The Brass Ring by Mavis Applewater

body.
    Shyly they ended the kiss. Jamie traced CC’s jaw line with her fingers. CC leaned into the touch. Suddenly old fears and demons emerged. "We can’t do this," she said softly as her heart disagreed.
    "I know." Jamie sighed deeply. "That was the past. Too many years and too much pain for both of us," Jamie said as she smiled sweetly. "I should go."
    "No," CC responded tenderly as she pulled Jamie into her arms. "If your body feels as rotten as mine does, the walk back to your place will kill you." Jamie groaned in response. "Let’s get some rest and then we can figure out just how we’re going to get our cars back."
    "Okay," Jamie agreed as she snuggled against CC’s body. "I’m glad that you’re back in my life. I would like to try becoming friends."
    "Me too," CC concurred as she felt Jamie’s breathing deepen. She did want Jamie back as a friend. Now if she could just stop her lower anatomy from pulsating, everything would be all right. She felt Jamie clutch her T-shirt. Looking down, she realized that the doctor had drifted off to sleep. CC brushed her hair back. Holding the blonde a little tighter, she quickly fell asleep.

   

    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
      
    C C USHERED THE irate man towards the holding cell. He wasn’t really a man. He was nothing more than a boy. His misfortune was that he was just old enough to be tried as an adult. He may look young and innocent but the youth had blood on his hands. He had been aiming for a member of a rival gang when he shot down a little girl on her way home from Sunday School. It saddened the policewoman that two young lives were now ruined because of something so senseless. The only thing that eased the pain for her was that the case was finally wrapped up and the little girl’s family could rest easy knowing that the idiot responsible was going to jail.
    When she and Max cornered him, the little bugger was so frightened that he wet himself. She was a little miffed at the way Max was taunting him about it as they escorted him down to Central Lockup. "Give it a rest, Max," she growled as she looked towards the guard. The guard was about to open a cell. "No way," CC protested as she pointed down the narrow hallway. "He needs to be isolated."
    "What did this little pip squeak do?" the older man asked as he towered over the boy.
    "Never mind," CC snapped, her blue eyes flashing with anger.
    "He killed a kid," Max announced loudly as CC cringed.
    There were certain things that didn’t sit well with other inmates. You might be a lowlife drug dealer or a thief but even this group had their standards. And anyone who hurt a child was a marked man. Most people didn’t seem to understand that most of them had children themselves.
    "The gang shooting?" the guard grumbled as he stared down at the youngster. CC nodded in confirmation. "Follow me. I have a dark corner for the little weasel."
    As they followed the guard, the jeers from the other inmates started. CC could feel her prisoner tense up through her grip. CC tightened her grasp as they approached the cell and the taunting increased. She could see Max loosen his hold as he snapped his head back. "Shut up!" he screamed at the rowdy inmates.
    "Shit," she muttered as her prisoner began to squirm. Max had loosened his hold just enough for the youngster to free himself. CC was slammed against the wall. The scuffle was short lived. She was a lot bigger than the boy and he was handcuffed. They locked him in his cell but not before CC had been slammed into the iron bars when they undid his restraints.
    She watched as the youngster scrambled around his cell like a caged animal. CC felt slightly woozy from her head making contact with the cement wall. "Nice going," she growled at her partner.
    "I’m sorry," Max apologized quickly.
    "No you’re not," CC spat out as she walked back down the corridor. "Keep an eye on him," she instructed the guard. Despite the fact that they had already taken his shoes and anything else that he