Free I'm Watching You by Mary Burton Page A

Thunder boomed. Another storm was close.
    Grabbing her purse, she hurried across the muddy front lawn and climbed
Sanctuary's front steps. She darted in the front door.
    The morning calm had been replaced by a buzz of video games and
children's chatter. Jamal and Damien Greenland had arrived home from
summer school. Damn. They shouldn't be here. Ruby should have picked them
up at school.
    "Ruby!" Lindsay shouted. She pushed open
the pocket door that portioned off Ruby's small office.
    Ruby sat behind her desk, a phone cradled under her chin. When her gaze
met Lindsay's she hung up. "How was the hospital?"
    Lindsay brushed the rain from her face. "Time will tell. Planted a few seeds. Why are the Greenland boys still
here?"
    "The school wouldn't release them to me and I couldn't
get hold of their mother. I had no choice but to let them ride the bus home.
The bus just dropped them off. I decided to plant them in front of a video game
until you got back."
    Lindsay sighed. "Now that the rain has let up, the cops are going
to return soon to salvage what they can from that backyard. I'll run the
boys over to Riverside now. I don't want the kids around when they
return."
    "Are you sure?"
    "Yeah, I'll be back in an hour."
    Lindsay headed into the front family room, where the boys were playing
the video game on the television. Ruby had closed the shades to block all views
of the police car and news vans parked out front. "Hey, guys, how's
the game going?"
    Damien glanced up from the screen. "This game is kinda lame,
Lindsay. No guns, no bombs, no fun."
    The video game system had been anonymously donated to the shelter two
months ago. She was grateful for the donation but had immediately sifted
through the stack of games that came with it and tossed the violent ones. The
kids who lived there saw enough violence in real life. "That hasn't
stopped you fellows from playing it nonstop."
    Damien had a concerned look on his face. Usually during the day she was
too busy to chat. "Is Mom okay? I saw the cop outside."
    She could have sugarcoated the whole issue, but she'd hated it when
adults had condescended to her after her mother's death. It's going to be fine, dear. Don't you worry. "Your mom is fine but we're going
to have to move you, your brother, and your mom to another shelter
today."
    "Because of him ." Damien's voice wavered even
as he jutted out his chin. His brother set down his video controller and looked
at her.
    Him was their father--Marcus Greenland.
He'd been a star linebacker in college. During his junior year,
he'd gotten involved in drugs and trouble with the local police.
He'd been suspended from the team. Then he'd hooked up with another
college but hadn't lasted the season. From then on, he had been on a
downward spiral. Frustrated by his own failures, Marcus took out his anger on
his wife and children.
    Lindsay laid her hand on Damien's shoulder. "No, your father
has nothing to do with this."
    Suspicion narrowed Damien's eyes. "Are you being straight
with me?"
    "I promise, Damien. I can't give you details but I swear
that this has nothing to do with you, your mom, or your dad."
    Finally, the anxiety eased from the boy's shoulders.
"Thanks, Lindsay."
    "No problem, kiddo."
    "Can I save the game to the memory card?" Damien said.
    "I thought it was lame," she teased.
    "Not too lame," he added.
    Unless this murder was resolved quickly, the shelter would close, and
she had no idea if and when it would open again. "You can take it and the
game with you."
    He grinned. "For real?"
    "Absolutely."
    "Thanks!" Jamal exclaimed.
    As the boys finished up their game, she grabbed a plastic grocery bag
from under the kitchen sink. Jamal pocketed the disc and memory card as Damien
unplugged the game and tucked it in the bag. The three headed outside.
    "We can really keep this?" Jamal said.
    "Until you and your brother get settled in a real home with your
mom. When you guys are feeling comfortable in your new place, I'd like it
back for the