At Risk of Being a Fool Read Online Free PDF

Hilda? It’s tight quarters over there.”
    “Hmm.” Carol and Dorrie shared a rueful glance. “I’ll go check.”
    Carol joined the other office managers converging on the front door security guard. Sorrel looked for somewhere to sit down, but there was only grass. Grass left stains. She watched the action by the edge of the building.
    “Want to take a look?” said Dorrie. “We’ll just pretend we’re supposed to meet over there. Come on.”
    Sorrel followed her, half unwilling. She searched for a familiar face, or a loose-jointed slouching walk. He wasn’t here, thank God. Of course he wasn’t. He was in L.A. like he said he’d be. The lying son-of-a-bitch.
    She was being stupid. He hadn’t set a pipe bomb at the construction site, and he sure wouldn’t have set one here. He had no reason! Well, maybe he did. Her stomach lurched with dread. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Look at all the attention Quinto got when a bomb went off at his work site. This would draw attention to her. She didn’t need that: people staring at her, poring over her record one more time, looking to see who she knew, her “contacts.” He’d know that, wouldn’t he?
    “Now, now, ladies, no rubber-necking. Back to the main staging area, please.” Vic Dunlap scowled, the expression sitting awkwardly on his round, cheery face.
    Dorrie laughed. “Come on, Vic, tell us. They found something under a courtroom window, didn’t they? Must have been Hodges’ or Matsuura’s. I’d bet on Hodges. He’s a mean old son-of-a-gun in a courtroom. What did they find?”
    Vic raised his eyebrows. “What did they find, did you ask? Who says they found anything at all?”
    Dorrie gasped, pleasurably horrified. “Come on, Vic, what’s the story? Who found it? It wasn’t you, was it? It was? Oh my word, what is it?”
    “Probably nothing at all,” said Vic, with self-deprecating humor. “I probably jumped the gun. If I’m wrong, they’ll never let me hear the end of it. Doesn’t this place look like an anthill, though? Police jumping all over the place.” He took on a melodramatic tone. “Who’d have thought I could release such forces!”
    He seemed to be quoting from something. Sorrel didn’t get it. She looked around the side of the building at the crowd of uniforms. Fear shot through her. What the hell am I going to do?
    “Little lady?” Vic frowned at her. “Are you all right, miss? You look like you’re going to faint. Don’t you mind me, I’m just blathering on like always. I didn’t mean to scare you. You need to sit down. There’s a bus stop right over there, with a nice bench.”
    “I’m fine,” she managed. Dorrie was looking at her funny.
    “Well, my goodness, Sorrel, honey, I’d never have thought— But anyway, don’t you fret, I’m sure it’s no big deal. Look, Carol’s coming back, she’ll tell us what’s happening. You going to be all right? Thanks, Vic.”
    “You just wait, it’ll turn out I’ve been a fool,” Vic called after them. “No big deal.”
    No big deal, Sorrel thought, just a pipe bomb, set at the courthouse where she worked, close to where the Bright Futures’ van usually pulled up. Where the hell was a bathroom, when you really, really needed it?
    ~*~
    Sorrel swung into the classroom, hips swaying. Tonio and Quinto watched her go by. Good. Guys were shits, but they had their uses. They never watched Brynna. Sorrel had it; Brynna didn’t. He had thought so, too. Did he make bombs? Or just steal stuff, and drool over guns? She ran their brief conversations through her memory, but couldn’t remember. They’d never done much talking.
    She chose a desk two down from Brynna, and sat sideways to her. Jeanie brought an essay topic sheet, a notepad, and pencil. The essay questions were a lot of bull. She’d read the list often enough to know. “Should the age limit for purchasing alcohol be reduced to age 18? Discuss pros and cons.” “Explain how education has affected your