Someone To Believe In by Kathryn Shay Read Free Book Online

not
punishment.”
    “We have to send a message that we won’t
tolerate crime.”
    “I—” The phone rang.
    Frowning, he checked his watch. “Who’d be
calling at this hour?”
    “I’m sure it’s Aidan. Though maybe Patrick.
Rory’s there. I hope he’s all right.” Motherly concern transformed
her face. She seemed vulnerable and...and very lovely. She bounded
off the chair and snatched up the phone. “Hello.” Her stiff posture
relaxed. “Oh, hi, A. Yeah. He came over.” She waited. “Um, yeah,
he’s still here. What?” She giggled and shot Clay a teasing look.
“Aidan wants to know if you can find out for him where Julianne
Moore lives.”
    “Sure thing. I’ll get right on it.”
    “What’s with guys and redheads?” she asked
into the phone. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” A pause. A very
sentimental smile. “No, I’ m fine. Quit worrying. Yeah, good.
Sure, about ten. See you then.” She smiled at the phone after she
hung up. “They have their uses.”
    “Who?”
    “My brothers. He’s picking up Rory at
Patrick’s and keeping him for a while so I can sleep in. I have a
late shift at work tomorrow night.”
    Without thinking, Clay said, “Let me come.
See what you do.”
    “What?”
    “Let me come to work with you. It’s Saturday.
I have some things scheduled during the day, but let me spend time
at ESCAPE and see how you operate.”
    “Absolutely not.”
    “Why?”
    Leaning against the counter, she studied him
shrewdly, no longer seeming vulnerable. “Well for one thing,
ESCAPE’s headquarters are a secret.”
    “West Fifty-third. About twenty minutes from
here by subway.”
    “How do you know that?”
    He gave her a withering look. “Please.”
    She sat down again across from him, but
didn’t speak, just watched him. Her intense gaze, the set of her
delicate features, did something to him.
    Finally he said, “I could learn something
from visiting you. If you’re so sure you’re doing the right thing,
then I might come to a better understanding of what ESCAPE does. We
might even make a truce.” Which he doubted. But he could probably
get even more ammunition to shut her down. That thought didn’t sit
well, though; he felt guilty dissembling. Especially since she
wasn’t at all what he had expected. And he kind of liked her.
“Bailey?”
    “All my instincts tell me no.”
    “Override them for once. Give it a shot.”
    “Well, I’ll probably live to regret
this.” She sat back in her chair and sighed. “Okay, you can come.
But be warned, Senator, if you use anything you see or hear there
to seek out the kids, or to try to close me down, I will string you up by the
balls.”
    She looked cute, all angry. So he said,
“Watch your mouth, woman.” And made her smile.
     
     
    THREE
     
     
    “I THINK I’VE made the worst mistake of my
life.” In her office, with her feet up on her battered desk, Bailey
glanced at the clock and sipped strong black coffee while she
spouted off to Suze Williams, her colleague and good friend.
    “What’d you do now?” As she spoke, Suze typed
into the computer, updating a database for shelters that would
accept gang kids trying to go straight. They had a network all over
the city. The clicking of the keys accompanied Bailey’s dark
thoughts.
    “I agreed to let Clayton Wainwright visit
ESCAPE tonight.” She glanced at the clock. “He said he’d be here
about seven.”
    Peering through wire-rimmed glasses at the
screen, Suze absently rubbed the tattoo of a reptile she sported on
her left wrist. It was a souvenir from her stint in the Lizards, a
girl gang in the eighties. Suze had been its leader. Consequently
she was a damn good social worker in youth anti-gang activities.
She manned the interactive website on opposite shifts from Bailey,
who still couldn’t believe her good fortune in snagging Suze for
ESCAPE. “I must have heard you wrong.” As always her unflappability
soothed Bailey.
    “Nope. The illustrious senator