“I like you as Jean the Assassin. Remember to keep your eyes open all the time. Speaking of which, did you know Lisa’s Mom is back on the sauce?”
Nick saw the fleeting look of horror pass over Jean’s face before she spoke. “Are you sure, Dad?”
“Yep, and I have Gus to back me up. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you not to spend the night over there until she clears her head up. I thought her and Ray were doing pretty well. He’s back working construction again, right?”
“They were doing real good. I thought something was wrong when I saw her put the make on you outside school.” Jean’s shoulders slumped, and she stared down at the floor. “Lisa didn’t mention it to me. Maybe you could do something like you did last Halloween to get her fixed again.”
“That was a onetime project, Jean. Denise may snap out of it on her own as long as her and Ray aren’t dealing anymore. Gus thinks she’s suffering from suburbia fever when thirty-something Moms start thinking ‘oh woe is me’ and nothing they have is good enough for them.”
Jean stared at Nick for a silent moment. “You think that’s what happened when Mom had my Dad collect stuff on Tanus, huh?”
“Possibly, but it was only because she never for a moment envisioned the consequences. That’s where you’re way ahead, kid. You have talent to envision those tricky unintended consequences with skill far above your age group. It also means you don’t give me a bad time when I tell you something needs to be done.”
“I’ll never forget our trip across country… ever. You freaked Mom and me out knowing everything before it happened.”
Nick shook his head. “Not everything. I got you and your Mom taken in a van tied and gagged.”
Jean clasped his hand. “That was the worst. When you opened the back of the van… it was a miracle. You were like my dark guardian angel. I prayed for you to come… and you did.”
Nick grinned. “Dark angel, huh? You’re right. That was one tough trip, kid.”
“You had to kill a bunch of people you knew, didn’t you… like that lady and guy that followed us?”
“In a way, I’m glad you remember those two. This business you’ve hinted at following me into is an endless fable without happy endings. I knew the woman Kate intimately. Kate thought she knew me. She didn’t.”
“I…I guess you couldn’t have let her go.”
“I respected her too much for that, kid. Kate was one of the most dangerous women I’d ever met. Remember Kate and her partner, Sam Jessops, Jean. They’re shining examples of how the dark angel fable ends. I’ll teach you how to stay alive, but I’d sure like you to consider writing when making a career choice.”
“I will, Dad. I don’t think I’d ever want to kill someone I was friends with. I want to help people like you helped us.”
“You could try for careers in the police department or FBI too. I’m sure you can find another alternative to what I do where you could help people, and I believe you would do well in anything you set your mind to.”
“I’ll stop thinking what you do is a game. Sometimes you do things so easily, like with Lisa’s parents, it seems like a game. I know better than that. If I hadn’t egged you and Gus into helping Ms. Kader, I bet we wouldn’t be in so much trouble again.”
“She’s a good lady, Jean. Don’t ever apologize for doing right. You saved her life. Gus and I will be fine. It just so happens we stumbled into another mess on our own you had nothing to do with. We’ll-”
“Hey… you two are sure into something deep. What am I missing?” Rachel had turned to look over Nick’s shoulder. “This nice lady here wants to take us to our table.”
Nick and Jean stood up, noticing their three companions were already standing next to a smiling waitress. “We’re all set, Rach. Let’s eat.”
*
Gus waited until their female contingent adjourned to the ladies room before speaking to Nick. “I saw the van. What do you have in mind?”
“Hard to say, Gus. I was thinking of calling a cab, and leaving the Cad.”
“No… really… what’s going through that sadistic little mind of yours. We didn’t get our quota of bodies today, I’m sure.”
“Okay… I was thinking of leaving Rachel, Tina, and Jean the keys to the Escalade while we sneak over to your car, screech to a halt behind the van before they can move, and I jump out and see who the hell it is.”
“I have a better idea, my friend,” Gus countered. “We’ll tell the girls to shop for a few minutes while we walk out and ask the guys in the van why they’re parked behind your Cad, keeping us under surveillance.”
“Well sure,” Nick replied with a grin. “We could do that. What happened to your sense of adventure today?”
“I think it died with Brody’s nose bone. I’ve been packing ever since we got back in town from overseas. I’ll back your play.”