clearing her bangs away from her face. “The odds are against you here to begin with. If you don’t get your back up just a little bit, then the odds will be that much longer. The only way we’re going to have a chance in this is if you’re in it 150%. So, focus. I know that you have a lot of things going on right now, but this has to be a top priority. A top priority. I can only do so much, because I’m not the victim. I’m the boyfriend. After a while, the cops are going to wonder why they’re not hearing from you.”
Scotty looked me in the eye. “You’re right. You’re right. I’m going to go down there tomorrow before work and find out what the hell is going on.” Then she smiled.
I wasn’t sure if she was doing this because her heart was in it, or because I was pinning her down. Maybe a little of both. But, all I wanted was for her to take action. Light a fire under her ass. I hoped that I succeeded.
So, I smiled. “Ok. That’s all I ask. I don’t want you to hold back from enjoying your life, so, yeah, I’ll get us a beach house and we can go to the Hamptons on weekends. And Bonnaroo , too. But you to also give this matter a ton of energy, or it will never get off the ground.”
She smiled back. “Thanks, Nick. I do appreciate all that you’re doing, and I will do my part. Even if I think that it’s fruitless, I have to try.”
Yes you do, Scotty. Yes, you do. Because if you don’t, there’s going to be hell to pay.
And it won’t be pretty.
Chapter 8
Scotty
I was waiting to talk to Adele for my daily session. After Nick and I had our words, I tried really hard to refocus on Mr. Lucas. I did. I went down to talk to Angie and I tried to demand that she take action. But that attempt felt half-hearted. I had no idea why. I guess because I felt that I was already defeated. I knew this song and dance all too well. I didn’t want to put all my effort into it, only to see the entire thing go down the drain. That would frustrate me immensely, and I felt that I would be so angry about that, I might never recover.
Just the same, Nick was right. He was absolutely right. I did need to give the prosecution of the bastard my all. So, I went down to the station, and waited to have words with Angie. Nick wasn’t with me, as he was working late. It was just as well, as I had to stand on my own two feet as some point in my life. No time like the present to do this, I thought.
So, I waited to talk to her, and I finally was able to.
“Scotty, hello,” she said. “Come on back.”
I followed her back to her dingy office, and she hurried threw some of her files on her desk onto the floor. “Sorry about this,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting anybody in right at this moment.”
“That’s okay,” I said politely. “I should have called beforehand.”
“So,” she said, digging around for my file. “Let’s see, your file is around here somewhere. Anyhow,” she said, as she continued to look through all her files for mine, “what can I do for you?”
“Well, it’s been several weeks. I’m nervous that I’m going to turn 24, and you know, you’re not going to be able to prosecute Mr. Lucas for what he did to me as a kid. Among other things.”
“Yeah,” she said, obviously not listening, as she was still looking for my file. Then she pressed the button on her phone. “Stephanie, do you happen to have the file for the Paul Lucas case?” She listened for a few minutes and nodded her head. “Bring it in, please.”
I fidgeted in my seat. This was not going well.
Angie looked at me, her hands crossed in front of her. I saw that she was trying hard to mask annoyance. She had a little facial tic that I hadn’t noticed before, and her smile was tight and forced.
Stephanie presently appeared with my file in her hand. “Here you go,” she said, looking at me.
“Thanks,” Angie said. “Okay, then, let’s see where we are here.” And she got quiet for a little while, as she read
Scotty looked me in the eye. “You’re right. You’re right. I’m going to go down there tomorrow before work and find out what the hell is going on.” Then she smiled.
I wasn’t sure if she was doing this because her heart was in it, or because I was pinning her down. Maybe a little of both. But, all I wanted was for her to take action. Light a fire under her ass. I hoped that I succeeded.
So, I smiled. “Ok. That’s all I ask. I don’t want you to hold back from enjoying your life, so, yeah, I’ll get us a beach house and we can go to the Hamptons on weekends. And Bonnaroo , too. But you to also give this matter a ton of energy, or it will never get off the ground.”
She smiled back. “Thanks, Nick. I do appreciate all that you’re doing, and I will do my part. Even if I think that it’s fruitless, I have to try.”
Yes you do, Scotty. Yes, you do. Because if you don’t, there’s going to be hell to pay.
And it won’t be pretty.
Chapter 8
Scotty
I was waiting to talk to Adele for my daily session. After Nick and I had our words, I tried really hard to refocus on Mr. Lucas. I did. I went down to talk to Angie and I tried to demand that she take action. But that attempt felt half-hearted. I had no idea why. I guess because I felt that I was already defeated. I knew this song and dance all too well. I didn’t want to put all my effort into it, only to see the entire thing go down the drain. That would frustrate me immensely, and I felt that I would be so angry about that, I might never recover.
Just the same, Nick was right. He was absolutely right. I did need to give the prosecution of the bastard my all. So, I went down to the station, and waited to have words with Angie. Nick wasn’t with me, as he was working late. It was just as well, as I had to stand on my own two feet as some point in my life. No time like the present to do this, I thought.
So, I waited to talk to her, and I finally was able to.
“Scotty, hello,” she said. “Come on back.”
I followed her back to her dingy office, and she hurried threw some of her files on her desk onto the floor. “Sorry about this,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting anybody in right at this moment.”
“That’s okay,” I said politely. “I should have called beforehand.”
“So,” she said, digging around for my file. “Let’s see, your file is around here somewhere. Anyhow,” she said, as she continued to look through all her files for mine, “what can I do for you?”
“Well, it’s been several weeks. I’m nervous that I’m going to turn 24, and you know, you’re not going to be able to prosecute Mr. Lucas for what he did to me as a kid. Among other things.”
“Yeah,” she said, obviously not listening, as she was still looking for my file. Then she pressed the button on her phone. “Stephanie, do you happen to have the file for the Paul Lucas case?” She listened for a few minutes and nodded her head. “Bring it in, please.”
I fidgeted in my seat. This was not going well.
Angie looked at me, her hands crossed in front of her. I saw that she was trying hard to mask annoyance. She had a little facial tic that I hadn’t noticed before, and her smile was tight and forced.
Stephanie presently appeared with my file in her hand. “Here you go,” she said, looking at me.
“Thanks,” Angie said. “Okay, then, let’s see where we are here.” And she got quiet for a little while, as she read
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