Left With the Dead by Stephen Knight Read Free Book Online Page A

Gartrell’s day until he saw they were .410 caliber, far too small to be used in his AA-12. Paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins. A bag of apples, still hard to his touch. Three containers of wet naps. Gartrell opened one and used several sheets to clean his hands, then ran a few over his face for good measure. The moist, white towelettes were almost completely black by the time he finished.
    When he looked up from his work, he saw both Jolie and Jaden were watching him from the living room. Gartrell smiled at the boy, and this time Jaden didn’t look away. He made good eye contact with him, and Gartrell knew that was a good sign.
    “You look more human now with some of that grime scrubbed away,” Jolie said.
    Gartrell felt suddenly self-conscious. “Well. I really don’t clean up all that well, but I guess anything’s an improvement. I’m sorry if I interrupted you, and I’m sorry I frightened Jaden.”
    “It’s okay. It was going to have to happen sooner or later. I want him to see you, so he gets used to you. It’s probably better to have it happen now, while there’s still some light.”
    Gartrell nodded, and he smiled at the boy again. Jaden only stared back, his face impassive. He studied Gartrell for several long moments, then slowly turned away and reached for a plastic Sippy cup equipped with a straw. He put the straw in his mouth and took a long drink, his gaze back on Gartrell.
    “So he can’t speak?” Gartrell asked.
    Jolie shook her head. “Only a few words. No real sentences yet. He goes to a special needs preschool on Second and Sixty-Eighth, but school’s obviously out now.” She ran her fingers through Jaden’s hair, brushing it into place. “He loved it there. He was starting to make friends with some of the other children, and they had children there without disabilities, so he could interact with them. He came a long, long way in less than a year.”
    “He’s beautiful,” Gartrell said.
    “Yes. He is.” She reached out and gently grabbed Jaden’s chin in her hand and turned his face toward hers. She kissed his forehead and looked into his eyes. “Say hello to—Dave, you said your name was?”
    “Yeah. Dave Gartrell.”
    “Say hello to Dave, sweetie.”
    Jaden only sucked on his straw and slowly looked back at Gartrell. Gartrell winked at him again, and this time he was rewarded with a tiny shy smile from Jaden as he continued to drink his water. Gartrell’s smile broadened.
    “A little smile like that is all the hello I need,” he said.
    Jolie nodded without smiling herself and turned toward the coffee table. A small DVD player sat there, and Gartrell watched as she opened it and turned it on. Its screen came to life, and he felt a twinge of unease run through him.
    “Hey, if that thing makes any sound—”
    “I’ll keep the volume low,” Jolie said, her tone harsh. “I have to keep him occupied. If he’s unoccupied, he’ll start doing things that will cause more noise than a damned DVD, all right?” Jaden made a small noise in his throat when he heard his mother’s tone of voice, and Jolie turned back to him, all smiles. She touched his cheek and then tweaked his nose. “We’re going to watch some Blue’s Clues , okay buddy?”
    Jaden pulled the straw from his mouth and said, “Boos!” His voice was small but as lovely as he was. Gartrell thought it was a 100% match, and then wondered what it would sound like when the boy broke down and starting wailing. The DVD player’s screen came to life with an animated menu, and Jolie selected the ‘Play All’ icon. The DVD began playing softly, and Jaden giggled a bit as he sat down before it. He stared at the screen with rapt attention, his Sippy cup hanging from his mouth by its straw. Jolie kissed the top of his head again, then picked up a soiled diaper lying on the floor next to her. She rose to her feet and carried the diaper into the kitchen. Gartrell followed, and watched as she put the diaper in a