Tiger Read Free Page A

let go of me. I know things—about who he is, about things he’s done.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? What has your father done?”
    Kyle just shook his head and looked away, suddenly evasive. Wally began to wonder if Kyle’s situation was more than she could handle. Had she made a mistake by letting him get started?
    â€œYou know, Kyle, my boss will be in really soon. Maybe the best thing—”
    â€œHow long would it usually take you to find someone?” he asked.
    â€œUh . . . well, that depends,” she stammered a little, realizing that in his current state of mind, Kyle wasn’t going to be happy with the answer. “Finding your birth mother could be difficult or it could be easy, but there are other issues to work out first—”
    â€œWhat issues do you mean?” Kyle asked. “You’ll find her for me, right?”
    Wally hesitated, and Kyle saw it.
    â€œIf your mother can be found, we’ll find her,” Wally assured him, but she heard a twinge of hesitation in her own voice.
    Kyle heard it too, and shot her a distrustful look.
    â€œYou said that’s what you do here.”
    â€œYes, but there’s a process to it. The idea is to bring people together in the right way, when they’re ready for it to happen.”
    More than half of the reunions between separated family members ended badly, even in the best of circumstances. From what Wally could tell, Kyle’s circumstances were complicated, maybe even explosive.
    â€œBut I am ready,” Kyle said as if she were accusing him of something.
    â€œYou’re in a rough place right now,” Wally said. “I get that. But you need to understand something: finding your birth mother won’t solve the problems you’re having at home. Things are going badly with your father, and you’re reaching out for something that feels like a solution. I get that, but you have some steps to take first—”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Kyle cut her off.
    â€œThere’s a therapist we refer a lot of clients to, and she’s really good. There are ways to get you into a safer living situation, also.” She could see that Kyle was struggling to understand what she was saying. “We have strong connections at Social Services, plus some private groups that help out in these situations. A friend of mine is with the NYPD, so we can—”
    â€œA cop? Why?”
    â€œTo start with, I think that bruise on your face was made by a closed fist. You’ve described your father as dangerous and violent.”
    Kyle was silent for a moment, his jaw clenched in anger.
    â€œThis was a mistake,” he said, rising quickly to his feet. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”
    He headed for the door.
    Wally felt a stab of panic—she stood and went after him.
    â€œPlease don’t go,” Wally said. “This is my fault. My boss will be here soon. . . . ” She reached out and tried to hold Kyle by the arm, but he shrugged her off.
    â€œForget everything I told you.”
    Kyle rushed out of the office. Wally ran after him as he made his way down the hall.
    â€œI promise we can help you, Kyle!” she called out, feeling desperate now.
    But Kyle never looked back. Wally watched helplessly as he hurried down the main stairs and disappeared from view. Shit!

2 .
    LEWIS DIDN’T ARRIVE UNTIL ALMOST NOON.
    â€œHello, Wallis,” he said as he entered, his faint Australian accent lending him a jaunty, gentlemanly air. He hung his fedora and overcoat on the hat rack by the door. For a man somewhere in his late eighties—he refused to verify his exact age—Lewis was still strong and sharp. His taste in clothes had frozen in limbo somewhere in the early fifties; he always dressed like a detective in an old black-and-white Humphrey Bogart film.
    Wally could almost feel herself radiating an aura of guilt.
    â€œUh