influence."
"I see." She nodded. "Well, that helps me understand this better. I will say this. Nicky wasn't rude or disrespectful when caught—"
"Why should he be? He wanted you to catch him. He may think that if he acts up enough I'll send him home." No way, Nick.
"That fits teen logic." She grinned.
Her amusement loosened a tightness inside him. That's right—he just let air out of some tires. No bloodshed. "It also won't work. He's here for the year and I'll tell him so." Burke stood up. "If that's all, I'll run him over to the garage and pick up an air pump."
"Good. I wish all guardians were as cooperative."
"I'll make sure Nick takes responsibility."
She accompanied him into the outer office. There, a kid of medium build and with spiked blond hair stood, propped against the counter. "Hey, Sis, I need a pen. Lost my last one."
So this was Keely's baby brother and another suspect? Burke looked him over, recalling the anonymous call referring to him. Burke noted the kids' resemblance to Turner. More to the point though, he didn't like the insolent way the kid looked at his sister.
"The school store," she said, "will be open during lunch—"
"But I'll lose points for not having one in my next class," the kid complained.
"That's unfortunate—"
"This your brother, Grady?" Burke asked to cut off the wrangling, make the kid aware of him.
"Yes. Burke Sloan," she performed the introduction, "Grady Turner."
Burke offered his hand to the teen. "I hear you were in town last night."
"Couldn't have been me." The teen dropped Burke's hand. "I was grounded."
To Burke's experienced ear, Grady's too quick, too casual denial rang false.
Grady turned to his sister. "So you can't afford to give me a measly pen?"
"If this was the first time you'd asked . . ."
While Keely lowered the boom on her brother for his careless attitude, Burke watched Freda open the door to the small adjoining room and shoo Nicky out to him. Grady was blond. Nick was dark like his dad, and he had a cocky grin on his face, too.
Burke straightened. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Nicky—"
"Don't call me that," the teen snapped, "Uncle Burke-ee."
Grady barked a laugh that sounded more like a sneer. "So the new kid's uncle's a cop?" Before anyone could respond, he left, slamming the door behind him.
Ignoring Grady's dramatic exit, Burke regretted the slip. Maybe Nick hadn't wanted anyone to know about their connection, but in a small town it wouldn't have taken long to get around. "Nick, apologize to Ms. Turner for behaving like a jerk this morning."
Nick glared at him.
"Do it—" Burke stiffened his tone—"or you won't be driving yourself to school tomorrow."
Nick flushed. "I apologize, Ms. Turner." The words sounded wrung from him.
She nodded and then turned to Burke. "One moment please. I heard that Walachek was arrested again last night. Why?"
Burke didn't like this line of questioning. It was too close to his real suspicion. "Walachek was harassing the cashier at the cafe in town here. I arrested him and turned him over to another deputy to run in."
"I see. It's over Carrie's custody, right?"
You're too smart, Keely. Hoping she wouldn't guess that Walachek might have shot out the windows, he said, "Don't worry. Walachek isn't going to get out this time. No judge is going to let him put up bail a second time. The man beat his daughter and has threatened two women two nights in a row. That can't be ignored."
She nodded again but with pursed lips.
"I'll call when I have anything on the shooting." With a hand at the back of Nick's neck to urge his nephew out the door, Burke walked out.
Keely hesitated outside the doorway of her office. Watching the deputy walk away through the sunlit main entrance held her in place.
His effect on her students was no less striking. The hallway as usual was clogged with noisy students, rushing to their next classes. But Burke parted them like Moses parting the Red Sea.
She heard the students'
"I see." She nodded. "Well, that helps me understand this better. I will say this. Nicky wasn't rude or disrespectful when caught—"
"Why should he be? He wanted you to catch him. He may think that if he acts up enough I'll send him home." No way, Nick.
"That fits teen logic." She grinned.
Her amusement loosened a tightness inside him. That's right—he just let air out of some tires. No bloodshed. "It also won't work. He's here for the year and I'll tell him so." Burke stood up. "If that's all, I'll run him over to the garage and pick up an air pump."
"Good. I wish all guardians were as cooperative."
"I'll make sure Nick takes responsibility."
She accompanied him into the outer office. There, a kid of medium build and with spiked blond hair stood, propped against the counter. "Hey, Sis, I need a pen. Lost my last one."
So this was Keely's baby brother and another suspect? Burke looked him over, recalling the anonymous call referring to him. Burke noted the kids' resemblance to Turner. More to the point though, he didn't like the insolent way the kid looked at his sister.
"The school store," she said, "will be open during lunch—"
"But I'll lose points for not having one in my next class," the kid complained.
"That's unfortunate—"
"This your brother, Grady?" Burke asked to cut off the wrangling, make the kid aware of him.
"Yes. Burke Sloan," she performed the introduction, "Grady Turner."
Burke offered his hand to the teen. "I hear you were in town last night."
"Couldn't have been me." The teen dropped Burke's hand. "I was grounded."
To Burke's experienced ear, Grady's too quick, too casual denial rang false.
Grady turned to his sister. "So you can't afford to give me a measly pen?"
"If this was the first time you'd asked . . ."
While Keely lowered the boom on her brother for his careless attitude, Burke watched Freda open the door to the small adjoining room and shoo Nicky out to him. Grady was blond. Nick was dark like his dad, and he had a cocky grin on his face, too.
Burke straightened. "Wipe that smirk off your face, Nicky—"
"Don't call me that," the teen snapped, "Uncle Burke-ee."
Grady barked a laugh that sounded more like a sneer. "So the new kid's uncle's a cop?" Before anyone could respond, he left, slamming the door behind him.
Ignoring Grady's dramatic exit, Burke regretted the slip. Maybe Nick hadn't wanted anyone to know about their connection, but in a small town it wouldn't have taken long to get around. "Nick, apologize to Ms. Turner for behaving like a jerk this morning."
Nick glared at him.
"Do it—" Burke stiffened his tone—"or you won't be driving yourself to school tomorrow."
Nick flushed. "I apologize, Ms. Turner." The words sounded wrung from him.
She nodded and then turned to Burke. "One moment please. I heard that Walachek was arrested again last night. Why?"
Burke didn't like this line of questioning. It was too close to his real suspicion. "Walachek was harassing the cashier at the cafe in town here. I arrested him and turned him over to another deputy to run in."
"I see. It's over Carrie's custody, right?"
You're too smart, Keely. Hoping she wouldn't guess that Walachek might have shot out the windows, he said, "Don't worry. Walachek isn't going to get out this time. No judge is going to let him put up bail a second time. The man beat his daughter and has threatened two women two nights in a row. That can't be ignored."
She nodded again but with pursed lips.
"I'll call when I have anything on the shooting." With a hand at the back of Nick's neck to urge his nephew out the door, Burke walked out.
Keely hesitated outside the doorway of her office. Watching the deputy walk away through the sunlit main entrance held her in place.
His effect on her students was no less striking. The hallway as usual was clogged with noisy students, rushing to their next classes. But Burke parted them like Moses parting the Red Sea.
She heard the students'
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