“First, don’t tell anybody about this. Chips and pop, not nutritious at all.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a good secret keeper.”
“Second, and this is the important one. Tell your dad about how you felt today, okay? Even about your mom being mad. If anybody can help your mom, he can.”
Chuck smiled when he checked the caller ID on his cell phone. Bobbi. “Hey, honey. How’d you know I needed a break?”
“I wish that’s all it was.”
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Now, don’t say anything until I finish. Tracy lost it. She didn’t hit Jack, but she went off and she scared him. He didn’t eat breakfast this morning, and he wouldn’t play at recess today. I know you think I’m unreasonable and paranoid where Tracy is concerned, but if you won’t do something to protect this little boy, then I will.”
Tracy ... went off? “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Really? No lecture? No ‘now Bobbi’?”
“No. I’ll call you after school.”
“Thank you, Chuck. Thank you for taking me seriously.”
“I’m slow, but I catch on,” he said. “Thank you for caring about Jack.” Chuck dialed Penner Hewitt first. When the receptionist answered, he said, “This is Chuck Molinsky with Benton, Davis & Molinsky. I need to speak with Tracy Ravenna.”
“Ms. Ravenna is not in today. Can I leave a message for her?”
“Thanks, but I’ll have what I need by Monday anyway.” Chuck laid the receiver on his shoulder, and pushed the cradle switch. It’s just as well that she wasn’t in. He had no idea what he was he going to say to her when she answered. ‘Tracy, Bobbi thinks you abused Jack last night. Wanna confess?’ That would be effective.
Laurie. Maybe Laurie knew something. He quickly found the daycare phone number and dialed. Moments later, his pastor’s wife was on the line. “Chuck, is something wrong?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Did you talk to Tracy this morning?”
“No, she was in and out before I knew it. Why?”
“I’m not sure, yet. What about last night?”
“Well, Thursdays she works late, but ...”
“Works late?”
“Chuck,” Laurie hedged. “Can I be real honest?”
“Of course.”
“She stops at a bar after work on Mondays and Thursdays. Working late is just a ruse.”
“Was she drunk last night?” He didn’t have time for Laurie’s delicate sensibilities.
“Not any more than usual, I guess.”
“Did she seem angry or upset?”
“She didn’t say too much at all.”
“How was Jack this morning?”
“Tired. He said he didn’t sleep last night.”
“He didn’t act sad or afraid or anything like that?”
“Not that I noticed, but Chuck, I just said good morning to him. I didn’t really have a conversation.”
“Thanks for talking with me. I’ll let you get back to your kids, Laurie.”
“You’re welcome, but I don’t feel like I did much to help.”
“Just pray for Tracy. Something may be going on.” Chuck hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. She took Jack to daycare, but didn’t go to work. Where was she? What was she doing? Where was the line between genuine concern and meddling interference? For Jack’s sake, he decided to err on the side of meddling. He shut his office down, locked up, and then stopped at Christine’s desk. “I probably won’t be back this afternoon. If Tracy calls, page me.”
“Tracy?” Christine raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah,” Chuck muttered. “I think I know what I’m doing.” He strode out to his car, pulling his cell phone off his belt. His wife was in class and wouldn’t answer, but he left a message. “Bobbi, she dropped Jack off this morning, but didn’t go in to work. I’m going to her house. I’m getting Glen to go with me. For now, let Jack go on to daycare like normal. Call you as soon as I can. Love you.”
Now to track Glen down. Granted, he probably should have called his pastor before leaving the message, but he was making this up as he went. No answer at the church. Glen wasn’t home either. Finally, Chuck got him on his cell phone. “Hey, I need some help. Where are you?”
“Driving back from a meeting downtown. What can I do for you?”
“Can you meet me at Tracy’s? Something’s up with her. She didn’t go in to work, and Bobbi called me from school saying Jack was upset after she got angry last night.”
“Sure thing,” Glen said. “I’ll see you there.”
When Chuck saw Tracy’s car in her driveway, he whispered a prayer of relief. She was home, but what state she might be in was a different story. He wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks, surprised by how worried he was. What would make Tracy lose it in front of Jack? Her father. It had to be. He checked his watch, then his rearview mirror. Come on, Glen.
He glanced up and recognized his pastor’s car turning onto the street. Finally.
“Do you think she’ll let us in?” Glen asked once he caught up with Chuck.
“Who knows?”
“Let’s pray real quick,” Glen said, then bowed his head. “Father, You alone know what’s going on with this woman. Help us have the right words, and help her be ready to listen. In Jesus’ name.”
Chuck took the porch steps two at a time, and then rang the bell. There was no movement, not a sound from inside. He rang the bell again, and then he knocked loudly. “Tracy! It’s Chuck! Are you okay?” Still no answer. Chuck turned to Glen. “You ever break down a door?”
“Not lately, no, but I’ll admit, that’s probably a skill a pastor should have,” Glen said with a grin.
Chuck grasped the doorknob firmly and shook the door, watching the gap between door and frame. He knocked across the door lightly. “This is solid. I’ll tear up the frame if I break it down.”
“I’m not even gonna ask why you know how to break down a door.”
“My dad was an MP before he went to law school. Taught me all sorts of stuff.” Chuck leaned closer, listening for any sounds inside the house. “Tracy! Can you answer the door? You can let me in or I can have the cops break your door down. I’m not going away.” Several minutes passed, and then the porch light came on. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing,” Chuck whispered, shaking his head.
He heard the deadbolt turn, but she didn’t open the door. Chuck glanced at Glen, then carefully turned the knob, and walked in. “Tracy? You okay?” She wasn’t in the living room, but an afghan lay draped halfway across the sofa. Maybe she’d slept there. Glen motioned that he would stay in the hallway for now.
“In the kitchen,” Tracy said just loud enough to be heard. Chuck found her sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter, holding her head in her hands. She was dressed for work even though she hadn’t gone in. Papers, legal papers it appeared, were strewn across the floor, along with several pieces of broken glass. An empty bottle of bourbon lay in the floor by the refrigerator, and a half-empty one sat on the counter within arm’s reach of Tracy. “I’m ruined, Chuck. He stabbed me in the back.”
“Colin?” Chuck asked gently.
“I quit my job yesterday.” Smudges of make-up darkened her eyes, and Chuck noticed the wrinkles in her blouse. She hadn’t dressed for work after all. She was still wearing yesterday’s clothes.
“You can find another one. You’re a good lawyer.”
“I’m not good at anything,” Tracy muttered. “A total, uh ...” She closed her eyes and tapped the counter. “Mess. There. I’ll keep it G-rated for you.”
“Have you been here all day drinking?”
“As far as I know.”
“You took Jack to daycare, though, didn’t you?”
“Jack?” She grabbed Chuck’s wrist, panic in her eyes. “You won’t tell him, will you?”
“Don’t worry about Jack.” Chuck pulled his arm away, and then started opening cabinets looking for a glass. He settled for o
ne of Jack’s plastic cups, and filled it with water from the sink. “Here, you need water, not more bourbon.” He took the bottle from the counter and handed her the cup of water. “Have you eaten today?”
She sipped the water and winced. “I don’t think so.”
“You got bread?”
“Yeah, up there somewhere.” Tracy waved a hand in the general direction of the corner cabinet.
Chuck, surprised that she was right, got two slices and dropped them in her toaster. “Where’s your silverware?”
“That drawer,” she answered, pointing behind him.
He kicked the empty bottle out of the way, and got the margarine from the refrigerator just before the toast popped up. “Plates?”
“Up here.” Tracy got off the barstool, steadying herself, and reached into the cabinet above her head. She handed Chuck a plate, and eased herself carefully back onto the stool. “You’re gonna make me eat that, aren’t you?”
“No,” Chuck answered. “But you should.” He buttered each slice of toast and set the plate on the counter in front of Tracy. “Did you drive Jack to daycare like this?”
“No. I was in pretty good shape this morning.” She took a bite of the toast. “Except for the headache.”
“You pass out on the couch last night?”
“You know, I don’t think I want to answer any more questions.” She stuffed most of the piece of toast in her mouth.
Chuck stepped back out into the entry hall, where Glen was waiting. “Call Laurie and tell her Jack won’t be there this afternoon.”
“How’s Tracy?”
“Very, very drunk,” Chuck answered. He got the cordless phone from the living room and carried it back to Tracy. “Here. Call the school and tell them Jack’s going home with Bobbi.”
“Why?”
“He can’t see you like this, and you are in no condition to go get him.”
She took the phone from him, and blinking to focus, she dialed Stoneburner’s number. “Yes, this is Tracy Ravenna, Jack’s mother. He’s in Mrs. ... uh ... Stillman’s class. I’ve had something come up, and I need him to go home with Mrs. Molinsky instead of ...” She rolled her wrist as she fumbled for words. “Of the ... of getting on the bus. Thank you.” She clicked the phone off and handed it back to Chuck. “Satisfied?”
“Now what are we going to do with you?” Chuck laid the phone on the counter.
“Go away and leave me alone, perhaps?” When Chuck scowled, she added, “It was just a thought.”
“Honestly, I’m afraid to leave you here alone.”
“Well, you can’t stay with me. I gave you a chance at that seven years ago.”
Chuck ignored her and began picking up pieces of glass, and stacking and straightening the papers. “How many glasses did you break exactly?”
“Six, maybe. I don’t know.” Although Chuck was trying not to read any of the papers, one letter from the law office of J. J. Dailey caught his eye. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Before he could remember who Dailey was, Tracy spoke. “Look, I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Is there any more liquor in the house?”
“Just that,” she said, pointing to the bottle on the counter.
“Give me your car keys,” Chuck said, holding out his hand.
“You’re not serious.”
“I am. I’ll check on you tomorrow. Maybe I’ll give them back then.”
“And if I don’t give you my keys?”
“You’ll get to spend the next seventy-two hours in the locked ward at Christian Hospital.”
Tracy’s eyes narrowed. “You’re bluffing.”
Chuck picked up the phone. “Try me.”
“You don’t have grounds.”
“You’re a danger to yourself, and I bet you threatened Colin yesterday, which makes you a danger to others.”
“It’s your word against mine.”
“Glen’s here, too. An unbiased third party. A minister.”
Tracy gave him a bleary-eyed stare, and then carefully slid off the barstool. “I don’t even know where my keys are,” she grumbled.
“You look for them then. I’ll wait.”
“Are you this obnoxious with your wife or do you save it up for me?” Tracy steadied herself by holding tightly to the counter, and made her way through the kitchen, and out into the hallway. She stumbled and gripped the doorframe. “Mr. Dillard,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m pleased to meet you at last. Things are not as bad as Chuck makes them sound.” She glanced back at Chuck. “He has a tendency to overreact.”
Glen shook Tracy’s hand gently, careful not to throw her off balance. “Ms. Ravenna, what can I do to help?”
“Do you see a briefcase anywhere? I think my keys are in it. Chuck is taking my keys away from me.”
“Over by the couch. Wait here.” Glen brought the satchel from the living room.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.” She opened one of the outer compartments, and fished out a key ring. “There they are.”
“Do you want to sit down again?” Glen asked. “You look a little unsteady.”
“I am quite unsteady, Mr. Dillard, thank you.” She took his hand and he eased her down to sit on the steps. She turned and tossed the key ring to Chuck. “Here, now will you go away?”
“Yes.” Chuck put the keys in his pocket. “If you promise me one thing.”
“Always a catch with you. What?”
“Promise me you’ll be here tomorrow when I come back. Promise you won’t do anything desperate, you won’t hurt yourself, or anything like that.”
“Chuck ... you’re genuinely concerned, aren’t you?” The sarcastic edge was gone from her voice. She pushed her hair back behind her ears. “I promise. I won’t commit suicide in the next twenty-four hours.”
“You shouldn’t try to cook anything just yet. You need me to order some dinner for you?”
“No, I think I can make a phone call.”
Glen handed Tracy a business card. “Ms. Ravenna, call me or Laurie if you need anything. Not just tonight, anytime.”
“Thank you,” Tracy squinted, trying to read the card.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Chuck said.
“Okay enough,” Tracy said.
“I guess I’ll take that.” Chuck glanced at his watch. “I need to pack Jack’s suitcase.”
“I think I did that.” Tracy rubbed her temple. “Check his room.”
Chuck had to give her credit. Jack’s suitcase sat by the foot of his bed, all packed and ready for the weekend. He carried it back downstairs and carefully stepped around Tracy. “Do you want me to bring Jack back earlier on Sunday, since I’m getting him a little earlier today?”
“I don’t want to start counting minutes. Do you?”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m gonna sleep this off. Harmless enough for you?”
“I’m coming back tomorrow.” Chuck opened the front door, while Glen reached to shake Tracy’s hand one more time before they left. Chuck popped his trunk and threw Jack’s suitcase in. “Thank you for meeting me here. I think we did the right thing.”
“Yeah, but now what?” Glen asked.
“Depends on how she is tomorrow.”
“Do you care if I call and check on her?”
“No, she needs all the help she can get. Maybe you and Laurie can get through to her.” Chuck opened the door of his car. “I’ve got to try to catch Bobbi, and let her know Jack’s coming with her.”
“Keep me posted, Chuck, and we’ll do the same,” Glen said as he got into his own car.
Chuck waved and dialed Bobbi’s cell phone. School was out now, so she should answer.
“So what did you find out?” Bobbi asked without saying hello.
“Not a whole lot yet,” Chuck answered. “She quit her job yesterday afternoon. That guy she’s had at her house did something. That’s what set her off.”
“Did she say anything about Jack?”
; “No, but she wasn’t entirely coherent.”
“Drunk?”
“Yeah, all day from what I could tell, and probably last night, too. I’ll try talking to her again tomorrow. Did you get Jack?”
“Yes. I’m glad he’s coming home with me. I don’t want him around her if she’s like that. You think she’s an alcoholic?”
“One binge does not make her an alcoholic,” Chuck said.
“No, but I think it merits some consideration.”
“We’ll talk more tonight. I’ll see you at home.”
“You’re not going back in?”
“At three o’clock on Friday? No. That’s why it’s good to be the boss.”
“Daddy’s home early!” Shannon shouted as soon as Chuck walked through the front door. She wrapped her arms around his knees, while Jack watched. “Can we go out for pizza?”
“Let me talk to Jack first.” Chuck set the suitcase down and kissed Shannon’s forehead. “Come on, Jack. Let’s go in here.” He motioned the boy into the study, and shut the door.
Jack bounced onto the love seat, and wiggled his feet as they dangled off the edge. “Did you go to my house to get my suitcase?”
“I went to check on your mom.”
Jack stopped wiggling, and raised his head slowly. “Was she still bad?”
“She wasn’t feeling very good yet, but you look like you’re feeling better.”
“Mrs. Dad helped me out,” he said.
“She told me. That’s why I went to your house.” Chuck knelt down in front of Jack. “Your mom had some rotten things happen at work.”
“She was mad last night,” Jack said quietly.
“A little too mad?” Chuck asked, and Jack nodded. “I don’t want the judge to say you can’t stay with your mom because she gets too mad—”
“Will the judge really take me away from my mom?” Jack asked with wide-eyed terror.
“If she gets mad, and scares you a lot, the judge might think about it. I don’t want that to happen. Your mom needs you, and you need your mom, so we’ve got to help her out. You need to tell me when she gets like that, okay?”
Jack nodded, but then he grew quiet for a long moment. “Why does God let her get like that?”
Chuck blew out a long breath. “That’s a good question. I think maybe when people don’t want to listen to God, He lets them do what they want until they get themselves in big trouble.”
Indemnity: Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series Page 24