When No One Is Watching by Hayes Joseph Read Free Book Online Page B

bear to watch. He stood up, tossed the golf ball straight up in the air, caught it with his right hand, and shoved it into his pocket.
    Slazak retrieved a small spiral notebook from his bedside table and studied it for a few minutes. He had jotted down the addresses of both Danny Moran and Terry McGrath from their driver’s licenses. They both lived in Beverly, just a few blocks apart from each other, about four miles northeast of Mount Greenwood. It was Sunday, his day off, but he needed to get away from baseball for awhile. There was work to be done.

CHAPTER 7
D addy, we’re home!”
     
    Danny awoke with a start at the sound of the cheerful teenage voice. He blinked hard and looked at his watch. It was three thirty in the afternoon, and he was lying in bed in gym shorts and a T-shirt. He rolled out of bed and moved slowly out of the second-story bedroom toward the stairs, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.
    His wife, Karen, and their seventeen-year-old daughter, Allie, had been visiting Karen’s parents in San Francisco for the past ten days. They knew that Danny worked nearly around the clock when he was in trial and needed to be free from distractions, so they used those opportunities to travel whenever they could. Despite being consumed by the trial, Danny had found himself greatly missing them by the time it was over and had been eagerly awaiting their return—until now. A wave of dread passed over him as he made his way down the stairs.
    Allie met him at the bottom of the stairs. “Hi, Pops! Congratulations on your trial! I missed you!”
    She flung her arms around him enthusiastically, oblivious to his haggard appearance. He was bleary-eyed and unshaven, and obviously had been sleeping in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. She was equally oblivious to the look of shame and embarrassment clouding his face.
    Danny could see that none of that was lost on Karen. She dropped her suitcases and stared silently at her husband for several long moments.
    “Danny? Are you okay?” she asked apprehensively, glued to her spot just inside the door.
    “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news,” Danny began, hesitation in his voice.
    “What? What happened?” Allie asked, immediately becoming alarmed.
    “I was in an accident last night.”
    Allie gasped. “Are you okay?”
    Danny nodded, and they walked slowly into the living room, where he sat down on the sofa. Allie sat next to her father, eyeing him with concern. Karen stared at them from across the room, one hand over her mouth.
    “What happened?” Allie asked again, her eyes widening.
    “I’m not exactly sure,” Danny said slowly. “I went to the victory celebration downtown last night. I was driving home sometime after midnight, and I think … I think I almost collided with another car. He drove off the road into a tree. I hear he’s hurt pretty badly.”
    “What do you mean ‘you think’ you almost collided?” Karen asked, her voice shaking. “You don’t know for sure?”
    Danny shook his head, staring at the floor.
    “You were drinking again, Danny, weren’t you?” Karen asked, her tone harsh and accusatory.
    “I’m afraid so,” he replied softly. “I honestly don’t remember what happened. I woke up at the accident scene, and I just have no recollection of what happened.”
    “What’s going to happen, Daddy?” Allie asked. “Are you going to be arrested? Will we get sued?”
    “I don’t know, sweetheart,” he replied, unable to look his daughter in the eye.
    Allie leaned toward her father and gently grasped his forearm. “Don’t worry, Daddy, we’ll get through this,” she said, obviously trying hard to sound confident and reassuring, but not quite succeeding. “Everything will be okay, I just know it.”
    “Allie, would you give your father and me a few minutes alone?” Karen asked, her voice trembling.
    “Sure, Mom,” Allie said quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on her father. She embraced him tightly and left the