Big Dave folded his arms.
“Or the kid remembers a conversation about something completely different.”
Leo looked down.
For a moment, he seemed smaller than ever.
Then Gravel raised one hand.
“Dave.”
The mechanic turned.
“What?”
“Listen before you decide.”
Dave opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Gravel looked toward Leo again.
“Son, do you remember anything else?”
The boy nodded.
“There's a second switch.”
Rusty frowned.
“What second switch?”
“Dutch's theft switch.”
The garage became quiet.
Leo pointed toward the area beneath the left side of the fuel tank.
“My dad said Dutch didn't trust regular alarms. He wanted something that made the motorcycle act broken if somebody tried to take it.”
Tyler leaned closer.
“An ignition cutout?”
Leo shrugged.
“I don't know what it's called.”
He looked toward Rusty.
“Dad said if the switch was in the wrong position, the starter could turn but the motorcycle wouldn't run.”
Rusty exchanged a glance with Nate.
That was significant.
The shop had found irregular electrical behavior, but the motorcycle's wiring had been modified several times and didn't perfectly match the available diagrams.
An undocumented security circuit could explain at least some of the confusion.
“Did your father show you the switch?” Rusty asked.
Leo shook his head.
“No.”
“Then how do you know where it is?”
“He made me remember.”
Rusty frowned.
“Why?”
For the first time, Leo almost smiled.
“Because he said Dutch would forget someday.”
Gravel laughed.
It was a deep, unexpected sound.
Several mechanics turned toward him.
The club president shook his head.
“That sounds exactly like Arty.”
Then he looked toward the Harley.
“Dutch used to forget where he left his keys while the damn things were still in his hand.”
Rusty smiled faintly.
For a moment, the tension eased.
Then he became serious.
“Leo, here's what we're going to do. We're going to examine the motorcycle properly. Nobody's going to start turning things just because you remembered them, and nobody's going to dismiss what you've told us either.”
Leo nodded.
Rusty continued.
“You stay where it's safe. We handle the equipment.”
“Okay.”
The boy looked relieved.
Then he hesitated.
“Can I watch?”
Rusty considered that.
From the floor, Leo couldn't see much of what the mechanics were examining.
And the work area was crowded.
The mechanic looked toward the shop office.
“Let me call your mother first.”
Leo's expression changed.
“She'll say I'm supposed to be doing math.”
Rusty almost laughed.
“Then you better finish your math.”