individuality.”
“Would you like to go to the movies for our next date? I’d
love to be in on the shopping spree too.”
“I would like both,” she agreed, although she couldn’t say
this was an actual date.
“Since we’re this close, better give me the rundown on
Luke.”
“He’s a sixteen-year-old kid whose father’s in state prison
for drug possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and distribute. He
pled guilty before the case went to the jury and was sentenced to fifteen
years.”
“Plea deals happen frequently,” Taran said.
“According to Luke’s aunt, Russell Walker wanted a jury
trial, but his attorney advised he take the deal. Before the drug bust, he was
a local artisan and part-time high school art teacher.”
“Damn, that’s rough on a kid to find out his dad wasn’t the
man he thought he was.”
“Especially considering Russell was making and distributing
meth out of his workshop behind his home in Wellesley, not paintings.”
“How’d Walker get caught?”
“Shop blew up. Fortunately no one was killed, but you can
imagine the surprise for neighbors to find out what was really being cooked in
that shop.”
“Dealers aren’t always in the inner cities,” Taran said.
“Don’t I know it? Sadly, because of Walker’s stupidity, Luke
and his two half-sisters, Faith and Leah, were removed from the home and placed
with child protective services.”
“Was there abuse?”
“Not physical, but definite neglect. The girls’ mother,
Daria, was passed out on the bathroom floor, OD’d. Medics at the scene found
the girls hiding in a closet. They were scared because they couldn’t wake their
mom and didn’t know where their dad was.”
“Where was Luke? Do you know?”
“He told me he was at a friend’s house when the explosion
happened. He heard the blast and ran home.”
“How old was Luke at the time?”
“Fourteen.”
“Where’s he been since?”
“Luke’s mother died when he was younger. After his father
was arraigned Luke was placed in the care of his mother’s older sister, Glenda
Davis.”
“Where’d his sisters go?”
“They were placed in foster care after Daria was declared
unfit by the courts. She was ordered into rehab if she wanted to get her
children back. I’ve done a thorough background search on the foster family, Bob
and Sandy Marshall. They’re good people and have gone on to adopt two of the
children they’ve fostered.”
“It sounds to me as if you’ve done some fine detective work
on this situation, Samantha. But tell me, how’d you meet Luke?”
“I met him right after the Alexandria Griffins championship
game in Houston. He liked hanging out at the indoor skateboarding park at the
Roller Emporium. At first, he seemed to want me to think the only thing he
cared about was his skateboard, but in fact I saw so much more.”
“What did you see?”
“Potential, especially after I’d witnessed him getting
beaten up because he’d stood up for a girl in the rink parking lot. I flashed
my badge and the punks took off running.”
“You stood up for Luke.”
“He needed help. He stood up to bullies and got a black eye
for it.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Luke’s really not a bad kid. He needs a strong male role
model. That’s why I recommended he speak with you. I can’t think of any man
better than you.”
“Thanks. He’s lucky to have you in his corner. I’m going to
make sure he knows it too. Anything else I should know?”
“After the fight with the bullies, he started hanging around
the Femme Fatales instead of the skateboarders. He drew pictures of us during
practices and he became this quiet kid who’s worried about losing touch with
his sisters and his aunt.”
“He told you all that?” Taran asked.
“Most of it, yes,” she said proudly. “Once he opened up, I
was able to gather information through a little armchair detective work. Luke
and the Fatales are the reasons I took so much
“Would you like to go to the movies for our next date? I’d
love to be in on the shopping spree too.”
“I would like both,” she agreed, although she couldn’t say
this was an actual date.
“Since we’re this close, better give me the rundown on
Luke.”
“He’s a sixteen-year-old kid whose father’s in state prison
for drug possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and distribute. He
pled guilty before the case went to the jury and was sentenced to fifteen
years.”
“Plea deals happen frequently,” Taran said.
“According to Luke’s aunt, Russell Walker wanted a jury
trial, but his attorney advised he take the deal. Before the drug bust, he was
a local artisan and part-time high school art teacher.”
“Damn, that’s rough on a kid to find out his dad wasn’t the
man he thought he was.”
“Especially considering Russell was making and distributing
meth out of his workshop behind his home in Wellesley, not paintings.”
“How’d Walker get caught?”
“Shop blew up. Fortunately no one was killed, but you can
imagine the surprise for neighbors to find out what was really being cooked in
that shop.”
“Dealers aren’t always in the inner cities,” Taran said.
“Don’t I know it? Sadly, because of Walker’s stupidity, Luke
and his two half-sisters, Faith and Leah, were removed from the home and placed
with child protective services.”
“Was there abuse?”
“Not physical, but definite neglect. The girls’ mother,
Daria, was passed out on the bathroom floor, OD’d. Medics at the scene found
the girls hiding in a closet. They were scared because they couldn’t wake their
mom and didn’t know where their dad was.”
“Where was Luke? Do you know?”
“He told me he was at a friend’s house when the explosion
happened. He heard the blast and ran home.”
“How old was Luke at the time?”
“Fourteen.”
“Where’s he been since?”
“Luke’s mother died when he was younger. After his father
was arraigned Luke was placed in the care of his mother’s older sister, Glenda
Davis.”
“Where’d his sisters go?”
“They were placed in foster care after Daria was declared
unfit by the courts. She was ordered into rehab if she wanted to get her
children back. I’ve done a thorough background search on the foster family, Bob
and Sandy Marshall. They’re good people and have gone on to adopt two of the
children they’ve fostered.”
“It sounds to me as if you’ve done some fine detective work
on this situation, Samantha. But tell me, how’d you meet Luke?”
“I met him right after the Alexandria Griffins championship
game in Houston. He liked hanging out at the indoor skateboarding park at the
Roller Emporium. At first, he seemed to want me to think the only thing he
cared about was his skateboard, but in fact I saw so much more.”
“What did you see?”
“Potential, especially after I’d witnessed him getting
beaten up because he’d stood up for a girl in the rink parking lot. I flashed
my badge and the punks took off running.”
“You stood up for Luke.”
“He needed help. He stood up to bullies and got a black eye
for it.”
“You did the right thing.”
“Luke’s really not a bad kid. He needs a strong male role
model. That’s why I recommended he speak with you. I can’t think of any man
better than you.”
“Thanks. He’s lucky to have you in his corner. I’m going to
make sure he knows it too. Anything else I should know?”
“After the fight with the bullies, he started hanging around
the Femme Fatales instead of the skateboarders. He drew pictures of us during
practices and he became this quiet kid who’s worried about losing touch with
his sisters and his aunt.”
“He told you all that?” Taran asked.
“Most of it, yes,” she said proudly. “Once he opened up, I
was able to gather information through a little armchair detective work. Luke
and the Fatales are the reasons I took so much
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