“Could he have someone with him?”
Michelle hugged herself, rubbing her upper arms as if she were cold. Her father had to have the heat turned up to at least seventy-five, however.
“Ashley broke up with him tonight. He said he just wanted to be alone. I wouldn’t expect him to be with anyone.”
“Ashley broke—” He took a long sip of scotch. “I hope that doesn’t affect her work. Why would he be in Jersey City, then?”
“I don’t know, dad. I was hoping you could help.”
Robert Sandler held up his hands, palms out, as if he were surrendering. “Okay. Okay. Before I do though, are you all right?”
Michelle nodded. “Yeah, Dad, I’m fine. I’m just worried, and I can’t get in touch with anyone.”
Her father said, “You always were brave. Everything’s going to be okay.”
He left the room. Michelle stood there, looking around the library. It felt empty. The files and binders were her father’s work. That had changed since she was a child, when books, classics, always surrounded her.
When did it all change? When her mother left?
Michelle closed her eyes and tried to remember. High school graduation, taking pictures in her cap and gown in front of all the books. Packing for college that summer, just down the Parkway at Rutgers, but moving away nonetheless. The books were still there. She even took a few with her, to impress all the other scholars. All the scholars who didn’t care when she showed the books off, but cared a whole lot more when she broke out the bottle of scotch she’d packed.
No, the books disappeared about when she graduated college five years later. When her mom had finished moving to an apartment in Mawah. After that, her father barely hugged her. Dove into his work. Didn’t care about her own teaching job. The one she got without any of his help, just through her own diligence, her own resume, her own portfolio, and a damn good demonstration lesson on Longfellow.
The books were gone. And after that, so was a part of her father. Which was why her face flushed when he left the room. He wanted to help. Part of his soul still remained.
Robert Sandler came back into the room, his glass full again, and shook his head.
“No one knows anything. I called four different cops. Jersey City police are all going crazy trying to find this guy. He got to Manhattan via the ferry, and he might disappear there, for all I know. I let them know to call me back. Hopefully we’ll hear something soon. Why don’t you stay here until then?”
“No. I’m fine. I’m going to go home.”
“I’d really feel better if you stayed. Just tonight. You have your cell phone. If anything happens, they’ll call you. If we need to get a lawyer, we’ll get one. It’ll be easier.”
Michelle took a deep breath.
“I’m not a kid anymore,” she said.
“I know, but I’m still your father.”
John sat on the PATH train at 33rd, hands shaking. The conductor walked up the metal platform, stepped into John’s car, gave the passengers a quick glance. John had only seen them stop someone once, a passed-out drunk who must have been riding the train back and forth for hours. The conductor turned his key and hung out the window and said, “Journal Square Train, 23rd street next.” The train started to roll, picking up speed and finally enveloped by the tunnel.
What the hell was Frank? Where’d he learn how to fight like that?
John slammed his fists into his thighs.
Stop shaking, damn it!
Frank was a gangster. That was it. Someone who’d seen fights before, who’d been involved with gunfire. He was so calm, so damned calm, as if nothing had happened earlier in the evening. Maybe a terrorist. Hadn’t the newspaper just printed an article saying that Al Qaeda was trying to recruit terrorists who weren’t Muslim?
John’s knees knocked together and his teeth chattered. The images of the dead guys on the dock came rushing back. John covered his face with his hands. He could see the first guy Frank shot take a bullet to the neck and fall backward, his legs bending underneath him. The red cloud swirling above him, followed by an explosion of light and thunder from the guns around them.
And Frank just dealt with it. Like dealing with a pissed-off kid at school. John would tell Ashley about those kids like it was nothing, and Ashley would freak out about it, asking where he worked. Frank was the same way shooting the trenchcoats. Just part of the job.
He’d seen Frank like that before. Michelle and Frank met up with Ashley and John for drinks one night. Just as the cover band was finishing up their set, a guy with bulges the size of coconuts in his sleeves stepped in between John and Ashley. He started talking to her. She made eye contact and nodded once or twice, taking a step forward as if to step around him. The guy slipped into her path again. John couldn’t hear what he was saying.
John turned toward Frank and Michelle and smiled.
“Another ‘roid head,” he said and turned back toward Ashley and the guy.
He tapped the guy on the shoulder. The guy shrugged his shoulders, but didn’t turn. John rolled his head and cracked his neck, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on ‘Roid’s shoulder. Tugged, just a little bit.
Without hesitating the guy whirled, put the flat of his hand on John’s chest. He said “Fuck off,” and pushed. John landed flat on his butt, his beer bottle skittering to the floor.
By the time John looked back up, Frank had stepped in and grabbed the guy by the wrist and twisted. There was a quick snap, followed by the guy screaming. Before the sound even finished, there was a blur of flesh as Frank snapped his palm into the guy’s throat, and the rest of the scream was cut off. ‘Roid reached up and clutched his windpipe, staggering backward.
The PATH train slowed and stopped. John looked out the window and saw they were at Christopher Street. He’d missed three stops already. He took another deep breath. Two more until he could get off. Two more until he could go to the police and explain what happened.
He shouldn’t have been out there. John should have never followed Frank. What the hell was he thinking?
Tremors ran up his wrists. John held his breath.
None of this would have happened if he hadn’t danced with Michelle at that wedding. He’d still be with Ashley. She wouldn’t have dumped him. He could still be going along, pretending everything was fine. Ashley wouldn’t have started to act weird.
Tucking his hand under his armpits and squeezing, he tried to stop the shaking. No luck.
The wedding was when everything started to go wrong, wasn’t it? One of Michelle and John’s work friends was getting married. The groom dressed in a kilt, the bride had a plaid trailer. Bagpipes played as she walked down the aisle. Frank was off working again, backing out of a date with Michelle at the last minute. She went anyway, riding with John and Ashley, and making third wheel jokes the entire night.
At one point Ashley went to the bathroom, and “You Are So Beautiful” started up. The dance floor filled with couples as John and Michelle sat there. John asked her to dance, and Michelle said she didn’t know if she should. Ashley would be back any minute.
On the train, John gritted his teeth. You’re so stupid.
“Come on,” he’d said. “We’re friends. It’s fine. We’re not dating anymore. You set me up with her. I don’t want you to go the whole night without one dance.”
Michelle