Hello, Little Sparrow by Jordan Jones (the reading list .TXT) 📕

haven’t begun shopping for that stuff yet.” Her voice turned into a more innocent, cheery type; the kind of voice that has swindled me out of thousands of dollars in the year since Vivian left me.

I didn’t mind. It used to be hurtful, but I was now numb to it.

“Sure sweetie,” I responded with a slight smile. I could hear her smile from the other side of the phone. The facade she exhibited showed through, and sniffing it out had nothing to do with being a detective. “How does five-hundred sound?”

She obviously held back a gleeful squeal and agreed. Five hundred should cover these expenses.

Should.

She didn’t want to sound too excited and hint that the amount I was offering was preposterous and would be enough to cover all of her nursing expenses and gas for the rest of the semester. We wouldn’t want that.

“Thank you again, Daddy. I have to get back to work.”

She hung up before I could tell her I loved her.

I hope she knew.

I hope they both did.

Her grades were regularly posted for the financier to see, and she was doing rather well in all of her classes. I wouldn’t likely be as willing to fund all of it myself if she was doing poorly.

Vivian and I were under a strict unspoken agreement that I would pay for Katherine’s college. Vivian was obviously not paying because they hardly talked and she moved across the country to California selling high-end real estate.

I was left footing the college tuition because I was the reason she left.

There was a knock at my door and Abraham’s deep voice boomed from the other side. “Trotter, get out here. We’re going out, Trotter. Open up.”

I unlocked my door and stood in the doorway. He looked past me to the coffee table. He knew where to look to find how far my inhibitions fell.

“Hey, I’m not judging,” he said. I didn’t speak a word. “I’m already four deep. We’re going out tonight.”

The spot we typically go to after a rough day was too packed, even for a Tuesday. So we drove, instead, to Lucky Charley’s on Fifth and Grand.

Lucky Charley’s was a classier joint than what we were used to. The lights were dimmer, and the music was softer. It wasn’t as loud, but it was pretty packed. We wanted more people so it was easier to get lost in the crowd. It’s not a good sign when two detectives working active cases are out drinking late on work nights.

I sat at the bar and had two more down before Abraham asked, “Why do you think she did it?”

I shook my head. “Not tonight, man. I’m not about to do this tonight.” I nodded to the bartender after nursing my sixth beer of the night for far too long.

“C’mon Trot,” he said. He knew it drove me crazy when he called me ‘Trot,’ but I wasn’t in the mood to combat him tonight. “I’m going to be thinking about it all night. I know we’re seeing the mom tomorrow, but you know how I like my theories.”

“Figure it out yourself tonight in your dreams,” I responded. “Let me know what you come up with so I don’t have to come in to work tomorrow.”

“My guess is that she found out her boyfriend dumped her, and couldn’t take it anymore,” Abraham said. He used to be quite a bit more solemn after witnessing what we saw today, but he coped by exploring elaborate theories with me, and who-knows-what else in his head.

“That’s as good a guess as any,” I half-heartedly responded. “Any chance you’ll drink the rest of that rum and coke and shut up about the kid?”

“Not likely,” he said with a smile and a gulp. The girl on the other side of the bar was eyeing him. She wasn’t making it subtle either. The entire time he talked to me, he had his eyes fixed on her. “Nothing like skipping our usual spot just for me to hit the jackpot tonight.”

I shook my head. “Have fun, my friend. Remember, we have to be at the house on Lewis Avenue at one o’clock. That’s when the mom said she’ll be ready.”

He waved me off, clearly focused on his attempted tryst.

I was clearly inebriated by the time I stood up, but I tried not to show it. Abraham had driven us here, and I would likely have to find a new way home anyway, so I dialed an Uber.

***

I rode in silence in the backseat. The driver had choices on the app that ranged from a conversation to complete silence.

I chose the ladder. Peering out the window, I could see happy couples sitting on benches and laughing. Even in the bitter cold, they looked ecstatic to be in each other’s presence. Their faces lit up with joy as they flirted with one another, play fighting and throwing bits of frozen snow from the ground.

It wasn’t the flirting I missed; it was the joy. The fall was fast and hard, and the hole seemed too deep for anyone to climb out of.

Especially someone whose antagonist is the very motivation he desired. It wasn’t even the love that I strove for anymore, but the acceptance that I wouldn’t change. If Viv and Katherine accepted that, then the pressure would be off.

Then again big changes were made. I had dealt with everything I saw in the past with throwing myself into every case. Finding the ins and outs of everything I needed to and more.

Viv hated me for it. Katherine despised me for it.

Now, I go through the motions when working. I knew it, and so did everyone else. The catch I made just before becoming a detective nearly ten years earlier is what I still held onto, but it still wasn’t