False Positive by C. Ryan Bymaster

Author:C. Ryan Bymaster [Bymaster, C. Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-10-30T04:00:00+00:00

XX

Fifth rolled her eyes as the Flight of the Valkyries announced their presence at the Wilkens’ residence.

Dent tried mimicking her, just to see if he could add it to his growing repertoire, but she furrowed her brows at him and mouthed, “Don’t.”

He decided to leave that particular expression to those more capable.

Jason opened the door, and his gaze barely settled on Dent before zeroing in on Fifth.

“Hey,” he said. To Fifth.

“Hey,” she responded.

Neither said anything else. Just staring. Jason’s lips were parted in what might be considered a half-smile and, when he looked down at his shoes, Dent stepped past him and into the house they were invited to — but failed to have been invited in.

“Oh, sorry,” Jason said after the fact, telling Fifth to come in as well.

The door closed behind the boy and Lynn came into the foyer to greet them, a towel in hand. Her lips parted in a smile for a brief moment. Then she registered Dent’s appearance and rushed over to him, cupping his chin in her hand and turning his head this way and that.

“My God, Marion,” she said in close to a whisper. “What happened to you? Your eye’s purple and is … is your lip busted, too?”

“I got into an argument,” he told her, though it was difficult to talk with her hand under his chin.

“Why? About what? With who?”

Fifth stepped up to his side and put a hand on his arm. “He decided to go sightseeing on his own. Got himself into a scuffle with some homeless people.”

Lynn let her arm drop down and began twisting the towel with both hands. She looked from Dent to Fifth to Dent again. “What, exactly, were you doing in the bad part of town?”

“I wanted to see things for myself,” he replied.

“For what purpose? I swear!” She stopped wringing the towel and snapped it loudly at her side. She then came at him quickly, hands raised, and he tensed, preparing to sidestep and respond accordingly. But she didn’t attack him. No, she grabbed his shirt collar and tugged it aside.

“Is that duct tape? Did you use duct tape to cover a wound?”

The answer was obvious so there was no need for him to reply.

Fifth said, “He came home like that last night and wouldn’t let me take care of his injuries.” To Dent, it sounded like the girl was talking about him like he was a bird with a broken wing.

Lynn stepped back from him, pointed a very straight, very stiff arm in the direction of the kitchen, and ordered, “Kitchen. Now.”

Her tone indicated he was at fault for something. He looked to Fifth.

“Can’t help you on this one,” she said.

“Marion.”

“Lynn.”

“Kitchen.”

“Okay.”

She finally dropped her arm now that he’d started moving and behind him he heard Jason chuckle and say in a low voice, “I think the black eye looks cool.”

“I know, right?” Fifth responded, her voice just as low.

In the kitchen, Dent took a seat on a stool at the island counter and waited as Lynn headed off to the restroom to fetch what she called ‘supplies.

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