Move to Strike by Perri O'Shaughnessy Read Free Book Online Page A

had a carved eagle head on the handle. Another one he called a Japanese naval dagger— that had a kind of cut down the blade he called a blood groove. Gross. He had a bunch of these evil-looking things hanging on the wall. Aunt Beth hated them, so about five or six years ago he got rid of all of them except the samurai sword. That one he kept. Turns out, that wasn’t such a brilliant idea, was it?”
    “A strange collection. Sounds like those weapons fascinated you as much as they must have fascinated your uncle.”
    “Yeah, well, I still didn’t use that sword to kill him. Believe it or not. Your choice.”
    “Okay,” Nina said. “This is important, Nikki. Before you said anything to the police, did you understand that you had a right to an attorney?”
    “They read me my rights, uh huh. Right after they looked at their report. I think they came to tell Daria about the mur—the thing with Uncle Bill—and I fit some description they already had, ’cause man, they stared at me like they were starved and I was this juicy Big Mac.”
    “Your mother was present, right?”
    “You might call it that. She was standing right there.”
    Nina rested her head on her hand for a moment, thinking.
    Nikki watched her. “Bob kept saying, shut up till I get my mom. Just shut up. I finally did. I didn’t say much. But just my luck, someone saw me there that night. That’s really bad, isn’t it?” she asked. “What will they do to me?”
    “Well, you have many rights protecting you as a juvenile. We’re about to go and see a very decent judge named Harold Vasquez. He’ll determine whether you have to stay in custody. After that, whether or not you’re allowed to go home, there may be another hearing to determine if you will be declared a ward of the juvenile court, or possibly”—she hesitated—“possibly be shunted into the adult criminal system.”
    “But I’m just a kid! Can they do this to a kid? I heard that when a kid gets caught, they don’t get in as much trouble. Like with those kids that run drugs for older guys in the city.”
    “Who told you that?”
    “I don’t remember.”
    Lie number two, Nina noted. “The definition of ‘kid’ is changing fast.”
    “If I went into the adult system and got convicted— then what?”
    “The death penalty is out. A juvenile can’t be sentenced to death in California.”
    “Then—how long in prison? What’s the worst that could happen?”
    “Two years in a youth authority facility. Then, when you reach eighteen, state prison. Thirty years, maybe. Life, if you were convicted of first-degree murder.”
    Nikki’s face went paper-colored.
    “That’s the absolute worst possibility. We’ll know more about possible outcomes when they formally charge you. The system is very complex.”
    “The System,” Nikki said, and her lips pursed as if against a bitter taste.
    “Let’s go to the hearing. Then I can advise you better.”
    “I thought they would let me get out on bail or something. I’m no risk. I’m not going to go around offing people, for Chrissake! This is so unreal.”
    “Nikki, you’re going to have to tell me what you took from your uncle’s. Was it money?”
    “I’ve told you everything important.”
    She was so painfully young, too young to understand just how frightened she should be, that was the problem. Or maybe she understood and was being brave. Even the prospect of thirty years hadn’t scared her enough to open up to Nina. What had she taken? Was she protecting someone? Her mother?
    “Your mother is very worried about you,” Nina said. “You’ll see her in a few minutes.” She had meant to be comforting and was a little startled at the bleak look that passed over Nikki’s face.
    “Oh, sure, and she’s working hard on this. Praying, hoping. Lighting candles. Making up dances . . .” Rancor mixed with resignation. “She expects me to waltz home and join her any second.”
    “I have the feeling that she loves you a