Page 77 of Forget Me Not

The fairy in the waiting area dropped the magazine they were reading.

The goblin looked up and sighed longingly.

“Ray.” Calvin had a nod for the goblin but made a beeline for Ray. “You holding up okay?”

He wasn’t shouting, but the room had quieted in the presence of so muchshine, apparently, so everyone could likely hear.

Ray had no idea how to answer, but nodded.

“You’re fine, yeah,” Calvin interpreted it, sarcastic or sincere, Ray couldn’t say and didn’t really want to know. “You look okay at least. Has he been going easy on you? Have you been going easy on him?”

Ray thought of fairy tears, but was spared having to answer by Cal calling, “Dad!” and zipping over to him and Calvin, stopping just short of flinging himself into his father’s arms. The two of them stared at each other, neither of them moving, and then Cal looked away. “You didn’t have to come out here just for me.”

“It’s not a huge distance.” Calvin, very slowly, reached out to rest his hand on Cal’s shoulder. “Someone tried to hurt you.”

Cal slumped down from his defensive posture and looked back at his father. “They tried to hurtRay.”

“Same thing, to you,” Calvin corrected.

Cal’s usual brilliance seemed to have disappeared in the face of his father’s calm reason. “Ugh.” He sniffled, but just the one time before he controlled himself. “We have work to do today and we brought Ray as our ride-along.”

“Not funny.” Was all Ray said. They both ignored him. Benny as well, as he came over to join them.

Calvin furrowed his brow and glanced up to Ray. “Shouldn’t you be working on Ray’s case?”

Cal sighed. Even his wings seemed slumped now. “Don’t tell me how you knew that the department isn’t.”

“I didn’t. But I know you.” Calvin looked at Ray again, a longer, more intense study. “You’re not concerned about it?”

“Oh boy,” Benny murmured and exchanged a significant look with Ray as Cal’s wings snapped back to life.

“Concerned? I couldn’t be more concerned, but we have nothing to go on, and sometimes it helps to give your brain a different puzzle. You…” Cal went quiet and Ray bent his head to inhalesugar/affection/embarrassment. “You always used to say that.”

Calvin didn’t seem to know how to react. Father and son stared at each other again. Benny decided to check his phone. Ray inched closer to discreetly sniff Calvin as well. Except for the sugar, he and Cal almost smelled the same. Ray would have to ask about their issues later. Benny would tell him more than Cal would.

Calvin finally coughed. “Whatdidthe department discover?”

“We have no idea,” Cal said snippily. “We aren’t allowed anywhere near anything—if there is anything. Not even Penn. But Ray doesn’t think they’re investigating.”

Ray raised his head. “I never said that. I never said anything like that.”

He received the most disdainful look he’d gotten in his life, from the person who proudly claimed to be keeping him. “Ray Ray, you are, pardon the expression, like a dog with a bone when it comes to your cases and with anything that harms or threatens to harm me. And yet you have not harassed a single one of your coworkers, or asked Penn to.” Cal spoke precisely. “You don’t think it will do any good. Ergo, you don’t believe they are trying to help you or you don’t think them capable of it. Whatever information they have, if any, they will not share with you.”

Calvin, the person Ray thought might object to that, exhaled heavily. Then Ray remembered that Calvin had been sent to the village as a punishment, not a reward, and that Cal thought Calvin had left the department for reasons other than what he claimed.

“Not even one of their own,” the goblin muttered distinctly.

“You’re only one of them conditionally. That’s always the way.” Calvin said it, grimaced, then glanced to the wall next to Ray, then grimaced again before looking back.

“They rejected even their supercop for the crime of loving a fairy and not being a total asshole.” Cal didn’t bother to mutter.

“Not a total asshole?” Calvin nodded slowly. “I love you too, son.”

“Ugh,” Cal said again, but quieter. “Anyway, cops tell their own children not to trust the police, yet get offended when others say the same. But that’s why we’re here. Why we’re all here. Even Ray. You aren’t exactly regarded like the others, you know that right, Ray? Not in the village.”

“He’s no Calvin Parker,” offered the goblin.

Calvin closed his eyes for a moment as if embarrassed but otherwise didn’t react.

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