The Adored by Tom Connolly Read Free Book Online Page B

entered the large waiting room, Billy saw Curtis at the far end of the room standing in a gray prison uniform with a smile on his face. His tension melted away. Strong was older and bigger, in fact, stronger looking.
    “Billy,” Curtis said, smiling as he hugged his cousin. “Thanks for coming to see me.”
    “I’m sorry, CJ; I should have come sooner,” Billy said.
    “Damn right, you should have. Sit down.” Curtis said as they each took chairs on opposite sides of the metal table.
    “How are they treating you here?” Billy asked, forgetting whatever it was he intended to say.
    “They’re treating me fine.” Curtis said, again with a big smile. “And what about you, what have you been up to.”
    “Trying to stay out of here,” he said, then regretted it at once, “I mean…”
    Curtis stopped him. “That’s OK, it’s funny.”
    “I’ve had a few jobs, nothing important. Still hang out with some of the same guys on the Westside. You remember Cecil Lane?”
    Curtis nodded, “How is Cece; what is he up to? I figured I’d be bunking with him up here sometime.”
    “He’s as crazy as ever, still shooting hoops down at the park in the summer. No one can beat him. He should be pro.”
    “How’s your mother and father?” Curtis asked.
    “They’re fine. Both said to say hi. Mom said to give you a kiss for her, but we’ll let that go.” They both laughed.
    “Your mom came up with my mom three months ago. I told her to tell you I was going to break out of this place and come and get you if you didn’t come and see me.” Curtis laughed.
    “Man, you must be the happiest guy in here. What the hell are they feeding you?” Billy said, smiling back at the cousin who had been so loyal to him.
    “What are you going to do? Complain to city hall? Who’d listen to me?” Curtis said, a statement he’d made to many visitors over the years to help him over the awkwardness of the initial discussion.
    “So you forgive me for not coming,” Billy Stevens pleaded.
    “I do; you don’t need to talk about it,” Curtis said.
    “But I do. It’s what kept me away; it’s what brought me here now,” he said.
    “I said we don’t need to talk about it,” Curtis said more firmly.
    “I need to talk about it,” Stevens said, his voice rising; he was on the verge of tears. “All this time you have been in here blaming me for it.”
    “No one is blaming you, Billy, least of all me. I chose to do this.” Curtis said.
    “Rather than tell on me?” Stevens said, imploringly to his cousin.
    “Yes, rather than tell on you.” Curtis said, not smugly, but close to it.
    “Well, here’s the shock: I didn’t do it,” Billy said to CJ.
    “So nothing has changed in four and a half years. What’s new?” Curtis said.
    “Well, Cuz, how bout if I tell you who did do it?” Billy said smartly, getting a rise now out of CJ.
    “How bout if I smack the shit out of you right here. What the fuck are you talking about,” Strong said a little more loudly.
    A guard was standing with his back against the wall about twenty feet away. He was a bit overweight but big enough to handle visiting day commotions; he leaned forward and quietly said, “Hold it down a bit fellas, will ya?”
    CJ raised his hand in acknowledgement.
    “Answer me,” CJ said with renewed focus.
    “That night there was someone else with me. We were buying drugs. My boy was a little high and got agitated when the Guatemalan dealer wanted to see his money,” Stevens said to his cousin.
    “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” CJ demanded, but in a lower, but fiercer tone. “Who the fuck was it?”
    Billy Stevens looked to his left and to his right and leaned forward, and in a whisper said, “You may not want to hear it. I came here to make you understand that it wasn’t me who did the knifing.”
    “You’re making no sense, Billy. If someone else did it I want to know, I need to know. It’ll be my ticket out of this place. Just say it for