Dirty Deeds Read Free Page B

across his office. The sound of shattered plastic raining down was like that of a ghostly storm. Harsh but brief. He looked over at the mess. Gonna have to replace that out of his pocket. No big deal. Right at this moment, it was the least of his worries. He could care less about a stupid telephone or how much it would cost to replace.
    The big issue pressing like a hundred-pound weight on his head right at the moment was where to find his little brother. It wasn't a big stretch to believe Jamie could get busted for something as stupid as dope dealing, but to skip out on the bail and leave their parents hanging high and dry … even Jamie wasn't that big of an asshole. He might be a lot of things not particularly savory, but Paul had never known him to do one thing to harm the folks. Until now.
    Jamie had managed to put Mom and Dad at risk to lose everything. Their home, their retirement savings, everything. Not acceptable. No way, no how.
    Paul dropped to his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. Time for a haircut, he thought, and then wondered why something so inconsequential would occur to him at a time like this. He could care less what his hair looked like.
    What he needed was to find Jamie before the bond was forfeited by the court. He hoped he could find him before it was too late. For all he knew, it could be too late already. The criminal justice system wasn't the arena he knew.
    Paul dug through his desk drawer and found the business card the bondsman had given him the day he and his parents had bailed Jamie out, even though leaving Jamie in jail had been Paul's preference. It was high time for Jamie to face the consequences of his actions without Mommy and Daddy stepping in to pick up the pieces for him. Paul wished they'd listened to him. If they had, this call would be totally unnecessary.
    He started to reach for the phone, but was interrupted by a tentative knock on his door. In the doorway, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else but in Paul's office was his goaltender, Todd Fox. At seventeen, Todd was an easy six-foot-three and one of the reasons the team was well on its way to a league championship. Until last night anyway.
    "Coach, you wanted to see me?" There was just the slightest tremor in Todd's voice.
    Paul waved him in. "Yeah, we gotta talk."
    Todd dropped to a chair and looked at the floor. "Coach, I know I messed up last night. It won't happen again."
    "I know it won't."
    Todd's head snapped up and a look of horror crossed his face. "Are you cutting me?"
    Paul smiled and shook his head. "No, as long as you tell me what's distracting you. Last night your game sucked big time and that's not like you. What's up?"
    The panic in Todd's young face faded, replaced by sadness. Tears welled in his eyes, something Paul hadn't seen before in this very focused and tough young man. "It's my grandma, Coach. She's in the hospital."
    "Is it serious?"
    Todd nodded and a single tear escaped down his cheek. "I'm afraid we're gonna lose her."
    Paul swiveled his chair until he faced his computer. "Hang on a second." His fingers punched the keys in rapid succession. A couple minutes of silence passed before Paul swiveled back to look at Todd. The printer behind him whirred and a second later he grabbed the single piece of paper it spat out.
    "You go pack a bag and I'll have Coach Curry pick you up."
    "To do what?" Todd's eyes were bright and he didn't move.
    "To go home. I just made a plane reservation for you into Vancouver. I assume your folks can pick you up there?" Paul shoved the printed ticket across the desk to Todd.
    "What about Friday's game?"
    "We'll make it through one game without you, I promise. There are some things more important than hockey. Go see your grandmother. I'll see you back here on Sunday."
    Todd picked up the ticket and got up out of the chair. A big smile was on his face. "Thanks, Coach. I'll pay you back, I promise."
    Paul stood and patted Todd on the shoulder. "Not a problem. I have