Read Online Shot Girl by Karen E. Olson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen E. Olson
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery Fiction, Journalists, Police Procedural, Divorced men, Women Journalists, Seymour; Annie (Fictitious Character), New Haven (Conn.)
Ads: Link
up to let a slight breeze cool the back of my neck.
"You go to Hillhouse?" I asked.
The kid nodded.
"What’s your name?"
He looked at me sideways for a second. "He already introduced us."
I suppressed a smile. "I meet a lot of people. Remind me."
"Jamond."
"Nice to meet you, Jamond," I said. "So, besides growing plants that get you high, what else are you getting out of this program?"
A flash of fear crossed his face.
I shook my head. "I’m not going to out you. I have to write a story, and I have to quote you to make me look good to my boss."
He digested that a second, then, "It’s summer school. Science credits. So I don’t flunk out." He said it like he didn’t give a shit if he flunked out; this wasn’t his decision.
"What grade are you in?"
"Tenth."
"What would you do if you did flunk out?" I asked, dropping my hand with my notebook to my side. He knew I wasn’t going to write this down.
"Hang out with my friends."
"Have they flunked out?"
"Some."
"How did you find out about the program? Did you know the Reverend Shaw?"
Jamond shook his head, gave me a sly smile. "Teacher. She hooked me up." From his expression and the tone of his voice, I wondered just what else this teacher had hooked him up with, but before I could ask anything else, he indicated Shaw. "Better go talk to him again." He wanted me away from his crop, so I nodded and joined Shaw, who had moved away from the cute girl with the rack that was threatening to bounce out of her Wonderbra at any moment.
Shaw took his gloves off again. "Sorry, but there’s always something to attend to. Did you have a nice chat with Jamond?"
I nodded. "Nice kid," I said absently.
"He’s growing pot plants over there." His tone was matter-of-fact.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"He thinks I don’t know."
"Why do you let him get away with it?"
"I told them they could grow anything they wanted."
"So you’re just keeping your promise?"
He nodded. "It’s important." He paused. "And this isn’t going in the paper."
I shook my head. "No."
He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Do you want to talk to the other kids?"
Figured I might as well, and I made the rounds, and even though I carefully inspected the gardens of the other students, Jamond was the only one pushing the limits legally.
Shaw walked me back to my car about twenty minutes later and shook my hand again. It was surprisingly cool after being confined in the gloves. "Thank you for doing this," he said, and I hated to admit it, but he was growing on me. The kids had nothing but good things to say about him; he was encouraging and not patronizing with them. Jamond might actually stay in school. Well, unless he could cultivate a bigger crop and make a killing. But these gardens weren’t that big.
"If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to call," Shaw said as I climbed into the Civic and he shut the door for me.
I pretended to search through my bag for something as I watched him walk around the building. He didn’t look back once, just kept going.
I started the car and began pulling out, but just as I did, a red Porsche careened into the lot and I slammed on the brakes, feeling the car skid slightly as I caught my breath.
I looked out the window at the driver, ready to give him the finger.
He was smiling at me.
It was Jack Hammer.
Chapter 10
I climbed out of the car at the same time he got out of his.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. "You almost fucking hit me."
Jack didn’t answer, just reached across his front seat and pulled out the gym bag I’d seen him carrying earlier at the Rouge Lounge. He gripped it tightly as he shut the door and sauntered toward me.
"Hey, there, fancy meeting you here."
"Could say the same about you," I said, cocking my head at his bag. "Thought that was stuff for your show tonight."
Jack Hammer looked up at West Rock, the traprock hill that forms the southern tip of the ridge dividing the towns of Hamden and Woodbridge. "Hiking
"You go to Hillhouse?" I asked.
The kid nodded.
"What’s your name?"
He looked at me sideways for a second. "He already introduced us."
I suppressed a smile. "I meet a lot of people. Remind me."
"Jamond."
"Nice to meet you, Jamond," I said. "So, besides growing plants that get you high, what else are you getting out of this program?"
A flash of fear crossed his face.
I shook my head. "I’m not going to out you. I have to write a story, and I have to quote you to make me look good to my boss."
He digested that a second, then, "It’s summer school. Science credits. So I don’t flunk out." He said it like he didn’t give a shit if he flunked out; this wasn’t his decision.
"What grade are you in?"
"Tenth."
"What would you do if you did flunk out?" I asked, dropping my hand with my notebook to my side. He knew I wasn’t going to write this down.
"Hang out with my friends."
"Have they flunked out?"
"Some."
"How did you find out about the program? Did you know the Reverend Shaw?"
Jamond shook his head, gave me a sly smile. "Teacher. She hooked me up." From his expression and the tone of his voice, I wondered just what else this teacher had hooked him up with, but before I could ask anything else, he indicated Shaw. "Better go talk to him again." He wanted me away from his crop, so I nodded and joined Shaw, who had moved away from the cute girl with the rack that was threatening to bounce out of her Wonderbra at any moment.
Shaw took his gloves off again. "Sorry, but there’s always something to attend to. Did you have a nice chat with Jamond?"
I nodded. "Nice kid," I said absently.
"He’s growing pot plants over there." His tone was matter-of-fact.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"He thinks I don’t know."
"Why do you let him get away with it?"
"I told them they could grow anything they wanted."
"So you’re just keeping your promise?"
He nodded. "It’s important." He paused. "And this isn’t going in the paper."
I shook my head. "No."
He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Do you want to talk to the other kids?"
Figured I might as well, and I made the rounds, and even though I carefully inspected the gardens of the other students, Jamond was the only one pushing the limits legally.
Shaw walked me back to my car about twenty minutes later and shook my hand again. It was surprisingly cool after being confined in the gloves. "Thank you for doing this," he said, and I hated to admit it, but he was growing on me. The kids had nothing but good things to say about him; he was encouraging and not patronizing with them. Jamond might actually stay in school. Well, unless he could cultivate a bigger crop and make a killing. But these gardens weren’t that big.
"If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to call," Shaw said as I climbed into the Civic and he shut the door for me.
I pretended to search through my bag for something as I watched him walk around the building. He didn’t look back once, just kept going.
I started the car and began pulling out, but just as I did, a red Porsche careened into the lot and I slammed on the brakes, feeling the car skid slightly as I caught my breath.
I looked out the window at the driver, ready to give him the finger.
He was smiling at me.
It was Jack Hammer.
Chapter 10
I climbed out of the car at the same time he got out of his.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. "You almost fucking hit me."
Jack didn’t answer, just reached across his front seat and pulled out the gym bag I’d seen him carrying earlier at the Rouge Lounge. He gripped it tightly as he shut the door and sauntered toward me.
"Hey, there, fancy meeting you here."
"Could say the same about you," I said, cocking my head at his bag. "Thought that was stuff for your show tonight."
Jack Hammer looked up at West Rock, the traprock hill that forms the southern tip of the ridge dividing the towns of Hamden and Woodbridge. "Hiking
Similar Books
