Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
My voice carried across the street, and both boys turned to face me. The older boy’s expression changed immediately. It wasn’t fear or panic. It was something closer to annoyance. He shook his head, and without a word, he turned and walked away.
I was about to cross the street when Dylan started walking toward me.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he answered, continuing toward his house.
It was the same, ‘I’m fine’, I’d heard countless times before. I wasn’t buying it, so I asked, “Who was that?”
“Nobody.”
“He didn’t look like nobody to me.”
“Just some guy.”
I followed him up to the house as I asked, “What’s his name?”
“I don’t know.”
“Dylan.”
His shoulders sagged. “What?”
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I said, no.”
“Dylan, if this kid is giving you a hard time…”
“He’s not.”
“If you’re scared to…”
“I’m not. I said, I’m fine.”
He needed me to believe him and let it go.
So, he did the only thing he could. He turned and darted inside the house. As much as I hated it, I didn’t follow. I couldn’t. I had to wait for my escort. Thankfully, the patrol car pulled up just as I was about to head back to my car. Seconds later, the door opened, and relief washed over me when Officer Eubanks stepped out.
I’d worked with him on several cases, and he always struck me as a good guy. He was young, eager, nice to the kids, and genuinely cared about what was going on with them. He adjusted his belt and started over to me with a smile. “Sorry I’m late. I got stuck in traffic.”
“It’s okay. It happens.” I motioned my head toward the door. “You ready?”
“Sure thing.”
He followed me up to the door and waited as I knocked. A few moments later, the door opened, and Dylan’s mother appeared looking even more tired than usual. But that didn’t stop her from smiling when she saw me. “Hi, Ms. Hughes.”
“Hi, Melissa.” She stepped aside, giving us room to enter. “This is Officer Eubanks. He’s going to stand at the door, and he’ll only step in if we need him.”
“Hello, Officer Eubanks. Can I get you a drink or anything?”
“I’m good, but thank you, Mrs. Mercer. I appreciate the offer.”
She nodded, and then I followed her into the living room. We sat on the sofa, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Eventually, Melissa sighed and said, “Danny got tied up at work, but he’s trying his best to get here.”
“That’s fine. We can start without him.” I gave her a smile as I asked, “How have things been going?”
“It hasn’t been a great week.” Her shoulders sagged like she was carrying the weight of the world, and it was taking a toll on her. “Dylan’s been difficult… More than usual.”
She sounded so defeated, and my heart actually ached for her. It was clear she loved her son, and she always seemed truly concerned about what was going on with him. There was no missing the worry in her voice when she told me, “He’s been so moody… He snaps at us over little things, and he’s spending more and more time in his room. I try to get him to talk to me, but it always ends up in an argument. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
She wasn’t making excuses. Like me, she was looking for answers, so I asked, “Have you considered the counseling services we’ve offered?”
“I have.” She sighed. “Danny hasn’t really been on board, but I think he’s coming around. These last few days have been rough on him, too.”
Hope flickered inside me. Not because counseling would magically solve everything, but because I truly believed it was a start to getting him the help he needed. “I’m really glad to hear that.”
“I just want to know what’s going on with him.” She wrung her hands in her lap. “I see what his teachers have been worried about, and I’m worried, too.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so.”
I wasn’t sure how to ask my next question, so I just went for it. “When I pulled up today, I saw Dylan talking to a boy down the street.”
“Oh?”
“He was a good bit older.”
“Oh, that was probably Jimmy,” she replied, like it was no big deal. “He’s one of the neighbor’s kids. He and Dylan hang out sometimes.”
“Do you know anything about him?”
“Not really.”
“What about his family?”
“I’ve met his mother a couple of times, and she seems nice enough.” She must’ve picked up on my concern, because she quickly added, “He’s always been very polite and respectful, and Dylan seems to enjoy hanging out with him.”
“Okay.”
“Do you think he has something to do with what’s been going on with Dylan?”
“I can’t answer that. At least, not yet.”
“So, you think it’s possible?”
“I think it would be best to limit the amount of time you allow them to spend together.”