Tommy's face fell when he realized his dad planned to ditch us.
I covered my anger with a smile and took the money. "Sure. Will you be joining us later?"
His eyes glazed over and he didn't make eye contact, distracted by something else. "I'll catch up with you two in a bit."
And in that moment, I became the world's most expensive babysitter... on his partner's dime. Rent-A-Kid charged at least $150,000 a day for my time. That worked out to $6,250 per hour if you count sleep. I didn't see all that money, obviously, but still... I had to laugh at the absurdity of it. I would've felt worse for Mr. Dollinger if he weren't such a jerk. The only person I cared about in all of this was Tommy, and so I would do my best to protect him.
To that end, I slipped into his father's mind as I paid for Tommy's pink- and blue-swirled sugar high.
'Too bad Tommy's a boy... girl would have been better... easier to... ah yes... nice fresh meat... mustn't touch... just look... until later... later I can touch that innocent flesh... when no one is around... tomorrow night... they promised me a young one, I can't wait to—'
Enough! My stomach clenched and bile rose in my throat. The air around me thickened until it became hard to breathe. My world narrowed to a pinpoint, as though I would pass out at any moment. I couldn't just hear his thoughts; I could see the images playing around in his mind. In that moment I wanted to gouge out my third eye.
Large hands held me upright and tiny hands tugged at my sweater. "Sam! Sam! Are you okay? What's wrong, Sam?"
My vision focused on Tommy's big eyes widened in fear. Gar stood behind me to keep me from falling.
I composed myself and found the ground under my feet. "I'm okay. I just got dizzy for a second. Probably just need to eat something."
Tommy nodded as if all of life's problems could be solved with food. He pulled me toward the food court. "Come on, we'll get you a hotdog. They are the best ever!"
Gar stood just inches from me with a look that I could have mistaken as concern, if I thought he cared at all. "Are you okay? Did you get something on the father?"
I didn't try to hide my surprise. He hadn't expressed any interest in my assignment until that moment, but it helped to have him on my side.
I nodded. "It's bad. Can I use your phone?"
He narrowed his eyes but pulled it out of his jacket pocket. "Who are you calling?"
"Dollinger."
I dialed the number from memory and tapped my foot as it rang. "Keep an eye on Tommy, okay?"
Gar's face squished together as though I'd asked him to change a dirty diaper, but he moved his eyes to Tommy, who was busy eating his treat—at least that part of it not smeared across his face.
My client's voice came on the line. "This is Sam. I have what you need to take down Beaumont." I told him what I'd overheard in the man's mind.
I hated to hurt Tommy this way, but leaving him in the care of that monster would have been worse.
Once I filled Dollinger in on the details, I expected him to say that I had done my job and was free to go.
"That's not enough. We need hard proof. Keep digging."
"What? You need to stop him before tomorrow night. Before he...." I couldn't even bring myself to finish the sentence.
"This isn't about stopping him. It's about catching him red-handed so he can't weasel out of this with his fancy lawyers and destroy everything I've worked for."
I couldn't decide who was the bigger monster, but in that moment I wanted them both to pay.
I handed the phone back to Gar, and forced myself to keep up with Tommy the rest of the day.
After several rides and more junk food, I just couldn't focus.
Tommy could tell that my mind was elsewhere. "Sam, what's wrong? Are you still sick? Do you want a nap?"
"I'm okay, but it's probably time we find your dad and head home. Your mom will want to hear about the exciting day you've had."
His blue, candy-covered lips frowned, but he didn't argue.
I pretended to look for Mr. Beaumont, even though I knew exactly where he was.
We found him by the merry-go-round, which Tommy insisted on riding.
Mr. Beaumont stood a little too close to me as we watched his son balance on the horse. His dark blue three-piece suit, nice tan, and fit physique hid the monster lurking beneath the pretty veneer. From his perfectly highlighted caramel hair to his glow-in-the-dark teeth, he screamed "fake." I imagined his skin peeling off to reveal a slimy troll, complete with red beady eyes and swollen pink lips oozing something green.
What did the little girls see when he first walked in to greet them? Did they see a respectable man in his early 40s, someone safe and nice? Or could they sense the impending danger?
He smiled at me as if he knew what I was thinking. "Sam, have you enjoyed the fair?"