Free The Innocent: The New Ryan Lock Novel by Sean Black Page B

No one spoke. Malik had expected the cops to rush him and slap on the cuffs, private security guard or not. But they didn’t. They just stood there and stared at the man who had just shown up with a twelve-year-old boy in his car.
    Malik was the first to move. He nudged Detective Johanssen with his hand. ‘What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to arrest this guy?’
    Johanssen had the look of a man to whom the idea hadn’t yet occurred. ‘Coach Shaw, I wouldn’t dream of telling you how to do your job. I’d appreciate the same courtesy.’
    Malik looked at him. The two troopers were busy studying the ground, like it held some sort of ancient secret. ‘You’re kidding me. This is the guy who was with Jack at the stadium.’
    ‘You told me you didn’t actually see the person,’ Johanssen said.
    ‘It’s the same car,’ said Malik, pointing at the grey sedan. ‘His mom told me he’s been “mentoring” the boy as part of some school program.’ He lowered his voice to spare Eve the details. ‘The kid was butt naked. At midnight. You need me to draw you a picture?’ He stopped himself adding ‘asshole’, but only just.
    ‘We will certainly be talking to everyone involved,’ said Johanssen.
    ‘Talking? You should be slapping the cuffs on that goddamn freak.’
    Becker wouldn’t meet his stare. He tilted his chin to avoid making eye contact with Malik. But the security guard’s hand fell to the butt of his handgun. That was enough to make Malik take a step. ‘Oh, yeah? You want a piece of me?’
    Johanssen got between them. ‘Cool it,’ he told Malik.
    From behind them, Gretchen Becker said, ‘Aubrey, would you please tell me what this is about?’
    ‘Yeah, Aubrey,’ said Malik. ‘Let’s hear it.’
    Aubrey Becker finally deigned to speak. ‘Jack called me. He was in some distress. I found him wandering near his home. He was bleeding. I took him to have his hand attended to. You can speak to the doctor at the Harrisburg emergency room if you don’t believe me. Now, I don’t know what anyone else thinks happened but that’s the truth.’
    ‘And what about the night before the game when you were with him in the goddamn shower?’ Malik shouted.
    Becker looked at him. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
    Malik turned to Johanssen. ‘What else is he gonna say?’ He glanced back at Gretchen Becker. ‘Why don’t you ask your husband what he’s been doing hanging out with a twelve-year-old boy?’
    There was a flicker in her eyes. Malik caught it, even if no one else did. Then the calm, Botoxed WASPy mask went back on.
    ‘Am I going to have to call my attorney?’ said Becker to Johanssen. It was more challenge than plea.
    It was clear to Malik that Aubrey Becker had already decided to butch it out. And who knew what he had said to Jack Barnes while they’d been alone together, or what threats he’d made? And without Jack telling the cops what had happened, where could it go?
    The whole thing was playing out right before Malik’s eyes, and there wasn’t a goddamn thing he could do about it. Johanssen must have been thinking the same thing because the next thing he said was ‘Jack? Do you feel able to talk to me?’

Twenty-two
    Becker and his wife were left at home. Eve Barnes and her son were put into a black-and-white. Johanssen wanted to speak to them further. Malik was left hanging, an uninvited guest. He followed the troopers back to the station. On the way, he called Kim. He didn’t have it in him to tell her on the phone what had happened. Instead he made up a story about one of his young players being in trouble with the cops after some overly exuberant celebrating.
    He parked outside the station, walked in and waited. He didn’t see Eve Barnes or Jack. After about an hour Johanssen appeared and led him into a room where he ran through what he had seen. He left Laird and the contract out of it. He mentioned Tromso and the missing picture.
    When he was