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“And Holloway?”
Steve stubbed out the cigarette, spit out the window. “Holloway just wanted to put her in a jar.”
“And she figured that out about him?”
“You should have seen him when she said she was leaving him for your father.”
“Angry?”
“Angry. Jealous. He pursued her hard, tried to change her mind, but three months later your folks were married. You came a year later. It was as sharp a rejection as I ever saw, and I don’t know that Holloway ever got over it.”
“But dad did work for Holloway. All those houses he built. Holloway was over all the time.”
“Your daddy sees good in all people. It’s part of what makes him so fine. But Holloway was just waiting to bury him.”
“Dad didn’t know?”
“I told him as much, but your daddy always thought he could handle him. He’s prideful like that.”
“Confident,” Joh
“Arrogant.”
Blacktop slid under the truck. The fan belt made a sudden, screaming noise. “You work for Holloway.”
“Not all of us have a choice, Joh
Steve stopped the van at a light. In the distance, Holloway’s mall rose like a battleship. Joh
Steve’s eyes were as flat as a snake’s. “Hell, son.” The light turned green. “Everybody did.”
The parking lot was slammed, which reminded Joh
“Can I wait in the van?”
“Too dangerous back here. Homeless. Drug abusers. God knows what else.” Joh
Inside, a key card granted access to a narrow door, metal stairs, and a third-story hallway that led to an office marked SECURITY. Steve swiped his card and leaned a shoulder against the office door. “Kids never get to see this.”
The security office was large and complex, with a bank of video monitors that covered an entire wall. Two guards sat in black swivel chairs, hands on keyboards and joysticks, changing images on the screens, zooming in and out, observing. They turned as Joh
One of them was twenty-something and fat, with hair mowed short and a razor-burned face. His smile was at once awe filled and dismissive. “This the kid?”
Steve put a hand on Joh
The fat guard offered a meaty hand, and Joh
Joh
The guard made a shooting motion. “Pow.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Joh
But the guard was eager. “You see this?” He whipped a newspaper from the counter. “Front page. Check it out.”
The picture was of Joh
The caption ran below the photograph: “Stolen Child Found, Pedophile Killed.”
Joh
“The security guard at the hospital took it with his cell phone. They’re using the same picture on CNN.” The fat guard shook his head. “Probably paid him a fortune.”
Steve stepped in front of Joh
The guard shifted as he took in Joh
“Is the boss in?” Steve interrupted.
The guard hooked a thumb at an office door but kept his eyes on Joh
“Should he be?”
Steve shrugged, but looked nervous. “Anything exciting?”
“One shoplifter. Two D-and-Ds.”
Steve explained. “Drunk and disorderly.” He tapped Joh
Joh
Then he saw Jack.
Red-faced, humiliated, awkward-looking Jack.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, a small, tan boy with a shriveled arm and no mea
Joh
Joh
Steve leaned forward. “Gerald Cross? Yeah, I see it. The girls have been like that ever since he signed with Clemson. He’ll go pro in a year. His contract will be ten million, minimum.”
“Not him.”
“Then what?”
“Can I go down there?”
Steve shrugged. “Go. Stay. I’m not your daddy.”
Joh
That’s the guy.
It took Joh
The story was everywhere.
By the time he crossed the Food Court, a dozen people were watching him, but he didn’t care. One of the seniors was snapping rabbit punches at Jack’s bad arm, hitting beneath the meat of the shoulder, right where the hollow bone had the least protection. Jack was trying to hide it, but Joh
Joh
Joh
Joh