Chad wondered where they were going. Brad wasn't headed back toward the SUV and the parents' house. He was heading through the park up toward the reservoir. Chad used to run along the reservoir, so maybe Brad was going to run them there too. But at the top of the hill where the reservoir trail began, Brad turned the other way. He exited the park at the town limits and walked along the dirt road passed the old trailer park just outside of town. Some of Chad's classmates lived there. He used to meet them in the park to play, but his parents had forbidden him to go to the trailers when he was 10 or 11, and that was probably the last time he was there.
A black haired young man wearing only cut off jeans was working laboriously to wash and polish his faded old Impala. A glint of gold through his long hair indicated his earring.
Brad noticed him, and scoffed, "Damn gypsies."
The young man apparently heard him, turned, and forced a smile.
"Hello, sir, how may I help you?" The youth asked with a deep bow, holding his sponge in the air as he bent with a flourish.
"You can't. Me and my dogs are just passing through. Short cut to the interstate," Brad explained unnecessarily. He didn't want to talk but something about the young gypsy demanded it. Maybe it was because they were cutting through the gypsy's backyard. He probably lived in the trailer next to the car he was washing on the dirt road.
Rico paused in mid bow staring at Chad, and crinkling his nose as he sniffed. Brad noticed, Rico freezing, and smiled. He figured Max scared the gypsy.
He added,"Don't worry my dogs won't attack you," he paused while Rico stood up, then said, "least ways unless I tell them." He left the words to attack off, but their meaning hung heavy in the silence.
"You're Chad's brother aren't you?" Rico blurted out.
It was Brad's turn to freeze. Karl had said his transformation made people not think about the transformed person. Maybe Karl was wrong, maybe the gypsy knew Chad was the poodle. Max sensed Brad's unease, and started to growl lowly. Chad stared at Rico and barked once when he heard his name.
"You know Chad?" Brad asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, you're Brad, right? He used to always talk about you when we were kids like 10 you know. He really admired you then, probably still does," Rico said solicitously. He stared directly at the poodle, but Brad thought he was staring at the growling mastiff. Rico rambled on, "I'm the towel boy now, I guess Chad probably forgot we were friends, and he-" Rico felt he shouldn't say anything flattering about Chad, Brad looked tense, and that poodle wasn't right, he continued, "-'s a jock."
He took a nervous breath. Rico looked up toward the interstate, "If you headed to Sleepy Hollow ask for Maria. She likes uh dogs and rough stuff," Rico said with a nod and a wink.
Brad smiled, Chad just a jock. Not the football hero. Little gypsy boy had grown into a bit of a man. He remembered dragging 11 year old Chad home from the trailer park, and telling his parents on Chad. Maria likes it rough, Brad would remember to ask for her. The gypsy kid had been terrified when Brad stormed into their camp and collected his brother. No wonder he remembered Brad and Chad in spite of Karl's device.
"Thanks for the tip. Come, boys." Brad, Max and poodle Chad continued up the dirt road to the seedy Sleepy Hollow Motel that was really a brothel.
Rico went back to washing the car. It wasn't possible. The poodle was Chad. It had to be some dark magic. He remembered Chad had told him about Brad tying him naked in their backyard and feeding him kibble. Brad didn't have any magic, just meanness. Someone else did this.
Rico looked at the moonless sky. He should wait until the full moon. Then he could then visit Brad's obedience school at night. He normally avoided that house of pain filled with tortured animals. He should at least wait until moonrise, even if it's not yet a full moon.
He threw the sponge in the bucket. Then he ran bare foot into the dense grove of pine trees that ran along the other side of the dirt road up to the interstate. Sometimes on all fours, sometimes on two legs. Never seen. But Max and Chad could sense him. They would turn their heads toward the woods, sniff and growl or whine.
"No squirrels today. Brad's getting laid," Brad said tugging at their leashes when they stopped.