Nowhere to Turn Read Free Page B

down the street toward us, wearing the same clothes she’d had on the day before. “You watched it, didn’t you?” Morgan said.
    I nodded as Beej came to a stop in front of me.
    â€œSo?” Beej said. She didn’t apologize for being late.
    I glanced at Morgan. “Why don’t you go inside and get warm?” I said. “I’ll catch up with you soon.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest and stayed where she was. Well, she was my best friend. I turned to Beej.
    â€œHe has a lawyer, right?”
    â€œNick needs a lawyer?” Morgan said.
    â€œHe’s got some public defender,” Beej said. “But you know what they’re like—overworked, underpaid, and not very good. Otherwise, they’d be making the big bucks.”
    She obviously didn’t know what she was talking about. My mother had represented Nick in the past, and she was a very good lawyer. But I let it slide.
    Beej continued. “And since the cops found him with stolen property and the crowbar used to pry open the side door, I bet the lawyer’s going to push him to plead guilty.”
    â€œNick stole something?” Morgan asked.
    â€œHe didn’t do it,” Beej said.
    â€œDid he tell you that?” I asked.
    Beej looked angrily at me.
    â€œIn the DVD you gave me, you asked him, but he didn’t answer,” I said. “Did he come out and tell you he didn’t do it?”
    â€œNot exactly,” she admitted. “But I only talked to him that one time. Besides, I know Nick. He’s not a thief.”
    â€œIf he didn’t do it,” Morgan said, “why’d he have stolen property on him?”
    Beej ignored her. “Do you really think Nick would steal from Mr. Schuster?” she asked me. “When he was in the
hospital
?”
    â€œThey arrested Nick for stealing from Mr. Schuster?” I said. As far as I knew, the only thing Nick had ever stolen was some money. That had happened a long time ago, back in middle school, and his stepbrother Joey had been the one behind it. But that didn’t mean that if I tried, I couldn’t imagine him stealing to get even for something—like, say, for being fired. But stealing from Mr. Schuster?
    â€œYou don’t believe me, do you?” Beej said.
    â€œEven if I did believe you, what difference would it make? I wasn’t there. There’s nothing I can do.”
    â€œYou could go and see Nick. You could talk to him.”
    â€œWhat good would that do?”
    â€œI’m worried about him,” Beej said. “He’s been different ever since he got back to town. Quieter than usual. You saw the DVD. You saw what he’s like. Getting him to say anything is like pulling teeth. I’m afraid of what he might do.”
    â€œIf he wants my help, he can ask me himself.”
    â€œHe acts like he doesn’t want anyone’s help,” Beej said. “He’ll kill me when he finds out I told you.”
    â€œIn other words,” I said sourly, “not only does he
not
want my help, but he doesn’t even want to see me.”
    Beej shook her head. “You don’t get it,” she said. “You know Nick’s record. The cops’ll lock him up for sure. Someone has to do something.”
    â€œHe doesn’t hide his problems from you,” I said. “He obviously considers you his friend. Why don’t you do something?”
    â€œI
am
his friend,” Beej said. “But I can’t get near him.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause we were together when he was arrested.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, together?”
    â€œThe day before he was arrested, I found out he was sleeping in a warehouse by the docks. I’d assumed he was staying with his aunt, but he wasn’t. He was sleeping rough. So I told him he could stay at my place.”
    â€œYou mean at the squat?” When I’d met Beej last year, she’d been