by Kira Chase
“Well, you did great with her and I enjoyed watching the show,” Frankie said and then chuckled. “Later, we'll play everything back for George and Trey.”
Johanna flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Depending on what Bobby tells us, I think George may need to make another call to Seattle.”
“You've read my mind.” Frankie looked toward the entryway to the living room where Bobby stood with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his khaki shorts. Frankie noticed that his cell phone wasn't in sight. Good. She wanted his full attention. If he were playing a game on his phone then it would be difficult to engage him. What struck her was the same sullen look pasted on his face. She wondered if the teen had forgotten how to smile. Or maybe in his world there wasn't much for him to smile about and she was beginning to think he may have a very good reason for putting a wall up.
“Can we ask you some questions, Bobby?” Frankie asked in the friendliest tone she could muster.
“I suppose,” he answered in a quiet voice as he sauntered into the room followed by Brenna close at his heels.
Johanna looked sharply at Brenna. “We'd prefer to talk to Bobby alone,” she said.
Brenna's shoulders stiffened. “No. I'll stay with him,” she said coolly. “Whatever you need to ask him you can ask in front of me.”
Frankie noticed that Brenna's guard was up. What was she afraid Bobby might tell them? She caught Brenna's eye and saw the fear in them that Brenna was failing to hide. Johanna and she had caught Brenna completely off guard when they'd questioned her. She'd been trapped when her answers didn't match what Kyle had told them and she couldn't worm her way out of it. It would be interesting to hear Bobby's version, which she had no doubt would discount everything Brenna had just told them.
Johanna turned her attention to Frankie who met her gaze with a confident smile. Johanna was thinking the same thing she was. Brenna was extremely nervous as she stood stiffly next to Bobby. Frankie was determined to question Bobby without any interference from the woman. As she caught Brenna's eye again, the fear had been replaced by something else. She couldn't find the word to describe it, but Brenna's claws had definitely come out. She'd done a complete flip from when they'd first questioned her and now she was ready for a fight. A fight she'd never win if Frankie had anything to say about it.
“Brenna, why don't we let Bobby decide? After all, he is a young man capable of making the decision whether he wants you here or not,” Frankie stated firmly.
Bobby's dull eyes instantly lit up as he looked at Frankie. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I don't need a babysitter, Brenna,” he said confidently as his shoulders became a little straighter.
Brenna held her ground and made no effort to leave. She turned her head and stared into the boy's eyes, but he quickly turned his eyes on Frankie giving Brenna the ultimate snub.
Frankie smiled. “You heard him, Brenna.”
“Are you sure, Bobby?” Brenna persisted. “I don't mind staying here with you. I think it would be for the best.”
“I'm sure. I don't want you here, Brenna,” he said coolly. He finally met her eyes and glared at her.
Brenna's jaw tightened, she threw her shoulders back, and without another word or backward glance at any of them, she stomped out of the room.
“Please have a seat, Bobby,” Frankie offered.
He sat and then looked expectantly at them. “Can you help me?” he asked hopefully.
His question took her by surprise. “We'll do everything we can to help you, Bobby, but first we need to know what you need help with.”
“Thank you,” he said relieved. He flashed a faint smile. “I want to go home.”
“Do you mean back to Seattle?” Frankie asked.
His lips quivered. “Yes, but to my grandparents. Please don't make me go back to live with Kyle and Brenna.” He bit his bottom lip to stop the trembling.
Frankie pulled herself to her feet, moved to the sofa, sat on the opposite end, and turned to face him. “Bobby, can you tell us what happened? I mean how did you come to live with Kyle and Brenna Martin?”
He drew a ragged breath. “One night when my grandparents and I were having dinner a woman and two cops came to the door. They wanted to talk to my grandparents and my grammy told me to finish my dinner and her and grandpa would be right back.” He blinked. “I heard grammy crying so I ran into the hall to see what happened.” He blinked again. “She had a paper in her hand and grandpa was talking to the cops about not taking me.” He paused. “I didn't have any idea what was going on. The lady told me to pack some of my things.”
Frankie watched him carefully as he struggled to pull himself together. She sensed he was close to breaking down by his jerky movements and the way he kept pausing to clear his throat. He was trying hard to keep his emotions under control, but underneath he was just a boy and her heart broke for him. “Did the woman tell you why she wanted you to pack your things or where she was taking you?”
“No. I told her I wasn't going anywhere with her, but one of the cops told me I had to.” He swallowed hard. “Grandpa told me to do what the lady said and he and grammy would make sure I came back.”
“Did anyone tell you where you were being taken to?”
“Yes…Kyle and Brenna's. The lady told grammy that her and grandpa couldn't see or call me. I told them I wasn't going anywhere, but they said I had to. Grammy was still crying and told them we didn't even get to finish dinner, but they didn't care.” A tear slid down his cheek and he lifted a hand and swiftly brushed it away.
Frankie swallowed down the lump that rose in her throat. Listening to Bobby, she had no doubt the emotional turmoil the boy had suffered. But what had led to him being removed from the two people, his grandparents, who had loved and raised him? She glanced at Johanna who was struggling with her own emotions. “Do you know why they took you away from your grandparents, Bobby?”
He sniffed. “No. One day before that night Kyle came to my grandparents’ house and brought another man with him. I'd never seen the man before, but after I was forced to move in with Kyle and Brenna, I found out he was Brenna's brother, Blake.”
Frankie could now definitely tie Blake Roman to this, but how he was involved remained a mystery. This bit of information, though, got her adrenalin pumping. Something else had been nagging at her and she decided to ask Bobby about it.
“I noticed, Bobby, that you don't call Kyle and Brenna Aunt and Uncle.”
He looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon. “And I never will. I don't feel any connection to them and never will after what they did.”
“So, you believe Brenna's brother Blake had something to do with you being removed from your grandparents?”
He nodded. “Yes. It's all on him,” he choked. His body quivered as he looked at Frankie through haunted eyes. “Please help me.”
“I will. I promise. What happened that day, Bobby?” Frankie softly asked.
“I was playing a video game in the den. I heard Kyle and Blake screaming so I jumped up and ran to see what was going on. My grandmother was crying and my grandfather was telling them to get out and never come back. Kyle pushed grandpa and I stepped in front of him and told him and Blake to get out and never come back.” He paused and chocked back a sob. “Blake smacked me across the cheek with the back of his hand. I tried to punch him, but he knocked me to the floor. Grandpa tried to help me up. He was bent down over me and grammy was on the other side of me crying and shaking her head. She was yelling at Kyle and Blake, but Kyle only laughed and took pictures of us.”
“What was Blake doing?” Frankie asked.
“He was writing something down in a small notebook.”
Frankie began putting two and two together about how Blake Roman fit into this and what happened next, but she needed to hear it directly from Bobby. “Then what happened?”
“Kyle said he had all the proof he needed now.”
“Did you know what he was talking about?”
“Did they finally leave?”
He shook his head wearily. “No, they both just kept on laughing and making fun of my grandparents.” He swallowed hard. “I grabbed my cell phone and started to call the cops.” He flinched.
“What happened then, Bobby?” Frankie asked quietly.
His face puckered up like he was about to cry. “He punched me…hard. I had a black eye.” He sniffed. “My grandmother pushed Blake before he could punch me again and he shoved her real hard against the wall.” He gulped. “Grandpa told Kyle and Blake he was having them arrested and…” His voice cracked and he broke off in sobs, soft at first, and then they intensified as his shoulders heaved up and down.
He looked at Frankie with tears streaming down his face and her heart broke with the knowledge of what this boy had been through and seen his grandparents subjected to. He moved closer to her and she instinctively put her arms around him as he cried.
Frankie's eyes filled with tears as she caught Johanna's eye. The intense emotion Johanna was feeling was written all over her face. The pain this boy had endured was hard to swallow. Anger began to boil inside of her, but for Bobby's sake, she had to keep it contained. There was no way Kyle could be released from jail and she would have to convince George that he would have to find a way to keep Kyle locked up until they got this settled. She had no doubt that George would need no convincing. He'd be livid when he heard the tape. Bobby's safety depended on keeping him far away from Kyle and Brenna Martin. Frankie knew what had gone down next. From what Bobby had said, it was obvious. Kyle Martin and Blake Roman had set Kyle's parents up. They'd carefully planned every detail, but their plan to extort money from Will was dependent on Kyle having Bobby in his custody.
Johanna stood, reached into her purse, pulled out some tissues, and walked over to Bobby and handed them to him. He accepted the tissues, calmed himself, and wiped his eyes. After clearing his throat, he spoke. “Can you two help me? Please help me to be able to move back home with my grandparents.”
“Tell us about them, Bobby,” Johanna said as she seated herself on the other side of him.
His face brightened. “They're cool. They never mind when my friends come over. My friends love hanging out because grammy and grandpa tell us stories about what things were like when they were growing up. Grammy is the best cook in the world and she makes everything homemade. Grandpa has a workshop and he lets us work out there with him. One of my friends built a cool cabinet for his mother last Christmas.” He smiled. “We go camping for a week every summer to a different state park.”
“Do you have chores?” Johanna asked.
He nodded. “I have to take out the trash, keep my room clean, mow the lawn, and shovel the sidewalk…stuff like that. The same things my friends have to do.”
“Do you ever get punished?”
He shrugged. “Yes, but they never punish me until I understand why I'm being punished. It doesn't happen too much, though. One time I didn't do my homework and lied about it.”
“What kind of punishment do they give you?”
“I lose a privilege. Like maybe not being able to play a video game. I get to play an hour every week night, but only if all of my homework is done.”
“Do they ever talk about your mother?” Frankie asked.
He nodded again. “Yes. I kind of look like her. I'll show you.” He pulled a wallet from his back pocket and removed a photo. “This is her.” He handed it to Frankie.
She was a pretty girl with long brown hair. Frankie guessed her age to be about sixteen when the picture was taken. Bobby was correct. He did look like her. She passed the photo to Johanna. “You're right, Bobby. You do look like her. She was very pretty.”
“Thanks,” he said shyly. “I wish I could’ve known her, but my grandparents still have a lot of her stuff and they have loads of movies they took of her growing up so we watch sometimes. Even though I never knew her, I feel like I kinda do, you know?”
“Yes, I do. And it sounds like you have the best grandparents anyone could ask for.”
“I do,” he replied beaming. “Do you think I could call them?”
“Haven't you spoken to them since you've been living with Kyle and Brenna?”
“No. And they aren't allowed to call me. I tried to call them once, but Brenna caught me. She put a thing on my phone so she'll know if I try.”
“Why won't she let you talk to them?”
His face puckered. “I don't know. But after what Brenna did to me when she found out, I wouldn't dare try again.”
“What did she do to you, Bobby?” She knew his answer would be traumatic…and pivotal to what would happen next for both Bobby and Trey, not to mention Will.
Bobby swallowed hard. “It was worse than the black eye.” His forehead wrinkled. “Will you help me find a way to see my grandparents?”
Frankie's insides quacked. How could that woman beat an innocent boy? “We will. We're going to do everything we can to help you, Bobby,” Frankie promised. “Did Kyle or Blake also physically abuse you after you moved in with Kyle and Brenna?”
He looked into her eyes and the fear in them was evident. “Worse than Brenna,” he whispered in a barely audible voice. “Please don't make me go back to them.” His eyes searched hers. “Please.”
Frankie blinked back the tears forming in her eyes as she listened to him and saw the suffering in his red-rimmed eyes. The look on his face would melt the coldest heart. “Bobby, I promise you that no matter what you tell us, we will protect you. No matter what it takes, I give you my word you will never live with them again.”
“What about the sheriff? He'll take Kyle's side just like the cops did.”
“No, he won't. He will never allow you to be put in harm’s way. But we need you to tell us everything that happened after you went to live with Brenna and Kyle.”
His eyes darted to the entryway and his hands trembled.
“Bobby, you need to tell us everything,” Johanna said. “That will help us get you back with your grandparents as soon as possible.”
He nodded and flashed a weak smile. “Blake came to the house every day to talk to Brenna and Kyle.” He drew another shuddering breath. “Brenna had a problem with me living there and Kyle and her fought about it every day. Blake kept telling her that as soon as Will was in prison it wouldn't matter.”
Frankie was confused. If Will went to prison, there wouldn't be any child support payments since he wouldn't be drawing a salary. But most significant was why would Will go to prison? This didn't make any sense, but hopefully George would be able to unravel it. She sighed. Right now, though, they had to get Bobby to talk about what abuse he'd suffered after he was taken from his grandparents' custody. It would all be recorded so there was no way Brenna or Kyle could dispute it. She didn't know how she'd pull it off, but she was adamant that Bobby would be reunited with his grandparents.
“Bobby, do you know why Will was supposed to go to prison?” Frankie asked.
He shook his head. “No.”
“I want to go back to when the woman and police removed you from your grandparents’ house. Did the woman identify herself to you or tell you why she was taking you away from your grandparents?”
“The lady said she was from Children's Protective Services. She kept asking me questions about my grandparents and how they treated me. I told her how happy I was with them and that they never hit me or anything.” He blew his breath out. “I had to talk to a counselor and he kept trying to trick me into saying that they did things to me they didn't.” He winced. “I told him he was making stuff up about them, but he kept saying they had no right to do the things they did to me. He wouldn't listen to the truth that they never hurt me.”
“Did you testify in court?”
“No. Nobody even mentione
d going to court to me. All I know is Kyle, Brenna, and Blake got all dressed up one day and went out. They had a friend of Blake's come to the house and sit with me until they came back.” He closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds and then popped them back open. “Like I needed a babysitter,” he said distastefully.
“What happened then?” Frankie asked gently.
“When they came back they were laughing and they started celebrating and were drinking a lot. Kyle said it felt like he just won the lottery.” His eyes narrowed. “They told me to go to my room, but I stood in the hallway for a while and listened to what they were saying. They were making disgusting jokes about my grandparents and Blake was bragging that his plan worked.”
“Do you know what the plan was?” Johanna asked.
“Not exactly, but Blake was talking about how the pictures they took proved my grandparents guilt. Then he said that's why I couldn't be there in court because I would be afraid to tell the truth about what my grandparents did to me if they were sitting there.” His jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists. “Blake said the judge bought it.” His body suddenly shook with rage. “I hate them…all of them! They lied. My grandparents never beat me; they did.” His eyes filled with tears.
“They won't get away with it, Bobby.” Frankie sat looking at him.
He rubbed his eyes. “They did. They already did,” he cried. “Nobody believed anything I told them about what was really going on.”
“Who else did you tell?”
“My new school, but they just looked at me like I was crazy. Kyle and Brenna must have told them not to believe me.”
Frankie understood his lack of trust and why he had such a surly attitude when they first met him. It was more of the same as far as he was concerned. No wonder his grades had suffered and he hadn’t attempted to make new friends. His trust had been broken in the worst way. The system had failed him and she realized the only hope he'd most likely been holding onto was that when he came of age he could leave. And she sensed he'd go right back to his grandparents, the only two people in his world who had nurtured him and taken on the role as parents because they loved him and expected nothing in return. She still couldn't believe Kyle could treat his parents so horribly. And how could Kyle, along with his wife and brother-in-law, treat his nephew—his own flesh and blood from the sister he’d professed to have loved—so inhumanely.