Page 28 of I'm Watching You

Unless this murder was resolved quickly, the shelter would close, and she had no idea if and when it would open again. ‘You can take it and the game with you.’

He grinned. ‘For real?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘Thanks!’ Jamal exclaimed.

As the boys finished up their game, she grabbed a plastic grocery bag from under the kitchen sink. Jamal pocketed the disc and memory card as Damien unplugged the game and tucked it in the bag. The three headed outside.

‘We can really keep this?’ Jamal said.

‘Until you and your brother get settled in a real home with your mom. When you guys are feeling comfortable in your new place, I’d like it back for the next kid.’

Jamal frowned. ‘Damien and I aren’t the last kids?’

Sadly, there would always be a next kid in her line of business. It was the main reason why she was there. But Jamal didn’t need statistics or grim predictions of the future. He needed hope that his life would one day be happy and normal. ‘I sure hope you are.’

Lindsay ushered the boys outside to her car. They buckled in and soon were headed across town. Fifteen minutes later, they rolled into the Riverside parking lot. The shelter was also in a residential neighborhood and looked much like the other trilevel houses around it. Toys now damp from the rain littered the front yard. The front door was open. Inside, lights glowed.

Aisha Greenland came outside, her shoulder-length braids brushing her wide shoulders. She grinned when she saw Lindsay and the boys. The boys scrambled out of the backseat and ran up to their mother. She hugged them close.

Lindsay followed with the video game system in hand. ‘How’d the interview go?’

Aisha grinned. Hazel eyes flashed with genuine happiness. ‘I got the job.’

Lindsay knew Aisha had been terrified of the interview. It had been eight years since she’d worked out of the home. ‘That’s great.’

Jamal cupped his mother’s face in his hands. ‘You got a job?’

Aisha kissed her son. ‘I sure did, baby. I sure did. I’m gonna be working as a cashier at the supermarket.’ She lifted her gaze to Lindsay. ‘Thank you.’

‘Happy to help.’ Moments like this made all the bad stuff fade.

‘I have just a little something for you,’ Aisha said.

‘You don’t need to give me anything.’

Aisha shook her head and from her pocket pulled out a small wrapped box. ‘I heard Ruby saying it was your birthday on Wednesday.’

Emotion tightened Lindsay’s chest as she slowly opened the box. Inside was a plastic butterfly. Clearly it wasn’t expensive, but that didn’t matter. ‘You know butterflies mean rebirth.’

Aisha shook her head. ‘I just liked the pretty colors.’

Lindsay hugged her. ‘So do I. Thank you.’ Unshed tearsburned the back of her throat. ‘Good luck. You guys take care. I’ve got to get back to Sanctuary.’

Inside her car, Lindsay turned on the radio, found a good song, and cranked it. She felt good and wanted to savor this small victory. To celebrate, she went to a drive-thru to treat herself to a milk shake, burger, and fries. The delicious smells made her stomach rumble for she couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten.

Twenty minutes later, when she parked in front of Sanctuary, she’d eaten the fries and drank half the milk shake. A little food on her stomach had settled her nerves and she felt steadier.

The cop car was still parked out front, as well as the forensics van. Only one news van remained. And that was a good thing as far as she was concerned. She prayed the press would lose interest and this whole thing would just go away.

She was halfway up the shelter’s front steps when she heard a woman shout, ‘Lindsay O’Neil!’

Turning, she saw a tall woman with dark hair pulled back into a low, tight ponytail. She was wearing a sleek sapphire silk blouse that accentuated flawless porcelain skin expertly made up and black pants that showed off long legs and a narrow waist. Kendall Shaw, former cover model and now a reporter for Channel 10, was perfectly dressed as always.

One look reminded Lindsay that she’d barely had time to run a brush through her hair this morning. ‘Hey, Kendall.’

Kendall grinned and held out her hand. ‘It’s good to see you again. I guess it’s been a couple of months.’

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