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    Kick
    Kick
    Kick
    Ebook156 pages2 hours

    Kick

    By Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    For the very first time in his decades-long career writing for teens, acclaimed and beloved author Walter Dean Myers writes with a teen, Ross Workman.

    Kevin Johnson is thirteen years old. And heading for juvie. He's a good kid, a great friend, and a star striker for his Highland, New Jersey, soccer team. His team is competing for the State Cup, and he wants to prove he has more than just star-player potential. Kevin's never been in any serious trouble . . . until the night he ends up in jail. Enter Sergeant Brown, a cop assigned to be Kevin's mentor. If Kevin and Brown can learn to trust each other, they might be able to turn things around before it's too late.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperTeen
    Release dateFeb 1, 2011
    ISBN9780062069573
    Author

    Walter Dean Myers

    Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

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    Reviews for Kick

    3.5/5

    35 ratings15 reviews

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    • 3/5
      “Kick” by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman was a bit of a slow start, but did take a great upward incline once you reached page 20. ( approximately).The book although short and medium paced has many great connections and is wonderfully compacted with words so simple, yet when they weave them together they are most intricate.The combination of problems the young man Kevin struggles with happen in everyday life, and i believe that this why although the book is not an exhilarating fast paced book it still holds and in some stretches captivates you to the point of no return. Myers and Workman kept it simple, but for most writers especially when they combine their ideas something more elaborate usually comes out of their combined calibrations. Yet I found that in this book simple works and although on the surface simple if you see some of the problems and things that have multiple occurrences in his life and the new problems you see that simple is not so “ simple”. I have concluded that one of the treasons that this book won a National Ambassador for young people's literature, was for the fac6t that the mind of a teen and the mind of an experienced man and writer came together that made a book that was simple , yet well written and descriptively deeply simple. One of the major benefits to this book was that there was so much room to take the story in your own image, there was nothing forcing you to think a certain way, although it was a greatly structured book.In my opinion what truly and honestly caught my was three things one: was written by two authors, two: he back, and three: why it got an Ambassador for young people's literature award. The book being written by a teen ( like myself ) and a writer in my opinion that is an expert of all experts was astonishing and very appealing to me. I wanted to see how this calibrations of mind would work and how that it would play out and to what caliber the book would reach. Second the back was such a cliffhanger, to me when they put it on it must have seen perfect and it was! “ kevin johnson is a great kid and skilled soccer player, with attitude, then he ends up in jail sergeant brown is a tough cop and kevin's mentor with attitude, if kevin and brown can learn to trust each other they might be able to turn things around before it's too late. This was so amazing and inspiring in a way like no situation is hopeless. I Couldn't explain how perfect it was until i looked in a dictionary!The book starts off slow and then picks up to speed like a car with a new motor, when kevin and his best friend christy get into a little mishap. This mishap spells trouble for Kevin and for everyone around him. Soccer season is picking up , but his spirits are down and he needs to overcome much in order to be the same Kevin. through much with sergeant brown and much of teenager disobedience, Kevin finds his path and see’s that sometimes the right thing is wrong and the wrong thing is right. In the end Kevin needs his honor, his friends, his family and much more for this book to end with a happy ending. Though Kevin finds some contentment Myers and Workman Take true life and spin it into the whole story.
    • 5/5
      The backstory of this novel is something out of a young bookworm's dream.  Thirteen-year-old Ross Workman sent a fan email to his favorite author, Walter Dean Myers, and then Myers wrote back suggesting they collaborate on a book.  Kick is the result of that collaboration and it's worth reading if only for the knowledge of how it came to be.The basic story centers on teenage Kevin Johnson who tried to do something to help a friend and wound up in deep trouble.  The son of a cop killed in the line of duty, Kevin is one of the star players on his high school soccer team, but any chance at glory is jeopardized one night when he's found at the wheel of a crashed car, a crying female classmate in the passenger seat, and no story that he's willing to share that can explain any of it.  The car belongs to the girl's father and while he decides whether or not to press charges, Sergeant Jerry Brown takes an interest in the case based on the fact that Kevin has no record and his dad used to be on the force.  As the real story unfolds, Kevin and Sergeant Brown learn to trust each other and just maybe this means Kevin can salvage his bright future while not betraying the trust of his friend.Clearly geared towards boys who might not otherwise read unless there's sports or a whiff of trouble, Kick is told from two perspectives passed back and forth -- Kevin's (written by Workman) and Seargeant Brown's (written by Myers).  Knowing the background of the novel, it's really quite an interesting experience to see the back-and-forth perspectives, knowing how the two authors collaborated.  With years of writing for teens, it was a pretty wonderful move on the part of Myers to reach out to a teen for a fresh voice to spark the young man's career, or at least give him material for a pretty fabulous college application essay.  Kick is a good choice from the 12+ boy who might require some sports in his books to make them appealing.  The ending is tidy, but it's better to give hope to kids who make a mistake.  Another fabulous book from Walter Dean Myers.Note: I can't claim total subjectivity on this one, so take what you will from this review.
    • 3/5
      A 13-year-old soccer player, Kevin Johnson, the son of a police officer killed in the line of duty, tries to help his friend Christy McNamara and ends up arrested. Because he doesn't want to betray the trust of his friend, he clams up and won't explain why he was driving her father's car without permission, and is arrested for auto theft. The judge in the case, Bill Kelly, calls in Sergeant Jerry Brown, an old friend, to work with Kevin-to try to keep him from going to jail and to find out what happened the night he was arrested. Ad he visits Kevin, attending his soccer games and trying to coax him out, Kevin thinks he has found a way to help the police with another case and begins investigating on his own.The beginning of this book shows the exchange of emails between Ross Workman and Walter Dean Myers that started and continued throughout the collaboration process - this was very interesting to me. It was fun to read the excitement in Ross's emails when Walter suggested they work together.Narrated in almost seamless alternating chapters by Kevin (Ross) and Sgt. Brown (Walter), the reader can tell that Ross has great writing potential, and I applaud writers such as Mr. Myers who work to encourage young readers to write as well.The plot was fairly simple and easy to follow, and although there were places where this adult reader thought things could have been more developed and even (for instance, there's a spot where the sergeant becomes unreasonably angry with Kevin during an exchange, and I couldn't figure out why), it seems as though it would be a great read for middle and high school readers, especially reluctant boy readers. QUOTESAll morning I sat around trying to think through what was happening, but I was too scared to concentrate. When the guard came and called my name, I hardly even recognized it. He said I had a visitor in the interview room. I hoped it was Mom. I hoped it was her even though I felt terrible about her seeing me in jail.I don't really get popularity, because most kids who are popular are mean, and the rest of the kids don't even like them.I didn't like people playing dirty. It didn't matter whether it was on or off the field - except this time I could do something about it.Writing: 3.5 out of 5 starsPlot: 3 out of 5 starsCharacters: 3 out of 5 starsReading Immersion: 3 out 5 starsBOOK RATING: 3.125 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Good story, but it kind of fizzled at the end. Kevin is arrested when he has an accident with his friend's car -- even though he and his friend Christy are only 13. A detective is asked to get to know Kevin better and to see if he can figure out what is going on, because Kevin isn't talking. Alternating chapters are told by Kevin and by the detective.
    • 4/5
      This book started with an email from 13-year-old fan Ross Workman to his favorite author, Walter Dean Myers... who responded with a challenge: let's write a story back and forth, each adding a chapter. This is the result! Kevin is the 13-year-old son of a police officer who died in the line of duty, and he's now in trouble. Big trouble. Late one night, he crashed his weeping friend's father's car, with her in the front seat. Then he refused to tell why he was driving or what was going on, and her father is thinking about pressing felony charges (car theft, kidnapping, etc) against Kevin. The judge asks veteran cop Jerry Brown to see if he can help Kevin because of his father's service and the fact that Kevin has never been in trouble before. As the investigation and the friendship both develop, Sergeant Brown suspects something else is going on with Kevin's friend's family... and that Kevin may be holding onto some pretty deep secrets. The chapters alternate, told from Kevin's point of view, and then from Sergeant Brown's. This works really well to keep the suspense going, and to give multiple sides of the same events. Because Kevin is a talented soccer player, his practices and games are part of the story as well, which makes this a great choice for sports fans. Highly recommended for 7th grade and up!
    • 4/5
      Book talk:Perhaps what's best about this book can be found on the back cover. "Here is the email that started it all." Ross Workman wrote an email to Walter Dean Myers, his favorite author (Autobiography of My dead Brother, Monster, Dope Sick, Fallen Angels, Lockdown, Scorpions, Shooter, Slam!) His favorite author wrote back, and he suggested they write a story together. He would write the first ten pages and Ross would write the next ten pages; they would write in alternating voices. After hundreds of emails in three years, Mr. Myers and Ross published this book, Kick. Ross wrote the part of a 13 year old in trouble and heading to juvie. He's a great soccer player with a volatile temper. Mr. Myers wrote the part of a police officer assigned to be Kevin's mentor. Read Kick for some exciting soccer scenes and also to find out what it was that got Kevin arrested.
    • 3/5
      Walter Dean Myers has been writing young adult books for years, this one was a bit of a change for him as he teamed up with Ross Workman, a teenage fan, to cowrite the book. The first few pages of the book include a selection of the emails exchanged between the pair, from the initial idea to write together right through to getting the news that it was going to be published. I found these a very endearing read particularly the advice given by Myers to Workman during the writing process.

      The plot is fairly straight forward, the well meaning cop trying to get a former colleague's son back on the straight and narrow. The narration swaps between Kevin and Sgt. Brown with each chapter, I really liked this - it was nice getting to see situations from both of their perspectives. Alongside the main plot of Kevin facing the prospect of juvie and Sgt. Brown trying to help him improve his situation is the soccer plot following Kevin's team's efforts in the State Cup. The plots are fairly simple and for my taste the main plotline is resolved a little too simply.

      I found Kevin quite hard to engage with at times, I think however that this is the sign of him being well written. The decisions teenage boys make often puzzle me and Kevin was certainly no different.

      Overall I enjoyed this book and am quite inspired by the story of how it came to be.
    • 4/5
      This review is based upon an corrected galley proof, provided in advance in electronic format.Kick is a collabration between well respected youth author, Walter Dean Myers and one of his readers, 13 year old Ross Workman. I particulary enjoyed the correspondence at the beginning of the book regarding their collaboration and how they worked together. It earned renewed respect for Mr. Myers and his dedication to youth.Mr. Workman brings his perspective as a teenager and his expertise as a travel soccer player to the character development of the main character, Kevin Johnson. Kevin is the son of a police officer killed in the line of duty who finds himself in trouble with the law and in a position where he feels he can't defend himself without betraying a confidence. His immaturity and temper continue to get him in trouble. Jerry Brown is an officer who takes a personal interest in Kevin, trying to help him stay out of jail, become a responsible man and own up to his temper and mistakes. This is a great book for adolescent teen males, in particularthose interested in soccer, or who feel that they are prejudged and not given enough opportunities. Myers becomes preachy at times, but in a meaningful, reall life way that will speak to many young males.
    • 3/5
      Good story with soccer action about a boy who gets into trouble with the law when he tries to help a friend. Written by Myers and a teen!
    • 3/5
      Well, what a dream come true for a teen, to collaborate with your favorite author! Perhaps I read too fast through this and should revisit it to be fair, but it seemed disjointed at times and not because of the alternating voices. However, the idea of kids getting into serious trouble as a result of trying to do something, and attempting to cover their tracks, rings true as the kind of thing teens would do.
    • 3/5
      "Kick" is a very interesting experiment. Not only is Myer's writing FOR teens (as he does so well) he was co-authoring WITH a teen. Ross Workman was 13 when the two began to work on this book together. Told in alternating chapters between Sergeant Jerry Brown, a policeman and Kevin Johnson, son of a slain police officer himself, who is in serious trouble. Brown takes Kevin under his wing and ultimately uncovers the entire story--one of a boy trying to help a friend, not a boy gone bad. Though a little rough in spots, it is an inspiring story both between its' covers and in its' authorship.
    • 3/5
      This book was interesting (I'm obsessed with the Kennedys, to my shame) but not particularly well-written. (Sorry, Paula, but you need a better editor - Palm Springs is not synonymous with Palm Beach, for one thing, and I would have liked a carefully researched and explicated example of how Kick and Jack were, indeed, one person rather than repeating it endlessly as fact: repetition does give enlightenment.) If you're obsessed with the Kennedys, though, read on.
    • 4/5
      Kick by Paula Byrne is a 2016 Harper publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Does the fascination with the Kennedy’s ever really fade? This larger than life family, is remembered for their unprecedented success and mark on our country and our lives, but they are also remembered for the heart wrenching tragedies the family has endured. This book is about Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, the fourth Kennedy child, whose life ended abruptly, and shockingly, at such a young age. While I have always been very curious about the Kennedy assassination, having read many books on the subject, both fiction and non-fiction, I can’t say my interest in the Kennedy family has ever strayed beyond that. I confess to knowing very little about Kathleen Kennedy before starting this book, so for me it has been very enlightening, giving me a different perspective on the family. Kathleen appears to have been a vivacious girl, smart, funny, and full of mischief. She was close to her father, but seemed to have an especially close relationship with her brother, Jack. Despite her life being cut so tragically short, she did appear to live it with gusto, unafraid to tread into unchartered territory, break rules, and was a little scandalous, especially for the time era in which she lived, which did not always please her parents. This accounting of her life is interesting, but, the reading could be dry at times, especially in the beginning with the requisite background on the Kennedy family dynasty. But, as ‘Kick’ grew older, her personality really shined and the book does include some personal stories and excerpts from letters she wrote, which gives the reader a little insight into the type of person she was. I found the latter part of her short life, to be the most interesting and controversial. I think her death was taken very hard by the family, but it was also quickly hushed, as there were some aspects of Kathleen’s death the family would rather not have publicized. While Rose Kennedy has been dubbed, “The Forgotten Kennedy”, I don’t think Kathleen’s life has been examined all that closely either. I gleaned enough information from this book to have whetted my appetite, if you will, and I would like to learn more about ‘Kick’, and perhaps other Kennedy family members, besides JFK. I’m not sure if this book is the most comprehensive accounting of her life, but it gave me enough information and insight to get a pretty clear picture of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy. Kathleen certainly packed a lot of living into her short life, and was ahead of her time in many ways. She is certainly an interesting figure and I am glad I took the time to learn more about her life. 3.5 rounded to 4
    • 4/5
      It seems to be the time for books about the Kennedy sisters. Recently, Rosemary: The Hidden Daughter by Kate Clifford Lawson was published and now Paula Byrne's Kick, about Kathleen Kennedy is on the shelves.Not much has been written about Kathleen, the fourth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy, better known as Kick. She, Joe Jr. and Jack were thick as thieves growing up together. When Joseph Kennedy was named U.S. Ambassador to England, Kick began to blossom.She loved their time in England and when WWII was looming over England, the Kennedy clan returned to America much to Kick's dismay. She had fallen in love with Billy Hartington, the son of the Duke of Devonshire and Chatsworth.The Kennedys were the embodiment of good Catholics and Billy's family were from the Church of England and historically hated Catholics. Though they were madly in love, their marriage would be problematic for all.Kathleen returned home and got a job working at a Washington DC newspaper, and pining for Billy. She found a way back to England as a volunteer for the Red Cross, where she and Billy rekindled their love. Although she risked her mother's wrath, Kick accepted Billy's marriage proposal and married him outside of her deeply felt Catholic faith.They were married for only a few months when Billy was killed in combat. Kick was devastated. She had lost her brother Joe in the war and her brother Jack was nearly killed when his PT-109 boat was destroyed in the Pacific theater.She fought through the pain and eventually began a relationship with Peter Fitzwilliam, a married man. Kick and Peter were killed in a plane crash outside of Paris in 1948.The first half of the book is filled with names, so many that it made my head spin. The book came to life for me in the second half, when Kick goes to England with the Red Cross. Byrne concentrates on Kick more, and the people around her less, and that strengthens the book for me.Not much is known about Kick, or Rosemary, so these two books give us insight into these two ladies from America's most famous family. We see the strife between Rose and Kick over Kick's willingness to marry outside her faith, and Joseph's strong love and belief in his daughter to make her choice, though he disagreed with her.I also liked reading about Kick's job in DC, how she made her way as a curious, intelligent young woman. Her relationship with her brother Jack was an important part of her life, and the death of his two closest siblings just a few years apart must have impacted Jack in a powerful way.I recommend Kick for fans of the Kennedy family, as well as for anyone who likes a memoir about strong women.
    • 3/5
      I love that this is a collaboration between a teen and a world-class author. The themes are good -- soccer, mentorship, dealing with situations where you screw up. The plot was a little bit meandering, but the play by play of games felt like an excellent hook for soccer fans and the realistic need for trust building resonated for me.

    Book preview

    Kick - Walter Dean Myers

    Chapter 01

    Bill Kelly and I had been friends since we played high school basketball together. I had played strong forward and he had been the quick guard with the sweet outside shot. He had always been bright and the kind of kid who did his homework on time and worried about his grades, and I was always more relaxed. After high school I went into the army and then onto the police force, and Bill went on to law school. I knew he would do well and he did, but he really came into his own when he became a judge. He always seemed to look to do a bit more than he had to, for the community as well as for the people who came through his courtroom. So when he called me and asked me if I would mind coming down to his office to talk about a case he had an interest in, I was flattered.

    It was only a twenty-minute drive from my place to the Highland Municipal Courthouse. I parked in the rear of the old Art Deco structure, went through the double doors and past the cafeteria, and made my way to the elevator bank in the east end of the building.

    Judge Kelly’s office was on the third floor, and I arrived at two minutes to the hour.

    Miss Weinberg, Kelly’s secretary, smiled as she picked up the phone.

    Sergeant Brown is here, sir, she said.

    A moment later the frosted door opened and Judge Kelly, nearly as lean as he had been in his playing days, stepped out.

    Come on in, Jerry, he said, extending his hand. How you doing these days?

    I’m good, I said. Fighting the battle of the bulge. Looks like even the salads are fattening these days.

    You need to come jogging with me, he said, going behind his desk.

    I noticed that there was a young officer already seated in one of the chairs facing the judge.

    Sergeant Jerry Brown, this is Scott Evans. He made the arrest of the young man I’m interested in, Judge Kelly said.

    Hey, how’s it going? The young officer stood and extended his hand.

    It’s going well, I answered.

    Sergeant Brown’s been interested in keeping young people out of trouble for a long time, and as I mentioned to you before, we’ve talked about cases in which we might be able to intervene and keep a kid on the right path, Judge Kelly said. This young man’s father was a policeman.

    Was? I asked.

    You remember Johnson? Young officer who got caught up in a shoot-out a few years ago? Kelly leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his neck.

    Yeah. He was a good young . . . his kid is in trouble? I looked at the arresting officer.

    Scott, why don’t you fill Jerry in? Judge Kelly asked the officer.

    Evans took out his pad, took a few seconds to read his notes, then looked up at me.

    "I was on patrol last night, just after nine, when I saw a Ford Taurus driving erratically along the street parallel to the highway. The lights weren’t on and the car was weaving. I thought it was a drunk and I put my lights on. When I did that, the car sped up a bit, then braked, then sped up and skidded into a light pole. No major damages, but I got the feeling whoever was driving was just lucky at that time. I told them over the loudspeaker to turn the engine off, and they complied. Then I ordered them out of the car.

    "At first I thought it was an old skinny guy and then I saw that it was a kid. I checked the car and there was a passenger, and she looked even younger than the driver. Okay, so I figured a couple of kids making out in a moving car. I asked the kid for his driver’s license and he doesn’t have one. I asked him how old he was, and he looks at me and says he’s thirteen. I put my light on his face and I see he’s really young. His name is Kevin Johnson."

    His parents’ car? I asked.

    No, it’s the girl’s father’s car, Evans said. She’s thirteen, and I look at her face and I see she’s been crying. Her face is all puffy and red. I take the guy to the back of the car and ask him what’s going on. He gives me a ‘Nothing.’ So I cuff him and tell him to sit on the sidewalk next to the car, and I go to the girl and I ask her what’s going on. She gives me the same ‘Nothing.’ Which, incidentally, pisses me off. I don’t know the kid is the son of a policeman who was killed in the line of duty.

    You couldn’t know that, Judge Kelly said.

    So I get the girl’s ID and her telephone number and I call her house. I get the father and tell him I just stopped two kids in his car and ask him if he knows anything about it.

    What did he say? I asked.

    At first he doesn’t say anything, and then, after he’s been thinking for a minute, he says the kid driving must have stolen it and made the girl go along. Okay, so it’s a stolen car rap, kidnapping, driving without a license, damaging city property—the light pole—plus traffic violations. McNamara, that’s the girl’s father, says he doesn’t have another car and he’s going to have to walk to where we were. I tell him to stay home and I’ll bring the girl to his house.

    Which is where? I asked.

    Elystan Place, Evans said. Over past the water tower.

    Okay.

    So I take the girl home and I ask the father if he wants to press charges, because the charges can be pretty steep, Evans continued. Meanwhile I’m checking out the girl and she’s looking down and the father’s looking away from her, and the boy, Kevin, is just sitting in my car with his head down.

    Something’s going on, I said.

    Yeah, but nobody’s talking, so I asked the father again does he want to press charges, and he says yes, Scott says. "Then I asked the girl if the boy did anything to her. If he hit her or touched her in any way, and she says no.

    The father tells me that his wife is sick and is it okay if he comes down to the station to press charges in the morning, and I said it was and told him where to come. That’s it.

    You asked the girl if the boy hit her or touched her, I said. What did the father say? Did he look upset?

    Scott hesitated, then shook his head. No, he just took the girl into the house.

    According to the precinct desk sergeant, the father came in this morning and asked a lot of questions about what would happen if he pressed charges and what would happen if he didn’t, Judge Kelly said. He wanted to know if the girl would have to testify.

    What was your take on the situation? I asked Officer Evans. Did you think this boy—what’s his name?

    Kevin, Kevin Johnson.

    You get the impression Kevin was forcing the girl into anything?

    I wasn’t sure, Evans said, leaning forward in his chair. But as she turned to walk into the house, she looked back at him and smiled. I didn’t know if it meant anything, but she smiled like she was saying everything was okay between them.

    And how did he look?

    His eyes were working, Evans said. He was looking around and thinking hard, but he kept his mouth shut. I asked him on the way to the station if he thought he was a tough guy.

    What did he say?

    Nothing. Not a word.

    So what do you want me to do? I asked Judge Kelly.

    Jerry, when we were talking about the program at the club, I knew we were thinking about young African-American kids, Judge Kelly said, pushing a file folder across the desk. This kid isn’t African American, but he is a police officer’s son, and maybe a good young man. He’s got no record. No trouble at school. I think McNamara, the girl’s father, might not press charges. I don’t know. This whole case is up in the air right now and can land in a lot of places. If you have the time to look into it . . .

    I’ll see what I can do, I said, standing.

    I thanked Evans and took the file.

    On the way home I thought again about the meeting at the club and talk about mentoring teenagers. A priest who was there, somewhat less enthusiastic than the rest of us, had talked about how complex some of the situations could get.

    I stopped at Holes!, the donut shop on Evergreen, and bought a dozen donuts—six glazed and six unglazed—and a medium coffee. The parking area was almost empty, and I thumbed through the file as I drank the coffee. There was no picture of young Mr. Johnson and I wondered what he looked like. I imagined a surly kid with a slightly turned-up lip and a squint.

    I hadn’t known his father personally, but I remembered the funeral of the young Irish-American officer and knew I must have seen the family. Every police funeral is a tragedy as far as I am concerned, and I never wanted to dwell on them.

    The girl, Christy, and her family lived in the Brunswick section of town, a neighborhood that had changed a lot since I was a kid. It had been an industrial area, had declined for a while, but now was recovering as the old buildings were being converted into condos to attract an upscale crowd. I recalled there had been an investigation of possible exploitation of immigrant workers in the area.

    I drove home, transferred half the donuts to another plastic bag, and put them in the glove compartment. Carolyn would never understand the pressures that demanded a full dozen. Inside the house, I called Gracie at the precinct and asked her to run a search on Michael McNamara, the girl’s father.

    Drunk and disorderly, two years ago. He slapped his wife around a bit but she refused to get an order of protection. And a citation four years ago for illegal parking. You in the office baseball pool this week?

    I never win the darn thing.

    Stop whining, Jerry—you in it or not?

    I’m in it, I said.

    Carolyn saw the bag of donuts on the coffee table and gave me the Look. Have you forgotten everything the doctor told you? she asked.

    I put on my best wounded face and handed over the sinful six.

    Chapter 02

    I kept my head down as I watched shoes pass me by. Shiny black high heels clicking against the floor. Beat-up white Nikes spotted with dirt stains. I sat shivering in the waiting room of the Bedford County Juvenile Detention Center. They had turned the air conditioner up extra high. I bet it was to make us feel even worse than we did just being

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