Sendoff for a Snitch Read Online Free PDF

watched.
    Benji hugged himself and shook his head. “I’m too big for a teddy bear.”
    I licked my lips and said, “Benji, you’re never too big for a teddy bear.” My tongue was thick and the words were slurred. “Go ahead and take it.”
    As soon as I spoke, the grip on my arms tightened. The sergeant turned toward me. “What were you doing with this kid?”
    I shrugged. “He came over my place ’cause his brother left him in the truck. I was just trying to help him get it off the tracks.”
    “And then what were you going to do?”
    “See if I could find someplace for him to go.”
    “Like Social Services?”
    I didn’t like the sound of that, but they were the right people to find Benji’s mother, in Las Vegas or wherever. And take care of him until she got back. “I guess,” I said.
    Still looking uncertain, Benji took the teddy bear. Hugging it tight to his chest, he buried his face in it.
    Richards steered him back to her car, out of the rain.
    The sergeant took out a notepad and a pen. “So,” he said. “We’re gonna call Social Services for the kid. And a tow for the truck.” He glanced at me. “You okay with that?”
    It certainly wasn’t up to me. “Sure,” I said.
    “And do we have this guy on any charges?” he asked, looking at the assembled cops.
    “Stolen vehicle,” Cunningham said.
    The sergeant shook his head. “Maybe unauthorized use. But we don’t even know that for sure now.”
    “Kidnapping,” Richards suggested.
    “Maybe interference with custody. But again, we don’t know that for sure.” The sergeant’s pen poised over his notepad.
    Cunningham tried again. “Driving without a license?”
    The sergeant nodded. “Technically, I suppose. Did you see him driving?”
    “Just a few yards. He pulled over and parked before I got my lights turned on.”
    “No resisting arrest, assault of an officer, giving false information?”
    “Not really. Except he gave the wrong name of the person who owned the truck.”
    “How’s that?”
    “He said this guy Aaron something owned it,” Cunningham said.
    “Where’s this Aaron?”
    “I dunno. The kid says that’s his brother, who was supposed to taking care of him.”
    “So the person the truck is registered to is Aaron’s mother, as well as the kid’s mother?” The sergeant scribbled on his notepad. “So the kid and this Aaron are brothers? But this guy isn’t related to them?”
    Cunningham shrugged.
    “So.” The sergeant brought the tip of the pen to his lip. “It seems to me it could be a logical error, if the truck in fact is registered to the mother of the person he thought owned it.”
    The cop raised his eyebrows. “I guess.”
    The sergeant turned to me. “Your face is bleeding. Do you need medical attention?”
    “No, sir.” If they got me medical attention, they’d have to write reports. And if they wrote reports, they’d have to justify the injury. I’d be much better off if the whole incident could be forgotten.
    “So if we take off the cuffs and cut you loose, what would you do?”
    Letting me go without charges was the best possible outcome I could think of, and more than I’d dared to hope for. “Go home.”
    “And stay there?”
    “Until my appointment with my parole officer this afternoon.”
    “Who’s your PO?”
    “Mr. Ramirez.”
    “And are you going to tell him about this little incident this morning?”
    I debated. It was always better for a PO to hear about things from a parolee than from a cop, or anyone else, but I wasn’t sure that’s the answer the sergeant wanted. I finally said, “If you think I should, I will.”
    The sergeant nodded. “I think you should. There’ll be a report.”
    “Okay.”
    “Turn around, and let’s get those cuffs off.”
    I turned around and stood still while the cuffs were unlocked and removed. My wrists tingled. I resisted the urge to rub them and restore the circulation.
    “But Sarge—” Cunningham started to say.
    The sergeant