Page 8 of Collin, Episodes 13-15 (The Residency Boys #5)

Ash glanced at Collin twice and then back down at his closed laptop.

“I…well…my teachers kept talking about my records, and my IEP, and my grades, and I wanted to know what they were talking about. It seemed kind of important, but no one would let me read it. So, I asked this older kid who seemed to know a lot. He worked at the gas station where I bought food when, well, that’s not important.

I asked this older kid at the gas station about reading my records.

And he said that I’d have to break into the school’s computer system because kids don’t have rights to that stuff.

So, I asked him how to do that. And he said he didn’t know, but people on the internet did.

So, I got a phone off this drunk guy that used to sleep at our house and asked the internet.

Took me about six months, and I had to steal a computer, but I read my record.

But then there were more things I wanted to know.

Like how many other things were people not telling me?

And it was fun, the puzzles, you know. All the programs. A lot more interesting than school.

And I could just search for video lessons on what we were supposed to learn and look up the tests online, so, my grades were good for the first time.

And once I could read my IEP, then I knew what I was supposed to be getting for help. Mostly, I was bored, you know?”

“School was boring?”

“Yeah. The teachers just talked about the same thing and just added a little bit and a little bit. I couldn’t focus. Made me mad. I wanted them to just get to the point. But if I was online, I could just fast-forward the video or make it talk faster if it wasn’t fast enough.”

“What kind of things did you learn? Just school stuff and hacking, or did you use the internet for anything else?”

Ash’s face lit up. “Oh, I learned lots of things. Like chess and Chinese checkers. And the history of Persia because I liked the winged lion men. I wanted them to be real. And cryptids. Cryptids are interesting. I don’t know if I believe in them.

Lots of video is faked. Some of it is really weird.

And lately, I’ve been learning about private investigations.

Paulsen gave me access to his training course.

I didn’t even have to break in. He kinda asked me not to.

I told him I should, so he could fix any holes in his security, but he said he was trying to keep most people out, not me out.

He said he doesn’t have the budget to keep me out.

I offered to do it for free, but…anyway.

I’m learning about that. And police law. And child law.”

Alice clapped a hand over her mouth. “How fast can you read?”

“Really reading, scanning, or skimming?”

Alice raised both eyebrows. “Really reading and skimming.”

“Somewhere like nine hundred words a minute when reading, but I can’t do that forever—my eyes hurt.

And skimming, I don’t know. Depends on how much I find that’s useful.

Couple thousand words a minute? But it doesn’t always make sense after, like I don’t really know it, I just know if I want to know it. ”

Alice threw her arms around Ash and squeezed. “I’m calling you next time I’m stuck on an essay.”

Ash looked at Collin in open panic. “I don’t know how to write essays !”

Downtown Indianapolis wasn’t a place Collin had ever spent any time, but he had studied the streets for hours working with Veronica and Katharine, and the names and numbers of all the establishments were fixed in his memory.

The driver dropped them off on the sidewalk and drove away to find parking.

Holden scanned up and down and nodded to Collin. “Where to, boss?”

“I figured we’d walk around first, then hit up the bar.”

Holden nodded. “After you.”

At least in Indianapolis, he could expect less facial recognition. It had been almost two weeks since he’d been able to walk around by himself. Not that he was alone. Alice and Ash were staring at him like a pair of lemmings.

“Let’s go enjoy the day.”

“I want coffee.” Alice yawned. “And lunch.”

“Coffee and lunch it is. It’s a good reason to try different places.” Collin offered Alice his arm. “May I escort you, my lady?”

She latched on. “You may.”

Ash shuffled to Collin’s other side. Together, they made their way down the street, shadowed by Holden.

They tried three different places for lunch, not because they couldn’t agree, but because they were all on Collin’s list. Alice split everything she ordered with Ash, insisting he try things. Collin bought Holden a large everything bagel sandwich with lox when he saw the security guy eyeing it.

“You caught me.” Holden grinned when Collin handed it to him.

“I figured you could eat it with one hand.” Collin shrugged. It was nice to do something for the man following him around protecting him. “Mr. Moreau said you could eat on the job when it goes long.”

“I’d be bad at my job if I couldn’t chew and watch.” Holden smirked and took a bite, his eyes already scanning the windows again.

After two hours of walking around and sampling the local food, Collin announced it was time to hit up the bar. “You can come with or go shopping, Alice. I’ll be there a while, or I’ll call you and come find you if it doesn’t go very long,” Collin said.

“Want to go shopping?” Alice asked, grabbing Ash’s arm.

“Shopping?”

“Like shopping , looking at things, trying them on for fun.”

“Um…okay?”

Collin nodded and waved them off.

Holden shook his head. “That boy is in trouble. And your sister is trouble.”

“I’m just glad she’s relaxed enough to be herself.” Collin sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “She wasn’t like that when we were younger.”

“What was she like?”

“Quiet as a mouse. It’s like she gets to be a young person now.”

Holden grunted. “Rough time as kids?”

“Dad died and mom had cancer. We got through it.”

“Well, if I had a girl decide to drag me out like that when I was his age, I wouldn’t have been complaining. Terrified, maybe, but not complaining. They’ll be fine.”

“So, you don’t believe those wide-eyed stares he keeps giving me?”

Holden laughed and followed Collin down the sidewalk. “You sister is a lot, but she hasn’t once touched his face or his chest. Just his arms and shoulders, and when he gets too tense, she lets go. Girl’s aware of what she’s doing, maybe more than you are.”

“Thanks.” Collin glared over his shoulder at Holden. “She won’t hurt him, but he might sleep for a week once she wears him out.”

The bar Collin was angling for had rustic American Gaelic charm with a bit of whimsy thrown in that could be almost missed.

There were large screens playing sports on the wall in a couple places and some tables off to the side that were more like sit-down-and-talk spaces.

It was a pretty large space. Collin studied it as his eyes adjusted to the lower light.

It wasn’t hard to see why someone would be loath to part with it, even for progress.

“Want a soda or something?” Collin asked.

“Sure. I can blend in.” Holden nodded toward a stand-up table to the side. “I’ll just be over there. Getting out of the way and letting you do your job is my job.”

“Thanks.” Collin left him to it and approached the counter. Miriam, the owner, as he knew from his research, was working the bar. He ordered a coke for Holden and a virgin cocktail for himself.

“Too early or trying to avoid?” Miriam asked. She was a woman in her fifties with long hair braided up behind her head and wrapped up in a faded handkerchief like a cowboy would wear around his neck. The fact that she was wearing blue jean overalls only added to the look.

“Too early.” Collin grinned. “If it were later, I’d go for something else.”

She laughed. “So, what brings you to Indianapolis?”

“That obvious that I’m from out of town?”

She gave him a knowing look and passed him the soda. “Just put it down to intuition.”

Collin shrugged. “Doing some scouting for my boss. And showing my sister around. She’s off shopping.”

“And the big drink of water that came in with you?” She nodded pointedly at Holden.

“Works with me. I’ll be right back. Let me give him the soda.”

He hurried, but she had already finished mixing his cocktail when he got back. Someone else walked in, and Collin took the time to just watch and sip his drink. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out.

It was a text from his master. Precious boy, be safe. I didn’t realize what it would feel like to have you so far away. See you at home tonight. émeric says he’ll have chili and pizza bread ready for you and Alice, no matter how late. The guest bedroom is made up.

Collin stared down at his phone, eyes tearing up. How had he ever gotten to this place? He wiped his face and looked up, blinking.

Miriam was back. “Need to talk about it?”

He smiled. “Oh, it’s only good things. I promise. Sometimes things just go really well. And it’s hard to believe it’s true.”

She crossed her arms and leaned on the counter. “I hear bad stories every day. Tell me a good one.”