The Lucky Elephant Restaurant

Chapter 17

JAY STOOD BAREFOOTED on the concrete of the parkade. He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt. Steam rose from a puddle of his urine. He tucked himself in. I’ve been in my car for two days, he thought. The twilight stretched shadows. He looked over at the open back door of his Lincoln. Jay moved toward it, climbed in, and slid his feet into his sleeping bag to warm them. He reached up to pull the door closed.

He tugged.

The door stuck.

“You really know how to make an impression. I mean that picture of you taking a pee up against the parkade wall will stay with me forever.”

Jay looked back over his shoulder.

Rosie looked down at him. “It doesn’t smell pretty in there.”

“How’d you find me?” Jay sat up. My breath must smell horrible, he thought.

“I’ve been searching all day. Tony said you lived in your car, so we started checking all the university parking lots. This was second from the last on my list,”

Rosie said.

“Where’s Tony?” Jay asked.

“His Mom grounded him for the weekend. My dad wanted to do the same, but I talked him out of it.”

There was a question in Jay’s glance.

“He told me to come and look for you.” Rosie looked at him. The swelling on her cheek had shrunk. It blended green, yellow, and purple. “What happened when the police interrogated you?”

Jay shook his head. He took a long breath. “They told me my niece is dead.”

“What?”

“Kaylie and her father, Charles, are dead. Kaylie is my sister’s kid. She just had a birthday. She was full of attitude and had just learned to ride her bike. She was so proud she could ride a two-wheeler. That kid was so coordinated.”

Rosie stood still, speechless.

“They said it looked like a murder suicide. No way. Charles was kind, gentle, and really naive. My sister did it. Just like she killed my parents,” Jay said.

“What are you talkin’ about?” Rosie wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

“When I was fifteen, my house burned, and my parents died. My sister started the fire.”

“She’s out of jail?” Rosie asked.

“My sister never went to jail. Instead, she inherited half of my parents’ estate,” Jay said.

“What?” Rosie asked.

“My sister is Bobbie Reddie. You know, Bobbie on the radio.”

“‘Speak to me’ Bobbie?”

“That’s right,” Jay said.

Rosie looked over the roof of the car.

“That’s how it works. As soon as I mention her name, people have their doubts. They think Bobbie is some kind of saint. You might have believed all of what I just told you, up to the point where I mentioned her name.”

Rosie looked at him again. “You came back for me. Everyone else ran, and you came back for me. All my friends, even some of my relatives, left me there. The police would never have caught you, if you hadn’t come back for me.”

Jay leaned his head to the left and wondered what was coming next. Usually, I’m the one running away, he thought. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying…” she began, then thought for a moment. “You figure it out.”

“I hope someone will help Cole when he figures it out,” Jay said.

“Cole? Who’s he?” Rosie sounded exasperated with the ever-expanding list of complications in Jay’s life.

“My nephew. If anyone knows what really happened to Kaylie and Charles, Cole does,” Jay said.

Rosie watched Jay.

“It’s only a matter of time before he disappears. He’s smart. He figures things out. The kid was reading at four. People think because he doesn’t say much, there’s not much going on in his head. They’re wrong. Cole used to talk with me. He’ll know what Bobbie did. And she’ll know it too. Cole will have to be dealt with before he says something to the wrong person.”

“Come on. Get behind the wheel. Follow me,”

Rosie said.

“Why?” Jay asked.

“Uncle Tran has got you an apartment. It’s definitely a step up from this place.” Rosie looked inside Jay’s car. “It’s even partially furnished. And, it has a bathroom. You could use some cleaning up, cracker.” She laughed and walked toward her car.