Crown's Law by Wolf Wootan Page A

replied Becky.
    ***
    Sam was lucky to find a parking space in
front of the store and nosed his Camaro into it. Becky sensed Sam’s
tension.
    “Nana has an account here. All you have
to do is go in and tell them that I can charge to it. Then you can
go up the street to The Vintage and have a drink while I buy what I need. OK?”
    “Maybe I can give you some cash.”
    “Sam! All you have to do is walk in with me!
Then you can leave!”
    He had never thought of Becky as female
before, just as a kid. Now she was buying lingerie!
    Shit! She’s growing up!
    ***
    Sam extricated himself from the clutches of
Professor Danforth and wandered around chatting with the other
guests. Around two o’clock, Sam built himself a plate of food,
grabbed a fresh beer, and eased into one of the umbrella-covered
tables on the deck. Already seated at the table were a couple who
also lived on Beach Road—Sam had only a passing acquaintance with
them—and Dr. Susan Reinhart, affectionately known as Dr. Sue to
Becky. Dr. Sue had used the cabana near the pool and had changed
into a dark green bikini a half hour earlier. Over it she wore a
very thin, diaphanous, white cover-up that covered her completely,
including her arms. Flip flops were on her feet, dark glasses
covered her green eyes, and a floppy straw hat drooped from her
head. Dark red hair flowed out of the hat and hung to her
shoulders.
    Sam had spoken to Dr. Sue several times in
the past, because Becky met with her once a week and Sam often had
dropped Becky off at the San Clemente house that doubled as Dr.
Sue’s office and living quarters. He had never seen her in a
bikini, and liked what he saw. She was only 5'4"—2 inches shorter
than Becky—and had breasts smaller than Becky’s, in fact, but the
overall package was quite enticing.
    The four of them made small talk while they
ate. At about 2:30, Becky ran up from the ocean in her wet suit and
came over to the table.
    “Hi, Dr. Sue! Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cosset,” she
said, out of breath from her run up from the beach.
    They all returned her greeting. She turned to
Sam and said, “Sam! Some of the kids are going down to T Street and
have a bonfire tonight! Can I go? I have a ride!”
    Sam wished that she hadn’t put him on the
spot in front of people, but he answered her anyway.
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Beck. Not
tonight,” he said, looking her in the eye.
    “Do you have a good reason?” she asked.
    “Yes.”
    “OK. I’ll skip it then,” she answered. “If
it’s not wise for me to go there, how about my friends? Is it wise
for them?”
    “No, but I’m overly cautious with you, Beck.
I can’t control what the others do.”
    “But maybe I can dissuade them?”
    “That would be a good idea, if you can. If it
would help, you can have a bonfire here—do some marshmallows or
something. But let them know there’s no drinking or pot smoking
here. That’s probably why they want to go to T Street.”
    “You know I wouldn’t drink at T Street, but
that’s not the reason, is it?”
    “No.”
    “I’ll see what I can do about keeping them
here. Some of them, anyway,” replied Becky, then she ran back down
onto the sand.
    Mr. Cosset looked at Sam and asked, “How did
you do that? My kid would be raising holy hell!”
    “Becky has learned that I don’t say ‘no’
without a valid reason. Sometimes she wants to know the reason,
sometimes not. In any case, arguing is a waste of both our times,”
shrugged Sam as he sipped his beer.
    Sue peered intently at Sam and asked, “May I
ask what the reason is?”
    “Sure. I heard through my extensive grapevine
that the Icepicks and Devil Dogs may have a rumble in San Clemente
tonight. Taking care of some old business. That will lead to a lot
of police activity down there. I just don’t want Becky in the area.
She’s safer here with me,” Sam replied, wishing he could see Sue’s
pale green eyes through the dark sunglasses.
    Mr. Cosset jumped up and said,