me.”
Julia glanced at Doreen who was on the phone speaking animatedly to someone, a look of panic in her eyes. Maybe if he went right over the top, they’d call the cops and breach him right away.
“But I can make life very difficult for you, asshole. Although you’re well on the way to doing that yourself. You don’t think this David Warren guy won’t notice you’re stoned? He’ll know you’re facing further charges so when I tell him what’s happened to Blossom, he’s going to breach you, probably right now. You’re a complete fuck up.”
“Don’t you speak to me like that.” He grabbed her by her coat and threw her against the wall. “No one speaks to me like that.”
Her head hit the wooden paneling with a thump. It hurt but wasn’t as bad as the rank smell of Rez up close. His crazy bloodshot eyes bored into her. They better get their act together and either call the police or do something. He was on the verge of hitting her.
“Why not? Because you slap it out of them? Is that what you do to Blossom? Big man. Tough man. Not so tough when they throw you inside.”
“Stop it!” yelled Doreen. “I’ve called the police.”
That seemed to penetrate his drug-hazed mind. He let go of her and made for the door. Julia grabbed his arm just as the inner door to the parole office opened.
“I meant what I said. Leave her alone or you’ll answer to me.”
He shook her off and stumbled out the door, then ran across the square and down the street.
Damn it. He could still do a lot of damage to Blossom while on the run.
“What’s going on here? What are you doing?”
She turned to see a pudgy man with tussled wire-like hair, eyeing her suspiciously.
“She was fighting with another one who ran off,” Doreen said, breathlessly. “They almost came to blows.”
Julia held up her hands in denial. “No fighting here. He was off his face and just went for me. I didn’t say anything.”
The man frowned at her and turned to Doreen. “Call the police. Tell them what happened and I’ll call them in a bit.” He sighed and muttered to himself. “I had a bad feeling about that bloke when I agreed to his transfer up here.”
We looked at Julia and narrowed his eyes. “Come inside. We’re overdue for a talk.”
She followed him into the office and sat in a chair in front of his desk.
He picked up her file and sat opposite her. “Nothing like a little drama to start the day,” he said breezily, as if assault was a usual occurrence in this office. Maybe it was. She had no experience of being on parole so maybe this was normal. But his next words put paid to that idea.
“If I find out you’re involved in anything, anything that’s in anyway illegal, dodgy or otherwise a bad idea, I’ll breach you so fast you won’t have time to draw breath. Am I making myself clear?”
“Crystal,” she said. “But I can’t help it if your other clients won’t control themselves.”
“Don’t be smart with me, Julia. I know damn well who Rez is and his relationship with your sister.” He pushed his fingers through his hair looking frustrated and tired.
“Look, he’s a train wreck and he’ll be breached and picked up. I know you don’t want him around your sister and I sympathize, but you can’t goad him into something stupid. Apart from the fact he’s quite capable of doing that on his own, it’s dangerous. He’s unstable and he could hurt you, if he hasn’t already. How’s your head?”
She shrugged. “Fine.”
He slumped into his chair and stared at her for a long minute. She stared back, not dropping her eyes.
“I’m on your side, you know. I don’t want you to go back to prison and from the look of your file there’s no reason for you to.” He leafed through the thick file. “You’ve never had a history of drug and alcohol use, you participated in therapy and education and didn’t get one misconduct charge the whole time you were in. That’s pretty impressive and not
Julia glanced at Doreen who was on the phone speaking animatedly to someone, a look of panic in her eyes. Maybe if he went right over the top, they’d call the cops and breach him right away.
“But I can make life very difficult for you, asshole. Although you’re well on the way to doing that yourself. You don’t think this David Warren guy won’t notice you’re stoned? He’ll know you’re facing further charges so when I tell him what’s happened to Blossom, he’s going to breach you, probably right now. You’re a complete fuck up.”
“Don’t you speak to me like that.” He grabbed her by her coat and threw her against the wall. “No one speaks to me like that.”
Her head hit the wooden paneling with a thump. It hurt but wasn’t as bad as the rank smell of Rez up close. His crazy bloodshot eyes bored into her. They better get their act together and either call the police or do something. He was on the verge of hitting her.
“Why not? Because you slap it out of them? Is that what you do to Blossom? Big man. Tough man. Not so tough when they throw you inside.”
“Stop it!” yelled Doreen. “I’ve called the police.”
That seemed to penetrate his drug-hazed mind. He let go of her and made for the door. Julia grabbed his arm just as the inner door to the parole office opened.
“I meant what I said. Leave her alone or you’ll answer to me.”
He shook her off and stumbled out the door, then ran across the square and down the street.
Damn it. He could still do a lot of damage to Blossom while on the run.
“What’s going on here? What are you doing?”
She turned to see a pudgy man with tussled wire-like hair, eyeing her suspiciously.
“She was fighting with another one who ran off,” Doreen said, breathlessly. “They almost came to blows.”
Julia held up her hands in denial. “No fighting here. He was off his face and just went for me. I didn’t say anything.”
The man frowned at her and turned to Doreen. “Call the police. Tell them what happened and I’ll call them in a bit.” He sighed and muttered to himself. “I had a bad feeling about that bloke when I agreed to his transfer up here.”
We looked at Julia and narrowed his eyes. “Come inside. We’re overdue for a talk.”
She followed him into the office and sat in a chair in front of his desk.
He picked up her file and sat opposite her. “Nothing like a little drama to start the day,” he said breezily, as if assault was a usual occurrence in this office. Maybe it was. She had no experience of being on parole so maybe this was normal. But his next words put paid to that idea.
“If I find out you’re involved in anything, anything that’s in anyway illegal, dodgy or otherwise a bad idea, I’ll breach you so fast you won’t have time to draw breath. Am I making myself clear?”
“Crystal,” she said. “But I can’t help it if your other clients won’t control themselves.”
“Don’t be smart with me, Julia. I know damn well who Rez is and his relationship with your sister.” He pushed his fingers through his hair looking frustrated and tired.
“Look, he’s a train wreck and he’ll be breached and picked up. I know you don’t want him around your sister and I sympathize, but you can’t goad him into something stupid. Apart from the fact he’s quite capable of doing that on his own, it’s dangerous. He’s unstable and he could hurt you, if he hasn’t already. How’s your head?”
She shrugged. “Fine.”
He slumped into his chair and stared at her for a long minute. She stared back, not dropping her eyes.
“I’m on your side, you know. I don’t want you to go back to prison and from the look of your file there’s no reason for you to.” He leafed through the thick file. “You’ve never had a history of drug and alcohol use, you participated in therapy and education and didn’t get one misconduct charge the whole time you were in. That’s pretty impressive and not
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