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seventeen. And if the crime is severe enough, the district attorney would be within his authority to have you prosecuted as an adult. If you keep messing around with drugs, inevitably you’ll serve time. I wish I could show you what that means. Our prisons are overcrowded, and even the best of them are hellholes for young offenders. If you don’t like being ordered around by your sister, you sure as hell aren’t going to like being some older boy’s imitation girlfriend.” He stared at Clay. “Do you understand what I mean, son? They’d pass you around like a new toy.”
    Clay reddened. “They wouldn’t! I’d fight…!”
    â€œYou’d lose. Think about it. Meanwhile, you’re going to get some counseling,” the juvenile officer said. “We’ve set up appointments for you at the mental health clinic. You’ll be required to go. I hope you understand that this is Kilpatrick’s idea, and that he’ll check on you periodically. I wouldn’t advise you to miss a session.”
    â€œDamn Kilpatrick,” Clay said harshly.
    â€œThat’s not a good attitude to take,” Brady warned quietly. “You’re in a lot of trouble. Kilpatrick can be your worst enemy or your best friend. You wouldn’t like him as an enemy.”
    Clay muttered something and averted his eyes to the window. He looked as if he hated the whole world.
    Becky knew exactly how he felt. She wanted to cry. She clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling.
    â€œOkay, Clay, you can go with your sister for now. We’ll talk again.”
    â€œAll right,” Clay said tautly. He got up and reluctantly shook hands with the man. “Come on, Sis. Let’s go home.”
    She didn’t speak. She walked to the car like a zombie and got in behind the wheel, barely waiting for Clay to shut his door before she drove away. Inside, she felt sick all the way to her soul.
    â€œI’m sorry I got caught,” Clay said when they were halfway home. “I guess you’re having a pretty hard time of it, being stuck with Granddad and me and Mack.”
    â€œI’m not stuck with it,” she lied. “I love you all.”
    â€œLove shouldn’t make prisons of people’s lives,” Clay said. He glanced sideways at her, with a crafty look in his eyes that she didn’t see. “Really, Becky, I didn’t know what I was getting into.”
    â€œI’m sure you didn’t,” she said, forgiving him anything, just as she always had. She managed a smile. “I just don’t know what to do, how to cope. The district attorney was pretty rough.”
    â€œThat Kilpatrick man,” he muttered icily. “God, I hate him! He came to see me at that juvenile hall. He stared right through me and made me feel like a worm. He said I’d wind up just like Dad.”
    â€œYou won’t,” she said stubbornly. “He had no right to say such a thing!”
    â€œHe didn’t want to let me go,” Clay said hesitantly. “He tried to talk Mr. Brady into putting me in reform school. He got upset when he couldn’t get him to agree. He says anybody who fools with drugs deserves to go to jail.”
    â€œMr. Kilpatrick can go to hell,” she said fiercely. “We’ll get by.”
    â€œLook,” he began. “I could get a job—after school, you know. I could make some money…”
    â€œI’m doing fine,” she said, almost choking on the words. “You don’t need to get a job,” she added, missing the flash of anger on his face. “I’ll take care of you, just like I always have. You finish school and go to work then. You’ve only got this year to go. That’s not so much.”
    â€œLook, I’m seventeen!” he burst out. “I don’t need looking after anymore! I’m sick of nothing but working around the farm and never having any