The Advocate's Illusion

by Teresa Burrell

  “Not that I haven’t already shared with you.”

  “What does your gut tell you? Do you think Vanna is alive or dead?”

  “I don’t know, but I think both of those Norstrom girls, Helga and Vanna, are a bit left of center. I have to wonder what kind of childhood they had.”

  “It sounds like they had to fend for themselves at a pretty young age. Who knows what else they went through?”

  Sabre stood up and started to reach for her stack of files. Just as she did, her phone rang. “Sabre Brown,” she said. Her face lost color. “What?” she said loudly. She listened. The color came back, turning her face red with anger. “And you’re just now telling me?” She listened a little longer, then said, “Text it to me,” and hung up.

  “What is it?” JP asked.

  “Mary Margaret is gone.”

  “What do you mean gone?”

  “The guy who was supervising her visit to the church lost her. During the service, Mary Margaret went to the bathroom and never came back.”

  Chapter 38

  “Let’s go,” Sabre said.

  JP took her stack of files from her and followed her out the door. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to talk to the guy who lost Mary Margaret.”

  “I’ll drive,” JP said. “Where to?”

  Sabre checked her text messages. “DSS in Linda Vista.”

  “It’s Sunday night. Aren’t they closed?”

  “They opened the building for the social worker.”

  They got in JP’s pickup. “Dang it!” Sabre said as she slammed the door.

  “Easy on the door. It ain’t the truck’s fault,” JP said.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to slam it. I’m so frustrated. Mary Margaret has been gone for almost three hours and I just heard about it.”

  Sabre’s phone rang. The ringtone was a Leonard Cohen tune. She hit the speaker button. “Hi, Bob. I take it you heard about Mary Margaret.”

  “I got a call from Seth Fowler. He’s pretty upset at you and the social worker.”

  “Because we let her go to church?”

  “No, because you’re fighting the whole thing. He said if his daughter was with her husband like she should be, she wouldn’t be in danger now.”

  “Right,” Sabre said. “Did he say anything about Lester?”

  “I asked him if he thought Lester might have taken her. He said he didn’t think so, but my money is still on Lester.”

  “Mine too. Have you talked to Irene?”

  “Yes, she said Mrs. Fowler is upset, but she trusts that God will keep Mary Margaret safe.”

  “Did Seth tell you what happened?”

  “He didn’t seem to know much. Do you?”

  “No, but we’re on our way to speak to the DSS worker who was supervising. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Sabre had calmed down a little by the time they reached the Department of Social Services. Only four cars were parked in the lot, one of which was a 1970 Chevy Chevelle LS6. JP admired the car as they walked past it.

  Upon checking their ID, a security man let them inside the building and led them to an office. Two women and a young man, who looked to be about twenty-five, were in the office. Sabre recognized the social worker, Misty McMorrow, and her supervisor, Maxine Quinn. Sabre had known Maxine for a lot of years and had great respect for her.

  “Thanks for coming, Sabre.”

  Sabre introduced JP, and Maxine introduced the young man as Kyle Greene. Kyle stood up and shook Sabre and JP’s hands. He had very short blond hair, was about six feet tall and beefy, some muscles, but looked like he enjoyed his food as well. Kyle sat down and began wringing his hands.

  “I know you’ve told this story a dozen times,” Maxine said, “but please tell Sabre what happened, from the beginning.”

  “We got to the church about five minutes before the service started. Mary Margaret’s mother was waiting outside for us as was previously arranged. They hugged and then we walked into the church and sat up close to the front. Not the first row, but a couple rows back. Mary Margaret sat between her mother and me. About an hour and fifteen minutes into the service, Mary Margaret said she had to go to the bathroom.” Kyle popped a knuckle.

  “And you let her go alone?” Sabre asked incredulously.

  “No way. We left the church together and she led me outside to a restroom on the side of the church. I couldn’t go inside with her, of course, so I waited outside.” He sighed and popped another knuckle, appearing to be completely oblivious to his habit. “Here’s where I messed up. I had to go too, so I dashed into the men’s room. I figured I had plenty of time because men are always quicker than women, right? I came right out and I waited for her. Several minutes went by and I started to get concerned. I waited a few more minutes and then I knocked on the door. No one answered. I knocked again. Nothing. Finally, I pounded. When I got no response, I opened the door, which I may get in trouble for, but I didn’t know what else to do. The room was empty. I’m so sorry.”

  “What did you do then?”

  “I looked around outside, hoping she was out there, but she wasn’t, so I went back into the church to see if she was with her mother. She wasn’t. Mrs. Fowler saw me and followed me out and helped me look. Then she went back inside to see if Mary Margaret was sitting anywhere else. I kept looking outside.”

  “Did you ever see Lester Gibbs?” Sabre asked.

  “I didn’t know what he looked like, but I asked Mrs. Fowler and she said she saw him leave the church shortly after the service started and she didn’t notice if or when he came back.”

  “But he was there when it was over?”

  “Yes, she pointed him out when he came out of the church.” Another knuckle popped.

  “Did you talk to Lester?”

  “No, that’s when I called Misty, and shortly after, the cops came.”

  “Who was there when the cops arrived?”

  “The pastor, Mrs. Fowler, Lester, and a couple with a young girl named Penny.”

  “That was Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham,” Misty said. “Penny wanted to see Mary Margaret, so they were looking for her. When they found out she was missing, they stayed to see if they could help.”

  “I don’t think I have any more questions,” Sabre said. She looked at JP. “Do you?”

  “Kyle,” JP said, “is that your muscle car out there in the parking lot?”

  “That’s my pride and joy,” he said, looking a little brighter for the first time since they had arrived.

  “Is it a 454?”

  “Yup, but the experts claim the output is closer to 500 horsepower. I’ve got it to hit 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds.”

  “Did you know that until 1970, GM wouldn’t allow any other Chevy to carry a horsepower rating higher than the Corvette? I don’t know why they finally did, but the Chevelle LS6 was quite a car. Yours is in great shape too.”

  “Thanks,” Kyle said.

  Sabre frowned at JP for getting off the subject.

  JP said, “Do you mind showing it to me?”

  “No, not at all.” He turned to Maxine. “Am I done here?”

  “Yes, you may go, but keep your phone near you in case we have any other questions.”

  Kyle seemed to relax once the men were outside. He spoke excitedly about his car.

  “Look, Kyle. I know you might be reluctant to say too much in front of your supervisors, but what you tell me won’t be repeated.”

  “Okay.”

  “Did anyone ask you to let Mary Margaret get away?”

  “No,” he said quickly.

  “Did Mary Margaret give any indication beforehand that she wanted to run away?”

  “No, she didn’t say anything like that. In fact, she spoke very little. She seems kind of shy.”

  “Think carefully, Kyle. Is there anything else you remember?”

  “I don’t know if it’s important, but just before the cops got there, I saw Mrs. Fowler glare at Lester.”
<
br />   “Like she was angry with him?”

  “Yes, but then the pastor put his arm around her and kind of turned her so she wasn’t facing him. At least, that’s the way it looked to me.”

  Chapter 39

  The Lynch Case

  Attorney Wes Hodges was inside the courtroom when Sabre walked in. “Great,” he said, “just the person I wanted to see.”

  “Good morning, Wes. What’s on your mind?”

  “My client is dead set on his children living with family.”

  “You mean his family. He certainly doesn’t want them with the maternal aunt.”

  “Why don’t you want them with their grandmother?”

  “Because she’s not very grandmotherly. What’s wrong with the LaFiura family?”

  “Plenty,” Wes said, but didn’t offer any further explanation.

  “Doesn’t he want this case transferred to LA County?”

  “Yes, he does, but not at the expense of his children.”

  “Is there something about the LaFiura family that I should know?”

  “I’m sure you’ve done your research.”

  Sabre figured he must be bluffing, acting like there’s some big secret, but she didn’t know for sure. DSS had done their investigation and JP had as well, once they were considered for placement. Neither had found anything that made them inappropriate for detention of the children.

  “If you were to agree to detain the children with the grandmother, maybe together we can convince the social worker. Otherwise, I’m going to have to convince the judge.”

  “Perhaps if we had a different judge, but there’s no way Judge Hekman is going to approve the grandmother’s home,” Sabre said with the utmost confidence.

  Just then Judge Federico Castro walked in through the back door and took the bench.

  Wes gave Sabre a sheepish smile and said, “We have a new ball game.”

  “Good morning, Your Honor,” Sabre said.

  “Good morning, counselor.” He smiled at Sabre. “How are you this morning?”

  “Very well, thank you. So nice to see you on the bench this morning.”

  “It’s good to be here.”

  Sabre turned to Wes, grinned, and said, “Give it your best shot.”

  “That I will.” He left the courtroom.

  Sabre didn’t feel as confident as she looked. Judge Hekman could make some strange calls, but Sabre had no idea what Castro might do. She knew he was very pro-family, as was she, but sometimes he made some unpredictable orders.

  “Are you ready, Ms. Brown?” the judge asked.

  “Ready, Your Honor.”

  He turned to Mike McCormick, the bailiff. “Please see if the other parties are ready to go. I don’t want to be dragging this morning calendar into the afternoon.”

  McCormick left the courtroom and returned with the attorneys, Wes Hodges and Regina Collicott, and their respective clients, Todd and Heather Lynch.

  “It appears we have two issues in this case this morning, detention of these boys and change of venue. It also appears that the mother plans to move to Pasadena, the father already lives there, and if the children are detained in Pasadena, I’ll be inclined to change venue. So, let’s deal with detention first.” He looked at Deputy County Counsel Linda Farris. “What is the Department recommending?”

  “We evaluated the home of Andrew and Marilyn LaFiura and found it to be quite satisfactory. Marilyn works from home and can transport the children to and from school. Andrew is a fireman who works a three/four-day shift. He’s willing to supervise the visits.”

  The judge turned to Regina Collicott. She stood up. “Regina Collicott for the mother, Heather Lynch, who is present in court. We are in full agreement with the recommendations.”

  “Mr. Hodges?” the judge said.

  Wes stood. He was a big man whose presence exuded power. His voice matched his looks. “My client does not think this would be an appropriate place for the children when there is a perfectly good grandmother willing and able to take the boys. The law favors placement with family when possible. This grandmother has raised two stable, successful boys, my client and his brother who is a CPA in Costa Mesa.”

  Suddenly when it’s convenient the brother isn’t homeless, Sabre thought.

  Wes continued. “The grandmother doesn’t work outside the home, so she would be available to get the children to school and be there when they return. All of the boys have spent time with her and know her, unlike the LaFiura family whom only Drew really knows.”

  Judge Castro looked at the attorney for the Department. “Has the grandmother been evaluated?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” Deputy County Counsel Linda Farris said. “We do not think it is an appropriate placement. We believe she would hand the children over to her son.”

  “He’s a non-offending parent,” Wes interjected. “Todd Lynch is not the reason this case is in court. There is no evidence of abuse or neglect by my client. In fact, he fought vigorously for custody of his boys in order to protect them. He contends that if family court had given him custody, we would not be here today.”

  “And yet they didn’t,” the judge said. He turned to County Counsel. “Why are you not recommending return of the children to their father?”

  Sabre wondered if he had read the file. She stood up. “Your Honor, the children do not want to live with their father.”

  “That’s a lie,” Todd said, loud enough for everyone in court to hear.

  Wes leaned over and whispered to his client. Todd sat silently with his arms crossed.

  Sabre continued. “The children do not want to live with their grandmother either. They appear to be afraid of both their father and their grandmother. As far as the grandmother, Ruth Lynch, being an appropriate placement, we would agree with the Department. She does not seem to really want the boys, but she would take them for Todd. She told my investigator, and I quote, ‘…they won’t be any trouble. Todd will make sure they stay in line. He always does.’ I don’t think she fully understands that she would need to be the caretaker and not their father. Also, Ian Lynch, Todd’s brother, has been estranged from his mother for about five years. He does not see his mother as a good placement for the children.”

  The judge addressed Todd Lynch. “Do you want these boys home with your mother?”

  “I’d rather have them with me, sir,” Todd said, “but if I can’t, then my mother would be a good place for them.”

  Sabre was getting concerned about what Castro might order. She wanted to tell him more about Todd’s recent behavior, but she didn’t dare interrupt him.

  “Why do you think your children are saying they don’t want to live with you or their grandmother?” the judge asked.

  “They’re not,” he said angrily. His attorney glared at him and he toned his voice down. “I don’t believe that at all, unless someone has convinced them of it. Their grandmother isn’t a ‘cuddly, bake cookies’ kind of grandmother, but they love her and she loves them. Both she and I are stricter than their mother. I’m sure the boys have been getting away with whatever they want with Heather. It’s no wonder they don’t want to come home.”

  “So you agree they don’t want to go home to you?”

  Todd’s voice grew louder. “No, I didn’t mean that. The social worker, their mother, Ms. Brown…they’re all filling my children’s heads with lies about me. I love my boys and I want what’s best for them. They should be with me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” As his voice grew louder, Wes put his hand on Todd’s arm. Todd stopped talking.

  “Why did you go to Ms. Brown’s office last Wednesday evening?”

  Todd cleared his throat. “To convince her to send the boys home with me or their grandmother.”

  “Do you suppose she felt threatened?”

  “I didn’t threaten her,” he shouted. “She’s lying.”

  Wes stood up and put his hand on his client’s shoulder. “Your Honor, I’m sure you can see my client’s frustration. H
e agrees that these children were appropriately removed from their mother’s house. He has been trying to tell judges and mediators that from the beginning, but he feels like no one has been listening. Now that the boys were removed from that environment, he is labeled as the bad guy. He is a non-offending parent, and there are no allegations or evidence of abuse by him. He can’t even get unsupervised visits with his boys. He just wants his children back at home where he can see to their needs.” Wes sat down.

  “I certainly can see his frustration,” the judge said. It sounded sarcastic to Sabre, but she still wasn’t certain what he was going to order.

  “Other than your client’s preference to have the children with family, do you have any specific objections to placement with Marilyn and Andrew LaFiura?” Castro asked.

  “My client believes the children need a strong father figure in the home and Mr. LaFiura is a fireman who is gone three full days a week, and sometimes for long periods when he is fighting fires. Also, if the court orders supervised visits and Mr. LaFiura is the supervisor, his visits would be severely limited.”

  The judge perused the file. Then looked at the Deputy County Counsel. “The grandfather is not alive, correct?”

  “That’s correct, Your Honor,” Linda Farris said.

  “And there’s no father figure in the grandmother’s home, right?”

  “That’s correct, Your Honor,” Linda said.

  Attorney Wes Hodges stood up again. “Your Honor, my client understands there is no father figure in his mother’s home, but Mr. Lynch would be there a lot more often, and consequently, the children would have their actual father. He is willing to concede to supervised visits if the children were detained with his mother. It would be a more natural setting, and a lot more comfortable and less disruptive for the boys.”

  “Anything further?” Castro asked, looking directly at Wes Hodges.

  “Would you like me to make my argument for change of venue at this time, Your Honor?”

  “No need,” the judge said.

  Sabre started to stand up. She needed to make sure this judge knew how angry this father was, and that he needed counseling before these boys would be safe at home with him. The problem was that she didn’t have a lot of specifics, but the reactions of the boys were enough for her.