A Case of the Heart

by Beth Shriver

“You’re never alone, Scotty. God’s always there for you.” Liz never knew how her clients would accept her words of faith, but when Scotty’s gaze lifted, she knew they had been well received.

  “That’s what my mom says.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Liz stood. “Let’s go talk to your parents.”

  Scotty and Jimmy stood beside Liz as she sat next to their father on the stool she had used earlier.

  “I found marks consistent with physical abuse on Scotty’s back, Mr. Harris. I understand there was an altercation between you and your son earlier today.”

  She paused to give him a chance to speak. He sat unmoving.

  “We need to place your boys in temporary foster care until we go to court. Then the judge will decide what needs to be done before they come back home.”

  Mr. Harris’s gaze never left her face as his turned a light shade of red. “You think you can come in here and break up my home?” Spit flew as he forced out the words, and his voice raised.

  It was time to leave. She had done her part to explain the situation, and he wasn’t stable enough to handle it, but Mr. Harris started in again before Liz had a chance to exit.

  “You can’t take my boys. I don’t care who you are or what I done.”

  Liz lifted a shaking hand and grabbed Jimmy’s as Scotty hurried toward the door.

  Rose held a quivering hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, terrified, as Tom got up out of his chair.

  Liz whipped her head around to get a visual on Mr. Harris and saw him stumbling toward her. His eyes locked on hers as he staggered nearer. His hunched-over posture gave him a monstrous appearance as he labored to carry his huge body closer to her. He was struggling, sliding one foot forward and then the other, mumbling something that she couldn’t understand.

  She held Jimmy close behind her, taking a step back with each one Tom took forward. She had to stay calm as long as he didn’t get any closer. If he did, it would just be a matter of how fast she could run with a six-year-old in her arms.

  Her heart raced as she saw him slowly stalk toward her. Sweat rolled down his face, droplets making small spots on his sweatshirt. Squinted eyes peered at her, losing their focus as his head dropped, and he fell to one knee, clutching his chest.

  Chapter Two

  It turned out the guy Alex had chased was eighteen-year-old Richard Pirelli. Alex guided the teen into the squad car and then radioed in for a check. As he waited for it to run through, he could hear a TV blaring and noticed shadows of movement inside the kitchen window. He heard Liz knock on the door and then bits of conversation. He was here in body but with her in spirit. He wasn’t usually needed on social service calls, but he was on this one because it was her.

  The information came back. Pirelli worked at Carl’s, the local convenience store that supplied everything from soda and chips to alcohol, drugs and cigarettes to minors. Alex’s mind raced with the possibilities that opened up knowing the crowd that hung at a place like Carl’s.

  He finished questioning Pirelli just as Officer Jake Brown drove up.

  Alex was glad to see Jake tonight. He and Alex met when Alex joined the force. Jake often accompanied Alex to the sports bar near the station to watch the games and have a quick bite before heading home for the night. During that time, they grew to know about each other and became great friends.

  Alex wondered how Liz was doing, but he needed to get Pirelli off his hands so he could go upstairs to help her. The occasional murmur of the television gave him a continual reminder.

  The dry leaves crunched under Jake’s steel-toed boots as he walked over. “How goes it, Officer Brown?” Alex called as he got out of the car to greet him.

  “Good, until you called in for backup.” Jake put his hand on the car and bent over, looking at Pirelli. “You couldn’t handle this youngster by yourself?” he teased.

  Pirelli scoffed as did Alex.

  “We’ll know soon enough if he checks out or not, but my hunch is he’s a pushover. I need to get upstairs to help out on a social service call as soon as we’re done here.” Just saying it made him antsy, but the knowing grin on Jake’s face told Alex he wasn’t going to help things along.

  “Yeah, and who’s the caseworker, as if I don’t know?”

  “Liz Adams.” Alex smiled. So did Jake. “I was on a disturbance call with her and got distracted by this guy.” Alex motioned to Pirelli who sat motionless in the cruiser. “Can you transport Mr. Rich Pirelli for me?”

  Jake leaned against the car grinning. “Sure, in exchange for some information.”

  Alex lowered his head and gave Jake a cautious look. “What information?”

  Pirelli sat up and began to stand. “Hey, are you taking me in or are ya gonna let me go?”

  Jake pushed him back to a sitting position in the car. “Not until we know all about you, Mr. Pirelli.” Jake slammed the car door and turned to Alex. “So, you two are working together again.”

  Alex crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Jake grinned. “You were still on a call when you responded to this one.” He tipped his head down, wrinkling his forehead as he looked up at Alex.

  Alex looked away for a moment, quietly contemplating why he had no problem asking out any other woman except Liz. His conscience forced him to fess up. He had always felt she was too special, as special as his ex, Sharon. But that relationship was a long time ago, and the women he’d dated since Sharon weren’t in the same category, until he met Liz, and she was in a category all her own. Trying to court a woman like Liz was out of his caliber. He couldn’t take the chance.

  He turned back to Jake. “What do you think of her?”

  Jake chuckled at his question. “She’s real nice, but not dating material.”

  Alex surrendered and leaned against the car next to Jake. “Why is that?”

  Jake shrugged. “She has a lot going for her, besides her good looks. She’s top notch as far as the caseworkers go, has a good sense of humor. Christian, talks about her faith with clients who are comfortable with it, but she’s the independent type. Doesn’t need a guy in her life and goes out of her way to prove it. You know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean.” Unfortunately, he knew that very well. She had a chip on both shoulders. He had assumed it was just her reaction to him, but apparently she was like that with the entire male species.

  “Too bad,” he muttered under his breath.

  Jake grinned. “She is under your skin, my friend.”

  Alex frowned at his assumption. “I wouldn’t go that far. I just like working with her.” That’s all he’d admit to anyway.

  Through the years, he had found a certain comfort when her relationships failed and she was single again. He liked being able to do the consoling and cheer her up, always wishing it was him she would eventually want to be with. Her current situation could definitely work to his advantage, and he thought it may be an opportunity to ask her out. Once again he had hesitated to broach the subject.

  Alex noticed Jake scrutinizing him and turned to face him, bringing his eyebrows together. “What?”

  “Nothing.” Jake still had that stupid smile on his face which was starting to irritate Alex. He didn’t want to talk further about Liz, not like he did the others.

  Besides, he was the guy who always had a handle on his relationships. He never had trouble getting a date and was always the one to end things. It was easier that way. No one got hurt, and he didn’t let himself feel any regret after the relationship was over.

  Alex breathed in, filling his lungs with the crisp, cool air. He looked up to the second floor but saw no movement. Hopefully things were going smoothly. “She is intriguing, but she’s built a wall six feet tall, and I’m not going to be the poor guy to tear it down. Besides, I probably wouldn’t pass the test on the Christianity part.” Alex made sure there was an edge to his voice in hopes Jake would get the hint and change the subject.<
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  “I didn’t know there was a test.” Jake shrugged. “And if there was one, you passed it a long time ago when you asked Christ into your life.”

  Alex knew Jake had strong convictions of his own about his faith and appreciated his comment. He hadn’t turned to God since before leaving Chicago, and didn’t quite know what it would take for him to turn back again.

  The computer beeped telling them the information had been transferred. Alex pushed Jake’s words out of his mind and sat next to him in the car, scanning Pirelli’s priors.

  Pirelli had enough to pique their interest, starting with regular misdemeanors as a young teen and then graduating into a few more serious convictions.

  Alex looked over at Jake. “Are you ready to take Pirelli for me so we can both get back to work?” Alex slapped the computer shut, set it down, and got out of the squad car. He felt if he didn’t get upstairs with Liz right now, he’d implode.

  “I’ve got it covered.” Jake pulled Pirelli out of Alex’s patrol car and stood behind him holding his cuffs. “But after this call is over, we need to finish this talk.”

  Alex chuckled and walked away, giving Jake a small wave of thanks. Jake was awfully sure of himself, but for the first time in his dating history, Alex wasn’t.

  He took two steps at a time and was almost to the top of the stairs when he heard a man yelling. His pulse quickened as he rushed to the landing. Alex pushed the door open, hitting the wall with a bang. His heart skipped when he looked inside and saw Harris stalking toward Liz, and he reached for his gun.

  Chapter Three

  Liz and the boys sat in her car as Alex finished a conversation with another officer. She liked to get paperwork done while it was fresh in her mind, but the blue and red flashes became too distracting, and the adrenalin was still pumping through her veins. She’d do it later. She should be giving her attention to the boys, even if they weren’t talking.

  They watched as the EMTs loaded Harris into the ambulance to check his heart condition and drove off, chirping the siren to cross an intersection. Both boys peered out the window in silence as if seeing something they shouldn’t.

  Liz reached out a hand to each of them as the patrol car disappeared down the street. “Your dad is going to be okay,” she said, reassuring both boys. They were quiet. And if they were worried or scared, neither one showed it. Their faces held little expression. Obviously, events like these were not so unusual for them.

  Alex came over to sit with the boys so Liz could call to find a placement for them. Good short-term placements had become difficult. She had basically one foster home she felt comfortable with, and if they were full, she had a hard time leaving the children anywhere else. That one home was the Bowies’.

  The Bowies were a couple in their fifties but had more energy than Liz and loved kids. She made the call and was glad to hear Nancy say they had room for the Harris boys—both boys. Splitting siblings wasn’t an option for Liz. It was often done but not by her standards.

  She looked back into her car. A game of rock, paper, scissors was in progress. From the sound of it, Alex was losing.

  “You cheated!” he exclaimed.

  “How can you cheat at rock, paper, scissors?” Liz stuck her head into the car.

  “He switched his rock to paper when he saw my rock,” Alex objected as he winked, causing the boys to squeal their protests.

  He flashed Liz a smile, enjoying their playful anger toward his pretend accusation. Liz sighed as the familiar flutter bounced around in her stomach. His smiles touched a part of her that no one else’s could.

  She settled in the front seat and faced the back. “You two don’t know how lucky you are to be staying at the Bowies’ home. They’ll take good care of you.” Leaning a cheek against the head rest, she smiled gently. “The doctors are going to make sure your dad is healthy, and then he’ll have to talk to a judge who will decide if and when you can go back home. But for now, you’ll be safe with Mr. and Mrs. Bowie.”

  This was never easy, but she tried to keep it as positive as possible for them. She couldn’t imagine how scary it must be for a kid to be placed. But after being in an unsafe environment, maybe it wasn’t so bad. At least that’s what she told herself whenever circumstances weren’t just or fair for the kids she became involved with.

  Liz had a good childhood. Her parents were kind, religious people. She couldn’t ever remember her dad raising his voice, let alone hurting her physically. Maybe that’s what drove her to this line of work. She wanted that sense of peace for other children that needed it.

  Alex gave her that warm smile again as she got out of the car. “You’re good with kids. Some people don’t take the time.”

  Sincerity rang in his words. In this line of work, a person had to defend themselves. People always second-guessed your decisions as to whether the kids should be removed and the treatment plans. Everything’s a gray area, but she would err on the side of the kids rather than take any risks they might be left in danger.

  She let out a ragged breath, looking to the ground. A flash of Tom Harris as he briefly lost consciousness popped into her mind. She felt Alex’s stare and told herself to pull it together.

  Alex took a couple steps away from her car, guiding her to him and spoke slowly. “Are you all right?” He touched his fingers to her face, looking for any sign of injury.

  She felt a rush of heat reddening her cheeks as he slid his fingers across her chin.

  Concern softened his gaze as he tried to read her face. She wanted to take her eyes away, not notice how he looked into hers. But she couldn’t. She waited for him to move his hand away, his eyes to falter.

  “I’m fine.” She turned toward her car to check on the boys and to keep Alex from seeing her fear. She was more afraid of her emotion toward him than of the altercation upstairs.

  The movement of her head sent the clip sliding from her hair and down her back. He caught and handed it to her, taking her hand.

  “You’re shaking. Liz, you can’t fool me. I know when you’re scared. I was scared.”

  “No you weren’t.” She chuckled, releasing some of the tension as she tried to imagine him scared.

  “Yeah, I was. I was scared for you. Scared I hadn’t kept you safe.”

  She tried to ignore that his concern was more for her than doing his job. “You did the right thing to stay back and question Pirelli.”

  Liz remembered Tom’s blank stare as he came toward her. “Harris caught me off guard. I didn’t think he had it in him.” She allowed the warmth from his hand to calm her nerves.

  “I shouldn’t have left you alone up there. It was my mistake.”

  Uncomfortable with all the gallant talk, she suppressed the emotions that his words brought and stepped back, taking her hand from his. “The daytime social workers don’t have cops to go on calls with them. So I’m not going to complain.”

  His tender look slowly dissipated. “Yeah, you don’t even need me on these calls,” he came back with one of his typical sarcastic lines. His dimpled smile returned.

  Liz was relieved to be back in the banter she was familiar with. “Maybe a couple, but most of the time you just flash your badge, waiting for us to get through so you can go eat donuts.”

  Alex tilted his chin down and narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make donut jokes, and ‘only a couple of times?’ You get into more trouble than any other ten social workers combined, maybe your whole department.”

  Her cynicism deflated as she faced the fact that he was right. “This was an unusually eventful call. Something I’ve been having a lot of lately. Maybe I need to put in for another district.” She wanted to see his reaction, wondering if that really might be a good idea.

  He was nodding profusely as his grin broadened. Then he seemed to think better of it. “No, then I’d get bored.”

  She gave him a soft slug. Alex squinted and winced, holding his arm for effect. He placed one boot over the other and crossed his arms over his chest, lettin
g out a breath “So, what’s next?”

  “I’m ready to take the boys.”

  “Would you like a police escort?” He lifted his eyes to hers, waiting for her response.

  She poked her head through the window to check on the boys. They were playing games on her cell phone, thoroughly entertained. “Sure, why not?”

  Chapter Four

  The minute she drove up to the quaint, little ranch home, the porch light went on. The door opened and Nancy Bowie stood waiting for them. Alex pulled up behind them and ended a conversation on his cell phone. As awkward as their last conversation was, Liz figured she’d stick to business while they were here.

  Nancy hugged herself against the wind as she stuffed a hanky up the sleeve of her wool sweater. She was five-foot-nothing and all smiles.

  “Hello, hello!” She greeted them and took a step back to look at the boys through her large framed glasses. “Who are these fine looking young men?”

  Scotty’s wide, dark eyes expressed his bewilderment. He stood over his younger brother with a protective arm over Jimmy’s chest.

  “I’m Scotty.”

  “And this is Jimmy,” Liz answered for the younger boy as she placed her hands on his shoulders for Nancy’s recognition.

  With a quick hop in his step, Nancy’s husband, John, took no time making his way in from the kitchen. His salt and pepper hair was side-combed without a single strand out of place, and he wore a white T-shirt and black pants that were too short, showing his starched white socks.

  He gave Liz a wink as he took Jimmy’s hand. “How are you boys?”

  Jimmy’s arm moved like rubber as John gave him a firm handshake.

  Alex walked with them and introduced himself. He handed the bag Liz had brought for the boys to John, and led them into the family room. The small TV blared out the day’s news, the glow hitting the orange and yellow plaid couch.

  Nancy and Liz went into the kitchen to do the paperwork. The comforting smell of fresh baked bread filled the room. Sitting on a pale yellow vinyl chair, Liz laid the papers on a white table that glittered with bits of silver.