Cruel Justice

34

THE DRILLERS WEREN’T PLAYING today, so the man in the red wig was forced to come up with a different diversion to win over Abie. It was too soon to take the boy directly to his apartment. Abie liked him, and trusted him, but perhaps not well enough for what he had in mind, what he wanted, what he desired.

Not quite yet.

Celebration Station had been Abie’s idea. It was a mini-amusement park, one of a chain, near Fifty-first and Yale. Miniature golf, bumper boats, arcade games, pizza—enough to divert the attention of a ten-year-old for a few hours. The only problem, at least from the man in the wig’s standpoint, was that it was very popular. And very public.

“Can we really go to Celebration Station, Sam?” Abie had asked with obvious excitement. “That’d be great!”

“Have you ever been before?”

“Nah. My dad wouldn’t take me. He took me to Bell’s once and hated it. He said, ‘Never again.’ ”

“Really? I love Bell’s. I’d go all the time if I had a special friend to take with me. Maybe you’d like to be my special friend.”

Abie beamed.

“Your father must not know how to have a good time.”

“You can say that again.”

“Well, today we do Celebration Station. Next time we’ll catch Bell’s.”

Reluctantly, Sam headed toward Fifty-first and Yale. Well, he reasoned, in large public places like that, no one really notices anyone else. And if they did, so what? He and Abie would look like a father and son on a day’s outing. On the remote chance that someone was able to detect something amiss, they would never be able to identify him. No, they would give the police a description of some foolish-looking man with fuzzy red hair and owlish glasses. He was safe.

“Can we ride the bumper boats?” Abie asked. The man could smell the closeness of the boy, the sweet aroma of his skin, his body. His heart beat wildly out of control with anticipation.

They did, and the bumper cars as well, and the go-carts. All contraptions from which thrill and pleasure were derived from knocking the occupants around as harshly as possible. Sam grinned and bore it. With each ride, Abie became more consumed with pleasure, more enamored of his new companion.

After his turn on the go-carts, Abie ran to a water fountain for a drink. The heat was beating down on all of them; the physical activity had sent their perspiration glands into overdrive.

While Abie drank, the tall man reached down and placed his hand under the boy’s armpit, then tasted his sweat.

Oh God—He felt a sudden urgent throbbing in his groin. He knew he couldn’t wait much longer. It would have to be today. And soon.

The sooner the better.

By the time they had ridden all the rides twice, the man in the red wig knew all inhibitions Abie might have once had about talking to strangers were gone. Why should they apply to him, anyway? He wasn’t a stranger. He was Abie’s best friend.

“Want a Sno-Kone?”

Abie responded with his usual enthusiasm. As they walked to the Sno-Kone cart near the front parking lot, Abie reached out and took Sam’s hand.

That was when he knew. The boy was ready.

A grizzled old man sitting inside the Sno-Kone cart peered down at them, one eye open, one eye closed. “How can I help you fellas?”

“Two Sno-Kones.”

The old man seemed to be eyeing both him and the boy carefully. Too carefully for his comfort. “What flavor?”

“Oh, I don’t know. What do you recommend?”

“What’s the boy’s favorite?”

“I—Abie, what flavor do you like?”

“Cherry!”

“Cherry it is. Two cherries.”

The old man whirled around on his stool, scooped up the crushed ice in conical paper cups, and applied the artificial cherry flavoring.

Sam took the two cones and surreptitiously crumpled a white powder palmed in his right hand into one of them.

“How much do I owe you?” he asked.

“Well …” The old man scratched the side of his face, then nodded toward Abie. “Is he a Leo?”

“Is he—what?”

“A Leo. Born this month. If he is, he gets his free.”

The man frowned, glanced down at Abie. Abie shook his head.

“Sorry. I’ll just pay for it.”

After paying, he passed Abie the doctored Sno-Kone. Together, they walked back to the car.

“Did you have a good time, Abie?”

“Did I? Wow! That was so much fun. Thanks.” He hesitated for a moment. “It’s been great, but—I wonder if I should maybe call my parents.”

Experienced as he was, the man had anticipated this development and prepared for it. “Do you want to call them?”

“Not really. But I don’t want them to worry. ’Specially Mom.”

“Then relax. I called them.”

Abie appeared both astounded and relieved. “You did?”

“Yes. While you rode the bumper boats the second time. Talked to your mother. We both agreed it might be best if you spent the day with me. It will give your father some time to cool off.”

“And Mom said it was okay?”

“Oh yes. She was all for it.”

“Great!” He took the man’s hand again. “Where can we go now? Bell’s?”

“Actually,” the man said as he unlocked the car, “I know a place that would be even more fun than that. A private place.”

“Will there be anything for me to do there?”

“Oh yes,” the man said with vigor. “It’s all for you. We can play games. Very special, wonderful games. We’ll have a chance to do things you’ve never done before.”

“Will it be fun?”

The man closed his eyes. “Heavenly.”

“All right! Let’s do it!”

“Off we go,” the man said. He pulled out of the parking lot with a heart so happy he thought it might burst clean apart.