Read Take the Fourth for Free Online Page B

doing at this house?” and so the question and answer session began.
    “Why am I here, I… . I . . Don’t understand.”
    “Answer my questions first,” in his best intimidating voice.
    Silence as the young man contemplated his options, then, “I… I’m allowed there… it’s my step dad’s… he’s away, out of town, comes back next week.”
    “And your mother?”
    “At home… can I call her, don’t, can’t I make a phone call or something?”
    “Again I’m asking the questions… do you understand? Where is she?”
    “At home.”
    “Home? She wasn’t there when we brought you in.”
    “I said that’s my step dad’s house, that’s not hers.”
    “Can you explain?”
    “Explain what? I don’t understand, I’m confused, why am I here?”
    “You were staying at your step dad’s and not your mothers?”
    “My dad, my real dad I have no idea where he is, if he’s still alive, my step dad is the only father I really know of, he and my mom divorced a few years ago, we had a fight, my mom and I, I still live there but she hates me coming in late, she hates that I have a life outside of hers, so I moved into my step dad’s, for a little while.”
    “Does he know you are there?”
    Silence again filled the air… . “Well uhh, no… . but but I have a key, he wouldn’t mind… I’ve done this before… call him, he’ll tell ya.”
    “Where is he?”
    “On vacation in… . in… . fuck I forget.”
    Unphased by his abrupt use of the f-word, “does he have a cell phone?’
    “Nope, . . . . I . .think… never mind.”
    “What?”
    “No, nothing, . . . . I was just going to say, he always forgets to pay his phone, sometimes I call and its turned off, he just forgets sometime… he has money to pay, he just forgets sometimes, that’s all… that’s why I live with my mom, at least when I go back home if I turn on a light there will be light… not that way at my dad’s house… step dad’s”
    “What do you do?”
    “You mean job? Well, I, I, do things for people.”
    “Like sell drugs?”
    “What, no… no… no, I’m like a handyman, you know fix a screen door for my neighbor, mow the grass, odd jobs, small jobs, I was pretty good in wood shop in high school and work construction during the summer.”
    “Why aren’t you working now?”
    “We are in between jobs, I work tomorrow, I have to be on the job site six sharp.”
    Satisfied with his answer, “Is that your car in the garage?”
    “What, the Camaro?,” shaking his head, “no, no way in hell, I couldn’t afford the insurance, that’s my dad’s baby. He’s had that car for like forever, as long as I can remember anyways.”
    “Anyway, no s, it’s in your name.”
    “I know, someday it may be mine, and as far as my mother is concerned, it is mine… . he placed the car in my name just before things got ugly with the divorce.”
    “Do you ever drive it?”
    “He’d kill me if I took it out of the garage.”
    “You didn’t answer the question?”
    Silence again, then a “no” in an all knowing lie.
    “Well, your dad’s is on vacation right?”
    “Yes,” knowing all too well that he knew the truth and he sunk further into the chair.
    “The car, that car, your father’s Camaro was spotted entering your dad’s driveway about two hours ago, if he wasn’t home, then who was driving your dad’s baby?”
    Knowing all too well he was caught, “Me.”
    “Explain.”
    “Explain what, yeah I did take his car out, just for a ride, I went to the mall.”
    “Where else did you go?”
    “I just rode around, that’s all… . did someone report it stolen or something, it’s my dad’s… . step dad’s I mean, listen it’s in my name right? . . . . yeah this is the first time I took it without permission but… . I know, I know, dad doesn’t even know I’m here this time, and I took his car, his baby without permission… . that’s my trouble isn’t it?”
    He seemed to be grabbing