Page 52 of Beau
Let me know how it goes when you can.
Will do, darlin’. Talk later.
Smiling, she set her phone down and waited for the kids to finish their tests.
After lunch, she sat at her desk grading the writing tests while the students tackled math problems. The writing test covered proper use of capitalization, punctuation marks like periods and question marks, descriptive language, spelling familiar words correctly, and editing skills.
As she looked over the papers, she was pleased to see that most of them understood the concepts. There were a few who needed more practice, but she enjoyed helping them improve. Being a teacher was her passion, and seeing the students’ minds light up as they solved problems was the best part of her job. She loved sending them off to second grade, knowing she had done her job well.
At the end of the school day, she sat at her desk grading the math tests and smiled at the high number of correct answers. She decided to finish grading at home since she was still exhausted from lack of sleep. Gathering up the papers and putting them in her bag, she grabbed her coat from the rack and headed out.
The hallways were quiet now that all the students had gone home. Brenna didn’t like walking outside in the dark alone, but there was no one else around except for the janitor who was in another section of the school.
“You’ll be fine,” she reassured herself.
She made her way outside and across the parking lot to her car, which was one of only two vehicles left in the lot. She started the engine and drove home, hoping the expected snow wouldn’t be too much trouble. Living near the mountains meant there was always a chance for more snowfall, and she knew she’d have to keep an eye on the weather in case school was cancelled.
After parking by the stairs to her apartment, she got out, picked up her satchel, and climbed the steps. She just hoped she didn’t fall asleep on the papers.
****
Beau made his way into the detention center, signed in, and waited for someone to accompany Donnie to the interrogation room. After they arrived, Beau took a seat across from Simpson and stared at him, but the boy refused to meet his gaze. Beau leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers over his stomach, and focused intently on Donnie.
“Are you ready to tell me where you hid the horse?” he asked sternly.
“Who said I hid it?” Donnie smirked slyly.
Beau gritted his teeth and stood up, placing his hands firmly on the table as he leaned forward toward the young offender.
“If you did anything to that horse, I promise you’ll be going to prison,” he growled.
“For what?” Donnie challenged with a laugh.
Beau’s anger boiled over at the sound of the boy’s defiance.
“Animal cruelty,” he seethed through clenched teeth. He proceeded to define and elaborate on what actions would constitute animal cruelty, as well as informing him of the potential consequences: a one-year prison sentence in addition to a fine that would be added to the existing theft charge. “So, are you sure you don’t want to come clean about where the horse is? Because if not, I will do everything in my power to ensure you are punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Beau warned, hoping to intimidate Donnie into confessing. “You’ll stay here until you’re eighteen and then go straight to prison, and I’m pretty sure your fellow inmates would have some ‘fun’ with you,” he added. To his surprise, Donnie appeared shaken at the threat, but still refused to speak. Beau sighed.
“I’m done with you. I’ll see in court.” He walked toward the door.
“Wait.”
Beau turned to face him, raising an eyebrow, and waited for him to continue.
“Can we make a deal?”
“A deal? Kid, you watch too much TV. You stole a horse and you’re committing animal cruelty. Where’s the horse?” Beau snapped as his patience wore thin.
The boy’s voice trembled as he offered a potential deal to avoid staying in the cell any longer. It seemed that the gravity of his actions was finally sinking in. Beau strode back to the table, taking a seat while fixing Donnie with a stern gaze. When Donnie remained silent about the horse, Beau slammed his hand down on the table, causing the boy to flinch.
“Speak up. I don’t have time for games. If you want to make a deal, then talk now. But know this; if that horse hasn’t been taken care of, there will be no deal and you’ll rot in here. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” came Donnie’s quiet response.
“Please tell me you made sure it had food and water.”
“It could eat the grass and drink from a nearby creek,” Donnie replied hastily.
“A horse needs more than just grass, and how the hell did you expect it to eat with the snow covering any grass?” Beau tightened his jaw in frustration.