big eyes.
“I’ve asked my partner to come over. His name is Joe Pike, and he’ll be around if you need anything.”
Charles looked sulky. “What are we gonna need? You think we’re babies?”
“No, but I’ll sleep better if I know there’s someone to help you if you need it.”
The doorbell rang. Charles grabbed his knife and raced for the door. I said, “Ask who it is.”
Charles threw open the door and there was Joe Pike, filling the frame, motionless. Pike is six-one, with long ropy muscles, short dark hair, and a face that gives you nothing unless you know him well. His arms are laced with veins, and bright red arrows had been tattooed onto the outside of his deltoids a long time ago. They point forward. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off and blue Levis and bottomless black pilot’s glasses. The glasses tilted toward Charles.
Charles dropped the knife and screamed,
“Run!”
He tried to slam the door, but Pike caught the door without effort, and gently pushed it open.
I said, “Lighten up, Charles. This is Joe Pike. Joe works with me.”
Charles was leaning into the door with everything he had, making little sounds like “Grr, grr, grr.”
Teresa snapped,
“Charles!”
Charles jumped away from the door and ran past Winona into the kitchen, breathing hard. Winona was standing in the kitchen door, hands soapy and dripping, sniffling like she was about to cry.
Teresa said, “It’s okay, honey. He’s one of the good guys.” She looked back at me and shook her head. “We can take care of ourselves. We don’t need a baby-sitter.” Charles peeked out from behind the door.
Joe Pike looked at the knife on the floor, then at the children, and then at me. “Baby-sitter?”
I spread my hands. “He won’t live with you. He’ll just be around, and you’ll have his phone number. If there’s anything you need, you can call him.” I looked at Joe. “Right?”
Joe’s head swiveled so that the flat black lenses angled my way. I thought he might be amused, but you never know.
Teresa’s mouth set in a stubborn line. “It’s all right. We’re fine.”
I said, “Look, I’m not leaving you guys here alone. Joe will be outside, and he might drop in a time or two, and that’s the way it has to be.”
Teresa wasn’t liking it, but I wasn’t giving her a lot of choice. “Well, I guess there isn’t much I can do about it, is there?” Stiff.
I shook my head. “No.”
Charles finished eyeing Joe and skulked out from behind Winona. “Lemme see your gun.”
Pike picked up the serrated knife, flipped it into the air, then caught it by the blade. He looked at Charles, and Charles ducked behind Winona. Pike walked over and held out the knife. Handle first. “Put this away before someone gets hurt.”
Charles took the knife and disappeared into the kitchen.
Pike turned to Teresa. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Haines. My name is Joe.” He held out his hand and she took it. I think she blushed.
Winona smiled. “My name’s Winona.”
Pike glanced over at me and said, “Go ahead and leave. We’ll be fine.”
That Joe. To know him is to love him.
I left them like that in the deepening purple of twilight, and went home.
I approached my house with a suspicion I do not often feel and let myself in. The three drops of blood were still by the cat’s door, and the quiet house still held an air of alienness that I resented. The cat slipped in through his cat door, sniffed the three drops, then snicked across the floor and sat by his bowl. Guess he had moved past it.
I gave him a can of StarKist tuna, then opened the sliding glass doors that lead to my deck. The twilight air was cool and scented with wild sage. I put Jimmy Buffett on the CD player, then poured a glass of Cuervo Gold, had some, then went out to the side of my house and selected a fat green lime from the tree I planted two years ago. It went well with the Cuervo. My home had been invaded, and I
“I’ve asked my partner to come over. His name is Joe Pike, and he’ll be around if you need anything.”
Charles looked sulky. “What are we gonna need? You think we’re babies?”
“No, but I’ll sleep better if I know there’s someone to help you if you need it.”
The doorbell rang. Charles grabbed his knife and raced for the door. I said, “Ask who it is.”
Charles threw open the door and there was Joe Pike, filling the frame, motionless. Pike is six-one, with long ropy muscles, short dark hair, and a face that gives you nothing unless you know him well. His arms are laced with veins, and bright red arrows had been tattooed onto the outside of his deltoids a long time ago. They point forward. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off and blue Levis and bottomless black pilot’s glasses. The glasses tilted toward Charles.
Charles dropped the knife and screamed,
“Run!”
He tried to slam the door, but Pike caught the door without effort, and gently pushed it open.
I said, “Lighten up, Charles. This is Joe Pike. Joe works with me.”
Charles was leaning into the door with everything he had, making little sounds like “Grr, grr, grr.”
Teresa snapped,
“Charles!”
Charles jumped away from the door and ran past Winona into the kitchen, breathing hard. Winona was standing in the kitchen door, hands soapy and dripping, sniffling like she was about to cry.
Teresa said, “It’s okay, honey. He’s one of the good guys.” She looked back at me and shook her head. “We can take care of ourselves. We don’t need a baby-sitter.” Charles peeked out from behind the door.
Joe Pike looked at the knife on the floor, then at the children, and then at me. “Baby-sitter?”
I spread my hands. “He won’t live with you. He’ll just be around, and you’ll have his phone number. If there’s anything you need, you can call him.” I looked at Joe. “Right?”
Joe’s head swiveled so that the flat black lenses angled my way. I thought he might be amused, but you never know.
Teresa’s mouth set in a stubborn line. “It’s all right. We’re fine.”
I said, “Look, I’m not leaving you guys here alone. Joe will be outside, and he might drop in a time or two, and that’s the way it has to be.”
Teresa wasn’t liking it, but I wasn’t giving her a lot of choice. “Well, I guess there isn’t much I can do about it, is there?” Stiff.
I shook my head. “No.”
Charles finished eyeing Joe and skulked out from behind Winona. “Lemme see your gun.”
Pike picked up the serrated knife, flipped it into the air, then caught it by the blade. He looked at Charles, and Charles ducked behind Winona. Pike walked over and held out the knife. Handle first. “Put this away before someone gets hurt.”
Charles took the knife and disappeared into the kitchen.
Pike turned to Teresa. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Haines. My name is Joe.” He held out his hand and she took it. I think she blushed.
Winona smiled. “My name’s Winona.”
Pike glanced over at me and said, “Go ahead and leave. We’ll be fine.”
That Joe. To know him is to love him.
I left them like that in the deepening purple of twilight, and went home.
I approached my house with a suspicion I do not often feel and let myself in. The three drops of blood were still by the cat’s door, and the quiet house still held an air of alienness that I resented. The cat slipped in through his cat door, sniffed the three drops, then snicked across the floor and sat by his bowl. Guess he had moved past it.
I gave him a can of StarKist tuna, then opened the sliding glass doors that lead to my deck. The twilight air was cool and scented with wild sage. I put Jimmy Buffett on the CD player, then poured a glass of Cuervo Gold, had some, then went out to the side of my house and selected a fat green lime from the tree I planted two years ago. It went well with the Cuervo. My home had been invaded, and I
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