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Chapter two

In Trouble with the Cops

Ricky was sick. He seemed to be crying, but there were no tears. His skin was cold and wet. His thumb was in his mouth, his eyes were open and his body was shaking.

Mark was worried. He remembered a television programme about some kids who saw a horrible accident. After that their thumbs were in their mouths like babies for a year.

‘Mark,’ said his mother. ‘How did you cut your face?’

Mark didn’t want to lie to his mother, but he didn’t want to tell her about the man with the gun either.

‘It’s a long story, Mom,’ he said.

Dianne sighed and bit her nails. They were sitting in a small room in St Peter’s hospital. She lit a cigarette and watched her younger son. When she got home from work and saw Ricky she had called the family doctor. He had called an ambulance immediately. Now they were waiting for a hospital doctor to look at Ricky.

It was past supper time and Mark was restless. He opened the door. ‘I’ll go and get us a hamburger, Mom,’ he said.

Mark stepped outside the room and a hand grabbed him. He looked up into the face of a cop.

‘Mark Sway’ asked the cop. Mark nodded.

‘We’ve found the body,’ said the cop.

‘What body’ said Mark.

‘Come on Mark, we know you live in Tucker Trailer Park. You made the call, didn’t you?’

Mark wanted to lie, but he said, ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Well Mark, let’s go and get those hamburgers,’ said the cop, and he took Mark down to the hospital cafe.

‘How did you find the body, Mark?’

‘My brother and I were playing in the trees.’

‘Did you take any drugs?’

‘No, sir.’

‘But you were smoking,’ said the cop. ‘We found your dead cigarettes. Stay away from drugs, son.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Did you see the man before he shot himself?’

‘No, sir.’

‘So you just found him dead. Have you ever seen a dead body before?’

‘Only on TV.’

The cop smiled. Kids saw everything on television these days. ‘What happened to your face’ he asked.

‘I got in a fight at school. The other kid started it.’

‘The other kid always does. What’s his name?’

‘You don’t know him,’ said Mark.

‘Well, I might want to talk to him,’ said the cop. ‘Now tell me, why didn’t you give your name to 911?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Come on Mark, you must know why.’

‘I don’t know. Afraid, I guess.’ Mark tried to look very young and innocent. ‘Do you think I’m lying?’

‘I don’t know, kid, Your story is full of holes,’ said the cop. ‘I think you were there, smoking, in the trees, and I think you saw the whole thing. That’s why your brother’s in shock, isn’t it? That’s why you’re afraid?’

Mark’s heart stopped and his blood ran cold. He tried to seem calm. His hands were shaking so he sat on them. Things were happening too fast. Could he go to prison? Could Ricky go mad? He needed time to think.

‘Eat your food now,’ said the cop. ‘We’d better get back to your Mom. You can bring your Coke with you.’