She looked toward the building, likely taking in the same shabby sight, same as me. It damn well wasn't anywhere I'd want to live. Inez cleared her throat. "I've lived in worse, Gray. Come on. We have two little boys to worry about."
I checked my jacket pocket to ensure I had the department-issued pepper spray, and then I followed her up the stairs to the building. She perused the intercom system, pushing the button for ‘Vaughn’.
"Yo?" It was an adult, male voice, and I was instantly worried.
I moved Inez aside and spoke into the speaker. "I'm looking for Ms. Rhonda Vaughn. I'm here about her sons," I explained without identifying myself. I saw Inez wasn't on board with me not telling the man who I was, but I held up my hand for her to give me a little leeway.
"You a cop?" the man asked.
I laughed. "No. I'm with the Division of Children's and Family Services."
It was silent for a second before he came back. "Rhonda ain't here. She works. Y'all have to come back and catch her another day."
He didn't ask if the boys were safe or why we were there about them, which raised concern and curiosity. It didn't seem he was a person in their lives who cared about them. I glanced at Inez, seeing her shake her head. "Okay. I'm going to leave my business card on top of the intercom. If Ms. Vaughn wants to know where her sons are, she can call me. We'll be taking them into custody this afternoon. Have a good day," I responded.
We left and Inez got on the phone immediately. The first call was to the schools, instructing them not to release the children to anyone except us. The second call was to Mrs. Flores requesting an order to take the children into protective custody immediately. Mrs. Flores told us to come to the office, and we'd better be prepared to explain ourselves fully. I knew we were in the right. We just had to be good salespeople about it.
We talked like Dutch uncles to our supervisor, and then to a Family Court Judge. When we had obtained our Order, we called the local police precinct according to protocol, and we went to the apartment building to serve the mother with the order. When we buzzed the intercom there was no answer, so the uniforms continued to press buttons on the intercom until they got someone to let us inside.
We went to the second floor and they knocked on the door, razing no one. The lead officer, Anthony Trammell, taped his business card to the door because we needed a signature of notification to accept the Order before we made our way to the school. It was nearly the end of the day, and I wasn't looking forward to what was about to take place.
I went to the elementary school with the other officer, Darryl Proctor, to collect Dewayne. Inez decided it was for the best if she collected Rashad with Officer Tramell, and I didn't argue. That was likely going to be a much trickier situation and seeing as I was still new to the job, I was grateful for what I perceived to be the easier task.
"You ever take a child into custody?" Officer Proctor asked. He was a damn fine-looking, young guy. He was likely my age, but he was tall like my Derek, with light brown hair and green eyes. He looked quite handsome in his short-sleeved uniform shirt. He wasn't wearing a tie…his shirt collar open. I couldn't lie and say the uniform didn't turn me on. Remembering the one time I saw Derek in his wasn't helping the situation. The sex that night had been mind-blowing.
I took a deep breath. "No, but I'm going to guess the best thing to do is not to scare the boy. You ever helped with anything like this?" I asked.
"Only once. It was a little girl of ten who had been sexually assaulted in her home. She held onto my hand and cried while she continued to thank me and Mrs. Sayles for saving her. It broke my fucking heart." I nodded, knowing he was telling me the truth. I was sure the day would come when I'd face the same situation, and I wasn't looking forward to it.
After we were allowed inside Prather Elementary by the security guard, we went to the office and spoke to the secretary. "I'm Gray Valentine, DCFS," I told her as I showed her the paper I'd received until my badge showed up. It was really fucking embarrassing. It wasn't like the goddamn thing was made of gold! I had no idea why it took so long to put my name on a piece of tin.
He studied it and nodded at me as he handed it back. "How may I help you?"
"I'm here to pick up Dewayne Vaughn. Here's a copy of the Order for the file," I explained as I handed it to him. Officer Proctor nodded in support.
Five minutes later, the most adorable little boy I’d ever seen walked into the office with a backpack. It was held together with duct tape, but he didn't seem to care. It was full…bulging even. He looked around, and I could tell he was confused.
I knelt down in front of him. "Hi, Dewayne. My name is Gray. Officer Darryl and I are here to take you to meet up with Rashad. You have all your books and things from your desk?" I asked.
The boy looked between the two of us and then looked at the principal who had walked out of his office. "Dewayne, these men aren't going to hurt you. You'll be back in school very soon," the man assured. I could tell he was kind by the way he leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees as he spoke with Dewayne.
Unfortunately, what he’d told the boy might not be exactly the truth. DeWayne would definitely be back in school but it might not be that school, depending upon where we could find placement for the two Vaughn boys. It was most desirable to keep them together, but it didn't always work that way, unfortunately. That was the down side.
"Okay, Mr. Lancer. Can we go? Shady gets nervous when I'm late," the boy responded. His skin was the color of caramel. His curly, brown hair was cut close, and he had the most captivating green eyes I'd ever seen. He had a bright smile and was missing his front teeth. He had such a happy demeanor about him which led me to believe Rashad had been more than just his brother. He'd been his protector, caregiver, and best friend.
I drove us to the office, and when the three of us hopped out of the Explorer, Dewayne grabbed my hand because we had to cross the street. I only smiled. God, he was a great kid.
We went up to my office with Officer Darryl in tow. He and Dewayne were chatting about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as I called Inez on her cell. She wasn't at the office, and I was worried.
"Hey, Gray. We're at the hospital because Rashad's in a lot worse shape than we anticipated. He's going to have to at least spend the night so they can run some tests. Do you have Dewayne?" she asked.
"I do. Should I bring him to the hospital?" I asked. I was pretty sure the little guy would want to be with this brother. I knew if it was me, that's what I'd want.
Inez stalled for a minute and then said, quietly, "Is there any way you can take him home with you? He's too young to visit with Rashad, and I'm afraid if we place him, we'll never get the two of them together again. It's totally against protocol, kiddo. You could get fired or worse," she told me quietly.
I laughed. "When my husband gets back to town, the three of us are gonna have a pajama party at our place. You and my man…you're very much alike.
"I'll take the kid home with me. What do I do with Officer Darryl?" I asked.
Inez laughed. "If you weren't married I'd say fuck him, but since you are, tell him you have the authority to take the boy home for the night. Explain to him we want to place them together, and until Rashad is released we need to keep Dewayne out of the system.
“Officer Darryl is cute but not that bright, I think. He'll buy it if you sell it with conviction. I've got the other cop with me, and he's not gonna tell, so you should be fine. If there's a problem, I insisted you do this, Gray. You're not responsible because you were following my orders, you got it?" she insisted.
"Sure. Call me if there's any change," I insisted. We hung up and I went in search of Dewayne and Darryl. I found them in the kitchen with ice cream and big smiles. Darryl looked as happy to spend time with Dewayne as the kid looked to be with him.
"So, guys, seems we have a change of plans. Rashad's going to have to spend the night at the hospital. You can't go see him, Dewayne, because you're too young to get onto the ward tonight but they'll probably rel
ease him tomorrow…I'm pretty sure.
"In the meantime, you're gonna come home with me to spend the night. In the morning, we'll go to the hospital to see your brother, and then we'll figure out what's next for you guys. That okay?" I asked, trying to be honest with the kid because I wouldn’t lie to him. I believed he’d be more cooperative if he believed I wasn’t giving him a snow job, and I went with it.
Dewayne looked at me and then Darryl. "Can he come? He's gonna teach me how to tie knots. See, I wanna be an Eagle Scout when I get old and I need to know how to tie knots for the badge. There's a lotta other crap I gotta learn, but knots are important," the boy told me with a very serious look on his face.
I looked up at Darryl who shrugged and gave me a goofy smile. "I like the kid. Knots would keep his mind off other sh…stuff. I've got a sleeping bag and he and I could camp in the living room," he suggested.
I had mixed feelings about the whole situation, but the kid's smile was glowing and knowing what he was going to go through for the next few days… weeks…months…weakened my defenses. Besides, having a cop around wasn't a bad thing as I'd come to learn over time. I reluctantly nodded and we parted ways so Darryl could get his things together for the sleepover.
I gave the officer directions to the house I shared with Derek and sent him on his way before I took Dewayne home with me, hoping and praying for the best. It was times like that I missed Derek the most.
~#~
Dewayne and I walked into the home I shared happily with Derek. It was still light out, so I didn't have to turn on the lights. I'd put everything away in the time since Derek had left, and while it was sparsely decorated, it was still a great place. It was the home I would make with my husband.
"How long you lived here, man? You don't got pictures on the wall. You got this whole big place by yourself? Man, you must be loaded," Dewayne stated as he looked around the living room.
I giggled as I relieved him of his fragile book bag. "I haven't lived here too long. I just got things unpacked, if you must know, and I haven't had time to put up pictures and stuff. Can I see what's in your backpack?" I asked as I walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a chocolate pudding cup. Derek loved them, and as I remembered from my childhood, kids couldn't resist them.
I pulled the burner phone out of my pocket, seeing the battery was low. I had no missed calls from Derek, so I plugged it in to charge for the night. I pulled out my cell phone, seeing a text from my friend, Ethan Glass. I quickly decided to check it later because I had a guest who might be a little on the scared side and deserved all of my attention.
I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and walked into the living room, seeing Dewayne had emptied his backpack onto the coffee table. He was organizing it as I stood to the side watching his actions.
There were books and papers, which he organized into a neat stack. There were plastic, dinosaur figures which he lined up with care. There was a baggie with some change in it, which he looked at and then pushed into the pocket of his jeans. There was a pair of little boy briefs and a pair of socks, which he folded and placed on the table. The last thing he picked up was a picture he kissed and gently placed on the table. He sat down on the couch, and he waited for me while he looked around.
"Here ya go. This'll hold you over until Darryl shows up and we decide what we want for dinner. So, will you tell me what you have here?" I asked, trying to sound upbeat as I sat down on the couch near him.
He pointed to the books. "These are my school books. I'm not s'posed to bring 'em home, but I don't want to miss lessons if somethin' comes up. Shady helps me with my lessons if we can't get to school," he explained.
"Why wouldn't you and Shady be able to get to school?" I asked, remembering his teacher had told Inez the boy’s attendance had been sporadic of late and it had me worried.
"Sometimes Momma tells us to hide, and we have to hide in the big closet. Shady says we're campin'. Momma locks us in from the outside so the mens don't find us, and we're fine. We hide food there and we have a jar to pee in. Sometimes, I gotta go number two, and I can't hold it. That's why I have extra drawers. Shady hides plastic bags in the closet so it don't smell while we’re in there. When we get out, we wash 'em in the sink and they're as good as new.
"Now, this is my collection. Shady said every guy has to collect somethin', so I collect dinosaurs. Did you know they're millions of years old? He reads me stories about 'em sometimes. When can he come here?" the boy asked as he glanced around the living room again.
My heart broke in half at hearing his explanation regarding things he didn’t even realize he was telling me. It wasn't supposed to be that way for a little boy. "We're going to check on him in the morning. So, tell me about your Mom," I pried, knowing it was wrong. I shouldn't be asking him those kinds of questions without someone there as a witness, but my curiosity was getting the best of me.
He picked up the picture and scooted down the couch next to me. "This is my momma, and this is Shady, and that's Granny Mabel. She died, and I really miss her. She used to make cookies with me. You ever made cookies? Oats is my favorite, but Shady likes chips," the little boy explained as he gently placed the picture on the table with great care.
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang. I walked over to open it, seeing Officer Darryl looking like a fucking wet dream. He had a sleeping bag under his arm and a big smile on his face.
"Hey, Gray. I'm here just like I promised Dee. I brought the rope so we could practice knots," he stated, looking down. It was then I noticed Dewayne standing next to me with a glowing smile.
"Come in. I don't have a sleeping bag because mine's at home. Shady made it for me 'cause we can't afford a real one, but it's pretty cool," the boy said before he looked up at me. "Can I borrow a blanket? I can make a sleeping bag out of it," he vowed.
I laughed. "No need. I've got my old sleeping bag in the basement. You can use it if you don't want to sleep in the spare room," I replied, remembering the sleeping bag I'd used when I got kicked out of my parents' house and had to camp in the woods. I'd washed it since and I smiled at the idea it might get some use again.
"Thanks, Gray, but Officer Darryl and I plan to sleep on the floor while he teaches me knots." He then looked at Darryl, who was smiling at me with a dreamy look on his face. That wasn't good.
"What would you guys like to eat? Pizza, tacos, burgers?" I offered.
Dewayne looked at Darryl. "You're our guest. You getta pick," he offered. I wasn't sure what the hell the kid meant, but it felt like he was making plans in his head to stay with me that might not work out the way he hoped. I needed to shut it down.
Darryl laughed. "I'm great with pizza, Dee. Maybe since we're both guests of Gray's, we should ask what he wants."
The kid fished out the baggie and opened it, dumping the money on the coffee table. He began counting it, separating like coins into groups. I saw his fingers ticking off and he even closed his eyes at one point.
When he opened them, he looked at me and smiled. "I have three dollars and eighty-seven cents. That buys half a small pie at Gino's on Baker Avenue."
He then turned to Darryl. "What do you want? I'll pay for our half. Gray can put what he wants on the other half."
Darryl looked at me with wide eyes, and I could only laugh. The kid was wise beyond his years. "Okay, let's start over. We can get more than one pizza and I can expense it so none of us pays for it. What does everyone want?" I asked with a chuckle in my voice.
Dewayne started putting his money back into the bag, and I couldn't help tearing up. He was more grown up than me in many respects, and it broke my heart. He should have the time to be a little boy. Tragedies of the same sort happened every day, but that didn't make them easy to stomach, that was for fucking sure.
Eight
Derek
I was standing in the Senator's office while he was being fitted for a new suit and was immediately aware it wasn't the cheap shit he usually wore. It was a custom job
and the tailor didn't speak much English but when he spoke, it sounded Italian. I then began to connect the dots regarding what the hell was really going on with Percy Graham.
Raul Morales was his new piggy bank, and the Senator was taking full advantage of it. Based on what I'd been able to dig up, Alvarez was one of Morales' soldiers. It seemed, based on what I'd observed, Alvarez had alerted Morales of Graham's new Chair position on the State Senate Oversight Committee on Border Control.
Graham had previously been a member of the Committee, but with the appointment to the Chair, he'd have the coordinates regarding the number of officers stationed along the border on any given day, along with a listing of which stations were light on support or even unmanned due to budgetary constraints which hadn’t been worked out yet with the federal government. What better way to be able to slip drugs or even humans across the border than by having a road map to the easiest entrance by someone higher up in State politics? It was like a fucking free pass to anything you wanted to bring in or out.
Every night when we were done with the day, I went back to that shitty studio apartment and sent encrypted files to my boss regarding the day's activities with pictures when I could get them. I felt like we had enough to hand over to the Feds, but my boss, Fred York, wanted more evidence so the case was bulletproof. I wasn't sure what more he needed, but I held my tongue and went into the Capitol Building every day in hopes of hitting the proverbial jackpot.
The phone in Graham’s office rang, and Percy turned to me. "Get that, will ya, Johnny?"
I glanced down to see it was his private line, so I answered it, "Senator Graham's office."
It wasn't Liza, his secretary. It was another woman. "Where's that stupid fucker?"
"The Senator is indisposed at the moment. May I take a message?" I asked.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm his body man, Johnny Whitehawk. You are?"
"I'm his fucking girlfriend, Gloria. His child support is late. I'm tryin' to take care of a kid here, and if he thinks I won't fucking go to the press with this shit? He's outta his goddamn mind. You tell him he has until tomorrow to get me two grand or I go to Channel Nine with pictures and a DNA test," she threatened before she hung up.
A Valentine's Loves (The Valentine's Trilogy Book 3) Page 6