'A little.'
'It's after six,' Decker said. 'Where did you guys go?'
'Sammy and Hannah picked me up from the Teen Hotline Crisis Center.'
'Oh!' Decker sat up and so did Jacob. 'How'd that go?'
'Well...' Jacob cracked his knuckles. 'Grandpa never raped me, so I guess I'm one hell of a lucky guy.'
Decker winced.
'And I discovered that divorce... it's a very lousy thing. Maybe... maybe even worse than losing a parent.'
'Depends on the divorce.'
'Well, the ones the hotline got were pretty nasty. Then again, no one calls when everyone's getting along. Or at least, faking it.' Jacob thought a moment. 'We got a couple of abuse cases - physical abuse. Parents whacking their kids close-fisted. That's one of the center's main criteria for reportable abuse. Slugging with a fist.'
'Did you actually talk to any of the callers?'
'No. I just listened in on the tape recorder. Wow! I marvel at the counselors. They're my age, and they handle the callers like seasoned pros. I wouldn't know what to say. I'd just like... freeze. Or worse, I'd say the wrong thing and send someone into the Pacific Ocean without a life jacket. It's really amazing... what they do.'
'They learned, Jacob. And you'll learn, too.'
'I hope so.'
'They were nice to you?'
'Real nice. It was... okay. It felt good actually.' He threw his head back onto the couch pillow. 'Some people have it very rough.' He turned to his stepfather. 'I wasn't being facetious, you know. I think I am lucky.'
'I'm glad.'
'I have a mother who loves me very much. I had a father who loved me very much. And I have a stepfather who's cool.'
Decker grinned. 'I'm cool?'
'Very cool.' He kissed Decker's cheek. 'Play you some chess after Hannah goes to bed?'
'It's a deal.'
He stood. 'Well, I've put it off long enough. Gotta go tackle Gemora. Is Eema almost done with dinner?'
'I think so.'
'Tell her I may just eat in my room. My grades in Gemora really suck. I've got to study.'
'Are you thinking about that Johns Hopkins program?'
He shrugged. 'Maybe. See ya.' He turned and went into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him, which caused Decker's head to ring.
It rang for a ten seconds, then twenty seconds, then a half-minute.
Then suddenly the switch turned off. And there was nothing.
Nothing except for the ambient noise of Hannah's cartoons on the TV, Sammy's CDs being played a little too loud, and something frying in the kitchen.
Home noises that were comforting.
Blessed solitude. Breathing deeply...
A minute passed, then two.
Sitting in his house, settling into his sofa with nobody calling his name, nobody beckoning him to the phone, no demands, and his head wasn't ringing.
Nothing but peace.
Don't get much better than this!
He rested another moment. Then he got up from the couch, heading for the bedroom.
Scooby-Doo awaited.
The End
Faye Kellerman - Decker 11 - Jupiter's Bones Page 43
