A Small Gray Dot

The fact that they’d gone into the house on Carter could be a simple matter of Talbert getting lost. Even if he knew how to navigate around the neighborhood, I supposed it could be a case of him having gotten distracted, perhaps by Morgan, and therefore lost, and they’d gone into the house of someone he knew seeking shelter until he could get reoriented. Nevertheless, I wondered if there might be something more involved.

I nodded and tipped my head towards the cash on the table. He grinned and walked his fingers over, and hauled it in.

I drained the last of my drink, set the glass down, and slid from the booth. The next to last song I’d chosen on the jukebox began playing.

“Hey! Were you goin’?” he looked up at me.

“I need to talk to the young lady, Frank, so I’m going to Carter Street.”

“Hey man, you oughta not go back out there! You got here okay this time but— wait a min, you ever been here befo’?”

“Yes, twice.”

He studied me. “Oh. So, you know how not to git lost.”

“Yes.”

He sighed. “Well, okay. You done come ‘cross th’ strip an’ I reckon you ain’t gonna git lost. But be careful. Things a l’il different here at night. There’s, um… things. Don’ let ‘em git to you. They’s jist, um… shadows and they don’t bother nobody but they kin make you fergit where you goin’.”

I nodded. “Yes, I saw the figures. I also heard… noises.”

The dark outlines I’d seen on the day of the Event were silent, and I never saw any after that day until going across the strip. Like other elements of our city, I guessed the leftovers were more intense in Blue Heaven.

Though folk didn’t much talk about them, I was curious, so I asked, “Is it those that’s making the sounds?”

He looked puzzled but then shrugged. “Never thought about it but I guess so. Jist you be careful. Don’t pay no ‘tention to them noises. That can make you git lost, too.”

“I’ll be okay.” I reached down and shook his hand. “Thanks for the information, Frank. You’ve been very helpful.”

As I went past the bar, Joe was mopping down the counter. He looked up and said, “Leaving?”

“Yes. There’s something I have to do.”

“Don’t want me to fix you a sandwich or something before you leave, do you? I won’t charge you for it.”

I shook my head smiling, remembering the old family joke about my never having to go hungry. I evoked that in a lot of folk. Even in ones who’d not known me for long, or that I’d just met. Joe was merely one of the latest. Possibly, so was Frank. It had been that way all my life, I’ve never known why. On reflection, that could’ve been one reason I was so good at tracking. Folk tended to want to help me out. And feed me. Sometimes I didn’t even have to offer a bribe to get them to talk.

I didn’t take it for granted though because there were always a few it didn’t seem to affect, like the bastard who broke my nose. And, those guards at the gatehouse hadn’t appeared to be fond of me either, but usually, it worked. I didn’t question it.

He looked worried as he studied my face. “You be careful out there, Tenn.”

I smiled. “I’ll be as careful as I can, Joe.”

I went out into the cold night that was full of shifting outlines and whispering voices.

Chapter Twenty-four

CARTER STREET WAS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES from the bar. I oriented myself, mapped out the route in my head, fixed it firmly, and headed for the alley’s exit.

Ignoring the whispering shadows around me, I reached the house and stood across the street. I studied it looking for movement. I didn’t see any. The row of upstairs windows was dark but light glowed behind the curtained ones on the bottom to the right. It was only around eight-fifteen and even in Blue Heaven that would be early for bedtime, so I hoped that meant whoever was there hadn’t gone to bed and was lolling around downstairs. I hoped it also meant Ken Talbert and Morgan Effingham were still inside lolling with them.

As I went over my options, I noticed a security camera in a corner over the door. Aimed outward at the moment, if anyone was monitoring the thing, they may have already spotted me. I needed to decide fast. I could watch the house to see if Talbert came out with Morgan, and stop them to see if she really wanted to be with him and if so, tell her that her sister was worried and that she needed to call. Or, I could take action if this was an abduction.