real?”
“That’s the idea.”
“In the sandbox, for now,” Alva warned. “No digging in the yard.”
“We gotta go get the dead guys.” Harry dashed to the playroom.
“We got more upstairs.” Liam charged up the steps.
Murphy took out coffins, headstones, examining each one. “Here’s for Moon Knight and for Captain America and the Green Lantern.”
“Bad guys in there, too.”
“Mrs. Ridenour?” Harry poked out of the playroom. “Can we have something to carry them all out? The ones who aren’t dead have to go to the burying.”
“Yes, I’m sure they’d want to pay their respects. I’ll get you something.” She shook her head at Beckett again, walked back to the kitchen.
Murphy stacked coffins, opened and closed lids. “We have to decide who got killed in the war and who didn’t. My daddy got killed in the war.”
“I know.” What did he say, how did he say it? Jesus, what had he been thinking, making coffins for kids with a dead father? “I’m sorry.”
“He was a hero.”
“Yeah, he was.”
“I didn’t get to meet him first ’cause I wasn’t borned yet. Mom says he loves me anyway.”
“Count on it. I knew your dad.”
Somber interest gazed out of Murphy’s eyes. “You did?”
“We went to school together.”
“Were you his friend?”
They hadn’t really hung out together, but Beckett thought of the night they’d TP’d Mr. Schroder’s house, and the night they’d celebrated the event. “Yeah.”
“Did you go when they buried him?”
“Yeah, I did.” Horrible day, Beckett remembered. In every possible way.
“That’s good, ’cause your friends are supposed to be there.” He smiled, beautifully, then clambered up. “I’m gonna take them outside to the sandbox.” He tried to lift the box, gave a puppy-dog look. “It’s too heavy.”
“I’ll get it.”
“I got them, Harry!” Liam ran down with a small red basket, loaded with figures.
“Get your jackets.” Alva stood outside the playroom. “There’s a nip in the air.”
“Beckett’s bringing the coffins!” Murphy ran after his brothers. “I wanna dig! I get to dig!”
Beckett picked up the box. “I guess you heard that.”
“It breaks your heart.”
“I didn’t think when we made these they’d make him think about what happened to Clint. I should have.”
“Nonsense. Those boys have a normal fascination with war and death, villainy. They know it’s just pretend. They’re well-adjusted, healthy young boys. Clare’s a fine, fine mother.”
“I know. She really is.”
“Being a fine mother, she makes sure those boys know their father was a good man, a loving father, and that he died in the service of his country. And now Murphy knows that you were there when his daddy was laid to rest. That his father’s friend is his friend, too. That’s a good thing, Beckett.”
“I just don’t want to make a mistake.”
“Even superheroes make mistakes, or they wouldn’t have to be buried in handmade coffins in the sandbox. Do you plan to wait for Clare?”
“Yeah, since I’m here anyway, I thought I would.”
“That’s another good thing. I’ll just go on home then, and leave the boys and the funeral arrangements to you.”
She patted his cheek on the way to the door. “She’s got chicken thawing. I’d say there’s enough to stretch for one more.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Ridenour.”
“You can start calling me Alva now. School’s been out a long time.”
AVERY CHEWED OVER the incident with Sam Freemont all day, and the more she chewed, the more she worried.
“He’s always been arrogant,” she told Hope. “Even as a kid.”
Hope held out her hand for another picture hanger. “She should’ve reported it.” Setting it on the mark she’d made, Hope nailed the hanger on the wall.
“Maybe. Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I realize she should have. I get why she didn’t, didn’t want to.” Uneasy, Avery paced to the window just as Hope held out her hand for the print she wanted to hang. “It’s weird calling the cops on somebody you’ve known most of your life. Even if he is a flaming asshole.”
Hope stepped off the stool, picked up the print, climbed back up to hang it. “From what you’ve told me, he sounds like a stalker.”
“I don’t know, that sounds extreme.” But worry took on jagged edges that churned in her stomach.
Hope retrieved a small level. After setting it on the top of the frame, she tapped the right side until the bubbles lined up. “You said he’s asked her out again and again, drops by her house, by the store at closing when she’s there. What else? Oh yeah, flowers on her birthday, and he just happened to be on the spot a couple