Cold Justice by Rayven T. Hill Read Free Book Online Page B

an altercation with another student, and I’m quite concerned.”
    Annie frowned, worried, “What kind of altercation?”
    “I’m afraid he’s been in a bit of a fight with another
student.”
    Annie looked at Jake, an anxious look in her eyes. “We’ll
talk to him, Miss Cobblestone,” she said.
    “Can you come at six-thirty, please? The other boy’s parents
will be there as well.”
    “I’m very sorry. Yes, yes, we’ll come at six-thirty.”
    She hung up the receiver and studied it for a moment before
turning around. “Matty’s been in a fight,” she said, as she went to the back
door and opened it. “Matty,” she called, “will you come in here, please?”
    Matty could tell by the tone of his mother’s voice he had
better hurry. He gave the ball a good kick. It jumped and tumbled across the
deck and rolled onto the lawn. He came inside, and sat at the kitchen table. He
looked meekly at his parents. He knew what was up.
    His father finished drying his hands on a paper towel and
tossed it into the flip-top garbage can. He came over and sat across from him.
    Annie stood beside Matty, and put her hand gently on his
shoulder. She leaned over and looked him in the eyes. “Matty, your teacher
called. What’s this about a fight?”
    He looked up. “It wasn’t my fault, Mom.”
    Annie waited. Jake said, “What happened, son?”
    Matty played nervously with his fingers. “It was Kevin.
Kevin Jordan. He was pushing Kyle around. I told him to stop, but he didn’t.”
    “And?”
    “And so I pushed him away.”
    “And that’s all?”
    Matty looked at the table, now playing with a placemat. “He
wouldn’t stop,” he said.
    They waited for Matty to continue.
    He looked up at his dad. “He tried to punch me.”
    “And?” his mother asked.
    “He missed. But I didn’t.”
    “You punched him?”
    Matty gave his mother an uncertain frown, shrugged his
shoulders, and then nodded.
    Annie and Jake looked at each other, and then back at Matty.
    “Is that the whole truth, Matty?” she asked.
    “Yes, Mom. That’s all that happened. I just hit him once and
he ran away. He ran into the school and told the teacher. He’s just a mean kid
and he’s always bullying the little kids there. He started it.” He paused for a
minute, and then looked bravely at his mother. “I’m sorry Mom, but he really
deserved it, and I would do it again if I had to. There were a lot of other
kids there and they all saw what happened. Maybe he’ll stop bullying now and
leave them alone.” He looked down, and then continued, “I feel sorry for him,
though. He has no real friends, except for one kid that lets him boss him
around all the time.”
    Annie studied him thoughtfully for a minute, and then stood
and said, “Ok, Matty. You can go back outside now. But stay close by. We have
to go and see your teacher this evening.”
    “Yes, Mom,” Matty said, as he dropped from the chair and
sauntered back outside.
    Annie sat down and leaned into the table, looking at Jake. “What
do you think?” she asked.
    “I think he’s telling the truth,” Jake said. “We’ll see what
this Kevin brat has to say.”
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 11
     
     
     
    Wednesday, August 17th, 6:02 PM
     
    ABIGAIL MACY had been pronounced DOA at Richmond Hill
General Hospital. Hank had been watching a distraught Philip Macy trying to
control his emotions. He seemed to be well past the denial stage, and was
flip-flopping now between despair and anger. At times, he was pacing up and
down the long sterilized corridors, and then back to the waiting room.
    Hank spoke briefly with the doctor. He had pronounced
Abigail dead, a necessary formality, and her body had been taken down to the
hospital morgue, located somewhere in the bowels of the massive building. An
autopsy would be performed if the coroner thought it necessary, generally
mandatory if a death occurred outside of the hospital.
    Philip had stopped pacing now and was sitting slouched
forward, head