At the word “sheriff,” Ricky lurched up, and his eyes searched wildly around until they found the sheriff.
“Yes! Yes, I have something to say to a sheriff.” He pushed John away. “The sheriff is a good guy. He can help me.” He grasped the lawman around the waist and hung on. The sheriff waved us away.
John and I left the room slowly and then stood staring at each other.
“Close the door,” the sheriff commanded.
We did and moved away from it.
“I don’t like this. What if Ricky tells him about Leo and San Francisco?”
I hugged him to me. “What if he does?”
“Leo will be so mad. Leo angry gets people disappeared.”
“Killed?” I was horrified. Sure, Leo was scary looking, but did he really kill people? I had to believe John might be right because in the movies pimps killed all the time. Well, shit. Now I was scared. I hugged John closer to me and rubbed his back, probably more for me than for him.
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “All I know is guys who said they were going to the cops were never heard from again. I don’t know what he’s done. Or what he will do.”
When we heard Ricky crying again, I took John’s hand and walked him farther away to his living room couch. We could still hear Lloyd’s low soft tones and Ricky’s wails and high-pitched jabbering, but none of it was clear enough to understand.
“The sheriff will know what to do.” I sounded more confident than I was.
I searched to change the subject. No point in scaring us more when we had no clue where everything was going. His turret room caught my eye.
“Are we getting you a tree?”
“No.” He shook his head hard enough that we bounced a little on the couch. “I don’t celebrate the holidays. I have too many horrible memories of being somebody’s elf fantasy. Awful. Just awful.” He shivered.
I put my arm back around him and squeezed him to me.
“Then maybe we need to make you some new holiday memories.” I glanced at the bare living room and equally bare turret. “We’ll start with a wreath.”
“Anything but a tree.”
“Okay. My mother’s coming to celebrate with me and will expect you and Ricky at Christmas dinner.” I laughed as he turned to me, his eyes wide. “She’s already apologized about even thinking about cooking for a chef.”
He still looked surprised, but the stubborn set of his chin had eased. At the best of times, he looked belligerent, but since we’d come downstairs to comfort Ricky, he’d looked like a street fighter. Now, after I’d warned him about my mother, he’d softened around the edges and his eyes glowed.
“She wants me and Ricky to eat Christmas dinner with you?”
I nodded.
“Why?”
“Because I told her neither of you had family in the area and weren’t going to have anyone to eat with.”
“But I have my aunt.”
“You sure?”
He blushed. “No. She’s going on a cruise.”
“So you’re eating with me and Mom. Beth and Kate are doing their own vegetarian thing, then they’ll be over afterward.”
Now he looked like a little boy who’d been promised a visit by Santa. “Thank you.”
I laughed. “Well, I think I’d save my thanks until after the meal. My mom doesn’t cook nearly as well as you do.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He sighed and leaned toward me.
I gave him a kiss, which rapidly turned from sweet to rowdy. We broke apart when the sheriff opened the bedroom door, his back to us. After a moment, he turned.
“Okay, I think he’ll be fine for the night. He said he’d be over at the office in the morning to file a complaint.” Lloyd glared at John. “He said you might be opposed. See that he’s there.”
We got up from the couch and walked him to the door. The sheriff’s parting words were “Make sure he comes to see me tomorrow.”
When he left, John gave me a little kiss and told me he was staying with Ricky overnight in case Ricky had nightmares again. I understood, kissed him, and went back to my place using the stairs joining our kitchens.
Chapter 9
I called Beth in the morning and told her Ricky’d be in later and I’d also be a little late because I was meeting with David about the Silver Star decorations. I wanted to be on hand in case John had any trouble with Ricky.
I understood why John was upset about Ricky bringing charges against Leo, and I too worried about what Leo would do in retaliation. But somebody had to stop Leo from preying on homeless guys. Why not our sheriff? Though I wasn’t sure exactly what he could do. No crime had been committed in Stone Acres as far as I knew.
More snow had fallen during the night, making the streets of Old Town shimmer in the morning sun. People talk about winter wonderlands, but here in Stone Acres the town actually looks like one. How could something as evil as Leo’s exploitation of helpless guys in San Francisco happen when the world seemed overflowing with goodness and light?
My mother called as I was getting my notes together to give to David.
“Honey, did you invite John and Ricky to Christmas dinner?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“I’m knitting them both scarves and hats. Do you think that will be enough? I could whip up a couple of easy quilts too.”
“The hats and scarves are enough. They don’t expect presents.”
“Nobody expects presents, love, except children,” she laughed.
“True that.” I heard rustling behind me and saw John with Ricky, both of them looking surprised. “Okay. Mom? I gotta go. Love you.”
I hung up and slipped the phone into my pocket as John walked toward me.
“That was your mom?” His eyes looked wary, as if he wondered what was going on.
“Yeah. She wanted to make sure you were coming for Christmas dinner. Or maybe I should say Christmas lunch since we eat a little after noon. Like I said, don’t
