Long Shadows

Chapter 96

T​hey had checked out of the hotel and were heading to the airport after saying their goodbyes the night before to Agent Andrews, who was doing well in rehab. He offered free golf lessons to Decker and White should they ever be back in his neck of the woods again.

“Is it relaxing?” White had asked.

Andrews had grinned. “Only if you play well. So, not really.”

On the drive to the airport White asked, “So, why was Langley trying so hard to work up an alibi for that night if he didn’t kill Cummins?” asked White.

Decker said, “Gloria Chase called me. She hired a detective to do some more digging because she was puzzled about that, too.”

“And?”

“And turns out Langley had another relationship going. He left from the liquor store to have a quickie with a married client while her husband was out of town.”

“What a scumbag.”

“I don’t think that term actually goes far enough.”

They dropped off the car and walked into the terminal.

And found Tyler Davidson inside waiting for them.

He looked like a pale shadow of his former self, but he walked resolutely up to them and said, “I found out you were leaving from Agent Andrews. I... I just thought I’d come out to see you.”

Decker said, “Okay, Tyler. How are you holding up?”

He shrugged. “My dad has a good lawyer. They might plead insanity or something like that. I don’t know what that will do. He’s going to go to prison, I know that.”

“I’m sorry,” said White. “I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”

Tyler looked up at Decker. “I just wanted you to know that my dad isn’t really a bad person. When I was a kid my parents really got along. We had so much fun. We were a great family, we really were.”

“I’m sure, Tyler. But sometimes life is good and sometimes it’s bad, and sometimes it’s good and bad at the same time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be real. And you can’t assume either one will last forever. So while things look really bad now, that won’t last, Tyler. I promise you.”

“I don’t know if I can believe that.”

Decker took this in and said, “I played ball against a guy in college. Best pure football player I’ve ever gone up against. He was a running back at the University of Texas, and every time we played them the guy killed us. He was a finalist for the Heisman his junior year, and he would have easily won it his senior year.”

“What happened? Did he go pro early? What’s his name? If he was that good, I probably heard of him. I follow stuff like that.”

“He never played a down of pro football.”

“Why? If he was that good.”

“He got framed for murder and spent twenty years in prison. Over half of that time was on death row.”

Tyler gaped. “Holy shit!”

“His innocence was finally established and he was released. He got a big payment from the government for what they did to him, and he’s now married and living a wonderful life in California.”

“He deserved it.”

“He never got to realize his dream of going pro, of being maybe one of the best of all time. But my point is, Tyler, no matter how bad it ever gets, it can also get better.”

“I... I guess if things turned out okay for him, they could turn out okay for me.”

“And, remember, you have a lot of money coming your way,” pointed out White.

“I don’t care about that. I don’t even want it.”

White said, “But your mother wanted you to have it. And it won’t be coming for quite a few years, so make no decisions until then. You can start that business that Decker told me you talked about. Or you can give it away to worthy causes. The choice will be yours.”

Decker gave Tyler one of his cards. “And let me know where you land for college. I know more about football than most people. I’d be happy to help you any way I can. And not just with football, but anything, or you just want to shoot the shit. Call me, anytime, anywhere.”

“Really?”

“We husky football guys have to stick together.”

Tyler slipped the card into his pocket. “My dad told me what you did for him. How you managed things for... me. So nobody would... the police... would leave me alone.”

“You didn’t ask for any of this. And what you did, or didn’t do, under those circumstances? Well, I don’t know that I would’ve handled it any differently, particularly at your age. So what right do I have to judge you?”

“Thanks for that, Mr. Decker.”

“Call me Amos. All my friends do.”

This drew a surprised look from White.

Decker put out his hand, but Tyler bypassed that and hugged him. Decker could feel the young man squeezing him with all his strength, even as he trembled like a frightened child. Like Decker was the only thing keeping him tethered to reality.

Decker closed his eyes, and in his mind he was holding his daughter after a bout of night terrors. Holding her tight, saying soothing things into her ear. Making her feel safe. And Decker felt himself starting to tremble, and then his eyes filled with tears as he hugged the young, frightened teenager as tightly as he could.

After Tyler left, Decker just stood there, while White, her gaze averted, waited with him.

Finally, Decker picked up his bag and lumbered off to the security gate, wiping at his face.

White followed silently.