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Authors: Sherryl Woods
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he’d be all that sympathetic. Besides, you just said he’s here to send me home. I’m not going, not ever.”
“He’d only insist on it if it’s the right thing to do.” She met Kendra’s gaze. “Do you trust me?”
Kendra nodded.
“Okay, then. Here’s the honest truth,” she began, reassured by Alice’s expressed belief that this was the truth in her view, too. “Daniel Devaney and I have our issues, but when it comes to helping kids with their problems, he’s one of the best. No one’s better at defending a kid if the parents are being neglectful or mean. He knows what that’s like.”
Kendra regarded her with shock. “His parents sent him away?”
“No, that’s not exactly what happened, and it’s something he should tell you about, not me. But he will understand—I can promise you that.” She didn’t like giving Daniel credit for anything, but she’d seen him spend too many sleepless nights worrying about his cases not to believe that. That’s why his persistence now, as annoying as she found it, was both predictable and reassuring.
Kendra nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“You could tell me the rest of the story, and I could talk to him, if that would be easier.”
Kendra shook her head. “You’ve been great. You’ve let me stay here and you haven’t asked any questions. Not too many, anyway.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I know you think I’m too young to be off on my own, but it’s better this way, believe me.” She swiped impatiently at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. “If I’m too much trouble, I can go. It’s just that this is the first place I’ve felt really safe since I left home. You and Retta and Leslie Sue, you’ve been like family.”
“Oh, sweetie, you could never be too much trouble. I just want to do what’s right. Your parents have to be sick with worry. And you’re missing school.”
“I’ve got books in my backpack. I don’t need some teacher to tell me what’s in ’em. Besides, if Mr. Devaney really knows I’m here, even though you haven’t admitted it, don’t you think my parents have been told I’m okay?” she asked.
“I doubt it,” Molly replied. “Otherwise your folks would be demanding to see you.”
Unless, of course, he and Joe Sutton knew morethan they’d been letting on. Maybe that’s why they hadn’t made a major issue of Kendra’s continued—if unacknowledged—presence. They could easily have served Molly with a subpoena for harboring a missing minor or used some other legal tactic if they wanted to play hardball. There had to be some reason why they hadn’t. Whatever their reason was, Molly needed to know.
Much as she hated the idea of getting drawn into this any more deeply with Daniel, maybe it was time she made an alliance with one of the men to protect this fragile young girl.
Kendra was watching her intently. “What are you thinking?”
“That maybe it’s time I got a little friendlier with the other camp.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Kendra said worriedly. “What are you going to do?”
“You know the expression ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?”’
“Yeah, so?”
Molly gave Kendra a jaunty, reassuring smile and declared, “I’m going to make Daniel Devaney and Joe Sutton my new best friends.”
Chapter Five
M olly intended to start her new plan by going to see Joe Sutton. After all, Joe was about as close to a neutral party in this mess as she was going to find. But when she called his office at police headquarters, she was told he was out for the day on an investigation.
“If it’s an emergency, I can track him down,” the officer who’d answered his phone told her.
“No, thanks. I’ll call back later if I need him,” she said.
She hung up slowly and debated whether to wait for Joe or go to see Daniel instead. Because she didn’t like the nagging little voice in her head shouting that she was a coward, she decided to go to
“He’d only insist on it if it’s the right thing to do.” She met Kendra’s gaze. “Do you trust me?”
Kendra nodded.
“Okay, then. Here’s the honest truth,” she began, reassured by Alice’s expressed belief that this was the truth in her view, too. “Daniel Devaney and I have our issues, but when it comes to helping kids with their problems, he’s one of the best. No one’s better at defending a kid if the parents are being neglectful or mean. He knows what that’s like.”
Kendra regarded her with shock. “His parents sent him away?”
“No, that’s not exactly what happened, and it’s something he should tell you about, not me. But he will understand—I can promise you that.” She didn’t like giving Daniel credit for anything, but she’d seen him spend too many sleepless nights worrying about his cases not to believe that. That’s why his persistence now, as annoying as she found it, was both predictable and reassuring.
Kendra nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“You could tell me the rest of the story, and I could talk to him, if that would be easier.”
Kendra shook her head. “You’ve been great. You’ve let me stay here and you haven’t asked any questions. Not too many, anyway.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I know you think I’m too young to be off on my own, but it’s better this way, believe me.” She swiped impatiently at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. “If I’m too much trouble, I can go. It’s just that this is the first place I’ve felt really safe since I left home. You and Retta and Leslie Sue, you’ve been like family.”
“Oh, sweetie, you could never be too much trouble. I just want to do what’s right. Your parents have to be sick with worry. And you’re missing school.”
“I’ve got books in my backpack. I don’t need some teacher to tell me what’s in ’em. Besides, if Mr. Devaney really knows I’m here, even though you haven’t admitted it, don’t you think my parents have been told I’m okay?” she asked.
“I doubt it,” Molly replied. “Otherwise your folks would be demanding to see you.”
Unless, of course, he and Joe Sutton knew morethan they’d been letting on. Maybe that’s why they hadn’t made a major issue of Kendra’s continued—if unacknowledged—presence. They could easily have served Molly with a subpoena for harboring a missing minor or used some other legal tactic if they wanted to play hardball. There had to be some reason why they hadn’t. Whatever their reason was, Molly needed to know.
Much as she hated the idea of getting drawn into this any more deeply with Daniel, maybe it was time she made an alliance with one of the men to protect this fragile young girl.
Kendra was watching her intently. “What are you thinking?”
“That maybe it’s time I got a little friendlier with the other camp.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Kendra said worriedly. “What are you going to do?”
“You know the expression ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?”’
“Yeah, so?”
Molly gave Kendra a jaunty, reassuring smile and declared, “I’m going to make Daniel Devaney and Joe Sutton my new best friends.”
Chapter Five
M olly intended to start her new plan by going to see Joe Sutton. After all, Joe was about as close to a neutral party in this mess as she was going to find. But when she called his office at police headquarters, she was told he was out for the day on an investigation.
“If it’s an emergency, I can track him down,” the officer who’d answered his phone told her.
“No, thanks. I’ll call back later if I need him,” she said.
She hung up slowly and debated whether to wait for Joe or go to see Daniel instead. Because she didn’t like the nagging little voice in her head shouting that she was a coward, she decided to go to
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