“Aja, I’m so glad you came.” Lauren held her hands out to welcome her.
“Hi,” Aja said, and let Lauren lead her inside. She pushed the door closed with her foot, in case someone walked by and saw her here. “How is he?”
“He sleeps so much now,” Lauren said, as she dabbed her eyes. “Dad, look who’s here.”
Mr. Jensen’s eyes fluttered open, and he took a moment to focus on Aja. He grinned. “It’s Princess Bride.” He struggled to sit higher. “You helped with Buttercup.” He held a liver-spotted hand out to Aja. She sat in one of the chairs next to the bed. His face became sad. “I’ve lost her. My Buttercup.” He closed his eyes as if to hold in tears.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jensen. She knew you loved her.” Aja wasn’t sure what to say. She took his hand and scooted the chair closer. “Tell me about her.”
His eyes opened again and he smiled.
Chapter 27
Aja lost track of time sitting in the hospital room with Mr. Jensen. Lauren and her sister left soon after Aja arrived. But when Mr. Jensen started talking about his wife, he became animated and happy. His girls had brought a few photo albums, and he told Aja about each picture. From their wedding to family vacations. She laughed to see a much younger version of him and Mrs. Jensen wearing Mickey Mouse ears at Disneyland. He held her in a dance dip while Lauren and Katie, much younger, laughed next to them.
Aja asked him some questions about physics, a class she needed to finish. He explained the answers with such clarity and eagerness that Aja wished she’d had him as a teacher.
A nurse had brought a tray of food, set it on the portable tray and left. Aja smiled, wondering if Janie had added the piece of chocolate cake for him. “Here, Mr. Jensen, have some dinner.” Aja pulled the tray closer to him.
He waved the food away. “I’m not hungry.”
Aja’s phone rang and she looked at the clock. Six forty-five. Damn, she was supposed to be at the road for her mom to pick her up. Then they still had to get Aja’s car from the mall.
She answered the phone. “Mom, give me a few minutes. I’ll be out as soon as I can.”
“I need to get home. I have a seven o’clock appointment. Let me drive in and pick you up.”
“No, I’ll come out. Just wait.”
Aja hung up and took a forkful of food. “Mr. Jensen, please take a few bites for me. That was my mom. I have to go soon.”
He nodded and let Aja spoon some meat into his mouth. Then he pointed to the mashed potatoes. Aja scooped some for him. Before she knew it, the plate was empty. Her phone had rung a few more times, and it was already after seven.
“I have to run, Mr. Jensen. I’ll come back again.”
He smiled. “And bring your physics book. I’ll go over those formulas with you.” He patted his tummy and closed his eyes.
Aja moved the tray away, grabbed her purse and ran out. She flanked the back of the building and tried to hide in the shadows of the trees. She called her mom, who didn’t answer. Probably already at her appointment. She always made a point to let Aja be independent and take care of her own life, but still it pissed Aja off that she couldn’t wait a few extra minutes for her. She dialed Janie on the off chance that the dinner rush was over. Seven o’clock, and these people were already heading for bed. Janie didn’t pick up.
She hoped Ms. Lewis wasn’t planning on checking on her tonight, since it was already after curfew. She’d been riding Aja’s ass hard since the night they’d called the police.
Aja ran toward the road. The sun was still hot and had just started to go down, but there was still more than an hour of daylight left. The way the shadows hit the trees made the ground seem to move. Aja considered calling Walker. Maybe he was finishing dinner with his grandparents (and probably Kendall), but Aja was desperate. He could think what he wanted about her, but now she needed to be home, and he was the only person left to call. She slowed down and pulled her phone out. The battery fell off the back. Stupid phone. She missed her old phone that Freddy Krueger crunched. It wasn’t a cool phone, but at least it held a charge and the battery.
She bent to pick up the battery when she heard a voice. The voice.
“Well, well, are you running from another heist? And past your curfew?”
Aja’s gut clenched. She whirled around and saw Clay Richards walking toward her. He was too close for her to make a run for it, but she was tempted to try anyway.
“As I recall, you’re not supposed to be on this property,” he said, sneering at her.
“And you have to stay away from me,” Aja’s voice was wispy with fear.
“No, I don’t. Remember? You’re the criminal, not me.”
“You broke into my house.”
“Says who?” He walked closer.
Aja backed away. With sudden clarity, she knew he’d been at the mall parking lot watching her when Janie picked her up.
“Stay there. Don’t make me tase you.” He reached for a funky looking device on his belt. “I want you to be aware. I don’t want to have to wipe drool off your pretty face while you’re convulsing from the shock of the Taser.”
Aja knew she had a pretty good chance of out-running him. Even if he shot the Taser, he’d probably miss a moving target. But the thought of him landing a direct hit scared her just enough to stand down. She’d be at his mercy if he shot her.
“My mother’s picking me up,” Aja sputtered.
“Then why are you hiding in the trees?” He held the Taser out, then replaced it on his belt.
“You know I’m not supposed to be here. She’s picking me up at the road.” She took a step back. “I’m already late, so I need to go.”
“Did you steal some valuables from some poor old person again?” He matched her steps.
“I came to visit a friend.”
“A friend.” He gave a sinister smile. “You sure could use a friend.” His pace quickened, and he was almost on Aja. She turned and ran, but he caught her collar and violently pulled her to him.
Aja had been confronted by police officers, harassed by men, teased by students. But Clay Richards was a whole different kind of evil. All the others she’d been able to flip off. This guy scared her to the deepest depths of her soul. Her knees went weak, and she almost fell, but an instinct kicked in and she struck back and slapped his face. This just pissed him off more, and he pushed her to the ground facedown and landed on top of her. He held her hands behind her while his knee ground into her back. She couldn’t breathe. He took twisty ties and cuffed her wrists.
“So you’re a fighter, huh.” He pulled the ties excruciatingly tight. “I don’t want you all bruised when I take those nude pictures of you.” He leaned close to her ear, laying his weight heavier on her back. “You’re so pretty.” His breath smelled like onions and evil.
A car passed near by. Aja tried to look up but couldn’t raise her head. She was afraid the driver couldn’t see them through the trees, and the setting sun would be in their eyes.
“Help,” Aja croaked. She had no voice or enough air to scream.
The car drove on.
“Don’t make me stuff something in your mouth.” Clay pushed harder on her back, blowing all the air out of her lungs.
Aja closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Through the nose, out the mouth. She silently thanked her mom for making her do yoga all these years. With his weight on her, she couldn’t catch a deep breath but gulped enough air to be able to think again. She did not want to pass out.
“Police station,” Aja gasped. “Take me there.”
“All in good time,” Clay said, running his hands down her arms. He started to reach under her shirt when Aja heard the car pass by again. It had a familiar clunk to it, one she hadn’t noticed when it came by the first time. Her mom’s truck made funny noises; it had to be her.
Aja tried to squirm away and get his hand out of her shirt. The truck stopped and Aja heard the familiar door creak. “Aja?”
Oh, blessed relief, she’d n
ever been so happy to hear that voice.
“Mom!” Aja barely got the word out before she felt Clay dig into her back again. She thought of all the action movies she’d seen where the good guy was able to twirl out from under the bad guy and twist the bad guy’s neck with their legs or flip over and subdue the evildoer with some fancy moves. But Aja was paralyzed with his weight on her. Helpless. She prayed that her mom could see them.
“Oh, my God!” Aja’s mom screamed.
Aja turned her head enough to see her mom sprinting toward them. She wanted to cry with relief.
“You bastard! Get off her.” Her mom barreled fast at them. Clay Richards shifted his weight some, but stayed on Aja. She could tell he was fumbling with something on his belt.
“No!” Aja tried to scream. “Stop, Mom,” she cried hoarsely. But she was too late. Clay Richards shot her mom, point blank, with the Taser.
Chapter 28
Aja sat in the now-familiar police room, alone. Her back and ribs ached where Clay had held her down. Worse, where his hand had touched her she felt filthy, almost scalded. After not being able to breathe, Aja now cherished each painful breath she took in. She’d never been so afraid in her life as when Clay was on top of her, reaching under her shirt. Aja also worried about her mom. She’d been told that her mom was fine and was being questioned in another room. She furiously rubbed her angel medal.
She hoped her mom was okay. It hurt Aja to see her flop like a fish from the electric shock of the Taser, the wires of the gun strung off of her like tentacles. She was helpless, but aware of what had happened. Aja closed her eyes to the memory, but the image only became more vivid.
The door opened, and the detective who’d questioned her before stormed in with Ms. Lewis at his heels.
“Looks like you’ll be spending your nights at the detention center,” Ms. Lewis said.
“How’s my mom?” Aja asked.
“She’s being taken care of,” Detective Powell said. “You both may be spending time in jail.”
“My mother did nothing.” Aja cried. “She was trying to help me. That bastard Clay Richards had me face down and tethered, with his knee in my back and his hand up my shirt.”
“That’s Officer Richards to you, young lady,” Ms. Lewis retorted.
“That’s sexual predator, old lady.”
“Remember, Aja, I’m the one holding the cards to your future,” Ms. Lewis said, crossing her arms. “You’ll be lucky to get a GED.”
“Do you want to see the bruises he left?” Aja stood, ready to pull her shirt up.
“He told us you ran from him and he had to restrain you,” Officer Powell said. “Now, sit down.”
“And you believed him?” Aja’s eyes filled with tears of fear and frustration. “You give a guy like that power and a gun without even considering what he’s capable of? The guy is a pervert in a uniform.” Aja fell into her chair. “It’s a no-way-out situation.”
“He said you were on your way to the nursing home, probably to steal from the residents there.”
“I was leaving the hospital there after visiting with a patient.” Aja waved her hand.
“You’re not allowed to be on the property,” Ms. Lewis said, taking a seat.
“I know.”
“Then why did you go?”
“Mr. Jensen’s daughter called. She was worried about him. I thought I could help.” Aja wiped her face with her hands. Her wrists were bruised by the plastic cuffs. “I want to see my mom. I don’t trust you. After what Clay Richards did to me, I can see how twisted your thinking is here.”
“Both you and your mom are the ones with a past history of being troublemakers,” Detective Powell said, tapping the table with his fingers.
“There’s a big difference between being taken in for a sit-in protest and being a victim of sexual assault. I think your priorities are screwed,” Aja spit out.
“As are your views,” Detective Powell said, still drumming a beat with his fingers. “Didn’t you steal money from a teacher at school?”
“I paid it back.” She squirmed a little. Mrs. Burnett had really paid it to Dempsey before her mom gave her the money.
“So you’re a thief, too.”
Aja stared at him. “That was a crime of passion.” She had a feeling, small, but she knew that this detective was dirty, too. Not evil like Clay Richards, but he’d taken money from something. Then the feeling was gone. Of course she couldn’t say anything because she had no proof, and she was the one being interrogated. They wouldn’t even believe that Clay Richards had done what she said, even though she could feel the throb of the bruises on her back and ribs.
Officer Smith knocked on the door and opened it. “Aja, I just want to let you know I’ve just visited with your mom. She’s doing okay.”
“Thanks. Can I see her?” Aja asked.
“We’re in the middle of an investigation. Don’t interrupt us.” Detective Powell turned on her. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“You like to throw your weight around, don’t you?” Aja frowned at Powell when Smith backed out the door.
“We’re not finished talking to you.” He smacked the table with the palm of his hand.
“Aja,” Ms. Lewis said, “you need to control your smart mouth.”
Aja had the feeling again of Clay Richards watching her. It made her feel dirty and scared. She turned to the two-way mirror and shot her middle finger at it. “Get him out of here,” Aja cried.
“Did you just shoot me the finger?” Powell yelled, standing so fast his chair fell back.
Aja never took her eyes off the mirror. “I want a lawyer.”
Chapter 29
After the interrogation, Ms. Lewis escorted Aja home so she could pack a bag for her stay in the detention center. The appointed lawyer said she’d talk to them tomorrow and to go ahead and stay one night at the juvenile lock-up.
“Will I get to school tomorrow?” Aja asked, slumped in the car seat.
“No,” Ms. Lewis answered perfunctorily.
“Why not?”
“Because you were told not to go to the retirement home. You can’t be trusted.”
“You realize I was helping someone.”
“No, I think you were there stirring up trouble.”
“Do you hate everyone?” Aja barked back.
“Just liars.” Lewis stared ahead.
“That’s rude.” Aja sniffed. “Call the Jensens, they asked me to come.”
Ms. Lewis said nothing as they turned on Aja’s street.
Inside the house Aja’s mom was there with Clara Wells. She ran to Aja and gave her a big hug. “Honey, are you okay? I keep picturing that asshole on top of you.”
“And I keep seeing you getting tased. How are you?” Aja pulled away to look at her mom.
“I still can’t believe it happened.” She rubbed her chest where the prongs had gone in. “This is crazy. I’m pressing charges, then we’re getting out of this town as soon as possible.” She took Aja in a hug again, her bruises taking a direct hit. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
Ms. Lewis stood in the doorway. “Not for long. She’s spending the night at the detention center.”
“No, she is not!” Her mom stood in front of Aja protectively. “Haven’t you done enough to her?”
“And I understand you’re being charged with obstruction of an arrest. So I’d suggest you don’t start trouble. Especially considering you’re still on parole.” Lewis turned to Aja. “You have five minutes to get your things. Toothbrush, change of clothes, no phone, computer or music pods.”
“Whatever,” Aja said, pulling away from her mom.
“I don’t understand you all.” Clara Wells got up from the couch. “These two wouldn’t hurt a fly and are good-hearted people.” She shook her head. “Really, can’t you find any real criminals to harass?”
Ms. Lewis crossed her arms and didn’t acknowledge Clara.
Aja’s mom started to follow Aja to her room.
&nbs
p; “Oh, no you don’t,” Lewis said. “Aja can go alone.”
“Oh get a life!” Clara Wells spat. “Her mother was tased by a corrupt police officer, and Aja was physically assaulted by him. I think they can pick out some clean underwear together without more abuse from you.”
“Do you want to come with us?” Aja’s mom asked Ms. Lewis.
“Five minutes.” Lewis held up five fingers.
“Then what, you’ll come in shooting?” Aja spat.
Lewis wiggled her five-minute fingers at her and said nothing.
Aja’s mom grabbed her by the arm and they went into her bedroom.
“Mom, are you really okay? I was worried. I thought…” Aja’s mom cut her off.
“I’d take a lightning strike for you. I don’t want to tell you how it felt to see that jerk on top of you.” She put a hand to her eyes. “How can this be happening? Why are the bad guys getting away with this? I would have killed him if he hadn’t shot me first.” She rubbed her chest again. “Aja, let’s run.” Her mom went to the window and looked out. “Now, with nothing.” Aja saw the familiar flash in her mom’s eyes. “It will be our greatest adventure.” Her mom spoke excitedly. She reached in her pocket and fished a small wad of bills, mostly singles.
Aja was sorely tempted to jump out the window, too. She fought down the overpowering urge. “Mom, think. If we run, then we will be criminals.”
“Since when did you become so, I don’t know, compliant?” She spat the last word out like it was vermin.
“We shouldn’t have to run. We’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Exactly. We’ve done nothing but are the ones being punished. It’s bad karma, honey. All this started when you took that money.”
“Karma? I know it was stupid, but none of this is because of that.”
“Something is working against us.”
“Mom, really? This is because no one believes us. It has nothing to do with…”
“The fact your mom’s the town psychic and all around nutcase?” Aja’s mom continued to stare out the window.
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