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I told her about my interaction with the Banning family. I also told her about the youngerboy, Jaden. I didn’t hold back anything.
Mary Catherine whistled. “It’s scary to think that a young man could be hiding such a horrible secret. What causes behavior like that? It’s not really video games, is it?”
“If anyone figured out what caused this kind of behavior, maybe we could act to curb it. I don’t have any evidence this kid is a killer. It’s just an idea that concerns me.”
“Imagine a boy capable of such terrible things. If he picked up one of our girls on a date and we didn’t know him…” Mary Catherine couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. I was glad she didn’t.
Mary Catherine cuddled up next to me. “Michael, sometimes I just get so worried. This is exactly what scares me about having another child. Hearing about a boy who could go so wrong. A boy capable of hurting people. The world is a scary place.”
I squeezed her and kissed Mary Catherine on the top of her head. I had the same thoughts all the time.
Chapter51
OUR SCHEDULE WASa little off for a Sunday. My grandfather had organized a spaghetti dinner at Holy Name tonight. We were going to the evening service so our Sunday game day could start earlier than usual.
The kids whipped through breakfast and helped with cleanup. It was nice not rushing out to church on a Sunday morning. I wondered why that never happened during the week when we were late for school. But it was still nice seeing smiles and everyone dressed in shorts and sweatshirts for a day of hard playing.
Brian suggested we go to Central Park, but I knew I’d be constantly turning to look at the Bannings’ apartment building. It would just be a distraction for me.
Instead, before I said anything, Mary Catherine suggested the much more convenient Riverside Park. Chrissy jumped up and down, clapping her hands. She loved to look for birds in the bird sanctuary section of the park. I liked some of the park’s wide-open fields.
We walked as a group the few blocks to the park. We no longer made each kid hold hands with the one in front of him or her. But there was an unwritten rule that the older kids keep track of the younger kids. Still, a mob of ten kids and two adults marching down the street could startle the unsuspecting. Usually, people just assumed we were some sort of school out on a field trip. That was fine with me.
Some of the older kids and I carried backpacks holding a dozen different balls and rackets and bats as well as a picnic. We have learned it’s easier to just buy drinks from a street vendor than carry a cooler along with us. The logistics were not unlike moving an army across occupied territory. You need to know what supplies are available and what to bring with you.
Mary Catherine said, “What do you guys think? Maybe basketball?”
Trent and Ricky immediately said, “Football,” in unison. I was sure it had to do more with them not wanting to be embarrassed by Fiona dropping fifteen-foot jumpers on them than any great love of football. It didn’t matter, a quick voice vote approved the measure, and after a leisurely walk past the bird sanctuary to make Chrissy happy, we found ourselves on a field rimmed by a few shade trees.
We fell into natural teams of six on six. It wasn’t always the exact same teams. There were four or five variations. Each of us had ouradvantage. I was tall enough to see over everyone if I was quarterback. That’s why they made the rule I couldn’t be quarterback anymore.
Trent was much faster than everyone else. He used it to his advantage to outrun the coverage. The problem with that was he couldn’t catch particularly well. It was still fun to see the ball sail toward him so far down the field.
Even Chrissy had an advantage. She was so small and quick, she could dart between us before anyone could tag her. When she managed to bend almost to the ground to avoid a tag by Ricky, her brother yelled, “That’s not a legal move. Her knee touched the ground. I’m calling for an official ruling.”
It was my oldest daughter, Juliana, who set her brother straight. “Keep it to yourself, Belichick.”
I laughed out loud. Anyone who was even remotely a Jets fan always had to take their shots at the New England Patriots.
The game ended when Fiona threw a pass to Trent. He bobbled it and Jane snatched it right out of the air, then ran almost the entire field to score. Admittedly, our field was only about thirty yards long, but it was still impressive.
We marched back to the apartment, cleaned up, went to the evening service at Holy Name, and then sat down to the church’s spaghetti dinner. Ricky was critical of the store-bought tomato sauce but said the decent garlic bread made up for it. Brian said it reminded him of going to school here at the church and had three helpings of spaghetti.
I leaned back at the table where my entire family, including my grandfather, was seated. I listened to the jokes and laughter and wondered if life got much better than this.
I doubted it.
Chapter52
MONDAY MORNING WASback to reality. Time to find answers to all the questions that had nagged me over the weekend. That required a drive for my first bit of business. Specifically, a drive north about fifteen miles to the Village of Bronxville, in Westchester County.
I wanted to get a good look at the Wolfson Academy and maybe even Jaden Banning. My intention was mainly to walk through the school. I figured if I showed up as a concerned parent of a troubled young man, I might get a quick tour. Places like that always need cash and rarely turn anyone away. Unless they can’t pay.
Driving into the small, well-kept village, it was hard for me to believe this was one of the most expensive suburbs of a major city in the country. There was nothing to it.
I found the Wolfson Academy’s six acres filled with aged oak and pine trees next to a country club off White Plains Road. It looked like a small college campus. The main administrative building faced the street and rose three stories. Two buildings ran perpendicular to the admin building so the three buildings together formed a giant U.
I strolled straight up the long walkway, trying to give the impression that I was casually interested in the institution. Someone buzzed me through the front door, where a receptionist met me. I told her my name and that I was interested in a tour for my three sons.
