Read Online 3 a.m. (Henry Bins 1) by Nick Pirog - Free Book Online Page A

son.

 
     
     
~Twelve~
     
    Years ago, my dad tried to drag my lifeless
body from his car up to my condo, but it hadn't ended well. It'd
taken him over twenty minutes, he'd slipped two discs in the
process, and my neighbor down the hall, thinking my dad was
disposing of my body, had called the cops. Since then, anytime I
fell asleep in the car, he'd recline the seat, put a pillow under
my head, lay a blanket over me, and crack a couple windows. And
although he wouldn't admit it, I know he checked on me every couple
hours throughout the day.
    At 3:00 a.m., I wake up, crawl from the car,
and make my way up to the apartment where my dad, Murdock, and
Lassie are all spooning on the bed. Lassie and Murdock both jump
off, run forward, and lick me clean.
    “ Hey guys, did you have
fun playing?”
    “ They sure did,” my dad
says, pushing himself up. “Long lost brothers, you'd
think those two are.”
    I laugh.
    The four of us move to the living room.
    “ You gonna stick
around?” I ask my dad.
    “ No, I think
we're gonna head out. Got some things to do
tomorrow.”
    “ Cards on
Wednesday?”
    “ Always.”
    “ What are
you gonna do about the watch?” he asks.
    “ I'm not sure. I have to
do some research. But if the President's son is involved, I'm going
to find out.”
    In the couple of minutes before I'd fallen
asleep last night, my dad had told me everything he knew about
Ricky Sullivan. The President's only child made the Bush twins seem
tame by comparison. He'd gotten into his fair share of trouble when
Sullivan was governor — though he was never officially arrested for
anything — and his father's rise to the presidency did little to
quell 'Risky's' insatiable appetite for fast cars and fast women.
He had been likened to Prince Harry on several occasions and the
two were actually close friends. In the past year, he'd kept a low
profile and was said to be buckling down for his second year at
Georgetown Law.
    “ I thought of something
else,” my dad says. “About the President's son.”
    I nod.
    “ I guess he has a bit of a
gambling problem. His bookie was busted a couple years back for
cocaine possession. He thought rolling over on the President's
son's gambling habits would lighten his sentence. It didn't. But
the story did leak to the press; Risky was into him for about
eighty grand at the time.”
    As if I hadn't put it together, my dad adds,
“The two hundred grand that was stolen.”
    “ You might be on to
something,” I tell him.
    He shrugs and says that he'd better get
going. He starts towards to door. Murdock appears to have no
intention of leaving his sidekick and lowers to the ground next to
Lassie.
    “ Say goodbye to your
friend,” I tell Lassie, picking him up and making my way towards
the open door. 
    Meow.
    “ No, he can't stay
over.”
    Meow.
    “ Because you guys
are gonna stay up all night drinking soda and playing
video games, that's why.”
    Meow.
    “ He's coming back over in
a couple days and you guys can stay up as long as you
want.”
    Meow.
    “ Grand Theft Auto 5? Is
that even out yet?”
    Meow.
    “ I'll see what I can
do.”
    Murdock jumps up on my chest and gives
Lassie a big kiss goodbye, then my dad yanks him by the
collar and shuts the door. I can hear him whining in the hallway as
my dad wrestles the beast away from the door.
     
    …
     
    Lassie and I are just sitting down to eat,
when there is a knock at the door.
    It is 3:11 a.m.
    I look through the peephole, expecting to
see my father, thinking he'd left something at my condo. It's
not.
    I pull the door open.
    “ What the fuck
Bins?”
    “ And a hello to you,
Detective Ray.”
    She storms in. She is wearing a black top
and tight jeans. Her hair is up. Her arms are also up. As is her
apparent temper. “You didn't have to go to the FBI!”
    “ FBI?”
    She cuts her eyes at me.
    “ What are you talking
about?”
    Her eyebrows rise, then slide
together. “You don't know?”
    I shake my
head.