Chapter 5
On the way home, Sam was quiet.
He still had that rocket eraser gripped tight in his hand. His little forehead was wrinkled, like he was thinking about something deep.
I didn't disturb him.
Kids had their own world. What had happened had shaken him deeply. He needed time to let it sink in.
It wasn't until we were almost home that he looked up and asked softly, "Dad, is Tom a bad person? And his mom and dad?"
I stopped, crouched down, and looked him in the eye. "Sam, there's no such thing as all good or all bad in this world. Some people just do wrong things.
"And when you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences and take the punishment. Like when you broke a plate by accident, you said sorry to your mom (even though she's not here anymore) and cleaned up the pieces.
"Tom's mom and dad did something very wrong. That's why the police took them away to be punished."
"What about Tom?" Sam's eyes had a little sympathy in them. "Will he be very sad?"
I stroked his head. "He might be sad, but that's not your fault. And you know, this might actually end up being a good thing for him.
"This will teach him that lying and cheating won't get him what he wants.
"I want you to remember this: honesty and integrity are the most valuable qualities you can have. No matter what."
Sam nodded. He didn't fully get it, but he said, "Dad, I'll remember."
I smiled and took his hand. We walked into our home together.
Life seemed to go back to normal.
*****
The next day, I took Sam to school as usual.
His homeroom teacher was way more enthusiastic than before, a hundred times more.
She promised again and again that she would pay extra attention to him and never let anyone mistreat him.
I thanked her politely.
That was just how the world was, brutally realistic.
When one seemed weak and easy to push around, everyone wanted to take a shot. But when one showed real strength and toughness, people were all smiles.
*****
That afternoon, I got a call from Marvin.
He sounded almost fawning on the phone. He told me that Mark and Linda had been sentenced to 15 days in jail for their misdemeanor.
And because their behavior had caused such a bad public impact, the school district had stepped in and severely criticized the school's management.
To "appease me," Marvin offered to waive all of Sam's fees for the semester and make him one of the school's key students to nurture.
I turned down his "kindness" politely.
I didn't want that kind of preferential treatment. I just wanted the school to provide a fair and equal place for Sam to learn.
After I hung up, I leaned back on the sofa and rubbed my temples.
Fifteen days in jail. I expected that.
For someone like Mark, this little punishment probably wasn't enough to really hurt him. It might even make him want revenge even more.
I never believed that bad people would wake up and change just because of a small slap on the wrist.
Just as I expected, my instincts were quickly proven right.
*****
That evening, I got a call from a number I didn't know.
A chilling, sinister voice came on the line. "Is this Dylan Littleton?"
"Yes," I replied.
"I'm Mark's brother, James Evans." His voice was openly menacing. "I heard what happened to my brother.
"You're pretty tough, huh? You dare to touch my people."
I listened with a blank face. "Get to the point."
My calmness seemed to piss James off.
"Get to the point?" He gave a cold laugh. "Here's the point. I'm giving you 24 hours to go to the station and get Mark and Linda out.
"Or I'll make you and your precious son disappear from Riverdale."
That was a blatant threat. He was a whole different league compared to his loudmouthed brother.
"Are you done?" I asked, my tone flat.
"You!" James seemed thrown off by my reaction. "Looks like you won't learn until you get burned.
"I checked you out. You work as some low-level programmer at a place called VisionTech Solutions, right?
"You think I can't make one call and get you kicked out on your ass? Your son is in first grade, class three at Brightwood Elementary. School lets out at 4:30 every day, doesn't it?"
He had even dug up Sam's info. He was trying to intimidate me and stepping way over the line.
My eyes turned cold instantly. "James, right?" My voice was calm, but anyone who knew me could tell I was about to snap.
I said, "I only wanted to deal with Mark. But since you're shoving your face in my way, I won't play nice."
"I'm giving you 24 hours too. Get out of Riverdale. Or face the consequences." With that, I hung up.
You dare threaten my son. James, you just booked yourself a one-way ticket to hell.
I didn't hesitate. I dialed another number right away. It was a number I hadn't called in years.
The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up.
A lazy, amused voice came on the line. "Well, well. If it isn't our old 'Lone Wolf.' What made you call your old friend?
"You've been off the grid for so long. I figured you'd gotten married, had kids, and settled into some boring, normal family life."
I didn't waste words. "Monkey, I need you to look into someone. James Evans. Local to Riverdale. He has a brother named Mark.
"I want everything you can find on him. The more details, the better. Especially anything dirty he's done."
The voice on the other end paused. Then his tone turned serious. "Boss... are you in trouble?"
"No trouble." My voice was calm, with a cold, murderous edge underneath. "Just a blind fly that won't stop buzzing right into my face.
"And I happen to be a little particular about cleanliness."
Monkey understood right away. "Got it. Give me half an hour. I'll dig up everything on him, even his whole family tree."
I hung up and walked to the window. I looked out at the countless city lights.
Riverdale looked beautiful at night. But I knew that under all those bright neon lights, there was endless darkness and filth.
Some people thought they could get away with anything, that the rules didn't apply to them.
They didn't get it. In this world, there were some people with whom they never messed. Like a guy who just wanted a quiet life with his son. A former... top security expert.