Page 70 of Broken Chains

I chose to ignore it and addressed the woman with her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Katherine Carter with Child Protection Services. I have some questions and concern about the child, Eve Smith. Her mother has been kept from her and I'm just here to investigate why. There're also concerns about the child's welfare."

Ruby stopped, hearing that, and walked back giving her a serious look. "Well, what do you think? Does she look happy and healthy enough?" Ruby asked Melina.

Melina broke her act long enough to glare back at her for a second before carefully schooling her expression, and I remembered Oliver saying she wanted to be an actress. I could definitely see it.

"May I hold her, please? I've been searching for her for months. Oliver moved without saying a word to me. She looks a little sickly, doesn't she?" she asked the CPS lady.

"That's not for me to say at the moment," Katherine replied.

"Funny, because she's healthy and perfect. She's also not your child," Ruby said and I bit back a smile. She looked pointedly at Katherine. "You'd think the red hair would have given her a clue, but I guess she's just that desperate to push this bullshit act on you. This is Opal, not Eve. A mother should know her own goddamn daughter."

"That's enough, Ruby," I said with a snort of laughter as she turned to head back to the playroom.

Melina looked like she was about to spit fire, she was so pissed.

"It's not my fault. He's kept her from me, and she was so tiny the last I saw her," she tried to defend herself.

Katherine Carter did not look impressed by her act, but that did not help me relax any in the least.

"I'm sure whatever misunderstanding is going on here, we can sort quickly. May we come in and discuss this?" Katherine asked.

"No," I heard Lizzy say as she walked up behind me. "Unless you have a warrant there's no reason for you to set foot in this house."

I turned in shock to look at my sister. She was all in lawyer mode.

"Elizabeth?" Katherine asked, surprised but seemingly unaffected as she jotted down notes on her clipboard. "It's been a while. Last I checked this was not Collier property."

"Actually, half of it is. Melina's certainly on Collier land. You, however, are not. How fortunate. The property line splits down the middle of this house."

I could see the frustration set in to Katherine's expression.

"Fine, I'll do this by the books. Can you at least tell me your client's name?"

"Oliver Smith and his wife, Peyton Collier Smith," she said, careful to exaggerate wife for Melina's benefit and the Collier part for Katherine's.

I didn't know what the history was between Lizzy and Katherine, but there was definitely something there.

"Come along, Melina," Katherine said.

"What? You're supposed to be on my side," Melina said, her rising anger evident.

"Actually, CPS isn't supposed to be on your side or mine," I pointed out. "Only on Eve's and what's in her best interest. Isn't that right, Ms. Carter?" I asked, never taking my eyes off Melina, who squirmed under my scrutiny.

"That would be correct. And for full transparency, Melina, I would suggest you consider a lawyer, and good luck finding one willing to go up against Elizabeth Collier."

Lizzy grinned. "It's Anderson now, actually."

Katherine nodded. "I hadn't heard. Congratulations. Have your clients ready. Now that this has been brought to my attention, you know I have to follow up. We'll be back this afternoon with your warrant as requested."

"Oh, we're ready," Lizzy assured her. I could have sworn I saw Katherine cringe just a little and she was glaring at Melina, clearly not happy with the situation she'd been put in.

"I should call Oliver," I said.

"Thomas, too," Lizzy advised.

*****

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