Our Boys

The Birdman Pt. 4

By ten that evening, four adults were gathered in the front room of the farmhouse. Callux had been grateful that he'd been saved from his "mother's clutches". Deji had been about to leave on a weekend trip. 'Nothing that I can't do next weekend, bro' he had told JJ over the phone.  So, here they all sat, going over every scrap of information they could lay their hands on about the two boys and their lives before they had been found in the shopping centre that fateful day. Despite having lived with them for nearly two years, there was still so much about them that was left unknown.

Three hours later, they were no further along in their quest than when they had started. Frustration was clear, as tempers grew short. JJ had read files and hacked away at the computer keyboard with little luck. He picked up the keyboard with the intention of slamming it down, but was prevented as Deji came up behind him and took the object from his hands. His younger brother had sidestepped as the chair shot backwards and banged into the wall.

Simon and Cal looked up from their files. JJ threw his hands into the air as he walked away from the desk. He stalked around the room like a caged animal.

"JJ," Simon called. When he had the man's attention, he continued. "You're tired. Sit down and try to relax."

"Relax? We only have.." He turned his arm over and looked at his watch. "..nine hours to figure out how to keep our so-" JJ stopped and placed his hands on his hips, his feet spread wide and his head hung down. He drew a deep breath. "We have nine hours to come up with a good reason for that woman to allow us to keep the boy. I can't relax."

Simon stood and walked over to his boyfriend, putting his hands on the man's shoulders. "That's the problem; none of us can relax."

Turning, Simon addressed everyone. "Put what you're working on down. We need to step back and come back fresh. Come on"

Everyone stood and stretched. They followed Simon into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, the blond pulled out the stew the family had the day before. Deji and Cal got out the plates. JJ poured the drinks. Within a few minutes, they were seated around the table, quietly eating.

JJ broke the silence. "Maybe it's just a coincidence that she wants to see us tomorrow. Maybe it's got nothing to do with what happened. I don't see how she would have found out about Ethan being so upset." His voice was hopeful.

"My buddy always tells me that believing in coincidences in his line of work can get you killed. I think we should assume that the call is because of the scene by the shop and we should be prepared." Callux said as he looked around the table.

Simon nodded. "Cal's right. They're tied together somehow. We're missing something, some clue."

Deji agreed and asked Cal to once again go over the time he had spent with the boy.

So once again, the man explained in detail the trip. Cal was nearly done when the man himself suddenly slapped the table with his open palm.

"Shit, how many times have I said this and not made the connection?" Jumping up from the table, he headed to the front room, phone in hand, dialling a number. Minutes later he was back. He fell into his chair with one of their laptops, going onto his emails.

The three men watched as he opened up the latest one from his friend/occasional informant in the police force.

"Here it is. 'Sergeant Bergman stated the subject failed to show at appointed place and time. After waiting for two hours, he returned to office and reported failed contact to his supervisor.' Cal read. "Seems she witnessed a murder in the house she worked at as a cleaner. Ethan's mother was going into the witness protection program. She was going to testify, but disappeared right before the trial was supposed to begin. She was found three days later in her car. They determined that she had been dead three days. That was about three months before we found the boys in the shopping centre."

Simon stared down at the table. The idea of the two boys living that long by themselves in that abandoned shopping centre made him angry and sick. He looked around the table and saw the same response on each of the men's faces.

He shook his head to get rid of the images his mind conjured up. "So, Bergman was the sergeant  assigned to her case? Cal, do you think he recognised Ethan today?"

"No reason he shouldn't have, Si. He approached us, and I've seen him about before and he's never come over. I didn't even realise he knew who I was. It's only cause of my buddy that he knows me."

"So, you think Bergman wants to talk to the boy about the murder that his mum witnessed?" Deji asked.

JJ shook his head. "That doesn't make much sense. He's a kid. He didn't see what happened. What's her statement say, Cal?"

The man read through the report. His head began to shake as he read. "No indication in her statement that he was there. She states that she was working, trying to earn enough so she could get the boy out of the group home she'd previously been in."

"Even if he had, he couldn't testify. Not at his age. Could he?" JJ looked at Simon for confirmation.

Simon shook his head. "I don't think so. I know Josh did but that was different. I don't think they'd put a child on the stand without being absolutely positive about it."

"It's hard to believe that the boy would be a reliable witness at his age, I know Josh was when he was younger but that kid was seven going on thirty seven, though Ethan does have a good mind for detail. I learned that today." Cal contributed.

"Well, we'll just tell Miss Wells that he can't help them." JJ decided.

Simon shook his head. It was always so simple for JJ. He saw it as black and white, right and wrong. He cut through the bullshit and dealt straight from the heart. Simon wished he could do that on more than one occasion.

"Babe, we'll talk to her tomorrow. Should be able to work out something."

His boyfriend's face was full of hope that they were right about the reason for the meeting, but there was fear on his face also. Simon had seen it before and there was nothing he could do then or now. He just knew that JJ had attached his soul to this little boy, like Simon had as well. And it was his job, as JJ's partner, to be there for him, to be there for support, no matter how what happened at the meeting. Looking around the table, he found two other sets of eyes that would be there with him.