Novels: The Law is a Lady Read Online Free Page B

them!"
    "The Kramer twins?" Tory sat on the corner of her desk. Her eyes flickered down to the beefy hand that gripped a skinny arm. "Why don't you sit down, Mr. Hollister. You"—she looked directly at the boy—"it's Tod, isn't it?"
    He swallowed rapidly. "Yes, ma'am—Sheriff. Tod Swanson."
    ' 'Get Mr. Hollister a glass of water, Tod. Right through there."
    "He'll be out the back door before you can spit," Hollister began, then took a plaid handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe at his brow.
    "No, he won't," Tory said calmly. She jerked her head at the boy as she pulled up a chair for Hollister. "Sit down, now, you'll make yourself sick."
    "Sick!" Hollister dropped into a chair as the boy scrambled off. "I'm already sick. Those—those punks."
    "Yes, the Kramer twins."
    She waited patiently while he completed a lengthy, sometimes incoherent dissertation on the youth of today. Phil had the opportunity to do what he did best: watch and absorb.
    Hollister, he noticed, was a hotheaded old bigot with a trace of fear for the younger generation. He was sweating profusely, dabbing at his brow and the back of his neck with the checkered handkerchief. His shirt was wilted and patched with dark splotches. He was flushed, overweight and tiresome. Tory listened to him with every appearance of respect, but Phil noticed the gentle tap of her forefinger against her knee as she sat on the edge of the desk.
    The boy came in with the water, two high spots of color on his cheeks. Phil concluded he'd had a difficult time not slipping out the back door. He judged the boy to be about Ihirteen and scared right down to the bone. He had a smooth, attractive face, with a mop of dark hair and huge brown eyes that wanted to look everywhere at once. He was too thin; his jeans and grubby shirt were nearly in tatters. He handed Tory the water with a hand that shook. Phil saw that when she took it from him, she gave his hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. Phillip began to like her.
    "Here." Tory handed Hollister the glass. "Drink this, then tell me what happened."
    Hollister drained the glass in two huge gulps. "Those punks, messing around out back of my store. I've chased 'em off a dozen times. They come in and steal anything they can get their hands on. I've told you."
    "Yes, Mr. Hollister. What happened this time?"
    "Heaved a rock through the window." He reddened alarmingly again. "This one was with 'em. Didn't run fast enough."
    "I see." She glanced at Tod, whose eyes were glued to the toes of his sneakers. "Which one threw the rock?"
    "Didn't see which one, but I caught this one." Hollister rose, stuffing his damp handkerchief back in his pocket. "I'm going to press charges."
    Phil saw the boy blanch. Though Tory continued to look at Hollister, she laid a hand on Tod's arm. "Go sit down in the back room, Tod." She waited until he was out of earshot. "You did the right thing to bring him in, Mr. Hollister." She smiled. "And to scare the pants off him."
    "He should be locked up," the man began.
    "Oh, that won't get your window fixed," she said reasonably. "And it would only make the boy look like a hero to the twins."
    "In my day—"
    "I guess you and my father never broke a window," she mused, smiling at him with wide eyes. Hollister blustered, then snorted.
    "Now, look here, Tory..."
    "Let me handle it, Mr. Hollister. This kid must be three years younger than the Kramer twins." She lowered her voice so that Phil strained to hear. "He could have gotten away."
    Hollister shifted from foot to foot. "He didn't try," he mumbled. "Just stood there. But my window—"
    "How much to replace it?"
    He lowered his brows and puffed for a minute. "Twenty-five dollars should cover it."
    Tory walked around the desk and opened a drawer. After counting out bills, she handed them over. "You have my word, I'll deal with him—and with the twins."
    "Just like your old man," he muttered, then awkwardly patted her head. "I don't want those Kramers hanging around my