Blue Smoke

KP.”
    A part of her wanted to jump at the chance, but guilt was just a little heavier. “I’m okay.”
    “Just say something if you’re . . . not.”
    He gave her an absent pat, then wandered off toward the front of the house.
    She watched him. He always looked so tall to her, but now his shoulders were bowed. She wanted to do what Fran had done—say the right thing, put her arms around him, but it was too late.

2
    She meant to go right back into the kitchen, to be good. Like Fran. But she heard Pete’s voice, and it sounded like he was crying. She heard her father, too, but couldn’t understand the words.
    So she moved quietly forward toward the living room.
    Pete wasn’t crying, but he looked like he might, any second. His long hair fell over the sides of his face as he stared down at the hands he clenched in his lap.
    He was twenty-one years old—they’d given him a little party at Sirico’s, just the family. Because he’d worked there since he was fifteen, he was family. And when he’d gotten Theresa pregnant and had to get married, her parents had let them have the upstairs apartment dirt cheap.
    She knew that because she’d heard Uncle Paul talking about it with her mother. Eavesdropping was something she had to do penance for—a lot. But it always seemed worth a couple extra Hail Marys.
    Now she could see her mother sitting beside Pete, her hand on his leg. Her father sat on the coffee table—which they were never allowed to do—facing him. She still couldn’t quite hear what her father said, his voice was so low, but Pete kept shaking his head.
    Then he lifted it, and his eyes glimmered. “I swear, I didn’t leave anything on. I’ve gone over it a thousand times in my head. Every step. God,Gib, I’d tell you if I screwed up. You have to believe me, I’m not covering. Theresa and the baby—if anything had happened to them—”
    “Nothing did.” Bianca closed her hand over his.
    “She was so scared. We were so scared. When the phone rang.” He looked at Bianca. “When you called, said there was a fire and to get out, it was like a dream. We just grabbed the baby and ran. I didn’t even smell the smoke until you were there, Gib, running up to help us get out.”
    “Pete, I want you to think carefully. Did you lock up?”
    “Sure, I—”
    “No.” Gib shook his head. “No, don’t just knee-jerk it. Go through the steps. Lots of times routines get so automatic, you can skip something without remembering it later. Just go back. Last customers?”
    “Ah. God.” Pete pushed a hand through his hair. “Jamie Silvio and a girl he’s seeing. New one. They split a pepperoni, had a couple of beers. And Carmine, he hung out till closing, trying to talk Toni into going out with him. Um, they left about the same time, about eleven-thirty. Toni and Mike and I finished the cleanup. I did the drawer—oh God, Gib, the bank envelope’s still upstairs. I—”
    “Don’t worry about that now. You and Toni and Mike left together?”
    “No, Mike left first. Toni hung out while I finished up. It was about midnight, and she likes if one of us watches while she walks home. We went out—and I remember, I remember hauling out my keys, and her saying how cute my key ring is. Theresa had this picture of Rosa made into a key ring. I remember her saying it was sweet while I locked the door. I locked the door, Gib. I swear. You can ask Toni.”
    “Okay. None of this is your fault. Where are you staying?”
    “With my parents.”
    “You need anything?” Bianca asked. “Diapers for the baby?”
    “My mom, she keeps some stuff there for her. I just wanted to come, to tell you. I want to know what I can do. I just went by. You can’t get in, they’ve got it blocked off. But it looks bad. I want to know what I can do. There must be something I can do.”
    “There’s going to be plenty to do once we’re cleared to get in there and clean up. But right now, you should go be with your wife, your baby.”

    “You call me at my mom’s, you need anything. Anytime. You guys have been good to me, to us.” He reached out to hug Gib. “Anything you need.”
    Gib walked to the door before turning to Bianca. “I need to go down, take a look.”
    Reena dashed into the room. “I want to go with you. I’m going with you.”
    Gib opened his mouth, and Reena could see the denial on his face. But Bianca shook her head at him. “Yes, go with your father. When you get back we’ll talk, again, about