that.”
“I left you in your bedroom less than two hours ago.”
A rush of color slipped into his cheeks through the bruising. “I knew Mom would make me tell her what I knew about the guy and then she would tell you. I sneaked out to warn him. But the second I mentioned the police, he started punching me. I kept trying to tell him I wouldn’t say anything.”
“You were warning him? Why would you do that?”
Danny turned his head back to the wall and in a slight whisper said, “I asked him to get me the gun. He shouldn’t get in trouble. It was on me.” His voice grew quieter. “He told me if the police came for him, he’ll do the same to Erin.”
“Believe me when I say he isn’t going anywhere near Erin. Now, where is your mom? I thought you two were going to have this heart-to-heart at eight.”
“Mom forgot about Erin’s dress rehearsal for the competition next weekend. Erin’s dance partner called when she didn’t show up on time.”
“So as soon as they were out the door, you took off.”
Danny nodded.
“You know I have to call her, right? She’s your mother. There is no way you can keep this from her.” Noah placed his cell phone screen up to Danny’s face. “Look.”
Danny let out a harsh sigh. “Shit. I was hoping it just hurt like hell.”
Noah chuckled. “Her number?”
It took Noah three tries before Elizabeth picked up. Odds were she was checking caller ID and chose not to talk to him.
Her tone wasn’t pleasant when she finally answered. “Twice in one day, detective. If you’re calling about that name, I haven’t had a chance to talk to Danny.”
“I have. Elizabeth, he’s at Hopkins ER. You need to come down here.”
“What?”
Noah glanced at Danny, and his heart went out to him. He had gotten into enough scrapes when he was Danny’s age to know exactly what was going through the boy’s mind.
Noah shifted away from the bed and lowered his voice. “Danny went looking for the guy who sold him the gun. The ganger wasn’t happy to see him and took a few swings. Danny’s a little beat up, but no serious injuries.”
A dead silence lasted for several moments before Elizabeth’s strained voice asked, “Why didn’t they call me?”
“They tried. No one was home, and Danny wouldn’t tell them his name because he didn’t want you to know. They found my card in his pocket.”
“Is he really okay?”
“He will be.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She seemed to choke on her words. “And Detective—Noah—thanks for being there with him. I can’t stand the thought he’s—”
“No problem. I’m glad they called me.”
Noah said a quick good-bye and eased down onto the bed. “Rough day.”
Danny nodded, then wiped another hand over his eyes.
“When I was your age, my dad would tell me tomorrow would be better.”
“I know I fuc—messed up, but I was trying to do the right thing both times. I just can’t get anything right.”
“I was a phone call away. I told you to call me if you ever need me.”
“My family, my problem.”
“I get that, Danny, but that plan isn’t working very well for you. I’m a Maryland State Police detective, but even I would have never gone into a situation like you walked into tonight without backup. I would have had your back tonight. I may not have agreed with your plan, but we could have discussed it, come to something we could both live with.”
“Noah, do you believe me about the guy in my room?”
The question threw him for an instant. He reached into his pocket and handed Danny the photo Jennie gave him.
“Have you ever seen this guy?”
Danny took a quick look and let out a gasp. “Yeah, that’s the guy from my room.”
“Are you sure?”
“Like a hundred percent sure. That’s the guy.”
Noah glanced away from Danny as he tucked the photo back into his pocket.
Crazy-ass shit.
Hell yes, he believed him. But how could he explain that the man Danny spoke to had been dead for almost
“I left you in your bedroom less than two hours ago.”
A rush of color slipped into his cheeks through the bruising. “I knew Mom would make me tell her what I knew about the guy and then she would tell you. I sneaked out to warn him. But the second I mentioned the police, he started punching me. I kept trying to tell him I wouldn’t say anything.”
“You were warning him? Why would you do that?”
Danny turned his head back to the wall and in a slight whisper said, “I asked him to get me the gun. He shouldn’t get in trouble. It was on me.” His voice grew quieter. “He told me if the police came for him, he’ll do the same to Erin.”
“Believe me when I say he isn’t going anywhere near Erin. Now, where is your mom? I thought you two were going to have this heart-to-heart at eight.”
“Mom forgot about Erin’s dress rehearsal for the competition next weekend. Erin’s dance partner called when she didn’t show up on time.”
“So as soon as they were out the door, you took off.”
Danny nodded.
“You know I have to call her, right? She’s your mother. There is no way you can keep this from her.” Noah placed his cell phone screen up to Danny’s face. “Look.”
Danny let out a harsh sigh. “Shit. I was hoping it just hurt like hell.”
Noah chuckled. “Her number?”
It took Noah three tries before Elizabeth picked up. Odds were she was checking caller ID and chose not to talk to him.
Her tone wasn’t pleasant when she finally answered. “Twice in one day, detective. If you’re calling about that name, I haven’t had a chance to talk to Danny.”
“I have. Elizabeth, he’s at Hopkins ER. You need to come down here.”
“What?”
Noah glanced at Danny, and his heart went out to him. He had gotten into enough scrapes when he was Danny’s age to know exactly what was going through the boy’s mind.
Noah shifted away from the bed and lowered his voice. “Danny went looking for the guy who sold him the gun. The ganger wasn’t happy to see him and took a few swings. Danny’s a little beat up, but no serious injuries.”
A dead silence lasted for several moments before Elizabeth’s strained voice asked, “Why didn’t they call me?”
“They tried. No one was home, and Danny wouldn’t tell them his name because he didn’t want you to know. They found my card in his pocket.”
“Is he really okay?”
“He will be.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She seemed to choke on her words. “And Detective—Noah—thanks for being there with him. I can’t stand the thought he’s—”
“No problem. I’m glad they called me.”
Noah said a quick good-bye and eased down onto the bed. “Rough day.”
Danny nodded, then wiped another hand over his eyes.
“When I was your age, my dad would tell me tomorrow would be better.”
“I know I fuc—messed up, but I was trying to do the right thing both times. I just can’t get anything right.”
“I was a phone call away. I told you to call me if you ever need me.”
“My family, my problem.”
“I get that, Danny, but that plan isn’t working very well for you. I’m a Maryland State Police detective, but even I would have never gone into a situation like you walked into tonight without backup. I would have had your back tonight. I may not have agreed with your plan, but we could have discussed it, come to something we could both live with.”
“Noah, do you believe me about the guy in my room?”
The question threw him for an instant. He reached into his pocket and handed Danny the photo Jennie gave him.
“Have you ever seen this guy?”
Danny took a quick look and let out a gasp. “Yeah, that’s the guy from my room.”
“Are you sure?”
“Like a hundred percent sure. That’s the guy.”
Noah glanced away from Danny as he tucked the photo back into his pocket.
Crazy-ass shit.
Hell yes, he believed him. But how could he explain that the man Danny spoke to had been dead for almost
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