Read Online Close to the Broken Hearted by Michael Hiebert - Free Book Online Page A

pause and then, “I don’t know. Do you think I should? That seems a bit like using the system for my own personal agenda. And I feel somehow like I’m being disloyal to Billy’s memory. Like I’m spyin’ on him or somethin’.” She turned a thing over in her mind and then said, “Okay, go ahead and do a background check on Billy.” She let out a deep breath “I don’t know how I feel about this, but at least I’ll know whether or not to trust this woman. Oh, and she says she’s from Boston. Abe said she sounded funny, so she’s probably got the accent to go with the claim. Thanks, Ethan. I owe you one. And don’t worry ’bout Sylvie; I’ll talk to her right away. It won’t happen again.”
    My mother hung up the phone.
    â€œWhy you doin’ a background check on Pa?” I asked.
    â€œTo see if it turns up any brothers or sisters.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just call the number?” I asked. “Wouldn’t that be easier?”
    â€œBecause I don’t trust people I don’t know, Abe. I’d rather not go into this blind. It’s too strange, her showin’ up after all this time. It just strikes me odd.”
    â€œEverythin’ ’bout Pa strikes you odd.”
    â€œNow what’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œI dunno.”
    She searched my face, as though trying to decide if I had insulted her and deserved a good talking to. “I reckon you think too much.”
    I had no idea what she meant by that. “What did Chief Montgomery say ’bout Miss Sylvie?” I asked, figuring she’d answer my question by telling me to mind my business.
    She surprised me. “Oh, apparently she called the station again with another problem and asked Chris to put her through to Ethan. When Ethan took the call, she immediately threatened him by sayin’ if he didn’t take her seriously, she would just call me at home. So now I got Ethan thinkin’ I’m in cahoots with Miss Sylvie, givin’ her ammunition to blackmail the department into attendin’ to her.”
    â€œWhy would they think that?”
    She took another deep breath. “Because apparently you’re not the only one who reckons givin’ out my home number to Miss Sylvie was a bad idea. And they all know how I feel about the way her calls are treated at the station. I don’t keep it a big secret. I think the girl is treated unfairly. I hate injustice, Abe. You, of all people, should know that.”
    I thought about it. I reckoned I did know it and it was something I admired about my mother very much. “I hate injustice, too,” I said.
    She held out her arms and I moved in close. Pulling me into her chest with a warm hug, she said, “Now you’re just tryin’ to suck up.”
    â€œMom?” I asked, while her arms were still wrapped tightly around me. “Did I really do something wrong today by talking to that woman?”
    â€œYou did what you thought was right,” she said. “I just wish you hadn’t talked to a stranger. At least you did it in a public place. This time it turned out okay. You got home safe. But next time you might not be so lucky. I just don’t want anythin’ bad to ever happen to you.”
    â€œI don’t want anythin’ bad to ever happen to you, either,” I said.
    She let go of me. I could see a tear standing in her eye. “All right. I reckon it’s time for you to go start cleanin’ up your bedroom.”
    â€œOkay,” I said reluctantly, and slunk down the hall, wondering what all might show up in that background check Chief Montgomery was doing on my pa. There were sure a lot of things about him that I didn’t know. I would love to find out more.
    Â 
    That night, Leah Teal went to bed with a lot on her mind. She left the drapes of her bedroom window open, and outside heavy clouds had started moving in.