“We need you, Fritz. Hank tried to take my friend here out of my shed.”
“Show me.”
Billy followed Fitz into the shed. Fitz felt for a pulse on Hank, then took out his camera and photographed the scene.
“He’s alive, but I need to get him to the hospital.” Just then the ambulance appeared, and the medics took over.
“I’ll press charges now on him for what he tried to do to me.”
“Billy, you did the right thing to call me. I’m going to talk to your friend now.”
“Hi, there. What’s your name?” Fitz asked softly.
“Tyler…Tyler Abbott.”
“My name is Fitzpatrick, and my friends call me Fritz. Now you can call me Fritz.”
“Hi, Fritz. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and shook Fitz’s hand. “You talk different.”
“I’m from Ireland,” Fritz said with a grin.
Tyler grinned, “that’s nice. My mom has a friend from Chile. He talks different too.”
“Can you tell me where you came from?”
“I came from Miami. My mom had me stay with a lady for a while, then a man came and drove me around for a while. Then I got out and he said my mother was just around the corner. I ran over there and she wasn’t there. That’s when I met Billy and he bought me a burger and took me to a safe place till he could think how to help me find my mom.”
“Okay, Billy will stay with you while I take care of the hurt man. I’ll be back.”
“I’m sleepy, Billy,” Tyler said, rubbing his eyes.
“Why don’t we go sit in Fitz’s car and you can sleep there. I’ll see if that’s okay.”
He returned with a thumbs up and Tyler fell asleep almost instantly.
The medics loaded Hank into the ambulance and gave him oxygen. The bat had split the skin open, but it had stopped bleeding. “That kid did the right thing. He kept him from bleeding to death.”
Fitz returned to Tyler and Billy.
“Tell me how you met him, Billy.”
“I saw him get out of a car and run to the corner of Green Street. The car that dropped him turned around and drove off. It seemed strange, so I went to see what the boy was running so fast for. He was supposed to meet his mother, but she never came. He didn’t say much then, just that he didn’t know how to find her.
“It was late in the afternoon and I didn’t know who was chasing him so I got him a burger and took him home with me till I could figure out who could find his mom.
“Hank must have seen us together and decided to follow us. He was going to hurt him. So, I stopped him and called you. Am I in trouble?”
“No. You stopped him and called me.”
“I’ve known you for about six years now, and I know you’re a hardworking good guy. You also saved Hank’s life. If you press charges for what happened a month ago to you, he will go to jail for a long time. With what he did here, it will add to his sentence.”
“Thanks.”
“Now, we have to help your friend here find his mom.”
“What are all those sirens?”
“We had a situation across town. Cops everywhere.”
“Wow. I haven’t heard sirens like that since that explosion at the chemical place.”
“Once in a while all fury blows up.”
“Come on. Let’s get you and Tyler to a safer place and some warm food.”
“That would great. He had a hamburger, but he needs real food.”
“You got it. I’m hungry too.”
The Medics pulled out with Hank. Fitzpatrick followed until he turned into the Denny’s parking lot.
“He’s sleeping, but I bet he won’t turn down food.”
Fitz woke Tyler up and he was happy to wake up to a food offer.
“You two order whatever you want. I have to make a call.”
Fitz stopped by his favorite waitress and asked her to keep an eye on the kids. He went into the front lobby and called dispatch.
“I need to talk to Nancy Duckworth.”
“I’ll get her for you.”
“Duckworth here.”
“It’s Fitz.”
“You haven’t called me this late at night for a long time.”
“I need your help. I got a kid that doesn’t know where his mom is.”
“Okay, where are you?”
“I’m at Denny’s on Duval.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Great, I’ll buy you dinner.”
She laughed. “How did you know you could get away with buying me dinner?”
“I’m just glad you finally said yes. See you.”
Fitzpatrick headed back to the table and saw Tyler eating a hamburger and Billy cutting through a country fried steak.
“I have a friend who will be joining us for dinner. She works at Child Services.”
Billy’s face turned white. “She gonna take me and put me in a home?”
“No. I won’t let that happen.”
“How about me,” Tyler said. His eyes were like saucers.
“No. She’s a nice lady who takes care of kids till their moms can be found.”
“Billy, you’re staying with a friend of mine tonight.”
“Oh…kay…”
“Hey, a real bed, your own bath and shower and hot cocoa before you go to sleep.”
“All right.” Billy’s eyes lit up.
“I thought you were a bachelor.”
“I am, and so is my friend. He’s part of the canine department and he has helped out with friends of mine before. But I live well.”
Billy’s face lit up, “Okay, I’m a bachelor too.”
Nancy appeared at the door and Fitzpatrick went to meet her.
“Wow, you look great.”
The tall red-headed woman smiled at Fritz. “You’re looking pretty great yourself.”
“Nice to hear, at two in the morning. Come and meet my kids.”
“Billy, this is Miss Nancy.”
“Hi.”
“Hello, you enjoying dinner?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“And this is my
