Page 13 of Gifts

“I should be glad Emma cut herself off from them. Or they cut her out—whichever it may be.”

“I still know nothing more than I did an hour ago when we spoke on the phone. But had you not interrupted me—”

“I drove by her house,” I interrupt. “Saw the girls walk up and decided to sit and watch since they looked up to no-good. Thirty minutes later, that dealer drove up and you interrupted the handoff.”

Keelie’s face falls a bit. “So, he is a dealer? What did you see?”

“I didn’t see anything, but I’d bet my right arm he wasn’t there delivering stationery or letterhead.”

She shifts her weight and sighs, worry clouding her pretty face. “No. I thought the same thing.”

“I’ll check into him.”

Her eyes get big. “You can do that? How do you know his name is really ‘Ritchie’?”

I smirk, handing her back a little bit of what she gave me yesterday. “I’m not at liberty to talk about my work, Keelie.”

She rolls her eyes.

If she only knew.

“But I will tell you what I find out. And I might not make you wait ‘til Monday,” I add.

“You won’t?” Seems I’ve surprised her again.

“You think I want that shit in school with my kids?” I ask. “I might be new to the full-time parenting gig, but I’m not new to the ways of the world. That asshole could’ve been peddling something as simple as weed, but I’m thinking not since anyone can drive into the District to buy it now. My guess—they’re experimenting with something more. Or they were about to.”

She crosses her arms and even though she looks to the side, she doesn’t seem to be focusing on anything.

“Keelie?” I call for her.

She turns back and her voice goes soft. “You’ll let me know what you find out?”

“I said I would,” I promise and lower my voice. “You okay?”

She nods and takes in a big breath. “Yes. Sorry. It just seems this school year will never end. I do appreciate any information you can offer. I’m going to call the principal now, fill him in.”

“Give me your number.” I pull my phone out of my pocket.

She shakes her head and gives me a ghost of a smile.

“What?” I grin. “I can’t let you know what I find out without your phone number.”

She relents and I can tell she’s even a little amused.

“Gotta say. I never had to promise information about a suspected drug dealer to get a woman’s phone number before. You’re a hard sell.”

She smiles bigger. “I suppose I am.”

I make her another promise. “I’ll call you.”

She stands on her driveway looking something between amused and annoyed. “I’m not sure what to say, Asa.”

“You could high-five me, but that seems out of character. But I also didn’t expect you to have a donkey and goats. You’re a tough one to figure out.”

Her eyes get big. “Yeah? Well, I’m still trying to figure me out, too, if that makes you feel any better.”

I’m not sure what that means. But as much as I’m enjoying standing here talking to her and looking at her, even with goats wreaking havoc in the background, I need to get home before the kids do to keep an eye on Emma. “I gotta go.”

---