The Abduction by John Grisham Read Free Book Online Page A

know the rules.”
    “Did you come here to see April?”
    Leeper took another sip, and for a long time nothing was said. The four officers stared at him. He stared at the paper cup. Finally, he said, “Look, here’s the situation. You want something. I want something. You want the girl. I want a deal.”
    “What kind of a deal, Leeper?” Slater shot back.
    “Just a moment ago it was Mr. Leeper. Now, just Leeper. Do I frustrate you, Detective? If so, I’m real sorry. Here’s what I have in mind. I know I’m going back to prison, but I’m really tired of California. The prisons are brutal—overcrowded, lots of gangs, violence, rotten food—you know what I mean, Detective Slater?”
    Slater had never been inside a prison, but to move things along he said, “Sure.”
    “I want to do my time here, where the slammers are a bit nicer. I know because I’ve had a good look at them.”
    “Where’s the girl, Leeper?” Slater said. “If you kidnapped her, you’re looking at another life sentence. If she’s dead, you’re looking at capital murder and death row.”
    “Why would I harm my little cousin?”
    “Where is she, Leeper?”
    Another long sip of coffee, then Leeper crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at Detective Slater. Seconds ticked away.
    “You’re playing games, Leeper,” Detective Capshaw said.
    “Maybe, maybe not. Is there any reward money on the table?”
    “Not for you,” Slater said.
    “Why not? You give me some money, I’ll take you to the girl.”
    “It doesn’t work that way.”
    “Fifty thousand bucks, and you can have her.”
    “What will you do with fifty thousand bucks, Leeper?” Slater asked. “You’re in prison for the rest of your life.”
    “Oh, money goes a long way in prison. You get me the money, and you arrange things so I can serve my time here, and we got a deal.”
    “You’re dumber than I thought,” Slater said, frustrated.
    Capshaw added quickly, “And we thought you were pretty dumb before we got started with this conversation.”
    “Come on, boys. That gets you nowhere. We got a deal?”
    “No deal, Leeper,” Slater said.
    “That’s too bad.”
    “No deal, but I’ll make a promise. If that girl is harmed in any way, I’ll hound you to your grave.”
    Leeper laughed loudly, then said, “I love it when the cops start making threats. It’s over, boys. I ain’t talking no more.”
    “Where’s the girl, Leeper?” Capshaw asked.
    Leeper just grinned and shook his head.

Chapter 8
    T heo preferred not to stay at school after classes and watch the girls play soccer. He himself did not play soccer, not that he had the choice. An asthma condition kept him away from strenuous activities, but even without the asthma he doubted he would be playing soccer. He had tried it as a six-year-old, before the asthma, and never got the hang of it. When he was nine, while playing baseball, he collapsed at third base after hitting a triple, and that ended his short career in team sports. He took up golf.
    Mr. Mount, though, loved soccer, had even played in college, and was offering extra credit to students who hung around for the game. Plus, there was an unwritten rule at Strattenburg Middle School that the girls cheered for the boys, and vice versa. Any other time, Theo would have happily watched from the bleachers, taking casual notice of the game but really sizing up the twenty-two girls on the field and those on the bench as well. But not today. He wanted to be elsewhere, on his bike, handing out the MISSING flyers, doing something to aid in the search for April.
    It was a terrible day for a game of any kind. The Strattenburg kids were distracted. The players and their fans lacked energy. Even the opposing team, from Elksburg, forty miles away, seemed subdued. When another helicopter flew over ten minutes into the game, every girl on the field paused for a second and looked up in apprehension.
    As expected, Mr. Mount gradually made his way over to a group