"How do you feel about me spending the night at your house with Carter over here? I asked, while sitting on my front porch swing.
"Will your mom be okay with that? Together those two are pretty rambunctious," Chase replied.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure, I know she adores Carter and he and John love her, I think they'd be fine," I concluded.
"Sounds good, I could use those arms around me tonight," Chase uttered.
"My plan exactly my love." I leaned in and kissed his cheek and then stood, offered him my hand and we went in to find my mom. Mom called Jeff and secured permission and the plan was set.
Chase went home to prepare a bag for Carter while I did the same for myself. After that I sought out Mom.
Wrapping my arms around her, I thanked her.
"I'm happy to do it Jem, Chase is a lovely boy and you both could use a break from wrangling four year old's."
"Mom, did Jeff tell you about Chase's mother?"
"Yes dear, he told us the whole terrible story. He and Chase must be very strong."
"Chase is having a problem at the moment, it's why I want to stay with him so he can talk it out. He sees a therapist but they aren't miracle workers."
"Sometimes a good listener is all that is needed. Chase seems so serious most of the time, Jeff said he was very different after he lost his sister. I believe she would be turning fifteen this month," Mom shared.
"Thanks Mom, I better get over there and help him bring the little guys back over here."
"I kissed Mom, grabbed my bag and gave Seneca a scratch on the way out the door."
Traffic was heavy so we carried John and Carter across so we could do it quickly. We had a bit of a wait until a driver noticed us at the crossing and stopped, alerting the oncoming driver with his headlights. We waved as we crossed and made for our porch.
Carter and John made a beeline for Mom as soon as I opened the front door. I kissed Mom again and each of the boys, then Chase and I returned to his home. I would have to wait to see how Dad's first day went. I was sure he could manage.
"Hi Jeff, Hi Janisse how are you this afternoon?" I asked.
"Great," Jeff answered.
"Wonderful," Janisse echoed.
"You have a savory meat pie for dinner with vegetables and monk bread. I hope you enjoy it."
"I'm sure we will," Chase replied. "Thank you Janisse.
We had returned just in time, Janisse had her bag and was ready to return home to make dinner for her mother and herself.
We all hugged her goodbye and watched her get into her car and then drive away.
"What are you two up to tonight?" Jeff asked.
"A bit of music and perhaps a movie, it depends on what Chase wants to do. I'm agreeable to practically anything," I returned.
"Well I'm going to the pub for trivia night right after dinner. I'll order a Lyft ride so I don't have to drink tea all night."
"That sounds like fun Dad, at least the trivia part." Chase chimed in.
Chase and I left Jeff to his own thoughts and went to Chase's room.
"Thanks," he said.
"For what? I asked.
"Just for being here, I need this tonight. I have so many thoughts in my head I can't concentrate on just one."
His mind was a bit of a jumble, Liddy, school, choir and his voice were on his mind in an endless carousel.
"Would you like to sing something with me later, we could go down to the piano? I doubt your dad would mind; he might even join us." I suggested.
"Maybe, right now I'd like for you to just hold me."
"How can I say no to that?" I replied.
We stood there, cheek to cheek holding on to each other. I began to try soothing him and getting his heart rate down. With my arms around him pulling him into me I projected a calming sensation, slowly he began to respond and returned the embrace. We stood like that for fifteen minutes and by then he was calm and able to articulate what his worries were.
"I want to quit the choir but I'm a little afraid of the assistant choirmaster. He acts like one of those sales guys you see on TV, but I have other things I want to do and my voice is beginning to fail. I was singing yesterday and it cracked badly. I'm losing my higher range and I'll be asked to step down anyway. I don't want to leave on those terms, I want to stop before I'm humiliated," Chase confided.
"So the closer school gets, the more you worry right?" I asked.
"Yeah and Liddy's birthday is coming up, she'd be fifteen this year. I�ve always wondered what she'd be like. We always got along really well you know. We had our own friends but we could always count on each other. I feel like I let her down," Chase uttered creakily.
"What could you have done? Honestly, was there anything you could have done that would have changed anything?" I asked.
"After a long silence Chase said , "No not really, it happened so suddenly, I heard screaming and ran upstairs. I ran to help Liddy when I saw her and after that it all went black," Chase said vacantly.
I felt him begin to accept that nothing he could have done would have made the slightest difference.
"I need to lay down for a little, would you stay with me?" Chase asked.
"I'm here as long as you need me, love."
We lay together and after ten minutes he slipped away to sleep. I allowed myself to join him.
****
As Mike and Frank pulled into the county vehicle pool gate a young man approached.
"Are you Captain MacGregor sir?" he asked Frank.
"No that's Captain MacGregor on the other side," Frank informed him.
"Good afternoon sir, we have two units for you to inspect, if you'd like to follow me I'll show you the way."
The man hopped onto an ATV and led the pair to a parking area where they left Frank's unit and followed the man inside.
"What is your name son?" Mike asked.
"Oh, sorry sir, I'm Lonnie. I'm one of the mechanics here. We had the techs prep a Ford Interceptor and a Dodge Durango Pursuit; they're both SUV's but the Dodge is four wheel drive."
We had the Fords in Santa Barbara county initially but we switched to the Dodge due to a number of factors. Have you had a lot of trouble with the Ford fleet and the electrical system Lonnie? Mike asked.
"Yes Sir, we've been taking in new ones and modifying the routing and gauge of the supply harness front to back. It seems to have eliminated most of the problems but the ECM's are failing at an alarming rate," Lonnie supplied.
"Then I'll stick with the Dodge, would you walk me through the lights, siren and other features that are unique to your fleet."
Lonnie pulled the Durango to the test area outdoors and Mike told Frank thanks and he was free to head on home.
Lonnie demonstrated the light control panel and then the sirens. First the conventional electronic siren that incorporated an airhorn that sounded like a fire truck, and then the Rumbler unit. A low frequency siren designed for urban environments where high frequency sirens may not be heard. Rumblers are felt more than heard. He pointed out the forward and rearward facing dash cameras.
"Nice compact set up Lonnie, you guys do nice work," Mike commented.
"Thank you sir, we do our best. Let me show you where the radio gear lives and your tactical storage. It's right here under the hatch. You have gunlocks for a shotgun and an M-4. This is an ammunition locker that will resist fires long enough to clear the vehicle. There's no spare in the vehicle so if you get a flat you'll have to get to help on the runflats. The vehicle is not armored, just for your information."
"Thanks, Lonnie, if that's it let's go do the paperwork," Mike suggested.
"It's just three signatures, everything else has already been cleared through the Castle, I don't get calls from the Undersheriff very often," Lonnie prattled.
Lonnie walked Mike through the maintenance scheduling and told him if he had other business they could probably get inspections and maintenance done while he dealt with whatever brought him to the complex. Mike signed the forms, collected his copies and two keys. When all was done he drove home.
****
Chase began to stir and I woke up myself, Chase stretched and sighed.
"I feel a lot better now Jem, thanks for being here and letting me talk. You helped me see that I really couldn't have helped her. For a long time I was upset because I thought she used my hockey stick but I found mine in my closet later. I freaked out and screamed at Dad for putting it there. When it was all sorted out I realized it was Dad's stick from when he was a kid. It was autographed by Gretzky and some other players. He told the cops to keep it, maybe auction it off for charity, but he didn't want it back. I gave mine away with all my hockey gear, I've never played since. I still ice skate but it's more like figure skating."
"I've never skated, ice or roller. I saw people using roller blades but I just never got into skating. There was only one rink in town and it was crowded the few times I tried to go," I explained.
"Maybe I can teach you, there's a skating rink not far from campus. They have rental skates and you could try to learn, it's a lot of fun and it's almost like what I imagine flying would be," Chase breathed dreamily.
"I think I'd like that," I told him. "What is the school like? Do they have people waiting for you to mess up so they can rack you up? I asked.
"No not like that, there are rules you have to follow. We have to dress properly and bathe, brush and comb our hair. Otherwise they mark you up for being untidy. They can't write you up if you are in gym clothes but you're not supposed to wear them in the class buildings. The gym, fields and the dining hall are okay but you have to have clean hands," Chase enlightened me.
"Are the people okay, the other students and the teachers?"
"Mostly, I had some trouble with an older boy bullying me last year but Skevin warned him off and nobody messes with Skevin."
"Skevin?" I asked.
"Yeah, Vasily Skevin, He was the same age as the bully and he was also the best athlete and boxer in the school. Really nice though. He saw Russ corner me and got between us. He warned Russ he better not see him doing that sort of thing again or he would invite him to the ring. Russ stopped bugging me after that, but Skevin won't be there this year so Russ might be a problem again," Chase sighed.
"Not if I'm there, and I can teach you a few simple pressure point techniques that will make him lose interest in you," I suggested.
Chase grinned broadly, "that would be nice."
"We'll work on that, I plan to teach John a bit too, just enough to discourage the tough guys, I could teach you and Carter, too" I continued.
"Like what you did to Benny?" Chase asked.
"Yes but a bit milder, What I did to Benny would be dangerous in the wrong hands. The nervous system is sensitive to interruptions in energy flow. Poke the wrong place and you can cause a lot of pain; I don't think you'd want to do that," I ventured.
"No, you're right, I wouldn't. I don't like hurting people even if they deserve it. It would be different if someone was trying to hurt Carter or John, I'd grab anything heavy and beat the crap out of someone if they went after them, or you."
"Dad and I were just discussing putting up my bags and strike pad in the room behind the garage. I think it used to be a workshop but Dad isn't handy that way. He's got a building nearby for his old cars and he'll work on them there. Handyman stuff, either I tackle, or Mom calls a service," I informed him.
"What bags? Like for punching?" Chase asked.
"Right, a speed bag and a heavy bag. I have a pad that is designed so you can put it on a post and focus punch in a small area. The speed bag helps with timing and agility and the heavy bag is just to punch and kick without breaking your hands or feet. I took boxing lessons and then later a free style place opened up and I went there. I wonder if there's one around here?" I explained.
"Whoa, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, John Cena and the Dalai Lama all in one," Chase giggled
"Not even close, but it's good exercise and it helps with confidence. Bullies notice people who look like they're unsure of themselves. They act that way to bolster their own self confidence. Most of them are just hot air. They might torment a smaller weaker kid but they don't mess with anyone that looks like they might fight back. Of course there are exceptions like Nate, he was hurting inside and didn't know what to do. I'm no psychiatrist but it doesn't take a degree to see that someone is in pain."
"I don't think he ever did anything but push people and say mean things. I never imagined that he was living in such a hell. How can parents do that; or allow what his stepbrother was doing. I just never thought of such a thing, I should have but I didn't. I saw my own mother murder my sister, I should have been more aware of that stuff."
"Maybe, but how could you know? I noticed several things about Nate, he had bruises that showed on his collar and above where his sleeves would usually be. When we walked around him I saw his lower back and it was bruised too. The difference is I was evaluating him as an adversary I didn't know. You knew him and his bruises may not have registered, even if you did see them," I elaborated.
"Yeah, that makes sense, I'm really glad that you helped him. I never liked that creepy weird ass stepbrother of his. If I ran into him at the store he would look at me weird and I felt kind of sick."
"Your brain was just trying to tell you to stay clear, who knows how he got that way but he knew it was wrong and he did it anyway. I don't have much sympathy for him," I concluded.
"That's true, at least he's someplace he can't hurt another kid. Um, do you still want to go down to the piano?"
"Sure if you're up for it, I enjoy singing with you. I might make a few weird noises but I still like to sing," I affirmed.
"Cool, I have the same problem so we can squeak together," Chase giggled.
I grabbed my notebook from my bag and down we went.
"I thought I'd teach you Jollity Farm and then we can teach Carter and John to make the noises. Why don't I play it through with the lyrics and you can follow along with the book. I don't have the music or you could just sight read, ready?"
Sure, but what does this note here? "Cockerel crows!" what's that mean?" Chase inquired.
"You know, cock a doodle doo, I do a cockerel crow at the beginning because it's a farm," I explained.
"Oh, a rooster. Why do you say cockerel instead of rooster?"
"Probably because I like the word better than rooster, I read a lot and a lot of it is from English authors. That's where I picked it up most likely. Shall we begin? I prompted.
Chase nodded, I did my call and began playing. It didn't take long for Jeff to join us and listen in. When I finished Jeff and Chase clapped and laughed.
"That's a really neat song, the little guys are going to love it," Chase exploded.
"I haven't heard that song in ages and I never heard the verse about the fox before. I know it because of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, I thought maybe you had heard of them too," Jeff added.
"I was playing the song as written by Leslie Sarony but I have heard of the Doo Dah's. They have some great songs, I replied.
I began the intro to Hunting Tigers Out in India and Jeff laughed, "that's precisely the song I was thinking of, but they did do a version of Jollity Farm." Jeff noted.
"Yes they did, it's a good one but harder for the kids to learn so I stick to the original plus there's the issue of not singing "Stuff it up your jumper" in front of little kids," I supplied.
"Oh yes, I forgot about that. It probably wouldn't go down well with parents," Jeff laughed. "Still, I'm amazed at your breadth of knowledge."
"Well you can never tell what I might read or listen to. My grandfather is fond of old songs and he knows quite a few good ones," I related.
"I'll be right back, I need the toilet," Chase indicated and scurried off with my notebook in hand.
"He seems a bit more positive today, he's been a bit down, my daughter would have been fifteen this month. I know Chase told you, he said you helped him more than the therapist he's been seeing. Thank you. I won't ask what you did to lift his spirits but again, thank you." Jeff said quietly.
"Mostly I just listen and ask questions. He seems to work out his feelings that way. I like seeing him happy too," I replied.
"Well I think I'll get busy with the dinner that Janisse left us and when you boys get a chance you could set the table," Jeff mentioned.
"We'll be happy to, Jeff, we'll do that and then do a run through on the song together."
Chase and I set the table and we went through the song three times and Chase had it down. Our harmonies were nearly perfect and he loved making the animal noises.
The three of us ate and chatted and I remembered.
"Did you know my dad started his new job yesterday Jeff?"
"How does he like Boeing so far?" Jeff asked.
"Oh, um he didn't take that job, he's running the C.I.D. bureau for King county now. It kind of happened because of John," I supplied.
"That's quite a switch, I remember him saying he had been in the sheriff's department where you came from, I didn't know he was going to do the same up here," Jeff replied.
"It wasn't his original plan, the Undersheriff talked him into it. Dad has a lot of experience doing detective work. When Art was little he worked for Los Angeles county Sheriff's department as a detective in homicide. I think he'll do well here," I opined.
"He'll need to, they just had a big scandal with his predecessor and I'm not sure all the dust has settled. He'll need to work miracles if the reports are accurate," Jeff answered.
"I think he'll do really good and he'll get that outfit whipped into shape as soon as he finds the source of the trouble. He's pretty good at that," I proclaimed.
"Well, I wish him well and hope he doesn't get stuck in any quicksand."
With dinner eaten, the table cleared and dishes loaded in the washer, Jeff announced that he would prepare himself to meet his ride to the pub. Chase and I returned to the piano and sang a few other songs while Chase still had the range to serve them.
I received a call from Dad asking if we could be home bright and early to watch John and Carter. I said we would and asked about his day. He told me a bit but said it wasn't something he wanted to discuss over the phone. I gave him my love and asked him to give the same to Mom and let him relax. He sounded much less stressed than I expected.
"Mom needs to go with Dad in the morning, that means we need to pop over there around five-thirty, let's be sure to leave a note for Jeff," I explained.
"Okay, I'll write it out and stick it on his bedroom door," Chase decided.