The woman he assumed was Shante lay cold and lifeless across a neatly made bed in the room down the hall. Untouched food and a glass of water were nearby. He stood over her for a moment before turning his attention to the room. He saw no visible signs of struggle and no evidence of drug use from the areas he could see of her exposed arms and legs. The only thing that might have fit the scenario was that maybe she had been overpowered and suffocated with a pillow.

It was a very surreal scene. The house, the food, the dog and boy, and the dead mother. Something happened here -- something bad. Something that Ricky might still be able to relay. With time. And maybe therapy. It left so many questions. Was Shante the dealer? If not, then who? Who wanted her dead? And why was Ricky still alive? (It wasn't like the cabinet was such an excellent spot, even if the dog wasn't a dead giveaway.) Where were the alleged drugs?

And what was with all this damned food!?

Mister Amazing made a sweep of the room once more, assured that Mrs. Garcia had already done one, then moved on to the second bedroom. Then the bathroom. And finally back to the living room. He found Shante's purse and upon examination found it to be untampered with, the few dollars that she had and her credit cards were still in there. He also found a cell phone, some business cards, a few feminine items and a pill box, among the contents. Other than the personal affects in her purse, he didn't find anything else that might help him.

He checked the pillbox first, which contained some generic ibuprophen. Then the business cards, finding two cards for family doctors, and one for a Narcotics Detective at the HCPD. Finally he took the phone and scrolled through her recent call history and contacts list, searching for something - anything.

The phone list was an interesting mix of what he assumed to be friends and family, in addition there were a couple of odd names; like TBone and Bomber. which he guessed might be either nicknames, or possibly gang related. He also saw the first name of the Narcotics Detective, and when he cross referenced it to the business card, he saw that the numbers matched. All three of the more interesting names, had received or sent multiple calls in the last few days.

Mister Amazing closed the phone and glanced once more around the room before heading back to the front of the house.

Ricky clung tightly to Clementina's neck but there were no tears as she rocked him back and forth. Eventually he relaxed into her motherly embrace, and slowly some color began to return to his palid black skin. His voice was dry and broken when he finally spoke. "I...I...accidentally broke the tv. Mamma couldn't help me."

"You didn't break the TV, honey. Mister Amazing," She pulled him close and whispered conspiratorially, "That's the guy in the funny costume but don't tell him I said he looked funny." Tina gave Ricky a "we have a secret" smile and continued. "Anyway, he fixed the TV when we came in. It's just like new."

His liquid dark eyes stared blankly into space as Tina continued to sooth him. "I tried to get Mamma to eat. ...but I spilled the water." He glanced up with his melancholy eyes to the counter where he'd spilled said glass. "I put a rag on her head." He nodded his head at that, and she could detect a hint of pride in his voice. "Momma always said that helped her when she had one of dem headaches." As they spoke the dog inched closer until he was lying down, looking at them intently with his head between his paws.

Tina reached down and scratched the dog behind an ear. "Hey pup, you want some attention too?" Looking back at Ricky, Tina asked, "What's this pup's name?"

Ricky laid his cheek against Tina's shoulder and relaxed a bit more. "That's Chuck. He's my best friend. Momma said he wouldn't let anybody hurt me if he was around."

"You know something, sweety, your momma would sure be proud of you knowing all you did for her. You're a smart boy to have thought of doing all that by yourself." Tina's heart ached for the child, knowing he would soon learn his mother was gone for good but wanting to keep him innocent for just awhile longer. "Was that why you were hiding when we got here?"

Tina felt the boy stiffen in her arms, and for a moment thought that she might have lost him again. He finally spoke though, his voice soft and tremulous. "No...one of those men came. I'm not allowed out of my room when they come, cuz Momma has to work and it's grown up stuffs that she does." He stopped again and one of his tiny hands started wringing the fabric of Tina's shirt.

Tina softly rocked the small boy, not saying a word. She had come to help Shante not traumatize Shante's son more then he all ready had been. It was too late to help the mother but Tina could comfort the son.

"Me and Momma, we have a secret knock...and if she does it, I'm suppose to run and hide here. We used to play it like it was a game...but last night, when Momma did it...I ran real quick and hid here. Then when Chuck told me you guys were comin', I went and hid again." His delicate hands continued to twist at Tina's shirt as he spoke.

"That must have been scary." Tina stroked Ricky's hair, continuing to rock him. "I'll bet you were happy when your mom told you, you could come out." Tina hoped she had not pushed the boy too far.

"Momma never told me I could come out..." His voice trailed off and he was silent for several moments before he continued hesitantly. "...and when I snuck out to check on things...Momma wouldn't wake up. That man...that man must've hurt her."

Mister Amazing came back into the kitchen and offered a wan smile. He scooped up the pills from the table and checked them against the pill box. The prescription bottle, upon closer examination, was prescribed for Chuck, from a DVM.

He looked up at the woman and jerked his head towards the door.

"Hey, Champ," he said to Ricky. "Whadya say you take Mrs. Garcia here out for some ice cream while I help your Mamma."

Like Mister Amazing, Ricky and Tina heard the pleasant tinkling music of the ice cream truck as it made it's way slowly down the street. The child looked at the woman and a small smile broke through his otherwise haggard face. He nodded his head enthusiastically as he disentangled himself from Tina's embrace.

For a moment Tina worried where she was going to get the money for Ricky's ice cream before she remembered the ten dollars she had scraped together for Shante in case the woman needed it for gas. She smiled at the child, “Sounds good to me.”

He snatched up a pen from beside the non-functioning phone and scrawled a number on the back of one of the business cards from Shante's purse. He handed it to the woman: "Wait one hour and call me at this number."

Tina treated Ricky to an ice cream sandwich wile Mister Amazing stayed at the the house to make some phone calls. Afterward, she walked with Ricky up to a pay phone at the corner store the bus had dropped her at and made a discrete call to the police, and within a half hour a squad car had arrived on the scene. Ricky was confused and upset but his new friends did much to calm him down. He was wailing about his Momma and Chuck when the ambulance pulled out of the drive.

Pulling Ricky close, Tina held the boy; rocking him gently. There had been nothing else she could do but it did not change the hurt the child was feeling. “It'll be alright, honey. You're momma didn't want to go away but she couldn't help it and I'll take care of Chuck if the policemen say I can, okay?” Tina did not know how she would take care of a dog given her situation but for Ricky's sake she would find a way.

Ricky clung to her as he sobbed, begging her to take him too. Some of the tension left him though as he looked at his pet, who stood anxiously at the window, barking loudly at the scene outside.

Ricky had answered a lot of Tina's questions already, so she had a decent idea of what might help Mister Amazing and her find those that were responsible for Shante's death. It gave her little comfort to know that the sweet little boy would go into the system, but there was really little else that she could do. When she rejoined the hero on the front porch, she saw Chuck standing on the couch, looking forlornly out the window.

"Thank you, officer," Mister Amazing said soberly as he shook the young man's hand and wrapped up the statement. "We'll be in touch."

He stepped down off the stoop to stand next to Tina. "Child protective services will be here in a few minutes."

”I know.” Tina said sadly. “I wish there was something else I could do for that poor kid. He shouldn't have to suffer for what his mother did.”

"I'm going into Freetown to find out who killed Shante. I have some leads." Mister Amazing regarded her for a second. He smiled warmly, sympathetically. "I could use your help if you want to join me."

"Me, help you?” Tina gave a forced laugh. “I don't know the first thing about detective work. Besides, we don't all have superpowers like you and Freetown isn't the safest of neighborhoods.” Inside Tina's mind was racing; did Mister Amazing somehow know she was Heatwave and if so, how had he found out?

She appeared to think for a moment, “I could do some calling or something for you, though. If you think that would help.”

He smiled. Then nodded appreciatively after a moment without looking up. "I understand," he said at last, not pressing the matter. "If you change your mind... well, you still have my number?"

"Yes, I have it right here." Tina said patting her purse. "But I really don't know what I could do."

"You know more about this family than I do," Mister Amazing replied. "Still..." He shrugged. Sighed. "It's your call. Thanks for your help with Ricky," said the costumed hero. An afterthought, maybe. But with a hint of nostalgia. "You were great with him. He needed that."

Sadness touched Tina's face as she replied, "I've always been good at comforting children. I guess it's a knack."

Mister Amazing's gaze was distant. A long time ago. In another life. When his kids were his own. When he was a father.

"Must be."

Mister Amazing didn't stay long after he'd said his goodbyes to Ricky and Tina. From what the narcotics detective had told him, Shante had been working with them to identify the supplier of the lethal Cartel Cocktail. The detective had been both angry and sad when she heard the news about the woman.

Thanks to the Hero's remarkable powers of charisma, he was able to get a few key elements out of her about the case. It wasn't surprising to find out that it was one of the gangs in Freetown that was distributing the poison, but it had been surprising to hear that Shante believed there would be a deal going down tonight. The Detective had indicated it was likely to happen in Nubian territory, but she didn't have enough leads or resources to do anything about it.

Tina stayed at the scene even after Mister Amazing had disappeared into the darkening sky. She knew that he was headed to Freetown and had every intention of following him once things were wrapped up here. It took less than an hour for animal control and child protective services to show up and finalize their business. Both agencies thanked the sweet woman, and encouraged her to contact them to find out how their charges were doing. In the case of Chuck, she was told that he would need some tests and vaccinations, but that if she was sincerely interested to let them know. Other wise he would be adopted or put to sleep, in ten to fourteen days, depending on his temperment and space restrictions.

File Closed