"You can lose your way groping among the shadows of the past. It's frightening how many people and things there are in a man's past that have stopped moving.
― Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Journey to the End of the Night
Topanga did not enjoy Pilates. It was too slow. Sunday Pilates was even slower.
With a high-paced, high-stress job, she needed something that would allow her to burn off all that stress and frustration so that her family did not suffer because of it.
Pilates did not do this for her. She tried multiple times to give the fitness program a chance. But it just couldn't replace her beloved spin class which allowed her to go as fast and as hard as she needed to for as long as she needed to.
At least this time around, she had a mission to focus on and that helped, but not as much as she hoped it would.
She managed to get a place next to Katherine who was surprisingly quick to welcome a newcomer to class. Topanga was expecting her to be cold and distant. Katherine quickly ushered her into a group of women who had themselves established in the center of the room where they cooed and clucked over her as though she was a rare oddity.
Topanga didn't know what to make of this.
She was also surprised the woman did not recognize her.
To be on the safe side, she introduced herself as Tippy Lawrence. Katherine and her friends warmed to her immediately when they heard her name. They got her confused with a yoga instructor and Topanga did not correct them. She was safe as long as they didn't ask her to lead a yoga class. She lasted longer in Pilates than she did in yoga.
They were only five minutes into the class and Topanga was afraid she might scream. When the TheraBand mat flow began, she couldn't concentrate and got tangled in the band. Katherine was swiftly by her side to help.
After what Topanga was convinced was an eternity, the class ended. And Katherine invited her out to a local smoothie bar with the group from the class.
"Tippy" said yes and sent her husband a quick text to let him know where she was going.
If Topanga was out of place in the Pilates class, she was even more out of place in the smoothie bar. The clientele was much older than she was, very rich, and very self-indulgent. No wonder she never ventured into the place. Its vibe was completely at odds with hers.
Another thing that put her off was the gossip. This wasn't a fun, tell-me-a-juicy story type of gossip. It was mean, critical, and mocking. The women around her pulled up pictures on their phone of other women and some men to snark on them and judge them.
"Tippy" played along, but Topanga was seething at the nastiness.
"Well, I don't have a picture," Katherine said casually with a slight smirk, "but I can tell you that little Audrey's youth has just about run out. After this last kid, there is no way she'll get her body back. Can you imagine what she must look like after six kids? Jon'll be looking elsewhere in no time."
The women at the table cackled and it was all Topanga could do not to put her hands on the woman for being derisive about a member of her family.
But "Tippy" held her back and played along just enough to keep her in the group's good graces.
As the other women began to pile onto to Audrey, her phone rang.
Topanga froze.
At the beginning of the meal, everyone put their phone in the center of the table so the temptation to constantly check it was minimized. Her phone was sitting right in front of Katherine and the name Audrey Turner was lighting up the screen.
Katherine turned a suspicious glare on Tippy. "You know Audrey?"
It only took Topanga a second to respond. "She's my kid's dance teacher," she said in an exasperated tone. She rolled her eyes and made a face. "I can't stand her, but I need her connections to get my kid into either Julliard or a dance company when she's older."
The women all nodded in collective agreement and leaned forward to hear more.
Topanga inhaled a shaky breath and began to make up reasons why Audrey was so awful. This ingratiated her solidly into the group. As it turned out, several of the women had daughters and a couple of sons who danced, and they too wanted to be connected to Audrey for the same reason.
At the end of the meal, Topanga felt ill for multiple reasons. And just a little concerned. She hoped they wouldn't bring up Tippy to Audrey or want to see Riley dance.
Because Riley could not dance.
Monday morning came and Jon was barely settled at his desk when a call from Cory came in.
"Hey, Cor-"he started in greeting only to be abruptly cut off.
"I thought you put the new hires on administrative leave!"
Jon pulled the phone back from his ear and stared at it for a moment. "I did."
The superintendent could practically feel the heat of Cory's frustration.
"Then why are they back?!"
"What?!" Jon stood up and leaned over his desk. "They can't be back! They're supposed to be barred from enterin' the buildin's!"
"Well," Cory harrumphed. "I have Harper sitting in my room threatening to quit. Pennington singled her out in the staff meeting this morning and ripped her to shreds in front of everyone over nothing. I've got another one of them circling outside of my door right now."
Jon swore and ran his hand over his mouth. His mind was spinning; he just couldn't fathom how they made it back in with no resistance.
Or without him knowing about it.
"All right, listen," he said as Cory grew more upset. "Deal the best you can until I find out what's goin' on."
After hanging up the phone with Cory, Jon sat with his head between his hands trying to stifle the growing pain. He heard the door open. He winced as he looked up. A swath of red enveloped his vision for a moment then he saw Shawn watching him with concern.
"Hey, Shawn, would you go down and check the mail room. See if there's anythin' from the ROE for me."
Shawn hesitated. "You okay?"
Jon nodded unconvincingly. "Yeah. I just need to know if these background checks have been completed. Cory says the new hires are back."
Shawn was stunned. "How?"
"I don't know."
The younger man slipped through the door and Jon pulled the blinds closed. The pain in his head was growing. And he was growing more afraid of the reason for it. If ever he needed a substitute for himself, it was now. But there wasn't one. There was nothing he could do but push forward. There was too much at stake for him to step back now.
Jon closed his eyes and a blinding flash of light shot across his vision. He groaned and laid his head down on his hand that lay on the desk in front of him. An unknown amount of time passed before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Dad?" Shawn's voice was thick with worry.
Jon sat up suddenly. Pain ripped from his shoulder into his temple. He grabbed his head and lurched forward in his chair. He was afraid he was going to throw up.
In a moment, Shawn was kneeling at his side with his hand on his back and gripping his arm. "Hey, do I need to take you to the hospital?"
"No," Jon growled, pressing his hands into his head as hard as he could. Suddenly, he couldn't form words properly. "Get doughnut…somethin… didn't eat this mornin'."
Shawn hesitated then sprinted from the office to get him food. By the time he came back, Jon's body had adjusted to the pain enough that he could sit up. He caught the expression on Shawn's face and made a feeble attempt to reassure him.
"Was there anythin' from the ROE?"
Shawn shook his head no.
Jon grumbled under his breath and set the pastry to the side.
"Dad?" Shawn was at his side again. "Let me do the runnin' today. Whadda you need?"
Jon sighed in frustration. That wasn't Shawn's job. None of this was. But like it or not, he was desperate.
"Can you sit in with Russ on the IT meetin'. It's supposed to be a budget thing, so help him get the numbers and don't let any decisions be made."
"Yeah, sure thing," Shawn said uncertainly.
"Meetin' starts in ten minutes. Main conference room."
Shawn, clearly conflicted, paused before leaving. "Are you sure you're going to be okay alone?"
Jon held up the doughnut and gave him a weak smile. "I'll be fine."
Shawn nodded and opened the door.
"Shawn?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Mom about this all right?"
Shawn didn't say anything. He just gave him a curt nod and left the office.
It took several minutes of trying to reorient himself before Jon could pick up the phone to call the Regional Office of Education. Regardless of his own health, he had to find out why the background checks weren't on his desk.
It took twenty minutes to track down the person in charge of that department, but the delay gave him time to eat the stale donut and recover somewhat. When the manager finally came to the phone, Jon couldn't believe what she told him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Turner. I don't have anything here that shows those checks were even requested."
"What?!" Jon slammed his hand onto his thigh in disbelief. "I called and spoke to someone in your department just a few days ago. They were supposed to emergency file them!"
"I don't know what to tell you," the woman said, sounding apologetic but weary. "There is no file for those names. I have no paper or e-file on them."
"How did they get hired if there's no file!" None of this made any sense to Jon. No one hired administrators without his approval, and he never approved anyone without a background check.
"I don't know," she huffed sounding frustrated. "Look, we're backlogged like you wouldn't believe. Maybe someone accidentally trashed them or deleted them. I don't know!"
"I'm sorry," Jon responded remorseful that he lost his temper. He took a deep breath to stifle his aggravation. "I've got a serious situation at two of my schools and I need as much information on these people as I can get."
"All right. Give me their names and I'll personally file the requests."
Jon gave the woman the names and she put him on hold.
The pain began increasing again.
"Okay," she told him when she returned to the phone. "They are in the system now. I will call you personally when they're complete."
"Great. When can I expect them back?"
"I can't give you an ETA, Mr. Turner. I'm sorry. We're so backlogged that even an emergency issue could take two weeks or more."
Jon swore and bit his bottom lip. He didn't realize how hard he was pressing until the metallic taste of blood hit his tongue.
"All right. Just get them done as soon as possible."
After he hung up, the superintendent sat in the dark for a long while trying to figure out what recourse he had. Eventually, he picked up the phone again to try to reach the mayor.
The message was the same as it was every time he called: The mayor is unavailable; your request will be queued and responded to in the order in which it was received.
Jon tried the first deputy mayor. Unavailable. Your request will be queued and responded to as soon as possible.
He tried the deputy mayor, same response.
Never had he had an issue reaching someone in the Mayor's office since he took over the superintendent's position.
A cold ball of ice settled in his stomach as Jon realized that, for the first time in his career, he was powerless.
Shawn stood in the outer office with his hands in his pockets staring at the poster. It was shades of blue and fuchsia. Katherine walked by and commented on how beautiful it was.
Only a deranged lunatic would think this thing is beautiful, he thought.
The poster was now not only changing color, but also the line art was shifting in thickness and curvature.
Julia opened the door to Jon's office and waved Shawn over.
"How's he doin'?"
Julia bit her lip. Her eyes were dark and stormy. "Sort of better," she said with a hopeless shrug. "What do you want me to tell Mom?"
Shawn ran a hand over his beard as he thought about this. He knew if Audrey knew how bad Jon was that morning, she would put her foot down when it came to work. Jon would resent being pushed into medical leave and double down on working. Shawn couldn't see how that would do anyone any good. Jon had to come to the decision to step back on his own.
"Don't tell her what I told you. Just tell her what you saw when you came in today. Let her take it from there."
"Okay." Julia worriedly ran her zipper up and down her jacket. "Do you think he's gonna be okay?"
As much as he wanted to reassure her and tell her what all adults told children who worried: "It's fine. Everything will be fine. Don't worry". Shawn did not. Instead, he spoke to her honestly,
"I don't know, Jules. I'm really worried. I think the stress is breakin' him down."
At the look on her face and he pulled her into a reassuring hug. "It's almost Spring Break. Just one more week."
Julia squeezed him tightly then went back to her father. A few minutes later, Jon exited his office and Shawn immediately went to his side.
Jon wrinkled his nose at them. He looked worn out. "What is with you two?"
Julia looked to Shawn to answer.
Shawn shoved his hands in his pockets and considered his response. He decided to take the irreverent route. "You look like you're gonna keel over."
Jon stared at Shawn for a moment then burst out laughing which was what the younger man was hoping for. Unfortunately, the sudden response aggravated his head. He grimaced, then handed Julia his briefcase and took hold of Shawn's arm.
"Let's get outta here."
As soon as Jon was safely home and in bed being tended to by Audrey, Shawn slipped out the door and headed down to Bleeker Street.
For all the stories he had heard from his mentor about the famed street, the area seemed strangely stagnant and dim. He stood in front of a darkened, lifeless building.
The Back Fence.
Richie worked nights here once upon a time. Jon, as a minor, used to sneak in only to be busted by his mentor and kicked out. Bob Dylan and other famous musicians used to rock its halls.
After 68 years, the Back Fence closed in 2013.
Venus. The Back Fence. All pieces of Jon's past, a past he felt strangely connected to, were gone. Shut down and shuttered. All that remained were the bones of these dinosaurs from the City's past.
Shawn felt a strange sense of loss wash over him. He had hoped that he'd be able to visit Jon's old stomping grounds at least once with him. That wasn't possible anymore, at least not for two of the most important places of his life during that time.
"Hey," a familiar voice behind him called.
"Hey, Cor," he replied without turning around.
Cory stood next to him and studied the shuttered old bar.
"This is it?"
"Used to be."
"Too bad."
"Cor?"
"Yeah?"
"You ever come here with Dad?"
Cory pushed out his bottom lip and put his hands in his pockets. He knew why Shawn was asking. "Jon and I are and have been very close since we all moved to the City. But as close as we are, there have always been places he won't go to with me and things he won't do, because he's been waiting to do them with you first. The stories he has to tell are for you, not me."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Shawn's mouth. "You asked and he said no."
"Pretty much," Cory chuckled. "I told him to forget you and take me. Jon didn't talk to me for about a week after I said that."
Shawn snickered and shook his head. Then his mood dampened. "Guess neither of us will get the chance to go with him now."
"Where are we supposed to meet this Shortman, if the Back Fence is gone?"
"Mack was pretty sure he moved down the street to somewhere. Said he wouldn't go far."
It didn't take long before the duo found someone who knew the man they were looking for.
They found Oliver Shortman, a musician who lived his life on Bleeker Street and in its bars, at the Bitter End.
Shawn stared at the nightclub's name.
The Bitter End.
He sincerely hoped it wouldn't be.
They found the old rocker at the bar with a whiskey in his hand and a languid smile on his face.
"What it is?" the shaggy haired man drawled in greeting. His dusty jeans and matching jacket looked as old as he was. He wore aviator shades despite the indoor venue. "What's crackin', youngbloods? Word on the street has it yous two are lookin' fer me."
Cory and Shawn exchanged bewildered looks as they had just walked off the street. Shortman laughed.
"Chill, dudes, I heard yous ask Jameer about me. What'cha need?"
"Information," Cory said seriously.
Shortman took a step back, looking offended. "Yous two narcs or somethin'?"
"What?" Cory's jaw dropped and he scrambled to reassure the man they were not…narcs. He would never be comfortable in these situations. "No, no, we…we just..."
Shawn put his arm out in front of Cory. "I got this," he promised. To the old rocker he said, "I'm looking for some information on my dad and someone I think was a friend of his."
"Oh," Shortman visibly relaxed. He straightened the glasses on his face. "Yous run a paternity test and tryin' to find the right dude?"
"No, I have the right dude. He grew up here and so did my mom. I'm researching family history."
Shortman gave a nod of interest. "Who's yer pops?"
Shawn hesitated. "Are you talkin' about my dad or granddad?"
The rocker gave him a funny look. "Dad."
"Jonathan Turner."
The man gave the name a long consideration. "Sorry, youngblood. Name's not familiar. Try yer granddad."
"Richie A."
The man whipped off his sunglasses and swore in admiration. "You're Richie's grandkid? Outta sight! I am truly honored by this visit. Richie was one my dearest friends. Closer than blood to me." He smiled wistfully. "How long's he been gone now?"
"Almost 20 years."
Shortman made the sign of the cross over his chest. "The good always die young."
This statement sent a shiver down Shawn's spine as Jon immediately came to mind.
"So you must be Audrey's kid then if your dad is Jonathan, right?"
"Right," Shawn said. "Did you know Jay Andrews?"
Shortman looked offended. "Know Jay? Youngblood, I babysat Jay when Richie couldn't be around with strict orders not to let him leave the buildin'. Had to wrestle the kid and sit on him to keep him contained when that gang of his came around." He shook his head. "That kid was strong. And I wasn't no weaklin'. Been a lot easier if I coulda just knocked Jay out while Richie was gone. Richie woulda killed me if I'd done that, though."
"What can you tell me about Jay?"
Shortman shrugged. "Jay was troubled like so many of us then. But he was different, too. Kid wanted to do the right thin' but he could be pulled into doing the wrong thin' easy. If it was just him not those other jive turkeys, he'd fall over himself tryin' to do everythin' right and was never a problem. A little restless, a little lost without Richie, but a good dude." The rocker leaned back on his heels as he let himself drift into the past.
"Jay had a lot of demons," he went on, "and he was only fifteen. I don't know no details, but those kids he hung out with were a buncha suckas," he turned his head and spat and swore in the same breath.
Shawn tapped his fingers on the bar. This might be interesting if it told him anything at all. "Do you remember anything specific about Jay? What'd he look like?"
Shortman waved a hand at him then reached into his interior jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes "Ah, man, that was a long time ago. Maybe a little taller than yous. Dark hair styled like all the kids did," he gestured in a halo around his head. "Big hair."
"Eye color?"
"No clue. Maybe hazel."
Shawn could feel Shortman look him over. "Jay wore a jacket that looked exactly like yours."
"What about the kids he hung with? Do you remember anything about them?"
"Youngblood, I wish I could forget 'em!"
Cory leaned against the bar thoroughly intrigued. He could not relate to anything the man said but found it fascinating all the same. The prevalence of 70s slang that peppered the man's speech seemed surreal. It was like he was speaking from the past while standing in the present. Cory had only ever heard such talk on reruns of shows like Welcome Back, Kotter. He fully expected to hear "up your nose with a rubber hose" before the end of the night.
Shortman rapidly tapped the pack of smokes against the bar top more out of annoyance than trying to get a cigarette loose. "They were the raunchiest group of idiots that ever wandered these streets. And when I say idiots that's what I mean. A bunch of rich kids from Connecticut and the Upper West Side roamin' around this place like they don't wear Gucci and eat caviar every day. Vulgar, gross, hot tempered, and hot air spewin everywhere, actin' like they hoods. Caricatures of the real gangs. They came around here and did damage to look big and bad, but truth was they were all a bunch of little punk cowards."
"So why was Jay involved with them?" Shawn was growing more frustrated with being unable to ask the right questions to find Jon in all of this.
Shortman shrugged. "Jay was a kid lookin' to fit in somewhere. I like said, he seemed lost, driftin'. I don't know his full story with Richie, but it didn't start at beginnin'."
"Huh?" Cory said before Shawn could. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, one summer his wife has a baby girl, the next summer he's got an almost 15-year-old son no one's ever met. Says Lizzy is his mom."
This piqued Shawn's interest. "Pops never explained that?"
"Nah, if Richie didn't wanna tell yous, Richie didn't tell yous."
"Are you sure Jay was his son?"
"All I know was that in order for Jay to get a gig at Venus and get paid, he had to have parental consent. Richie signed those papers and the name on them was Jay Andrews."
Shawn nodded and jotted some notes in his phone. "You remember any names of those other kids?"
"Bunch of rich kid names," Shortman snorted in derision. "There were only two that weren't: Jay and Angelo."
Cory and Shawn exchanged looks both wondering if Jonathan Turner was considered a rich kid name back then.
"Oh," the rocker said, slapping his thigh as his memory kicked in. "And there was some punk named Dustin. He was the ringleader. He had his little posse headed for a showdown with a real gang. Absolute massacre if that happened. And that's what worried Richie most. Dustin was leadin' his kid to slaughter and his kid was goin'."
"Do you remember Dustin's last name?"
Shortman shook his head. "I wouldn't remember the first except I was workin' the day Dustin came in with his pack. Dustin demanded Jay come with them, Richie said no so they started to tear up the joint. This turkey tried to intimidate Richie which was a joke. Richie worked nights as a bouncer at the Back Fence. No scrawny little jive turkey was gonna do nothin' to him."
Shortman lit a cigarette and took in a long drag before exhaling. "Kid tried to put his hands on Jay and Richie reached around the back of him, grabbed the seat of his jeans and hauled him out of his shop with one hand. Threw that kid down on the street outside of shop and chipped his tooth. Kid's screamin' obscenities and threats while spitting blood." He laughed and sucked on the cigarette again. "Richie called him Dustin and told him the next time he'd actually get rough with him. Kid was such a coward. Sent his gang in buncha times, but never came back himself."
Although this information didn't mean a lot, at least he had a direction to go in. Shawn added to his notes and asked. "Do you know what happened to Jay?"
"I know there was big trouble of some kind. But I wasn't here for that. I had to go back to Jersey and take care of some family business."
"What happened after that?"
"After he went to college?" Shortman shook his head. "Audrey would know. Not sure who else."
Shawn nodded and thanked the man. Just as he and Cory were about to leave, he remembered something.
"Do you know Angelo's last name?" Shawn wanted to confirm that this was the same Angelo Jon and Audrey knew and was mentioned in the article Topanga found.
"Yeah," Shortman nodded. "Sartori. Family is still in the City. But if you're thinkin' about askin' Angelo any questions, fuhgeddaboudit. If he's still here, he's still usin'. Trust me when I say yous don't wanna mess with that."
Shawn thanked the man then he and Cory stepped out of the bar onto Bleeker Street.
"You got time for one more stop?"
Cory glanced at his watch and nodded. "I've got time." He looked at the people around them and shivered. "You feel like we're being watched?"
Shawn zipped up his leather jacket and inhaled the chilly spring air.
"Always."
Julia sat on her parents' bed next to her sleeping father. Deeply worried about his health and afraid that something might happen to him if he was left alone, she had hauled her schoolwork into the bedroom to work near him. As soon as she was done, she checked to make sure Jon was still breathing, then turned her attention to her phone and social media.
Worry made it impossible to concentrate, so she mindlessly scrolled through her friends' list. Interestingly, Jovani Boisson was no longer there.
Hmmm, she thought. Guess Dre unfriended him.
After a half an hour of boredom, Julia was about to text Dre when a friend's request notification popped up.
It was from Dylan.
Julia wrinkled her nose and sat up. Opening her messenger app, she texted Dre:
Did you unfriend Jovanni?
No. Why?
He unfriended me then. Dylan just sent me a request.
Dre sent a grimacing face emoji in response.
Let me stay in stealth mode on your FB. Just in case it gets weird.
Cool. But it's kinda weird already.
Definitely.
Julia messaged back and forth with Dre for several minutes complaining about the ever-changing poster at her father's office and forgot all about responding to the friend's request. In time a new message notification popped up.
It was Dylan.
The message was long-winded and a bit strange as it did not seem at all like it came from the socially awkward kid she had to sit by after school three days a week.
Dylan told her how much he enjoyed hanging out with her and her family even though it wasn't the best day for them. In particular, he gushed about her parents and how much he liked them.
Julia smiled. Dylan wasn't half bad after all.
However, there was an odd question at the end of his message: Is everything okay between your parents?
She hadn't planned on answering but considering how odd this question was and who his mother was she felt it was necessary.
What do you mean about my parents?
I know it's a weird question. Sorry. I just really like your mom and dad and don't want to see them break up like my parents did.
Oh. They're good. Thanks for the concern though.
After a moment she added,
Divorce must suck.
Yeah. It does. A lot. I forgot what it was like to have parents who love each other. Being with your family reminded me of that. Kinda of a downer. Lol
Sorry.
Don't be. I'm happy for them and you. Hope it stays that way.
Julia messaged him a little longer before signing off and messaging Dre.
Did you read the messages?
Yeah. Kind of feel sorry for the guy.
Me, too.
Julia shut down her social media and sighed. Next to her, her father groaned in his sleep. She turned over on her side to face him and reached out for his hand.
She was worried that something bad was going to happen to her parents, and it wouldn't be a divorce.
Terra Blues was a blues saloon that had a second floor overlooking Bleecker Street in the middle of the Village. Since 1990, it had hosted some of the greatest blues musicians from the City and around the world.
Shawn and Cory stepped in the bar and took a look around. It was crowded as people milled around waiting for the show to begin and musicians set up for the next set.
After a while, a cute young blond approached and asked if she could help them.
After catching the look, she was giving them, Cory took a step behind Shawn and let the single man talk to her.
"We're lookin' for Sonja Redding. She workin' tonight?" Shawn asked.
The blond thought about it for a moment then, said, "Yeah, hang on and I'll get her. Who should I say is looking for her?"
"Richie A's grandkid."
The blonde raised her brow then shrugged and disappeared into the crowd.
Shawn took a seat at the bar and Cory slid in next to him.
"What do you make of this Jay story?" Cory asked, leaning his elbows against the bar.
Shawn pursed his lips then shrugged. "I don't know. Every time I hear Jay's name, I hear Mom say that Jay isn't related to her; that he doesn't exist anymore. But everyone else insists that he was Richie's son."
Cory frowned. "Yeah," he said slowly. "It is interesting that no one knows what happened to him after he left for college."
This vanishing theory was unacceptable to Shawn. "How can someone just disappear to the point where their very own family acts as though they don't exist anymore? I mean knowing how easily and hard my mom loves someone, what could've happened to make even her say he doesn't exist. Her own brother?"
A strange look passed over Cory's face and he stared down at his hands.
Shawn caught the look and frowned. "What?"
Still staring at his hands, Cory shrugged.
"Cory, what is it?"
Cory looked up at him with a pinched brow. "Doesn't matter anymore."
"Tell me." Shawn took hold of his best friend's wool jacket-clad shoulder and turned him towards him.
"I guess it's not really the same situation," Cory tried to shrug him off. "Forget it."
"No, I won't. What is it?"
"Well, I can kind of imagine a situation where someone disappeared from someone's life with no trace."
The words hit Shawn hard. He let go of the other man. "You mean me."
"Yeah," he admitted. "I mean, you kind of forced us into erasing Jon from your life. I mean, I understand why." Cory gritted his teeth as he shook his head. "Actually, no I never understood why. But I went along with you because I didn't want to get hit again. I don't do well with blood." Cory gave him a weak smile and turned away from him.
Shawn flinched. At one of the lowest points of his life, he'd actually assaulted Cory when he tried to talk to him about Jon. "Yeah. I don't blame you."
Cory held no grudges; they'd made up long ago. That was just a moment in their history together.
Leaning against the bar, Shawn rubbed his hand together as though he were cold. "What were you going to tell me that night?"
"I was a total jerk at my own wedding and everything that went on around it," the teacher explained. "You had every right to be upset with me. I know that time was hard on you. When things settled down and I saw how alone you were even with us and Eric around I wanted to tell you that Jon and Audrey were married, and they had the baby sister you always wanted."
"And I hit you because I was convinced Dad had married someone else and didn't want to hear about it in order to preserve my fantasy world," Shawn finished the story with a heavy sigh. "Thus, triggering a decade plus of running from that very fantasy."
"Yeah. I never understood why you put that wall between you and Jon. But I said I did. I didn't want you to think that I chose Jon over you like I did Topanga."
The stupidity he exhibited in his youth and young adulthood was now astounding to Shawn.
"One free punch, Cor. I owe you."
Cory laughed. Before he could reply, an older woman approached them. She was in her mid-sixties with bright orange red hair and a flirtatious smile.
"I hear you two are lookin' for Sonja," she grinned
Shawn shrugged his shoulders to rid himself of the previous conversation and stood up. "Yeah, we are."
Sonja looked the men over with a critical eye. "You must be Richie's grandkid," she said nodding to Shawn.
"It could be me," Cory said slightly offended.
The woman looked them over again and shook her head at shook her head at Cory's conservative sweater, wool pea coat, khakis, and loafers. "No, you couldn't."
Cory frowned as an image of celery flashed in his mind.
Shawn bit back a smile and gave the woman his full attention.
"I'm Shawn," he said, extending his hand to her, "and this is my best friend, Cory. I'm lookin' for people who knew my family back in the 70s."
Sonja took his hand and pulled him close to her. Acting as though she was going to kiss him on the mouth, she reached up with her hand and gave him a motherly pat on the cheek at the last moment. The look on his face made her laugh.
"Well, if you're Richie's grandkid you found the right person. I knew your Pops back in the day. Worked with him at Venus and the Back Fence for ten years."
"Ten years?" This was information elated Shawn. "Then you knew my dad!"
"Maybe," she shrugged good-naturedly. "What's his name."
"Jonathan Turner."
Sonja frowned as she ran the name through her memory. Slowly, she shook her head. "That name is not familiar, hun. Sorry."
"But how?" Shawn threw up his hands thoroughly frustrated. "He lived with Pops for three years. Why does no one remember him?"
Sonja regarded him worriedly. "You seem real troubled, sweetie. Why don't you and your friend come to the back, and we'll talk."
Shawn and Cory followed the woman to a back room meant for employees. As they took a seat at a table with a plastic red checkered tablecloth, the mellow strands of smoky blues music wafted back to them.
"So I take it that you're Audrey's son." Sonja offered them a drink from the employee liquor cabinet. Shawn made a face and waved off the offer while Cory also declined.
"Yeah, and Jon's my dad," Shawn replied. "I don't know how people know her but not him."
"Honey," she said as she poured a glass of Méry Melrose XO Cognac. "Richie provided housin' for a lot a young guys back then. Your dad probably did live with him for three years. But he was one of many and that was a long time ago."
"Then what about Jay Andrews?"
"Oh, Jay!" Sonja's face lit with great delight. "Yeah. I knew Jay real well. Sweetheart and a handsome devil. Emphasis on the devil. Sarcastic and clever. Oh, that kid had everything goin' for him."
"Do you know what happened that got him into so much trouble?"
Sonja frowned. Sadness passed over her countenance then cleared. "No, I wasn't around for that. I moved here in the spring of '79. Jay mentioned it in passing once, but it was clearly a taboo subject, so I didn't dip in the Koolaid. "
Shawn wished someone had gotten into Jay's business back then. He was under the impression that the 70s were a much ruder time yet all he could find were polite people who minded their own business.
"Do you remember anything else about him?"
"Other than those looks?" Her laugh was raspy and deep. "He had a thing for girls, fast cars, and even faster motorcycles. But he didn't get to spend much time with those things."
"Why not?" Cory asked.
"Richie kept him on a very short leash. Wouldn't even let the kid go out for a smoke without bein' right next to him." Sonja took a moment to down her drink. She sat her glass down and tapped long artificial red nails on the table.
"I know Richie drove him to school somewhere on the Upper West Side and picked him up that was how short the leash was. Richie kept him so busy he couldn't get into any trouble. But Richie was also real proud of his kid. Bragged about how smart he was and how bright his future was. Jay never complained that I heard. Always worked hard. Did whatever Richie asked of him."
Shawn was frustrated: this was more or less what he already knew. " You worked with Pops for 10 years. Did you see Jay again, after he left for college?"
Sonja shook her head sadly. " I wish. Like I said, kid was a looker and a flirt, too. I always wanted to go around with him, but he was too young when I knew him." She thought about it for a moment, then said, "You know what's funny? As important as Jay was to Richie, after he left college, it was like he didn't exist anymore."
Shawn and Cory exchanged curious looks.
"Any idea why?"
"Nope. I asked Richie once and about got my head taken off. Never saw Richie lose his temper like that before. As long as you didn't mention Jay, Richie was the greatest guy, but mention Jay and watch out!"
Cory put a hand over his mouth. That certainly sounded familiar. Maybe Shawn was actually Richie's blood grandson.
"Well, loves, I've gotta get back to work." As Sonja headed for the door, she suddenly stopped and looked back at them.
" You said Jonathan Turner? Any chance he went by Jonny Turner? "
"Yeah, he did," Shawn jumped up from the table, hopeful that Sonja has something for him on Jon.
"You know, I do remember that name. I never met him, but he used to call a lot. And I talked to him while he waited for Richie to get the extension. He was a real charmer, too. Would have loved to have seen what he looked like," she said with a wink. "Good luck with your search, hun. I hope you find what you're lookin' for."
Shawn and Cory slowly made their way to the exit, both deep in thought.
"It's so weird " Cory commented. He put his hands in his pockets and shivered in the night air. "I don't understand how no one remembers Jon. I mean, he was such an unforgettable character to me." He paused as he thought back to the first time they encountered Jon in the halls of John Adams High and mistook him for the school bully that he wanted to make friends with. "I don't see how anyone could forget him."
"I know " Shawn sighed. He blew a breath into the chilly air. "I just have this feeling we're missing something big and it's right in front of our faces."
Shawn made it home after 8 and was greeted by Maya who cheerily waved to him as she chattered to someone on the phone. She followed him into the kitchen as he went to look for Audrey's leftovers.
He didn't pay much attention to who Maya was talking to as he added a scoop of ice cream to the hunk of chocolate cake he'd found. He assumed it was Riley. Just as he was about to take a bite of the dessert, he heard Maya say,
"Yeah, I will. Love you, too, Mom."
Mom?
Shawn dropped the plate and spoon with a loud clatter. "Maya, let me talk to her!"
Maya blinked at him a few times then twisted her lips into a crazy looking smile.
"Sorry, she has an audition to go to."
Shawn picked up the plate again and grabbed a towel to clean up splattered ice cream. "Is this the first time she's called?"
Maya wrinkled her nose. "She called last week but wasn't able to talk long. You could've have talked to her if you'd been here sooner. She called, like, an hour ago."
"You've been talking to her all that time?"
She nodded.
"Oh, good." That thought comforted Shawn a bit. It struck him as funny in a sad sort of way that an hour was about the same length of time he spoke to Chet in the entire year he lived with Jon. "She doin' okay?"
"Yeah, she's real hopeful about this trip."
Shawn recalled Audrey's words from years ago and how she always made him feel worth listening to. He tipped his head to the side and asked, "How do you feel about that?"
Maya twitched her nose to the side and was quiet for a moment. Then she looked at Shawn. He was standing in front of her leaning against the kitchen counter casually awaiting her reply. His focused serious look made him look like a caring teacher. That made her think Uncle Jon and she smiled.
"I want her to get the roles," she said sincerely, "but I just hope those roles don't mean we have to move to California. I wish she could get something near Broadway, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it," Shawn said. "You don't want to leave your family."
Maya gave him a shy smile. "Right. Things are kind of good right now. I don't want anything to mess that up."
Shawn folded his arms over his chest and nodded. "That feeling I do know well. I really do. Good thing is your situation is way better than mine was."
This sentiment was not lost on Maya. "Things haven't always been easy for me and Mom. And it stinks to know your dad doesn't want you. But I know now I have a lot to be thankful for." She shoved her hands in her pocket and huffed back the tears that wanted to come to the surface. "I've realized that since I've been here with you and your family."
Shawn smiled and reached out to push her hair out of her eyes. "My mom does that all the time, you know. The hair thing. To hide."
Maya grinned and the tears subsided. She wondered if Shawn knew Uncle Jon had said the very same thing to her.
"I'm glad you came home, Shawn. To here."
Shawn stared at her with deep fondness. "Me, too, Maya." After a pause he said, "If you start missin' your mom or worryin' or anything, talk to me. There's nothin' you can tell me that would shock me."
Maya smirked. "I'm a girl. I might be able to tell you a few things that would."
Shawn laughed abruptly at the brazenness of the response. "Okay. Save that for your mom or mine. Anything else though."
Maya smiled. Shyly, she approached him and reached out to hug him. As Shawn leaned down to return the embrace, she whispered in his ear, "Thanks, Mr. Hunter, I'll keep that in mind."
Shawn pulled back and looked at her in confusion. "Mr. Hunter? What's that about?"
She turned and walked away smiling to herself as she thought of the man in the kitchen and the man who took him in. She was so pleased to have her very own Mr. Turner.
Actually, Mr. Hunter might even be a little bit better.
Tuesday morning came far too early. It was another sleepless night for Audrey, and she was physically hurting. All night, she had lain awake watching her husband as he fitfully slept. She tried to sleep but every move or sound he made jolted her awake, fearful that something was wrong.
When Julia and Shawn brought him home from school the day before she knew something serious was happening to him. Julia described in detail how much pain he'd been in when she found him hunched over his desk at work. Shawn was vague about how Jon had been through the day, but she knew from his tone that it was far more serious than her hunsband had been telling her.
Jon's brow was pinched together, and his shoulders were tense. She reached out to him and tried to massage the stress from him as best she could. He was going into work today; she could not talk him out of it.
Last night, he had come home and gone straight to bed. He did not get up for dinner. At seven, she brought a plate up to him and sat with him as he unenthusiastically ate. Then he went immediately back to sleep.
A deep current of anxiety swelled within her. It surged to the surface carrying with it wave after wave of fear that she would lose him. This, she could not bear the thought of, but she also could not stop thinking about it.
Not Jon.
Shawn had only just returned home.
She could not lose her husband now.
Or ever.
The fear that threatened to drown her was not that she would have to raise five children alone; she knew she would have Shawn's help. It was not even that her children would grow up and spend most of their lives without their father. It was a purely selfish fear.
She did not want to live a life without Jon.
It was as simple as that.
For the first time in her life, Audrey truly understood why her father had given up on living after her mother died. And, as his daughter, she felt compelled to follow the same fate should it come to that.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she prayed that the worst would never visit their home.
Julia was late reaching the district office in the afternoon. She had been repeatedly detained by her horrible principal and his wife insisting that she receive counselling. She talked to Mrs. Nunez about this and the woman seemed surprised that they would be pushing such a thing at all. In her judgement, Julia was well-adjusted and her emotional state since the new hires arrived was not unusual. She also hinted that she didn't entirely trust the principals and English teacher either.
Julia was detained further when she reached the door of her father's office. Shawn met her and, after seeing she was upset, refused to allow her in to see Jon. Instead, he pulled her out into the hallway under the watchful eye of Miss Tompkins and the poster.
"Look, Jules," he said in a low voice. "Dad is strugglin' today. He doesn't feel good, and he's been fightin' with City over getting' in to see the mayor about these people."
"I know, but Shawn, they keep insistin' on sending me off campus for counselin'. I don't like these people. They scare me."
"You know Dad won't let that happen. I just don't want to upset him further, okay?"
"Fine." She folded her arms over her waist in frustration and worry.
As Julia and Shawn walked back to Jon's office, Julia looked over her shoulder as they passed by the poster.
It had changed again. It was angry shades of red, orange, and green. After all that had happened lately, she couldn't take it anymore.
"I hate that stupid poster!" she cried loudly.
Just as she said this Jon stepped out of his office.
"What's wrong with the poster?"
Shawn shot Julia a warning look, but she ignored him. "It keeps changin'!"
Jon tried not to roll his eyes at her dramatics. "What are you talkin' about?"
Katherine slowly rose from her desk and walked over to Jon.
"That," Julia flung an arm out behind her and pointed to the artwork, "keeps changing colors. It's driving me crazy!"
A small smirk colored Katherine's face as she watched for Jon's reaction.
Jon frowned as he studied the picture. "Looks the same to me," he said with a shrug.
"It wasn't originally red, orange, and green. It didn't look like a horror movie poster."
Her father squinted at her. "Jules, it looks the same as it always has."
Julia whirled around. Sure enough the poster looked exactly the way it did on the day it arrived at the office.
"Bu-but…" she stammered in bewilderment. "It didn't look like that a minute ago!"
"Julia," Katherine said as though her patience was wearing thin. "Stop making things up for attention. It's very childish. You need to grow up."
Julia looked to Shawn for backup, but he shook his head and motioned for her to stop.
"Jules," Jon said wearily, putting his arm around her, "we've all had a hard time lately. I think your imagination is just workin' overtime. I know mine is."
He kissed her cheek and straightened up. Katherine slid up next to him and took his arm. "You're next meeting is the conference in ten minutes."
Jon nodded and let her lead him away, chattering on about immature teenagers and the lies they make up.
Julia stood in the outer office shaking with anger. Shawn put his hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry about that, sis," he said somberly watching Katherine and Jon until he could no longer see them. "But you didn't see the look on her face I did."
"What look?"
"The smirk. You were playin' into her hands." He nodded at the poster. "She has something to do with that. The more you complain about it the more ammunition she'll have against you to take to Dad."
"So we say nothin' and let her get away with this?"
"No. We say nothin' and come back later to really check that thing out. Then we ignore it completely."
Julia shrugged in frustration. "And?"
"We're gonna turn tables on her." Shawn squinted as a plan began to form in his mind. "She's tryin to make us crazy with that thing. We're gonna make her crazy by not reactin' to it."
"Oh," Julia said in understanding. That was annoyingly simple but clever. She looked up at him in admiration.
"Grab your tablet," he said as he picked up his laptop case. "You can sit outside the conference room while the meetin's goin' on."
While Julia got her things, Shawn stared at the poster. For the first time, he felt they might actually get the upper hand on Katherine.
It was after 4 when Jon made it back to his office. He sank heavily into his chair and leaned his head back against the headrest. He was exhausted, but his headache was significantly lighter, and he could see clearly. He was thankful for that.
There was only one meeting left and it was one he was dreading. He had to meet with Yancy.
Shortly before the assistant principal was due in the phone rang. At first, Jon's hope shot up that it was the man cancelling on him. He was immediately let down when he realized it was his cell phone ringing.
Eli.
"Yeah, what's up, man?"
"Hey, Jonny, how's it going?"
Jon grunted in response.
"That well, huh?"
"Just tired, man." Jon stared up at the ceiling as he swiveled back and forth in his chair.
"Well, hey, call me back if you need to."
"Nah, let's talk now. I've got a few minutes."
Eli took a deep breath. "Well, I was hoping to maybe double date with you and Aud."
Jon was more than a little surprised to hear this. He stopped rotating the chair. "Whoa, that serious?"
"Yeah," Eli sounded strangely nervous as though he were speaking to a new acquaintance rather than a decades old friend. "I think it's getting there."
"Well, I mean, I'd love to get together. I'm dyin' to know who the girlfriend is."
He paused, expecting Eli to tell him right away. When he didn't Jon prompted, "Who is she?"
Eli took a long time to respond. "I'd kind of like to meet up first."
Jon was bewildered by this, but he was too tired to argue. "Okay, man. I just don't know when. Family's a little shaken up right now. There was a break-in Saturday."
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah. My bedroom was trashed, but no one was hurt or anythin'."
"They steal anything?"
A harsh, abrupt laugh escaped him. "Yeah, my torn-up leather jacket."
"No way!" Eli clearly sounded like he thought Jon was feeding him a line. "Are you serious, man?"
"Yep. Nothing else was touched either. Just the bedroom. Thing is whoever did it had a key and the security code."
Eli let out a low whistle into the phone. "Who've you been makin' enemies with, Jonny?"
"Wish I knew. Someone hates me," he replied flippantly. "I can't find out anything about these new hires who were reinstated without my approval after I put them on administrative leave."
"Sorry, man. Sounds like everything is hitting you at once."
"Seems like it. Listen, Eli, give Audrey a call and set things up. You might have to come over to our place. Not sure anyone feels like leavin' home right now."
"Sure thing. I'll call as soon as I hang up."
Jon put his feet up on the desk. "Hey, Eli?"
"Yeah?"
"Locks have been changed. No key for a while. Not until we can get this figured out."
"Totally understand, man."
Jon's desk phone buzzed indicating someone was waiting for him.
"I've gotta go, Eli."
"Yeah, see ya soon."
Jon tossed his phone on the desk and stared up at the ceiling again.
A short while later the office door opened, and Shawn stuck his head in.
"Yancy is waitin' for you."
"Yay," Jon said flatly. He took his feet off of the desk and sat up. "Send him in."
Yancy shoved his way past Shawn before he could tell him to enter. The short man sauntered in with an arrogance that filled the room like a pungent stench. Involuntarily, Shawn took a step backwards away from him before he took a step in and shut the door.
Jon stood up to greet the assistant principal. As he did, he felt the world tilt under his feet, and he had to grab hold of the edge of the table to steady himself.
"Stuart." Gesturing the chair in front of his desk, Jon indicated that he wanted the man to take a seat.
Yancy ignored him and strolled behind him to scrutinize his sports memorabilia collection.
Shawn took a position in front of the door and folded his arms over his chest as he kept watch.
The diminutive man ran a sweaty finger over Jon's prized Lundqvist jersey leaving a damp fingerprint behind on the glass.
"This is what you hold dear, Jonathan?" His tone was mocking, "Hockey props?"
Jon stiffened and shoved his chair back, blocking Yancy's ability to continue his tour.
"You're here because of the complaints I've been receiving about your treatment of students and staff."
He pulled himself up to his full height and stood over the man. "Have a seat."
An amused smirk pulled at the corner of Yancy's mouth. "Whatever you say, Superintendent Turner." His voice dripped with derision. With deliberate slowness, he sauntered over to the chair and sat down.
Jon read him the litany of accusations against him: favoritism of the students, willfully damaging the academic careers of others, pitting staff members against one another, requiring bribes for good evaluations, and accepting them from parents to boost student grades. Those things were just the tip of the iceberg.
When he was finished, Jon sat back prepared to hear Yancy's defense which he expected to be loud and fiery as he knew the man could be. But the response he got was not the one he anticipated.
Yancy laughed. And laughed.
His laughter infuriated Jon.
When the assistant principal quieted down, he interlocked his fingers, rested them on his large gut, and smiled lazily at the superintendent.
"Well?" Jon snapped. He felt the last of his patience slip away.
Yancy shrugged. "The parents are idiotic morons too stupid know when their kid just isn't going to make the cut in life. As for my staff, I work them hard and get results. They're bitter because their lazy and incompetent."
Jon let out a snort of disbelief at both his attitude and his disrespect. "Yancy, I've got documentation on the students and teachers."
"So?"
The superintendent dropped his palm on the desk suddenly to get the man's attention. "These accusations are serious. We aren't talkin' about a slap on the wrist here or even a simple firin'. If what the staff are accusin' you of is true, it's gonna be a police investigation."
That lazy smirk spread over his face, and he ran slowly ran a hand through his sweaty curly hair.
"It's my school. I'll do what I want."
Jon bit his tongue as he tried to quell his temper. "It is not. James Asher is the principal."
Yancy was inspecting his nails as Jon said this. He raised an eyebrow and held Jon's gaze. "Is he now?"
A slimy smile slithered over his lips. "Or hadn't you heard? Principal Asher met with an unfortunate accident last night. He has placed the school in my hands."
Jon's eyes narrowed. "I hadn't heard about that."
The smirk widened as Yancy leaned forward. "There seems to be an awful lot that you don't know about these days, Jonathan."
There was something decidedly dangerous about the man's tone.
Jon's eyes narrowed. "What are you talkin' about?"
"Rumor has it that you're slipping. That teachers and administrators are being hired that you know nothing about. The whole district is buzzing with questions about what's wrong with their beloved superintendent, Mr. Showbiz."
"Showbiz?" Jon blinked in astonishment. He pushed away from his desk and Yancy like the man was rabid. "Are you kiddin' me, Yancy? That was twenty years ago."
"Yes," Yancy said darkly. "And very little has changed with you. You always must be the center of attention, mustn't you, Jonathan?"
Jon shook head, flabbergasted by the direction the conversation had taken. "You're a piece of work, Yancy. You really are."
"Why thank you, Jonathan. And yes, I know you didn't mean that as a compliment."
"These charges will be investigated, Stuart. You're on thin ice here."
"Another hockey idiom?" he said with a roll of his eyes. Yancy stood up and walked up to Jon's desk.
Stroking his beard with one hand, he caressed the wood of the desk with the other. "Such a beautiful desk." He locked eyes with Jon and challenged him. "Trade places with me for just a moment."
Jon was done. He stood suddenly and leaned forward. He may have been significantly less healthy than he was eight months prior, but he was still intimidating when he wanted to be. "Get out of my office!"
Yancy removed his hand from the desk and straightened his collar that wasn't crooked.
"Enjoy the position you have, Jonathan. Things can change in the blink of an eye."
With that Yancy turned on his heels and headed out of the door, giving Shawn a look of disgust as he left.
"What," Shawn said slowly, walking over to Jon while staring after the man. "Was that about?"
Jon felt numb and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I really don't."
He collapsed into his chair. He looked lost. "Asher had an accident? No one informed me."
Shawn leaned over the desk propping himself up with one arm. "What was that about Mr. Showbiz?"
Jon swiveled back and for in his chair and ran a finger over his lips. "You don't remember Yancy?"
Shawn frowned. "Should I?"
"He was a teacher at John Adams High."
"Huh?" Shawn was positive that he had not seen the man before Jon introduced them a couple of months ago.
Jon smiled a bit. "He wasn't one of yours. He taught some of the advanced math classes. We butted heads a lot. He thought I was too flashy and a showoff."
"Sounds worse than you and Mr. Feeny."
"It was. George and I developed a mutual respect in spite of our differences. Yancy and I never made it that far."
"I don't remember him at all."
"Topanga will. She had him for honors math junior and senior year." Jon shook his head. "Of course, I didn't remember him either when we met again at a principal's meeting about ten years back. He couldn't stand that I didn't know who he was."
"A legend in his own mind, huh?"
Jon nodded, then sighed. "Great. One more thing to add to my list. Investigate Yancy."
Absently, Shawn took his phone out of his pocket and stared at it. Then he patted the phone against his palm. He had a very bad feeling about this encounter with Cory's former principal.
Next: Shawn meets the grandparents, and they exchange some information.
I hope everyone is enjoying this.
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Thanks for reading.