shoulda told the lady to forget it
.
Kenny weighed the envelope, held it up to the gray light from the clouds. It contained a piece of folded paper. A check maybe or a note. Nothing against the law as far as he could tell. Nothing explosive.
In a low crouch, he sprinted across the grass, slipped, regained speed, and lunged up the stairs. He tugged at the box’s lid, tried to locate the sports section.
The envelope fluttered from his fingers to the porch.
His blood was burning at the back of his neck, his muscles tightening in his legs. He picked up the fallen item but fumbled it again.
Cli-cli-clakkk!
A deadbolt was turning. The front door was opening.
“I see you, kid.” The door opened. “Been watching you through the hole.”
Although Kenny’s pounding heart told him to make a dash for it, themild-mannered words stiffened like concrete around his feet. He should escape; he knew that. But who was this guy? What was this all about?
“Please don’t run.” The man was tall and wearing a plaid bathrobe.
“I wasn’t doing nothing wrong, mister, just delivering the paper.”
“Are you the usual paperboy?”
“This isn’t even my route.” Kenny extended the plain envelope, then stepped back as the man pushed open the screen door. “I don’t know what’s in it,” he said.
“Neither do I.”
“You don’t?”
“You’re sure it’s for me? Where’d you get it? Who gave it to you?”
“Seriously, mister, I’m just doing a favor for some lady.” Kenny paused, wondering if he should admit he’d been paid. No, that might get him in trouble. That money had a purpose now, and he wouldn’t risk losing it. “I don’t even know who she is. She said to bring it out here and put it with your newspaper. That’s all she told me.”
“Have you done this before?”
“No!” Kenny backed up. “Never.”
“You didn’t deliver another envelope a few weeks ago?”
“No way, not me. Am I in trouble? I didn’t mean nothing—”
“You’re not in trouble. Can you tell me where the lady lives, anything like that? I need to know who’s sending me these notes. What’s she look like?”
“She had sorta blondish hair, I guess. She’s older, like my mom’s age.”
“Did you see her car?”
“No, she was walking. And wearing gray sweats.”
“Hmm.”
“You’re Clay, aren’t you? Like it says on the envelope.”
“That’s me. What’s your name?”
Kenny felt panic grip his throat. This guy was setting him up, getting him to relax so he could fish for information. Clay’s green eyes seemed nice, and he wasn’t exactly scary looking. But he was very tall, which was bad enough.
Kenny thought about his mom and his puppy and his responsibility as the man of the house. The envelope was delivered, and the cash was in his pocket.
Time to get outta here
.
In a single movement, he spun and leaped from the porch. He considered himself a fast runner, a regular champ at tag, and he knew he had the element of surprise. He pumped his arms and legs. He thought of how he’d grab his bike, toss a leg over, and rocket down the hill.
Forty dollars … forty dollars
. Cold gulp of air.
Forty dollars
.
Clay caught him halfway across the grass. The man’s jumbo hand clamped onto his shoulder and whipped him around. Kenny resisted, shrugging free of his jacket, but the man’s other hand latched onto his bare arm. He’d been caught. Running had only made him look guilty, and now he was done for. Dead meat.
Suddenly, to his amazement, he was free again.
“Dang it!”
Clay had dropped Kenny’s arm and was staring down at his own skin. He shook his hand in the air like a man warding off a swarm of bees, stomped his foot, then wiped his palm against the bathrobe. “What’s going on! Did I ask for this? Arrhhh!”
Baffled by the man’s behavior, Kenny took the opportunity to rush to the bike and speed away. His feet could barely keep up with the spinning pedals. The tires skidded, and his
.
Kenny weighed the envelope, held it up to the gray light from the clouds. It contained a piece of folded paper. A check maybe or a note. Nothing against the law as far as he could tell. Nothing explosive.
In a low crouch, he sprinted across the grass, slipped, regained speed, and lunged up the stairs. He tugged at the box’s lid, tried to locate the sports section.
The envelope fluttered from his fingers to the porch.
His blood was burning at the back of his neck, his muscles tightening in his legs. He picked up the fallen item but fumbled it again.
Cli-cli-clakkk!
A deadbolt was turning. The front door was opening.
“I see you, kid.” The door opened. “Been watching you through the hole.”
Although Kenny’s pounding heart told him to make a dash for it, themild-mannered words stiffened like concrete around his feet. He should escape; he knew that. But who was this guy? What was this all about?
“Please don’t run.” The man was tall and wearing a plaid bathrobe.
“I wasn’t doing nothing wrong, mister, just delivering the paper.”
“Are you the usual paperboy?”
“This isn’t even my route.” Kenny extended the plain envelope, then stepped back as the man pushed open the screen door. “I don’t know what’s in it,” he said.
“Neither do I.”
“You don’t?”
“You’re sure it’s for me? Where’d you get it? Who gave it to you?”
“Seriously, mister, I’m just doing a favor for some lady.” Kenny paused, wondering if he should admit he’d been paid. No, that might get him in trouble. That money had a purpose now, and he wouldn’t risk losing it. “I don’t even know who she is. She said to bring it out here and put it with your newspaper. That’s all she told me.”
“Have you done this before?”
“No!” Kenny backed up. “Never.”
“You didn’t deliver another envelope a few weeks ago?”
“No way, not me. Am I in trouble? I didn’t mean nothing—”
“You’re not in trouble. Can you tell me where the lady lives, anything like that? I need to know who’s sending me these notes. What’s she look like?”
“She had sorta blondish hair, I guess. She’s older, like my mom’s age.”
“Did you see her car?”
“No, she was walking. And wearing gray sweats.”
“Hmm.”
“You’re Clay, aren’t you? Like it says on the envelope.”
“That’s me. What’s your name?”
Kenny felt panic grip his throat. This guy was setting him up, getting him to relax so he could fish for information. Clay’s green eyes seemed nice, and he wasn’t exactly scary looking. But he was very tall, which was bad enough.
Kenny thought about his mom and his puppy and his responsibility as the man of the house. The envelope was delivered, and the cash was in his pocket.
Time to get outta here
.
In a single movement, he spun and leaped from the porch. He considered himself a fast runner, a regular champ at tag, and he knew he had the element of surprise. He pumped his arms and legs. He thought of how he’d grab his bike, toss a leg over, and rocket down the hill.
Forty dollars … forty dollars
. Cold gulp of air.
Forty dollars
.
Clay caught him halfway across the grass. The man’s jumbo hand clamped onto his shoulder and whipped him around. Kenny resisted, shrugging free of his jacket, but the man’s other hand latched onto his bare arm. He’d been caught. Running had only made him look guilty, and now he was done for. Dead meat.
Suddenly, to his amazement, he was free again.
“Dang it!”
Clay had dropped Kenny’s arm and was staring down at his own skin. He shook his hand in the air like a man warding off a swarm of bees, stomped his foot, then wiped his palm against the bathrobe. “What’s going on! Did I ask for this? Arrhhh!”
Baffled by the man’s behavior, Kenny took the opportunity to rush to the bike and speed away. His feet could barely keep up with the spinning pedals. The tires skidded, and his
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