The Reluctant Guardian, page 2
Jody found herself praying for patience for a second time that night. “Our best guess is that she’s somewhere between three and four years old. So, yes, she is plenty old enough to talk. She just won’t. The doctors say there’s no obvious physical reason they can find for her silence, so we’re pretty sure it’s trauma related.”
She offered him a rueful smile. “You know firsthand that her vocal cords work, but sadly the only sound she makes is when she wakes up screaming at night. The social worker and I have tried other things. If we ask her to write her name, she only scribbles. When we ask her where her family is, she draws a car. If we ask about her mother, she shakes her head. We don’t know what that means. It could be she doesn’t have one or that she doesn’t know where she is. She gets more upset when we ask about her father.”
“Any signs of abuse?”
“Not any obvious ones. No bruises, scars or anything like that. The doctor who examined her in the ER described her as well nourished, if that means anything.”
“Any fingerprints on the stuff she had with her?”
“If they’ve learned something useful, I haven’t heard about it. Maybe the tests were inconclusive.”
“Anything else I should know?”
Jody shook her head. “Only that I’m sorry she woke you up, Deputy Dunne. I’m hoping the screaming will stop once she realizes she’s safe with me.”
“Might as well call me Conner.”
The offer was said a bit grudgingly, but she took it as a sign she had gone from being a suspect to...well, she wasn’t sure what exactly. Regardless, somewhere in the last few minutes, his demeanor had changed. He seemed less confrontational and more concerned.
“If you’ll call me Jody.” She offered him a small smile. “I appreciate that you and Mutt came running when you thought a child was in danger.”
“It’s my job.”
That was true, but she doubted that his job description included letting his dog stand guard so a scared little girl could go back to sleep. Rather than point that out, Jody stood up. “I’ll go check on Mia. Hopefully she’s settled in for the night so you and Mutt can get some sleep.”
Once again, he followed after her, explaining the dog might not leave unless Conner ordered him to stand down. To Jody’s relief, Mia was sound asleep, her face peaceful and relaxed. When she started toward the bed, Conner put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“Let me.”
When he stepped around her, Mutt opened his eyes and focused all his attention on his owner. Conner softly whispered a word that sounded like “hoose.” She wasn’t sure what it meant, but the dog lurched to his feet and silently followed his owner out of the room and down the hall to the living room.
Before Conner opened the door, he scribbled something on a piece of paper from his notebook and held it out. “I mostly work evenings, but I can get called out anytime they need me. Here’s my direct phone number. Don’t hesitate to use it. You know, just in case.”
She was still trying to figure out in case of what when he and Mutt disappeared into the darkness outside, pausing only to issue one last command. “Lock the door.”
Jody was too tired to object to being ordered around. Instead, she did as he said before heading back to check on Mia one last time before seeking out her own bed.
TWO
Both Conner and Mutt had been too wound up to go right back to bed after leaving Jody’s place. Instead, they’d enjoyed a long walk along the stream on the other side of the road. It had taken an hour to burn off the adrenaline rush before returning home. On the way back, he’d stopped to study Jody’s house for a few seconds. It was a relief to see the lights were off in both the kitchen and living room. With luck, that meant the woman and the little girl were sound asleep.
He hoped so, for their sakes. Jody Kruse had looked as if it had been days since she’d gotten any rest. Her shoulder-length hair had been a messy halo of dark curls. Coupled with the circles under her brown eyes, there had been a waiflike look about her that stirred his protective instincts to life. When it had come time to leave, he’d had to fight against a powerful urge to stand guard over her the same way Mutt had done for Mia. However, his job was to assess the situation, especially regarding the little girl’s safety. One way or another, he needed to remain impartial.
As a result, sleep hadn’t come easily for him even after the walk. He couldn’t quit thinking about Mia and wondering what kind of person would’ve dumped off a kid like that. Experience had taught him that sometimes desperate people did desperate things. But if there was a legitimate reason they could no longer care for Mia, why not ask for help? Granted, they’d left her outside a hospital, but that was no guarantee that she’d be found by someone who could be trusted to do the right thing. So why there? And why in the middle of the night? Without those answers, it would be impossible to know if there was danger dogging the little girl’s footsteps.
Regardless, something had traumatized her to the point she either wouldn’t or couldn’t talk. Whatever it was had to be the reason behind those terrified screams.
It wasn’t Conner’s case, but he still wanted to see what he could learn about it. With that in mind, he left for work early in case he could catch the investigating detective at his desk.
Luck was with him. Although he was still getting to know the other deputies and detectives, he’d already crossed paths with Jack Galloway on another case. The detective was on the phone when Conner walked in, but he smiled and motioned for him to have a seat. After he hung up, Jack leaned back in his chair, the springs creaking loudly. He was a big guy, probably in his early fifties judging by his salt-and-pepper hair and the deep lines around his eyes and mouth.
“What can I do for you, Deputy?”
“I was wondering what you could tell me about the little girl who was found abandoned outside County Hospital.”
Jack sat up straighter as he went on point. “What’s your interest?”
Conner hastened to assure the man he wasn’t meaning to tread on anyone’s toes. “I had to go back to Seattle for a few days to testify in a trial and was out of town when she was found. As a result, I missed the whole thing, but it turns out she’s fostering with the woman who lives next door to me.”
“And?”
Conner didn’t want to cause his neighbor any problems, so he chose his words carefully. “And I wanted to find out if there’s anything I should keep an eye out for while she’s staying there.”
Jack eased back in his chair again, looking more relaxed. “So far we’re drawing a complete blank on who she is and where she came from. If that kid has any family, they’re not doing anything to find her. Her prints aren’t in any database, although we keep checking. We’ve sent DNA samples to be tested, but it’s only been a few days, and no results so far.”
“And no idea where she came from at all?”
Jack’s frustration was obvious. “Nope. We’ve checked all the cameras in the area around the hospital, but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even if we did get a shot of the vehicle she was in, we might not be able to see her considering how short she is. We sent her backpack and everything in it to the lab to see what they can find, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope at this point. We’ve got feelers out with various agencies in the region, but no one has anything useful to say so far.”
All that meshed with what Jody had told Conner, which reassured him at least a little. He felt really sorry for the kid. Mia had to be feeling lost and terrified, surrounded as she was by strangers and having no idea where her family had gone.
He and Mutt would definitely be keeping an eye on things next door. “Well, I appreciate the information. If I can do anything to help, let me know.”
“Will do.” Jack hesitated a second before asking, “What can you tell me about your neighbor? What’s she like?”
“I don’t know her at all, but she seemed nice enough. I only moved into my house a week or so ago. I’ve been working evenings, so I don’t see much of my neighbors.”
Jack reached for a file from the stack on his desk, an obvious hint that he needed to get back to work. “Got it. Thanks for letting me know that you’re nearby the kid, though. Until we learn more about the situation, we’re not sure what to expect.”
Conner couldn’t help but agree. They might not know specifics, but it was a pretty fair guess that whatever had led to Mia ending up on that bench hadn’t been anything good. For now, he needed to get out on the road.
* * *
Thanks to Mutt’s help getting Mia back to bed, Jody enjoyed a solid six hours of sleep herself. As a result, she’d woken up feeling more rested than she had in days. She and Mia enjoyed bowls of oatmeal for breakfast, although the little girl still seemed puzzled over why they had to wait to eat until after Jody said the blessing. Even so, she sat quietly and waited for the okay to dig in. It reminded Jody of her own experience back when she’d been placed in foster care. At least she’d been in her early teens and more capable of understanding her foster parents’ explanation of what was happening.
After breakfast, she helped Mia get dressed. She’d arrived with only the bare minimum of clothing, so Jody planned to go online later and order a few more items to supplement her meager wardrobe. Meanwhile, she’d asked Mia to play in her room while Jody showered and got ready to face the day. Mia’s caseworker was coming by later in the morning to check on them both, and she wanted to look her best.
It was hard not to be anxious about the upcoming visit. To keep herself busy, Jody decided to ask Mia to help her bake some muffins. It wasn’t the first time she’d enlisted the little girl’s help in the kitchen, figuring it was a fun way for the two of them to spend time together. Besides, offering refreshments to Mrs. Caldwell seemed like a nice thing to do. Like most people in her profession, the woman was no doubt overworked and underpaid. She also routinely dealt with kids and families that were in crisis mode. Maybe a cup of coffee and a fresh-baked muffin would provide a positive moment in the midst of all that other stuff.
“Mia, do you want to help me bake muffins for when Mrs. Caldwell comes to visit us this morning?”
The little girl dropped the crayon she’d been drawing with and scampered into the kitchen. She dragged the closest chair from the table over to the counter and climbed up next to Jody. When she tried to hand Mia a spoon, the little girl frowned and looked around the kitchen before finally pointing toward a drawer on the other side of the stove.
She hadn’t done that before. “What is it you need?”
It was too much to hope that Mia would simply answer the question. Instead, she scrambled back down and headed toward the drawer. After yanking it open, she pulled out one of the large kitchen towels that were stored there. Then she did her best to wrap it around her waist like an apron. When it kept falling off, Jody helped her tie it securely.
“Good idea, Mia. We should both wear aprons.”
Jody got her own out of the drawer and put it on before lifting Mia back up on the chair. At the same time, she wondered who had taught Mia about aprons and that a dish towel could be used in a pinch. “Do you always wear an apron when you cook?”
When Mia nodded, she asked another question. “Do you like to cook?”
That brought a small smile to the little girl’s face. Jody debated asking a few more yes-or-no questions but decided against it for the moment. Mia was clearly excited about getting to help, and pressing for answers might ruin the experience for her. Better to enjoy the moment and hope that Mia would eventually come to trust Jody with her secrets.
She set the oven to preheat and then got out the ingredients they’d need for the muffins. When everything was arranged, she picked up a container of blueberries in one hand and a Granny Smith apple in the other. “What do you think, Mia? Would she like blueberry or apple cinnamon better?”
Mia immediately pointed toward the blueberries. Jody put the apple back in the bowl and set the container of berries down in front of Mia. “Would you like to eat a couple to make sure they’ll make good muffins?”
After carefully picking out three berries, Mia popped them in her mouth. As soon as she swallowed them, she rubbed her tummy and nodded. The little rascal might not talk, but she still managed to get her opinions across.
“Okay, let’s get started.” Jody checked the recipe and then set a measuring cup down next to the carton of berries. Pointing to the line at the top, she said, “Fill this cup with the berries up to here. While you do that, I’ll get the muffin tin ready to use and start working on the dry ingredients.”
Watching Mia as she measured the berries brought back good memories of the times Jody had spent cooking with her own foster mother. She’d been sent to live with Shannon and Lyle Burks in her early teens. It hadn’t been an easy transition for any of them, but Jody gave thanks every day that God had brought the couple into her life. Although the placement was originally meant to be only temporary, Jody had ended up living with them until after she graduated from college and took a job teaching here on the other side of the Cascade Mountains from where the Burks lived.
Thinking about them had her studying her own small charge. She prayed that she’d learned enough from the example they’d set to provide a good home for Mia, even if it turned out to be only a temporary refuge for her.
She smiled when Mia held up the measuring cup for Jody’s inspection. “You did a great job, Mia. Exactly one cup. I see there are a few left over. Should we put them back in the fridge or eat them now?”
Mia considered the matter for all of two seconds before she carefully divided the remaining berries into two equal piles of ten berries each. She waited until Jody nodded before gathering up her share and cramming them all in her mouth at one time. Before picking up her own, Jody tapped Mia on the nose with her finger. “You look like a chipmunk who has stuffed her cheeks with a bunch of nuts.”
Then she picked up half of her own allotment and ate them while Mia eyed the remaining few with undisguised greed. Jody grinned at her. “Go ahead, munchkin. You can have them. Then we’d better get these muffins mixed up and in the oven.”
Thanks to her helper, Jody ended up with almost as much flour on her clothes as in the bowl, but that was fun, too. The coffee was ready and the muffins out of the oven when the front doorbell rang. “That will be Mrs. Caldwell.”
With that announcement, Mia was off and running for her room. Jody was torn between going after her and answering the door. Finally, she decided to invite the caseworker in and then go see what she could do to coax Mia to come meet with the woman.
She took a deep breath and then opened the door. “Please come in. I made coffee, and Mia and I baked some blueberry muffins.”
That announcement clearly pleased her guest. “I’d say you shouldn’t have gone to all that bother, but the truth is I could use a jolt of caffeine about now.”
As Mrs. Caldwell entered the living room, she looked around and frowned. Jody figured she was concerned that Mia wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “Sorry, but she’s in her bedroom. If you’ll have a seat at the kitchen table, I’ll go get her.”
Crossing her fingers things would go smoothly, she headed down the hall to Mia’s room. The only sign that she was even in there was the small sneakered foot jutting out from under the bed. Jody’s heart instantly hurt for the little girl. All things considered, it came as no surprise that she’d be terrified of strangers. Her whole life had been turned upside down, and nothing about her world was normal right now.
Jody perched on the side of the bed but made no effort to physically drag the little girl out of her hiding spot. To do something like that would destroy the fragile bit of trust they’d managed to build over the few days they’d been together.
“Mia, I would like it if you came out from under the bed. You’ve met Mrs. Caldwell before, and she’s a nice lady. Like me, she only wants what’s best for you, and that means she needs to see that I’m taking good care of you.”
No movement. She changed tactics and tried again. “I told her that you’d helped make the muffins. I thought you’d like to be there when she tries one. Wouldn’t that be nice? Of course, you and I will each have one, too. How does that sound?”
The foot disappeared. Jody bit her lip, trying to think of something else that might lure her out. But before she could come up with a single thought, Mia’s head popped out from under the bed. She was lying on her back, so she could look up at Jody. Then she held up two fingers.
What was she trying to tell her? Stupid question. “Yes, you can have two. We’ll all eat one, and then Mrs. Caldwell will want to ask each of us some questions. If you’ll do your best to answer them, then you can have a second one.”
Apparently they had a deal. When Mia wormed her way out from under the bed, Jody held out her hand and let Mia tug her up to her feet. “Okay, are we ready?”
With a quick nod, Mia practically dragged Jody back to the kitchen. Mrs. Caldwell smiled at them both. “I hope you don’t mind, but I helped myself to a cup of coffee. I wasn’t sure how long—” she glanced at Mia and back at Jody “—your hall was, and I thought it might take a while for you to get back here to the kitchen.”
That was tactful. No doubt she was well aware that the kids whose care she oversaw weren’t always glad to see her. “I appreciate your patience. We were negotiating how many muffins Mia gets to eat. She helped me bake them. Even measured the blueberries all by herself.”
“Well, that’s a big-girl thing to do.” Dropping her voice to a low whisper, Mrs. Caldwell nodded her head in Jody’s direction. “Did you help measure the flour, or did Jody manage to spill that much on her apron all on her own?”
