A Little Dare (2 page)

One

Two
weeks
later—early
September

S
heriff
Dare
Westmoreland
leaned
forward
in
the
chair

behind
his
desk.
From
the
defiant
look
on
the
face
of
the
boy
standing
in
front
of
him
he
could
tell
it
would
be
one
of
those
days.
“Look,
kid,
I’m
only
going
to
ask
you
one
more
time.
What
is
your
name?”

The
boy
crossed
his
arms
over
his
chest
and
had
the
nerve
to
glare
at
him
and
say,
“And
I’ve
told
you
that
I
don’t
like

cops
and
have
no
intention
of
giving
you
my
name
or

anything
else.
And
if
you
don’t
like
it,
arrest
me.”

Dare
stood
to
his
full
height
of
six-feet-four,
feeling
every
bit
of
his
thirty-six
years
as
he
came
from
behind
his
desk
to
stare
at
the
boy.
He
estimated
the
kid,
who
he’d
caught

throwing
rocks
at
passing
cars
on
the
highway,
to
be

around
twelve
or
thirteen.
It
had
been
a
long
time
since
any
kid
living
in
his
jurisdiction
had
outright
sassed
him.
None
of
them
would
have
dared,
so
it
stood
to
reason
that
the
kid
was
probably
new
in
town.

“You
will
get
your
wish.
Since
you
won’t
cooperate
and
tell
me
who
you
are,
I’m
officially
holding
you
in
police
custody
until
someone
comes
to
claim
you.
And
while
you’re
waiting
you
may
as
well
make
yourself
useful.
You’ll
start
by

mopping
out
the
bathroom
on
the
first
floor,
so
follow
me.”

Dare
shook
his
head,
thinking
he
didn’t
envy
this
kid’s
parents
one
bit.

Shelly
had
barely
brought
her
car
to
a
complete
stop
in
front
of
the
sheriff’s
office
before
she
was
out
of
it.
It
had
taken

her
a
good
two
hours
in
Atlanta’s
heavy
traffic
to
make
it

home
after
receiving
word
that
AJ
had
not
shown
up
at

school,
only
to
discover
he
wasn’t
at
home.
When
it
had

started
getting
late
she
had
gotten
worried
and
called
the

police.
After
giving
the
dispatcher
a
description
of
AJ,
the
woman
assured
her
that
he
was
safe
in
their
custody
and

that
the
reason
she
had
not
been
contacted
was
because
AJ
had
refused
to
give
anyone
his
name.
Without
asking
for
any
further
details
Shelly
had
jumped
into
her
car
and

headed
for
the
police
station.

She
let
out
a
deep
sigh.
If
AJ
hadn’t
given
anyone
his
name
that
meant
the
sheriff
was
not
aware
she
was
AJ’s
mother
and
for
the
moment
that
was
a
comforting
thought.
As
she
pushed
open
the
door,
she
knew
all
her
excuses
for
not
yet
meeting
with
Dare
and
telling
him
the
truth
had
run
out,
and
fate
had
decided
to
force
her
hand.

She
was
about
to
come
face
to
face
with
Sheriff
Dare
Westmoreland.

“Sheriff,
the
parent
of
John
Doe
has
arrived.”

Dare
looked
up
from
the
papers
he
was
reading
and
met
his
secretary’s
gaze.
“Only
one
parent
showed
up,
Holly?”

“Yes,
just
the
mother.
She’s
not
wearing
a
wedding
ring
so
I
can
only
assume
there
isn’t
a
father.
At
least
not
one
that’s
around.”

Dare
nodded.
“What’s
the
kid
doing
now?”
he
asked,
pushing
the
papers
he’d
been
reading
aside.

“He’s
out
back
watching
Deputy
McKade
clean
up
his
police
motorcycle”

Dare
nodded.
“Send
the
woman
in,
Holly.
I
need
to
have
a
long
talk
with
her.
Her
son
needs
a
lot
more
discipline
than
he’s
evidently
getting
at
home.”

Dare
moved
away
from
his
desk
to
stand
at
the
window

where
he
could
observe
the
boy
as
he
watched
McKade

polish
his
motorcycle.
He
inhaled
deeply.
There
was

something
about
the
boy
that
he
found
oddly
familiar.

Maybe
he
reminded
him
of
himself
and
his
four
brothers

when
they’d
been
younger.
Although
they
had
been
quite
a
handful
for
their
parents,
headstrong
and
in
some
ways

stubborn,
they
had
known
just
how
far
to
take
it
and
just
how
much
they
could
get
away
with.
And
they’d
been
smart