Strega - Andrew H. Vachss [102]
"The clown took off his pants too. His penis was very large. It scared the boy. They asked him if he wanted ice cream. They rubbed some on the clown's penis and told Scotty to lick it off. He started to cry. The old lady told him if he didn't do what he was told, they would hurt the puppy. He still refused. The clown strangled the puppy in front of him. Scotty didn't want to watch but he had to. He has bad dreams about the puppy. He's always scared."
The cigarette burned into my fingers. I threw it on the floor, stepped on it. Immaculata's face was closed—a soldier doing her job.
"The man put his penis in Scotty's mouth—told him to suck very hard. The woman took a picture with a Polaroid and a flash. White stuff came out. Scotty cried. The old woman told him if he ever told anyone about this his mother would get very sick and die. They took him back upstairs and put him into the van with the other kids. The other kids all had a great time."
"How does he know it was a Polaroid?" I asked.
"He doesn't know the name, but he said a camera where the picture comes out the front."
"Did he see the picture?"
"I think so. At least the fact that there was a picture." She took a breath. "Scotty never told anybody—he was scared something would happen. But his mother took him to a therapist, and he told the therapist about bad dreams. That's all. He was afraid of the therapist—he had a beard like the big, fat clown.
"Later he told some of it to the redheaded woman who brought him to the parking lot today—he calls her 'Zia.' He told her that the old lady came to the day–care center with a big, strong man who had a leather bag. The man took money from the leather bag and gave it to the lady who runs the day–care center. And there was some strange mark on the big man's hand. That's it," she said.
"He's going to need help with the dreams," Lily said.
"I know," Immaculata replied.
"He's not still afraid of anything happening to his mother?" I asked her.
"No," she said, smiling faintly, "Max told Scotty he would guard his mother."
"What was that bit with the table, Mac?" Lily wanted to know.
"Scotty drew a picture of the big, fat clown. Max told him he was going to find the clown and break him in little pieces. He was showing Scotty what he meant."
I lit another cigarette. "Does he have any idea at all where the big house is? You think he could find it if we went over the route?"
"Not a chance," Mac said. "He wasn't paying attention on the drive out there—and he was too scared on the way back to the center."
"If this woman is running a big operation, maybe Wolfe would know about her," I said, looking at Lily.
"I'll talk to her," Lily replied.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. Max. He held one hand to his eye, tapped his finger against the hand. Taking a picture. He pointed at me, made binoculars of his fists around his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm looking for that picture," I told him.
Max tapped his chest, dealing himself in.
We all left the office together to pick up the boy.
77
SCOTTY WAS in the middle of a group of kids, all trying to push a giant beach ball in different directions. "We have to go?" he asked Immaculata. Not so happy about it.
"We'll come back, Scotty. And we'll play some more and talk some more, okay?"
"And Max too?" the kid demanded.
Immaculata took his hand. "Max has to work sometimes, Scotty. But he's never too far away. And his work is very important."
"Like watching Mommy?"
"Yes, like that. Okay?"
Scotty smiled. Max smiled too—the way an undertaker does. The boy waved goodbye to his new friends. Lily gave him a hug. And we were out the door.
Scotty was cheerful on the drive back. It was almost eight by the time I pulled up right in front of the Family Court. The Mercedes was sitting there, smoke coming from its exhaust. The driver's door popped open and Strega climbed out, Mia in tow. I got out too, halfway between the cars.
"I have to talk to you for a minute," I said.
"Mia, take Scotty and wait in the car, okay, sweetheart? Mommy will be there