First of Summer

Chapter One: Sitting Pretty

Evening had settled in Central Park with an air of warmth that gently nudged away the last traces of spring. Summer was coming to the city, ushering promises of beautiful venues for picnics and dates. But tonight, even with the balmy wind blowing through the trees and slipping past blades of grass, there was a chill lingering in the darkness.

Few people wandered Central Park when the night came, only the hansom cab drivers would venture along the cobbled streets. The horses’ hooves would canter noisily past iron-cast lampposts, down familiar stretches where the couples riding within would cozy up against each other. But even these working men with their trusty steeds would keep to the well-lit portions of the park.

Unlike two figures seated on a bench located in the very heart of the park.

Silently they sat, one leaning back to take a long drag from his cigarette, the other nonchalantly feeding imaginary pigeons. The lamppost a few paces away flickering to life every so often to briefly illuminate their features.

They were both young men in the prime of their youth; both sported tailored suits, both had hair as dark as the night sky on a moonless night, and both had eyes that belied their experience despite their age.

That was where their similarities ended.

The younger of the two, albeit by just one year, kept his short hair slicked back, out of his gray eyes. His frame was slender; slight even, the fabric of his clothing giving no indication of the toned muscles he possessed. He had a certain softness to his face. One might almost say cherubic if it weren’t for the grim line his lips took, marring his otherwise gentle appearance. His hand dug into the paper bag of stale bread crumbs, absently tossing them out before him in sporadic intervals.

The older of the two allowed his hair to grow longer and free of the oils the other men wore in their locks. Uneven bangs fell before his earth-hued eyes and he’d blow these strands away between exhales of cigarette smoke. Unlike the gentleman seated beside him, his broad shoulders weren’t so easily concealed. His rugged features matched his physique, and an aquiline nose that gave him a more menacing look whenever his brows would knit together.

Like now for instance.

Flicking the ash from the edge of his cigarette, he spoke nonchalantly, “Times are tough, ain’t they, Edwin?”

“They sure are, Kevin.” The younger man agreed in the same tone.

“Can’t be any tougher that what me and my boys are going through.” He snorted before taking another drag of his cigarette.

“Says you, just last week Joey went missing.” Edwin retorted, throwing a handful of crumbs to the side in an arc.

“Two nights ago Fiver never showed up.”

“Let me guess, the very same Fiver Bongo got into a scrape with over that flapper? I thought he left town with her.”

“Fiver ain’t the type to up and leave for some bird.” Kevin sounded amused, still keeping his gaze affixed on the night scenery before him.

“Are you trying to say something, Kevin?” Edwin asked, echoed by crinkling of the now-empty paper bag.

“Naw, I’m just wondering if the truce is still on.” He shrugged, before dropping his cigarette to snuff it with the heel of his shoe.

“Of course it is. I wouldn’t be foolish enough to waste resources when a more profitable compromise can be reached.” Edwin scoffed as he rose to dust his hands and suit clean.

“Hard to say, since I don’t think you’d be dumb enough to admit it if it was you.” The older man grinned in open mockery.

“I hold you in the same regard.” Edwin stated in the same tone of contempt.

An owl’s hoot drew both men’s attention and wordlessly they departed into the shadows. Both men were greeted by his motley crew of individuals.

“So what’s the word, boss?” The larger of the two men flanking Kevin asked.

“I ain’t sure if it is the Tricks making our boys vanish. But it looks like they got problems of their own.” That bit of news helped to ease the suspicion. “Fingers, I still want you to tell the runners to keep their eyes peeled.” Kevin added, taking a quick glance over his shoulder at Edwin’s retreating figure.

“What’d he say? What’d he say?” The giddy youth beside Edwin repeated over and over.

“Ace, if you’d let him get a word in edge-wise we might know.” A petite man frowned as he nervously kept watch of the park’s surroundings.

“It’s fine, Ike.” Edwin smiled, “Shame Ben couldn’t make it tonight, I just acquired some information he’d like to hear.”

“Where is Tennyson, anyway?” Ace continued, “Not like him to be all ghosty when we meet with the Chains.”

“Tennyson’s at the station.” Ike answered.

“I thought the sergeant promised he wouldn’t make Tennyson do the paperwork at night?” Ace quickly continued.

“Not that station, the train station. Honestly, Ace, your mouth moves far too quickly for that lump in your head you call a brain to keep up.”

Edwin just laughed, enjoying the banter between the petite liaison officer and the young part-chauffer, part-runner. Still, even with this light hearted mood, he couldn’t shake off the nagging sensation that something sinister was going on.

In fact, both Kevin and Edwin felt this in their gut. And both men found it frustrating that they had no idea what to expect.

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Benjamin Tennyson sighed irritably as he got up from the waiting bench to stretch his legs. His dark green eyes glanced up at the clock and frowned at the time. It was half past nine and the schedule on the roster had promised the arrival should have been quarter to eight. He had been waiting for nearly two hours for the train to arrive at the station and was starting to lose his patience.

Finally, a high-pitched whistle sounded and Ben peered into the darkness, barely making out the locomotive’s shape as it chugged steadily towards the station. At the familiar noise, the crowd surged onto the loading platform, eager to get on with their travels and to put this annoying delay behind them.

Ben simply waiting by the entrance to the loading platform, no way was he going to get trampled and jostled just for the sake of picking up his guest. He watched the steady stream of bodies alight the train and searched for the familiar face from his youth.

A slender female briskly walked past him. He wouldn’t have noticed her if her suitcase hadn’t hit his leg rather painfully. And she wouldn’t have noticed him if he had not let out a yelp.

“Oh, sorry about that!” the girl gasped, turning to inspect the damage she had caused. “I was just in a hurry and... wait, is that you, Ben?”

“Gwen?” Ben blinked, partly unable to believe the attractive (if not dowdily dressed) girl before him was the very same cousin he used to pick on when they were younger. Though they were of the same age, Ben had to tilt his head down in order to meet her eyes.

“So it is you! You’ve certainly grown.” She smiled, bright-green eyes tapering into jovial slits. Her fingers ran through her bobbed fiery-red hair before she reached out to tussle Ben’s dark brown locks. “I remember when I used to be taller than you.”

“Tell me about it in the car.” Ben interrupted, rubbing the spot on his leg briefly before taking one of Gwen’s suitcases from her.

“You have a car? How ritzy of you.” She grinned in genuine admiration.

“I wouldn’t say that, it’s just grandpa Max’s Rust Bucket.”

“That old heap’s still running? Wonders never cease.” Gwen chuckled as they walked to the aforementioned vehicle.

“She ain’t a breezer, but at least she runs.” Ben shrugged, tossing in Gwen’s luggage into the back.

“I guess this old jalopy’s the only thing a rookie cop can afford, huh?” The young woman shook her head as she got in.

“Yeah, well, it does have sentimental value.” Ben responded as he climbed in shortly after her.

“I can see that,” Gwen smirked, spying the chips on the dashboard she and her cousin had accidentally made when they first rode in the car. “By the way, thanks for putting me up at your place.”

“I figured you could pay half the rent while you’re here for the summer.”

“Very funny Ben.”

“Nice to see you still can’t take a joke.” It was Ben’s turn to smirk.

It was a comfort for both cousins to see that some things haven’t changed. They reminisced as they drove through the night, trying to get caught up with each other’s lives. It had been nearly a decade since they had last seen each other and that was when their grandfather had taken them on a drive to their uncle’s pig farm.

“At least you don’t spend all your summers on the farm.” Ben noted.

“Uncle Henry told me to stop coming when he realized the farm hands were looking at me differently.” She blushed, despite the self-confidence she often projected she still felt quite awkward about her appearance. Even if there was little reason for her to feel that way.

“That why you don’t dress like the other girls?” Ben was quite accustomed to seeing women with shortened skirts and bare arms. The image was a stark contrast to the long sleeved, low-hemmed skirt of Gwen’s dress.

“I never understood why you had to show skin to be considered an independent modern woman.” She frowned in distaste.

“That’s a good thing in your case, I guess.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gwen narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Nothing, it’s just the big city’s dangerous compared to your small town. And well, let’s just say I’ve seen things happen to girls that I don’t want to see happening to you.”

“Thanks for the concern.” The young woman smiled as she yawned, “But you’d be surprised at what I can do.”

“Uh huh, just try not to draw attention to yourself and you should be just fine.” The brunette suggested.