Page 18 of Two Kinds of Stranger

It was right then that I noticed Amy was looking over her shoulder, checking the side mirrors.

‘Did you just ditch school? You worried the principal is going to come chasing after you?’

‘Nah, it’s fine. I signed out. I promise. Look, Mom is worried about some asshole coming after Kevin. . .’

It wasn’t like Amy to use bad language in front of me. I guessed she was at the age where it was kind of acceptable. As long as the language didn’t get too salty.

‘What asshole?’

‘I overheard Mom and Kevin arguing about it a while back. One of Kevin’s cases. Some guy lost a lot of money because of a problem with inheritance law, or something. I don’t know what. All I know is this guy is bad news and your name was mentioned.’

‘My name?’ I asked as I pulled out onto the street, headed for Christine and Kevin’s home.

‘Mom and Kevin were arguing. She was mad at him. She said she wanted a quiet life. That she divorced you because of all the trouble you got into. . .’

Amy suddenly realized what she had said, and the uncompromising way it had come out. She always told the unvarnished truth and often it was only after a word had been spoken that she realized the weight of it. In this way, like so many others, she was just like her mom. I was afraid that forging Kevin’s signature was a littletoo much likeme.

‘Sorry, Dad. She was pretty upset about the whole thing. She cried.’

‘She cried?’

Amy nodded.

Christine hardly ever cried. She wasn’t the type. Kept all her emotions bottled up inside, the Irish way.

‘Must be serious,’ I said. ‘So has he threatened your mom, or Kevin?’

‘I don’t know. I think so. Kevin seemed afraid of this guy.’

‘Kevin’s afraid of his own shadow,’ I said, without meaning it. It was a cheap shot, and I regretted it almost as soon as I’d said it.

‘He’s different from you, Dad. If that’s what you mean.’

‘So why didn’t you call me before? More to the point, why didn’t your mom call me?’

‘I asked her to call you yesterday. She said it would only make things worse.’

She knew me too well.

‘So has he done anything, this guy?’

‘We don’t know for sure. He hasn’t broken the law, anyway. Kevin says he thinks the guy followed him home last night. This morning Mom found a letter on the porch, addressed to Kevin.’

My hands tightened on the steering wheel, making the leather squeak.

‘What did the letter say?’

‘I don’t know, but it mentioned our family. I heard them arguing about it.’

My jaw clamped down.

‘Your mom should’ve called me. She contact the police?’

‘I think so. They’re both trying to act normally so they don’t freak me out. I saw this guy across the street once, from my bedroom window. He’s creepy. They tell me not to worry, but I know they’re really worried. Mom is working from home. Won’t go out. Insists Kevin drives me to school and back. I just don’t want to see her like this. She’s acting really strange. She even got a new home-security system.’

‘Thanks for calling me – I mean it. Ihateto see your mom upset.’

‘I know,’ she said, with some sadness in her tone. ‘That’s why you gave her the divorce, right? Soshecould be happy.’ There was a little bite in that sentence that she probably meant.