Scratchin' on the Eight Ball

The story centers around 13-year-old Reason Nelson who lives in the Irish/Catholic suburb of Havelock, in Lincoln, NE. Despite being on probation, Reason's drug addiction draws him to a party that is busted by the police. During his escape, Reason snatches up what he believes to be his leather biker jacket. Instead, he grabs up the jacket of a notorious drug dealer. Later, he finds a mysterious blue key in the pocket of this jacket. He soon has dealers, thugs, and a persistent detective, Shepherd, after him. When Shepherd finally catches up with street-smart Reason, he explains that the key belongs to a safe deposit box at a local bank. Inside this box is the evidence that will solve the murder of a young female police informant. Although the book focuses on this investigation of this real-life unsolved murder, it also looks closely at Reason's addictions, and his eventual steps to remaining clean and sober.