They both sat silent for a second, exchanging glances. “It’s possible,” Julie said. “Penny really felt bad for Mary Margaret. She kept asking us how she could help.”
“If Penny knows where she is, she needs to tell. If Mary Margaret ran away, she’s probably still safe, but that can change depending on where she’s hiding.”
Miles sighed. “We understand.”
“Can I speak to Penny?”
“Of course, but she’s not here right now,” Miles said. He turned to his wife. “What time do you pick her up today?”
“She gets out of school at 2:30 today, but she has a dance class right after, so we won’t be back here until about four o’clock. You can come by then.”
~~~
JP spent the rest of the morning interviewing everyone he knew who was connected to Mary Margaret, but made little progress. He decided to concentrate his efforts on Lester Gibbs, even though the police had searched his apartment and found nothing.
JP had called Merlot Group Home and found that Lester was not working, so he parked near his home to see if he came and went. Lester left about noon, went through the drive-through at Jack in the Box, and then returned home. JP was still sitting in front of Lester’s house when Sabre called.
“How did the hearing go?” JP asked.
“I don’t know. Hekman took it under advisement, but I can’t imagine her not ruling in our favor.”
“When will you know?”
“Whenever she has decided. There’s no hurry as long as Mary Margaret is gone since we can’t do anything else on the case until she’s found. Have you learned anything new?”
“No. I spoke to the foster parents and they said there wasn’t any indication that she might be running away.”
“Did anyone besides Mrs. Fowler see Lester go in or out of the church?”
“No, but most of them didn’t see Mary Margaret or her supervisor leave either. I guess they were pretty intent on the service. I spoke to Miles and Julie Cunningham. They didn’t see anyone leave the church during the service, but Mrs. Cunningham said that Penny saw Mary Margaret leave. I expect she was watching her friend more closely than the adults were. She also said that Penny asked to go to the bathroom, and she told her to wait.”
“Do you think Penny and Mary Margaret planned something?”
“I asked the Cunninghams, and they think it’s possible. I have an appointment to talk to Penny at 4:00. Want to go?”
“I’ll see you there.”
~~~
Sabre hoped Penny didn’t feel too intimidated surrounded by so many adults. She didn’t appear to be, but Sabre didn’t know her well enough to be sure. Penny was safely positioned between her mother and father on the sofa in the living room. JP and Sabre sat in armchairs a few feet in front of them.
Miles spoke first. He had assured Sabre and JP that they hadn’t questioned Penny any further. “As I told you, Penny, Ms. Brown and Mr. Torn are going to ask you a few questions about Mary Margaret. They really need to find her to make sure she is safe. You need to tell them the truth. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy, I will,” she said confidently.
“Penny, you saw Mary Margaret in church yesterday, right?”
“Yes, I wanted to talk to her, but I didn’t get to.”
“I understand that you asked your mother if you could go to the bathroom at some point during the service. Was that when Mary Margaret went out?”
“Yes, I thought maybe she was leaving and I wanted to see her before she left.”
“So, you didn’t know she was going to the bathroom?”
“No.”
“But you asked your mother if you could go there.”
“Yes, because I knew she wouldn’t let me go outside to say goodbye and I miss Mary Margaret a lot.” Her mother took Penny’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“Did you know she was not coming back into the church?”
“No, but I was afraid she was leaving with her supervisor.”
“When you saw her last Wednesday evening at church, did you talk about her coming to church on Sunday?”
“I told her to come if she could. She said she’d try.”
“And she didn’t say anything about running away?”
“No. Do you think she did?”
“Run away?” Sabre asked.
“Yes.”
“We don’t know what happened. That’s why we’re asking so many questions. If she did run away, do you have any idea where she might be?”
Penny glanced around at the adults. “I don’t know where she is. I wish I did. I would tell if I knew, but I don’t.”
“I need you to think carefully, Penny. Did Mary Margaret say anything that might make you think she was leaving the foster home?”
Penny didn’t answer right away. She took a deep breath. “She missed her mom and seeing me, but she liked her foster parents and she didn’t mind living there. She was afraid she might have to go live with Brother Gibbs and she hated that.” She paused. “I would’ve helped her if she had asked me to, but she didn’t. I wish she would’ve because then I’d know where she is now.”
“I wish she had too,” Sabre said.
“Penny,” JP said, “did you see Lester Gibbs leave the church yesterday during the service?”
She shook her head. “No, but I never look at him. He’s creepy.” She shuddered.
Miles’s face turned red. “Penny, has Brother Gibbs ever done anything to you?”
“No, but he looks at me funny.” She gave a quick, disgusted snort. “He looks up and down, like from my toes to my head, when he talks to me and other girls. All the girls hate it.”
Miles’s nostrils flared and he took a deep breath. “Penny, you do not have to talk to him or be around him at all. If he comes near you, you go to the nearest adult. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Daddy, I will. We’ve all gotten pretty good at avoiding him.” She started to choke up when she said, “Except for poor Mary Margaret, because he’d come to her house.”
“Penny,” Sabre said, “I know Mary Margaret has told you things in confidence, but it’s important that we know everything so we can help your friend. I’m going to ask you a couple more questions and I need you to be honest with me, okay?”
Penny looked at her father.
“You need to tell them everything you know, Penny,” Miles said. “It’s the only way to help Mary Margaret.”
“Did Mary Margaret ever tell you that Brother Gibbs touched her inappropriately?”
Penny’s face flushed and she gazed at the floor. “She said he touched her ‘who-hah.’ That’s what she called her private parts.” She looked up. “And that he kissed her on the lips with his mouth open. She said she wanted to throw up.”
Sabre noticed Julie’s grasp on her daughter’s hand tighten, and her father’s jaw clench.
“Was that before or after the wedding?”
“About a week or so before. I didn’t see her after the wedding until last week.”
“Thank you, Penny. You’ve been very brave.”
Penny snuggled up to her mother, who wrapped her arms around her and held her. Miles stood up, as did Sabre and JP. He walked them to the door.
“I’m sorry Penny had to go through that,” Sabre said. “I know it made her uncomfortable.”
“It did. And I feel so bad for Mary Margaret, but I keep selfishly thinking how glad I am that nothing happened to Penny.”
Chapter 42
Bob and Sabre sat in the hallway at juvenile court waiting for their last case to be called.
“My client is chomping at the bit to get the ruling on the demurrer,” Bob said.
“You’d think he’d be more concerned about his missing daughter,” Sabre said.
“I know you don’t like him much, but he is genuinely concerned about Mary Margaret. He’s been searching every day with a group from the church.”
“You’re right. I’m being unfair. How’s th
e mother handling it?”
“She’s been staying close to home with the boys.”
“She’s probably afraid to let them out of her sight.”
“Yes, and she’s hoping Mary Margaret will show up.”
“You know Hekman isn’t going to rule on the demurrer until Mary Margaret is found, right?” Sabre said.
“I know. I’m sure she doesn’t want to make this ruling at all, and as long as the minor is missing, she doesn’t have to.”
“There’s no downside to her putting it off, really. And you know she isn’t going to rule in your favor.”
“Not likely.” Bob stood up and stretched.
“Even if she thinks the law is on your side, she’s likely to rule against you in order to protect the child. Unless, of course, it was overwhelming, which it isn’t. In fact, the law’s not on your side.”
A heavyset bearded man in a leather vest walked past them. As he passed, they could see the back of the vest, which had a skull with horns and a red and yellow headdress in the shape of wings on the back. Above the skull was a half-circle with the words “Hell’s Angels” in red on a white background.
“One of yours?” Sabre asked.
“No, but I’d like him to be. I bet he can spice up a case,” Bob said. “I think that’s Wagner’s client. If he’s the one I think he is, his ex-wife’s boyfriend molested his kids. How long do you suppose that guy will last on the streets—or in prison?”
“Not long.”
“Anyway, I thought I made a pretty good argument on the Fowler case.”
“You did. It just wasn’t good enough.”
“We’ll see. The fat lady isn’t singing yet.”
“She may not be singing, but the band is playing. Hekman doesn’t care if they rule against her on an appeal. At least the minor would be a little older, maybe even of age, by the time it got through the whole process. And she’s going to do what’s in the best interest of the child; I’m betting that’s not to be with Lester the molester.”
“What do you think happened to Mary Margaret?” Bob asked.
Sabre shook her head. “I don’t know. She’s not real bold and has been pretty sheltered. She doesn’t strike me as the type to run away.”
“She ran away on her wedding night.”
“That’s true, but she was really pushed to the limit.”
“Do you think something happened that pushed her over the limit again?”
“I thought about that, but there doesn’t appear to be anything. She had a visit with her parents and her brothers earlier in the week, and that went fine.”
“She’s been going to school,” Bob said. “Maybe something happened there.”
“JP checked into that. There was nothing unusual he could ascertain. I thought maybe she saw Gibbs and got spooked, but JP couldn’t find any evidence of that either. Then I thought maybe her friend Penny helped her and was hiding her, but she swears she didn’t. Her parents have been very cooperative. If Penny is hiding her, it’s not at their home, and they’re watching her carefully.”
“What does JP think?”
“He’s betting on Lester. JP’s been watching him for days. The cops aren’t sure if it’s a kidnapping or a runaway teen, but their main suspect is Gibbs. They searched his apartment and his car, but didn’t find any sign of her.”
“Maybe he kill—”
Sabre cut him off. “I can’t think that way. Besides, why would he? And how did he dispose of the body? At best, he only had a few minutes when he left the church and came back.”
Irene Serlis walked up to where Sabre and Bob were sitting. “Hi, guys.”
“Hi,” Sabre said. “We were just talking about Mary Margaret.”
“Do you know something new?” Irene asked.
“Nothing. How is Mrs. Fowler holding up?”
“Surprisingly well, actually. As much as she is controlled by her husband, she’s stronger than I gave her credit for. I expect she has rallied for her sons.”
“Good for her,” Sabre said.
The bailiff came out of Department Six and called, “Hernandez.”
“That’s me,” Irene said. “Later.”
“You like magic, right?” Sabre asked.
“It’s alright, why?”
“I have six tickets to see the Great Silent Thunder at the Sports Arena on Friday. JP, Ron, and my mom are going. I thought maybe you and Marilee would like to go.”
“I’ll check with Marilee, and unless she’s figured out a way to have a date with George Clooney, she’ll want to go. She loves magic shows.”
“You tell her if she gets that date with Clooney, I’ll join her, and the rest of you can go to the show.”
Sabre sat there quietly for a few minutes.
“What is it?” Bob asked.
“Nothing. I was thinking about Mary Margaret.” She stood up. “Excuse me a minute.”
Sabre walked outside and called JP.
“Hey, kid,” JP said. “I’m sitting here at Lester’s. Dang, this guy is boring. He hardly goes anywhere.”
“He’s not going to work?”
“No, it appears he has been suspended pending an investigation. Someone reported him.”
“That’s right,” Sabre said. “I talked to Maxine Quinn, the DSS supervisor and she was taking care of it. I’m glad he’s not with those young girls anymore. That makes me feel a little better.”
“Me too.”
“Have you found out who the anonymous caller was who reported the Fowler case?”
“No, everyone I’ve asked denies it. All we know is that it came from the phone at the church. But does it really matter who made the call?”
“I think whoever called in the initial abuse may be the same person who helped Mary Margaret run away.”
“What can I do?”
“I want you to forget about Lester for a while and go to the church.”
“And do what?”
“For now, just watch who comes and goes, and keep an eye on the pastor’s house as well. I’m going to see if Irene will go with me to talk to her client. I have a hunch.”
“Do you think Mrs. Fowler was the reporting party?”
“No, I think it was one of Mary Margaret’s brothers.”
~~~
Sabre went back to where Bob was sitting. “Is Irene still in there?”
Just then the courtroom door opened and Mike Powers walked out with a very unhappy client. Mike tried to console him as they walked past, but he wasn’t successful.
“Bob, I need to take care of something. Can you appear on this case for me? We’re in agreement, just submit on the recommendations.”
“Sure,” Bob said, looking inquisitively at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, something has come up on another case and I need to follow up on it.”
Bob walked into Department Six. Sabre waited outside for Irene and explained to her what she thought was going on.
“We need to find Mary Margaret if we can,” Irene said, “but I don’t want to implicate my client.”
“All I want is for Mrs. Fowler to give us permission to speak to her sons.”
“Seth will never allow that.”
“I know, that’s why I didn’t ask Bob, but Seth isn’t home right now. We could go there and talk to your client before he gets home.”
“At least if her brother is helping her, she’s probably safe.”
“We don’t know where she is, and her brother isn’t exactly free to come and go a lot. It’s not like he could be checking on her very often. We need to know.” When Irene didn’t respond right away, Sabre added, “I don’t mean to put pressure on you…”
“Yes, you do.”
“Okay, I do, but if I can’t talk to the boys, I’ll have to call the social worker and tell her what I think. They’ll follow up, but if Mr. Fowler is home, it’ll be a real scene, and probably not a pleasant one for your client.” Sabre knew Irene didn’t like the way the pastor controlled her cl
ient. That, coupled with a missing twelve-year-old, was probably enough to get Irene to cooperate.
Irene hesitated for a few seconds and then sighed. “I guess we have to do something if we can. We can’t just leave that little girl out there.”
Chapter 43
Candace Fowler opened the door just enough to see who was there.
“Candace,” Irene said, “we’d like to talk to you a minute about Mary Margaret.”
“I’m sorry, my husband’s not home.”
“That’s okay. It’s you I need to talk to. May we come in?”
She twisted her lips from side to side. “My husband doesn’t like me to have guests when he isn’t home.”
“But I’m not a guest. I’m your attorney, and we really need to talk.”
Candace opened the door and stepped back, letting them inside. They all stood there for a few seconds before Candace said, “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Fowler,” Sabre said. “You know we all want what’s best for your daughter, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Then we need to find her and get her off the streets. We will protect her,” Sabre said, trying to keep any comments away from the alternatives. “We know who called Child Protective Services.”
Irene frowned at Sabre. She had stretched the truth a little, but she didn’t know how else to get her to talk. They were both surprised when Candace started to cry. Her sons must have heard her because they dashed into the living room. The younger boy climbed up on the chair beside her. The older boy towered over her until he knelt down by her side.
“Are you okay, Mama?” the older boy asked.
She sniffed and tried to compose herself. “I’m fine.” She cleared her throat. “These are my sons, Zeke and Jacob,” she said as she glanced first at the older boy, and then at the younger one.
“Hi, boys,” Sabre said. “Your mama is being very brave.” Jacob gave his mom a hug. Zeke said hello, but the concerned expression on his face didn’t change.
“Mrs. Fowler, would it be okay if I asked your sons a few questions?” Sabre asked.
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