37- Caldwell Street Camp.

The bag wasn't heavy; Tau carried it with ease as he meandered down the sidewalk towards the Caldwell Street homeless camp. He knew the route well, having travelled it many times. He recognized all the trees that lined the streets, older maples, oaks, and elms, and a lone hickory that marked the corner he was to turn at. Of all the trees, that was his favorite. There was an owl nest on the third branch up, and a family of squirrels had made their home in the hollow on the opposite side, where a branch had broken off decades previous. The tree itself gave off a pleasant aroma, and its leaves had begun to change with the season as it dropped its nuts over the yard that was its home.

He kept an easy pace as he continued down Caldwell Street towards the abandoned elementary school. It had educated the last of its students years back. The largest of its classes that year was a split 3-4 of only twenty students, and half the building had already been closed down, serving no purpose beyond draining heat and hydro. Now it served a different purpose as the winter residence of the homeless, despite having neither.

Entering through the side gate of the property, the 'no trespassing sign' having been painted over, being no real deterrent to the desperate as it was, now read 'welcome' instead. The air had grown chillier even though the sun was out, and the sky was clear, and as Tau walked further into the old school yard passing by the familiar row of cardboard boxes, he could see the denizens packing up their belongings, preparing to move inside the building before the weather turned and the first snow fell.

"Towel, you finally came back," Frank remarked at his approach.

"I did. Is Willy here?"

"He is. Take a seat. We just got the fire going last night." Tau smiled and wandered over to the firepit taking a seat on the old, cushioned bench seat that had been commandeered from the back of a minivan sent to scrap. "I'll let him know you're here."

"Thank you," Tau replied as Frank went over to Willy's box.

It still looked newer than the ones around it, although it shared the same blue tarp as it's two neighbors, tied in place by bits of nylon rope and patched with duct tape and bits of plastic bags. Tau watched as Frank knocked on the side of the box and then popped his head passed the red and green plaid blanket that acted as the door. A few moments later, Frank returned with Willy behind him.

"Hey Towel! Good to see you! I was starting to get worried when you didn't come back," Willy said with a tone of exuberance.

Tau couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friend being happy to see him and offered out his hand in a gesture of greeting. "It's good to see you too," he replied as Willy took his hand and gave it a firm shake before sitting down next to him. "I came back to tell you that I found the one I was looking for."

"That's great man! I'm happy for you."

"I'm happy too. She wanted me to give this to you, along with her thanks. She appreciated you giving me a safe place to stay," Tau explained as he handed him the bag of groceries.

"Thank you," Willy said as he took the bag and looked down into it. Despite the meager offering, it brought a genuine smile to his face and a heartfelt tear to his eye. "She's good people; doing this for me."

"She's amazing," Tau replied, his smile lighting his face. "She's letting me stay with her in a place not far from here."

"I take it that you won't be needing your spot here then?" Frank asked from his place at the side of the firepit.

"No. She's important to me, and I can't leave her to stay here. I want to be at her side, in her presence. I want you to understand."

Willy chuckled and half-smirked, "Trust us, we understand. But you should know there's been a cop here asking questions about you. A man, a detective by the name of Harlowe."

"It's for the best if you want to stay with your woman. It sounded like he was investigating the murders, and something about him, I don't think he can be trusted," Frank remarked as Willy pulled the package of cookies from the bag and opened it with a profound amount of care.

"Want one?" he offered, holding the end of the package out towards Tau.

"No, thank you."

"Frank?" he turned the package in his direction.

Frank smiled as he took one, and after taking one for himself, Willy folded in the end and put the package back into the bag which he had set on the couch between him and Tau.

"That Detective was a strange one. He asked too many questions. He's looking for someone to pin these murders on and I think he wants that someone to be you," Frank said before taking his first bite. Closing his eyes, he savored the decadent sweet flavor of the cookie.

Tau was intrigued by Frank's reaction, understanding the delight he was experiencing by the expression he wore, and wondered if he had shown a similar expression when he was with Quayleigh.

"Do you think the Detective will return?" Tau asked as he began to look around taking notice of the others that had come to join the fireside.

"No doubt," Willy replied. "We are used to the officer, Bill Jathem. He comes around often to check in. Make sure everyone is doing okay here. You may have seen him a time or too. But he's the one that brought Harlowe here, and now he's been back every day since looking for you."

"Did you see the black car across the street when you came in?"

"Yes," Tau replied to Frank's question.

"That's his car."

Willy sat forward and turned around to get a better look out towards the street.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," Tau remarked as Willy resettled himself.

"It's no trouble for us. We know how to deal with them, and we know how to take care of our own," Frank replied as he lowered his head, turning his eyes to what was left of the cookie he was holding.

"So, don't take this personally, but I think it's best if you don't come back here until after the killings stop. Let them pin it on someone else while you lay low with your lady friend," Willy added with a smirk and a chuckle.

"I understand," he lied.

In fact, Tau didn't understand why he needed to stay away, but at the same time, he didn't want to cause problems for those living at the homeless camp, thus he agreed despite the heavy feeling it gave his heart.

"I'm glad you understand," Frank told him as he stood up and began to walk around the fire pit.

Tau observed the behavior of those Frank spoke to. Some stayed where they were, while others moved closer, and the rest seemed to slink away, disappearing into their boxes or making themselves scarce. The air of the entire camp had grown tense enough that even Tau began to feel ill-at-ease.

"Play it cool," Willy warned as Frank retook his seat across from them. "He's still not getting out of his car?"

Casually leaning forward, Frank shook his head, being the only one in a position to view the car parked on the street side, directly across from the entry into the school yard. "Right now, we're just being watched."

"How odd. Normally he's so friendly," Willy half jested.

"He's probably waiting for you to leave so he can follow you to wherever you're staying," Frank said with a sigh. "Jathem has earned the trust of our community over the years, but he's still an outsider and a cop. You've lived here, Towel. That makes you one of us, and we protect our own."

Tau lowered his head to Frank. He appreciated what Frank had said and felt welcome around the fire and amongst those of that place. Even though the others tended to keep their distance, they still trusted in the kindness he had shown over the course of the weeks he had been with them, and in return, he found that he trusted them too.

"Thank you," he said after a brief pause.

"You've changed," Willy remarked, nodding his head. "You seem…"

"Approachable?"

"Yeah, approachable," he agreed. "That's your woman's doing?"

"Yes. She told me to open my eyes and to stop scowling."

"She's magic!" Frank laughed lightening the mood some.

"You hold on to her then," Willy added. "A good woman is hard to find when you're down on your luck. Do everything she asks of you and more if you can. Treat her right and get your life back on track while you're still young enough to make it happen. Who knows, maybe her magic will be enough to help you figure out who you are and where you come from."

"My name, it's Dylan. She helped me discover that. As for what happened to me, I only know that I did it to myself, but I don't remember how or why. One day, she will figure it out though. She wants to know as much as I do."

"Dylan. That's a bit nicer than being called Towel," Frank remarked causing Willy to laugh.

"I still prefer Towel. It's closer to the name I remember. And it's the name everyone here knows me by," Tau replied, lowering his eyes to the ground. "Frank, Jathem hasn't left yet, has he?"

"No, and he hasn't gotten out of his car either."

Tau drew silent as he thought about the situation and everything Quayleigh had told him, about how important it was to avoid the police. The last thing he wanted was to get into a conversation with an unknown. He hadn't entirely mastered the nuances of being human, and in some respects was still a complete failure. Then, there was the community, and the people in it. They were his friends, as far as he could define them, and he didn't want to cause any unnecessary problems for the people that were the first to show him kindness when he was lost and confused.

"I had hoped to enjoy your fire for a while longer, but it is probably best if I go. I have a friend who is a detective. If this Jathem wants to speak to me, tell him to ask Detective Yechiel Mazurka to arrange something. As I am a guest in your home, no one should be here looking for me."

"I will pass along the message the next time he stops in," Frank remarked as he looked at Willy. "You know what to do."

Willy smirked as he stood up and Tau watched as Frank circled his hand over his head. The others at the fire began to move together and gathered around behind the couch where Tau was sitting, blocking the view from the road.

"Everyone," Frank addressed the people in a quiet manner, "our friend Towel has found a new place to call home. Let's wish him well."

The people nearest Tau began to reach out and one after the other touched his shoulders or placed their hands on his back, whispers of well wishes circled in the air around him until Willy offered out his hand.

"Time to go," he said.

"I understand. Thank you everyone. I won't forget this." Taking Willy's hand, he stood up and they embraced as brothers.

"Live a good life with your woman, Towel. But you'll always have a place here should you need it," Willy remarked as he gave Tau a stiff pat on the shoulder.

"I will, and I promise, I will see you again my friends," Tau stated, knowing that it may not be while any of them were still alive.