The Apprentice
by Sahypo
Chapter 19
Over the next few days, life settled down and went back to some semblance of normality. Timmy composed a long email to his friends Scott, Sammy and Eric, and Angie.
He had stayed in contact with Angie by phone and IM frequently, as he felt a special bond with her, and she always took the time to help him work through things, much like Isaac did. Being female, she had a perspective that Isaac and his male friends did not share, and he valued that very much. He and Angie had come to a point where he knew he loved Angie, but he was not in love with her sexually...He had confided his same-sex activities to her, and she knew he was confused about his orientation...Much to her credit, she did not take that personally, and had pursued other boys. She had not been sexually active since her tryst with Timmy, but Timmy had satisfied her sexual curiosity and itch to have intercourse, but now she intended to find a boy for a relationship before she took that next step. She and Timmy were now very close friends.
Scott and Sammy and Eric were fascinated by the whole story. Timmy wrote to them about his early life, his mothers murder, Brandon Williams and his grandfather, Detective Walsh, Jack's death, going to court, and finally, meeting his biological father and finding out about his brothers...It was breathtaking, and Timmy asked Isaac to proofread it for him before he sent it. Isaac had told Timmy he was interested in reading anything Timmy wrote about his early life, if Timmy wanted those things known...Once he read the draft of Timmy's email, he decided to keep a copy of it in a folder on his computer. He thought it might be a great essay in the future.
The boys all sent Timmy messages and emails with all sorts of questions, and Timmy spent a few days answering them.
Timmy was pleased to know that Gloria Calloway was recovering, and that Eric was back home, helping his grandmother with daily tasks that she was still unable to accomplish, due to limited mobility on her "bad" side, as she put it. She was accepting her condition with grace and dignity, and continued to improve gradually.
It had been a month or so since Timmy's trip to the farm, and weeks since he had seen Eric at the hospital after court. A few nights after Timmy had caught all his friends up with the big email, he got an IM from Eric, telling him the pictures he was sending were not family rated...Timmy replied that he understood.
In Timmy's mailbox was the item from Eric, titled "It's getting there!" Timmy was lying on his bed with the laptop beside him, and scrolled down into the text of the email. There were two pictures attached. One was a very clear, well lit shot of the base of Eric's penis, showing some sparse light brown pubic hair beginning to fan out around the boy's phallus. The second photo was a full shot of Eric's erection, with his grandmother's sewing tape laid across the top of the circumcised organ, with a finger holding the end of the tape in place. Eric had definitely grown some since the boys played at the farm. Both of the pictures had been taken on the toilet, probably the only private place in the house.
Timmy wrote back in reply:
Eric, that's so awesome, dude! I'm happy for you! Does grandma know where her tape measure has been? LOL.
He hit send and closed his messenger, and turned the computer off.
Melanie and Timmy were introduced to each other about a week after she settled in, and she decided to let Timmy and Isaac have her yard work, since they lived next door, the price was as good as she could get anywhere and it could be rolled into her rent to boot. Timmy and Isaac had raked and fertilized the yard when Pat had put the purchase money into escrow, so now the yard was looking lush and green. The boys cut the other rental yards once every other week, and trimmed. It was hot work, and the boys liked to work in the evening after the sun was lower, then come home and skinny dip before going in for the night.
Peter was a frequent guest and often spent nights with Isaac. Peter often asked Timmy how he was doing, and how he felt, and held great affection for the boy. Timmy in turn looked to Peter for a role model, and often would discuss things with Peter and Isaac to hear what they thought.
There had been recent discussion between the three of them concerning Peter's lack of privacy at home, and the issue of coming out to his parents. Peter had asked Isaac and Timmy how they felt about the idea of Peter moving in with them. Isaac had been getting informed on the adoption process, and was concerned that such an arrangement might not be the best thing to do while the home study and background checks were in process, and if Peter's parents didn't take the news that Peter is gay as well and Pat and Lizabeth had, Peter might not have any choice but to leave his home. Peter saw the logic in Isaac's reasoning, and it was decided that once Timmy was adopted, that Peter could then come out, and the three of them would handle the aftermath.
Timmy had decided to continue the adoption process with Pat and Lizabeth. He deeply felt that he owed them so much, and to "turn his back' on them at this time would be morally wrong. He was dreading the time that he would have to tell the Kanes' his decision, because he knew he was caught in the middle of a situation that was bound to hurt somebody. He wished that it could be just him...
It was one of those times he needed his big brothers help...
Peter had come over, and he and Isaac had decided to skinny dip in the pool. Melanie was working absolutely crazy hours, and although she was stacking it up in the bank, she was hardly home. She had told her employer that this would have to scale back a bit when her son joined her at the beginning of the school year. She was compressing a lot of work into the present, so she would have most of the big things done when the time came to divide her hours between work and home. The boys thought they had almost as much privacy in the back yard now, that they did before the house was rented. Little did they know that Melanie had already been treated to the male eye candy next door, as she inadvertently had caught glimpses of their pool entries and exits on the odd day during the week she had taken off to subscribe to the utilities...even though there was a six foot wooden fence between the yards, the pool was four feet high at the sides, and anyone climbing the pool ladder could be seen over the fence.
Melanie was pretty cosmopolitan and had been known to sunbathe in the buff on the roof of her co-op in Queens. The sight of three naked boys skinny dipping didn't offend her in the least, but she did have to suppress the urge to grin as her mind wandered when she spoke to them in casual comings or goings, or discussed the yard with Isaac. She may have been a 36 year old divorcee, but she wasn't dead, and she figured it didn't hurt to appreciate the visual treats. This residence definitely had more than curb appeal.
Timmy had taken off his clothes and climbed into the pool where Isaac and Peter were already relaxing.
"Guys, something's really bothering me, and I don't know what to do." Timmy said as he crouched in the pool, only his head above water. Peter and Isaac were floating belly up beside each other, their hands holding on to the rim of the pool behind their heads.
"What's up, little buddy...What's getting to you?" Isaac asked.
"Well...I guess I gotta decide to stay with you and Pat and Lizabeth, or go with the Kanes. I don't want the Kanes to think I don't like them, but I can't just go off and leave after all that's happened and everything you guys done for me...I don't know what to do."
Peter spoke first "Timmy, have the Kanes offered to have you live with them yet?"
"No..." Timmy replied.
"So...until you cross that bridge, you don't even know if you have that option." Peter said.
Timmy thought about that, then said "That's true, too" in agreement.
"And it's not really like you're choosing between sides, either" Isaac said. "They are always going to be your family, Timmy. If you live there, or live here, that doesn't change your kin. Look, Timmy...the bottom line is, you know you have a home here no matter what, right? That was gonna happen before all this came up."
Timmy nodded his head "I know, Isaac"
"If Dennis and Debbie offer that to you as well, and you take it, we are going to understand and support that. We can't keep you from your family, Timmy and we would never even try...
You know that...We don't want this to be a big stressful thing, Timmy. We'll be fine with whatever you decide."
"Okay, Isaac...I guess I need to talk to Dennis and Debbie before I get all freaked out and shit."
"Sounds wise, Little Owl" Peter said, calling Timmy by the "Indian" name he and Isaac gave him, since he seemed to know everything that goes on when Peter spent nights with Isaac. He turned and kissed Isaac gently, to which Timmy asked
"Is there going to be blatant gratuitous gay sex now?" causing Isaac to laugh and reply
"Well, not in the pool, my little pee-pee's pruning!" cracking Timmy and Peter up, and they all got out of the pool to dry off and go inside.
Several days later, a man showed up at the door and identified himself as a child services employee, showed Isaac his credentials and asked if Timmy was home.
"Just a moment, I'll get him, would you like to come in?" Isaac said.
"Yes, thank you." the man came in and stood in the living room as Isaac knocked on Timmy's door.
"Timmy, we have company from family court" Timmy jumped up and put on shorts and a shirt, and came out to meet the man.
"Hello, Timmy, my name's Roger, and I'm with Children's Services to check out your home and talk to you. Is that okay?"
"Sure"
"Isaac, What I am here for is to do a preliminary home study. What that means is that on this visit I look for things that indicate Timmy is in a safe environment, and has all the things that he needs."
"I understand, Sir." Isaac replied.
"How many children live in this home besides Timmy at the moment?"
"Only Timmy, there are no other children."
"And this is Timmy's room?" Roger asked as he walked the hallway, and looked into the boy's room.
"Yes, this is his." Isaac said. Roger then inspected the window, and tested the lock to make sure it worked. Satisfied, he wrote notes on his clipboard, and looked in the closet and dresser, and said
"His clothing seems to be in good condition, and he has a good amount of it."
"When Timmy came to be with me, he didn't have much of anything, sir. Most of what he had we threw out. He's been growing a lot too, so we have to shop pretty often."
"Yes, I know what that's like. I have kids Timmy's age too." Roger said. "Okay, I'm satisfied that he is being clothed and has a bed of his own." He wrote more things on his clipboard, and moved on to the bathroom off the hallway, across from Timmy's room.
More notes...
He opened a door and looked into the third bedroom, which was now used for storage of some of Pat and Lizabeth's things that they didn't need on this assignment. No notes, and they closed the door.
Next stop was the kitchen. Roger looked in the pantry, cupboards and under the sink, both to look at the food supplies, and check for hazardous or unsanitary conditions. Isaac was glad that he and Peter had drunk the handful of beers in the fridge the other night.
"It's just you two boys living here?" Roger asked.
"Yes, sir, unless my parents are in town."
"You two keep excellent house, then" Roger said, impressed. "Isaac, I need to talk to Timmy alone for a bit, is that okay?"
"Timmy?" Isaac asked,
"I'll be okay, Isaac" Timmy said.
"Yell if you need me, big guy" Isaac said as he went out to the garage.
"Timmy, let's sit at the table and talk a little bit." Roger waited until Timmy sat down and began to ask him questions.
"Timmy, when it comes time to eat, do you guys cook, or eat fast food and takeout?"
"Oh, Isaac generally cooks. We don't go out to fast food places...Isaac can't eat stuff like that, he says it will make him sick. Some sort of bladder problem" Timmy said. Roger was perplexed, but finally caught on
"Did you mean gall bladder, Timmy?"
Timmy nodded "Isaac said he ate really nasty French fries one time and it broke or something and they had to remove it"
God, out of the mouths of babes, Roger thought as he stifled the urge to laugh. "So what does he cook for you, Timmy?"
"We eat a lot of fish, and vegetables. We always have a salad when we make dinner, too."
"What else?"
"We grill a lot of chicken, make soups, stews. I can make clam chowdah!" Timmy said, pronouncing it like a Massachusetts native.
"So you cook too, Timmy?"
"Yes, Isaac's been teaching me how since I came here."
"How about cakes, cookies, soda, potato chips, things like that?" Roger said.
"Not here at home. We drink soda sometimes when we go out doing stuff, and popcorn at the movies." Timmy said.
"So what do you drink here at the house?" Roger asked
"Isaac and I both like this particular coffee in the morning, and we make tea, too." Timmy said.
"Just for the record, Timmy, did Isaac tell you how to answer questions, or what to say to anyone from the county that talks to you?"
"Uhh-uh, He would never do that, and we had no idea you were coming here today" Timmy replied.
"Since you have been here, has anyone harmed you, or made you think that you would be harmed, Timmy?"
Timmy didn't answer the question. He stood up and took his shirt off, and let the man see the little linear scars from the cuttings and beatings he took, and the small circular welts where his skin had been burned by cigarettes and cigars.
"This is what I left behind, when I came here. When I left Jack, Isaac helped me start my life over...Isaac was the first person who's ever loved me. He taught me to forgive Jack for all the horrible things him and his buddies did, and to forgive my mother, 'cause she left me and never came back"
Timmy's eyes welled up and he continued as the tears began to roll down his face.
"I went to court and faced the man who killed my mother, and forgave him. Isaac taught me that. Isaac told me if I kept hate in my heart, it would tear me down in the end, and no body is strong enough to keep hate inside"
"I been burned, beat up, Jack broke my ribs kickin' me...some guy busted a blood vessel in my eye. I had whiskey poured down my throat and ran out in the street and stuck my fingers down my throat to puke it up. I was sure Jack or one of his buddies would get drunk and kill me on purpose or by accident...I had terrible nightmares and the people at school couldn`t figure out why I couldn`t stay awake. This house is the only place I've ever been able to sleep a whole night in my life. I didn't eat on Saturday and Sunday because there was no food...no food, mister. Jack could eat at the bar while he got drunk...he didn't give a shit, but all I had was the school food. In this house, I've never gone hungry."
Timmy paused for minute and blew his nose in a paper towel, and Roger sat in silence, stunned by how deeply Timmy was baring his soul.
"I hadn't worn underwear since I was seven years old, because I didn't have any. You would think that a parent would know if their kid had any fuckin' underwear, right?"
Roger wasn't fazed by the frank language, and just nodded his head and said "Yes"
"I knew Isaac like three days, and he gets me underwear, and some shirts to wear, and a phone so I can get hold of him if I'm in trouble...Here I am, some strange skinny ass kid in rags that hadn't eaten in days and he gives me a key to this house, so I have a place to run to..."
"How did he know you didn't have any underwear?" Roger asked.
"No clue, I never told him about that" Timmy said. "The next time I came, he gave me the clothes, the key and the cell phone."
"Did you tell him what was going on at your house?" Roger asked.
"Not right away, but I didn't have to...he figured out what was going on...told me I could tell him about it when I was ready, but he knew."
Timmy sobbed and sucked in ragged breaths, and tried to get his words out.
"Harmed?" Timmy squeaked in an impossibly high voice, "Yeah... Been there and done that, but never here with Isaac or his folks. Here, I'm happy, loved and I have things to live for now...I guess that's gonna be my answer." Timmy, said as he put his shirt back on.
"Timmy, I'm sorry...I didn't intend to upset you..." Roger said. "But do you mean that before you came here, you didn't feel you had anything to live for? Did you contemplate suicide?"
"When I was little, no, but as I got older I used to think about that more often, yeah" Timmy said.
"And has that changed, or do you still have thoughts?" Roger asked.
"No, that's completely gone away now...I couldn't do something that would hurt Isaac like that."
"Timmy, I don't want to ask you this, but I have to...it's my job, okay? Did anybody molest you sexually before you came to live with Isaac?"
"No...I used to run away a lot if people I didn't like came to the house...I was never going to let any of them do that again..."
"Again, Timmy? What does that mean?" Roger asked gently.
"After Jack got hurt and started drinkin' things got really bad for me, I mean he used to hit me and all that before, but then..." Timmy shook his head. "His drunks would come over and they would do stuff too. This guy choked me and pinched my dick one time, and I ran away and hid. It hurt a lot, and had bruises and Jack wouldn`t let me go to school. After that, I never let anyone touch me"
"Do you remember who he was?" Roger asked.
"No, but I'll never forget his face..." Timmy said. "I had lots of nightmares about him."
"Did this man undress you to do this to you?" Roger inquired.
"No, I had clothes on, can't remember what..." Timmy said.
"Can you remember when this happened, Timmy?"
"Yeah, I'll never forget it!" Timmy exclaimed "He looked at me like he was going to kill me. It hurt to pee for two weeks"
Roger was patient with the boy. "I'm sorry, I meant how long ago did this happen?'
"Oh, yeah...sorry. I guess I was like eight, maybe. It was pretty soon after Jack got disabled."
"But nothing like that has happened since then?"
"Never"
"Have you talked to anyone about this, Timmy, or had any help?"
"No...But Mister, please don't tell Isaac...I,.. I want him to hear about it from me...please?"
"Okay, Timmy, you got it. But you will tell him, won't you?"
"Yes. I give you my word and promise I will tell him" Timmy said.
Thank you for being honest with me, I'm sorry we had to go into that"
"It's okay. Nobody's hurting me now, mister."
"Still having those nightmares, Timmy?"
Timmy shook his head. "They stopped maybe two months ago? I guess. At first, I was having them so much, I slept with Isaac all the time, and after I was here awhile and Isaac was taking me places and we were out doing stuff, and I stopped thinking about bad things so much, and the bad dreams went away."
"But you also slept in Isaac's bed just because you needed to be close to him, too." Roger suggested.
"Yeah"
It was pretty typical for newly adopted children, and children from traumatic situations to have abandonment or separation issues. Spending almost every waking moment together with Isaac had greatly eased those issues in Timmy. Roger had found that he could get a good assessment of a home with what he was going to ask Timmy next.
"Do you get lots of hugs and cuddles here, Timmy?"
"Oh, yeah, lots of that stuff!" Timmy said with a grin.
"Timmy, do you take any medication for any conditions you may have?" Roger asked.
"No, nothing"
"What about Isaac?"
"He has allergy pills he has to take sometimes"
"What about other things, have you ever experimented with drugs, cigarettes, liquor? It`s okay, I`m not the cops, Timmy"
"I don't know anybody that does drugs...can't stand cigarettes...I could never breathe at Jack's. He used to smoke in the house...I threw up dry for three days after that whiskey. I thought they poisoned me."
"You had been" Roger stated. "Those idiots should have gone to prison for doing that to you, Timmy, and just about everything else, I`m gathering" Roger felt anger rising in himself, but he had a job to do...his personal feelings had to take a back seat.
"What about Isaac? Does he or any of his friends ever use drugs around you?"
"Oh, no, never, he doesn't hang around with people like that"
"Has Isaac ever given you medicine of any sort?" Roger asked.
"I got sick with a bad fever after we came from the doctors office, and Isaac gave me Tylenols when my body ached...Oh, and he puts this stuff on me when I get cuts...Noris,..Nim, uh..."
"Neosporin?" Roger finished
"What you said, yes!" Timmy chirped, and Roger grinned.
"What did you go to the doctors for, Timmy?"
"I had never been to a doctor since I got my school shots when I was five, so he took me to get a checkup, and new shots." Timmy said. He didn't want to go into a long discussion of the actual purpose of the visit, and the surgery, so he left it at that.
"This was to get you ready for the upcoming school year, then?"
"Uh-huh, I guess so. I know Isaac went to school and changed my address to here."
Again, Timmy didn't go into details about Isaac's visit with Mrs. Clark, and the attack Timmy endured.
"Do you like school, Timmy?"
"Yes...a lot" Timmy replied.
"What are your favorite subjects?"
"Math, Science, Biology and Health" Timmy replied.
"How are your grades, Timmy?"
"Like A's, maybe one or two B's" Timmy replied.
Roger had copies of Timmy's school records of course, and knew this before he asked the question. He couldn't understand that, though, since 99% of the kids he came into contact with struggled in school because of the overwhelming things they faced at home. Timmy truly defied those odds. He made notes to suggest the Daniels have Timmy tested for being in the gifted/ genius category.
"Have you given any thought to what you might like to do?"
"Isaac studies to work on airplanes, and he lets me read his books...I think I might want to do something like that, or become an engineer maybe? I`ve been learning a lot about cars from Isaac, too. He works on this old Porsche in the garage, and I always help him."
"So Isaac teaches you to cook, and work on cars..." Roger began to say
"Took me bowling, taught me how to hit a baseball, took me flying with his friend, we went to some fair thing and I met some friends who have a farm, and I got to go camping with them. So many things I never done before I met him...you know what the best thing he taught me was?" Timmy asked.
Roger shook his head "What was that, Timmy?"
"What it's like to be loved, mister."
Roger was quiet for a long moment, and nodded at Timmy, in agreement. He had seen what he came to see.
"Timmy, thank you so much for sharing these things with me...could you ask Isaac to join us, please?"
"Sure" Timmy said, as he jumped up to look for him. He found Isaac in the garage listening to the radio and organizing the garage, killing time.
Isaac came inside, and offered Roger a cold drink, and the three of them sat down for iced tea.
"Isaac, Timmy and I had a great talk, and he's told me a lot of things" Roger said.
"Only the worst I'm sure" Isaac said with a smile, while Timmy sat with a mortified expression on his face, not sure how much Roger would divulge of their talk.
"Yeah, pretty much!...Nah, It's all good, trust me." Roger said.
"This was my first visit with you and Timmy, and it's obvious to me that Timmy has bonded to you very tightly, and that you have been an overwhelmingly positive influence in his life. You have given him clean place to live, proper nutrition, and above all, your patience, guidance and love, Isaac. I see from your background check that you were an exemplary student in high school and graduated with high honors?"
"Yes, sir...third in my class" Isaac replied.
"And I see that you listed Lieutenant Colonel Connors and Darrell Weaver as character references...You know that both of them are certified foster parents and guardians ad litem for children in the county system that don't have anyone to represent their interests"
"Yes, sir, Judge Bailey talked about that when we saw him in chambers" said Isaac.
"Oh?" Roger asked,
"Yes, sir. Timmy gave his victim impact statement when the man who murdered his mother was sentenced a few months ago, and the Judge invited us in for a chat afterward"
"Well, you have some very good friends, Isaac. The Colonel and Darrell both gave you the highest praise, and after finally meeting you, I understand why.
There is something else that I need to discuss with you both. Timmy does exceptionally well in school, which is not what we typically see when there are severe issues in a kid's home life...You might want to consider having Timmy's school test him at state cost to see if he may qualify for educational opportunities for the gifted...once they do that, they would set up an individualized program for Timmy, but the school district can tell you more about that than I can."
This was something no one had ever mentioned to Timmy or the Daniels. Isaac said he would call the school and look into this.
Roger stood and shook both boy's hands and thanked them for the interview and the iced tea. He said he or other case workers would be making random unannounced visits as part of the vetting process, and made his way to the door.
"Oh, Isaac!" he said, just before he opened the front door.
"Is it okay if I take a peek at your project in the garage?" Roger asked
"The Porsche?" Isaac wondered. Roger nodded "Well, sure! Let's go out thru the kitchen"
Roger stepped into the garage and said "Wow...I saw a few of these when I was stationed in Germany...never had enough money to bring one back, though on airman's pay"
"You were Air Force?" Isaac asked.
"Yup...stationed at Bitburg, and then Spangdahlem on F-15's"
"Were you a maintainer?" Isaac asked.
"Ordinance and weapons, guns, bombs, rockets, missiles... you know, a job with great carryover value in civilian life" Roger joked.
"At least you got paid to see Germany, though" Isaac said.
"Yeah it was great experience ...well, I got to get hopping if I'm gonna get my cases in today. Take care guys, great meeting you both."
Roger left, and Isaac and Timmy watched the social worker's car go down the street.
"I think that went well, what do you think, Timmy?" Isaac said.
"I hope so Isaac. I hoped I said the right answers to what he was asking me" Timmy said.
"You told him the truth, right?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah, of course" Timmy confirmed.
"Then there is nothing to worry about... what did he want to know?" Isaac asked.
"He asked me about what we ate, and about stuff that happened at Jack's and if anyone hurt me here, and was there any drugs and stuff going on, then he asked me about school and my grades and then he wanted to talk to you"
"He wanted to make sure you weren't living on soda and junk food, smoking pot and skipping school and stuff. I figured he would ask you stuff like that when I couldn't coach you."
"He asked me if you had told me what to say" Timmy admitted.
"He had to ask you that, just like he asked you if we were molesting you." Isaac said.
Timmy's eyes widened "How did you know that?"
"It was an obvious question...a lot of times it's how you answer that matters not the answer in itself.' Isaac said.
"Isaac...I did tell him something I haven't told you about yet...I don't know if its going to mean anything or not."
"Is it something you can tell me about, Timmy?" Isaac asked "It's okay if you don't want to."
"When you asked me if anybody had touched me like that...well, there was one time." Isaac felt his heart sink. Timmy could see the expression on Isaac's face change. He told Isaac about the creepy guy that had been violent with him, and bruised his neck and penis before he could get out of the house, and the way the man had looked at him when he did it. He had wanted to hurt Timmy in an act of sadistic torture, plain and simple. The door of the Porsche was open, and Isaac was sitting on the seat sideways. He hung his head in disbelief and said
"Oh Jesus, Timmy" as thoughts of what may have happened had Timmy been unable to run went through his mind. Dead kids buried in the woods kind of thoughts...Isaac felt suddenly very weak
Timmy stood near Isaac and put his hand on Isaac's head and gently ran his fingers through his friends sleek black hair. "Isaac, I'm okay. He didn't do anything else to me."
"He could have...Timmy, I guess I've been sheltered or something...I just don't get how people can do evil shit like that to kids...I can't understand that...Sorry, but it gets to me, you know?"
Lizabeth's words about Isaac's emotional strength compared to Timmy's came back to him, and he said "Maybe that makes you a much better person, because you don't get it, and it does bother you so much, Isaac."
Isaac didn't say anything, but kept his head down. Timmy rubbed Isaac's back gently, and Isaac wrapped an arm around Timmy and held him close. Timmy could feel Isaac shake, and then heard him breathing in sniffs...It was the first time he had seen Isaac cry. He had almost lost it the night Jack threw Timmy out, and he read the note... but he hadn't broken down then, and Timmy hadn't been standing right next to him, either.
"I'm sorry, this isn't what you need right now, me falling apart and losing it." Isaac said.
"Why can't you be allowed once in a while?" Timmy said.
"'Cause I'm supposed to be here for you, that's why..." Isaac replied.
"And I can't be there for you?" Timmy wouldn't let up. Isaac looked up and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Of course you can." Isaac said. Timmy took Isaac's face in his hands and kissed Isaac on the forehead.
"I'm fine, Isaac. My dick survived...you saw that yourself!" Timmy said, which made Isaac laugh.
"It certainly didn't stunt its growth, did it?" Isaac teased, as Timmy shook his head.
"Are we hungry yet?" Isaac asked as he stood up to walk back into the house.
Roger was also thinking about the man who had sexually assaulted Timmy, and was getting angrier by the minute. He stopped in a parking lot and made a call to a friend on the police force who worked sex crimes.
"Wendy? This is Roger. Hey, I got a kid in a home study that says he was assaulted about four or five years ago, said the guy was a total sicko that was trying to hurt him pretty bad."
The other end of the conversation was asking about the M.O. of the perpetrator...
"Grabbed the kid with one hand around the neck, tried to choke him, pinched his penis hard with the other...no, this wasn't fondling, Wendy, he wanted to injure this boy...Yeah, I got an address where this went down...yeah, kid said he had bruises" Roger looked at his notes and gave the detective the address to Jack's place.
"No, the kid doesn't live there anymore, and the custodial parent is deceased...Yeah, the guy that did this was associated with the kid's dad, a Jack Tate"
More questions sprayed into Roger's ear...
"Timmy Billings" Roger paused while Wendy wrote things down on her end.
"Yes, he can identify this guy, doesn't know his name...great, thanks, Yeah, I can go with you for his statement, sure. Okay, thanks, lady, I owe you one...Bye"
Roger closed his phone and smiled. Maybe they could get this bastard. Wendy said she would put together photos of known creeps and individuals that had crossed their radar, and hopefully Timmy's pecker pinching psycho would wind up in Wendy's wonderful weirdo wicket.
Wendy loaded the various bits of information into the state's crime information system database, and searched for records on Jack Tate, and Timmy Billings. Instantly, Walsh's notes showed up, with a brief synopsis of the murder investigation. Wendy pushed off with her feet, sending her chair speeding backward across the squad room directly toward an unsuspecting Ron Walsh. One small correction with a drag of her foot on the floor, and her trajectory slightly changed, averting a collision with her colleague. Instead, she slammed backwards into the desk next to Walsh's, and looked at Walsh, who merely raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, handsome!" Wendy chirped.
"Hey, Good lookin' " Walsh replied, "What's up?"
"Just got a tip from a buddy of mine at CPS about a kid named Billings that says he was sexually assaulted several years ago..."
"Aw Shit..." Walsh said, shaking his head. His good mood instantly evaporated. Wendy looked at her fellow detective with question in her eyes.
"Yeah I know this boy. I worked his mother's murder case, the Billings girl. She was killed by her boyfriend over a narcotics dispute when Timmy was a year old. The guy she left Timmy with died about four months ago of cancer, and Timmy is being adopted by a family right now.
What happened to him, Wendy?"
"Sounds like an attempted mutilation, actually...guy tried to strangle him and crush his penis but he got away, but not before the kid was badly bruised."
"What the fuck, over? Did this creep use tools on him?" Walsh asked. Wendy shrugged to indicate she didn't know. "Want to work this together? I know the boy and his adoptive family. I met Jack a few times over the years working Timmy's mom as a missing person. I know some places where you might track down leads"
"Awesome" Wendy said. "The kid..."
"Timmy"
"Timmy told my friend that he could ID the guy, but doesn't know a name." Wendy continued.
"Want to see if Timmy can help us with a sketch?"
"Yeah, and I put a profile together on TCIC already." Wendy did a search for known offenders or incident reports who chose male child victims, where strangulation, genital injury or mutilation was involved, and who were known to be in the area during the time. In a few hours or days, contacts from other agencies around the state working similar cases should start coming in. The search had already returned photos and case reports matching the keywords Wendy had entered.
"Let's let that cook overnight, and go out in the morning to see him" Walsh suggested.
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