Tyler drew out an envelope from his backpack. “I wrote some stuff down. His unit, when he deployed, stuff like that.”
He handed it to Michelle. She said, smiling, “Very perceptive of you. I wish all our clients were as prepared as you.”
“So will you guys look into it for me? I don’t know how much you charge, but I can pay you. I got money in an account my dad set up for me. And I worked my butt off during the summer as a lifeguard. Saved up nearly a thousand dollars.”
“That’s great, Tyler,” said Michelle. “We can go into those details later.”
“So you just want to know more about his death?” asked Sean.
“Well, yeah.”
“The thing is, Tyler, the Army will give you all of that. You don’t need us. And I don’t want to take your money to find out information you’re going to get for free.”
Tyler rubbed at his eyes and didn’t answer.
Sean sipped his coffee and waited, choosing not to break the silence. He gave a knowing look to Michelle and inclined his head at Tyler.
Michelle touched Tyler’s arm. “Is there something else? Something you haven’t told us that’s troubling you?”
Tyler started to say something but then shrugged and looked at his watch. “I need to get going. We take a bus to the pool where we practice. I can’t be late.”
“What do you swim?” asked Michelle.
“Fifty free and the two hundred medley. I’m not that good. I mean, there are guys on the team a lot better than me.” He added, “Do you swim?”
Michelle said, “I prefer to keep just above the water and dry.”
“So… you guys will work for me?” said Tyler hesitantly.
Sean started to say something but Michelle said, “We’ll make inquiries, report back, and go from there, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” said Tyler, sounding a little disappointed.
He got up and walked out in a slouch, his backpack dangling off one shoulder.
Sean looked at Michelle. “Something is off here.”
“Glad you’re finally coming around to that,” she said.
“I mean, the kid was a shambles last night. Running around in a storm with a gun half out of his mind. And then he goes to school and sits here talking to us about his father’s death like it’s a business transaction. Where was the emotion? Where were the tears?”
“Girls cry a lot more easily than boys, Sean.”
“Not girls like you.”
“I have four older brothers. I was never officially a girl.” She paused and stared after Tyler. “But I get what you mean.”
“So what inquiries are you planning?” he asked.
“Got any contacts at the Pentagon?”
“Couple.”
Michelle held up the envelope. “Well, let’s take a look at these notes and then see what we can do.”
“And if all we can do is confirm what the Army has already told him?”
“Then that will have to be enough. But I don’t think it’ll play out like that.”