Paul raised his arms. “No, ma’am, look, that isn’t what this is.”
The other door opened, and Kaldar stepped out. He looked the way he looked when he’d gone to Rose Cliff, dressed in a suit, with his hair slicked back.
Audrey put her hands on her hips. “Well, is it or isn’t it?”
“Is it what?”
“What this is?”
Kaldar walked over to them, looking exactly the way Rose looked when Jack forgot to wipe his feet and tracked bloody mud all over the carpets.
Paul blinked again. “Look, you got it wrong. We’re trying to help the kids.”
“By making them work for their food? I have news for you, Mister, slavery has been abolished in this country in eighteen ninety with the Immunization Proclamation,” Audrey said.
“You mean Emancipation and 1863 . . .” Paul murmured weakly.
Behind Audrey, Kaldar shook his head at him.
“Don’t try to confuse me! You’re using these boys as slave labor. Maybe they should go and pick cotton for you next.”
“Umm . . .”
“Well, I am telling you, these kids won’t have to work tonight.” Audrey looked over the kids. “Who wants McDonald’s?”
Jack stuck his arm out with everyone else, and yelled, “Me, me, me!”
Audrey swung to Kaldar. “Honey?”
Kaldar sighed, opened his wallet, took out a thick wad of cash, and deposited it into Audrey’s hand. Audrey waved it around. “Let’s go, children! I saw a Mickey D’s around the corner.”
She marched down the street, everyone following her.
“Wait . . .” Paul called out. “You can’t do this.”
“Trust me,” Kaldar told him. “It’s best to just go with the flow when she’s like this. Come on, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
KALDAR walked next to Paul through the shiny, polished hallway of the Church of the Blessed and pretended to listen to the man droning on about the camp and the runaways, while keeping an eye on Audrey and the gaggle of children ahead. They had gone to McDonald’s, and, afterward, Audrey insisted on seeing where the “poor boys” were sleeping. She made it sound like she expected them to be chained to the walls in some cell somewhere, which caused their handler no end of distress. Paul was a true believer. He was honest and hardworking, and he genuinely wanted to help the children.
“You see, most of them really have no place to go. It’s horrible what they’re reduced to on the streets. Drugs, violence. Some of them even prostitute themselves. I had two boys just today standing there, looking as hungry as could be, and I had to promise that nobody would touch them, or they wouldn’t come near me. What is the world coming to, I ask you? These children, they’re suspicious of charity. I mean, wrap your mind about that one, will you? Childhood should be a happy thing. At least this way they get two decent meals a day.”
Ahead, the double doors opened, and Ed Yonker entered the hallway. He looked exactly like his photograph: well-groomed, tall, with clear blue eyes and a well-oiled smile. Kaldar disliked him instantly.
“Paul, what’s going on here?”
“Immunization,” Audrey proudly told him, and kept walking.
“What?”
Kaldar sighed.
“She means emancipation,” Paul said helpfully.
“I see. Who is being emancipated?”
Paul launched into a long explanation, complete with arm waving. Kaldar studied Ed Yonker, and Ed was clearly doing his best to study him. His gaze slid from Kaldar’s shoes, to the expensive suit, to the Rolex on his wrist, to the three-hundred-dollar tie, then, finally, to his eyes.
Paul was winding down.
“You must excuse my wife,” Kaldar said. “She has a soft spot for underprivileged children, and she gets carried away. We’ll be on our way shortly.”
“It’s no trouble. No trouble at all.” Ed Yonker stuck out his hand. “Edward Yonker. Everyone here just calls me Ed Junior. We’re not very formal here.”
Kaldar took the hand and shook it. “Jonathan Berman. As I said, Mr. Yonker, we’ll be on our way soon.”
“Please, just Ed will do.” All three of them looked after Audrey’s retreating behind, clasped in a skintight skirt. Yonker raised his eyebrows a bit, appraising Audrey like a piece of meat in the market, and Kaldar felt a powerful urge to hit him in the mouth.
“If your wife wants to make sure the boys aren’t mistreated, then I say more power to her. In our day and age, it’s so rare to find people who take interest in God’s less-fortunate children.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Kaldar said.
“Come, I’ll show you around.” Ed strode next to him, shoulders back, firm gait. No trying to dominate, but secure in his authority all the same. They went through another set of double doors, down the hallway, and entered a small dormitory.
Ahead, Audrey called, “Y’all don’t rush now, I don’t want any of you falling.”
“Is that a Southern accent, if you don’t mind my asking?” Ed asked. “Georgia perhaps?”
“Florida,” Kaldar said, just out of spite.
“Oh. What brings you to sunny San Diego?”
“Business. Real estate.”
“There is plenty of that around here.” Ed gave a hearty laugh.
“Indeed.”
Audrey inspected the dormitory, letting the boys lead her.
“Your wife is very passionate about doing good works, I see.”
“She is very generous,” Kaldar nodded. “Luckily, I’m in no danger of bankruptcy.”
Ed chuckled. If he had been a cartoon, his eyes would’ve ignited with dollar signs.
Audrey came full circle and headed back toward them. Her eyes shone, and her face was slightly flushed, just enough to put all sorts of interesting thoughts into a man’s head. She held on to Jack and ruffled his hair. “Isn’t he just the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen? I want to take him home.”
“Feel better, doll?” Kaldar asked her.
Audrey let go of Jack, leaned forward, and Kaldar kissed her, carefully so as not to smudge her lipstick. Their lips barely touched, but for once he was grateful for the tailored trousers of his suit. Most men didn’t go erect from a casual kiss from their wives.
“Yes, I do. Thank you, darling.”
“Livie, this is Ed Yonker. He’s in charge here.”
“Nice to meet you, preacher.”
Audrey beamed. Kaldar was prepared for the smile, but it took even him off guard. Ed Yonker blinked. Paul had to have a private moment studying the floor. Kaldar slid his arm around Audrey and cupped her butt possessively, a fact Ed Yonker noticed and obviously filed for further reference. Dear Gods, Audrey had a nice ass.
“I do miss going to church,” Audrey prattled on. “Jonny has been so busy lately. One day we’re in Seattle, then in Nevada, now here. We never get to worship anymore. Especially in such a lovely church. Y’all seem like such nice people, and your kids are darling.”
Ed finally collected his wits. “As you can see, only a small group of our younguns stay here. Most of them stay with us at the camp.”
Audrey opened her eyes wider. “What kind of camp?”
“That’s where most of our services take place. The Blessed Youth Witness Camp and the Wooden Cathedral.”
Audrey turned to Kaldar. “Can we see the camp, darling?”
“Not today, doll,” he told her. “I have a business meeting.”
“I don’t mean to be rude or to upset you,” Ed said. “But the Wooden Cathedral is a special place for our congregation. That’s where we worship and meet in fellowship. One must aspire to be a member of our church to visit there.”
They were losing Ed’s attention.
Audrey pretended to pout and made a small dog noise. Nicely done, but Ed still didn’t seem involved.
“No, Livie,” Kaldar shook his head. “As I said, I have an auction to attend today. Ed has his congregation to look after. He can’t exactly give us a grand tour. I do apologize again for the interruption.”