“I don’t have to talk to her, do I?” Zeke asked his mother.
“Maybe I should talk to my client alone for a minute, Sabre,” Irene said.
Candace took a deep breath. “No, this has gone on long enough. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I never thought it would get to be such a mess.”
Zeke stood up. “I’m the one who did it.”
“Did what?” Sabre asked.
“I called CPS and I’m the one who helped Mary Margaret.”
Jacob snapped his head up at Zeke and gave him an incredulous stare. Zeke frowned at him.
Candace reached for Zeke’s arm and gently pulled him down on the arm of the chair. “It was all my idea,” she said.
Irene stopped her again. “Are you sure you want to do this? If you tell me in confidence, it’s very different from what you say in front of Sabre. The attorney/client privilege does not exist if you speak when there are witnesses. I think we should talk alone.”
Candace shook her head and kept talking. “When their father finds out what happened, he’s going to be so angry. But I can’t let my boys keep lying to their father.” She took another deep breath. “A couple of weeks ago, Zeke came to me and told me that he had seen Lester doing something to Mary Margaret. I made the mistake of telling Seth. He said he would pray on it and God would tell him what to do. The next thing I knew, we were planning a wedding.”
“And Mary Margaret, did she want to get married?” Sabre asked.
“No, she begged me to stop it. I should’ve done something then, but I didn’t.”
“But you helped her when she ran away from Gibbs on her wedding night, right?”
“Yes, she got away from him and ran all the way home. He came by looking for her and I would’ve hidden her, but her father knew she was here. I’m not sure, but I think Seth had called Lester and told him.”
“Why didn’t you call CPS then?”
“We don’t have a house phone, only the phone in the church, and my husband’s cell phone. Besides, if the call came after the wedding had been announced, it could’ve been anyone in the congregation. So we devised a plan to get through the night and then get help. Zeke told Mary Margaret to scream if she needed him. The boys’ room was right next to hers, and Zeke stayed awake all night listening for her.”
Sabre looked at Zeke. “Did she ever call for help during the night?”
“No, but once she spoke a little loud. She did it intentionally so I could hear her. She threatened to scream if he did anything and he promised to leave her alone until they got in their new home. Mary Margaret came out in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I checked on her. She said Gibbs was asleep and he hadn’t done anything, but she was afraid to sleep. When the sun came up, I heard the door open again and she came out. We both went into the kitchen and stayed there until everyone else finally joined us.”
“And then you all went to church?” Sabre asked.
“Yes, that’s when my husband announced the marriage.”
“How did the congregation take it?”
“Not well. They scattered pretty fast after the service. Usually, everyone hangs around and socializes a bit, but they couldn’t seem to get away fast enough. A few gave us some disbelieving stares, others made the obligatory congratulations to the couple.”
“When did you make the call?”
No one spoke for a few seconds. Then Jacob said, “I did it.”
“Jacob always runs around playing after church, so we knew Seth wouldn’t miss him,” Candace said. “Zeke and I kept Seth occupied. Jacob didn’t have as much time as we had hoped because, as I said, the crowd left early, but he got it done.”
“And then you helped Mary Margaret run away from foster care?”
“Yes, she was afraid and so was I,” Candace said.
“But she was safe in the foster home,” Irene said.
“She never felt safe. I tried to reassure her, but most of the time Seth was with me and he was so sure we would win at court. He kept saying that they’d have to let her come home soon.”
“But you said you wanted the motion as well,” Irene said. “I could’ve fought him in court. I still can.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t go against my husband in court. You don’t know him.”
Sabre turned the subject back to Mary Margaret. “Where is she?” The mother and the two boys exchanged glances, but no one answered.
Sabre’s phone beeped with a text from JP.
--Fowler’s here.
“Your husband is home,” Sabre said.
Candace jumped up. “You have to go.”
“Where is Mary Margaret?”
“She’s out back in the fort.”
“I need to take her with me,” Sabre said. “It’ll be a lot easier than if CPS comes back here. They’ll probably bring the police with them.”
Irene looked directly at her client. “She’s right. If we take her in, it’ll be a lot easier on you and the boys.”
“What will I tell Seth?”
“You don’t need to say anything yet. Let us work it out.”
A new text came in from JP:
--He’s going into the church.
Sabre shared the text with the others.
“Please go,” Candace said. “Seth always goes to church to pray before he comes into the house, but he won’t be long. Go to the alley behind the church. We’ll send Mary Margaret out there when it’s safe.”
Sabre didn’t want to leave without her. She feared that Mary Margaret would run again, and then she would be out on the streets without a safe place to hide.
“Please,” Candace begged. She glanced toward the back of the house and back at them again.
Sabre looked at the scared faces on the three of them and left.
Chapter 44
Irene and Sabre dashed to the car, checking behind them for Fowler. As Irene started to pull away from the curb, Sabre said, “There he is. He’s coming out of the church.” Her phone beeped with a message from JP with the same information. She texted back.
--Watch the house. Let me know if anyone comes out.
The next text she got was a “thumbs up” symbol.
“Where did he go?” Irene asked.
“There’s a gate by the side of the house where the fence juts out. He went through there.”
“So he’s in the back yard.”
“That’s probably the way he goes to his house from the church. I saw Candace looking toward the back of the house when she knew he was home.”
“He’s a creature of habit and pretty set in his ways.”
Irene drove around to the alley behind the church and the Fowlers’ home. A six-foot wooden fence surrounded the large back yard with a gate that led to the alley. Two enormous southern magnolia trees loomed upward from inside the fence. Sabre looked for the fort, but only the roof was visible because it was blocked by the fence and the border of tall Italian cypress trees that lined the fence between the house and the church. The trees also surrounded the small parking lot behind the church, except for a gap left for people to leave the parking lot and drive into the alley at the opposite end from the house.
“Where should I park?” Irene asked as she drove past the back fence to the house. “If we stop here, we can’t see anything, and if we park behind the cypress trees, the car is too visible.”
“Keep going. We’ll turn around and stop on the other side. Right there.” Sabre pointed to a spot next to some trashcans.
Sabre and Irene sat there, watching and waiting in silence. Irene broke it. “I hate to see these kinds of things.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hate to see churches involved in young marriages, or possible molest issues. This sort of thing gives people a reason to blame the church or God. I hate that. I go to church and I believe in God and I hate that when this hits the media, it’ll give us all a bad name.”
“They come in all shapes and sizes. Scout leaders,
school teachers, priests,” Sabre said. “It’s not about religion, or church, or God. These people don’t represent their organizations, they’re the exceptions, the dregs of society. And there’s always going to be some of those.”
“I know.”
They kept watching the yard and the church. While they waited, Sabre called JP to let him know what was going on. After about ten minutes, Irene checked her phone for the time.
“Do you have to go?” Sabre asked.
“I have to pick Binky up at daycare.”
“I can wait here and you can go if you want,” Sabre said.
“Where are you going to wait?”
“I’ll stand there between the fence and that cypress tree.”
“It’s going to be dark soon.”
“Then I’ll have JP come and wait with me. Candace is probably waiting for it to get dark so Mary Margaret can sneak out. If she doesn’t come shortly after dark, I’ll have to call CPS.”
Sabre got out of the car and walked around to the driver’s side. “Get going.”
“Are you sure?” Irene asked.
“I’ll be fine. The sun is still shining, I have my phone, and as soon as it starts to get dark, I’ll have JP leave his post and come to me.”
“Let me know if Mary Margaret comes out.”
“I will.”
“And, Sabre, if she doesn’t come out and you have to call CPS, please let me know first. Maybe I can get back here and do a little damage control for my client.”
“Absolutely.”
Sabre walked over to the fence and stood between it and the row of cypress trees. She stood on her tiptoes, but she still couldn’t see much. She looked for something to stand on, but there was nothing in sight. She jumped up once to see the fort, but she decided not to do it again in case Fowler was in the backyard. She saw enough to know that Mary Margaret would have to cross the yard, either to the back gate that went into the alley or the side into the church parking lot. She didn’t expect she would do either until dark.
Sabre called JP and told him that Irene had left.
“I’m coming back there,” he said.
“No. I’m fine. Give it a little longer. I don’t want you to miss them if they go out the front.”
“You’re about as stubborn as a Missouri mule halfway home after plowin’ all day.”
“I love you too,” Sabre said.
JP didn’t respond right away and Sabre realized what she had just said. But she was joking. Neither of them had ever said those words seriously. She wished she had chosen a different response.
“Be careful,” JP said and hung up.
Sabre stood there listening for any backyard activity, but none came. The alley was quiet as well. The garages to the houses were on the street side. The alley bordered the back yards and a couple of sheds. No one appeared on foot and only one car passed through in the twenty minutes she had been standing there. It was getting late, but the sky was still lit with the setting sun when she heard a vehicle. Sabre peeked around the fence and saw JP park, get out, and walk toward her, carrying a pair of binoculars.
“Hey, darlin’, you want some company?”
“Sure do.” She kissed him. “I don’t know how you can stand to do surveillance. I’m bored to death.”
“It’s not a lot of fun,” JP said. “Until it is.” He looked over the fence and assessed the situation. “It’s getting dark and hard to see even with the binoculars. The patio light helps. Do you think she’ll come out?”
“I don’t know. She may as well, now that we know her mother was involved.” She took out her cell phone. “I better call CPS. I can’t risk her getting out on the streets, and I’m afraid if she gets spooked, she may run out the front.”
JP put his hand over hers, covering her phone. “I got that covered.”
“What did you do?”
“I called Ron. I knew you’d be worried about that. Besides, your brother needs the work.”
She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long, lingering kiss. “You’re the best.”
JP pulled away. “Did you hear that? I think the back door opened.” He looked over the fence, then shifted a few feet to his left so he could see the door. “It’s a kid,” he whispered.
“Short or tall?”
“Short.”
“That’s Jacob.”
“He’s carrying a bag and walking toward the fort.” JP moved to his right and tilted his head. “He went inside.”
A few minutes passed. “What’s happening?” Sabre asked.
“Nothing,” JP said. “Wait. Jacob’s coming out without the bag. He went inside the house and someone shut the patio light off.”
“Maybe so she could leave without being seen,” Sabre said.
“There’s a street light on the other side of the house that gives some light to the back side of the fence. She’ll be more visible if she goes out the back gate.”
Another ten minutes passed with JP periodically looking over the fence until the back door opened again.
“Who is it?” Sabre asked, this time jumping in an attempt to see, but all she got was a glimpse of a shadow.
“I think it’s the older boy. He’s taller, but not tall enough and too slender to be Fowler, but I can’t be certain because it’s too dark where he’s standing.” JP was silent for a few seconds. “A young girl just came out of the fort carrying the bag.”
“Is it Mary Margaret?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met her, but how many teenage girls do you suppose they have hiding in their fort?”
Sabre smacked him playfully.
“She’s walking toward the patio. She and the young man are walking toward the gate.”
Sabre dashed off alongside the fence toward the church. The kids turned the corner and met her. “Thanks, Zeke, I’ll take it from here. You better get back inside before you’re missed.”
Zeke hugged his sister. “It’s going to be okay. Just have faith.”
“Come on, Mary Margaret,” Sabre said. “Your brother’s right. It’s all going to be okay.”
Mary Margaret didn’t respond, except for a few light sobs. Sabre just let her get it all out.
Chapter 45
JP drove Sabre and Mary Margaret to Sabre’s office to get her car. On the way, Sabre called Irene and then the social worker. The social worker agreed to meet them at Polinsky Receiving Home where Sabre would explain everything. All Sabre told her on the phone was that Mary Margaret had run away, then turned herself in.
Sabre didn’t question Mary Margaret while JP was in the car, and the girl had volunteered very little. She did tell them that the bag Jacob brought her contained a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. Her mother was concerned she might not get any dinner.
Once they were alone, Sabre needed to find out what had happened so she would be better prepared for the hearing that would take place now that her client had been found. After some small talk, Sabre asked, “How did you get away from your supervisor?”
“My mother made sure the bathroom window was open. I was going to climb out the window, but then I heard the other bathroom door open and I peeked out. Kyle was gone, so I grabbed the bag of food my mom left for me, and I went out the front door and ran to the parking lot. I crouched down and moved behind the cars until I got to the alley. It’s not a very big lot, so it didn’t take long.”
“Where did you go?”
“I snuck in the back gate and went into the fort, but then Jacob came and told me I had to leave because they were looking for me. He told me that Mama said I could come back after they checked the house because that was the first place they would look.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I ran for a couple of blocks until I saw a church and I went inside. It was beautiful. The windows were so pretty when the light shined through them, and the altar was amazing. For a minute, I thought God had performed a miracle and put me in an old church like in the history books. I’d
never been in another church before. I didn’t know they still had churches like that. It was so different from ours. Then I felt bad for thinking our church was dull—but it’s not really, it’s just different. Anywhere where God is can’t be dull, right?”
“Right,” Sabre said.
“After a while, I realized that God took me there to keep me safe.”
“How long did you stay there?”
“They were having a service, so I sat there until it was over, and when all the people started leaving, I hid. Then I just hung out there the rest of the day. Once, a man came in through the back, and I almost got caught. He looked around, and then locked all the doors. I didn’t know if I would be able to get out, but it was dark by then and I didn’t really want to go anywhere. It wasn’t so bad. I had the food and water Mama had left for me. There were bathrooms inside, and I took a couple of cushions off of a pew and put them in a corner to sleep on.”
“And you went back to your house in the morning?”
“I walked back there. It took me a while because I got a little lost once, but I found it. I saw Papa’s car was gone, so I went in the side gate and in the back door. I’ve been in the fort ever since.”
“Mary Margaret,” Sabre said, “can you tell me why you ran away?”
“I was afraid I’d have to go back to Brother Gibbs.”
“I told you I would do everything I could to keep that from happening.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say you could for sure. And my dad said he was going to win. He sounded way more sure than you did.” She paused. “He said he would win because he had God on his side.”
Sabre was always careful to not get into any kind of religious discussion with her clients, especially the minors. She respected the parents’ religious views, just like any other choices parents made, as long as it didn’t amount to abuse or neglect. But she had to say something to this scared young girl.
“Mary Margaret, here’s what I think. If your father has God on his side, so do you. And, you also have the Department of Social Services, me, your mother, and the law on your side. Together, we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
The Advocate's Illusion Page 20