by Wilder, L.
“No, sir. Umm ... I accidentally hit her on the way home. We checked for a collar, and when we didn’t see one, we decided to bring her here.”
“Well, I’m going to need to get some x-rays to be sure, but it doesn’t look like it’s broken. Hopefully, she’s just bruised.”
“Oh, okay. So, no surgery?”
“I won’t know until I get the x-rays, and with the number of animals we’ve had in here tonight, that could take a while.” He took a quick glance at his watch, then said, “It’s getting late. Why don’t you two head on home, and we’ll give you a call when we get her fixed up?”
“That would be great.”
We both gave him our numbers, then headed back out to the parking lot. I walked Landry over to her car, and as she got inside, she smiled and said, “Thank you for all your help tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up.”
“Don’t mention it.” I’d really enjoyed the time we’d spent together and wasn’t ready for the night to end, but unfortunately, it was late and we both had to work the following morning. “Are you going to be all right getting home?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. My apartment isn’t far from here.”
“I’d be glad to follow you.”
“Thanks, but it really isn’t necessary.” She reached into her purse, then pulled out a business card and offered it to me. “Here’s my contact information. If you hear anything about Duchess, give me a call.”
“Will do.”
I slipped her card into my back pocket, gave her a quick wave goodbye, and started walking towards my truck. I hadn’t gotten very far when I heard Landry call out to me. “Clay!”
“Yeah?” I asked as I turned back to face her.
“It was really nice meeting you.”
“It was nice meeting you too. Maybe we can get together again sometime.”
“I’d really like that.” A smile crossed her face. “You’ve got my number. Just give me a call sometime.”
“Night, Landry.”
“Good night!”
With that, she closed her car door and was on her way. It wasn’t until I got in the truck and saw Riggs’s bike in the back that I remembered I still had to stop by the garage. On any other night, I might’ve been aggravated by the thought, especially since it was so late, but tonight, I was actually feeling optimistic instead. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to. I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Landry
After only a few hours of sleep, I pulled myself out of bed to check for any messages about Duchess. I grabbed my phone, and my stomach took a nosedive when there were no missed calls or messages. I had no idea if my reaction was due to the fact that the clinic hadn’t informed me of Duchess’s condition or that Clay hadn’t tried to reach out to me. I tried to convince myself otherwise, but deep down I knew it was the latter. It turned out that my late-night rescuer had made quite an impression on me. Not only was he incredibly hot with his large, muscular build and shaggy blond hair, he was actually a really nice guy. Clay was easy to talk to, and there were times when I’d caught him staring at me that I thought he might’ve been interested in me. That notion came and went a hundred times, and by morning, I’d convinced myself that it was all in my head. I took his lack of texting as a sign that I was right.
Refusing to let myself be disappointed by the fact, I plodded into the kitchen and made myself a massive cup of coffee. After a hot shower, my haze of exhaustion started to fade, and I actually managed to make it to work on time. Once I got to my cubicle, I checked my messages again, and I wasn’t pleased that the clinic hadn’t called about Duchess. I was about to pick up the phone and call them myself when Mrs. Hawkins, my supervisor, appeared in front of my desk with another file in her hand. As usual, she was all dolled up in her favorite dark-purple pantsuit and super high heels. Her jet-black hair was pulled up into a tight bun, and she was decked out in all kinds of jewelry, making her look older than she actually was. “I have another case for you to look into. Katie Coburn. Eleven years old living with her father.”
“Okay. What exactly am I looking into?”
“Child endangerment.” I took the file and started looking through it as she continued, “The school’s counselor called into the office. Apparently, Katie admitted that her father was drinking and driving with her in the vehicle.”
I’d just started scanning over the father’s history when I saw that he’d gotten a DUI in May. “Wait. He’s got an ignition interlock system installed in his car.”
“Yes, he does.”
“So, how was he drinking and driving?”
She cocked her eyebrow as she explained, “Apparently, he got his daughter to blow for him.”
“Seriously?”
“I can’t say for sure, but that’s what the girl told the school counselor.” She shrugged as she sat down on the corner of my desk. “I’m going need you to find out if there is any truth behind the story. If there is, I’d say she needs to be removed from the home immediately.”
“I’ll get by there today.” While I had a moment with her, I decided to use the opportunity to tell her, “I went by the Strayhorn home yesterday.”
“Oh? And how did that go?”
I shrugged. “Not as well as I’d hoped. The kids were clearly sick, but neither of the parents were home.”
“So, you weren’t able to check out the premises?”
“No.” I sighed with frustration. “And now they’ll know I’m coming and will be more prepared for the visit.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” A grimace marked her face. “You never can tell with people these days, but I’m really hoping you can get a handle on things over there. They’ve had one too many calls, and it’s time for them to get their act together.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“I’ve got some calls to make.” As she stood up and started down the hall, she continued, “Just let me know if you need anything.”
“You know I will!”
I turned my attention back to the Coburn file and tried to familiarize myself with all the basic details of the case. As I started reading, I saw that the father’s full name was Christopher Coburn. At thirty-two, he’d already been divorced twice, and there was no mention of Katie’s mother anywhere. From what I could tell, she hadn’t been in the picture since Katie was born, so I assumed it was just the two of them. I took note of the police report, which stated that Mr. Coburn had been suspected of selling marijuana in his neighborhood, and he’d also been detained for a domestic dispute with an old girlfriend. None of it was anything new. In the few short months I’d been working there, I’d handled over twenty cases, and more than half of the parents struggled with some kind of addiction. It was a sad reality of the times, but I couldn’t give up hope that I could help the children I worked with have a better life.
After I finished taking down some notes, I called the counselor at Katie’s school to let her know I was coming to meet with them; then, I grabbed my things and walked back out to my car. Before I left, I took out my phone and dialed the number to the animal clinic. It rang several times before the answering machine picked up. Having no other choice, I left a quick message, asking them to please return my call. Once I hung up, I plugged the school’s address into my phone’s GPS and was on my way. Twenty minutes later, I pulled up to Berclair Elementary, one of the older schools in the city. Even though it wasn’t as fancy as some of the newer schools, it had a lot of character and was very well-maintained. The lawn was mowed, the shrubs trimmed, and unlike most schools in the city, there was very little litter to be seen. I got out of my car and started up the sidewalk leading to the front door.
The secretary buzzed me in, and after she checked my credentials and had me sign in, she escorted me down to the counselor’s office. I spoke with her for a few minutes, making sure that she didn’t have anything new to share with me, and then I went to wait for Katie in the conference room. It was a small room, just large enough for a
round table and a few chairs, with a window and a pretty picture of a pond on the wall. I pulled out one of the chairs, then sat down, and just as I was getting settled, Katie appeared in the doorway.
I quickly stood up and walked over to her, smiling. “Hi. You must be Katie.”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“I’m Ms. Dawson.” Katie was a beautiful little girl—even more so than her picture in the case file. Her shoulder-length curly hair offset her adorable round cheeks and gorgeous hazel eyes. With her mismatched clothes, she reminded me of Janice, one of my best friends when I was a little girl. I always loved the fact that Janice was brave enough to wear whatever she wanted without worrying what others thought, and I found myself wondering if Katie was the same way. Her eyes filled with worry as she listened to me say, “I’m from the Department of Child Services, and if it’s okay with you, I’d like to talk to you for a few minutes.”
“Umm ... okay.”
“Great. Let’s have a seat.” I led her over to the table, and once she was seated, I sat down next to her. “You’re in sixth grade, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Your counselor, Mrs. Tate, said you were a good student. What’s your favorite subject?”
“Math, I guess.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper as she said, “I really like Mrs. Kail.”
“That’s great. I was never very good at math, but I was pretty good at reading and science.” I wanted to give her a few minutes to warm up to me before I dug into the hard stuff, so I asked, “What about your classmates? Do you have a lot of friends?”
“I have a few. Stacey and Isabel are my best friends.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “Are you here about my father ... and what I told Mrs. Tate?”
Her question caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting her to bring the matter up so quickly. In fact, I figured it would take a lot of coaxing to even get her to talk about it. I hoped it was a sign as I answered, “Actually, I am. Would you mind if we talked about what’s been going on?”
“I don’t know,” her voice trembled as she spoke. “He’s gonna get really mad when he finds out that I told her what happened.”
“I’m guessing you knew that when you went to see Mrs. Tate, so why did you tell her?”
“’Cause I want it to stop,” she answered adamantly. “I love my dad, but I don’t like it when he drinks. It scares me.”
“How so?”
“He gets really angry. Throws things and says all these bad words, especially to Casey.”
“Who’s Casey?”
“She’s his girlfriend. She moved in with us a few months ago.” In hopes that Katie would tell me more, I didn’t respond. Instead, I remained silent, and it wasn’t long before she continued, “When they fight, it makes him mad, and he starts drinking.”
“I see.” I paused for a moment, then asked, “What do you do when all this is going on?”
“I don’t like to be around him when he’s like that, so I go to my room and hide.” Her expression grew even more somber as she muttered, “But sometimes he comes to get me. Usually, when he needs to go to the store or something.”
“What happens then?”
“He wants me to breathe into that machine so he can start his car. I try to tell him I don’t want to do it, but he won’t listen. He just gets really mad and makes me do it anyway.” Tears filled her eyes as she continued, “He’s not a good driver when he’s been drinking. He can’t stay on the road, and I’m always afraid he’s gonna hit somebody.”
“So, you’ve been with him when he’s driving under the influence?”
“Yes, ma’am. He always makes me go with him in case something goes wrong.”
Hearing the anguish in her voice made my chest tighten. “I can see why it would scare you.”
“He doesn’t mean it. He wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t, but the fact remains that he shouldn’t be drinking and driving, especially with his young daughter in the car.” Once my words sank in, Katie turned to look out the window, making me fear that she might start crying. “None of this is your fault, Katie. Your father is an adult, and he knows what he’s doing is wrong.”
“I know, but he’s my dad.”
“All the more reason for him to do the right thing.” I leaned towards her as I explained, “You’re a great kid, Katie, but even if you weren’t, it’s a parent’s responsibility to take care of their children and make sure they’re safe. It’s my job to make sure your father is doing that with you, and from the sound of it, he isn’t.”
“So, what’s going to happen?”
“I’m not sure just yet,” I answered honestly. “I’ll need to talk to your father, and hopefully, he and I will be able to come up with a plan.”
“But what if you don’t?”
Trying my best not to scare her even more, I replied, “Let’s not cross that bridge until we get there. For now, try not to worry. I know that’s easier said than done, but I’m going to do everything I can to make things better for you and your dad.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll try to get in touch with him today so we can get this thing resolved sooner than later.”
“Good,” she replied, sounding slightly relieved.
“While I’ve really enjoyed talking to you, I better let you get back to class.” I stood up, and she followed me to the door. “It was very nice meeting you, Katie.”
“It was nice meeting you, too, Ms. Dawson.” As she started down the hall, she glanced back with a smile and waved. “Bye.”
“Bye, Katie.”
Once she was gone, I went back to the table and grabbed my things, then after signing out in the office, I walked back to my car. I checked my phone for any missed messages, and yet again, there was nothing. On any other day, I might’ve let my mind wander into a land of negative thoughts and doubts, but I was too busy with work to let that happen. I needed to get over to the Strayhorn home to see about things there, and as soon as I was done there, I had to get back to the office so I could call Mr. Coburn. I wasn’t looking forward to either task, but the thought of seeing either Fiona or Joseph helped motivate me to leave the school’s parking lot and head in their direction. Their house was on the opposite side of town, and with lunch-hour traffic, it took me almost an hour to get there. When I pulled up, there was an old, four-door car parked in the driveway, so I took that as a sign that someone was actually home.
With my satchel in hand, I rushed up to the front door and knocked. Moments later, a woman with long wavy hair and coal-black eyes, wearing her bathrobe, opened the door. She was the perfect mix between Fiona and Joseph, leaving me no doubt that she was their mother. “Yes?”
“Hi. My name is Landry Dawson.” I lifted my ID, showing it to her as I asked, “Are you Aniya Strayhorn?”
“Yes. What can I do for you?”
“I’m from the Department of Child Services. I’m here about a call we received regarding the children in the home,” I replied.
“What kind of call?”
She was playing dumb, like she’d never been through this kind of thing before, but I wasn’t buying it. “Actually, it was more than one call. It seems there are several people who are concerned that your children aren’t getting the proper care.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I take care of my kids!” she argued.
“Okay. Well, here’s a chance for you to prove that.” Hoping to keep her from losing her temper, I kept my voice calm and nonthreatening. “I just need to ask you a few questions and have a quick look around.”
I could see the wheels turning in her head as she stood there mulling over what I’d said. After several moments, she let out a slow, defeated breath. “Give me a minute.”
She closed the door in my face, leaving me alone on the porch. It wasn’t a good sign. A messy house was one thing, but something told me there was more than just a few dirty socks on the floor or trash that needed to b
e collected. Unfortunately for her, it would take more than a couple of minutes to hide all the secrets she had lurking in that house. One minute rolled into the next, and I was starting to grow impatient. Hoping for a distraction, I reached into my bag for my phone, and when I checked the screen, I was pleased to see that the clinic had left me a voicemail. As I listened to it, I was relieved to hear Duchess had no broken bones, just some heavy bruising, and would be cleared to go home later in the afternoon or early the following morning. At that moment I realized I had to figure out what I was going to do with her. As much as I wanted to keep her, I couldn’t. My apartment didn’t allow pets, and even if it did, my place was simply too small for a dog her size.
I was trying to come up with some options when the front door opened and Aniya appeared. The bathrobe was gone, and now she wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She opened the door a little wider as she told me, “Come on in.”
I nodded, then followed her into the living room. Like I’d noticed the day before, the furniture in the room was sparse, but clean. I turned my attention back to Aniya. Her unwelcoming glare was a little intimidating, but I did my best not to let it get to me as I asked, “Do you mind if I take a quick look around?”
“Just do what ya gotta do.”
It was clear from her demeanor that she wasn’t happy about me being there. I couldn’t blame her. It was definitely an invasion of privacy, especially for the innocent, but I had to be sure that the kids were safe. She stood rigid, skeptically watching as I entered the kitchen and jotted a few notes down on my clipboard. Again, there wasn’t much to it, just your basics with a small table in the corner, but it was clean. After I checked the bathroom, I went back into the living room with Aniya. “Where do the children sleep?”
“Upstairs.” As she pointed to the staircase, she explained, “Joseph and Thomas are in the bedroom to the left, and Fiona is on the right.”
“What about Denise and Phillip?”