'That's good. You must be doing all right, what with that new car and all.'
'Yeah, well,' said Dennis, 'you know.'
Rachel did not stop to talk to him. She didn't have to, as he was no longer on paper. His supervision period had ended six months earlier, and her involvement with him was done. Also, she didn't like him. He had a history of abuse toward women and, though he still held a job at an ice cream parlor, was probably re-involved in the sale of drugs. When she saw him, Big Boy Palmer always seemed to be around young, pretty girls. At a glance, it was unexplainable, as he was about as ugly as a man could be. But Rachel knew that certain kinds of women went for the players over the squares every time.
'I'll see you again, Miss Lopez,' called Palmer.
Yes, thought Rachel. Me or someone like me, for sure.
In the duplex, Nardine's grandmother, tired and light of bone, offered Rachel some iced tea. Rachel declined. The grandmother left Rachel in the living room in the company of Nardine and her two children, a six-year-old girl she was just now getting acquainted with and an eight-year-old boy. She was closer to the boy because she had spent more time with him than she had with the girl. Nardine had known her daughter for only a month before going off to do her time.
The children sat on a shag carpet before a television set, playing PS2. There were snack wrappers strewn around them, along with empty bottles of orange soda and Sierra Mist. The girl had her hand in a tube of Pringles now. Her other hand worked a controller. The kids were playing a game involving criminals, prostitutes, and guns. Points were given for shooting a police officer. The sound track to the game included music from
'It's sunny out,' said Rachel, saying it to Nardine as if she were giving her some news. The curtains had been drawn, and it was dark in the room.
'They don't wanna go outside,' said Nardine, reading Rachel's implication correctly. 'They just wanna play that game.'
Rachel nodded, not pushing the issue, knowing it would do no good. It wasn't her job to raise other people's kids. Nardine didn't look like she had seen much daylight herself.
'How's the job search going?'
'It's hard.'
'I know it is. But you still have to do it.'
'I went up to the
'And?'
'They ain't have but one shift open. I can't work those morning hours. Kids be goin' back to school next month, and I need to be here to see them off. That's important, right?'
'What's important now is that you find a job,' said Rachel. 'Your grandmother can see the kids off to school.'
Nardine looked blankly at the carpet and breathed through her open mouth.
'Did Mr Andrews offer you the position?' said Rachel.
'He said that if I could do those morning hours, then he would give me a chance.'
'Well then, you need to get back over there and tell him you'd like to take the job.'
'I'm sorry, Miss Lopez. I am just not a morning kinda person—'
'Neither am I. But I still get up and go to work.'
'That's you, all right? I ain't never claim to be perfect or nothin' like it.' Nardine balled her fist and rabbit- punched her own thigh. 'Why you gotta
Rachel stared at her a bit harder now. Nardine looked away. She was too thin and had bad color and foul breath. She was irritable. These were signs that she was back on drugs.
'It's hard,' said Nardine, her voice trailing off.
'I know it is,' said Rachel.
'Miss Lopez, I don't know if I can do this.'
'You can try. Now, you need to get yourself to work. And there's something else.'
'What?'
'You have to get over to the clinic'
'Again?'
'You have to drop urines regularly. You
Nardine lowered her head and began to cry. Her shoulders shook and tears dropped into her lap. Rachel allowed her to cry without comment. It could have been an act or it could have been real. It made no difference, really, in the end.
'Mommy, why you sad?' said the daughter.
'Just play your game, girl,' said Nardine with an angry slashing motion of her hand.
Rachel had fewer female offenders than she did males, but her female cases tended to take up a
