door. “Which one of you is the mother?”
Laura felt stung, but it was Andy who spoke. “This is Laura Parnell. She is Gabriel’s mother.” Andy touched her shoulder, and she didn’t flinch. She welcomed his support. Her heart was pounding, she was terrified, and her heart ached to see her child.
“Well, come in. It’s cold out there.” The hallway wasn’t even finished. The floor was plywood with an old rug thrown over it, and the walls were Gyprock. She led them up a steep stairwell, with no handrail, which was open to downstairs.
Andy led the way into a large, open living room, kitchen, and dining area. The dining room wall had insulation covered by a plastic vapor barrier. The ceiling had the same, and the walls were unfinished. Two dressers were pressed against the wall in the overcrowded living room. The television was on, and there were five young children on the floor, watching it. The woman carried that yappy dog that continued to bark. Laura looked around frantically but didn’t see Gabriel with the other children.
“Andy, where’s Gabriel?”
The way the woman watched her, she didn’t want to talk to her. Andy didn’t appear too happy as he looked around this house, if it could be called a house, that was. She had seen his darker moods and recognized one now.
“Where is Gabriel?” he asked, staring down at the woman, his arms crossed.
The woman had soft brown eyes that widened as she spoke. “Oh, he’s in the bedroom. I’ll get him. There were what appeared to be two bedrooms off this square room and another door that was closed. A toilet flushed behind that one. The room the woman went to had a half door with a bolt, similar to something used on stall doors. She opened it and went in. Diana followed the woman and looked in, but Laura was frozen. Her little boy, Gabriel, came out holding the woman’s other hand. She still held the yappy dog. He raced to his mother, and Laura went down on her knees and crushed him in a tight hug, struggling to hold back her tears.
They stayed for only an hour. The woman must have been watching the clock, as she stood up and said they were done and to say goodbye. She also made it clear to Andy that she didn’t want a scene to upset the boy and the other children she was caring for. It was Andy who got Laura through it, who leaned down and wrapped his arms around her when they both sobbed, and he whispered in her ear, “I’m going to get him back for you, I promise.” When Laura stood up with Andy’s help, Gabriel reached for her, screaming, but the woman yelled for them to go, and she grabbed Gabriel and took him back in the room, shutting the door while they left.
Laura didn’t know how she had gotten into the car, but Andy buckled her seatbelt and was holding her hand as they drove away.
Chapter Nineteen
Andy was dressed in a dark green suit, one of many he had custom tailored earlier this year. He looked the part, like a wealthy millionaire, as he strode into the virtually empty Arlington courtroom where Diana, Jed, and Laura waited. He didn’t have any time to meet with Diana or speak with Jed before the courtroom doors closed and the other witnesses entered: the counsel for Child Protective Services, the deputy, the sheriff, and a man Andy presumed to be the social worker who had taken Gabriel away, based on how Laura stiffened when she saw him.
A clerk announced the judge and the case. Laura moved beside Diana at the defense table and glanced back at Andy. He reached forward and rubbed Laura’s back, and she smiled for the first time at him. Diana glanced at the closed door and then at Andy. She leaned over the rail and whispered, “Where’s Stan?”
Andy shook his head as an awful feeling cranked up the anxiety he already felt whispering like a tornado behind him. Stan headed up family law and worked for Clint at his family’s law firm. He couldn’t help but suspect his mother’s hand in this, but after the horrifying day
Laura felt stung, but it was Andy who spoke. “This is Laura Parnell. She is Gabriel’s mother.” Andy touched her shoulder, and she didn’t flinch. She welcomed his support. Her heart was pounding, she was terrified, and her heart ached to see her child.
“Well, come in. It’s cold out there.” The hallway wasn’t even finished. The floor was plywood with an old rug thrown over it, and the walls were Gyprock. She led them up a steep stairwell, with no handrail, which was open to downstairs.
Andy led the way into a large, open living room, kitchen, and dining area. The dining room wall had insulation covered by a plastic vapor barrier. The ceiling had the same, and the walls were unfinished. Two dressers were pressed against the wall in the overcrowded living room. The television was on, and there were five young children on the floor, watching it. The woman carried that yappy dog that continued to bark. Laura looked around frantically but didn’t see Gabriel with the other children.
“Andy, where’s Gabriel?”
The way the woman watched her, she didn’t want to talk to her. Andy didn’t appear too happy as he looked around this house, if it could be called a house, that was. She had seen his darker moods and recognized one now.
“Where is Gabriel?” he asked, staring down at the woman, his arms crossed.
The woman had soft brown eyes that widened as she spoke. “Oh, he’s in the bedroom. I’ll get him. There were what appeared to be two bedrooms off this square room and another door that was closed. A toilet flushed behind that one. The room the woman went to had a half door with a bolt, similar to something used on stall doors. She opened it and went in. Diana followed the woman and looked in, but Laura was frozen. Her little boy, Gabriel, came out holding the woman’s other hand. She still held the yappy dog. He raced to his mother, and Laura went down on her knees and crushed him in a tight hug, struggling to hold back her tears.
They stayed for only an hour. The woman must have been watching the clock, as she stood up and said they were done and to say goodbye. She also made it clear to Andy that she didn’t want a scene to upset the boy and the other children she was caring for. It was Andy who got Laura through it, who leaned down and wrapped his arms around her when they both sobbed, and he whispered in her ear, “I’m going to get him back for you, I promise.” When Laura stood up with Andy’s help, Gabriel reached for her, screaming, but the woman yelled for them to go, and she grabbed Gabriel and took him back in the room, shutting the door while they left.
Laura didn’t know how she had gotten into the car, but Andy buckled her seatbelt and was holding her hand as they drove away.
Chapter Nineteen
Andy was dressed in a dark green suit, one of many he had custom tailored earlier this year. He looked the part, like a wealthy millionaire, as he strode into the virtually empty Arlington courtroom where Diana, Jed, and Laura waited. He didn’t have any time to meet with Diana or speak with Jed before the courtroom doors closed and the other witnesses entered: the counsel for Child Protective Services, the deputy, the sheriff, and a man Andy presumed to be the social worker who had taken Gabriel away, based on how Laura stiffened when she saw him.
A clerk announced the judge and the case. Laura moved beside Diana at the defense table and glanced back at Andy. He reached forward and rubbed Laura’s back, and she smiled for the first time at him. Diana glanced at the closed door and then at Andy. She leaned over the rail and whispered, “Where’s Stan?”
Andy shook his head as an awful feeling cranked up the anxiety he already felt whispering like a tornado behind him. Stan headed up family law and worked for Clint at his family’s law firm. He couldn’t help but suspect his mother’s hand in this, but after the horrifying day
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