Terminal Justice Read Online Free PDF Page B

the door jamb. His heart skipped a beat as his mind attempted to make sense of the apparition.
    “Uh, hi,” the head said.
    “Hi,” David replied with a chuckle. “You startled me.” The head and the body it had been hiding behind the wall moved into the office.
    “I-I’m sorry,” the young man said with a timid stammer.
    There was something different about this individual. It wasn’t his appearance. He was nicely dressed in a pair of tan slacks and white polo shirt. He was taller than David, maybe six foot one, lanky, and about twenty-two years old.
    “Are you all right, mister?” the young man asked with genuine concern. “You looked like your head hurt.”
    “I’m fine, thank you. My eyes are just tired from watching videos and taking notes.”
    “Oh, good,” the boy said nodding his head.
    David noticed that the boy made very little eye contact and stood with his head down. He also rubbed the thumb of his left hand with the thumb of his right.
    “Is there something I can help you with?” David asked.
    “No, I can do it myself.”
    The two stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. The young man’s nervousness puzzled David. What was there to be nervous about?
    “You can do what by yourself?” David asked patiently.
    “Trash.”
    “Trash?”
    “I’m here for the trash.” The boy pointed at the wastebasket next to David’s desk.
    “Oh,” David said with a laugh, “you must work with maintenance.”
    “I get the trash and put it in the big blue Dumpster downstairs.” The boy was rubbing his thumb faster now.
    It was all beginning to make sense to David. The young man was more than shy; he was mildly retarded.
    “What’s your name?” David asked, smiling broadly.
    “Timmy. Timmy Simmons.”
    “Timmy, I’m David O’Neal, and I’m new here. I am certainly glad to meet you.”
    Reluctantly, Timmy stopped rubbing his thumb, brought his hand up to shoulder height and waved, “Hi, Da-Da-David …”
    “David will be fine.” He extended his hand. “Well, Timmy, shake my hand and act like you like me.”
    Timmy giggled and then quickly stepped forward and shook David’s hand hard several times. For a moment, David feared that Timmy would pump his arm hard enough to dislocate his shoulder. “Hi, David,” he said beaming. “I like you, David.”
    “And I like you,” David said, rescuing his hand from Timmy’s grip and stretching his fingers.
    “Cool!” Timmy said. “Well, I gotta go now.” He turned toward the door.
    “Uh, Timmy?”
    Timmy turned still smiling, “Yeah?”
    “The trash,” David said quietly, never letting his grin diminish. “You came here to take out the trash.”
    “Oh, yeah. I forgot.” Timmy quickly made his way to the receptacle, pulled out the plastic liner, tied a knot in the top, and then left the room only to return a moment later with a fresh liner for the bin.
    “Thanks, Timmy.”
    “You’re welcome, David.”
    “Come see me again, okay?” David said.
    “I will. I will.”
    “I see you’ve met one of my favorite people, David.” The voice startled both David and Timmy. Standing in the doorway was A.J. He was smiling expansively.
    “A.J.!” Timmy shouted as he embraced the man, nearly knocking him over. “Look David, it’s A.J.”
    “So I see, Timmy.”
    “Easy, boy,” A.J. chuckled. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to break my ribs.”
    Timmy let go but bounced on the balls of his feet to release his pent-up excitement.
    “Looks like you’ve got quite a friend there,” David said.
    “Timmy’s more than my friend, he’s family,” A.J. said, putting his arm around the young man. “I found Timmy living on the streets about two, no, three years ago. He was nineteen, homeless, and hungry, and two men were beating him for the sport of it. I rescued him and brought him here. He lives in one of our apartments and helps the janitorial staff.”
    The picture of A.J. rescuing Timmy from a couple of thugs didn’t