Page 9 of Dare
Thehomeless man is sitting on the curb in the parking lot, a tattered paperbackbook in his hand when I pull in, the greasy bag of food on the seat beside me.I’m not real sure how to go about this without making him feel like I pity him.I know if someone pitied me it’d piss me off.
“How’sit going?” I ask, approaching him, and I instantly feel like an idiot. It’sobviously not going well if he’s here instead of eating dinner in an actualhome.
“Can’tcomplain,” he replies, a guarded look on his face.
Itake a seat on the curb beside him. “Burger place screwed up and doubled myorder. Want a burger? It’s just going to get thrown away.”
Hisexpression tells me I’m not fooling him, but he nods. “I could eat.” He lookssurprised when I divide up the food, then proceed to eat instead of goinginside. “Thanks.”
“Noproblem.”
Weeat in silence, catching a few stares from other tenants returning home fromwork. “People can’t mind their own damn business, can they?” I grumble.
Theman laughs. “That’s all you. People look right through me.”
I’vebeen guilty of that myself. I have no idea how long he’s been living out here.If I’m being honest, I probably never would have talked to him if it weren’tfor Ayda bringing him to my attention. His clothes are dirty and wrinkled, andit’s clear from the jut of his collarbones he doesn’t get enough to eat, buthis posture and the way he holds himself screams soldier.
“Iraq?”I murmur.
“Afghanistan.”
“Howlong have you been back?”
“Sixmonths.” He gets to his feet, and chucks our food wrappers into the dumpster.“Thanks for the burger. I got to go.”
Myhand darts out as if it has a mind of its own. “My name’s Dare.”
Heshakes my hand. “Tucker.”
“Goodto meet you. I’m in apartment 2B if you ever want to have a beer.”
“Soundsgood, thanks.”
* * * *
It’spast midnight when Justus rings my phone. “What do want, stripper?” I ask,annoyed he’s interrupted my nightly conversation with Ayda.
“Haveyou heard from Jed lately? I’ve been trying to reach him all day.”
Jedlives in a farmhouse ISH bought a few years ago. He takes care of the place andraises the pigs who help us dispose of the remains of die-hard pedophiles. Jedis around sixty years old, but still sharp as ever. We met him a few years ago,tracked him down, actually. It was all over the news that someone was killingsex offenders, just making their way down the registry.
Hisgranddaughter had been kidnapped, raped and killed when she was ten, and thoughher murderer is doing life in prison, Jed realized there were many who weren’t.And the government kept a nice little hit list for him. When he found out whowe are and what we do, he was happy to help.
“Haven’theard from him. Do you want to head out to the farm? Make sure everything isokay?”
“Ithink we’d better. I’d take Landon, but he’s holed up with Zoe somewhere.”
Scrubbingmy face with my hands, I accept the fact it’s going to be a long night. “Justcome and get me. I’ve had a few beers.”
“Onmy way.”
Ilean my head back against the wall after disconnecting the call. “I have to go.Raincheck on the next episode?” I ask Ayda, through the wall.
“Sure.Is everything okay?” She barely knows me, but I can hear the concern in hervoice. She’s so compassionate.
“Probably.A friend of mine hasn’t been answering his phone. He’s getting older and livesalone, so my buddy Justus is coming over to get me so we can check on him.”
“Oh,I hope he’s all right.”
