Page 45 of Left Behind

“No, but—”

Winter’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Then have a seat, ma’am.”

Corina snorted beneath her breath, yanked Ava’s arm hard enough that the little girl winced, and then sat down to wait.

Fifteen minutes went by, and Corina was getting angrier by the minute. Finally, she stood and stomped back to the desk.

“I demand to speak to your police chief! I want to file a grievance against Aaron Pope!”

Winter stood up. “Lady, you don’t demand anything here. Sit down.”

Corina stomped back to her seat and then slapped Ava’s leg.

“Sit up straight!” she hissed.

It was the unnecessary abuse of the child that made Sergeant Winter get up and go into the briefing room just as the meeting was breaking up.

“Chief! We have a problem out front. There’s some woman with a kid, and she’s waiting to talk to you. Said she wants to file a grievance against Aaron.”

Wiley was on his way out the door and pivoted when he heard that. “What the hell? Who is she?” he asked.

Aaron was frowning, wondering who he’d come in contact with in the last few days who could have taken offense at anything he might have done. “Did she give a name?”

Winter shook his head. “I didn’t ask. The little girl with her is covered in bruises. I watched her yank the kid’s arm so hard she almost pulled her off her feet, and just now, she slapped her leg so hard I heard it from where I was sitting.”

Chief Sonny Warren’s face turned red. “Bring her and the child into my office. Now.”

“Yes, sir,” Winter said, and hurried back toward the lobby.

“Aaron, with me,” Sonny said.

“I’m coming, too,” Wiley said.

“Whatever,” Sonny said, and headed for his office.

A few moments later, Winter escorted the woman and child into the police chief’s office.

Sonny glanced at the woman, but didn’t recognize her. “Thank you, Sergeant Winter. Please close the door on your way out,” Sonny said, then focused on the woman. “I’m Chief Warren. You asked to speak to me. Please have a seat and state your name.”

Corina blinked. This sounded too much like interrogation.

“My name is…”

But it was Wiley who took a step forward. “Her name is Corina Dalton. She’s the hook…I mean, cook from Melvin’s Diner in Conway, Arkansas.”

Corina glared. Wiley Pope wasn’t her target, and she didn’t want anything to do with him. He was just enough like Clyde to make her nervous.

“Yes, I’m Corina Dalton.”

Sonny was eyeing the woman, but Wiley was looking at the little girl beside her and realized how terrified she was.

“And who is the child with you?” Sonny asked.

Corina pointed. “She’s Aaron Pope’s child. Her name is Ava!”

Aaron was stunned. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know this woman and have never seen her until this moment.”

“You’re lying! You just want to get out of paying child support! You went and changed your name and skipped out of Conway when she was just a baby, and I didn’t know where you went until the other day!”

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