Page 172 of Still Bruised
“Public Lewdness. Indecent Exposure…” Mario looked at Jeff. “What else was it?”
“Trespassing…” Jeff said. “I think there was one more.”
“Public Nuisance,” a guy standing behind Jeff said.
“Right, right,”Jeff said before turning to the guy behind them. “Thanks, my dude.”
“What was he doing?” Foster asked.
“Having sex in Lambert Park at four o’clock this morning,” Mario said. “And you’ll never guess with who.”
Foster searched their excited faces. “Who?”
“Coach.”
Foster’s jaw dropped.“Coach O’Brien?”
“Yep,” Mario said, snickering. “So, that asshole bullied Judesoooohard about blowing a guy and turns out it was Rick smoking the meat pipe all along.”
Foster narrowed his eyes. “I seem to recall both of you were more than happy to jointhat assholein Jude’s bullying.”
Both of their smiles faded.
“If memory serves, you were right at his side,” Foster said, taking an aggressive step forward.
“You know how Rick was,” Jeff said. “If you didn’t do what he wanted, he’d wail on you. If you pissed him off enough, you’re the one he’d end up torturing.”
“So it was better to be the tormentor than the tormentee,” Foster said.
“Basically,” Mario said. “Hey, we got carried away with it. It was like that book we had to read in 10thgrade. The flies book withthe kids on the island. It started off just messing around… and then suddenly, it was going off the rails.”
“Which one of you guys delivered the death threats under his door?”
Both of them looked away.
“Which one?” Foster demanded, his voice a raw growl.
Heads turned in their direction, but Foster didn’t care.
“It was Rick,” Mario said. “But we were with him.”
“The vandalism to their home, business, and car?” Foster demanded.
“Rick,” Jeff said. “But we were there, too. As lookouts.”
“Either you make it right to Jude, or I’m going to be the one making your lives a living hell,” Foster said. “You hear me?”
“What do you want us to do?” Mario asked, frowning.
“Apologize, for one,” Foster said.
“Sorry,” they both said in unison.
“To Jude,you dumbasses,” Foster snapped. “Then you need to pay him back for the damage you caused his family—andthe mental anguish.”
“How are we supposed to do that?” Jeff asked.
“I don’t know,” Foster said. He took a page from Anton’s book.“Get creative.”
