Sworn to Defend (The Cass Jameson Mysteries Book 6) by Carolyn Wheat

Author:Carolyn Wheat [Wheat, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781504002349
Publisher: Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller
Published: 2015-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“He’s a good kid,” I told Detective Palmieri as I walked into the Nineteenth Precinct Detective Unit. “I know you hear that all the time, but in this case it’s true. Believe me, Oliver’s never been in trouble before.”

“I believe you,” Palmieri said. Then he smiled and raised his palms upward. “Of course, the reason I believe you is that I ran his prints and he’s clean. And I’ve been around long enough to know that a kid his age from his neighborhood without a sheet has to be a good kid. So tell me,” he went on, “what your ‘good kid’ was doing climbing up some lady’s fire escape?”

“That’s what Oliver did? Burglary?” I sat down on the hard chair nearest the desk Detective Palmieri sat behind. “I can’t believe it. He wouldn’t do a thing like that; he’s a—”

“I know, I heard that part already.” Palmieri waved me to silence. “If I may ask, what’s your relationship to this kid?”

“His mother is my legal secretary,” I said. “He hangs out in my office after school sometimes. I’ve gotten to know him, and—” I broke off before I could say one more time that Oliver was a good kid.

“I happen to think you’re right about Oliver Jackman,” the detective said. “I think he’s one of the few who might learn his lesson the first time out. I’m willing to recommend ROR when we get to Family Court.”

I thanked him profusely as he walked me through a hallway into a dirty, windowless room with a cage in the corner. Oliver wasn’t in it. Instead, he sat on a straight chair next to a battered table. He slumped in his seat like a kid ready to fall asleep in math class. It was only when you looked more closely that you noticed his wrist wore an iron bracelet and that the other half of the handcuff was secured to the table leg.

When he saw me, he sat up a little straighter. He squared his jaw and tried to look like a street kid who’d been here twenty times before. But the slight redness around his eyes told me he’d already shed tears and the quaver in his voice threatened to bring them on again.

“You tell my moms I’m in here?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. But she’ll have to know sometime. Where does she think you are, anyway? It’s after three a.m., for God’s sake.”

“I told her I be stayin’ with my cousin James. He say he stay with me some nights and he be out doin’ all kinds of shit and whatnot, so I just tell my folks I be over there.”

“Oliver, cut that macho street shit and get real.” I gave my voice all the edge I was sure Marvella would have put into it. “I don’t know a damn thing about your cousin James, but I do know you’re not half as tough as you’re trying to sound. Now, believe it or not, this detective doesn’t want to bang you away for the rest of your natural life.

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