Instant Family Read Free Page A

"One of you dropped a
chisel."
    "Not me. I didn't want to break in, but they-" He stopped,
glanced at Burrows, then back to Chloe. Couldn't hold her gaze.
    "Who?" she asked.

    Seb sat down. He folded his arms across his chest in a feeble act
of defiance. His baggy jeans had dirty marks on the knees. The
T-shirt with his favorite band logo had been a birthday present from
his grandmother, Simone. What would she say? Whatever it was, it
would be endless. Chloe stood over him. "Tell me, Seb."
    "I'm not ratting on them." His voice shook despite his determination to maintain the tough act.
    Idiot! Chloe exhaled noisily.
    "So you think it's all right for those others to get away while you
take the blame for something you didn't even want to do in the first
place?"
    "And you're the one we'll charge, seeing as you're the only one
we've got," put in Burrows.
    "How did you get there?" Chloe demanded. "How long have you
been sneaking out?"
    Seb stared at his feet. His arms hung by his sides.
    "We found a white Commodore abandoned behind the shops.
We'll be fingerprinting it."
    "Stealing cars as well? Seb!" Tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked
rapidly.
    "I didn't steal any cars." But his face had turned almost green
with fear, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
    "Were you in the car? For heaven's sake, Seb, don't take all the
blame for this if you didn't do it. You owe those kids nothing!"
    "Will you protect me if I tell?"
    Seb looked up at Constable Burrows, and a flash of something almost like amusement crossed the policeman's face before he said
sternly, "Tell us what we want to know, and you'll be better offtrust me."
    Straight from a TV show-Mafia versus the good guys. Did Seb
think they'd put out a contract on him? What sort of kids were they?
What were their parents thinking? Where were they?
    The furious face of the home owner flashed through her mind.
She was one of those irresponsible guardians.
    Seb blurted, "Zak Simic got the car. He and his brother, Alan, do
it all the time."
    "I've never heard of them," said Chloe. "How do you know them?"

    Constable Burrows shushed her with a subtle hand gesture as he
stepped forward. "Were they both with you tonight?"
    Seb shook his head. "Only Zak. He wanted to prove to Alan and
his mates that he's as tough as they are."
    "As stupid, more like," muttered Chloe.
    Seb's eyes were fixed on Constable Burrows, tall and imposing as
he towered over him in the chair. His face showed an anxiety now, to
cooperate. He must remember how good the police had been to the
distraught children on that horrendous day.
    "Who was the third boy?"
    "Cameron Jarvis."
    "Give me names and addresses." Burrows sat down at the desk
and fired up the computer.
    "You did the right thing. Eventually," said Chloe as she drove a
completely exhausted Seb home at seven that morning. He said nothing, sagging in the seat beside her with eyes closed, head resting
against the door. The burst of cooperation had subsided into sullen
silence after they'd left the police station, Seb released on Chloe's
cognizance-not to leave the house alone, to have no contact with
anyone connected with the gang, to report in tomorrow.
    She glanced at him. His cheek and jaw retained the softness of
childhood, but he wasn't a child any longer. His voice had deepened
in the last year, and both he and Julian gained several centimeters
each time she turned her back. The previously smooth skin sported
the occasional teenage spot. The boys were growing away from her,
and she didn't know how to deal with them anymore.
    "I'm sorry, Seb." Blinking tears, she turned her attention to the
road again.
    He didn't reply. Breathing heavily. Asleep.
    Julian flung the front door open as soon as Chloe turned into the
driveway. He jumped the couple of steps from the front terrace and ran
to the car, hovering anxiously as she turned off the engine. Seb stirred,
and Julian wrenched the door open, nearly spilling his brother onto