Page 7 of Necessary Evil

Chapter 2

A MONTH LATER

Lucy sat in the parking lot, enjoying the air-conditioning for a few extra moments. She didn’t want to be here, but it was for a good cause. The Babylon police and fire departments held their yearly fundraiser as a big party. She always sold tickets and agreed to make dessert. It wasn’t her scene, but she figured that if she kept doing nice stuff, maybe one of these days the cops would see she wasn’t such a ballbuster in real life. Oh, who was she kidding? Maybe one day pigs would fly too.

Her phone rang, delaying her trip into the recreation center with the nine dozen cookies she’d spent last night making.

“Bobby, are you all right?” Her brother never called her unless the shit had hit the fan.

“I need to see you.”

Her stomach dropped. “Why?” she asked. Scenarios flew through her mind, each one more awful than the other. “Are you okay?”

“It’s a long story.”

It usually was.“Are you in trouble?”

“No. Not anymore. Look, I just need a change of scenery.”

“What happened?”

He sighed, and for a moment Lucy thought he was going to blow off her question or make up a story, but he surprised her by telling the truth. “I got some people on my ass.”

“Again?” she said, and then winced at her tone. If he could be truthful, she could listen without judgment.

“Yeah, but it’s not my fault—I got arrested for something I didn’t do.”

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Lucy cried. “I might not have a license to practice in California, but I know some people. I could have put you in touch with an attorney there.”

“I hate to disappoint you,” he said, “and it’s all crap anyway.”

Guilt tormented her. Sometimes she couldn’t help lashing out, and Bobby was so sensitive. The last thing she wanted was to cut him off from her support. She knew she was his rock, what kept him from slipping back into his old, self-destructive ways, but she always feared her help might not be the best thing for him, bordering on enabling. Still, what could she do? He was family. “You can always come to me with anything. You know that.”

“The girl I was seeing and I had a fight. I was screwing around on her. She thought we were exclusive or some shit, I don’t know.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. Nothing new there. Bobby was never straight with the women he dated. She hated to admit her brother was one of those guys she’d always been wary of and always kept her distance from. He was a player, and that was one big thing they differed on.

“She got drunk and got into a bar fight.”

“I hope she’s all right,” Lucy said absently. This was typical Bobby. Her brother’s life was full of drama and more drama.

“The little bitch tried to pin it on me. Said I beat her up. The cops took one look at my history and booked me.”

“You should have called me.” Lucy banged a fist on her steering wheel. Damn it, she hated when shit like this happened. Her brother had done his time. He had been clean for five years. Still, all it took was one skank with a mission to open up all his old wounds.

“Nah, I had an alibi, and there were witnesses at the bar that saw her fighting with another chick. I got sprung in a few hours.”

“Well, that’s fortunate.” She resisted giving him a lecture. She knew from experience that it would go in one ear and out the other.

“Except now she has her cousins out for my blood. So I’m coming up to see you until things die down. I figure I can crash with you.”

Lucy closed her eyes. Oh, crap. No. She couldn’t go through this again. He’d stay for months. Eat her out of house and home. Trash her place. No. Not this time.

“You can’t,” Lucy said with fake disappointment. “My apartment is way too small. I only have one bedroom. You’d have no privacy. And my couch is lumpy.” She cut herself off before she overdid it.

There was another pause on the line. “I suppose I could get a hotel. A cheap one. Do you think you can float me some cash? Just until I get a job and get some income going. The plane fare is going to wipe out my bank account.”

“Sure. Not a problem. But what about your job there—can you just up and leave like that?” she said quickly. Anything to keep him out of her personal space. With any luck he’d become bored in Babylon within a few weeks and head off to the city. Maybe this time he’d find a permanent place and settle down. And she could keep an eye on him. Make sure he wasn’t using again. “Call me when you land.”

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