Naked Justice by William Bernhardt Read Free Book Online

And he’s a great playmate for Joey. Very energetic.”
    “But that’s just it. Having him around so much …” She turned to one side and stared down at the grass. “Mind you, I don’t want to be the kind of landlady who’s always interfering in her tenants’ business.”
    “Oh, heaven forbid,” Ben said with a straight face.
    “At the same time, I can’t help but worry that, with the two of them together in your apartment so much”—her voice dropped to the point of near inaudibility—“people will think there’s something romantic going on.”
    In fact, there had been something romantic going on for the past six months, but Ben suspected that this was not the time to bring Mrs. Marmelstein up-to-date. “You know, Joni’s parents have the apartment just next door to mine. And she and Booker are both eighteen now.”
    “I don’t care if they’re eighteen or eighty. I don’t allow any hanky-panky in my house. You know that, Benjamin!”
    “Yes, yes, I know. But I think it will be okay. And you know how I depend on Joni. I would never have been able to keep Joey without her.”
    “Well, yes …”
    “And you like having Joey around, don’t you?”
    “You know I do. He’s such a sweet little thing. Such a mind of his own.”
    “And you wouldn’t want me to lose him, would you?” Being just a tad manipulative, Ben told himself, but any port in a storm.
    “Of course I wouldn’t.”
    “Good. So let’s not bother Joni and Booker. I promise I’ll personally police the situation and ensure that nothing untoward occurs.”
    She hesitated a moment. “I suppose it might be all right then.”
    “Good. I’d better get dinner going.” He started toward the porch.
    “Oh, Benjamin, today was my baking day. I put a nice fresh fruitcake on your kitchen counter.”
    “Thanks …”
    “Don’t ear it all yourself. Give some to Joey, too. Little boys love cake.”
    “Actually, I think it’s a choking hazard.” Ben wondered if he could use the same excuse for himself.

Chapter 6
    A PPRENTICE POLICE OFFICER KEVIN Calley still held illusions that he might get home early when the squawk of the police radio shattered his dream.
    He snapped up the handset. “Yes?”
    “Ten-four, Kevin. This is the Box.” The Box was the name given to the daytime switchboard officer for reasons long lost to antiquity. “Gotta 986 at 1260 South Terwilliger, which I believe is on your way home. And since you are technically still on duty …”
    Calley silently swore. There went the early Friday night on the town he and Marie had planned. Boy, would she be pissed.
    He took down all the details and made a minor course correction toward Terwilliger. Not that he minded working; it was, after all, why he had become a policeman. It was just that this was the end of his first week on the job—first week out of the academy, first week driving his own patrol car. Mostly traffic work, but that was all right for now. You couldn’t expect to catch the Kindergarten Killer the first week. But he and Marie had planned a little party to celebrate the successful conclusion of his first seven days as a peace officer. They and a few friends were going out to In Cahoots, out at Seventy-first and Memorial, to down a few tall cool ones, cut a two-step, get a little rowdy, and generally have a good time. He’d signed out early—after arranging for someone else to cover for him—just so they could get a start on the evening, get there before all the good booths by the dance floor were taken.
    It was great going home to Marie these days. There was a real gleam in her eyes when he came home in the evening wearing his shiny new uniform … and she had other memorable ways of showing her pleasure as well. She was proud of her little boy in blue. It had made a great difference in their marriage. No question they’d gone through some rough patches, especially in the early days. Things were looking up, though. He used to sneer when his father