Burning Second Street Park

A Novel

by Tom Bessette

Copyright 2009 BessetteBooks

Chapter 12
Nicky Molinari

Holy Geezum, I think Yoder’s went nuts!

He talked so crazy outside the fort that I nearly peed my pants, it was so weird. It really creeped me out. An’ his face was all beat up an’ stuff. They was red all over it an’ cuts an’ stuff where it looked like somebody beat the crap out of him.

Now, what was worse, I runned inta the old burnt Calvary Fort and found out that the other door was all caved in, an’ all.  Geezum, I don’t know what ta do.

I runned as quiet as I could over ta the place where the stairs was. They was all caved in an’ most of the second floor had caved in, too. The whole place smelled all burn-y.  Plus somethin’ else, I didn’t know what.  Like, maybe, burned meat or somethin’.  I don’t know.

I hid behind a pile a burned stuff with a big beam on it.  The pile was pretty big, about six feet wide. The smell was the worstest there but I had to hide.  Yoder was creepin’ me out an’ I was all worried. I’d almost wish he would talk about doin’ business ta me, whatever that was, instead of this strange stuff he was doin’ now.

I heard a crunch.  He was comin’.  Oh, mommy!  I want my mommy!  I peeked around the side of the pile.  He was still in the other room, lookin’ the other way.  He had picked up a sharp lookin’ stick, actual a piece a wood with a nail stickin’ out the end.  He was starin’ at one place, an’ then another, lookin’ for me, I think.

All I could think of was that Mom had told me ta go ta church an’ I didn’t.  I had wanted ta come here instead and see what the fire did.  So, she didn’t know I was here an’ if she missed me she would look in church an’ not here.  Geezum, why didn’t I listen? Oh, God, if ya get me out of this, I promise I’ll always listen ta my mom from now on an’ go ta church when I’m supposed ta, an’ not lie or do bad things anymore, oh, please God, please God!

I think God won’t listen now, because I’m bein’ bad.  Maybe I deserve this.  I’m on my own.  I got to think what ta do, now, all by myself.  Time ta be a man.

I heard footsteps now, comin’ closer.  Geezum, he’s comin’!  I’m scared!  I scrunched up an’ tried ta be smaller behin’ the pile so he maybe wouldn’t see me.  I tried ta not make any noise, but my breathin’ was pretty loud, I think.  The footsteps stopped. I couldn’t look.  I expected any minute to be grabbed and drug up an’ killed or somethin’.  I couldn’t look.

Then I heard gigglin’ or somethin’.  He was laughin’ about somethin’, maybe somethin’ he saw.  Prolly me, all hunched up an’ scared.  I peeked up an’ didn’t see him.  The gigglin’ sound was comin’ from the other end of the pile.  I moved all slow an’ quiet to one side and looked around.

There he was on the other side.  He was holdin’ somethin’ I couldn’t see in his hand an’ smilin’ like he was havin’ his happiest day ever.  His eyes would look down on whatever he had an’ they looked all smiley, then they’d close an’ he’d rock his head back an’ forth, like he was singin’ a song in his head, ya know how sometimes the music makes ya feel all rocky?

Then he started talkin’ in a kinda low, moany voice.

“It’s OK, my son.  I’m here now.  You are blessed.  Fear not, deliverance is at hand.  All is going according to plan, my son.”

Geezum, was he talkin’ ta me?  They wasn’t nobody else here.  An’ I wasn’t his son, an’ he weren’t my daddy.  An’ he weren’t talkin’ like Yoder usually done.  He was talkin’ older, like growed ups did that had important jobs an’ stuff.  But I keep quiet.

Then it looked like he was pettin’ whatever he had his hand on.  He was pettin’ it with his eyes closed and his head all rockin’ back an’ forth.  I though maybe I could run past him while his eyes was closed an’ he was all pettin’ the thing, whatever it was.

So, I kinda shimmied to the side real quiet, like an’ stood up away from where he would see if he opened his eyes.  My knees was knockin’ an’ I had all I could do ta keep my breath from be so loud he’d hear it.  I wanted ta run right away but I also really wanted ta see what he was pettin’.  I didn’t remember seein’ no cat or dog there when I come in, but I wasn’t lookin’, neither, ya know?

So I walked sideways a few feet till I was closer to the door than what he was, but could see down what he was doin’.  I didn’t know if I could run faster than he could but this was all I could think of ta do.

It took me a minute to believe my eyes.  He was talkin’ to some guy’s hand, there. It was black an’ charred up, so I guess it burned in the fire.  I was wondering if there was the rest of the guy’s body still attached ta it.  I walked a little closer so I could see.  In a minute I was standing right behind where Yoder was kneelin’. It was kinda dark in here, all smellin’ of fire an’ some kinda rot.  Yoder was petting tjis hand an’ tellin’ it how fine it was an’ how everythin’ was all right. 

I moved my head a bit an’ then near tossed my cookies.  I could only see one burned lookin’ eye in part of a burned lookin’ face under the beam, but sure as I lived, it was Matty lyin’ there, all crushed an’ burned. I couldn’t help it. I whimpered out a sound, like cryin’ an’ Yoder froze an’ turned around.  Then the pee come outa me into my pants, Geezum.

Yoder’s face was like a zombie. It was like he saw me but didn’t.  His eyes was kinda glassy an’ he was lookin’ at me like I was a thing instead of a kid, or somethin’.  I was froze up with his eyes on me like that.  I thought my knees would fold down an’ I wouldn’t be able ta run.  Didn’t matter.  I couldn’t move nothin’ else either.  I don’t know how ta say it.  Lookin’ in his eyes was kinda like lookin’ into darkness, or into a blank wall, or somethin’, like they was nothin’ there.  But it was Yoder an’ I know they was somethin’ there, for sure.  He’ll do somethin’ any minute.  I jus’ hope I could run when he started.

Then he grinned at me.  His mouth smiled, but his eyes still looked empty. It give me the shivers.  I still couldn’t move a finger.  I could smell the pee in my pants, the burned smells and the burned Matty smells.  I sudden realized that maybe Yoder had hurt Matty an’ then left him here an’ burned the place.  Then he’ll kill me, too.  But I still can’t move.

Then Yoder, he smiled so wide he showed his teeth.  Give me the goose bumps! 

He said, “It is OK, my son. It won’t be long, now, and we both shall be free.”

Geezum, he was talkin’ like the priest guys do in church.  But I don’t think he’s talkin’ ta God or nothin’!  What won’t be long?  I had to ask.

“Whataya talkin’ about Yoder?”  He was starin’ at me now an’ the smile had went away.

“We will be free of our pain and suffering, my son.  We will be liberated from this life.”

“Geezum, Yoder, I don’t need to be libertated from my life!”  I figured the onliest pain and suffering I was gonna feel was from Yoder.

“Soon, now,” he said.

Then he unbent his knees from the ground and stood up straight. I was still stuck an’ couldn’t move.  He took hold of my arm, not squeezin’ me, but tight enough to hold me still.  I was near fallin’ down if he wasn’t holdin’ me up.  I think this was prolly the first time in my life I was wishin’ that my big brother Joey would show up ta see where I was! Pee pants an’ all!

While he had a holt of me, he looked down at Matty again.  He looked a minute then turned and said, “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Geezum I started screamin’!  “Yoder, let me go, please let me go. I won’t tell nobody, honest!  Honest I won’t.  They can hold me over a fire an’ torture me till I’m dead, an’ I still won’t.  Please, Yoder, please! Ple-e-eassse!”  I was pullin’ an’ twistin’ an’ squirmin’, tryin’ ta get away.

Jus’ as I was screamin’ at him, his eyes alova sudden looked like they used to before.

“Fuckin’ little punk,” he yelled.  Goddam it, whataya doin’?”

He looked down at Matty like he was all surprised or somethin’.

“Jesus Christ!” he said. “Slug!  Christ!  Holy shit!”

He looked at me, still tryin’ ta get away, like he thought of somethin’.

“Nicky, stop!  Stop!  I didn’t do it!  it wasn’t me!  Stop, huh? Stop squirmin’, OK?”

“Let me go, Yoder, let me go!”

“I’m gonna kill ya, ya don’t stop it!”

He kinda tossed me with his arm an’ I fell over near Matty.  I got right up again so I wouldn’t touch him.  I couldn’t say nothin’.  I just backed away a bit so he couldn’t grab me again too easy.

“I didn’t do it,” he said.

“Do what!” I asked.

“Kill Matty!”

“Who did?” I asked.

“Nutso.”

“Why would he kill his own brother?  He wouldn’t! His momma would kill him!”

Yoder looked at me an’ said, “He’s nuts is why.”

“I jus’ wanna go, please?” I said.

Yoder then turned all the way around ta face me square off.  He smiled again, like the ol’ Yoder, like he was thinkin’ a mean stuff ta do.

“Ya can’t,” he said. “We got business to attend to.”

“Please, Yoder,” I said.  “I don’t wanna do any business.”  He was still holdin’ that stick with the nail in it.  He started walkin’ ta me.

“Ya gotta,” he said.  “it’s time you learned!”

“Please!”  I was cryin’ for real, now.  I still didn’t know what business was, but I figured it had somethin’ ta do with that stick.

“Whataya gonna do?”

“You’ll see!” he said.

“No!”  We was kinda backin’ around each another, until the pile with Matty was between us.  I don’t care he said he didn’t kill Matty.  He was still here when we left yesterday and so was Matty, so I think maybe he did.  That meant he was gonna kill me, too.  I had ta get away, somehow, an’ had ta tell people what he done.

He looked down at Matty again for a second an’ I see my chance.  I took off around the pile, slidin’ on burnt stuff what I didn’t know what it all was, an’ started headin’ out.  He must of jumped for me an’ tripped or somethin’, cause alova sudden he grabbed my ankle, an’ I looked back an’ he was layin’ on the ground, holdin’ on to me.  I kicked and jumped.  He was startin’ ta get up when we both heard a yell from the doorway.

“Attack!”

it was Nutso!  He looked like he was havin’ one a his spells, like when he thought he was a army man, or somethin’.  Yoder did a kinda half gurgle and’ half scream an’ leggo my foot.  I didn’t know whether Nutso wanted to attack me or Yoder, but either way, I‘d rather Nutso.

When Yoder leggo my foot, I runned to Nutso.

“Ricky,” I said, “Yoder killed Matty! He burned him in the fire here yesterday an’ he’s in there, half buried with his arm stickin’ out an’ his face all burned up an’ one eye open.”  I was about outa breath.

Nutso stopped an’ kinda looked blank for a minute an’ then looked behind me an’ started lookin’ mad an’ gave one of his nasty growls that he done when he was about ta go crazy on somebody. I know I didn’t wanna be there when that happened, so I tried ta get aroun’ Nutso, but he was blockin’ me.  He was lookin’ at Yoder an’ let out another growl, set my neck ta tinglin’ an’ stuff. He was holdin’ this big tree branch what looked like it had somebody’s blood on it, or ketchup, or somethin’, maybe.

I looked at Yoder. He hadn’t said nothin’.  He looked like he was as ascared as I was a minute ago before Nutso showed up.  He had stood up an’ was standin’ there, waverin’ like he was dizzy, or somethin’.  He started talkin’ ta Nutso like his life depended on it, which maybe it did.

“No!  it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it.  Maybe Nicky did it.”

Nutso looked at me an’ then Yoder again.

“Annnhhh, Nicky didn’t anyways hurt my brother, you!”

I didn’t think he was playin’ army now, I guess.

“Yeah,” Yoder said. “He did too, maybe.  I didn’t do it.  Whoever did it hurt him bad.  They did business to ‘im an’ hurt him with this stick.”  He showed the stick he was holdin’.  “Then, they knocked him out an’ set the fire so he’d burn.  Then they waited till the beam burned and it fell on him, then they told him that he was dyin’ an’ there weren’t nothin’ he could do about it!”

I think Yoder was as nuts as Nutso could get.  These guys was perfect for each other.

Nutso said, “Annnhhh, Yoder, I’m gonna kill you!” Now he sounded like Nutso usual did, so he wasn’t playin’ army right now.  But, ya never knew when he’d change his mind.

Yoder held his stick out an’ showed he’d jab it at anybody come near ‘im. He looked like he really wanted ta hurt somebody, anybody.  He wouldn’t care what happened.  An’ ya never could tell about Nutso.  He could be OK one minute an’ then go stupid crazy the next an’ do whatever he thought of.  Even when he wasn’t playin’ army.

Anyways, they stared at each another for a minute an’ then Nutso, he runned at Yoder, swingin’ his big branch, an’ I spun an’ fell down near the doorway.  Yoder ducked an’ Nutso swinged full roundhouse an’ missed.  Yoder jabbed at Nutso with his stick an’ it stuck inta Nutso, right in his middle.  I could see some blood seep outa Nutso.  Nutso let out a scream an’ swinged his stick again, this time catchin’ Yoder right on the noggin.  Now Yoder screamed an’ yelled he was gonna kill Nutso.  Nutso screamed back that no, he was gonna kill Yoder. It sure looked like somebody was gonna kill somebody.  Yoder rushed at Nutso, who tripped him and whacked him on the back with the big branch as he fell.  Then, Nutso started whackin’ Yoder while Yoder was layin’ there, again an’ again, Yoder whimperin’ “Leave me alone, leave me alone!”

I yelled out, “Ricky, don’t kill him, he ain’t worth goin’ ta jail over.” Ya didn’t call Nutso, Nutso ta his face, ya knew what was good for ya!

Nutso didn’t answer me, but he stopped long enough ta look back.  I saw his army look now an’ knew he had decided ta play army again.  The best thing ta do when he done that was ta say “yes, sir, no, sir” an’ call him ‘Commander’.  When he stopped hittin’ Yoder, Yoder jumped up an’ runned out the door, bumpin’ me outa the way.

“I’m gonna get you, you goddam Nutso!” he yelled as he runned away.  He didn’t seem ta be talkin’ like no priest no more, I guess.

Nutso, jus’ stared after him, all confused, like.  Like he alova sudden got confused.

“Geezum, what am I doin’?” he asked.

“You were beatin’ on Yoder,” I said back.

“Annnhhh, yer kiddin’ me, huh?”

“I think ya was playin’ army there, for a minute,” I said.

“Annnhhh, whataya mean?  I ain’t playin’ no army.”

He never remembered he was ever playin’ army an’ it didn’t do no good ta tell him.  So, I shut up.

“Did ya see Matty over there?” I asked him?

“Annnhhh, I ain’t seen ‘im,” he said.  “We been lookin’ for him since yesterday.  You know where he is?”

Yup, he forgot, alright!  “He’s over there, under that pile, all burned up.”

He looked at me like I was nuts myself.  See, he never heard anything ya said ta him when he was playin’ army, an’ he could change his mind about playin’ so quick that it was hard ta keep track.  I thought he was Nutso when he come in, but maybe not.  He played an’ didn’t play back an’ forth like crazy! He probably didn’t remember half of what he an Yoder jus’ did a minute ago.

Anyways, he stood there, lookin’ at me like he was tryin’ ta remember somethin’. Like he maybe knew but knew he forgot; somethin’ like that, anyways.  Then he shook his head an’ looked at me.

“Annnhhh, Matty’s over there, burned?”

“Yeah, ya wanna see?”

He was like he was in shock, or somethin’.  He looked over towards the pile an’ then walked over kinda slow, like, an’ looked down.  Then he fall to his knees an’ started pullin’ at the pile of stuff.

“Annnhhh, help me get ‘im out, huh?  Help me get ‘im out!”

I didn’t know if maybe the policemen would want ta do that but ya didn’t argument with Nutso, so I went over.  The smell was pretty bad an’ he was pretty gory lookin’ as we was unburyin’ him.

“Annnhhh, help me get this beam off ‘im!”

It was a heavy mother, but we was able ta kinda slide it off a him enough so that he was freed up. His clothes was all black and so was most a his skin, but ya could tell who he was.  His eyes was open an’ he looked like he was OK with getting’ hit with a beam an’ getting’ burned up an’ all.  Kinda like the way he always was, especially this summer, like whatever happened, he jus’ didn’t care about.

“Annnhhh, I should a made sure he come home with me. I didn’t know nobody was gonna burn the place while he was here.  Who did this, anyways?”

I don’t think he was askin’ me actual.  I think he was kinda jus’ askin’ hisself.

“I think Yoder done it,” I said.

He looked up at me like he jus’ remembered somethin’.

“Yoder!” he said. “That goddam Yoder. Sure he done it.  He killed my little brother!”

I got worried then.  “I don’t actual know for sure that Yoder lit the fire.”

“Annnhhh, he did it!  He did it!  He did it an’ he knew Matty was in here an’ couldn’t get away.  I’m gonna kill ‘im!”

An’ he run outa the fort an’ when I followed out, he was already up on the towpath headin’ for the park ta kill Yoder.  I wanted ta go, but I was thinkin’ about Matty.  Maybe Nutso would forget about him again, like he always done, an’ Matty would have ta still stay in the fort in a pile a burnt stuff. It didn’t seem right.  I figured I better go home an’ tell my mom an’ she could call the police an’ they could come an’ get him.

So, I followed the dirt road down to the turn off down to Galarneau’s.  Then I figured, instead a worryin’ my mom all up on a Sunday, I could tell Mrs. Galarneau.  The store was closed, but she lived upstairs an’ I had stopped up there lotsa times ta talk.  Her upstairs doorway was on the right a the buildin’ an’ I ringed the doorbell.  I knew she went ta early church an’ should be back by now, it was almost noon, an’ all.  I was getting’ all excited ta tell her, an’ stuff.

She sure enough comed down the stairs an’ opened the door.

“How was church today, my little friend?”

“Oh, it was real good,” I tole her.  No sense tellin’ her I didn’t go.  I hardly ever did. If she knew, she’d think I was a sinner an’ stop bein’ my friend an’ that would be bad.

“That’s good, Nicky.  You’ll never be sorry that you went to church and give our lord his due.”  Yeah, no kiddin’ today!

“Yeah!  Mrs. Galarneau, Matty’s in the old fort what burned down yesterday an’ is all dead an’ burned up an’ was caught under a pile a stuff an’ a big beam, an’ me an’ Nutso, I mean Ricky, his brother, an’ all, we pulled it off a him but then Nutso, I mean Ricky, his brother, went ta kill Yoder for killin’ him with the fire an’ maybe doin’ other stuff ta him an’ I thought maybe ya’d better call the police an’ the ambulance ta come an’ get Matty so he wouldn’t hafta lay there anymore an’ get all rotted away, an’ all, it wouldn’t be nice, an’ besides maybe his momma would wanna know that he was dead an’ burned up so she could have him a funeral an’ all.”

 I was outa breath an’ had ta stop.

“What?  What? What?” she said.

“Matty’s in the old fort what burned…”

I heard you, I heard you, for goodness sakes!” she said.  “Are you sure?  Who’s Matty?”

“Matty’s Nutso’s brother.  An’ I saw him my own self!”

“What were you doing playing in that old rattletrap?” Trust a growed up ta ask stupid questions!

“Mrs. Galarneau, ya gotta call the policemen before Matty gets ta smellin’ too bad!”

“My goodness!  OK, OK!  Come upstairs with me. What’s this Matty’s last name?”

“Kozinski.  Maybe I should go back ta the old fort ta show the police when they come.”

“You stay right here, young man!  You let me handle this!”  She was startin’ ta sound like a mom instead a Mrs. Galarneau!  But I didn’t argue with growed ups anymore ever since old Mr. Nadeau whipped me for tellin’ him he was a bullshit artist. It was easier ta jus’ do what they tell ya.

We went upstairs ta her house over the store.  Her son was sittin on the floor of the livin’ room, suckin’ on a unopened bottle a Yoo Hoo.  He had it all good an’ slimy already an’ looked like he was havin’ the best time anybody ever had.  He made his hello sounds at me an’ I waved back.  He was the happiest guy I knew!

Mrs. Galarneau went inta the kitchen an’ called on the telephone.  I looked around the living an’ dining rooms an’ was amaze at all the pictures a Jesus an’ crucifixes she had all over.  She had statues an’ rosaries an’ bibles ta beat the band.  I was all confused because my dad said that she went ta one a them churches what didn’t believe in statues an’ stuff like what we Catholics did.  Maybe she used ta was a Catholic.  Yeah, that was it!

I could smell cookies bakin’.  Ya know, that warm smell that jus’ made ya want ta curl up on a couch an’ stay home all day.  Like if it was rainin’ an’ ya didn’t have ta do nothin’ all day except jus’ sit an’ eat cookies an’ watch TV all day, even if it was only baseball games or game shows, ya didn’t care.

Mrs. Galarneau comed back inta the room.  She had made me a baloney samwich while she was callin’ the policemen an’ had a glass a milk what she had put Nestlé’s Quik in, jus’ the way I liked it.  She had even stirred all the lumps outa it so it was smooth, an’ all.

“The police will be here any minute and we’ll walk together to the old factory to see about your friend.  You eat that now.”  She had a way a takin’ care a ya an’ bein’ tough about it, too.

I glommed onto the samwich.  I was jus’ takin’ a drink a chocolate milk when she asked me was I tellin’ the truth.  I nodded yes.

“If the police come and there’s no dead body, you’ll be in trouble.”

I had a mouthful a milk and what she said surprised me so much that I jus’ about choked an’ blew gobs a milk outa my nose.  I was surprised, ‘cause what if Nutso went back an’ took away the body?  What then?  Ever’body’d think I was lyin’, then, even Mrs. Galarneau, who I wanted ta like me, an’ all.  Then, too, what if they thought I done it all in the first place?  They’d take me ta jail an’ lock me in a cell underground with spiders an’ rats an’ stuff, an’ feed me bread an’ water, an’ my momma would be so ashamed she’d never come see me no more, an’ I’d be all alone an’ get thin an’ my bones would show through, an’ I’d die an’ nobody would notice an’ the rats would eat me up until they was only bones left.  An’, Yoder would get away with it.  Geezum!

I jumped up outa my chair an said, “I gotta go!” an’ runned outa the kitchen to the front door.

“Nicky!  Come back!  Where are you going?”

“I gotta go!”  I had ta see if Matty was still there before the policemen comed!

“Nicky, wait,” she called after me, but I was already down the stairs an’ jus’ about runnin’ outa the house by then, so I barely heard her.

I runned as fast as I could, ‘cause the cops had cars an’ could drive ‘em real fast an’ I didn’t want ‘em ta get there before I did.  I was huffin’ pretty good by the time I got ta the fort an’ there already was a buncha the guys an’ my brother, all standin’ around outside.

“There he is,” Gilly yelled, “he’s alive!”

“Course I’m alive!” I said. “Why wouldn’t I be alive?”

“’Cause Nutso come runnin’ inta the park an;’ said Yoder was killin’ his brother an’ maybe you, too! Then he runned off again down the towpath lookin’ for Yoder, ta kill him, he said.”

My brother Joey said, “You OK, Nicky?”

I said, “Yoder was actin’ real weird an’ talkin’ all church-like, an’ stuff.  He chased me inta the fort an’ while I was hidin’, I saw Matty dead under a pile a burned stuff.  He was all burned up, too, all yucky an’ smelly, an’ stuff.  Then Yoder was gonna kill me, or somethin’ an’ then Nutso comed in an’ they foughted each another an’ Nutso was lookin’ like he looks when he thinks he’s inna army, an’ stuff, an’ then Yoder runned away an’ Nutso saw Matty dead there, an’ then went crazy an’ went runnin’ out after Yoder an’ then I went ta Mrs. Galarneau’s an’ she called the cops to come get Matty ‘cause I didn’t think he should be there all alone, an’…”

“Whoa, there, Hoss!” Moose said.  “You mean you called the cops to come get Matty?  And he’s inside the fort?”

“I didn’t, Mrs. Galarneau did.”

“Gilly said, “Neat-o!  C’mon guys, lets go in an’ see him.  I ain’t never seed no dead body before!”

“Shut up, Gilly,” Moose said. “This is somebody we knew.  Nutso’s brother!  Nicky, you sure about all this?”

I just looked at him.

“What he said,” said Joey.

“Holy cow!” Moose said. “We gotta wait out here, guys. We don’t want to be in there staring at a dead kid when the cops come.”

“I ain’t afraid a no cops!” said Gilly!
Right then, a cop car comed up the dirt road from Mrs. Galarneau’s.  They wasn’t usin’ the siren, but they had their red light turnin’ up on a roof.  They pulled right up to us an’ two cops got out an’ walked right up ta us.

“Which one of you told Mrs. Galarneau to call us?”

I kinds scrunched down behind Joey a bit, ‘cause I was scared a cops.  I didn’t want ta go ta jail, ‘er nothin.

Joey said, “it was my little brother, Nicky, here.”  And he kinda dragged me around to the front a him so the cop could snatch me if he wanted to, I guess.

“Well, let’s go see, son,” the cop said.

I was shiverin’ me timbers, now.  Geezum, what if Matty was gone?  What if they thought I done it?  Geezum, I wanted a run!  The cop could see that, I thought, cause he put a hard hand on my arm an’ aimed me at the doorway a the old fort.

The rest the guys started ta come, too, but the other cop said, “No, the rest of you stay right here with me.  We don’t need to be tramplin’ all the evidence.”

So, me an’ the first cop went inside the fort.

He said, kinda to hisself, “I can’t believe that there’s a dead kid in here and the fire department didn’t find him.”

I said, “He was mostly buried under a buncha burned stuff an’ a big beam had fall on him, so he was hard ta see.”

By then we had got to where Matty was, an’ sure enough, he was still there.

“Good Christ!” the cop said. “I can’t believe it!  Frank! Get in here!  You gotta see this!”

The other cop comed runnin’ in, with the guys behind him.  He turned around an’ said, “Stay out there, I said!”  They all hunched around the doorway, lookin’ in.

“Sweet mother a God!’ the second cop said.  “How in hell did the firemen miss this, huh?”

“Kid said he was buried and hard to see.”

The second cop looked at me real hard.  “So, then, how did you find him?  Did you know he was here?  Did you set the fire to hurt him?  Did you set the house on Second Street on fire last night, too?”

I knew it!  I knew it!  I knew they would think I done it an’ put me in jail an’ all, an’ I’d never see my mother again, or nothin’.  I just knew it!

The first cop said in a gooder voice, “How did you find him, son?”

I didn’t say nothin’.

“it’s OK, you can tell us. Nothing will happen to you.  We don’t really think you did it.”

Alova sudden, Mrs. Galarneau was right there. I didn’t even see her come in.

She said, “He told me all about it, officer.  Now you’ve got him all scared to death.  He’s a sweet little boy, doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”

Right then, I wished Mrs. Galarneau was my mother, for sure, although havin’ her son as a brother would be pretty weird.  Yeah, maybe not.

She told the cops what I told her.  The first cop wrote stuff down in a notepad an’ then asked me, “So, do you have any idea who did it, then?  The fire, I mean?”

“I think, Yoder, for sure.”  he does mean things ta people an’ wanted ta do mean things ta me an’ I think he set the fire, maybe not ta kill Matty, but jus’ because.  He’s like that, I think.”

“This the Yoder kid they were talkin’ about down at the station this morning, Frank?”

“The same,” said the second cop.

“There, now you have your story,” said Mrs. Galarneau. “Now, I’m going to take this little one back home to his family.  He’s had enough excitement for today, believe you me.”

“Just make sure he’s available for questions when we need him, ma’am. We’ll want to talk to his folks at some point, too.”

“His name is Nicholas Molinari and they live in the small house behind my store, on the other side of the tracks.  They’re good people.” 

She started leadin’ me out a the fort.  The guys was all there, lookin’ at me with they mouths open.  Like I was a hero, or somethin’, even my brother Joey, who hardly ever talked ta me at all, even. It was pretty cool.  I’d like to have this excitement every day, if it meant I wouldn’t have ta ever go ta jail, or nothin’!

“You come too, Joey,” Mrs. Galarneau told him.

“Aw, c’mon, do I gotta?” he asked.

She jus’ looked at him like he darn well better, an’ he looked down an’ said Ok, an’ followed us out ta the dirt road.  He put his arm around me as we walked, an’ I felt like maybe he liked me OK.

What was I gonna say to my mom?