Lying to Live Read Online Free Page B

remember a damn thing that young lady said today.”
    Julius laughed.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Zakia asked.
    â€œNothing, sweetheart. Your brother was just telling me about one of his classmates,” Mr. Graham answered. He didn’t want her to know the details of his man-to-man conversation with his son, so he was vague with his response.
    â€œOh!” Zakia responded before she started singing along with the radio again.
    Julius glanced back at his sister and then said, “She’s dating André Patterson.”
    â€œThe all-American?” Paul asked.
    â€œThe one and only,” Julius answered. “I got a chance to meet him in the library. He was talking to me about going out for the team.”
    â€œI see. Maybe you should try out,” his father suggested. “I hear he’s a nice kid and that he’s some type of artist too. I think I read somewhere that he’s painted murals in some office buildings around town. A lot of colleges are salivating over him.”
    Julius changed the station on the radio and said, “He is nice, but I don’t know about trying out for the team.”
    â€œWhat do you have to lose?”
    He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Nothing I guess, but I like football a little more than basketball.”
    â€œI’m behind you one hundred percent with whatever you want to do, son. You’re built for both sports, so either one would be fine.”
    â€œThanks, Dad,” he replied with a smile.
    Mr. Graham pulled into their neighborhood and said, “You want to hear some good news?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œI have a job interview tomorrow for a management position at the automotive plant.”
    â€œFor real?” Julius asked with excitement.
    â€œYou bet, and when I get the job, we’re out of here. No more gunshots in the middle of the night, and you, your mom, and your sister will be safe and sound.”
    â€œThat’s my dream too, Dad, because I don’t think those cops are going to let up.”
    â€œWhat cops?” Zakia asked.
    â€œThe ones on the TV show,” Julius replied to throw her off. He’d forgotten she was in the car since she’d stopped singing.
    Mr. Graham put the car in park and said, “Zakia, run on in house. I want to talk to your brother for a second. We’ll be in shortly.”
    â€œOkay, Daddy,” she replied as she opened the car door and made her way into the house.
    Mr. Graham turned to his son and asked, “Have the police tried to contact you at school?”
    â€œNo, sir, but they know I know something. I think it’s only a matter of time before they try to talk to me again.”
    â€œIf they do, you don’t say a word. Just call me and I’ll come right away. Understood?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œListen, son, we haven’t had a chance to talk about what happened in the store that night. Your mother told me you haven’t been sleeping much. Do you want to talk about it?”
    Julius laid his head on the headrest and sighed. “It’s bad, Dad.”
    â€œIt’s okay. No matter how bad it is, I’m your father, and I’ll die before I let anybody hurt you. I don’t want you feeling burdened with this. What you saw was tragic and scary, and as long as the killer’s on the street, I won’t rest knowing you don’t feel safe. You’ll probably feel better if you talk about it, son.”
    With tears in his eyes Julius told his father exactly what had happened. He even revealed to him that it was Viper who shot the store clerk and that word on the street confirmed it was him as well. Mr. Graham knew Viper well, and so did most families in the area. He felt his blood pressure rise because of the possible threat if Viper ever found out his son was a witness.
    â€œIt doesn’t surprise me that Viper was involved, because that kid’s been on the fast track to nowhere for