Right after Simon had left the house, Max had pulled out her phone, and dialed her uncle’s number. “I know where and when Joe’s followers will strike again” she said, after a quick ‘hi’. She could hear the frown in Ryan’s voice, as he asked: “Wait, what? How?” Apparently confusion limited Ryan to speak in words exiting of only one syllable.
“I had some intel” Max explained, then elaborated: “Simon gave me information”
“You were behind his release?” Ryan exclaimed. “How could te do that?”
“Someone had to do something” Max defended herself. “You’re all...

“You know what, Susan” Mike started, pausing his supper. “I’m dying to hear what secrets you’re about to tell me, but could te hold that thought for five minutes. I need to speak to Deb”
Susan smiled innocently. “I’ll be in the hallway” She stood and left the eating room, leaving Mike and Deb alone to discuss.
Mike turned to Deb, and cast her an inquiry look. “Who is she?”
“She just told you” Deb responded avoiding. “She’s my ex. We had a brief affair. It didn’t mean anything”
“What secrets is she talking about?” Mike asked sharply. “I thought te already...

At 1 am, Deb was done for the night. The café was empty, except for Joseph, the cleaning lady, and Deb herself. Since the cleaning lady would leave, using the backdoor, Deb locked the front door.
They were walking up to Joseph’s car, but stopped dead in their tracks when the car came in view. “Sons of bitches!” Joseph yelled ragingly. All four tires were stabbed.
“What’s the matter, Josephine? Someone broke your Barbie doll?”
Joseph and Deb turned around and saw Jennifer and her Friends had snuck up on them. Apparently, they had been waiting for them.
“You Goddamn bitch!” Joseph...

Evening came and Deb had to leave Joseph stranded at his table. She checked the refrigerator to see if they still had enough of everything. She put the bucket with refreshments on the counter, somewhere easy to access.
While she was busy with preparations, some familiar people walked in. Deirdre waved at her and smiled. Jennifer deliberately bumped into her, on her way to a table.
Jennifer nodded at the tavolo where Joseph was sitting and she smiled conspirative at the guy successivo to her. She walked up to the tavolo and messed up his hair. “Hi, Josephine” she mocked.
Joseph pushed her hand away,...

But, no matter how decent she was, it still took her nearly a anno to really learn it, and she had to do her practical driving test twice. Joseph was deadly nervous, but Deb stayed rather calm.
When she finally parked her car, she was told she could go get her license. Neither Deb o Joseph could get out of the car fast enough. Once they were, Deb threw her arms tightly and victoriously around his neck.
Her hand went down to his back pocket, and she fished out his car keys. Joseph grabbed her hand. “Oh, no” he detto strictly. “No way. te don’t have your license yet”
“Can I drive once...

minds would accept someone like her.
“It’s not the end of the world, te know” Joseph tried to cheer her up. “So, te won’t be a cop. Big deal. There are other careers out there”
Deb put the letter down, pulled up her knees, and wrapped her arms around them. “I’m a failure” she muttered. “One big failure”
Joseph rolled his eyes and walked to the living room, to a cupboard. He opened it and took out a book. He walked back to the cucina and held the book under Deb’s nose.
“Learn how to drive” Deb read the title. “What’s this?” she asked, looking up at Joseph.
“It’s...

Deb startled as the mug with coffee was put in front of her.
“Drink up, te have a busy giorno ahead” Joseph said. “Did te get any sleep last night?” he asked as Deb picked up the mug and sipped.
“A few hours, give o take” Deb muttered. She was shaking at the memory of her nightmare, but she tried to calm herself down da reminding herself that it was just that, a nightmare. Dale wouldn’t find her. She was safe.
“When’s your first test?” Joseph asked.
“In a couple hours” Deb replied, grateful Joseph didn’t ask about last any more. “I’ll need a ride”
Joseph nodded....

A few months later Deb was scrubbing the floor in the women’s restroom. People could be so disgusting sometimes.
“Debra, do te have a minute?” Mrs. Lambert stood in the doorway, her hand in her side.
Deb put the scrubbing brush against the wall, and turned to her employer.
“There’s money missing in the cash register” Mrs. Lambert stated bluntly. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“No, I…” Deb began, but she was cut off.
“I hope te realize what I’m risking da having hired you. Not many people would give an ex-convict a secondo chance” Mrs....

Since Deb only had to work late in the evening, she had plenty of time during the giorno to prepare for the tests she would have to do. To be fair, she would rather die in a hole than even try, because she was convinced she wouldn’t pass them.
Unfortunately-or maybe fortunately-Joseph wouldn’t let her give up that easily. The very successivo morning, it was barely dawn, he stood successivo to her bed.
“Rise and shine, sugar” he bellowed. “We’ve got work to do”
Deb pulled the sheets over her head and mumbled: “Go away”
Joseph grabbed the sheets, walked to the window, opened it and threw the...

“As sorry as I am to hear that, we have a più pressing matter” Joseph stated. He and Deb were sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around them.
“What was I thinking?” Deb groaned. “I’m never going to get in”
“Now, don’t cut yourself so short” Joseph reproached her. “You can train for these things. Well, at least for the first two. That last one you’re just going to have nail”
Deb shook her head. “Even if I did pass these tests, how the hell am I going to pay for that?”
“Like I said,” Joseph leaned inoltrare, avanti to grab a piece of paper from the table. “we have...

Joseph walked to his wardrobe and opened. “Let’s see if we have something that will impress the head of the police academy” He shoved a few clothes aside.
“What’s the point?” Deb sighed as she sank down on the bed. “They won’t accept me. Rachel’s right. I just got out of jail. I’ll have to accept I’ll be doing crappy jobs for the rest of my life”
“If you’re done feeling sorry for yourself, I’d like te to try this one on” Joseph turned around with a little black dress.
“What, te like to dress up occasionally?” Deb scoffed.
“This belongs to Susan” Joseph...

link

The successivo morning Deb woke up da the smell of coffee. She inhaled through her nose and enjoyed the scent. Coffee had been a luxury in prison, one te could only get your hands on, if te weren’t hell bent on getting out someday.
She swung her legs off the letto and slid her feet in the fluffy slippers Joseph had dato her the precedente night.
“Morning, sugar” Joseph greeted her, as he was pouring dough in a pan. Deb’s eyes fell on the huge stack of pancakes, pancake on the counter. “I hope you’re hungry”
“Is that all for me?” Deb asked with big eyes.
“Well, I would hope you’d leave...

Deb woke up da the scent of fresh coffee and she smiled, eyes closed. But, then she remembered Mike’s suspension ended today, and he was gone to the office. She stepped out of bed, and opened the drawer of her pedestal cupboard, where she pulled out a gun.
She quickly put on one of Mike’s shirts, and tiptoed out of her room, and downstairs. At the door she waited, and listened carefully. When she recognized Max and Mrs. Weston’s voices, she sighed relieved, but couldn’t help feeling like an idiot.
She lowered her gun and walked into the living room, right when Mrs. Weston was leaving...

Deb walked down the stairs, while toweling her hair. When she entered the living room, she found Mrs. Weston still sitting on the couch.
“Oh, you’re still here” Deb noted sheepish.
“Is that a problem?” Mrs. Weston asked haughty.
“No” Deb replied quietly. “Where’s Mike?”
“He left” There was something malicious about the way Mrs. Weston detto it, and the corners of her mouth moved slightly upward.
Deb unwrapped the towel off her hair and started to dry her hair, mainly to have her hands occupied.
“And I told Richard to take a walk” Mrs. Weston continued as she kept her...

When Deb left the prison faculty, a cab was waiting for her. She got in and gave the driver Joseph’s address.
“Can we stop at a clothing store?” Deb asked. “I need to buy some clothes”
The driver scoffed. “You’re telling me te can actually buy clothes in a clothing store?” he asked sarcastically.
Deb rolled her eyes. “Can we do it o not?” she asked irritated.
“I can stop, sure, but can te pay?” the driver asked. “They paid me to give te a ride home. Do te have any money to buy clothes?”
Crap, Deb thought. She had only worked one day, and Rob never paid her for...

Before Deb could go, she had to return to prison to get her clothes and other artefacts back, like the albero collana she’d had ever since she was a child. She hadn’t worn it in years, but she couldn’t quite throw it away. It was the only thing that connected her to her family, and as crappy as her family was, it was still her family.
After she got her stuff back, she went to her cell, where Susan was waiting for her. Susan stood, and walked to Deb. She embraced her tightly.
“I’m so happy for you” Susan sobbed. Her arms still around Deb, she gave her a hard kiss. “You’ll do great...

“I really don’t know what else I could tell you” Rob was sitting opposite two investigators, who had brought him in for questioning. “Why would Deb say she didn’t kill that man, if she didn’t do it?”
The investigators traded a glance, and then one of them, Cookson, opened a folder and pulled out a piece of paper. He put it down on the tavolo and shoved it towards Rob.
“Do te recognize the handwriting?” Cookson asked.
Rob picked it up, and glared at it. “Sure” he muttered, and then looked up at Cookson. “That’s Deb’s handwriting”
“That, Mr. Lively, is the statement...

link

“I called the academy for young adults and I explained your case” Annabel said, as she put a stack of study libri on the table. “They understand your position, although they were a little skeptical. They didn’t really understand why a murder convict would need a high school degree”
Deb picked up the book that was on superiore, in alto of the stack. “Did te have to buy these?” she asked, feeling like she took advantage of her sister. “They look expensive”
“They were, but it’s okay” Annabel shrugged. “You’ll pay me back one day”
“So, that means te have a job” Deb figured,...

Deb struggled to free herself, and Max let her go. She, deliberately, bumped into Max, on her way upstairs. She walked to the living room, where she sank down on the couch. She heard Max putting the stove on, but didn’t bother getting up to check what she was doing.
Ten minuti later, Max joined her with two cups of hot coco. “Here” she offered, but when Deb wouldn’t accept it, she put it on the table. “”It’s instant. Best I could do. I promise I didn’t poison it” She sat down successivo to Deb, and took a sip from her cup. “Damn, that’s hot” she muttered. “I think I burned...

“Okay, hit me”
Max an Debra were standing in the basement. Deb had put on più comfortable clothes, instead of pj’s, and Max had removed her coat. With rolled up sleeves, the latter looked expectantly at her opponent.
“I’m not going to hit you” Deb protested.
“Come on, Deb, te can’t hide behind a scrivania, reception forever” Max tried to provoke her.
“I wasn’t hiding” Deb frowned. “I just wanted to help other people like me, without…getting out in the field” she added, awkwardly.
“Yeah, that’s what I call a fancy way for saying te were hiding” Max emphasized the last three...