The Kid On The Bike - 14. Chapter 14

“Why do you say that?” Elena immediately asked Don.

“Well, it’s not just me,” he defended. “Because I’m sometimes not very good at these things – especially with younger guys. But after I saw what I did – or what I thought I did – I met Noah at Theo’s for a late lunch – but really just to watch Henry Chang. And he confirmed what I was feeling.”

“Do you think he knows? Henry Chang – not Noah.”

Don laughed. “Oh, yes.”

“Because you and Noah did at his age?”

“Because so many boys do – and now, they’re more willing to show it. Or let it show, if there’s no other way. And experiment.”

“Henry Chang doesn’t show anything.”

“That’s why I needed Noah,” Don agreed. “He spends his days around people’s bodies – judging every twitch and muscle spasm. Because sometimes, it’s not a chiropractor his clients need – it’s a psychologist. Or just someone to talk to – a friend.”

“I’m not arguing that,” Elena said. “And last night, Henry Chang seemed comfortable talking to me – maybe even about family matters he doesn’t tell his friends or Ervin Scott – I doubt Pop-Pop would understand. But what does that have to do with drugs?”

“Maybe nothing – as I said. But drugs and drinking are often around college students – and Henry Chang seems older for his age – and from a city – so some of his friends may be college students.”

“We haven’t seen any of that.”

“You don’t know what he does online. Or on the phone.”

Elena admitted that.

“And gay men – maybe especially early on, when they’re still half denying it – sometimes lean on drinking and drugs.”

“He doesn’t. I told everyone that.”

“Drugs, yes. But drinking? That never came up.”

“It’s still a jump from getting innocently drunk to selling drugs? That’s a leap.”

Don shrugged. “It might not be that,” he admitted. “It may just be sex. But sometimes, other guys have drugs. And when they do, you share them – because they can make sex seem better. And once you’ve learned that, maybe that’s what’s being seen as ‘selling.’”

Elena considered. “But he insisted he’s never even used them.”

“He might not think of that as drugs.” Don laughed. “He might deny he’s gay, too – just to keep his privacy – which he seems very good at doing.”

Elena agreed to that. “He’s had practice. Or so he says.”

“Still – as Owen often says – ‘Who ever knows what’s true?’”

Elena needed to think about that. “I’m going out there again tonight,” she quickly offered, “To tell Henry Chang personally that we’re backing off. I figured I owed him that. Would you like to come with me?”

“Why?”

“To talk with him.”

“About being gay?” Don laughed. “It’s instinctive. You know as soon as you reach into your pants.”

Elena laughed with Don. Then she explained. “If only to see if he denies it.”

“Why couldn’t you?”

“It might be different if it’s coming from a man. Especially one he may already know is gay,”

“It’s not like Noah and I had sex on Theo’s tables,” Don joked.

“Henry Chang maybe have just sensed it. Maybe you and he have been watching the same guys.”

“Hey, I’m reasonably faithfully,” Don said grinning.

“I know. So am I. But I can still spot a good-looking man.”

Don seemed to think about that. “I’d deny it, if I were Henry Chang. Hell, you know I did for years.”

“Those were different times,” Elena insisted.

“But it’s the same lack of support – I’ll bet he’s never talked with his parents about this. So why would he talk to me?”

“Because you’re willing to.”

“Am I?” Don was grinning.

“Yes – and you know it.”

Don seemed to need to think about that. “This has nothing to do with drugs,” he finally said. “What’re you really after?”

Elena smiled. “Just to get to know him better – maybe get more support for everything I’ve been telling Owen.”

“While covering your own butt.”

Elena nodded, and again, Don was silent. Maybe he was considering things she wouldn’t, Elena thought. Though she was trying.

“I’ll go with you,” he agreed. “But I won’t start the conversation. If it comes up, I’ll give you support. But it’s not something I want to force.”

Elena grinned. “Thanks.” Then she paused. “I’m just curious – What made you think Henry Chang was gay?”

Don laughed. “That’s easy – as I told you, I watched. He may not talk much at work, but he’s looking all the time.”

“We know that.”

“But he’s mainly looking at guys.”

Elena accepted that but questioned, “Does he look at girls the same way?”

Don laughed again. “I’m not saying he doesn’t... But I watched what happened every time a good-looking guy came into Theo’s – or even passed by on the street. Henry Chang didn’t miss a thing.”

“Does he have a type?”

Don grinned. “Now you’re just prying.”

“Come on,” Elena wheedled.

Don considered. “I could be wrong about this... but he probably looks at guys his age – or within a couple of years. But all older. He’s not interested in kids.”

“That’s good. Because then the problem with drugs – or possible drugs – would go away, and we’d be looking at bigger things.”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Fine.” And Elena told Don when she was going to the Scotts’.

“Just pick me up. You know I’m on the way.”

Soon after Elena knocked at the front door, Pop-Pop opened it. By the time, she finished introducing Don, Ervin Scott had appeared, drying a glass. “We seem to be a regular stop,” she joked.

“Maybe for the last time,” Elena assured her, smiling. “It looks like everything’s all right.”

“I knew that all along,” Ervin Scott confided. “I wouldn’t have a troublemaker living in my house.”

Elena accepted that and again introduced Don. Meanwhile, Pop-Pop had found Henry Chang. He looked at Elena, looked at Don, then just stood there.

“You haven’t called your parents yet?” Elena began.

He shook his head as Ervin Scott guided a reluctant and somewhat happily nosy Pop-Pop back to the kitchen. Henry Chang continued to stand in the entryway.

“Can we talk in the beauty shop?” Elena asked.

Henry Chang seemed to be thinking about other things. He kept looking at Don.

“If you’re wondering why he’s here,” Elena lied diplomatically, “technically, he should have been last night. We usually work in pairs, as a back-up. Especially when things are this personal.”

Henry Chang, expectedly, said nothing.

“But last night,” Elena continued, “I thought it might be better – I thought if you were going to be comfortable talking at all, you might be more comfortable just talking with me.”

The boy seemed to accept that but again didn’t reply.

“Can we go to the beauty shop?” Elena had to repeat. Instead, Henry Chang led them to the living room. “Is this private?” Elena asked.

Henry Chang nodded and sat in a heavy, high-backed wing chair, across from the couch. But he was defended by a wide coffee table. Elena and Don quickly sat, a polite distance apart, on the couch.

“This is mainly good news,” Elena went on. “Because you were so open – and honest – last night, I’ve persuaded my boss – and the others” – she indicated Don – “to let the whole thing go. And – only personally here...” she added, smiling, “... I’m sorry it ever began.”

“This is only her point of view,” Don quickly put in grinning. “It’s not an department apology. So please don’t sue us.”

He grinned again, but Henry Chang didn’t seem to see the joke.

“I doubt he’d want to get lawyers and his parents involved,” Elena assured Don. But it was mainly for show. Still, Henry Chang just sat there. “Is there anything you need to ask?” Elena continued. “Anything we can say?”

Henry Chang looked at her. Since they’d sat, he’d barely glanced at Don.

“If you think I’m here to be the ‘bad cop,’” Don put in. “I’m not. She’s always done that for me – we fool people.”

Again, the joke went nowhere. But Henry didn’t leave. Elena knew that if he’d simply stood and led them back to the front door, that would have ended it. But he stayed.

She again smiled. “You were so talkative last night... I thought you might have more to say.”

“You want me to thank you?” Henry Chang asked bluntly. “For pulling me into something that never involved me?”

“It wasn’t that,” Elena offered gently. “It’s just that I know what a nice guy you are. I’ve seen it, and that’s the person I defended this afternoon... built my case around. I looked forward to seeing him again tonight.”

Henry Chang seemed to accept that but again said nothing. Elena looked at Don, they nodded slightly to each other and stood.

“I don’t know what you were expecting,” Henry Chang said, still in his chair. “I’m sorry I’m not that boy all the time and can’t always be friendly. But I hardly know you.”

Elena sat again, to not be looking down on Henry Chang, though Don continued to stand.

“I’d just like some assurance I’m right,” she told the boy. “And I thought you’d easily do that in front of my friend. Now you’re sounding like a defensive drug dealer.” She smiled, but it was another joke that went flat.

“And you’re sounding like a cop. He is, too.”

“I’ve barely said a thing,” Don mildly protested. “Mainly tried to get you to relax.” He smiled. “You should see us in the station – we’re joking all the time.”

“You’ve seen us at Theo’s,” Elena picked up. “Do we seem dangerous?”

“No, but you’re still cops – you always are.”

“This isn’t New York City,” Don explained. “We’re not like the officers you know – or think you do. Though a friend of mine quit that force because he didn’t want to work in that tough a place – even though – like you – he grew up there. But I was born and raised here... even though Detective Petrakis...” he pointed at Elena, “...was from a bit further away.”

“I was born in Greece,” Elena explained. “My parents brought my brother and me here when we were less than three.”

When Henry Chang still said nothing, Elena and Don glanced at each other again and smiled almost to the point of laughing. “Look,” Don explained, “you don’t have to prove anything to me. I know you’re a good guy. I can see it all over you, and – in the same situation – I’d probably react the same way. I raised two teenagers, so I know just a little about them. And I was one myself – not that long ago.”

“In his mind, at least,” Elena joked to Henry Chang.

But “You have children?” was all the boy asked Don.

“Grown now,” Don corrected. “Scoot’s heading towards thirty, and my daughter, Jamie, isn’t that far behind.”

Henry Chang just looked at him.

“You’re wondering who Noah is, aren’t you?” Don seemed to guess. “The guy who was with me in Theo’s the other day and couldn’t keep his hands off me – well, he kept touching my hands on the table.” Don grinned. “He’s always like that.”

“The black guy?” was all Henry Chang asked.

Don laughed. “Well, see, now there, you’re gonna have to be more specific. Because Ike – Lieutenant Omari – is in Theo’s with me often enough, but he doesn’t touch me the same way.” Don grinned. “Though I’m not saying that – under different conditions, and when we were both younger and single – I would have objected. But it’s not gonna happen now.”

Henry Chang sat there, looking a little stunned.

“Yeah... I know,” Don admitted, obviously loose and amused. “It’s a bit like learning too much about your parents – much more than you ever wanted to know.”

“I know them pretty well,” Henry Chang said defensively.

“So Detective Petrakis says,” Don went on. “She won us over to your side this afternoon. And some of us – our boss especially – was very careful before he was willing to go.”

“Why?” Henry Chang asked.

“Let’s just say he’s cautious,” Elena put in. “He’s a very careful man.”

“But fair – and a good judge,” Don added. “And if you just smile at us – once – we’ll be out of here.”

Elena waited to stand then and leave, but she kept watching Henry Chang. Instead of smiling or relaxing, he asked Don, “Could you tell me about your black friend again?”

“My partner?” Don asked. “Or the lieutenant?”

“You’re not married?” Henry asked. He seemed surprised.

“Actually, we are – Noah and I. We have been for several years. But I use the easier word first.” He hesitated. “Because some people – no matter how completely they support gay marriage – especially around here – well, they’re a little protective of the word ‘husband.’”

Henry absorbed that and then did smile. And Don turned to Elena, and said, “We’re out of here.”

“You didn’t explain yet,” Henry protested. “If you have children... and you’re married to a guy... then where did the kids come from.”

Don just laughed. “I’m afraid I’d have to know you a lot better than this to go into that.” He smiled again. “And I know we’ve been mucking around in your life in ways we’d never be happy to have people snoop in ours... But it’s still early to open up to you. But if you’re honestly interested...” while he talked, Don was getting his business card out of his wallet, “...call me sometime, and Noah and I will take you out for dinner – at a place a lot better than Theo’s or the pizza shop.” Before Henry Chang could object, Don added, “We’ll go someplace you’re comfortable with in town – if you’re OK with having dinner with a known police officer.”

Henry Chang took Don’s card without saying, “Yes, I’d like that.” But Elena thought she saw that look on the boy’s face.

“Good night,” she soon told him. “I’d take you out to dinner, too – my husband and I – but I’m not sure you’d find us as interesting.”

Less than a minute later, she and Don also said ‘Good night’ to Ervin Scott and Pop-Pop. Then they were in the yard.

“Oh, cripes,” Don told Elena when they were in the privacy of her car. “How are we gonna explain this to Owen?”

“I think I have a way,” Elena said. “I think I know what this whole thing – all along – has been about.”