Complex

Ch. 46 - Plan of Attack

I r e r ead Johanna Romero's file again, trying to memorize as much as I could—just in case I had to pull another move like I did with Caitlyn.  I needed to fill my head with something.

            David glanced at me.  "Haven't you fallen asleep with that yet?  Even I got tired of it—and I only read it once."  He haphazardly switched lanes on the I-5, steadily moving to the left.  "Ugh… slow people…."

            I spent most of the trip ignoring him.  He wasn't talkative, but he always had something to say about our automotive peers.

            I looked up.  "You should be going right."  I skimmed at the map, underneath Johanna's file.  "The I-580 West should be coming up soon."

            David glanced at his side-mirror and moved to the next lane at the same time, earning a few angry horns from behind us.  He sighed.  "You could've mentioned that earlier."

            "Not really.  It'll be a while."  I turned back to the file.

            "Are you trying to memorize the whole thing?"

            "Yes.  Why do you ask?"

            He shrugged, eyes back on the road.  "Just for the sake of asking.  Your interrogation skills don't need work.  You've got a soft-cop vibe going on."

            I frowned.  "Do people say 'vibe going on'?  That just sounds creepy coming from another guy."  I turned back to Johanna's file.  I did not want to talk about anything relating to the word 'interrogation.'

            "What's your plan of attack?"

            "I'm just going to wing it.  Are we done with the twenty questions?"

            David turned on the radio to a classic rock station.  "We are now."

            I turned to back to the file, reciting everything in my head, but it was no use.  I still couldn't get Caitlyn's scared face out of my mind.  The last time I'd seen her was in that interrogation room.  Mrs. R hadn't showed up at the station to see us off.  Robert didn't say much except, "Behave and take notes."  I wasn't sure what he'd meant—about that last part, since it would look pretty dumb to jot down everything she said.  It would probably freak her out too.

            It was the guilt that got me more than that unknown fear that tingled down my spine.  The fact that Katherine had known about me much longer than I had expected made me feel incredibly vulnerable. 

            And we were probably going to be even closer to her now than ever.  She could probably be at the park and I wouldn't even know it.  Johanna probably wouldn't point her out.  She could be another spy like Chloe had been.  We could easily be walking into a trap.

            "Have we thought everything through?" I asked.  I wanted a second opinion.

            "What do you mean?  Oh, come on…."  David had to decelerate pretty quickly.

            I closed the folder.  "What if Katherine's waiting for us there… or…?"

            "You mean that guy in the suit shows up," David finished.  "What?  You think we only work when you're around?"  He laughed.  "We've been in contact with the local police department.  They'll have squad cars around the park, just in case something might go down.  They know about Katherine being a wanted woman, and that her son needs to go the child services.  They also know about you… and man, they're jealous."

            "He's not actually going there, is he?  If we find him?"

            "I don't know.  We have to find Katherine first.  Maybe the girl could lead you to her."

            "Or lead her to me," I muttered.

            David nodded.  "You sure you don't know Katherine at all?"

            "I don't know.  She seems to know me."

            "You don't think…."

            I frowned.  "What?"

            He nodded to me like it was obvious.  "Don't you think she might've had a hand in your… unique qualities?"

            Now he was scaring me.  "No, I don't," I said firmly.  I went to the folder and then had to look up.  "Wait—the local police know about me?"

            "Calm down.  Cap'n Lewis is a close friend with their chief, so only the important people know about you.  No one's going to say anything or they're getting canned."

            That made me feel only a little bit better.

I t w a s a silent ride into Oakland.  I had to navigate David around with a map to find Splash Pad Park.  The neighborhood was set up like a maze, and we'd found a few dead-ends, which was a little annoying.

            It was a hot summer, and the day was going fast.  No one had decided how long we were to stay in Oakland.  Were we supposed to head home in the evening, or wait until we could find something?  It all depended on this Johanna Romero, something David and I didn't like.

            We eventually found Splash Pad Park, and I kind of wished I had played there as a kid.  It was big and spacious, filled with families milling around or having picnics.  There were a few concession stand scattered around.  A few kids were playing around in the small water fountain play thing, running through the large sprinklers and dousing whoever they could with small buckets.

            There were also, in plain sight, a few squad cars.

            Some people glanced at them, but then ignored them.  It seemed there usually weren't that many patrolling the park.

            "Way to be conspicuous," I said.

            David found a close space in the parking lot.  "I think I should stay here.  She's definitely going to see I'm not your dad."  He dug around in a backpack for a radio and checked in with the surrounding officers.  "We're not expecting action, Jake."

            "There shouldn't be," I said, a little offended, "it's just her.  And what do we do after we're done talking?"

            "I had the idea of tailing her, though I'm not sure whether we do that ourselves, or have the local chief assign someone here.  They want to catch Zell too.  I'll call the Cap'n.  You just go and enjoy yourself, son."

            I gave him a dirty look before getting out of the car.