A Case of the Heart

by Beth Shriver

  Megan’s shoulders sagged as she let out a breath of relief. Liz sat down on a burgundy cushioned stool with wheels and asked her more questions, going through the whole incident to get all the details.

  “I just panicked when the baby actually started to come. It was like it was finally real, I’d been ignoring it, wishing it away until I felt the pain.” Megan rubbed her face. The exhaustion showing in her dark eyes.

  “Why did you leave her?”

  Megan hesitated, and Liz waited quietly. “I didn’t know what to do.” She looked away, but Liz remained silent. “And I didn’t want to embarrass my parents. They’re both lawyers, and they’re never home.”

  “Where’s the baby’s father?”

  “He goes to my school.” Her eyes misted, and she looked down. “But he doesn’t want her, or me. I don’t know what to do.” She looked up at the ceiling as tears rolled down her face.

  “I don’t know either, Megan. But there is one who does.”

  Megan blinked the tears away and looked at Liz.

  “Do you ever pray, Megan?”

  “I don’t know. No. We don’t go to church much, only holidays like Christmas. I don’t know how I could pray now. Especially now.”

  “This is the perfect time.” Liz smiled and patted her hand. Megan returned the smile and leaned her head back against the pillow. Liz knew it was time for her to go.

  “The police will be here at some point and we’ll all work together to help you figure out what’s best for you and Christina.”

  Liz was just finishing her conversation with the teen mother when Dixon walked in, all six-feet-two-inches of him with full gear and a toothpick firmly between his teeth. Liz groaned. She took a deep breath and turned to him.

  “I’ll take it from here, Adams.” Dixon moved his hand up to her arm and moved Liz out of the way to walk past. It was a small thing, but it was enough to make her take a stand. She didn’t want Megan to become any more upset than she already was.

  Liz took a step toward him. “I’m in the middle of something here, Dixon.”

  “We’re supposed to do the questioning together,” he answered in a condescending tone as a feral grin seeped across his face, and his eyes narrowed.

  Liz was in no mood for any grief from Dixon. She felt Megan needed someone with a softer touch to talk with her about her situation. “I’m almost finished. Then you can question her, but she’s tired so make it fast.”

  The look of shock on his face gave her great satisfaction. His eyebrows lifted and he actually moved back a bit. She’d never spoken bluntly to him. Maybe she’d learned how to earn some respect from the crotchety old cop.

  Liz turned back to Megan, trying to regain composure. “I need to talk with your parents so I’ll let Officer Dixon ask you a few questions, if you’re up to it.” Megan nodded wearily, and Liz left to find her parents.

  Megan had told her they knew nothing of the pregnancy. She had carried the baby for over seven months without their knowledge. The mother, an attractive brown-eyed blond, held a certain prominence that demanded respect even as she grieved over the situation. Her father, much the same in his demeanor, had dark hair and eyes.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Page, I’m Liz Adams from DSS. The police called me because the baby was left unattended. I’m glad your daughter came in to receive treatment for herself and the baby.”

  “We would have gotten treatment sooner had we known.” Mrs. Page commented without making eye contact.

  “If you need anything further, please let me know, I’d be glad to help.”

  “I wish she would have told us.” Mrs. Page wiped her red blotchy eyes.

  Mr. Page patted his wife on the back, his face taunt and eyes strained. “I think it would be best if they both just came home for now, although I don’t know how we’ll manage with a baby in the house.”

  “The baby will be here for a while. Maybe that will give you all some time to prepare before they come home. I suggest your family gets some counseling to get you all through this.”

  Mrs. Page cried and her husband tried to console her, whispering in her ear and rubbing her back.

  “Thanks,” he said to Liz. His voice caught as he turned away.

  Liz gave him her card and encouraged them to call, then left them alone.

  Brenda and Liz walked to the nurse’s station. Liz told the head nurse to notify the Department of Social Services if anything happened before the social worker assigned to the case came the next morning. Liz decided it would be best to just exchange write-ups with Dixon. It was time the PD knew her feelings about working with him.

  Liz made some calls. She found a space in a home for unwed mothers and contacted an adoption agency just in case either was needed.

  Her cell phone rang and she recognized Alex’s number.

  “Did we have plans tonight?” she asked in a hopeful tone.

  “Not officially, but I was hoping, until I heard you got the call at Denver General. How’s the baby?”

  She sat by the nurse’s station and slid down into the seat, half listening to Brenda and the nurse talk about Dixon. “Not so good. At least they found her as quickly as they did. She’s got a chance if she’s a fighter.” Liz paused. “You’re doing well keeping tabs on me.”

  “Until you can stay out of trouble, I’ll have to.”

  “It might be a little tough tonight.”

  “Why?” His voice was controlled but anxious.

  “I’m working with Dixon on this case.”

  “When will you be done?”

  She could hear something sizzling on the stove and the game playing in the background. She wanted to be there with him. “I shouldn’t be too long. I’ll call you when I’m through.”

  “Just hang in there and stick to business. And stop by on your way home.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling—especially the part about Dixon.

  She’d never been to Alex’s apartment before. Everything they were doing made it appear as though they were exclusive. Liz didn’t know if she was ready for that.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Alex lived in an older neighborhood past the Capital Hill area, south of downtown. Driving through the Cheeseman Park area and further east, she saw manicured landscaping, small homes and apartments. Some were stucco, others large stone or painted brick. They were all unique and well cared for.

  Liz found his building and walked up to the enclosed foyer then punched his apartment number on the keypad. She was starting to feel comfortable getting together with him. She was beginning to know what to expect of him and herself when she was with him.

  He buzzed her in, and she took the elevator to the top floor.

  There were only two apartments on the top level. The door was slightly open, but she still knocked before walking in.

  Alex greeted her and shut the door. “Can’t be too safe. You never know who might walk through your door,” he teased. “How’d things go?”

  Liz took off her jacket and looked around the room. “Good, everyone’s taken care of—for now anyway. Dixon was on his best behavior.”

  Liz was impressed with Alex’s decorating taste. A bit surprised, in fact. A huge L-shaped leather couch sat in the middle of the family room, in front of a big screen where the Nuggets game was blaring.

  He turned down the volume, then went into the kitchen where he was cooking up something that smelled of garlic and a hint of lemon.

  Liz was already in the next room before she comprehended that her curiosity had gotten the best of her. “Mind if I take a look around?”

  The modern kitchen had overhead lighting and white cabinets with glass doors. He’d made the spare bedroom into an office decorated with fine wood furniture. She ran her hand along the side of the big oak desk, scanning the Denver sports team pictures on the walls and a case full of books. He had everything from Edgar Allan Poe to the Avalanche hockey team winning the Stanley cup. At least he was diversified.

  It was too dark to get a good look,
but his ceiling to floor windows faced the mountains and she bet the view was spectacular.

  “You’ve got a talent for decorating. I bet you have a great view.” She looked out toward the mountains as if she could see them. It was pitch black except for an occasional light tower from the top of Lookout Mountain.

  “I have to admit it is stunning in the daylight. But it has a different view at night that’s equally amazing.” He walked over to the wall and turned off the lights in the kitchen and family room. Then he came over and stood next to Liz, touching her arm as he pointed.

  Her senses awakened drawing more of her attention to his closeness rather than what he was describing. They looked down to the parking lot, twelve floors below. The cars looked like toys from that height. No snow was falling, but small drifts stood at the edges of the spaces where cars had parked.

  Alex pointed upward. Liz looked up to see a million stars twinkling down in the night sky clear and black as velvet.

  “That’s beautiful,” she whispered, admiring the still blackness of the night sky.

  “Come sit down. It’s ready,” he announced proudly.

  “What’s for dinner?” Liz situated herself onto a barstool. She had the comfortable feeling of being a wife just getting home from a hard day’s work.

  “Taste for yourself.” He handed her a plate with sautéed shrimp and mixed vegetables. Liz was famished and didn’t hold back, enjoying every bite.

  “I had the impression you were a good cook.” Liz stirred her broccoli. The small infant in the hospital popped into her mind. “That baby looked so small in that dark, lonely room.”

  “We do what we can, Liz. That baby and mother couldn’t have been in better hands with you on the case.” His smile was genuine and his words were exactly what she needed to hear.

  They finished the dishes and went to the couch. She took off her shoes and curled her legs under her. Liz wondered for the hundredth time why such a great guy would still be single. The unknown made her imagination go wild. For whatever reason, Liz felt she had to know.

  “Alex, why did you move back to Denver?” She had averted her eyes but now looked up. His large, baby blues held on hers. “I don’t mean to pry. I just want to know about you.”

  He studied her face, then looked to the floor. “I want to keep my life in Chicago there, where it belongs.”

  “I’m sorry, Alex. It’s none of my business.”

  He shook his head, looking at her with sad eyes. “No, it’s okay. Your reason for wanting to know is for the right reasons. I’m so used to all the gossip. I’ve tried to keep my private life quiet.” He looked deeper into her eyes. “And I trust you.”

  She gave him a small, tender smile and remained quiet.

  He moved his elbows to rest on his thighs and leaned forward. “Her name was Sharon. We met through mutual friends and hit it off right away. I had never felt so good about a relationship before and was considering marriage. I thought she felt the same way. Her job as a buyer for an upscale department store kept us comfortable while I finished college, and after I got a job with the police department, things seemed perfect.”

  Alex held his fingers to his chin as if to focus, and continued. “She made a lot of money and had connections, one of which was a corporate guy with all the cash and charisma a woman could want.”

  He dropped his hands between his knees and took in a breath. “And I was a cop, making much less than his six figures, and hers. She started enjoying the high life, fancy parties, charity functions, black tie affairs. When I told her I wasn’t comfortable with that kind of lifestyle, she told me she wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. She stopped all communication with me. I never heard from her again. One day not long after she broke things off, a friend told me she’d married the guy.”

  “You were almost married once?” Liz was surprised he had ever had such a serious relationship and been so close to a lifetime commitment.

  “Yeah.” He let out a mocking chuckle. “That was the first time, and I decided it would be the last, because it was the only one I really wanted.”

  Feeling his pain, she reached around him with both arms to console him. “I’m sorry.” She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing, wishing she knew what to say.

  He returned the embrace. “Looking back now I can see we weren’t right for each other, but it took me a long time to get there. As they say, it wasn’t meant to be.” He pulled away slightly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “So what’s your story?”

  She sighed, thinking about the man who she had considered Mr. Right. Liz shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

  “It’s not complicated. You’re complicated, remember?” His eyebrows straightened, and his lips curved.

  She smiled as her own words boomeranging back to her. No one really knew what her relationship was like, and what she had been through. But he had trusted her with his pain.

  She stood and walked over to study a picture on the wall of a mountain stream in the fall. The golden aspens shimmered as a ray of light from the sky cascaded over them.

  “You’ve been very patient with me, Alex,” she said, still looking at the picture.

  “I’d like to know what you’ve been through.” His rich voice warmed her.

  “I fell in love with Nick the first time I met him. Everybody loved him—the women because he was handsome, and the guys because he was fun to be with.” She turned and walked back to the couch but didn’t sit down.

  “He liked to have power, like a lot of people do, but Nick took everything to the extreme.” She crossed her arms and continued. “He controlled everything in his life and mine.”

  “I finally told him I needed some space. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, he was suffocating me.” She took in a deep, calming breath. “That’s when the verbal abuse started. He had always been jealous and dominating, but it got out of control.”

  “Why didn’t you break things off with him?” Alex’s voice was husky and clear.

  “I tried, more than once. He would tell me he’d change, but he never did. It got worse. I knew better. I’d just finished my degree in social work.” She gave a soft, cynical chuckle. “He could have been the case study.” She paced and kept her eyes averted.

  “So, you stayed with him?” Alex tried to keep the irritation from his voice, but she heard it all the same.

  “He could be as charming as he was mean. He even came to me with a ring after one breakup.”

  “He proposed to you?”

  “Yes, but I said no.”

  Alex moved to the end of the couch, listening intently. “So then you left him?”

  She shook her head. “I was a newbie social worker, fresh out of college, ready to save the world…and Nick. I thought I could fix him. You rationalize a lot when you’re caught up in that kind of situation. He managed to do well with his job and moved up the corporate ladder quickly. He was still the golden boy who everybody loved.”

  “Even you,” he said, his voice heavy with sadness.

  She looked out the huge windows into the dark night, holding herself as she took a deep breath. “I was in so deep I didn’t know what to think anymore. Until one night, when he came over to my apartment in a jealous rage. He got so angry. He threw things, yelled and screamed. His words tore me to pieces. They still haunt me. I told him I was done with him and wanted out.”

  Alex closed his eyes and worked his jaw. “I can’t imagine you with a jerk like that.”

  She finally got up her nerve and looked at him. “Me either now, but I believed the promises he made, and I thought he would change.”

  His eyes blazed bright blue, searching hers. “Then what happened?”

  She shook her head, wiping a single tear from her cheek. “He snapped and pushed me down, told me I’d regret ever leaving him. He was so mad it scared me. I knew if I didn’t get out of there it would only get worse. I pushed away, but he grabbed
me by the arm, yanking so hard I cried out. When I tried to fight back, he hit me.”

  The memory came back in a rush, soaring through her mind like a gust of hot wind. Liz could still feel the stinging slap to her face that cranked her neck to the side. She’d stumbled and caught herself against a wall.

  Alex stood and put his arms around her. The etched lines on his forehead and drawn eyebrows showed his concern. “What did you do?”

  “I hit him back.” She lifted her hands to her face and let out a soft sob.

  He put a finger to her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. “Then what happened?”

  “I ran and never looked back.”

  “Good for you.”

  “I still feel horrible about it.” She looked away and put a hand to her head as if to push the awful memories away.

  “Why, for defending yourself? No.” He shook his head. “I’ve always said you have grit. Sanders could attest to that.” He gave her a warm, affectionate smile.

  Liz lifted her head. “It’s good I took a couple of self-defense classes.”

  His eyebrows lifted in surprise, then nodded his understanding. “He’s lucky I wasn’t around.”

  She rested her head against him, relieved her story was out. “I’ve never told anyone everything about that night, not even Brenda. I’ve prayed for forgiveness and want to leave it in the past.”

  “Then that’s where it will stay.” He gave a slight nod.

  “Do you think less of me for staying with someone like that? And for taking so long to tell you?”

  The blue blaze dimmed to a glow. “I think more of you than I already did.”

  She believed him. There was no question in her mind that Alex Demas forgave her before she even asked him. Who better for them to tell their stories to but one another?

  Alex sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. He reached out to hold her, his warm, broad chest cushioned her as his arms enveloped her.

  After a long while, his chest shook with laughter. She looked up at him in question. He had a sad smile.

  “That was a tough situation you got yourself out of.”