Guardian of Justice

by Carol Steward

“It was past his shoulders,” Miss Matthews interrupted again. “And frizzy. Wild looking…” She held her hands a few inches from her head to show how full the guy’s hair was. “He was Caucasian. And had tattoos all over his arms.” Dallas’s mind drifted and he wondered if he had sounded as frazzled after the shooting that day.

  Dallas glanced at her hair. From the looks of it, her own would frizz out just as far if it wasn’t in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her brown eyes were huge, with long lashes framing them. Her gaze darted back to the car, as if it would bite her.

  “He was high or stoned, one of the two. His eyes were…scary.” She looked back at the windshield and wrapped her arms around herself. “He was bleeding. He put his hands and face up against the glass, so you can probably get fingerprints.” She pointed. “Don’t let anyone touch that spot.”

  “We’ll take care of that, don’t worry.” Dallas focused his attention on Kira, wishing he could have prevented this incident. He realized she was processing the experience, a bit at a time. Normally, he’d have been irritated with her for interrupting him, but he understood her shock. He’d been there. He moved to the trunk, popped it open and pulled out a blanket, forcing his post traumatic stress symptoms from his mind, only allowing it to help him prevent her from experiencing a delayed reaction as he had.

  Returning, he unfolded it and offered it to her. “Why don’t you cover up with this for a few minutes and rest. We’ll talk more in a few minutes.”

  She needed to know someone was there to let her talk.

  Thank you. I don’t know why I’m so cold.”

  Dallas knew that soon she’d realize she did know why, she just didn’t want to admit it. She wanted to be in control, just like she was every other day. A strong woman like her walked into domestic disturbances on a regular basis, but after tonight, things would be different. “Go on in, I’ll be a few more minutes,” Dallas said to the other officer. He couldn’t bring himself to walk out on Kira yet.

  Pete nodded and went inside without a word. Dallas liked knowing the men serving next to him here in the middle of rural Colorado. Pete had a wife and a one-year-old son. That was more than Dallas had known about most of the officers in Phoenix.

  He looked into the cruiser, surprised to see Miss Matthews had leaned her head back and closed her eyes. He knew her calm wouldn’t last very long.

  More officers showed up, and he let them assist in the search for evidence, and keep spectators off the premises while they finished the investigation. He assigned one officer to find out what neighbors knew about the family.

  Dallas took the opportunity to take notes for his report. About ten minutes later he noticed Miss Matthews’s eyes were open again, and he leaned back into the car. “Are you warming up?”

  She nodded. “I thought for a minute that he was going to go into the house after you. I couldn’t think of anything to do except pray and honk the horn, hoping maybe that would scare him away.”

  Dallas reached for her hand and held on tight. He wished he could give her the strength to get through the evening unscathed. “You did a great job. I like your quick thinking. Take a deep breath and be thankful that it wasn’t any worse.”

  Chapter Three

  THREE

  “Are there kids inside?” Kira didn’t dare dwell on what had happened. She needed to help the children get away from this crazy man. There wasn’t time to waste. Kira couldn’t believe Dallas wasn’t back inside the house yet. Why was he still out here? And why wouldn’t he let her go in?

  “Yeah, but you’re not going in yet.” He kept jotting notes, looking around, talking to other officers and jotting more. From the firm set of his jaw and shoulder, she knew he wouldn’t be easy to convince. He kept his emotions carefully guarded.

  She knew from her brothers’ comments that officers had to secure the premises before allowing anyone into a volatile scene. What were the chances that Kira would have ended up in the line of fire while waiting outside? “It couldn’t be any worse inside, could it? We have a job to do.”

  “It’s getting done. You need to calm down.”

  “I am calm,” she argued.

  “Yeah, I see that.” One side of his mouth turned up. It wasn’t quite a smile, but maybe he was one of those brooding types that didn’t smile. “Calm down some more, then.” He quirked an eyebrow, revealing a sense of humor in his blue eyes.

  Kira looked around at the half-dozen officers who were making their presence known in the neighborhood. “I will point out I followed your orders to a T. Am I supposed to be a robot and not get a bit riled after being scared out of my wits?” That’s all it was, she reassured herself. It was no more frightening than when her brothers jumped out at her from around the corner in the dark basement.

  But it wasdifferent, her ugly conscience reminded her. This wasn’t in the security of her adopted family’s basement. This was….

  She wasn’t going to let herself think about it. Not now.

  “I need to get in there, Officer Brooks. The last place I should be is out here twiddling my thumbs.”

  “We’ll go, in a few minutes. I just know it’s too soon to jump right back into the middle of the situation. A little more time wouldn’t be a bad idea. We’re trained to always prepare for the unexpected when responding to a domestic disturbance, but…” Dallas cleared his throat. “I shouldn’t have…” He couldn’t even think of what he’d done wrong. It was just a bad situation.

  “I’m not blaming you.” She felt bad for razzing him now. She hadn’t expected him to take it personally. His sensitivity caught her off guard, and she felt the warmth of his hand holding hers all over again. “The guy could have come barreling out of the back room of the house,” she said quietly. The last thing Dallas needed right now was for the other officers to hear her comforting him. “You didn’t know. If Child Protection had received the call, I’d have been here without a police escort at all.” She needed to take her mind off how handsome Dallas was and get back to work. “For now, could I at least get out of this car?”

  He paused just long enough to make her wonder whether something else was happening. He gave a quick scan of the area, then moved out of her way. He took the blanket as it fell from her shoulders, and wrapped it around her again. “It’s getting a little chilly. Why don’t you keep this with you?” His gaze lingered a moment too long before he broke the connection. She knew it was dangerous to let her feelings show and to let herself read anything into Dallas’s gaze.

  Kira stretched and shook her legs out, as if she’d been cramped in the car for ages. They had left the station a little over an hour ago.

  She walked around the car and saw the gouge in the door where the sharp rock had dented the steel. “If the crazy guy hadn’t been so high, he probably would have hit his target.”

  “Yeah,” Dallas responded somberly. “Remember not to touch the car anymore. We’ve called for an investigator to come get prints. Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head.

  “Listen, I have to get back inside and talk to the mother. I want to get a little more information about the situation before I bring you in and frighten them with Child Protection. It’s nothing personal.”

  She regarded him with a speculative gaze. Somehow it felt personal. “Just make sure someone’s out here with me, and I’ll be fine.” She felt another chill go up her spine, and wrapped her arms across her chest, tugging the blanket tighter. “Officer…”

  “Dallas.”

  Yeah, it definitely felt personal. Kira stuffed the attraction deeper inside. She didn’t want another cop in her life. Her dad and three brothers were enough. “I’m sorry I broke protocol, with the radio and everything.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing,” he said quietly.

  His clear blue eyes were full of life and pain, yet she saw warmth there, too. He forced a tight-lipped smile before turning away. He was solidly built, but didn’t seem to have that tough-guy mentality,
as she had initially presumed. Kim realized she was staring, and nodded.

  “Officer Williams will stay out here with you to watch for the guy, though I doubt he’ll return tonight.” Dallas gently patted her arm, and Kira noticed a hint of a smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She tried sitting in the cruiser again, but couldn’t shake the edginess. How long would it be before she’d forget the madman’s eyes staring her down? Kira got back out and leaned against the front fender, watching the house like an anxious puppy.

  To the left, two officers visited, pointing down the block. Did they see someone? Other than a few neighbors peering out their darkened windows to see what was happening, all appeared quiet again.

  Officer Williams kept his distance, but several times asked if she was doing okay. She jotted notes to be used in her study and glanced up, hoping Dallas would emerge. She was getting worried. She studied the house, wondering what was going on inside.

  Behind a round bush, a light appeared suddenly, as if it had risen out of the ground. Kira shrugged the blanket off and dropped it on the grass. She stepped closer, examining the foundation of the house for windows. Keeping her distance from any shadowed areas where someone could be lurking, she stepped past the corner of the house, but the light was gone. Were officers searching the basement? Why were the other windows not lit?

  Suddenly, Kira spotted a little girl’s face in the glow of the streetlight. A curly haired blonde was peering out of a basement window. Frightened eyes looked around suspiciously, then disappeared. Seconds later a tattered stuffed animal flew from the window well. Kira watched for a moment.

  Dallas obviously didn’t know the little girl was there, or she’d probably be in a bigger hurry to get out of the house. Officer Williams was busy searching the front yard for evidence. Even if the police did know she was in the house, Kira reasoned, if the child slipped out the small window, they might not be able to catch her. I’m doing him a favor.

  She hurried forward and offered her hand. “Hi there. I’m Kira Matthews. Do you need some help?”

  The little girl dropped back into the house as if she was on a park slide.

  How’d she do that?Kira couldn’t believe her eyes. The child had disappeared in an instant. Kira hesitantly stepped closer, then knelt down and peered into the dark basement. “It’s okay, honey, I can help you. I’m with Social Services. Are you okay?”

  “Un-huh,” a small voice answered, so quietly Kira could hardly hear her.

  She kicked back into her social worker role. “Are you hurt?” When there was no answer, she asked the girl’s name. Kira felt her chills return.

  She heard scuffling from inside the basement. After a long pause, the girl finally answered, “Betsy.”

  “That’s a really pretty name. How old are you, Betsy?” She heard soft sniffles. The little girl was frightened.

  “Betsy, can you come back up here so we can talk?” Kira asked. She wanted to get out of these shadows before the madman returned. With the light beaming out of the basement, she felt as if she had a spotlight trained on her.

  Nothing but whimpers broke the silence.

  “Can you tell me why you are sneaking out of the house, Betsy?”

  “Mama told me to,” she whimpered.

  Kira waited patiently. She studied the small window, wondering if there was any way she could get through it. Her better judgment warned her not to go into a house blind. Her brothers would never let her live it down if she did. She had no idea what or who would be waiting when and if she finally squeezed through the tiny opening. And by the time she made it, who knew where Betsy would be?

  “What happened?”

  “Mickey hurt me, so Cody…” She choked up and couldn’t talk.

  “What did Cody do?”

  “He got mad at Mickey, and—” The noise of a motorcycle roaring down the quiet street drowned out her words. “—bat and broke the window. And Mama told me to scat.”

  Kira recalled the time her brothers had run through the sliding door playing football, and how upset her mother had been. Hiding makes perfect sense to me, but…“Mamas get mad sometimes, don’t they? Did you say Cody was mad at Mickey?”

  “Yep. Mickey’s mean. He’s a bad dude.”

  Kira glanced around the yard, certain that Mickey was the crazy man who’d scared her. Kira leaned closer to the basement window and looked inside. She didn’t hear anyone else in the background, but saw a soft glow coming through a doorway—likely the source or the light? “Betsy, are you alone in the basement?”

  “Yep, I locked the secret door.”

  Secret door?Kira looked harder, getting as close as she could without sticking her head in the window well. She couldn’t see much, and felt for cobwebs. It felt clear.

  She eased even closer to the window well and finally ducked her head in, bracing herself against the brick house. There weren’t just lights in the other room, there were plants. Lots of them, from what she could tell. “Was Mickey coming after you?” She tried to keep her focus on the little girl and still per around inside. If it wasn’t so bright in the other room, I could see her better.“Betsy, I want to help you. Come on out.”

  “Mama be mad,” Betsy said with a catch in her voice.

  Kira didn’t miss things like that. “I’ll talk to your mama for you. I want to help you and Cody.”

  She was met with silence again.

  She waited several minutes before she went on. “Betsy, I know you’re scared. Together we’ll find a way to help you and Cody. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” She picked up the bear the child had thrown out. “What is your teddy bear’s name, Betsy?”

  Kira waited, and finally she heard movement. And then a little blond head again appeared in the opening. The child looked around before climbing out to Kira, hesitating as if she had second thoughts.

  “It’s okay, Betsy. I’m going to help you.” The little girl’s eyes reflected not only sadness, but fear and neglect. Kira’s heart ached. “Here you go, Betsy. Your teddy missed you.”

  The little girl snatched the bear from Kira’s grip. “Fuzzy.”

  Chapter Four

  FOUR

  “Miss Matthews?” Dallas paused. “Williams, where’s my ride-along? I told you to watch out for her.”

  Kira started to answer, but one look at the fear on Betsy’s face told her to wait. The child was Kira’s priority now. “Come here, Betsy. It’s okay. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  “She was next to the car just a minute ago,” the other officer answered.

  Dallas didn’t sound happy, a fact she could hear in his voice even from the other side of the house. “Kira!”

  Betsy started to run, but Kira caught her.

  “We’reback here,” she said quickly, then glanced at Betsy. “It’s okay, honey. It’s not Mickey. This is a police officer. He won’t hurt you.”

  Dallas rushed around the corner of the home, then came to an abrupt halt. “Oh, there you are.”

  Betsy let out a squeal, and Kira wrapped her arm around the little girl. “It’s okay.” Dallas was tall, with broad shoulders, a menacing sight with the glow of the streetlight behind him. He must look frightening to such a petite girl. Kira let go of Betsy, stood up and offered her hand instead. The little girl shied away when Dallas looked down at her. Betsy clung to her ragged bear…what was left of it.

  Kira grasped the child’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Betsy, Officer Brooks is our friend. He’s going to help you, and Cody, too. Aren’t you, Officer Brooks?”

  Dallas’s blue eyes met hers, and Kira felt his anger fade. He reminded her of her oldest brother, Kent. Strong and stubborn. But when it came to kids, she could see his soft side.

  “Yeah, we’ve been worried about you, Betsy. We couldn’t find you.” He knelt down several feet away and smiled at the little girl. “Did you dial 911 for help?”

  Betsy tightened her grip and shook her head, inching behind Kira.

  “It’s okay if you did.
It was very smart to call. And we came here to help you. Betsy, did you get any scratches from the broken window?” he asked gently. Kira realized that with his military haircut, Dallas looked a little like a teddy bear, with a stocky body and full face shadowed with dark stubble.

  The little girl kept moving farther away, spinning Kira around in the process. As soon as Betsy realized she was face-to-face with Dallas again, she ducked behind Kira once more.

  “I’m going to stay right here. I won’t come any closer. Can you show Miss Matthews your arms so we can make sure you’re okay?”

  Betsy showed one arm while keeping a death grip on Kira, then switched.

  Dallas gave a smile of approval. “Thanks, Betsy. Could you answer a few questions for me?”

  The frightened child nodded, peeking out from behind Kira.

  “Do you know if Cody was playing baseball tonight?”

  She shook her head.

  “You don’t know?” Dallas prompted.

  “No, he wasn’t playing baseball,” Betsy said softly.

  Dallas glanced at her bear, then back at her. “What was Cody doing?”

  “He was mad at Mickey,” she whispered, repeating the story of Mickey hurting her, so Cody took a swing at him with the bat. “I don’t like Mickey. Cody don’t, neither.”

  Officer Brooks glanced at Kira, obviously sharing her concern. “Did Mickey hurt you, Betsy?” Kira asked.

  Betsy immediately shook her head. Her response was almost too quick.

  “If he’s hurting you, or your brother, or your mom, Betsy, you need to tell Miss Matthews so we can make sure he doesn’t anymore.”

  Betsy turned away.

  “Let’s go back into the house. We can talk more later.”

  Dallas hadn’t missed the child’s body language, either, Kira noted. She watched the interaction with admiration. She didn’t have fond memories of the officer who’d taken her and her younger half-brother Jimmy away after her parents’ car accident. And she would never forget the night Jimmy’s family had taken him away, leaving her with the foster family. Which was half the reason she was here tonight. It was time someone made Protective Services fit the name.