Stone Cold by Stassi Evers Page A

required to do community service in lieu of a jail sentence.”
    “Was Conall charged with anythi… ?” Darin’s question was cut short.
    “Mr. Stone, this was Conall’s first offense and he was really lucky to have gotten away with the punishment he did. The paperwork will give you a full description of what he was charged with and what is expected of him. ”
    “I only wanted to know if he was charged with anything.”
    “Like I said read the paperwork. Then you can ask all the questions you want. I suggest you talk to him and try to knock some sense into his head – don’t want to see him back here ever again,” the investigator’s icy response sounded so routine.
    “I’ll have the paperwork sent right in.”
    With that, he left the room and without further delay Conall started to relay what had happened from the start. His adrenaline was so high, that Darin had to stop him twice to have him take a breath and slow down his speech.
    “Conall, I want to hear all about it but right now I want to get the paperwork done so we can both get out of here.”
    As he read the description of what the boys had done he was relieved that each of them had received the community service punishment and nothing more. The victim, Jack Barnes, decided he didn’t want to press charges. He asked that they be given community service to work in a charity near and dear to his heart that helped children of fathers who’d been killed. He also asked that this incident wouldn’t become a part of any permanent record for any of the boys.
    Darin said, “I don’t understand why Mr. Barnes would drop the charges on you boys and ask that it not become part of your permanent record but I’m not going to question it.”
    Conall knew why but he wasn’t about to divulge what he knew about Jack Barnes. Not yet anyway.
     
    *****
     
    Both Darin and Conall signed the papers. When they received their copy and were given the go ahead to leave, they couldn’t get to the car fast enough.
    Evelyn had left six voice messages on Darin’s phone but there was no reception inside the police station so he hadn’t received any of them until they got in the car. Before leaving the parking garage, he called her to let her know they would be home in fifteen minutes.
    The ride home was silent. Neither father nor son wanted to talk anymore that day. It was two o’clock in the morning and all they wanted to do was get some sleep. There would be plenty of time to talk tomorrow.
    As they parked the car and prepared to enter the h ouse, Darin said, “Your mother’s going to want to know all about it but we’re both tired and need rest. You go straight up to your room. I’ll handle her.”
    “Thanks dad and I’m really so so sorry for all of thi s, I never meant…,” Conall’s voice broke and he couldn’t finish his thought.
    “I know son. We can talk about it tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
    As he opened the door, Conall could see his mother out of the corner of his eye standing near the stairs. Without making eye contact, he strode in and bounded up the stairs skipping steps as he went.
    Evelyn started after him but was stopped by two arms that had found their way around her waist from behind.
    “Let him go for tonight. There’s plenty of time to talk tomorrow,” Darin reassured her.
    He held her there for a few minutes to make sure she wasn’t going to go against his words and attempt to talk to Conall tonight. When he was satisfied she’d wait until tomorrow, he turned her around and found her gaze. Her eyes were filled with worry and Darin could see the tears welled up and about to spill over her lower eyelashes. As he hugged her to him he could hear and feel her exhale a sigh of relief.
    “So you can sleep tonight, I’ ll at least tell you that this isn’t going to give him a record and he has to do community service to make amends for what he did. No jail time or anything.”
    He felt her body relax and her heartbeat slow as he held her