Shades of Truth

by Sandra Orchard

  In the past year, the local cops had identified two former residents of Hope Manor as drug pushers. The pair negotiated a deal to give up the person who’d recruited them in return for a suspended sentence. But neither survived long enough to finger him. Somehow, someone got to them in the jail cell. Which meant whoever was behind the operation would stop at nothing to ensure his anonymity.

  And maybe Kim knew it. Maybe this was a warning to keep her mouth shut, or else.

  Ethan winced at the thought. Okay, so forget calling the police. He’d handle this himself.

  Darryl nudged his sister to start walking. “Let’s get you ice for that ankle and into dry clothes before we worry about anything else.”

  Despite her earlier bravado, Kim gingerly avoided putting her full weight on her left foot.

  Thankful that at least she didn’t have a spinal injury, Ethan dragged in his first full breath since finding her sprawled in the ditch. He may have relinquished his hold on her, but the tension in his muscles took longer to let go. This guy had some sort of control over her, and if Ethan wanted to win her confidence enough to learn what it was, he might as well forget about keeping his distance.

  The rustle of a dirt-smeared newspaper caught his attention. “Is this yours?” he called after Kim, and then stooped to retrieve the paper. The headline—Funding Cuts Threaten Detention Center’s Future—dominated the page.

  The instant Darryl scanned the headline, his eyes darkened. “Please tell me you aren’t hatching another one of your schemes.” At Ethan’s raised eyebrow, Darryl explained. “Our dad founded this place, and as the oldest child, Kim seems to think she has a sacred duty to save it.”

  Kim gasped. “How can you say that?”

  Another reason crossed Ethan’s mind. Closing the manor would dry up a ready supply of eager recruits.

  Kim met his gaze. “Is it so wrong to not want to see my father’s work lost?”

  “No, I think it’s admirable.”

  Kim shot her brother a smug grin.

  Ethan chuckled at Darryl’s snort. Joining Kim’s cause might be the perfect opportunity to get closer to her and, more importantly, closer to the truth. He tucked the newspaper under his arm and fell into step beside her. “How do you plan to save Hope Manor from the chopping block?”

  “I want to get a petition together to pressure the provincial government to reconsider,” Kim explained. “And I want to pitch an idea to the newspaper for a series on former residents who’ve made good. Once people see the impact we have, I’m sure they’ll support our petition.”

  “You’ll only make the situation worse.” Darryl swiped his pass card over the lock to the staff entrance and opened the door. Chilled air spilled out, but the crisp blast did nothing to cool the heat in his voice. “Half the people in this town didn’t know there was a detention center here until you wrote that letter to the editor a few weeks back.”

  Kim eased onto one of the benches lining the space between the walls of lockers and unlaced her shoe. “That’s why they need to hear its success stories.”

  “Trust me. They don’t want to know that Miller’s Bay harbors young offenders. Involve the papers and it’s only a matter of time before the incident with Mitch gets out, too.”

  “The Mitch I was hired to replace?” Ethan asked, surprised they’d managed to suppress the news this long in such a small town. The town’s size had been one of the reasons he’d been recruited for this assignment from outside the local force.

  “Yeah,” Darryl said. “He got injured chasing a resident who ran off during a field trip.”

  “Ouch, not the kind of news that will endear Hope Manor to the citizens of Miller’s Bay.”

  Darryl shot his sister a look. “Exactly.”

  “I won’t give up, Darryl. Dad poured his life into this place, because he believes in God’s forgiveness. These kids need to know that even if they repeatedly mess up, God will forgive them, too.”

  Kim reminded him of Joy. Despite the pain he’d caused her, she’d offered him that kind of forgiveness. And because of her, he devoted his life to ridding the streets of people like the irresponsible teenager he’d been. While Kim worked to set them free.

  What he needed to know was…did she work out of compassion, or to sideline in something more lucrative?

  Because, if she was on the level, why had someone just tried to kill her?

  TWO

  “Change out of those wet clothes while I grab you an ice pack and find Ethan a bandage for his hand,” Kim’s brother said, unlocking the hall door.

  Ethan gave the room one last surreptitious scan before stepping into the empty corridor. Aside from the feeling in his gut, he had little evidence the attack on Kim was deliberate, let alone connected to his case. But at least no one could get to her in the locked room.

  The main floor of the facility was divided into three units that each housed ten residents and a staff station. Ethan turned left toward the closest. “I’d sure like to get my hands on whoever ran down your sister,” he said, hoping to loosen Darryl’s tongue.

  Darryl caught him by the shoulder and swung him around. “Don’t even think about messing with my sister.”

  Ethan whacked off the guy’s hold. “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw the way you looked at her. You’re here to do a job. Not cozy up to Kim.”

  Ethan backed up a step and lifted his hands in innocence. “Hey, I just want to catch the jerk who scared her.”

  A door clicked and Darryl’s gaze snapped to the end of the hall.

  The manor’s interim director, Aaron Sheppard, hurried toward them. Ethan fought not to gag at the overpowering scent of the thirty-year-old’s trendy cologne. Or maybe it was the smell of the gunk he used to make his hair poke out in that wannabe-actor look. His too blue eyes—had to be colored contacts—zeroed in on Darryl. “How’s Kim? I heard she had an accident.”

  Darryl stopped the guy from pushing his way into the locker room. “She was jogging and twisted her ankle. She’ll be fine. Her ankle just needs a little icing.”

  “But someone said—”

  “She’s embarrassed enough,” Darryl interrupted, apparently more concerned about guarding his sister than ticking off his boss. “She doesn’t need people yakking about her.”

  Aaron drew in a breath as if he intended to argue, but then his gaze shifted to Ethan. He thrust out his hand. “Ethan, right? Welcome aboard.”

  Ethan matched his firm grip, noting the way Aaron’s gaze returned to the staff room door, and then to Darryl. Definitely another man worth grilling for information.

  “Was there something else?” Darryl said.

  “Yeah, you’ve got a phone message. Wanted you to call back ASAP.”

  Worry replaced Darryl’s scowl. “The hospital?”

  “Not sure. While you’re in the office, let the in-charge supervisor know that she needs to call someone to cover Kim’s shift.”

  “Kim won’t like being sent home, but it’s probably not a bad idea. Could you show Ethan where he can get the ice?” Darryl’s gaze shifted to Ethan. “Then I’ll meet you back here to finish the orientation.”

  After Darryl disappeared down the corridor, Ethan took advantage of the opportunity to ply Aaron for information. “Who’s in the hospital?”

  “His dad. Cancer. Admitted on the weekend. The pain got to be too much. It’s only a matter of time now.” Aaron paused outside the door of unit one’s staff station. “I heard what you said about catching the guy who ran Kim down. So she didn’t just twist her ankle jogging?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Did you see the guy?”

  “Unfortunately not. You got any idea who it might’ve been?”

  “Some kid out bah-ha
wing, I expect.” Aaron’s lips pressed into a flat line as if he might have a particular kid in mind. He unlocked the door to the staff station—a glass-walled peninsula from which the entire unit could be viewed. Each unit consisted of a common room with a nailed-down sofa, TV and game tables, a washroom, a laundry room and a line of bedrooms, lockable only from the outside. The residents were in morning classes, so the unit was empty.

  “You get a lot of kids from the area driving crazy on these back roads?”

  “You know how it is. Boys will be boys.”

  “Hmm.” Ethan found the first-aid kit and swabbed his palm with disinfectant.

  Aaron pulled a bag of ice from a small fridge in the corner, and then waved to a plate of muffins on the desk. “Help yourself. Kim’s mom is always baking for the staff and residents. How she copes with stress, Mr. Corbett once told me.” Aaron rubbed his stomach. “I think we’ve all gained ten pounds since he took ill.” He handed Ethan the ice. “Here you go. Can you find your own way back?”

  “Sure, but—” Ethan’s gaze flicked to the glass partition. His mind buzzed with possible reasons Aaron might want to hang back in an empty unit. None of them aboveboard. “Didn’t you want to see Kim?”

  Aaron unlocked the door and motioned him to exit. “I’ll see her later, tonight.”

  Ethan frowned. Not that who Kim saw in her free time was any of his business…unless the person was connected to his case, which Aaron very well could be. It was more believable than thinking Kim was on the wrong side of the law.

  But before Ethan could ask another question, Aaron prodded him out the door. Definitely suspicious. Ethan hurried to the locker room. At least with Darryl fielding a phone call, he’d get his chance to question Kim alone.

  Raised voices stopped his hand midknock. Two voices. One female—Kim’s. One male.

  He strained to hear what they were saying, but the male voice dropped to an angry hiss.

  “No—” Kim cried, and slamming of metal on metal swallowed the rest of her words.

  Ethan twisted the knob uselessly and pounded the door. “Hey, open up.”

  The door jerked open, and Kim’s brother stood on the other side, teeth gritted.

  Because of the phone call? Or something else?

  Ethan pushed his way inside, his gaze sweeping the room. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m being sent home.” Kim hooked a padlock onto the door he’d heard slam, and then stalked to a wooden bench. She’d changed into a fresh green T-shirt that did amazing things for her eyes. Or maybe the disagreement with her brother had brought out those fiery flecks.

  Darryl snatched up the ice bag and tossed it to Kim. “Now keep that foot elevated until Ginny gets here.” He ignored Kim’s long-suffering sigh. “Come on, Ethan. I’ll take you to admissions. We have a resident due back from court. I can show you how we process arrivals.”

  Terrific. He’d have to bide his time until he got another chance to interrogate Kim.

  A crackly voice shouted, “Yard. Now,” over Darryl’s walkie-talkie.

  Kim scooped the ice bag off her foot. “Go ahead, Darryl. Ethan and I can handle the incoming.”

  Ethan reached to help her up, but she brushed his hand aside, as if her injury was of no concern.

  “When an incident with a resident escalates,” she explained, leading the way through the maze of corridors, “you shout now and your location into your walkie-talkie to summon help. It doesn’t happen that often, but between my taking up yours and Darryl’s time and Tony off, we’re a little short staffed.”

  “Who’s Tony?”

  “One of our full-timers. He called in sick just before his shift this morning.”

  This morning, huh? Ethan made a mental note to look up Tony’s address and pay him a visit. Check out his taillights. “Has he worked here long?”

  “Since the place opened.”

  “That long? He must’ve been upset when the board hired a new guy as deputy director instead of promoting senior staff.” Maybe upset enough to look at making some money on the side with a homegrown drug ring.

  She shrugged, but her puckered brow suggested the possibility bothered her. Or was it the manor’s uncertain future?

  “Here we are.” She unlocked the admission room connected to a sally port—an entrance rigged to secure the outer door before the inner door opened.

  The musty odor that seeped into the corridor resurrected memories he’d willed himself to forget. He braced his hands on the door frame, one foot bridging the threshold, the other cemented to the hall. He felt sixteen again, teetering on the edge of a sinkhole that threatened to swallow him from the inside out. The humiliation of being restrained. The loneliness as weeks passed without a visitor. The remorse that gnawed at him day and night.

  “Ethan? Are you okay?”

  Kim’s voice jerked him back to the present. “Yes.” He gave his head a hard shake. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Is it your hand?”

  “What?” He pulled his hand from the door frame and looked at the bandage. Come to think of it, it was throbbing.

  “Maybe you should have the nurse—”

  “It’s fine.” He stepped into the room and moved toward the window overlooking the attached garage. If he expected to gain her trust, he needed to utilize every available minute, not fuss over a couple of puncture wounds.

  “Sounds like my bigger concern should be how long my new job’s gonna be around.” He propped his hip on the side of the desk. “Maybe I should help you with your petition.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure.” The sun seemed to rise in her eyes, and Ethan regretted that his offer had more strings attached than a trussed-up turkey. “Although I am curious why your brother is opposed to the idea. Is that what had him so riled back there?”

  Kim sank wearily into the chair. “I don’t know. He used to talk to me, but lately…” Her gaze shifted to the thick-paned window. “I guess we all deal with grief in our own way.”

  “I heard your father has cancer, and that it’s bad. I’m sorry.” Hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck, Ethan reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Darryl will come around. You’ll see.” The slight relaxing of her muscles beneath his fingers left him fighting the temptation to let his hand linger. He took a step back. “So, who do we have coming in?”

  “Um, I think it’s Mel.” She double-checked the sign-in book. “Yes, Melvin Reimer.”

  “What can you tell me about him?”

  “He’s fifteen. A good kid, really. Comes from a stable family, but he had a hard time making friends at school.”

  “Let me guess. He got sucked into a gang.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve been urging him to get out.”

  “The gang’s not going to let that happen.”

  “It’s not their choice. It’s his. And he’s matured a lot in the months he’s been here, which is only one example of why it’s so important to do everything we can to make sure the government doesn’t shut us down.”

  Ethan chose not to dispute the Pollyanna view. Her optimism was kind of refreshing. “Did Melvin have a parole hearing this morning?”

  “No, a group conference between his family and the victim’s. This was a big step for him. He wanted the opportunity to apologize, ask for forgiveness and achieve some sort of reconciliation.”

  “Wow, that takes guts.”

  The rumble of the garage door rattled the windows. A police cruiser pulled inside. After the door closed behind the vehicle, the officer extracted a tall, lanky kid from the backseat, his hands and feet shackled.

  Kim pushed to her feet, a proud smile curving her lips. “The kids call him Beanpole.”

  “What’s he in for?”

  She jabbed
the button that opened the admission room door. “He got drunk, stole a car and smashed through a neighbor’s living-room window. Wounded their four-year-old daughter.”

  Ethan swallowed the sour taste that rose to his throat as the kid shuffled across the cement, his head down. “Today’s meeting must’ve been tough for…everyone.”

  “Yeah, but you know what they say. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

  “Like the car that almost took you out this morning?”

  She waved off the question and turned to the kid coming through the door.

  Ethan kneaded the tension at the back of his neck. His protective instincts had kicked into high gear the moment he’d heard her scream, and they hadn’t let up in the hour since. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d met a more stubborn woman. Some guy had tried to run her off the road, and she acted as though it was no big deal.

  The question was, why? Because Ethan’s gut told him she couldn’t be more wrong.

  At the sight of her friend Ginny pulling up to the curb, Kim walked out the staff exit, hyperaware of Ethan’s nearness. He was being so sweet—offering to help with her petition, sympathizing with Dad’s condition, seeing her to the car—that she didn’t know how to act. Was he interested in her?

  Or was he just a supernice guy?

  At least she managed not to limp. She’d probably break out in a silly grin if he actually offered her an arm to lean on. And the curious glint in Ginny’s eye didn’t help.

  With how kind Ethan had been, Kim felt guilty for not admitting that she knew who almost ran her down. But Blake had spent sixteen months at Hope Manor. If the police hauled him in for dangerous driving, not only would the news fuel the arguments for shutting down the manor, the arrest would set him back years. And after the protective way Ethan had pounded on the locker room door when Darryl was yelling at her, she was pretty sure that if she told him about Blake, he would send the police to the guy’s doorstep before his name left her mouth.

  It was bad enough she’d let Darryl needle the admission out of her. At least he’d agreed not to involve the police. Of course, his insistence that she take the day off still irked. The swelling in her ankle had almost disappeared. But at least this way she’d have the chance to deal with Blake sooner rather than later. “Thanks so much for coming to get me, Ginny,” she said as they neared the car.