Tick Tock (Michael Bennett 4)

“And how was your class tonight, Mary Catherine? Your art class that is, if you don’t mind me askin’?”

“Oh, fine, Seamus. Look at the time. So much to do tomorrow. Good night,” Mary said, off like a shot into the house, absolutely abandoning me.

Seamus looked at my completely open shirt with disdain.

“Michael Sean Aloysius Bennett. What in the name of the good Lord do you think you’re doing? And don’t be telling me you’ve been catching some rays,” Seamus said.

“I’m… going to bed, Father,” I said, hitting the screen door at mach two. “It’s been a long day. G’night.”

Chapter 36

I WOKE UP EXTRA EARLY for work the next morning.

And not just to beat the traffic this time. A stealthy exit after last night’s questionable tonsil-hockey session with MC on the porch seemed just the thing.

In addition to probably breaking several employer sexual harassment laws, I didn’t know where to start in sorting through my conflicting feelings. I really had no idea at all what to say to Mary in the light of day. I definitely didn’t want to face another inquisition from Seamus.

Red wine always gets me into trouble. No, wait, that’s my big mouth.

As I tiptoed out of Dodge, holding my shoes, I noticed a strange bluish light coming from the girls’ room. I knew I should keep on going and leave the culprits to their own mischievous devices, but the cop in me couldn’t resist a righteous bust.

I retraced my toe tips back into their room. The light was coming from under a suspiciously lumpy blanket on the bed in the corner. There was a lot of suspicious excited whispering going on as well.

“What’s this?” I said, whipping away the blanket like a magician.

What I saw wasn’t a rabbit, though it was still quite cute.

“AHHHHH!” Chrissy and Shawna screamed in unison, lying on their bellies in front of a laptop computer.

“A computer?” I said, clapping a hand against my head in mock outrage. “You smuggled in a computer on our vacation? Don’t tell me that’s Phineas and Ferb on that screen. No electronic toys, remember? No video games. Sound familiar?”

“It was Ricky,” Shawna said, pointing toward the boys’ room frantically.

“It’s true. It’s Ricky’s. We’re just borrowing it,” Chrissy said.

“What’s going on?” Mary Catherine whispered suddenly there, yawning in the doorway.

Uh-oh. I knew I should have gotten out while I could. The girls weren’t the only ones who were busted.

“We’re sorry, Mary,” Chrissy said.

“Yes. We’re so sorry,” Shawna added quickly. “So sorry that Ricky brought a computer when he wasn’t supposed to.”

“We’ll deal with this later,” Mary said as she confiscated the computer and tucked the girls back in.

“You’re up early,” she said, glancing suspiciously at the shoes in my hand as we left the room. “Come to the kitchen. I’ll make you coffee before you go.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t have time. Early briefing,” I said.

“It’s five-thirty,” Mary Catherine said, peering at me.

“Duty calls,” I said with a hopefully convincing smile and a wave as I headed toward the front door.

I stopped as I came out onto the porch. Even in the predawn murk, I could see it. Somebody had spray-painted the wall behind the porch swing.

GO HOME STUPID BASTERDS!

I stood there holding my hungover head in my hands. The sons of bitches had come onto my porch in the middle of the night? I guess my scare tactic over at the Flaherty compound hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped. This was really getting nuts now.