fat and smelled of sweat
and stale booze. “I ain’t got time for your shit, lady.”
Sam
felt Rob come up behind her. “Come on, Aunt Sam. Let’s go.”
She
could sense the fear in his quick breaths. She didn’t risk turning her back on
Jenkins. “Wait for me at the curb.”
“That’s
who you been hanging out with?” The man spoke to Billy and motioned to Rob,
eyeing him head to toe. “That pussy? Jesus Christ, boy. He don’t look like he
could hold a six-pack.”
Billy
didn’t answer.
Jenkins
grabbed his son by the ear and shoved him. “You answer me when I talk to you,
boy. You been hanging out with that pussy?”
Billy
nodded.
Sam
took another step forward until she was next to the boy. “You okay, Billy?”
Wide-eyed,
Billy looked at her and then at his father and nodded quickly. “I’m fine.”
The
man took her arm and pulled her around. “Get the fuck away from him.”
Sam
twisted her arm free. “Don’t lay a hand on me.”
The
man laughed and pushed at her shoulder. “What you going to do?”
He
was like an ox. She knew that when he went down, he’d go down hard. But she
knew she had to warn him first. “You ever heard of assault, Mr. Jenkins? That’s
what you’re doing to your son. And if you touch me again, that’s called
assault, too.”
The
man let go. “How about I take out my dick and we can call it assault with a
deadly weapon?” he said with a slur. He groped at his pants and took a step
closer to her.
She
shook her head. “I’ve seen pinky wrestling. Don’t think it would be considered
deadly.”
“Bitch!”
he spat after a moment of silence. He lumbered forward, raising his right fist
to swing.
Sam
ducked out of the way and then kicked her right foot behind his left, giving
him a shove that sent him flailing backward. He landed with a hard thud and let
out a groan.
She
pulled out her badge and a business card and dropped the card on his gut,
showing her badge. “I’m going to watch your son, Mr. Jenkins. If I see so much
as a nick on that boy, I’m going to have you picked up for child abuse. Once
you’re inside, I’m sure you’ll find some people who’d just love to see that
pinky of yours at work.”
The
man picked her card up off his gut and stared at it. Shock had settled into his
eyes.
Sam
handed another card to Billy. “Memorize my phone number. You need me, you
call.” As she walked away, she added Billy to her mental list of kids to be
watched. She spotted Rob watching her with a mixture of fear and interest.
It
was a look she’d never seen on his face before.
Chapter
Five
Nick
shifted in the car, the morning paper curved over the door as he worked on the
crossword. It was hotter than hell and the sun beating down through the
windshield was baking him. He’d read in the paper that they were now officially
calling it a heat wave, but he could have told them that two weeks ago.
Sam
sat beside him not seeming to mind the fact that they were like two chickens in
a Pyrex dish. In fact, she seemed to bask in the warmth. As though the hotter
it was, the more comfortable she felt. He, on the other hand, was just plain
roasting.
On
the street where Sandi Walters had last lived with her mother, there was no
shade on the block—no trees, not even much lawn, just one house on top of
another.
Scanning
the street, Nick didn’t see any adults, but the Walters’ neighborhood was alive
with the sounds of children. Some rode old rusted or too small bikes up and
down the street. Another group played in a sprinkler across the street, trying
to find some relief from the heat, until a fat man with no shirt came out and
yelled at them to stop.
Nick
focused on the crossword, trying to ignore the heat. They were following normal
procedure with Sandi Walters’ murder, starting by investigating people known to
the victim. And they had to tread carefully, and keep a low profile on their
suspicion of possible police involvement. Sam was coordinating a team to
and stale booze. “I ain’t got time for your shit, lady.”
Sam
felt Rob come up behind her. “Come on, Aunt Sam. Let’s go.”
She
could sense the fear in his quick breaths. She didn’t risk turning her back on
Jenkins. “Wait for me at the curb.”
“That’s
who you been hanging out with?” The man spoke to Billy and motioned to Rob,
eyeing him head to toe. “That pussy? Jesus Christ, boy. He don’t look like he
could hold a six-pack.”
Billy
didn’t answer.
Jenkins
grabbed his son by the ear and shoved him. “You answer me when I talk to you,
boy. You been hanging out with that pussy?”
Billy
nodded.
Sam
took another step forward until she was next to the boy. “You okay, Billy?”
Wide-eyed,
Billy looked at her and then at his father and nodded quickly. “I’m fine.”
The
man took her arm and pulled her around. “Get the fuck away from him.”
Sam
twisted her arm free. “Don’t lay a hand on me.”
The
man laughed and pushed at her shoulder. “What you going to do?”
He
was like an ox. She knew that when he went down, he’d go down hard. But she
knew she had to warn him first. “You ever heard of assault, Mr. Jenkins? That’s
what you’re doing to your son. And if you touch me again, that’s called
assault, too.”
The
man let go. “How about I take out my dick and we can call it assault with a
deadly weapon?” he said with a slur. He groped at his pants and took a step
closer to her.
She
shook her head. “I’ve seen pinky wrestling. Don’t think it would be considered
deadly.”
“Bitch!”
he spat after a moment of silence. He lumbered forward, raising his right fist
to swing.
Sam
ducked out of the way and then kicked her right foot behind his left, giving
him a shove that sent him flailing backward. He landed with a hard thud and let
out a groan.
She
pulled out her badge and a business card and dropped the card on his gut,
showing her badge. “I’m going to watch your son, Mr. Jenkins. If I see so much
as a nick on that boy, I’m going to have you picked up for child abuse. Once
you’re inside, I’m sure you’ll find some people who’d just love to see that
pinky of yours at work.”
The
man picked her card up off his gut and stared at it. Shock had settled into his
eyes.
Sam
handed another card to Billy. “Memorize my phone number. You need me, you
call.” As she walked away, she added Billy to her mental list of kids to be
watched. She spotted Rob watching her with a mixture of fear and interest.
It
was a look she’d never seen on his face before.
Chapter
Five
Nick
shifted in the car, the morning paper curved over the door as he worked on the
crossword. It was hotter than hell and the sun beating down through the
windshield was baking him. He’d read in the paper that they were now officially
calling it a heat wave, but he could have told them that two weeks ago.
Sam
sat beside him not seeming to mind the fact that they were like two chickens in
a Pyrex dish. In fact, she seemed to bask in the warmth. As though the hotter
it was, the more comfortable she felt. He, on the other hand, was just plain
roasting.
On
the street where Sandi Walters had last lived with her mother, there was no
shade on the block—no trees, not even much lawn, just one house on top of
another.
Scanning
the street, Nick didn’t see any adults, but the Walters’ neighborhood was alive
with the sounds of children. Some rode old rusted or too small bikes up and
down the street. Another group played in a sprinkler across the street, trying
to find some relief from the heat, until a fat man with no shirt came out and
yelled at them to stop.
Nick
focused on the crossword, trying to ignore the heat. They were following normal
procedure with Sandi Walters’ murder, starting by investigating people known to
the victim. And they had to tread carefully, and keep a low profile on their
suspicion of possible police involvement. Sam was coordinating a team to
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