Cruel Justice Read Online Free

cooking Minute rice.”
    Julia ignored him. “Can you say hi to your uncle Ben?” She looked up. “He’s seven months old. He can only say a few words.” She wiggled her fingers and spoke in high-pitched baby talk. “Say, ‘Hi there, Uncle Ben. Hi there!’ ”
    Joey did not follow her lead, which Ben thought showed great presence of mind on his part. Ben took the moment to give his sister a quick once-over. She’d changed since he’d last seen her. Not surprising, really—it had been more than two years.
    She had slimmed down considerably. Working as an emergency room nurse in Glasgow, Montana, had undoubtedly played a part in that. Not to mention her second divorce, just after the baby was born, and the stress of caring for a newborn on her own. Something about the new improved Julia bothered him, though.
    “So what have you been up to?” he asked.
    “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it.” Joey was getting restless—squirming and scrunching up his face. Julia plopped him over her shoulder, burped him, then switched him to her other arm. “I finished my contract term at the hospital in Glasgow and got offered a seat in a graduate program in Connecticut. It’s very exclusive.”
    “So you’ll be accepting?”
    “I hope to, but there are a few problems.” She smiled at Joey, then wiped a bit of drool from his face. “I can’t believe how long it’s been since we last saw each other, Ben. Why is that?”
    “Well,” Ben said hesitantly, “I thought it was because you didn’t like me very much.”
    “Don’t be silly. Where would you get that idea?”
    “Because you always said I was a jerk.”
    “Did I? Sorry about that.”
    “Because you said I don’t care about anyone other than myself.”
    “I’m sure I didn’t mean it.”
    “Because you told Mother I tried to drown you in the swimming pool when you were eight.”
    “Well, you did do that, but let’s let bygones be bygones.” She wriggled the diaper bag down off her shoulder, wrested free a wet-wipe, and cleaned up Joey’s face. “It didn’t help family relations, you know, when you took Mike’s side during our divorce.”
    Mike Morelli was her first husband—and Ben’s old college buddy, currently a homicide detective with the Tulsa PD. “Did I? He thinks I took your side.”
    “Well, he’s wrong. As usual.”
    Ben diverted his attention to the infant. “He’s a cute little guy, isn’t he?”
    “Oh yeah. And very advanced for his age. He can already pull himself up in his crib. He’ll be walking in another month or two. Here, why don’t you hold him?”
    “Oh, no,” Ben said quickly. ‘That’s all right.”
    “Come on, Ben. He’s your nephew. He won’t break. Hold him a second.”
    Ben reluctantly extended his arms. It wasn’t anything personal against Joey. Ben just didn’t know the slightest thing about babies. He didn’t even know where to place his hands.
    “No, no,” Julia said, “like this. He can hold up his head now, but you still need to brace his body.”
    Ben contorted in accordance with her directions. Joey gazed up at his uncle and made a strange gurgling noise.
    “See?” Julia said. “He likes you.”
    “If you say so.”
    “Tickle his lower lip. He loves that.”
    Ben did as instructed. The baby did seem to smile a bit.
    “ ’Scuse me, sir.”
    Ben turned. It was the black man he and Jones had spotted outside. He stood unevenly, leaning heavily on his right leg. “My name’s Ernest Hayes. Friends call me Ernie. Sorry to interrupt, but I’m wantin’ to talk with you ‘bout handlin’ a case—”
    “Right,” Ben said. “I’d be happy to do it.”
    The man blinked. “Jus’ like that?”
    “Sure. My pleasure.”
    Ernie hesitated. “I gotta be honest with you, Mr. Kincaid. I ain’t got much money.”
    “Not a problem. I’ll do it on a contingency fee. My assistant will give you some forms to fill out—terms, provisions, and so on. There are standard percentages for cases of this