Patricia Cornwell's central law enforcement concern in Southern Cross is the law's inadequate method of dealing with juvenile offenders and the growing problem with juvenile delinquents from privileged homes. Her youthful villain Smoke, a "special needs" child whose real name is Alex Bailey, had been written up fifty-two times and arrested six times for crimes ranging from extortion, harassment, sexual assault, and larceny to murder (killing a crippled elderly woman). Charges of activities that began with disruptive dress, bus misconduct, cheating, plagiarism, truancy, gambling, and indecent literature have escalated to more and more serious wrongdoings while his parents have turned a blind eye to his nature. Cornwell blames the parents for not recognizing the psychopathic and criminal nature of their son and for not taking steps to control him or institutionalize him instead of excusing, covering up, and defending his behavior. Yet their motivations for protecting...