Read Online A Case of the Heart by Beth Shriver - Free Book Online Page B

understood his intention. “I’m fine.” She knew he was trying to help her, but not just with her job anymore.
     

Chapter Ten

    As Alex drove up to the Bowie’s he noticed Jimmy’s face in the large window. When the boy saw Alex his eyes lit up and he disappeared from sight.
    Alex smiled and parked in front of the house. He got out and walked by Nancy’s flower garden, which was cut back for winter. Half a dozen bird feeders hung above where flowers would bloom.
    The front door opened and Jimmy jumped up and down on the other side of the security door. No one had ever been so glad to see him. John opened the door and Alex shook his hand and then bent over to shake Jimmy’s.
    “How are you doing, Jimmy?”
    “I’m real good at cards now. Wanna play?” Jimmy pointed to the card table in the center of the family room.
    Alex smiled down at him. “I think we could maybe get in a game before I leave.”
    “Really?” His eyes were so big and his expression so serious Alex almost laughed.
    “Really.” Alex stuck his fist out. “Remember this one?” He hit his palm three times and put two fingers up.
    Jimmy joined in with a rock. “Rock, paper, scissors.”
    John put his hands in his back pockets and grinned at Jimmy. “He’s quite the card player. So is his brother when you can get him to play.”
    Alex scanned the room. “Where’s Scotty?”
    “In his room.” John motioned for Alex to follow him.
    They went down a short, narrow hallway and found Scotty sitting on his bed playing a handheld video game. The room was simply decorated in blues. Lots of pillows covered the bed and larger ones filled one corner of the room next to a book shelf.
    When Scotty saw them enter his room he jumped off the bed. “Is there something wrong?”
    The concern on his face was far beyond his twelve years. His shoulders carried a heavy load. What all that entailed Alex didn’t know, but he did know was that a kid Scotty’s age shouldn’t have this much of a burden to bear.
    “No, Scotty, nothing’s wrong. I just came to talk with you for a minute and then maybe play a quick game of cards before I go.”
    Jimmy shot straight in the air at the word cards . “Yeah, Officer Demas is gonna play us in Uno and I’m gonna win.”
    “No, you’re not.” Scotty rolled his eyes at his little brother and sat on the twin bed.
    John took Jimmy’s hand and turned to leave the room. “Let’s go get the cards set up.”
    Jimmy bounded down the hall next to John. John’s head bobbed as he tried to talk to him about the seating arrangements for the game.
    “Am I in trouble?” Scotty’s face showed no expression as he asked the question.
    Alex tried to pull over a chair that had a moveable spine for the back. Scotty laughed as Alex grabbed the back of it and tried to push the chair toward the bed where Scotty sat.
    “Very funny.” Alex tried again but the back folded up and the chair went sideways. “How do you work this thing?” Alex stood with his hands on his hips staring at it with added confusion. It was good to see Scotty laugh. He almost acted like a kid again.
    Scotty snickered and rotated a knob on the bottom of the spine and it straightened. Alex sat down with relief and rolled the chair closer to the bed. “I want to talk to you about the money.”
    Scotty dropped his head. “I shouldn’t have brought it here.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because no one would have found it at my house, now it’ll be gone forever.”
    “Maybe, but it’s drug money, Scotty, no criminal should have that cash.”
    “It would be better if we just gave it to him.”
    The words hit Alex square in the chest. The fact that Scotty wouldn’t have the money anymore didn’t relieve him of any worry, it may have increased it. “You’re safe here, Scotty.”
    “I want my parents to be safe.”
    It always amazed Alex how protective abused kids were of their parents, the same parents who beat them. “That’s very honorable of