BooksBarbecue
Back Murder Past Due Save as PDF
Chapters (36)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE

Justin blinked at me. I think he’d forgotten I was in the room. “Yes, sir.” He stood but didn’t move forward.

I took him gently by the arm and led him into the kitchen. After his last outburst, he appeared listless, watching me with dulled eyes.

He leaned against the sink while I got ice cubes from the dispenser and wrapped them in a dish towel.

“Here,” I said. “Hold this to your cheek. It will feel better.”

His cheek was still an angry red. He was going to have a terrific bruise there.

Justin accepted the towel and put it against his face. He winced, but he held the towel in place.

As I watched, concerned, wondering what else I could do for him, he started crying. Quietly, at first. Then harder and louder, the sobs beginning to wrack his body.

Poor kid. This was more than he should have to bear. I put an arm around his shoulder, and he hugged himself to me with his free arm.

I spoke to him, keeping my voice low and soothing, and the sobs diminished.

Feeling a cat rubbing against my leg, I looked down. Diesel had come out of hiding, and now he watched me, wanting to help.

“Justin, look. Diesel’s here. He wants to talk to you.”

Sniffling, Justin pulled away from me, gazing down at the anxious feline face. He sat down on the floor, towel still against his cheek. Diesel rubbed his head on Justin’s chin.

The cat climbed into the boy’s lap, his rumbling purr loud in the room. Head bent, Justin let Diesel lick his uncovered cheek.

Smiling, I left the kitchen, knowing that Justin was in good paws. Diesel could bring him comfort, and Justin needed it.

I used the downstairs bathroom, taking my time washing my hands. I stared at my reflection. For all my talk of minding my own business, I had walked right into a messy situation. How would Julia react when she found out what Ezra had done? She had a fiery temper as a young woman. She might light into Ezra the way he had lit into Justin. What a mess.

Finished washing my hands, I judged it okay to go back to the kitchen.

Justin now sat in a chair, Diesel in his lap. Boy and cat glanced at me. Justin seemed calmer, and Diesel no longer looked anxious. A bruise was forming on the boy’s cheek.

“How about some lunch, guys?” I went to the refrigerator. “Diesel has his crunchies if he wants them, but I need something else.”

I stared into the fridge, waiting for Justin to respond. He was probably embarrassed, poor kid. He might be eighteen in years, but he was still a boy in so many ways.