Page 27 of I'm Watching You

The deluge of rain slowed. Streets glistened with rain. Steam rose from the hot pavement. Puddles collected on the shoulders of the road.

Lindsay flipped open her cell phone and redialed Jordan Turner’s number. The phone rang once and then went straight to voice mail.

‘This is Jordan. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.’

‘Jordan, it’s Lindsay O’Neil. I need to talk to you again. You’ve got my number.’

Lindsay clipped the phone back into its holster on her waistband. Ten minutes later she parked in front of Sanctuary. The downpour had just stopped but it had chased away the forensics team and the curiosity seekers. A squad car with a lone officer in the front seat remained parked in the driveway and two television news trucks lurked across the street. The reporters huddled inside the front cabs.

A streak of lightning shot across the sky. Lindsay flinched. She counted to five. Thunder boomed. Another storm was close.

Grabbing her purse, she hurried across the muddy front lawn and climbed Sanctuary’s front steps. She darted in the front door.

The morning calm had been replaced by a buzz of video games and children’s chatter. Jamal and Damien Greenland had arrived home from summer school. Damn. They shouldn’t be here. Ruby should have picked them up at school.

‘Ruby!’ Lindsay shouted. She pushed open the pocket door that portioned off Ruby’s small office.

Ruby sat behind her desk, a phone cradled under herchin. When her gaze met Lindsay’s she hung up. ‘How was the hospital?’

Lindsay brushed the rain from her face. ‘Time will tell. Planted a few seeds. Why are the Greenland boys still here?’

‘The school wouldn’t release them to me and I couldn’t get hold of their mother. I had no choice but to let them ride the bus home. The bus just dropped them off. I decided to plant them in front of a video game until you got back.’

Lindsay sighed. ‘Now that the rain has let up, the cops are going to return soon to salvage what they can from that backyard. I’ll run the boys over to Riverside now. I don’t want the kids around when they return.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yeah, I’ll be back in an hour.’

Lindsay headed into the front family room, where the boys were playing the video game on the television. Ruby had closed the shades to block all views of the police car and news vans parked out front. ‘Hey, guys, how’s the game going?’

Damien glanced up from the screen. ‘This game is kinda lame, Lindsay. No guns, no bombs, no fun.’

The video game system had been anonymously donated to the shelter two months ago. She was grateful for the donation but had immediately sifted through the stack of games that came with it and tossed the violent ones. The kids who lived there saw enough violence in real life. ‘That hasn’t stopped you fellows from playing it nonstop.’

Damien had a concerned look on his face. Usually during the day she was too busy to chat. ‘Is Mom okay? I saw the cop outside.’

She could have sugarcoated the whole issue, but she’d hated it when adults had condescended to her after her mother’s death.It’s going to be fine, dear. Don’t you worry.‘Your mom is fine but we’re going to have to move you, your brother, and your mom to another shelter today.’

‘Because ofhim.’ Damien’s voice wavered even as he jutted out his chin. His brother set down his video controller and looked at her.

Himwas their father – Marcus Greenland. He’d been a star linebacker in college. During his junior year, he’d gotten involved in drugs and trouble with the local police. He’d been suspended from the team. Then he’d hooked up with another college but hadn’t lasted the season. From then on, he had been on a downward spiral. Frustrated by his own failures, Marcus took out his anger on his wife and children.

Lindsay laid her hand on Damien’s shoulder. ‘No, your father has nothing to do with this.’

Suspicion narrowed Damien’s eyes. ‘Are you being straight with me?’

‘I promise, Damien. I can’t give you details but I swear that this has nothing to do with you, your mom, or your dad.’

Finally, the anxiety eased from the boy’s shoulders. ‘Thanks, Lindsay.’

‘No problem, kiddo.’

‘Can I save the game to the memory card?’ Damien said.

‘I thought it was lame,’ she teased.

‘Not too lame,’ he added.

---