Everyone surrounding them could hear the child’s cries for her mother. The oldest, who had gotten into the car, backed out and came over to where May still clung to Sophia, her drenched face hidden against her shoulder.
She began commiserating with her sister in a sweet way before answering Sophia’s questions. “Mom stayed at the hotel. She’s sick, and Rex said he’d take us for ice cream so she could rest. He’s her boyfriend, but he’s being mean, yelling at us all the time. We just want to go back to Mom.”
Angry at being the bad guy in the picture, Rex snarled, “I’m not being mean. Youkidsnever listen. When a person tells you to do something, you do it. You don’t have to argue every single, goddamn time.”
Sophia growled, “Watch it, buddy. I think you need a break. Which hotel are you staying at? I’ll take the kids back to their mom.”
When he named Barney’s place, Sophia looked at her cousin who had just joined in the throng as an interested bystander and angled her head questioningly. He stepped forward. “Mr. Drew, you seem to be having a bad time here.”
Recognizing Barney from the hotel, the fellow shrunk like a full balloon untied and slumped down even more. “Hi, Barney. Look, I’m not feeling well at all. It’s the heat I guess, but I can’t deal with these kids. Can you grab them a taxi to take them back to the hotel? I need some time to get my shit together. And that little devil is too much for me to handle right now.”
Barney stepped closer, bent to wave the other child in the car to come over to him, and corralled the older one by Sophia before he shot her a look that called her an interfering busybody. He gently put his arm around their shoulders and calmly agreed, “They can have their ice cream here with my cousin and me. Then I’m heading home after we have our visit and can take them to the hotel. They’ll be fine.”
He looked at the two oldest and asked, “Would you like to come back with me to the hotel?”
“Yes, sir. Please.” Both the boy and the girl nodded enthusiastically.
Barney turned back to face the suddenly satisfied man.“Mr. Drew, l—”
Obviously trying to be cordial now that he’d passed on his responsibilities, he turned friendly. “Not mister, Barney. Call me Rex.”
“Okay then, Rex. These kids and their mom are welcome at the hotel, but I think you need to find yourself another place to stay.”
“Barney—”
“You better do as Barney says,” Sophia cut in. “He doesn’t get mad very often, but you’ve just pushed his pissed button. If you don’t want to see himreally angry, move out.”
She turned her back and didn’t see the middle finger he threw her way. But Barney did. His warning came out in a menacing tone Sophia had never heard him use before. “Look man, she’s FBI and doesn’t suffer fools easily. You really don’t want to mess with her.”
The murmur from the crowd covered his reply as Sophia and Barney ushered the kids back upstairs and inside to the counter. While they chose their favorite ice creams and desserts, Sophia ordered two more Chai teas so her and Barney could resume their discussion.
Seated with the kids at the table next to them, happily eating their treats, Sophia looked at Barney and said, “What?”
“You never cease to amaze me. From the time we were kids, you always had to stick up for the underdog.”
“Makes me a good agent.”
“Makes you a great person. I love you,cuz, but you do know you’ve just saddled me with three kids on my one afternoon off.”
“And you adore kids, so don’t try messing with me. Now tell me about this Manos character.”
Looking slightly shocked, Barney said, “what do you want to know?”
“Everything. I’ve heard his name mentioned twice since I got here a few days ago, and he seems to have everyone in a tizzy that he brought his kids here for the summer.”
Barney looked pained, but he sipped his drink then whispered, “He’s a pain in the ass if you ask me. But Ellie cares about him – seems they have a history from when they grew up. She wants me to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“What’s the doubt?”
“That he’s an asshole. Really,Soph, he acts like he’s king of the mountain. And since he’s come back, he’s building his place into an armed compound with guards forcrissakes. We dropped by last weekend, Ellie wanted to take him a new batch of olives we’d just jarred, and he strutted around the place like he had a stick up hisarse.And,his kids are afraid of him.”
“Kids?”
“Yeah, he has his three kids there with him, and they all cower around the creep. Makes me sick.”
“Three?”