Listen

29

“What?” The question rushed out with too much air, making it sound like he’d whispered it. Damien felt small sitting in the chair, Grayson towering over him, Edgar’s eyes narrow and critical. “What are you saying?”

“Are you the one behind the Web site?” Grayson said.

Damien’s fingers curled toward his palms, his fingernails embedded in his flesh. “What are you talking about?”

“Answer the question,” Edgar said.

“First you accuse Frank, the most honest man we know, who can’t defend himself because he’s dead, and when you can’t prove that, you turn to me?” Damien jumped out of his seat, causing Grayson’s hand to snap to his holster and Edgar to flinch. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“Sit down,” Grayson ordered. “Now.”

He’d known Lou for years, and never once had he talked to him this way. His tone didn’t have a hint of familiarity. Damien glared at Edgar, whose gaze dropped to his desk.

Damien lowered himself into his chair slowly, his stare boring into Grayson. “What makes you think it was me?”

From the folder he’d set on Edgar’s desk, Grayson pulled out a clipping from a newspaper. He turned it around and showed it to Damien, who took it and looked it over. It was a crossword puzzle. His crossword puzzle. Filled in.

“You published this puzzle this week. Yesterday, in fact. Is that correct?” Grayson asked.

Damien nodded. A chill crept down his spine. He was starting to understand where this was going.

“We found the answers particularly interesting. They seem to send a clear message.” Grayson took out another copy of the clipping. “If you read from left to right, we have words and phrases like important work, must continue, and this one in particular caused some alarm bells to go off: let their words kill them. Not so cleverly disguised to be read backward.”

Edgar looked terrified, as if he were sitting across from Hannibal Lecter.

Damien released his fingers and crossed his legs. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was not good, but there was no need for him to act guilty and afraid. He smiled. “Yeah, I can see where this looks bad.”

“No kidding.” Grayson grabbed a nearby chair sitting against the wall of Edgar’s office, plopped himself into it, and was now eye level with Damien. It felt rehearsed, like somewhere in a textbook he’d read that if you sit across from a suspect and lean forward four inches, he’ll confess everything. “Talk to me. Why did you decide to start the Web site?”

Damien rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. I did not start the Web site. I was trying to send a message to the person behind it. I wanted him to start up again, to prove that Frank was not responsible.”

“Interesting,” Grayson said, sounding not the least bit convinced. “Any reason you chose a crossword puzzle?”

“Why not write an editorial?” Edgar asked, a softness in his eyes indicating he really did want to know the reason.

Damien glanced at Edgar, then at Grayson, then down at his hands. He couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. “The person behind the Web site contacted me.”

Grayson’s skepticism hung in the room like heavy, intrusive cologne. “Really.”

“Really. He sent me a crossword puzzle. Here, at the office. When I solved it, it spoke of the Web site and for this person’s need to continue.”

“Except he hasn’t continued, has he?” Grayson asked.

Edgar looked furious. “Damien, why didn’t you report this? You should’ve told me!”

“I know. I know,” Damien said. “I should have. I just thought since the person sent it directly to me, I could reach him, try to convince him to stop.”

Grayson held up the crossword puzzle. “This doesn’t sound like you want him to stop.”

Damien shook his head. “I know how it looks. After Frank died, I wanted to clear his name. I wanted to prove he wasn’t the one doing this. I thought if the person would start up again, that was a surefire way to clear Frank.”

Grayson had a pretentious expression that begged to be slapped right off him.

Damien stood and went to the door. “I’ve got the original crossword the person sent to me.”

Grayson and Edgar followed him out, Edgar hurrying to catch up with him. “You’re in a boatload of trouble. You should’ve reported that to me.”

“And to us,” Grayson said. “We could charge you with hindering an investigation.”

Damien remained quiet. What else could he say?

They arrived at his desk. Damien sat in his chair to better reach his briefcase, where he’d last put the crossword. It was buried between all kinds of useless things he kept in there. Behind a bulging green folder, he fished around for the thin, red one but felt nothing except vinyl.

Pushing his chair back, he knelt beside the the briefcase. With both hands, he removed three bulky folders in the way, tossing them hastily onto his desk. He stared at a wide-open space. No red folder.

“It’s gone,” Damien breathed. “It was here; I swear it. It was here.” He looked at Edgar. “Did you take it?”

Edgar’s eyes widened. “No.”

“Maybe I should’ve asked, ‘Did you write the original?’”

“That’s ridiculous!” Edgar cast a disapproving look at Grayson.

“Really? Is it? Because as I see it, the only thing prospering from this stupid Web site is the newspaper.”

“Prospering? The only thing this Web site has done-” Edgar’s gaze lifted like he was trying to ward off anger-“is make me understand how very few friends I have at this place.” He turned and walked off.

Damien stared at the carpet. So that was why Edgar was acting so weird? He’d been hurt by it too? When was this going to end?

Grayson crossed his arms. “You’ve just become a person of interest.”

Kay studied the Monopoly board, fingering her money.

“Mom, hurry up,” Hunter complained. “You’re taking forever.”

“It’s a game of strategy,” Jenna said, but she didn’t seem really present in the conversation.

Kay noticed Jenna staring at the mantel, at the eight-by-ten photo of Frank with the kids three Christmases ago. It had snowed ten inches that year, the first white Christmas either kid had experienced. They were outside for three hours and built four different snowmen.

Hunter sighed, toying with his silver car. “I thought Dad was coming home for dinner tonight.”

Kay tried to smile, but she was worried. He had said he would be home early. When he didn’t arrive, she’d called his cell phone. He answered and didn’t give her time to speak. “I can’t talk. I’ll be home later.” Click. She tried texting him an hour ago, but no reply came. She drew a card but barely paid attention to it.

“He’ll be here when he can. Your move, Hunter.” She caught Jenna’s eyes, trying to look deeply into them, wondering what was going on behind that pretty face.

Jenna only smiled faintly, blinked peacefully, and reassured her with a pat on her wrist. She pointed to Kay’s money. “You’re really bad at this.”

Kay laughed. “Yes, well, that’s why your father handles all the money.”

Hunter punched his hands into the air as he passed Go safely. “Sweet!”

The back door opened and Damien appeared, looking as haggard as if he’d walked all the way home from work.

Kay stood and greeted him. She took his briefcase and coat. “What’s wrong?” she asked, trying not to sound urgent in front of the kids.

Damien stared at Kay, then at each of his children. He observed the table for a moment and looked at Kay. “You’re not winning.”

“I never do.”

As though every move he made was an effort, Damien pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down. He folded his fingers together and stared at them as if they might do the talking.

Kay glanced at Jenna, then at Hunter, who both looked equally perplexed.

“Is it about Frank?” Hunter asked.

Damien shook his head. “I’ve become a person of interest in the Web site case. They think I’m doing it.”

“What?” Kay gasped, though her hand hit her mouth trying to stop it. “What in the world? Why would they think that?”

Damien didn’t answer at first. It looked like he was overcome by emotion but trying to hide it. “I made a bad judgment call.”

“Damien, you’re not involved in this, are you?”

“No, I’m not. And neither was Frank; I can assure you.” He took a score pad nearby and a pencil. He doodled around the edges.

“Then what are you talking about, ‘judgment call’?” Kay asked.

“I received a note at the office, a sort of encrypted crossword deal that I believe was sent to me by the person doing it. The mistake I made was that I didn’t tell anybody. When the Web site stopped after Frank died, I decided to send an encoded message in the crossword puzzle in the paper. I just wanted to get whoever was doing it to start again so Frank’s name would be cleared. Unfortunately, Captain Grayson is a crossword fanatic. He saw the clues a mile away and knew I’d put them there.”

“So? Show him the crossword that was sent to you,” Kay said. “Then he’ll know.”

Damien stared at the Monopoly board. “It’s gone.”

“Gone?” Kay asked.

“I had it in my briefcase. It’s not there anymore. That’s all I know. It makes no sense to me.” Damien finally looked up. “The good news is that I haven’t been charged with anything. They don’t really have any proof, but I’m their best lead right now.”

“That Web site has brought nothing but trouble!” Hunter suddenly yelled.

Damien said, “Calm down, Hunter. Please. We can’t afford to get hysterical about this. Besides, as much as I hated it at first, I actually think it has done some good. I hear it in the break room. People are starting to talk about the power of words. People are listening more than they’re talking.” He broke the tip of the pencil and grabbed another one out of the game box. “Our dark and dirty secret has been exposed, and maybe we’re better for it. I don’t know. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, if you give the tongue all the power, I guess.”

“Well, we’ll prove your innocence,” Kay said, her hands spread wide like a cat’s paws on the table. “We won’t stop until we do.”

“It’ll work itself out in time. I’m not really worried. I know I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t even know how to do it. Someone out there is the right person, and eventually he’ll be exposed.” Damien scribbled something on the pad of paper in front of him.

Kay leaned in. “What are you writing?”

Damien shrugged. “Just something I wrote yesterday. I planned on writing another op-ed. Seems ridiculous now, you know? I can’t say another thing about it.”

Kay turned the pad to read it. Listen to all that is said from everyone you know. Listen hard and you will have understanding beyond the words. “That’s beautiful,” she said, touching his arm.

Hunter stood, slapped his dad’s shoulder, then hugged him from behind. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. You’re going to be fine.”

Damien squeezed his hand. “Thanks, buddy. I know. It’s all good. I have my family and that’s what matters to me.” He looked at him. “You got homework?”

“Yeah.”

“Better get it done. The show must go on.”

“What exactly can get me out of homework?” Hunter groaned as he trotted upstairs.

“Baby,” Kay said, “let me get you something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry. Ate a big lunch,” Damien said, that smile emerging that was always supposed to try to put her at ease. “I think I’ll go shower, relax, maybe read.”

Kay watched him leave the room. The table was silent; then Jenna said, “I miss Frank.”

“Me too.”

“Frank was really brave. I mean, I always just saw him as Uncle Frank, but he didn’t back down from a fight. He thought Angela was in danger and he didn’t even pause. He just went right over there.”

Kay nodded. “Yeah, Frank was brave. And honest. A good guy all around.”

“He had good character.”

Kay nodded again, eyeing Jenna. She wasn’t one to normally wax so philosophical. But then again, she’d been through a lot, and that kind of pain can change a person.

Jenna looked at Kay. “I think I’m brave too.”

Kay smiled, tears brimming her eyes. She touched Jenna’s cheek. For once she didn’t pull away. “Of course you’re brave.”

“Yeah, I am. I never thought of myself that way, but I am.” She pushed her money to the center of the table. “I guess the game’s over.” She stood.

Kay stood also, embracing her.

“Dad prayed for me last night,” Jenna said as she turned toward the stairs.

“Oh?”

“That’s a good dad who will pray for his kid, right?”

“Yes.”

“I think prayer works.” She grinned, and light danced in her eyes. “See you in the morning.”

Kay gathered the Monopoly pieces and put the game back in the box. She hadn’t even talked about her day or what had happened at the jail. She knew Damien would not have approved of her going, and she would’ve heard about it for at least a few days.

Obviously he had enough on his mind.

But Kay knew she’d done the right thing. They had demonstrated strength in numbers, and as they had walked out of that jail, Jill started laughing. It was the first time she had ever heard the woman laugh. Kay knew Jill felt free, felt strong. Before they’d gotten into the car, Jill took her arm. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You’re not alone anymore,” Kay said, hugging her. “We’re friends. I’m here to help you.”

Kay loaded the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned out the lights downstairs. As she climbed to the second floor, she had an overwhelming sense that everything was going to be okay.