Read Online DEAD BY WEDNESDAY by Beverly Long - Free Book Online Page A

above evading the truth, but would not lie.
    “I’m taking Carmen and Raoul out to dinner tonight.”
    Sawyer pointed a finger in his face. “I swear to God, Robert Hanson. If you screw up and hurt Carmen and that makes Liz even just a little bit sad, you and I are taking it outside.”
    Robert smiled. “It’s too cold outside for a Southern boy like you to want to fight. You’ll get snow down your pants.”
    “I mean it, Robert.” Sawyer leaned close. “Carmen is a very nice person.”
    And while his own smile didn’t fade, it hurt just a little. “And I’m Jack the Ripper?”
    “Of course not,” Sawyer said. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re my daughter’s godfather. I’d trust you with her life. But I don’t know if you and Carmen want the same thing.”
    “I think we both want to have dinner,” Robert said. “It’s no big deal. She’s worried about Raoul.”
    Sawyer nodded. “Liz told me something about that. I’ve met him. Quiet but polite. He likes video games and one time I saw him eat about half a chocolate cake. That was after he’d wolfed down four tacos. I think he’s just a normal adolescent boy.”
    “I agree. But Carmen is concerned. I said I’d make a few inquiries with the cop at Mahoney High. And I said that I’d try to get to know Raoul a little better. You’re worrying about nothing, Sawyer. Now get your ugly hands off my pie.”

Chapter Six
    Raoul walked down the empty hallway, his trombone case bumping his leg with each step. Man, he’d be glad when the winter concert was over. His band teacher might just blow a gasket before that happened. Tonight, he’d actually taken a set of drums away from the kid who stood next to Jacob.
    He was starving. Lunch had been seven hours earlier. Most of the time, he got some food out of the vending machines before practice started. Today, he’d been pulling his money out of his pocket when trouble had stepped around the corner.
    He’d looked around but it was only him and JJ and Beau. He wasn’t sure what JJ’s real name was because everybody just called him JJ. He and Beau were both juniors and Raoul hated them. They’d been pretty much making his life difficult since football had ended in November and they’d suddenly had too much free time.
    Beau had held out his hand and Raoul had dropped the dollar bills into it. It wasn’t the first time they’d ripped him off. He’d thought about telling somebody but they’d already told him that they’d beat the crap out of him if he did that.
    He believed them. They could probably bench-press his weight without breaking a sweat. He hadn’t even told Jacob and he usually told Jacob everything.
    It was just too embarrassing.
    He’d gone to band practice hungry and been so angry that he hadn’t even been able to stay with the music. He was looking forward to the brownies left from dinner the night before.
    Raoul turned the corner and almost bumped into JJ and Beau. He veered to the left, hoping to get around them. Twice in one day was too much.
    Beau stepped directly in front of him. “Where you going, band boy?”
    Raoul didn’t answer. He took a side step. “I don’t have any more money,” he said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.
    “That’s not band boy, that’s Limpy.” JJ lounged against the locker and laughed at his own joke. “That’s your name, right?”
    Raoul wanted to pound their stupid faces into the wall. But he knew if he tried, they’d kill him first. So he didn’t say a word. He just stood there and took it.
    “I saw you get dropped off for school this morning,” Beau said. “Somebody told me that’s your sister. She is hot, sizzling hot.” He touched the gray lockers with his index finger and made a sizzling noise. “I’d like to do her.”
    “Shut up,” Raoul said.
    “Maybe we could both do her,” JJ said, “at the same time.”
    The two of them laughed like they were the funniest things on earth. “Stay away from my sister,”