Sky is dropped at her new home, just as a crime scene unfolds next door.
“What the…what in the hell?” Sky heard Jim murmur under his breath. She looked up from the book she had been pretending to read for the past several hours and out the car window.
The car had slowed to a crawl once Jim had turned left onto Church Street, their final destination as a thrown-together, thrown-apart family. Sky had just assumed he was studying the houses, trying to find Liz’s, but the sight of glowing blue and red lights informed her otherwise. She counted at least five police cars in front of a large, ramshackle house with peeling white paint. Their blue and red lights glared brightly as late afternoon turned into evening.
Most of the yard was fenced off by yellow tape and inside was a flurry of activity. Officers stood chatting in small tribes of twos and threes, occasionally pointing up at the house, and gazing at the massive overgrown bushes that had taken dominion over the right side of its saggy porch. Sky craned her neck and saw an ambulance parked in the driveway. It stood silent, lights off. Wherever it needed to go next, it wasn’t in any hurry.
“Jesus H. Christ...” Jim wondered aloud again. A cop caught sight of the old brown Ford just idling there, excused himself from his group and began walking towards the vehicle. He still had his sunglasses on despite the hour and was chewing on a wad of gum. He shook his head at them and signaled for Jim to make a U-Turn and leave the scene.
“I can’t leave,” Jim yelled out the window. “I’m just looking for number 34. What happened here?”
“Sir, this is an official crime scene,” the cop yelled back. “Unless you live on this street, you need to turn your vehicle around and leave immediately.”
“I don’t live here, but I got a kid in the car who will… who does,” Jim attempted to explain.
The cop didn’t reply until he was about three feet from the driver’s side door.
“Sir, I don’t like repeating myself but I’m going to extend you the courtesy for today,” he told Jim. “This is a crime scene. For your safety, and to preserve any evidence we may find, I’m asking you to back this car up and leave the area immediately. If you don’t comply, we’re going to have some trouble. And it’s already been a real busy day for us here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Jim swallowed hard. “Look, officer, I’m not trying to cause problems. I got a kid back here, she just lost her mom. I brought her here to stay with her cousin, Liz Stephens. She lives in number 34. You can walk the kid there yourself, I’m not here to disturb anything. But I just need to get this kid to number 34.”
The cop chewed his gum in silence for a minute, still looking at Jim. Then he turned his attention to Sky. He ducked down a bit so he could peer into the backseat. Sky attempted to sit up straighter but didn’t know why that might help.
“What’s your name, young lady?”
“Skylar Young,” she answered.
“You coming to live with Ms. Stephens?”
“Yes.”
The cop chewed thoughtfully again. Sky guessed he was looking at the three old suitcases and ratty backpacks stuffed to the brim that surrounded her in the backseat, trying to size up the situation.
“Well, Ms. Stephens lives just one house down. We just finished questioning her. We’re almost done questioning her two boys. Sir, I don’t want you to drive this car down the road. As you can see, some of my boys are taping off parts of the street too. But I can grab some of these bags and help the young lady to her destination if that’s agreeable for the two of you.”
Jim’s shoulders lowered visibly in relief and he nodded. He got out of the car and motioned for Sky to do the same. The cop opened the door and began to collect suitcases while Jim saddled Sky with the packs. When there was nothing else to distribute, Jim cleared his throat.
“Goodbye, Sky. I’ll always love your mom. You be good, respect Liz. You’ll be ok.”
The teen muttered a thank you and started walking towards the cop as Jim got back into the driver’s seat. The sound of the door shutting seemed to echo in Sky’s ears.
“Sir, you want to escort Skylar here to Ms. Stephens’?” the cop asked sharply.
“I know she’s going to be fine,” Jim said as the car’s engine rumbled to life. He checked his mirrors, looked around and carefully turned the car around. Then he drove off of Church Street.
Sky stood in the road with her belongings, the cop a few yards away. She felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. She kept her eyes on the pavement and waited for the cop to speak.
“Well, this is the cherry on today’s shit sundae,” he said after a minute. “Was that your dad?”
Sky shook her head. “Mom’s husband,” she mumbled.
“And your mom’s passed?”
Sky nodded.
The cop walked over to Sky, still holding her bags. “Can you look at me for a minute, Skylar? I need to ask you a couple of questions before we go any further.”
Sky kept her head down and apologized quietly. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. From the yard, she heard an officer call for an evidence bag. Another called for photographs to be taken in the far corner of the backyard.
“That’s fine,” he said. “They always told me I had a face only a mother could love. But I you to be straight with me – did that man hurt you in any way?”
She shook her head no.
“Do you feel safe going to Ms. Stephens’ house?”
After a brief pause, she nodded yes.
The cop sighed, sliding his fingers up beneath his sunglasses and pinching the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. He pulled out a card from his pocket and a pen and quickly scribbled a number on the back. Then he offered it to Sky. “I’m Officer Cal Davis. That’s my number. If you ever feel that you need to change the answers you just gave me, I want you to call me. Do you understand?”
Sky said yes and tucked the card into the pocket of her jeans. Then Officer Davis turned on his heel and began walking towards number 34. She followed.
As they walked, another officer and some men in white jump suits began looking carefully at the road just beyond the yellow tape that bordered the lawn. Hunched over, bent at the waists, moving slowly and carefully as if looking for the back of any earring in a shag carpet.
“What are they looking for?” Sky asked suddenly.
“Bullets,” Officer Davis answered without turning around. “But that’s our problem, not yours.”
Sky swallowed hard.
“Here comes Ms. Stephens now. Coming down the driveway to meet you. Her boys might still be talking with an officer. We need to get statements from everyone.”
“Does she have any other kids? A daughter?” Sky asked, lugging her bags.
“Don’t think so,” Officer Davis said. “But wouldn’t you know better than me? If you two are related?”
Sky just kept walking. There had been a girl. And she’d said that there were people in the shadows.