listened. That’s how much he loved him.
“Danny. I’ve been watching the news. That creep that’s killing young guys in San Diego has made national news. There was another one last night, you know. Have you been watching the news?”
“Not since yesterday,” Danny said. “He killed four people.”
“Well, now he’s killed five. There was another announcement on the news this morning.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Wow. I have to tell you, Danny, I’m sort of glad you’re under house arrest and not running around the city while this guy is still on the loose. I feel a lot happier knowing where you are every minute of the day. Still, I’m going to try to cut this trip short and get back there as soon as I can. He’s killing guys in your age group, you know. They think he’s—well, they think he’s raping them, too.”
“Jeez,” Danny breathed. He didn’t know which was more shocking. The fact the guy was doing that, or the fact his dad felt compelled to talk to Danny about it.
“So be careful, Danny. Okay?”
“You know I will.” He meant it, too. Meant it with every fiber of his being.
Another comfortable silence descended on the conversation. Danny knew what his father was doing. He was trying to think of something to say so as to extend the phone call because he knew Danny was lonely. It was exactly the sort of thing his father would do, and Danny loved him for it. He really did. Especially now.
“So are you getting all your work done?” Danny asked. “You must be, if you think you can get back early.”
“I am,” his dad said. Danny thought he sounded a little nervous all of a sudden. A little hesitant. “And Danny, I want us to sit down and have a talk when I get back. We need to get some things out in the open between us.”
Danny’s voice shot up an octave, and he clutched the phone tighter to his ear. He jerked himself upright so quickly in the kitchen chair he was sitting on that his cast hit the floor with a thud, jarring his broken leg. “Ouch!” he said. “I told you I’d be good, Pop. I won’t be getting into any more trouble, I swear. I don’t want you to send me back to Mom’s. I’m never going back there. I want to stay with—”
“Hush, Danny. Hush.” His father cooed into the phone like he used to do when Danny was little and couldn’t sleep. “I’m not talking about you, Danny. I’m talking about me. I want you to stay with me too. I’ve waited years to have you with me. So don’t ever think I’ll send you away. It’s something else, Danny. There are things I need to tell you about. Things we need to discuss. I’m not worried about you at all, kid. And I don’t want you worrying about me worrying about you. That would worry me.”
“Shitty couple of sentences there, Pop.”
“Thanks.”
“Can you give me a hint?” Danny wheedled, like a little kid shaking a Christmas present.
The wheedle didn’t work, but he could hear a smile in his father’s voice. “No. I want to talk to you face-to-face. You’ll just have to wait. And don’t be trying to imagine what it is. Or worrying about it. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just something that needs to be talked about. Okay?”
“Christ. I’m imagining things already. And none of them are good.”
His father chuckled. “I thought you might be.”
This time the silence that fell between them was slightly awkward. Slightly too silent, and lasting a little too long.
“You’re wanting to hang up, aren’t you?” Danny asked.
Danny could hear the reluctance in his dad’s voice when he said, “Yes. I need to get back to work. That okay? You going to be able to manage on your own?”
“I’ll be fine. And don’t worry about the killer coming after me. If I need help, all I have to do is stick one toe outside the yard and every cop in Christendom will be beating a path to our door. Sirens wailing, pistols blazing, attack dogs attacking, stun guns stunning.”
His father groaned. “That’s
“Danny. I’ve been watching the news. That creep that’s killing young guys in San Diego has made national news. There was another one last night, you know. Have you been watching the news?”
“Not since yesterday,” Danny said. “He killed four people.”
“Well, now he’s killed five. There was another announcement on the news this morning.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Wow. I have to tell you, Danny, I’m sort of glad you’re under house arrest and not running around the city while this guy is still on the loose. I feel a lot happier knowing where you are every minute of the day. Still, I’m going to try to cut this trip short and get back there as soon as I can. He’s killing guys in your age group, you know. They think he’s—well, they think he’s raping them, too.”
“Jeez,” Danny breathed. He didn’t know which was more shocking. The fact the guy was doing that, or the fact his dad felt compelled to talk to Danny about it.
“So be careful, Danny. Okay?”
“You know I will.” He meant it, too. Meant it with every fiber of his being.
Another comfortable silence descended on the conversation. Danny knew what his father was doing. He was trying to think of something to say so as to extend the phone call because he knew Danny was lonely. It was exactly the sort of thing his father would do, and Danny loved him for it. He really did. Especially now.
“So are you getting all your work done?” Danny asked. “You must be, if you think you can get back early.”
“I am,” his dad said. Danny thought he sounded a little nervous all of a sudden. A little hesitant. “And Danny, I want us to sit down and have a talk when I get back. We need to get some things out in the open between us.”
Danny’s voice shot up an octave, and he clutched the phone tighter to his ear. He jerked himself upright so quickly in the kitchen chair he was sitting on that his cast hit the floor with a thud, jarring his broken leg. “Ouch!” he said. “I told you I’d be good, Pop. I won’t be getting into any more trouble, I swear. I don’t want you to send me back to Mom’s. I’m never going back there. I want to stay with—”
“Hush, Danny. Hush.” His father cooed into the phone like he used to do when Danny was little and couldn’t sleep. “I’m not talking about you, Danny. I’m talking about me. I want you to stay with me too. I’ve waited years to have you with me. So don’t ever think I’ll send you away. It’s something else, Danny. There are things I need to tell you about. Things we need to discuss. I’m not worried about you at all, kid. And I don’t want you worrying about me worrying about you. That would worry me.”
“Shitty couple of sentences there, Pop.”
“Thanks.”
“Can you give me a hint?” Danny wheedled, like a little kid shaking a Christmas present.
The wheedle didn’t work, but he could hear a smile in his father’s voice. “No. I want to talk to you face-to-face. You’ll just have to wait. And don’t be trying to imagine what it is. Or worrying about it. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just something that needs to be talked about. Okay?”
“Christ. I’m imagining things already. And none of them are good.”
His father chuckled. “I thought you might be.”
This time the silence that fell between them was slightly awkward. Slightly too silent, and lasting a little too long.
“You’re wanting to hang up, aren’t you?” Danny asked.
Danny could hear the reluctance in his dad’s voice when he said, “Yes. I need to get back to work. That okay? You going to be able to manage on your own?”
“I’ll be fine. And don’t worry about the killer coming after me. If I need help, all I have to do is stick one toe outside the yard and every cop in Christendom will be beating a path to our door. Sirens wailing, pistols blazing, attack dogs attacking, stun guns stunning.”
His father groaned. “That’s
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