Jamie Hill Triple Threat Read Free

as she’d first thought. There was something appealing about the man. Before she could dwell on it, Manny’s body was carefully removed and the police were wrapping up their initial investigation.
    As soon as she was allowed, Crystal hauled the boys up the stairs, relieved to finally go home. She thought once again about the detective with the melting brown eyes. He’d been ticked off when the uniformed officers didn’t have anything for the kids in their car besides tiny little teddy bears. Police were supposed to carry something for children involved in traumatic situations, but Dunlevy sensed these boys were too old to appreciate the bears. He promised to bring them something better the next time he was back around. Crystal sighed. Him coming ‘back around’ meant more questions for her, but she didn’t mind all that much. She had nothing to hide, and he wasn’t exactly hard to look at.
    She unlocked her apartment door and ushered the children inside. “Do you have homework?”
    “Not much,” Mark said, and tossed his backpack on the floor. “Couldn’t we watch a little TV first, please ?”
    “You know your daddy likes you to have all your homework done before you watch anything.” Crystal looked into the big, begging eyes of both boys staring back at her. They’d been through a lot this afternoon, and they behaved wonderfully. Maybe a little TV wouldn’t hurt. “A half hour,” she told them, and they hugged her legs quickly before running to the set and grabbing the remote.
    She smiled at them and made a mental note to watch the time. They’d stare at the TV all night if she let them. In her room, she closed the door so she could change clothes. She tugged her blue, plaid waitress uniform off and tossed it into the hamper in the corner. Crystal grabbed jeans and a sweater and slipped into them. She released the clip from her hair and let it fall down around her shoulders. It was wild and unruly and she thought often about cutting it off. But when she looked in the mirror she couldn’t help liking the way the natural red locks framed her face, and fell on her shoulders. It made her feel good, and if she was honest with herself, it made her feel feminine. Crystal sighed. Maybe someday I’ll have enough self-assurance to do what I want with my hair. Confidence had never been her strong suit. Still maybe someday…she sighed again. Dream on .
    She headed back out into the other room—the only "other room" in the apartment except the small bathroom. The living room/kitchen combination was suitable for now, but someday… Crystal continued to dream…someday she’d have better.
    She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can of pop. Two left, and a half- gallon of milk, and then the cupboard would be bare. In the cabinet she found a partial bag of Oreos, the substance of the boys’ evening snack. She estimated there were enough cookies to last a couple more days.
    Thankfully, Moe let them eat at the diner every day. Four o’clock was a little early for dinner, but he fed them substantially and gave them dessert after they ate their vegetables. With the breakfast and lunch their school provided, and the snack she gave them, Crystal thought the boys had enough to eat. It was a piss-poor way to live, though. If they were her kids… Well, things would be different, that’s all . It was another of Crystal ’s dreams. If she ever had children, she’d make sure there was plenty of food in the house, and they’d have a yard to play in, not a body to step over when they got home at the end of the day.
    “Okay, time’s up.” She grabbed the remote after half an hour, and both boys attempted to guilt her with sorrowful looks. “Forget it.” She closed her eyes and held up one hand. “It’s your daddy’s rule, not mine. He pays me to enforce it. Let’s go, homework first, then a snack. If there’s time you can watch some more TV or maybe we can play a game before bed.”
    They grudgingly picked up