And that, I’ve come to believe, is the true spirit of Christmas.
Edgar Award Nominee, Best Short Story
Devotion
“Jordy!” Ralph Kendall bellowed.
When homicide detective Frank Harriman arrived, Kendall had been watching the Cartoon Network-a Bugs Bunny episode. Kendall had opened the door with a smile. The minute Frank explained why he was there, though, Kendall had grown serious, and turned the set off.
The man was broad-shouldered and tall, only an inch or so shorter than Frank’s own six-four. He was wearing a white T-shirt and shorts that barely met over his middle. His face and arms were sunburned, and his blond hair was thinning. His eyes were blue and-before Frank had told him of his neighbor’s death-full of laughter.
“Jordy!” he called again. “You get down here right now, you hear me?”
An upstairs bedroom door opened-no more than a crack. “Coming!” a young man called down in an exasperated voice, then shut the door again.
“Teenagers,” his father said on a sigh. “He was out all night, didn’t get home until God knows when-you have any children, Detective Harriman?”
Frank Harriman shook his head. “No, Mr. Kendall, I don’t. About the Toller boy-”
“Poor kid. I guess Lexie’s an orphan now, isn’t he?” Kendall said.
Harriman thought he would feel relieved if that turned out to be the worst of eight-year-old Lexington Toller’s troubles.
“Maybe for the best, though,” Kendall said, before Frank could reply. “I never did like Victor Toller,” he said now. “I can’t say I’ll miss him. Guy was a jerk. Still, murder…I mean, you think he was robbed or something?”
“We’re not certain, but we don’t think so.”
“So some maniac is running around in my neighborhood?”
“That’s unlikely. There was no sign of forced entry.”
“Well, Toller, he was a specialist at pissing people off, so who knows. I sure hope nothing has happened to Lexie, though. He’s a cute little kid. Real quiet. Shy. Can’t ever get two words out of him at a time. I guess the aunt will get Lexie after all-say, wait a minute! Did you check with her?”
“He isn’t with Sarah Crane,” Frank said. “We’ve checked.”
Kendall frowned, then turned toward the stairs. “Jordy!” he called again.
“When you said Ms. Crane would ‘get Lexie after all,’” Frank asked, “what did you mean?”
“Oh, she’s been trying to get custody of the kid for about a year now. Lexie’s mother has been dead for four years or so, and I guess she was on the outs with her folks-they didn’t like Toller. Sarah told us she didn’t even know her sister had died, and that it took her a while to track down Toller and the kid.”
“It seems you know her fairly well?”
“Sure, because Gabe-my youngest boy-and Lexie are friends. My wife is always trying to fatten that kid up, too. I keep telling her he’s stronger than he looks-you ought to see him play ball with Jordy and Gabe. Mary doesn’t listen to me though-Lex comes over to see Gabe, and she fixes him lunch or a snack.”
“So you’ve met his aunt-”
“Oh, gosh, I let myself get blown off course there, didn’t I? Yes, we know her. One day, Sarah comes over to pick him up, and we all get to talking. Nice woman. And I tell you, even though it took her a while to locate him, there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for that boy.”
“She sees a lot of him?”
“Well, at first, yes. Toller liked the idea of someone taking the kid off his hands for a few hours. But then she started talking about having Lexie live with her, and the two of them have been-had been-at war ever since. And I can’t say I blame Toller for being mad at her. Jordan’s mother died when he was just two, and if my first wife’s sister ever tried to take him away from me-well, he’s an adult now, isn’t he?”
“Yes. About Ms. Crane-”
Kendall was not to be hurried, though. “Mary, my wife-she’s my second wife. Gabe is my son by this marriage, but long before he came along, Mary loved Jordy like he was her own. Even adopted him. And I think having a little brother like Gabe makes Jordan more patient with younger kids. But that wasn’t what you asked about, was it?”
“Even though Toller was angry with her,” Frank asked, “did Ms. Crane still visit Lex?”
“Oh, yes. I thought I saw her over there last night.”
From interviews with other neighbors, Frank already knew that Sarah Crane had visited Toller the previous evening, and that she had argued loudly with her brother-in-law. But he asked, “About what time was that?”
“Oh, I guess it was about six-thirty that she came by. It was getting dark, and I went out to call Gabe in. She was already there, helping Lex carry his bat and glove.” He frowned for a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh-just trying to make sure I had that time right. But that’s right. About six-thirty.”
“Gabe is Lex’s age?”
“Yes, they’re in the same class at school. Not that you’d know it if they were standing side-by-side. Lex is kind of shrimpy, you know? Gabe’s taller. I wish he was here. Mary will be bringing him home from his Little League game in about an hour or so, if you can wait.”
Wondering if he had been going house-to-house when a trip to the local ballpark would have done the trick, he asked, “Is Lex on the Little League team?”
“Hell, no. Toller doesn’t let that poor kid do anything!” Kendall said in disgust. “And he loves baseball. Toller tends to-uh, take naps in the late afternoon. Works early in the morning, gets off about two, and-well, not to mince words, he drinks. There. I’ve said it. So if Toller tied one on, which was more often than not, Lex would sneak out and play street ball with the other kids. Wasn’t so hot at it at first, but Jordan talked them into letting the kid play, and he’s darned good at it now. Got a home run last night, Gabe said.”
“I’ll probably still be in the area when your wife gets back, so if you don’t mind-”
He heard the creak of stairs and looked up to see a tall young man coming toward them. Jordan Kendall had just turned eighteen, according to the neighbors, but Frank thought he looked older. He wore jeans and a tank top, and was barefoot. He was a younger, more handsome version of his father. He had dark circles under his blue eyes, but those eyes were watchful. He rubbed a hand over his short-cropped hair.
“Welcome to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty,” Kendall said to him, then turned to Frank. “Detective Harriman, this is Jordan.”
“Detective?” Jordan’s eyes widened. “What’s going on?”
“We’re trying to locate one of your neighbors, Lexington Toller. Can you tell me when you last saw him?”
He shrugged. “Lex? Last night, I guess. Is he in trouble?”
“His dad has been murdered, Jordy,” Mr. Kendall said.
“Murdered?” He looked to Frank. “Someone murdered Mr. Toller?”
“Yes. We’re investigating that, but at the moment our first concern is for Lexington. What time was it that you saw him?”
“I don’t remember-evening, I think. Maybe six or seven o’clock, something like that. I waved to him when he was going into his house. His aunt was over there.”
Frank asked him a few questions about what the younger boy had been wearing, if he had seen anyone else at the house, when he had last talked to Lex. His answers fit those he had heard from others: Lex Toller had been wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, his aunt had been at the house, and he had last spoken to him when they had been playing softball in the street. Jordan had been the umpire for a game played by the younger kids.
“Do you have any idea where he might go if he was scared?” Frank asked.
“No. I mean, you might ask my brother. He hangs out with him. To me, he’s just a little pest-you know, always tagging along.”