out of the deal was increased rent and an absentee slumlord whose tenants are too poor to take to court."
"That makes me so angry," Joanna responded through clenched teeth.
"So what's your plan?" MacGyver asked.
Jo was silent for a minute before turning to look at him. "That's where you come in."
"Okay, what do ya need me to do?"
"Come up with a plan," she smiled sheepishly.
Mac got up and paced the floor, jamming his splayed fingers through his hair. "First of all, we need to be sure the kids are suffering from lead poisoning in the first place. All it takes is a simple blood test, but the parents or guardians will need to give consent."
"Then what?"
"Then...we take the next step."
"Which is?"
"We'll figure it out when the time comes," Mac mumbled, losing himself in her eager, chocolate brown eyes.
XXXXX
It was mid-afternoon and MacGyver was carefully studying the spreadsheet Cynthia had printed out and put on his desk. As much as he hated paperwork and the administrative side of running a place like Challengers, he knew he would eventually need to be able to completely take on those duties. As it was, over the past months, he had heard Cynthia making veiled comments about disliking Midwest winters and missing the California sunshine. A soft knock on his open door pulled him from his reverie and he looked up to find Joanna standing just over the threshold.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Freddie's sick and needs to go home again."
"So?" Mac asked absently, returning his attention to the columns of names and numbers.
"So, I thought you could take her home," Jo replied, irritation evident in her voice though he didn't know why.
"Can't Raul do it? I really need to figure this stuff out."
He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as she walked toward him, a look on her face that no doubt sent shivers down the spines of her students.
"I thought, perhaps, this could be the start of the first step in our plan." Her voice was low and even.
MacGyver looked up at her, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You want me to take Freddie home so I can talk to her grandmother about getting her tested for lead poisoning."
"So you'll do it?" Her eyes shone and a smile lit her face. How could he ever say 'no' to that?
"All right," he sighed helplessly. "I could use a break anyway."
Freddie sat in the passenger seat of the Jeep, silent except when instructing Mac which street to turn on and how far to go. Several minutes later he pulled to a stop in front of a small house she said belonged to her grandmother.
"Wow," he exhaled.
"You've never been to the barrio?" she asked.
"No," he replied as he took in his surroundings. Both sides of the street were lined with single-family homes though, by the number of barefoot children running about, he assumed they housed more people than they were built for. The structures were all in various states of disrepair. At one time he could tell they had been painted bright, lively colors, but a dismal coating of gray now seemed to shadow them. Lawns were overgrown, shrubs grew wild, and weeds poked out from cracks in the sidewalk. When he turned back to look at Freddie, she was already walking toward her grandmother's house. MacGyver quickly got out of the Jeep and hurried to catch up with her.
"You don't hafta walk me to the door," Freddie muttered, her head down as if embarrassed by her neighborhood.
"No," he agreed. "I just thought it'd be nice to meet your grandma."
The girl shrugged but kept walking until she reached the front door. She opened it and entered the house, calling out to her grandma at the same time and leaving MacGyver waiting just inside the doorway. Moments later, a short, plump woman bustled toward him, her long black hair now predominantly streaked with silver was scraped back in a tight bun.
"My dear boy, what are you doing standing there?" she admonished. "Come in, come in and have a seat." Though the facade of the home was in severe disrepair, the interior was clean and comfortable, even if the furniture was a bit tattered and threadbare. "My Fredricka, she sometimes has the manners of a barn cat, no?"
Mac grinned up at the woman from his perch on an outdated brocade loveseat. "I wouldn't be too hard on her. She's not feeling well today. That's why I brought her home. By the way, my name's MacGyver."
"Ah! The man from the Challengers Club! My nieta and her friend, Raul, have told me all about you! You are kind to bring her home. Is it her stomach again?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm afraid so."
The woman immediately went over to Freddie who stood in the kitchen doorway. "Come, let's get some medicine in you."
Curious, MacGyver followed and found the girl sitting at a small table, her face contorted as if she'd just eaten a lemon while her grandmother stood next to her holding an old brown glass bottle.
"What did you give her, Mrs. Martinez?"
"Call me 'Carmen', por favor, and I gave her what we call azarcon. It is an old home remedy that my family has been using for generations."
"What?" Mac exclaimed, lunging forward and grabbing the bottle from Carmen's hand. "Did you give this to Raul the other day as well?" he asked.
"Si, he was complaining of stomach pain."
"This isn't 'medicine', Carmen. It's lead tetroxide."
"Que?"
MacGyver sighed. How could he make her understand? "It's poison," he declared evenly.
"You accuse me of harming my granddaughter?!"
"No, of course not," Mac replied, his voice gentle. "I know you were only trying to make her feel better, but this is not the way. This will make her stomach aches worse."
"What am I to do now?" Carmen asked as she took a seat at the table across from Freddie, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
Mac sat down in the only seat left. "The first thing we need to do is find out whether or not Freddie has lead poisoning. A simple blood test will tell us that."
MacGyver's chest tightened as Carmen shook her head dejectedly. "I cannot afford to take her to the hospital, Mr. MacGyver."
He blew out a breath, relieved that was her only objection. "When I was driving Freddie home, I saw a free clinic a couple blocks away. They can easily do the test there and it won't cost you anything."
Carmen's face brightened. "That is wonderful! We will go first thing tomorrow morning," she promised.
"Can I ask you something else?"
"Si."
"Do you think other families around here still use azarcon?"
"No, most of the people here are probably too young to have even heard of it. I brought this with me when I moved here from Mexico. Why do you ask?"
"My colleague at Challengers has noticed other kids from the barrio exhibiting symptoms of lead poisoning as well," Mac explained, then had a thought. "Would you mind if I took a look under your kitchen sink?"
Carmen appeared confused by his request but readily agreed. MacGyver pulled out his Swiss army knife from his pants pocket before opening the cabinet doors and lowering himself to the floor. As he suspected, the pipes leading up to the faucet were a dull gray color. With the blade of his knife, he scraped away at the surface only to expose shiny silver metal. Just to be certain, he tapped his knife on the pipes and was rewarded with a dull thud.
He crawled out from under the sink to find Carmen and Freddie staring down at him curiously. He gave them a crooked grin. "I was just doing a little investigating," he informed them. "Not surprisingly, your house has lead pipes that cause lead to get into the water supply and you consume it without even knowing."
"Does that mean I have lead poisoning, too?" Carmen asked.
"It's hard to say, but it wouldn't hurt for you to get tested when you take Freddie," Mac said as he stood up and walked over to the window. Dull orange paint was peeling away from the nicked woodwork. "I'd also bet this is lead-based paint. As it wears away, trace amounts of lead get caught in normal household dust that you then breathe in."
"Can you use your knife to test that, too?" Freddie asked eagerly.
MacGyver chuckled. "Unfortunately not, but I can get my hands on a kit that will give us the answer if you'll allow me to come back tomorrow."
"You are always welcome here," Carmen assured him as she took his hand in hers and gave it a grandmotherly pat. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for helping us."
"Well, I haven't done much yet," Mac admitted, "But it would be helpful if you could talk to your neighbors and see if a couple of them will let me in their homes tomorrow so I can do the same tests as here."
"I will do just that," Carmen promised, "And you and your colleague will come for lunch."
It wasn't as much a question as a statement so MacGyver nodded and smiled before taking his leave.
Mac and Joanna arrived at the Martinez house at precisely noon the next day. Carmen met them at the door and, after introductions and greetings were exchanged, invited them into the kitchen.
"I hope you don't mind, but we're having hamburgers for lunch. They are Fredricka's favorite and she begged me to make them. I don't know what it is, but I just cannot say 'no' to that girl!"
MacGyver gave Jo a sideways glance. "Tell me about it," he muttered.
During their meal, Carmen informed them that both she and Freddie had gone for their blood tests that morning but the results wouldn't be back for a few days. "The doctor told us that if we are ill he can treat us with medication or even something as simple as extra vitamins," she happily informed the couple.
"That's good to hear," Mac replied with a smile though he knew possible treatments might not be so simple, but he'd keep that fact to himself for now if it would encourage more people to get tested.
"Did you bring the test kit?" Freddie asked excitedly as soon as everyone had taken the final bite of their lunch.
"Sure did," MacGyver answered as Joanna reached into her purse and handed him a box. Under the teen's watchful gaze he opened one end of the box and slid out what looked to be a thick piece of chalk.
"That's it?" Freddie asked, her voice dripping with disappointment.
Mac chuckled. "For now. If this test comes back positive we'll bring the experts in with their beakers and test tubes."
His response seemed to mollify her until her curiosity once again bubbled up. "How does it work?"
"Just watch," MacGyver instructed, pulling out his Swiss army knife and walking over to the kitchen window. "The first thing I need to do is to remove a nickel-sized piece of wood to expose all the layers of paint. May I?" His question was directed at Carmen.
"Go right ahead," she sighed. "The place is falling down around us anyway."
With Freddie at his shoulder, Mac made a small but neat gouge in the sill. Then he reached for the test kit and fitted a cardboard sleeve over the white stick and squeezed. "First, I have to break the chemical capsules in the tube and mix them up," he explained as he squeezed the chalk-like stick and then shook it several times. "Okay, that should do it," he declared. "Now, we just rub the tip back and forth on the spot where I removed the wood. If it turns red, that means there is lead paint here."
"So red equals lead!" Freddie laughed at the rhyme and the others joined in.
After twenty seconds, MacGyver checked the end of the stick. It was a bright crimson. "We have lead!" he announced.
"Now what happens?" Carmen asked.
"I'd like to test more houses to get a better idea of what we're dealing with here. Have you talked to any of your neighbors about me taking samples?"
"Abuela talked to some yesterday and they agreed. Come on, I'll take you there!" Freddie offered.
Mac looked around helplessly as the teen grabbed his hand and all but dragged him toward the front door. Jo grinned and began to follow, but stopped when Carmen called her name.
"I thought perhaps you could join me in a cup of tea," the older woman said.
MacGyver exchanged glances with Joanna. No doubt Carmen would enjoy some quiet adult company and conversation.
"I'd be happy to," Jo replied, even though Mac knew she hated tea.
"This one here," Freddie urged as she pointed to a small house with mismatched shutters and a broken screen door.
Upon receiving permission to enter, MacGyver got right to business checking the pipes under the kitchen sink as well as testing painted wood on a window sill. The results were the same as at the Martinez's. As he and Freddie made a zig zag pattern through the neighborhood, all the houses tested positive. Having used all his testing supplies, the pair returned to Carmen's house where Mac announced his findings at Freddie's insistence though he had no answer to the questions that were sure to come. Pleasant farewells were exchanged and the ride back to Challengers with Joanna beside him was made in quiet contemplation. Upon arriving, he parked his car but they both remained inside, lost in thought.
"What happens now?" Jo asked.
Mac blew out a breath. "You're the one who suspected this situation in the first place. What would you do?"
"First I'd get everyone tested for lead poisoning, then have the proper authorities test each house. That would give us physical evidence to take into a lawsuit against the absentee landlord and demand he remove all sources of lead and renovate the houses at no cost to the people living there."
MacGyver nodded. "Sounds like a solid plan."
"Unfortunately, we don't have the resources we need to make it happen," Jo frowned.
"Maybe we do," Mac mumbled after several minutes. "Is Geena here today?"
"Yeah, she was supposed to take the afternoon shift."
"Good," MacGyver said as he got out of the Jeep and strode toward the building, Joanna unsuccessfully trying to match his long strides.
"Hey Geena, could you do me a favor?" he asked stopping in front of the reception desk with Jo a step behind and a bit breathless.
"Anything for you, handsome," Geena replied with an innocently flirtatious wink.
"When you get back to your real job, could you set up an appointment for Lee to meet with us? The sooner the better."
Joanna gasped. "I forgot all about him!"
She may have forgotten about Lee Vang, Attorney at Law, but Mac hadn't. Both he and Jo had become friends with Lee two years ago when they both took positions at the same law firm for a brief time. In fact, before starting his own firm with Geena as his part-time secretary, Lee had done some pro bono work for Challengers and promised he'd always be there to help out should they need him. Well, they needed him now.
XXXXX
MacGyver and Joanna stood by the refreshment table watching Lee Vang mingle with the crowd, answering questions and offering assurances. As soon as they had presented their suspicions and evidence, the lawyer had readily agreed to take on the case at no cost. This evening, families from the barrio had gathered at Challengers to listen to the attorney explain how he and his colleagues planned to address the issue and take it to court if necessary. At first, several residents were skeptical and fearful that they would be forced to leave their homes or pay fees for services they couldn't afford. Lee patiently answered their inquiries and assuaged their concerns, thus earning their trust and permission to move forward with the case.
"You two did a really good thing here," the lawyer said to Mac and Jo as he poured himself a glass of punch after excusing himself from the crowd.
"I can't take the credit," MacGyver confessed. "This one is all on Joanna."
"No way!" Jo protested. "I had my suspicions, but you were the one who backed them up with proof."
"How about we call it a team effort?" Lee chuckled before someone from across the room called his name. "Sorry, I seem to be a popular guy tonight. We'll talk later," he said as he headed back into the crowd.
Mac was about to pour himself some punch when he felt Jo's hand wrap around his much larger one and give it a slight tug. He turned toward her, eyebrows raised, but she only smiled and led him to a quiet, dimly lit corner.
"I think he's right," she said softly, now holding not only his hand but his gaze as well. "We do make a good team. Don't ya think?"
"Absolutely," MacGyver answered, surprised at the huskiness of his voice.
"And teams need to stick together, right?"
"Right," Mac all but croaked, wondering where this conversation was going.
"Be there for each other," she continued.
This time, he only nodded, not trusting his voice.
"In that case, I was wondering if the offer to move into Charlie's old apartment was still good."
"Sure is," Mac confirmed.
"Then I'd like to take you up on it. After all, we spend so much time together anyway it would just be practical."
MacGyver removed his hand from hers and slipped both his arms around her waist. "Very practical," he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers.