his shoulders. Aaron wraps his hands around his father’s forehead for balance. Locks his fingers together right over the bartender’s eyebrows.
Kieron says, “How is it up there, bud?”
“It’s tall. I’m tall.”
Kieron laughs. “Well, you will be.” He gets close to a branch. Ducks Aaron underneath it. Bounces the kid back up.
Aaron giggles and Kieron smiles.
He likes the sound. Feels like he doesn’t get to hear it enough. Thinks: You’ll get to hear the boy laugh a lot more if you could take him on vacation. Maybe. Old bird’s jewels could make that happen.
Then: You really gonna rob an elderly woman?
He feels the Yankees baseball cap and rubber surgical gloves in his leather jacket pocket. Mutters to himself under his son’s giggles: “Debt does fucked up shit to people.”
***
The shrink’s office is clean. White. Bright. Clinical.
There’s a leather couch. The requisite magazines on the table. Vase of fake flowers. Little box of tissues. Diplomas on the wall that say blah blah Sharon M. Stein, PhD. Water cooler. Muted TV showing NY1.
Kieron and Aaron sit. Wait.
Five minutes pass. Ten. Fifteen.
Kieron’s about to get up and hit her buzzer again when this Sharon bitch ushers out a girl in her mid-teens. Blonde. Nice dress on. She’s sniffling. Eyes puffy.
The shrink pats this girl, telling her they made a lot of progress and everything’s gonna be fine.
Kieron squeezes Aaron’s hand.
Sharon smiles at the girl.
The girls says thank you. Smiles back. Heads out the door.
Sharon says, “Hello, Mr. Palmer. And hello, Aaron. How are you today?”
Aaron says, “Good. Dad put me on his shoulders. I was like—” Aaron jumps up off the couch. Stands on his tiptoes. “Super tall.”
“That’s wonderful.” She takes Aaron’s hand. Nods once to Kieron. She has a look on her face. He knows the one. She’s saying: I know you were a shithead junkie and you disgust me and you’re lucky your kid isn’t more messed up and you live above a bar, you filth.
But, y’know, without saying it. So that makes it okay.
Kieron cocks an eyebrow at her. “He didn’t wanna come. We’re working on a LEGO project together. If he’s got LEGOs, and he’s happier with them, why’re we here again?”
Aaron’s ears perk up at “LEGOs” and he starts to turn back.
Sharon stops him. Turns her head to Kieron. “Well, Mr. Palmer, according to the court, I need to see him until I’m sure the environment he’s in is satisfactory. I have to make sure he isn’t in danger and that he’s developing correctly, Mr. Palmer.”
“The day he hits five? I get to talk to the court myself.”
She nods. Forces a big fake smile. “That day is not today, Mr. Palmer.”
She shuts the door.
For the next hour Aaron’ll be in there. With the damn shrink.
He smells like sabotage.
So you really gonna rob an elderly woman?
He looks around the office for a security camera. Doesn’t see one.
Yep.
11.
Kieron puts the Yankees cap on when he hits the street. Pulls it low. He knows the shrink’s building has a camera, but he doesn’t care.
So he stepped out? So what?
He walks like he doesn’t give a fuck. That’s a key aspect.
No panic. No stressing out.
Cops look for certain people cuz certain people always look guilty.
But Kieron thought about this. He planned his route so it would seem like it made no sense. In case cops wanna to try and track him afterward. Connect him to the scene.
He didn’t plan on letting the old woman’s building know he was there anyway.
He thinks about the petty shit from ten years ago. Little thefts from apartments with open windows. Low fire escapes. Dumpsters leading up to the second floor. The best were those alleys under the buildings. Where recyclables and garbage go? That stuff was always perfect. Half the cameras he saw down there weren’t ever connected to anything.
And it ain’t like he’s got a cell phone anyone can track.
Boon of
Kieron says, “How is it up there, bud?”
“It’s tall. I’m tall.”
Kieron laughs. “Well, you will be.” He gets close to a branch. Ducks Aaron underneath it. Bounces the kid back up.
Aaron giggles and Kieron smiles.
He likes the sound. Feels like he doesn’t get to hear it enough. Thinks: You’ll get to hear the boy laugh a lot more if you could take him on vacation. Maybe. Old bird’s jewels could make that happen.
Then: You really gonna rob an elderly woman?
He feels the Yankees baseball cap and rubber surgical gloves in his leather jacket pocket. Mutters to himself under his son’s giggles: “Debt does fucked up shit to people.”
***
The shrink’s office is clean. White. Bright. Clinical.
There’s a leather couch. The requisite magazines on the table. Vase of fake flowers. Little box of tissues. Diplomas on the wall that say blah blah Sharon M. Stein, PhD. Water cooler. Muted TV showing NY1.
Kieron and Aaron sit. Wait.
Five minutes pass. Ten. Fifteen.
Kieron’s about to get up and hit her buzzer again when this Sharon bitch ushers out a girl in her mid-teens. Blonde. Nice dress on. She’s sniffling. Eyes puffy.
The shrink pats this girl, telling her they made a lot of progress and everything’s gonna be fine.
Kieron squeezes Aaron’s hand.
Sharon smiles at the girl.
The girls says thank you. Smiles back. Heads out the door.
Sharon says, “Hello, Mr. Palmer. And hello, Aaron. How are you today?”
Aaron says, “Good. Dad put me on his shoulders. I was like—” Aaron jumps up off the couch. Stands on his tiptoes. “Super tall.”
“That’s wonderful.” She takes Aaron’s hand. Nods once to Kieron. She has a look on her face. He knows the one. She’s saying: I know you were a shithead junkie and you disgust me and you’re lucky your kid isn’t more messed up and you live above a bar, you filth.
But, y’know, without saying it. So that makes it okay.
Kieron cocks an eyebrow at her. “He didn’t wanna come. We’re working on a LEGO project together. If he’s got LEGOs, and he’s happier with them, why’re we here again?”
Aaron’s ears perk up at “LEGOs” and he starts to turn back.
Sharon stops him. Turns her head to Kieron. “Well, Mr. Palmer, according to the court, I need to see him until I’m sure the environment he’s in is satisfactory. I have to make sure he isn’t in danger and that he’s developing correctly, Mr. Palmer.”
“The day he hits five? I get to talk to the court myself.”
She nods. Forces a big fake smile. “That day is not today, Mr. Palmer.”
She shuts the door.
For the next hour Aaron’ll be in there. With the damn shrink.
He smells like sabotage.
So you really gonna rob an elderly woman?
He looks around the office for a security camera. Doesn’t see one.
Yep.
11.
Kieron puts the Yankees cap on when he hits the street. Pulls it low. He knows the shrink’s building has a camera, but he doesn’t care.
So he stepped out? So what?
He walks like he doesn’t give a fuck. That’s a key aspect.
No panic. No stressing out.
Cops look for certain people cuz certain people always look guilty.
But Kieron thought about this. He planned his route so it would seem like it made no sense. In case cops wanna to try and track him afterward. Connect him to the scene.
He didn’t plan on letting the old woman’s building know he was there anyway.
He thinks about the petty shit from ten years ago. Little thefts from apartments with open windows. Low fire escapes. Dumpsters leading up to the second floor. The best were those alleys under the buildings. Where recyclables and garbage go? That stuff was always perfect. Half the cameras he saw down there weren’t ever connected to anything.
And it ain’t like he’s got a cell phone anyone can track.
Boon of
Similar Books
Remembered
E. D. Brady
The Vampire-Alien Chronicles
Ronald Wintrick
Give Us a Kiss: A Novel
Daniel Woodrell
The Memory Book
Rowan Coleman
The Best of Connie Willis
Connie Willis
Friends and Lovers
Joan Smith
A Very Private Plot
William F. Buckley
It's All About Him
Colette Caddle
Between Love & Fire (Backstage #1)
Dani René
The System
Gemma Malley