The Secret Ingredient Murders by Nancy Pickard

Author:Nancy Pickard
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Dell
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

13

ALWAYS HUNGRY

The uniformed officer stood on the brick steps of her rented house, his badge glistening in the sunshine. To Genia’s eyes he didn’t look much older than the boy he said he was looking for.

“Mrs. Potter, I’m Officer Cecil Patterson. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for Jason. His mother told me I might find him here.”

“Donna did? May I ask why you want him?”

“Just part of his diversion program, ma’am. Random drug test. He knows this could happen at any time. Today just happens to be a day that was good for me to check him out. Is he here?”

“No, Officer Patterson, Jason’s not here—”

But then suddenly he was—pulling up into her driveway behind his sister, who was at the wheel of Genia’s car. From inside the screen door of the house, Genia and the policeman could see the exact moment when the twin in the first car got her initial glimpse of the police car parked ahead of her. Janie put on the brakes so fast that her brother almost ran into her from behind. Jason tapped his horn at her. She stared toward the house—they could see her do it. Obviously, she and Jason were “trapped,” and so Janie slowly pulled forward and parked. Jason did the same. The twins got out of their separate vehicles and walked up to the house as if they were walking through wet cement. When they opened the screen door, Janie’s face hardened into an angry look, but Jason grinned and said, “Hey, Cecil, t’sup?”

The policeman smiled and turned to Genia. “This is what comes of being a cop in a small town, you know. Everybody calls you by your first name.” Pretending a fierce officiousness, he growled at Jason, “That’ll be Officer Cecil to you, kid.”

Jason laughed, but behind him Janie did not even smile.

“You know what’s up, Jason,” the policeman continued in a casual tone. “I know it seems like a crock to you, but them’s the rules, kid.”

“Urine check?”

“Right.”

“Here?” Jason’s voice rose a little. “At my aunt’s house? This is embarrassing, man! Why can’t we do it like in other cities, where at least I’d have to go someplace else, like the police station or something. Why do you have to come out to my own house? Or my aunt’s house?”

“Because that’s the way we do it here, son.”

Unmoved, the cop handed Jason a plastic container with a lid on it, and a plastic bag in which to put the “evidence” and seal it so it couldn’t be opened until a lab technician tested it.

“Find a bathroom. Just do it. And then I’ll leave you alone.”

While Jason trudged off to follow the humiliating instructions, Officer Patterson shrugged apologetically to Genia. “Sorry about this.”

“It’s ridiculous!” Janie burst out.

He glanced at her. “We’re just trying to keep your brother clean, young lady.”

“It’s so unfair. He’s not a criminal—”

“Well,” the officer interrupted, “yes, he is. He broke the law, and I hate to tell you this, but that’s what a criminal is.

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