Twisted Justice by Patricia Gussin Read Free Book Online

before diving into the cookies.”
    Rotund, with her salt-and-pepper hair pulled into an old-fashioned bun, Marcy looked older than her fifty-six years. She’d worked for Laura and Steve ever since they’d moved to Tampa, when Laura began her internship seven years ago. Patrick had been only ten months old; the twins, three; Kevin, four; and Mike, seven. Thank God for Marcy, Laura repeated at least a dozen times each day.
    As for Marcy, she claimed the children gave her the will to go on once she’d lost her husband to cancer. Fiercely dedicated to the Nelsons, she lived in a small apartment over their attached garage so she could be on call for those frequent occasions when both parents worked erratic hours.
    â€œFriday, I never thought it’d come.” Laura slumped into the nearest kitchen chair. “How’re the kids?”
    â€œThey’re all in the family room,” Marcy said.
    Laura started to get up.
    â€œYou had a few calls.”
    â€œWho?” Laura grabbed one more cookie and started stuffing it into her mouth.
    â€œYour mother. She wants to know if you’d like her to stay with you over the weekend. You know she’s worried about you. And a lawyer. Says you know him, a Mr. Sanders. And then Roxanne. She called about this Mr. Sanders. She wants you to call her before Monday morning.”
    â€œOh? I’ll call them later.” Laura wiped the crumbs off her lips. “I’m going in to check out the kids.”
    Laura stepped across the hall and was about to call out, “I’m home,” when she suddenly stopped. She sensed before she saw the serious expressions on her kids’ faces. They were deep in discussion and did not notice her arrival at the verge of the door. Mike, her oldest son, sat stiffly on one end of the sofa. He looked so much like a younger version of his dad that she flinched. Broad shoulders, wavy blonde hair, but with Laura’s green eyes. Like Steve, Mike was clean cut and smart, yet unlike Steve, he was modest, even oversensitive. Hard for Laura to accept, but Mike was fourteen now. Steve had been nineteen when she’d met him. So much had happened to both of them since then. They were now two entirely different people. Gone their rosy eyed optimism, gone their shared values.
    â€œThey’re not telling me anything,” Mike was saying. “But Dad was at my baseball game yesterday, and he said he was coming back.” Laura grimaced at the new pitch in his voice. Puberty, a tough transition for any kid under the best of circumstances.
    Next to him sat Kevin, age eleven, another blonde, but with fine, straight hair with shaggy bangs brushing his eyebrows. His freckles seemed apt to his role as family clown, but at the momenthis blue eyes — the medium blue of his father’s — clouded over with unfamiliar worry.
    The younger three were sitting Indian style on the floor in front of their brothers, a half-finished puzzle before them. It was one of those rare occasions when the television was turned off. Natalie and Nicole, identical ten-year-old twins, flanked eight-year-old Patrick.
    Laura felt her heart turn over in her chest. Should she walk in or lurk out here and listen?
    â€œHe’s never coming home,” Nicole announced with smug authority. “Mom won’t let him live with us anymore.”
    â€œYou shut up, Nicky,” shouted Patrick, clenching his fists. “That’s not true. Is it, Mike?”
    â€œDaddy would never leave us by ourselves,” said Natalie before Mike could respond.
    â€œWe’re not by ourselves, silly,” Kevin interjected. “We have Mom and Mrs. Whitman.”
    â€œWho cares anyway,” said Nicole in a strangely cold tone.
    â€œYou’re a mean jerk,” Patrick yelled, reaching over to shove Nicole.
    â€œYou’re just a stupid baby,” Nicole shouted. “Get away from me. And don’t touch my puzzle! I’m not