Bright Lights, Big Christmas(50)

“Austin?” Patrick said sternly. “What happened? Where did you go?”

“I found Murphy’s bike! The one the bad guys stole,” Austin said. “I was waiting in the lobby, like Mom said, but then I saw him ride by the building on it. So I followed him. And I saw where he was hiding it.”

“What’s this about my bike?” Murphy asked as he joined the group.

“I found your bike!” Austin said proudly. “The bad guys took it.”

Patrick looked up at Heinz. “Is this true?”

“Two blocks away,” Heinz said. “On Hudson Street. I don’t usually walk that way, but today, I needed my glasses repaired at a shop there. I was coming out when I saw our little friend here, peeking out from behind a telephone pole.”

“The bad guy hid the bike under the stoop!” Austin said. “There’s a little gate, and he put it there and locked it up. But I know right where it is now!”

“It does look like Murphy’s bicycle. And the trailer is there too,” Heinz said. He turned his head and coughed into a handkerchief.

“Who did you see with the bike? Which bad guy?” Murphy asked. “Do you mean one of those dudes selling Christmas trees over there?” He pointed toward the Brody brothers’ hut.

“I, uh, I’m not sure. He had on a hoodie. Like the color army guys wear. And sunglasses. But I knew it was Murphy’s bike because of the sign on the back. Tolliver Tree Farm. Right?”

Gretchen was still kneeling. She grasped her son’s jacket by the collar. Tears streamed down her face. “Austin. You can’t ever, ever do anything like that again. Little boys can’t just wander around the streets of the city. There are some really bad people out there…”

“I’m almost six and a half! And I wasn’t wandering,” Austin said indignantly. “I was on the street where Dad and me get our hair cut. I was going to come home, as soon as I figured out how to get Murphy’s bike back. And then Mr. Heinz saw me. And he’s one of the good guys, right?”

“Okay, well, you’re back safely now, and that’s the most important thing,” Patrick said. “And yes. Mr. Heinz is definitely a good guy. But your mom’s right. You can never, ever do that again. If your mom or I tell you to stay someplace, you stay right there. No matter what. Right?”

“Yes, sir.” Austin stared down at the toe of his boot. “But what about the bike?”

Murphy stared across the street. “Guess I’ll go have a little chat with those two bozos to straighten out a few things. But first, I’m gonna get my bolt cutters out of the truck and reclaim my property.”

“I’ll go with you,” Patrick said. “As wingman.”

“I can show you where the bike and trailer are hidden,” Heinz said quietly.

“And I’ll go too. Because I’m the one that found it,” Austin said, puffing out his chest.

“Oh no,” Gretchen said. “It’s getting dark. You’re coming home with me, young man.”

She took Austin’s hand and steered him homeward.



* * *



True to Murphy’s prediction, traffic picked up considerably as daylight faded. Vic arrived and was quickly dispatched to deliver trees. Kerry watched anxiously for her brother’s return.

Finally, nearly an hour later, Murphy came pedaling down the street with the trailer hitched to the back of his bike and the bolt cutters sticking out of the trailer.

“You did it!” Kerry said, as her brother dismounted from the bike.

“Went down slick,” Murphy said, looking around the booth. “And looks like it’s going good here too.”

“The trees are really flying out of here now,” Kerry said proudly. “Vic just took three more trees to deliver. But tell me about the great stolen bike caper.”

“Not that much to tell. Heinz showed me where the bike and trailer were, and like Austin said, they were in one of those gated areas under a front stoop, and the gate had a big ol’ fairly new-looking chain and padlock on it. Which I cut off.”

“Was anyone around? Weren’t you afraid the cops might stop you?”

“Nah. The place where it was hidden is under construction. There was all this scaffolding out front. Anyway, this is the city, Kere. People mind their own business. Besides, whoever put it there was a thief.”

Kerry looked past her brother.

“Patrick went home, if that’s who you’re looking for,” Murphy said. “He told me to tell you he’ll call you later.”

“Oh, uh, no,” she said, quickly trying to cover her tracks. “I was wondering about Heinz.”

Murphy rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Heinz left. I don’t think he’s feeling too good.”

“Yeah, I’m worried he’s really sick,” Kerry said. “All of a sudden, he looks so frail.”

“Well, he’s an old guy. Probably pushing ninety. Way older than Dad.” He reached into a plastic sack and brought out a new bike chain, wheeled the bike over to the utility pole, and padlocked the bike and trailer to it. “That oughtta do the trick.”

He straightened up, then grabbed the bolt cutters.

“What are you going to do with those?” she asked.