The Incident (Chase Barnes Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

The Incident (Chase Barnes Series Book 1)
Pages:
Go to
and let her talk.
                  “And what would you like me to do about it?”
                  “I don’t know.  Just look into him for me, as a favor.  I think he might be mixed up in some gang stuff and maybe even drugs.  He’s only twelve.”  She talked while she continued to season the pork chops.  I could see the passion Lindsey has for these kids.  Whenever she came home and told me some of the heart- wrenching stories about her kids, I loved her that much more.  Stories of sex and drug abuse, alcoholism, neglect, and dead- beat parents.  All of this before the kids are teenagers.
                  Lindsey taught at a behavior management program for Bergen County Special Services.  BCSS, as it’s better known to the locals, is a county- wide program that provides extra- special attention and care for kids with all types of physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.  Lindsey taught at the Right Step School, a school that specialized in teaching elementary and middle school students how to harness their anger, depression, and abandonment issues while learning the same academics that would be provided to them in a more traditional school setting.
                  I was always jealous of Lindsey’s job.  She got to go on weekly field trips as a way to expose inner- city kids to a variety of community activities and was home by three every afternoon.  She even admitted how spoiled she was with her job.  Aside from the three o’ clock quitting time and more vacation time than a retired banker, Lindsey got off much easier than a public school teacher.  On average from year to year Lindsey usually had about seven students in her class as opposed to some of her cohorts in other schools that have ten times that many.  However, she said there were a number of times it felt like a hundred and seven kids due to some of their extreme behaviors.  She rarely had to take work home with her where others hunkered down on the weekends with stacks of papers to grade.  Don’t even get me started on the fact that she was allowed to wear jeans and sneakers to work every day due to the potential outbursts of fights and runners she may have to deal with during her day.  I guess with my newfound form of employment, I’d be wearing the same attire.
                  “Don’t they have case managers and DYFS to look into that sort of stuff?” I asked.   The pork chops on the range- top grill began to sizzle.  I’ve learned so much about the teaching profession from Lindsey and the stories she’s told me over the years.  And one important thing I’ve learned from Lindsey and from my own years as a cop was that the Division of Youth and Family Services can be worthless.
                  “We do but the kids’ case manager is a floozy and DYFS is worth shit.  DYFS has gone to the house a few times but have come up empty.  Say they don’t have enough to build a case.  I’m afraid this kid is involved in some bad stuff and may wind up dead.”
                  Stay calm, Chase.  She’s talking about Esteban.  Not Jake.  On second thought, I don’t think I can take this job either.  Yes, you can, damn it.   You’re gonna do it because you owe it to Jake.  That’s the least you can do.
                  There wasn’t much left to say, out loud anyway.  I knew I’d eventually convince myself that I was going to take the case once she told me to do it as a favor to her.  It would give me something real to do for the first time in months and I was thrilled. 
                  “Fine, I’ll do it.  But you know these favors and pro bono gigs aren’t going to make us any money.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Eight
     
    I treated my latest session Tuesday morning with Dr. Sharper as I usually do.  Count down the minutes from the time I

Readers choose

Conrad Williams

Rosemary Rogers

Eva Gray

Margaret Mayhew

Miranda James

Siobhan Parkinson

Viktoriya Molchanova

Flora Speer