Trueman Bradley - Aspie Detective Read Online Free Page A

suspect me of drug dealing, but I was scared and ran out of the bank. I walked into the crowd and was hit by the elbows of pedestrians. The violent, unexpected bumps of the crowd made me panic and I ran along the street, turning into an alley. The alley was empty and gave me some comfort. I sat and leaned against a brick wall, where it smelled like trash and rotten eggs. I continued the triangle sequence from where I left off.
    “78, 91, 105…” I said.
    “Yo, Trueman!”
    The voice caused a vision of Seth to form in my mind.
    “You alright?” asked Seth. “I was walking by and saw you running from the bank. So, who you running from, buddy?”
    “Buddy?” I asked.
    “Trueman,” he said. “I mean Trueman. What’s happening?”
    “The police think I’m a drug dealer,” I said.
    “Ha!” he said. “You’ve got to be kidding! A nice Heartville boy like you dealing drugs? Who told you that?”
    “The bank,” I said. “They said if someone deposits a lot of cash, the police think that person is a drug dealer.”
    “Oh…” he said. “You misunderstood, Trueman, my friend. All that means is the bank calls the police to check if you’re a drug dealer. If you’re not a drug dealer, the police will tell the bank you’re not a drug dealer. Then they’ll let you deposit the money, no problem! You see? It doesn’t mean the police think you’re a drug dealer. You misunderstood, my friend.”
    “Oh,” I said. “Well, maybe I should go back to the bank, then. I didn’t deposit my money. But there are big crowds on the street and they make me nervous. Can you take me there?”
    “Sure thing, Trueman!” he said. “Just come with me.”
    Seth grabbed my arm and led me further along the alley, where it was shaded and dark. The stench of garbage was intense and unpleasant. It was so intense that I wondered if I’d vomit.
    “But the bank is the other way!” I said.
    “Hey, don’t worry so much, buddy,” he said. “This is a shortcut. If we go this way, there’s less people. You don’t like crowds, right? Come on then. It’s just a little further.”
    We walked under a bridge. There was an oil drum here, full of burning trash. Burning smells always alarmed me, because I was once surprised by a fire that suddenly ignited when I was cooking bacon. Any burning smell causes me to panic and think something unexpected and terrifying will happen.
    My anxiety was so powerful that I fell to the ground. I felt a need to escape from this disturbing reality. I leaned against the wall of the concrete bridge and continued reciting my number sequence.
    To my surprise, Seth pulled me towards him and pushed my back against the wall. He breathed his sour-smelling breath into my face and held me tightly against the wall.
    “Alright now, Trueman,” he said. “Take off your coat.”
    I could recognize the anger in his face, but I didn’t understand what he was angry about.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I don’t understand!”
    “Don’t bother trying to understand!” he said. “You’re an idiot and I can’t sit around all day waiting for you to understand. You’re going to give me that coat, you moron!”
    He spun me around and started to forcibly remove my trench coat. I tried to resist, but he was stronger than me.
    “Freeze! Don’t move!”
    The voice caused me to see the cab driver in my mind’s eye.
    “Step away from him!” said the cab driver.
    The cab driver was running towards us, holding a gun in his hand. Seth instantly started running, and he was gone before the cab driver got close. I wasn’t sure if I should run too. Was the cab driver trying to rob me again? He was running at me with a gun and I was terrified. I fell to the ground and closed my eyes, trying to forget the disturbing situation I was in.
    “120, 136, 153…” I said.
    “Trueman!” said the cab driver.
    I opened my eyes, and saw the cab driver, without his sunglasses, looking at me. I could recognize worry on his face.