Alexis. If he knew she was missing, he would make trouble for her.
"I was just out for a drive, man."
"Where'd you go?"
"Do I have to tell you everything I do?"
He left the cigarette in his mouth and laughed. "Just for the sake of brevity, let's say yes. And let me also add that the more you dodge the question, the more worried I become."
"I finished up work early, so I took a drive. I've been locked up for a year, so I wanted to get out and get some fresh air. I went up to The Summit Hotel in Fettle Springs. I used to vacation there. I sat on the veranda and stared at the view for a while. Then, I got in my car and came back here. And now I'm talking to you."
"Pleasant."
"I'm not up to anything, Romandetto."
"Yeah, yeah. What else you been doing? You go see that Hamill guy?"
"Yes."
"What'd he want?"
I knew how to answer that question. Romandetto divided the world between decent people and criminals. He'd be suspicious of anything I said, but in his mind Hamill was one of the decent people. I could hide behind that.
"He wanted to talk to me about doing some prison ministry stuff."
"Why you?"
"You tell me. You're the one who put him in contact with me."
"He called me looking for you, for you specifically. How'd he hear about you?"
"Well, I was famous for a minute and half about a year ago. I guess he remembered me. Plus, I was in corrections for a long time. I have a history with it."
"Sure, the guard-turned-prisoner."
"Yeah."
He mashed his cigarette out on the floor. "Well, how about we go next door and take a peek at your living arrangement?"
"That necessary, man? You think I'm lying about living with my brother's family? Aren't I standing right here in front of you?"
"You're asking me for a little common courtesy and respect. A little trust."
"Yeah."
"That's cute."
I took him across the street. As we walked over, he said, "Look, I don't know you, Bennett. Not really. Only thing I know for sure is that you couldn't play nice with the other kids, so society felt you had to be set apart from the rest of us for a year. That's all I
really
know about you. Which don't speak highly of you. So I gotta check in on you, make sure you're on the road to rehabilitation."
"Enough, already. I get it. You're a stalwart servant of the public interest."
I took him inside.
Bethany was in the kitchen feeding the baby.
"Sister-in-law," I said. "And baby."
Romandetto said, very politely, "Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Ms. Bennett's parole officer, Jimmy Romandetto."
Bethany stood up and smiled. Her pink T-shirt read: GOD LOVES YOU. She said, "It's nice to meet you."
"Just coming around to say hello."
Bethany didn't know what to say to that, so she just smiled. At that moment, I wanted to kiss her. The woman exuded forthrightness and decency. Surely that had to cover up some of my stink.
Romandetto asked, "Is your husband around?"
"No, he's gone to make a call on a customer to appraise a piece. I'm not sure when he'll be back."
"That's fine, ma'am. Perhaps I can meet him another time." He turned to me and said, "Let me see your room."
I led him upstairs. He glanced around my room and nodded. "Okay."
We went back downstairs.
Bethany asked, "Would you like something to drink, Mr. Romandetto? Some water or a Coke?"
"No thank you, ma'am. I have to go. It was nice to meet you."
I walked Romandetto outside.
"Well?" I said.
"Looks good. I like her. Can tell she's good people."
"She is."
Romandetto shook out a cigarette from a pack of Pall Malls and lit up. "See, Bennett, this is how trust is built. You keep it up, you and me are going to get along fine."
I nodded and watched him walk down to his car. I went back inside.
Bethany smiled nervously at me. "He seemed nice," she ventured.
"Nice to you. Hard ass to me."
"Really?"
"Sure, but he deals exclusively with ex-cons, so what can you expect."
"That makes sense, I guess. Is he rude to you?"
I shrugged. "He's better than the other POs I could have
"I was just out for a drive, man."
"Where'd you go?"
"Do I have to tell you everything I do?"
He left the cigarette in his mouth and laughed. "Just for the sake of brevity, let's say yes. And let me also add that the more you dodge the question, the more worried I become."
"I finished up work early, so I took a drive. I've been locked up for a year, so I wanted to get out and get some fresh air. I went up to The Summit Hotel in Fettle Springs. I used to vacation there. I sat on the veranda and stared at the view for a while. Then, I got in my car and came back here. And now I'm talking to you."
"Pleasant."
"I'm not up to anything, Romandetto."
"Yeah, yeah. What else you been doing? You go see that Hamill guy?"
"Yes."
"What'd he want?"
I knew how to answer that question. Romandetto divided the world between decent people and criminals. He'd be suspicious of anything I said, but in his mind Hamill was one of the decent people. I could hide behind that.
"He wanted to talk to me about doing some prison ministry stuff."
"Why you?"
"You tell me. You're the one who put him in contact with me."
"He called me looking for you, for you specifically. How'd he hear about you?"
"Well, I was famous for a minute and half about a year ago. I guess he remembered me. Plus, I was in corrections for a long time. I have a history with it."
"Sure, the guard-turned-prisoner."
"Yeah."
He mashed his cigarette out on the floor. "Well, how about we go next door and take a peek at your living arrangement?"
"That necessary, man? You think I'm lying about living with my brother's family? Aren't I standing right here in front of you?"
"You're asking me for a little common courtesy and respect. A little trust."
"Yeah."
"That's cute."
I took him across the street. As we walked over, he said, "Look, I don't know you, Bennett. Not really. Only thing I know for sure is that you couldn't play nice with the other kids, so society felt you had to be set apart from the rest of us for a year. That's all I
really
know about you. Which don't speak highly of you. So I gotta check in on you, make sure you're on the road to rehabilitation."
"Enough, already. I get it. You're a stalwart servant of the public interest."
I took him inside.
Bethany was in the kitchen feeding the baby.
"Sister-in-law," I said. "And baby."
Romandetto said, very politely, "Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Ms. Bennett's parole officer, Jimmy Romandetto."
Bethany stood up and smiled. Her pink T-shirt read: GOD LOVES YOU. She said, "It's nice to meet you."
"Just coming around to say hello."
Bethany didn't know what to say to that, so she just smiled. At that moment, I wanted to kiss her. The woman exuded forthrightness and decency. Surely that had to cover up some of my stink.
Romandetto asked, "Is your husband around?"
"No, he's gone to make a call on a customer to appraise a piece. I'm not sure when he'll be back."
"That's fine, ma'am. Perhaps I can meet him another time." He turned to me and said, "Let me see your room."
I led him upstairs. He glanced around my room and nodded. "Okay."
We went back downstairs.
Bethany asked, "Would you like something to drink, Mr. Romandetto? Some water or a Coke?"
"No thank you, ma'am. I have to go. It was nice to meet you."
I walked Romandetto outside.
"Well?" I said.
"Looks good. I like her. Can tell she's good people."
"She is."
Romandetto shook out a cigarette from a pack of Pall Malls and lit up. "See, Bennett, this is how trust is built. You keep it up, you and me are going to get along fine."
I nodded and watched him walk down to his car. I went back inside.
Bethany smiled nervously at me. "He seemed nice," she ventured.
"Nice to you. Hard ass to me."
"Really?"
"Sure, but he deals exclusively with ex-cons, so what can you expect."
"That makes sense, I guess. Is he rude to you?"
I shrugged. "He's better than the other POs I could have
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