QB1 Read Online Free Page A

take me around back.”
    Tonelli used his cell to call in support. He
listened and said, “Neighbors already called. This just started a
few minutes ago. You’re hot stuff, Bucko.”
    I used my cell and called Roger. “Are you in
your house?”
    “Yes, with Mom and Dad.”
    “You did good today, boy.”
    “Mr. Mullins, I was scared you were going to
be killed.”
    “You were brave, Dude.”
    “Oh, Mr. Mullins, you’re the brave one,” he
sobbed. “My Mom wants to speak to you Mr. Mullins.”
    “Thomas?” Roger’s Mom, Ilene Goody had lived
next door to me since I was 10 years old. She is the nicest woman
in the world, a literature professor at San Francisco State.
    “I’m sorry about all this, Ilene. I want to
come in and talk to you about it,” I said. “I’ll come in the back
door now.” Tonelli drove me up to the rear of the house. I thanked
him and told him I’d call him later. As I got out of the car, a
crowd of reporters came running and surrounded me.
    “Tom, can you tell us what happened today?”
Men and woman were pushing microphones in my face and shouting
questions. I just shook my head.
    “No comment,” as I pushed the crowd towards
Roger’s house. Two uniforms showed up and pushed the reporters away
allowing me to move to the door. I waved back at them and walked
into the house as Ilene, held the door. “That’s no fun,” I said as
I saw Roger and his Dad standing on the other side of the kitchen.
Bolo, their big Chesapeake Retriever jumped up on me and started
licking. Roger and I spent a lot of time with Bolo across the Great
Highway at the beach. “Hey Boy,” I said to him, putting him back on
all fours. He wanted more but I held him down. I kissed Ilene and
shook hands with Professor Bob. I bumped fists with Roger. “How you
doing? Look, I really want to apologize to you folks. I had no idea
this little surveillance thing was going to turn out like this. I’m
sorry Roger was in the middle of it.”
    “I’m not. It was so cool,” Roger beamed.
    “Let’s all go sit down in the living room,”
Ilene said.
    The dog was licking my hand and tried to get
up on me when I sat down. I pushed him off and told him to sit. “He
wants a beach run,” I said to the others. “So what are you going to
do now that you’re famous, Roger?”
    “I don’t know, Mr. Mullins.”
    “I don’t know either, Roge. I looked at the
little family sitting across from me on the couch. Ilene ran her
fingers through Roger’s hair. Bob stared at me. “I’ll tell you one
thing. I don’t feel like a damn hero. I killed a guy this morning
and I feel like shit. Maybe I’m just exhausted after last night.
But, I just feel like shit, sorry Ilene.” She was sensitive to
profanity.
    Bob crossed his legs and smiled. “We’re all
exhausted after last night. I can’t imagine what you’re going
through. You’re trained to do what you did. But just like a soldier
in combat, you never know till you actually experience it. I
suggest you give yourself a break. Admit to yourself that this is
painful and give yourself some time to heal.”
    I put my hands on my face and couldn’t stop
it. I started crying. Ilene came to one side of me and Roger the
other and they hugged me. Goddamn it, like a little girl. I looked
up at Bob still seated with his legs crossed. He hadn’t moved.
“Alright, I admit it. Now, what do we do?” wiping the tears from my
face.
    “Now you know you’re not prepared to…deal
with this. Maybe tomorrow you will be or next week or next year.”
Goddamn Bob always has the answers for personal issues. I take him
with a grain a salt though. He’s completely baffled by his son.
Roger pays no attention to him at all. I swear the guy has no
parental skills and teaches people how to deal with each other.
    I could hear the helicopters above us. I
could hear the noise from the street. There were hundreds of people
around our homes. “Thomas, I had to disconnect the phone. It’s