Free Sunshine and the Shadowmaster by Christine Rimmer Page B

and a tiny sliver of moon gleaming between the leaves of the locust tree beyond the gate.
    â€œDid you know that Mark changed my life?”
    She started at the sound of his voice and looked at him. He seemed to be watching her again. His head was lifted and facing toward her.
    â€œNo,” she said. “Not really. Though now I think about it, it doesn’t surprise me. Kids have a tendency to do that.” She suggested, carefully, “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
    â€œAbout how Mark changed my life?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIt’s not important.”
    Heather peered at him through the darkness. She wished she could see his face more clearly, but she knew that if she switched on a light everything would be ruined. In spite of what he said, she was reasonably sure that the tone of his voice meant he was willing to talk a little about himself and his son—here, under cover of darkness in the middle of the night. She thought that would be a good thing, lights or no lights.
    â€œI’d like to hear it,” she said, “if you’ll tell me.”
    â€œWhat you should do is go to bed. It’s late.”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œWell?”
    â€œTalk. Tell me about how it was for you, after you left home. And about Candace. And Mark.”
    â€œHeather?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œYou’re too good.”
    â€œIt’s true. I’m wonderful. Now please. Tell me.”
    He moved around in the chair, settling in as she had done on the couch. And then he began, “I left home the day after I graduated high school.”
    â€œYes. I remember that.”
    â€œAnd after I left, I wandered around a lot, taking odd jobs, kind of living on the road, really.”
    â€œWasn’t that lonely?”
    He gave a dry chuckle. “What’s lonely? Everyone’s lonely.”
    â€œNot everyone. Not always.”
    â€œTell me you’re not lonely now, Heather.”
    She smoothed her robe a little. “This isn’t my story. It’s yours.”
    â€œRight. My story.”
    â€œGo on.”
    He looked out the window again. “You’ve heard about the assault and battery charge?”
    â€œYes. But only in bits and pieces. Tell me about it.”
    He let out a breath. “Well, when it happened, I was living in Phoenix, working as a roofer, making fairly good money, or so it seemed to me then. At least, I had enough money to get an apartment. One of those courtyard type of places, where you look across a walkway lined with century plants into your neighbor’s living room.
    â€œThe apartment across from mine was rented by a woman who had two little boys. And lots of boyfriends that came and went. But then after a while, she seemed to settle down with one guy.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œUnfortunately her steady boyfriend had a bad habit.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHe liked to beat up her kids. Twice, I heard one or the other of those kids yelling and I’d go over there and make him stop. Finally, that bastard went too far. I heard one of the boys screaming and I went over there. When I broke in the door, the kid was bleeding. And he wasn’t screaming anymore.”
    Lucas made a low, disgusted sound. “I don’t know. I just lost it. I’m sure it’s all wrapped up in my father, and the way he used to beat on me and my mother. But whatever it was, I saw red. I jumped on that worthless piece of garbage. And when I was done with him, he couldn’t crawl out of there.”
    â€œWhat happened then?”
    â€œI drove him and the kid to the hospital.”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œThe cops came after me at work the next day. It turned out I’d beat up the son of a very important person. They threw the book at me. Since I didn’t have more than a few hundred dollars to my name, they gave me a public defender.”
    â€œCandace?”
    â€œRight. No one believed I had a