Naked Justice Read Online Free PDF

her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You’re doing the right thing, Mr. Kincaid.”
    Ben wished he could bring himself to return the peacemaking gesture, but he couldn’t. “I hope you’re right.”
    Ben picked up Joey in the Rocket Room. He swept the boy into his arms and they hugged. Or to be more accurate, Ben hugged Joey. Joey never hugged. He didn’t resist, but he didn’t hug. He was just there.
    Ben held Joey up to his face and smiled. “Hey, pardner! Can you say hi to your uncle Ben?”
    Joey didn’t answer. He was gazing off into space, at nothing in particular.
    “Joey, say hi. Can you say hi?”
    If he could, he didn’t. His head tilted, as if he were contemplating the great mysteries of the universe.
    “Joey, can you answer me?”
    Joey’s eyes glazed.
    “Joey. Please say hi!”
    Still no answer.
    “Joey!” Ben took Joey by the chin and forced him to look his way. Joey quickly averted his gaze. He never made eye contact. “Will you please say hi to your uncle Ben?”
    He continued staring off somewhere over Ben’s shoulder.
    Ben sighed, then set Joey down on the ground and took his hand. “Let’s go to the car.”
    Ben led him down the corridor. He scanned the hall for the mayor, Wallace Barrett, who usually picked up his kids about the same time. Barrett had been mayor for the last three and a half years. The city’s first black mayor. Some pundits had speculated that the color barrier would never be broken in Tulsa, but Wallace “The Wall” Barrett had done it by being smart, articulate, and hard-working. Of course, being a former University of Oklahoma football star, in a state where more people went to football games than voted, didn’t hurt any.
    Barrett didn’t seem to be around today. Come to think of it, Ben had heard something on the car radio about Barrett holding a press conference, announcing his intent to run for reelection. That probably explained his absence.
    Barrett had two daughters, both beauties. Ben recalled seeing them the previous Friday, when one of them had been so anxious to get to her father that she crashed into Ben’s leg.
    “Hey, slow down,” Ben had said.
    The girl ignored him, rushing on down the corridor. “Daddy!” she screamed. When she reached the end of the hallway, she leaped into her father’s arms. Her father scooped her up, hugged her tight, then swung her around in a circle.
    “Hey, Kincaid! Sorry about my little crash pilot.” A second girl clutched Barrett’s leg.
    Ben and Barrett had met at school functions and had become nodding acquaintances. Barrett was the kind of person who never forgot your name, your wife’s name, your kids’ names, or anything else.
    “I’m fine, Mr. Mayor. Don’t worry about it. You’ve got a great pair of daughters.”
    “Don’t I know it.” He scooped his other girl into his arms and beamed at the both of them. They were practically identical, but for the difference in their ages. Slim and pretty, with curly black hair.
    Barrett squeezed his daughters till they burst out laughing. They threw their arms around, his neck and hugged him. He kissed them both on the cheek. Ben had seen the love in his eyes, the love so freely and enthusiastically returned by his daughters.
    Barrett grinned from ear to ear. “I must be the luckiest man on earth.”
    Ben nodded. “I think you’re probably right.”
    A tug on his arm snapped Ben back to the present. He looked down at Joey, who was still holding his hand and gazing off into space. Ben crouched down eye to eye with him. “Joey,” he said hesitantly, “you’re not … I mean, you don’t—Joey?”
    Joey seemed to have taken an intense interest in the aquarium.
    Ben took Joey’s chin and gently guided it around to face him. “Joey, I know you didn’t have any choice about staying with me, but you’re not …”
    He swallowed, then tried again. “I know you don’t show it much, but deep down you really do … don’t you?”
    Joey stuck his finger between