Queen's Park

Monday, July 31
CHAPTER SIX

Red alarm clock numbers stared back at Ernie: 2:37 AM became 2:38. He peeled the comforter off, sat up, pulled on a pair of socks and sweatpants.

Scout’s dog tags rattled. The night light cast thick shadows in the hallway. He stepped over the plastic oxygen line running up the stairs into Nanny’s bedroom. The hum of the oxygen machine masked the sound of paws and feet going down the stairs.

Ernie waved his hand in the dark till it touched the wall and found the light switch. Blinking, he spotted the remote control lying on its back among Nanny’s pill bottles. He pressed the power button, sat in the easy chair, selected mute and swiveled to face the television.

The screen eased out of black and into colour. He skipped through the menus and found closed captioning.

He felt Scout’s paw on his right forearm and switched the remote to his left. Her cool tongue licked the salt inside his elbow. He scratched along her shoulder.

He tried to recognize the movie. Bullets pitted the wall behind a man ducking into a trash bin.

Scout had her eyes on him.

“You’re wondering why I can’t sleep.”

Her ears swiveled to capture his words.

“I have nightmares. And I can’t stop thinking about the things people say to me.”

Scout nudged his thigh with her nose.

“Nanny said, ‘If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail.’ Now, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Scout licked the back of his hand.

“More mind games?” He looked for an answer from Scout. “And Nonno said, ‘He’s our only grandchild. It’s up to us to protect the boy.’ He talks to that stupid doll like she’s real. Even makes me call her grandmother.”

Scout’s nose nudged his hand.

He scratched the side of her face. “What the hell do they think I did wrong? Uncle Bob was the one with the knife. Some of the stuff he said I couldn’t remember until yesterday. I wish I couldn’t remember what Bob said to me. And, I can smell him. That’s the worst part.”

He touched the scar along the bridge of his nose, “Mom says he’s long gone. All the police found was the knife.”

Scout growled.

“Uncle Bob may be long gone but he’s still hanging around up here,” he tapped his head.

The V Channel weather man flashed onto the screen. He wore a green Gumby tie and yellow shirt with half moon sweat stains under the arms. To his right, the moon painted a silver swipe on the river. “Another hot one forecast for tomorrow. It looks like more of the same for the remainder of the week. The only cool place in town is along the river.”

Ernie watched the river.

“So, enjoy the warm weather and the rest of the movie.”

Something floated behind the weatherman. A log moved lazily. It bobbed once and rolled over to expose an extended limb pointing at the stars. Then it slid back into the darkness.

Ernie felt a shiver start at the base of his spine.

Scout barked and stood up. She barked again and raced for the door. Ernie ran after her. “Stop it, you’ll wake everybody up.” Ernie flipped the outside light on and peered through the peephole. He got a glimpse of a grey car and red tail lights. He turned the dead bolt and opened the door. Leaning out, he heard the sound of a car’s engine racing away. “Back,” he said to the dog and closed the door behind them.

“Who’s there?” Nanny said.

“There was a car outside and Scout started barking.” Ernie stood at the bottom of the stairs.

“What kinda car?”

“Looked like the same one those two guys were driving. You know, Uncle Bob’s friends.”