Forever Beach (30 page)

“Just say you'll think about it.”

“I'll think about it.” And she walked away.

“Hey, Rees. Want to go for a walk on the boardwalk tonight? Maybe catch one of the concerts on the beach?”

Reesa stuttered to a stop. Turned around.

“I know you've been going to the beach. We could go there together.”

The beach? A concert? Michael?
“That would be nice.”

“Pick you up around seven?”

“Okay.”

He nodded, turned, and walked away.

Reesa watched for a second then headed for her car. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

T
HAT AFTERNOON
R
ANDY
called Sarah back. He was having trouble getting an information hearing scheduled. Like he reiterated, judges were out of town, a lot of the social service people were taking a much needed break. He finally got something for the beginning of September. Until then they would just have to make the best of it.

Fine. Sarah just wouldn't turn her over to Carmen on the following Saturday. She'd say she had a temperature or something. They couldn't expect the kid to go for a visit if she were
sick. That might work for one visit, but probably not more than one. She could take them away—not run away.

Like Wyatt said, that would be hard on everyone, not to mention illegal. But they could drive to Cape May, or Florida for hell's sake. But she'd have to petition the court to be allowed to leave, and that would be more paperwork, and with so many people on vacation it would probably take weeks.

She began to get frantic.

W
HEN THE MAIL
arrived Wednesday morning, Sarah gathered it up without thinking, then she saw the official envelope. Her world turned upside down, and dread rose in waves of nausea up her body. What could it possibly be this time?

She tore open the envelope, like a bandage on a healing wound. Show no mercy, snatch the skin away when you pull.

It was a court order: a stay on the unsupervised visits. Sarah read it twice. Looked at the date to make sure it hadn't been lost in the mail for months and was out of date.

A stay on visits until the next hearing. Randy had come through, after all. She'd maligned him, and she should have trusted him.

She called to tell him so. “I just received a stay for the unsupervised visits. I don't know how you did it. But thank you.”

“What stay? What are you talking about?”

“From Judge Whitaker.”

“This is the first I've heard of it.”

“You aren't responsible?”

“No.”

Was it some kind of sick joke? Sarah looked at the paper again. It looked official.

“You haven't been sent a copy?”

“No. But my mail hasn't come yet today.”

But then who? Danny maybe. But did he have the clout to get a judge to reverse his decision, even if only temporarily. Reesa? She might have the judge's ear. Could the judge have possibly done it himself, but why? He didn't know about the last Saturday visit. Maybe he had learned something to Carmen's discredit.

She didn't want to wish the woman ill, but Sarah had had enough. She'd been patient, she'd cooperated, now she wanted to be Leila's mother.

Well, whoever it was, she thanked the person with all her heart. Sarah and Leila had a reprieve, at least long enough for someone to investigate Carmen's most recent activity.

Sarah called Karen and told her the news. Then Reesa. But she had to leave a message because her call went to voice mail. She didn't even know who else to call. She wanted to call Wyatt, but she was afraid to welcome him into their lives again because it was just a momentary stay.

It wouldn't last. And she didn't think either of them could handle another rift. So she kept quiet and hoped he would drop by. He didn't.

Sarah imagined him diving with Caitlyn, who knew how to swim. Her hair probably didn't even look bad when it got wet.

So she didn't call. She just breathed a huge sigh of relief, stuck her tongue out at the wall calendar as she walked by. Then she went back and pulled the sticker off next Saturday's box and took Leila for ice cream.

Her phone rang while they were sitting at one of the tables outside the ice cream parlor. It was Reesa. Maybe she'd heard the good news.

“Hey. I guess you got the notice.”

“What notice?”

“The stay from unsupervised visitations until another hearing is scheduled. I called to thank Randy for managing it, but he said he didn't. He couldn't even get an info hearing until the end of the month.”

“Wow. That's interesting. That's great. I wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Nothing. I just called to ask if it would be possible for Ilona Cartwright to meet Leila tomorrow? Around three when she gets home from school.”

“She doesn't— Why does she want to meet her?” Sarah asked, suddenly suspicious.

“Because she's her legal ad litem. It's customary to do so. It is usually a good idea for her to get to know the child . . . and see how she's living. It could work in your favor.”

Sarah doubted that.

“I'll accompany her, if you like.”

Sarah considered. “All right, tomorrow at three. Oh, how did your hearing go?”

“Good; well, as good as could be expected. All three boys go on permanency. The baby might even have a chance of a decent life. Gotta run. See you tomorrow.”

“Right.” Sarah hung up. Maybe she should hurry home and clean. She stopped herself. Her cottage was clean enough. It was a good place to live, and she had a feeling no matter how much she scrubbed, Ilona Cartwright would make her own conclusions and they'd be based more on her hatred of Sarah than on any state the house was in.

S
TILL, THE NEXT
morning Sarah cleaned house. She sat Leila down and explained how Reesa was bringing another lady
over to say hello and that she would probably ask some questions.

She watched as Leila went from calm to wary.

Sarah took a breath. Dare she tell Leila she wouldn't have to go to Carmen's on Saturday? She was just on edge enough, just superstitious enough to be afraid that it would blow up in her face. She took the chance.

“And you can spend Saturday here instead of going to Carmen's. Would you like that?”

Leila narrowed her eyes at Sarah, and for a moment Sarah was afraid she was going to say she wanted to go. But the moment passed.

Sarah made sure Leila took a nap so she wouldn't be cranky and skittish when Ilona came, though the lawyer was enough to make anyone cranky. Sarah took the time to work on an old pocket watch that had been wound so tight that the mainspring had broken.
Wyatt's words.
Clocks broke when they were wound too tight, and so did people.

She pulled the jeweler's loupe over her eye and went to work. The repair went quickly and Sarah found herself reaching for Mrs. Bridges's violin clock. Sarah managed to realign the mechanisms so that they lined up correctly to the brass plate. She carefully screwed the mechanism to the plate, and it slid neatly into the cavity of the clock. Holding the plate steady with one hand, she secured it in place.

The doorbell rang. Sarah looked up. It was only 2:30. They were early. Damn. She quickly finished attaching the mechanism so that it would not shift until she could give it her full attention. With any luck Mrs. Bridges would have her clock back by the end of the week.

She turned off the work lamp, pulled off the loupe, and hurried to the front of the house. The bell rang again.

Leila was still napping. Damn. She would be shy and groggy when Ilona met her. Well, she'd have to offer them tea or something while she woke Leila and gave her time to be fully awake.

She opened the door. “Sorry, I was in the—”

“Where's my baby? Where's Leila?”

Carmen Delgado pushed past Sarah, stopped in the middle of the living room, and called, “Leila, Leila, honey, Mama's here. I've come to take you home.”

“Carmen. You can't do this. You really need to leave.” Sarah reached in her pocket for her phone to call 911, then realized it was on her worktable in the back room.

“I want my baby.”

Carmen's words were slurred. She was either drunk or on drugs. Back where she started. And Sarah felt almost as sad for Carmen as she was relieved for Leila and herself.

Carmen started toward the bedrooms, but the drugs had made her cumbersome, and Sarah beat her to the doorway. She braced her hands on the doorjambs to bar the way.

“Carmen, listen to me. You can't take her this way.”

“I want my baby.”

Sarah felt Leila come up behind her and press her body into her side. “Go back to your room,” Sarah said as gently as she could muster. Leila didn't move.

“Come here, baby. Mama loves you. We can go home, just come with me.”

Sarah felt Leila's head shake; she started to tremble.

“Please, Carmen. You're scaring her. We can talk about this later.”

“No talk. They sent me a letter. You're all against me. Come here, Leila.”

Her slur was getting worse. Whatever drugs she was on were taking effect.

“Give me my baby.” Carmen threw herself at Sarah, knocking her backward. Leila screamed and ran past Carmen. Carmen grabbed for her, but Sarah regained her feet and lunged to stop her.

Sarah knew Leila wouldn't be able to get out of the house. The doors were childproofed. From the corner of her eye she saw Leila veer to the left. Sarah knew where she was going. To hide behind Sam's chair.

“Bitch, you steal my baby.”

“Carmen, you can't take care of her right now. You need to get yourself straight. You can visit anytime you want.” She hoped to hell Leila wasn't listening to this lie. “I'll take really good care of her.”

Carmen twisted out of Sarah's grasp. “Leila, get out here. We're goin' home.”

Sarah could hear Leila whimpering behind the chair. So could Carmen.

She grabbed the back of the chair and dragged it out of the way. It toppled over, leaving Leila exposed.

“No!” Sarah cried. She rushed at Carmen. Carmen turned, her arm extended, and hit Sarah across her shoulders. Sarah flew back, her head cracked against the wall; she heard the tinkle of glass as a vase hit the floor and the world went black.

R
eesa and Ilona pulled into a parking space outside Sarah's cottage. They'd gone to interview Carmen first but were told she hadn't shown up for work that day. Her supervisor was pretty angry. The company had given Carmen a chance on the recommendation of the Child Protection and Permanency staff.

He
was upset. Reesa was worried.

Ilona suggested they go to her apartment, but Reesa convinced her to go straight to Sarah's. They were a few minutes early.

“She may be at the bus picking Leila up, but if she hasn't left yet, it will give you a chance to talk to her.”

Ilona nodded.

Reesa wondered what was going on.

Ilona had been particularly quiet since she'd arrived. Sure, the two of them had not parted on very good terms, but it wasn't like Ilona to hold a grudge. They'd had differences of opinion before.

Reesa had tried to talk about it and apologize for her own behavior though she didn't really mean it. And she didn't trust Ilona even today.

Reesa got out of the car, and Ilona reached into the back for her briefcase. Reesa didn't have hers today. Just as well, it would be her beast, to Ilona's beauty.

They went up the short walk to the cottage single file.

The minute Reesa stepped on the porch, she knew something was wrong. The front door was open. Sarah never left the door open.

She held out her hand to stop Ilona and stepped just inside the door. Sarah's favorite reading chair lay on its side, a shelf had been overturned, and broken glass was scattered at its base.

Sarah lay crumpled on the floor nearby.

“Sarah!” Reesa rushed to her, fell to her knees, and felt for a pulse.

Sarah groaned.

“Thank God.”

Sarah's eyes opened, shut again. Flew open. “Reesa?” She tried to move, yelped, and fell back. “My head.”

“I'll call an ambulance,” Ilona said.

“No.”

“Too late.”

Sarah bolted upright. “Leila.”

Reesa looked around. “She's still at school.”

“No. She didn't go to school. I took her out for the last two weeks. Leila.”

“She was here?”

“Yes. Carmen came. Oh God. Where is she?” Sarah struggled to get up.

“Stay put.” Reesa motioned to Ilona. “Check the kitchen and the back workshop.”

Feeling a dread that she thought she'd left behind, Reesa went to search the bedrooms. Leila's room was neat, just a couple of books on the bed, but no Leila.

She checked the bathroom, calling Leila's name. She could hear Ilona calling from the other side of the cottage. When she went back to the living room, Sarah had somehow gotten to her feet and was leaning up against the wall. She saw Reesa and staggered toward her.

“We've got to get her back. Carmen took her. She was high and getting higher. She kept saying ‘I want my baby.' I tried to reason with her . . .” She trailed off, put a hand to her forehead, which was bleeding into her eye.

Reesa uprighted the chair and sat her down.

“No. I have to find her.”

“Ilona has called the police. They'll find her. Sit here and let me get some ice for your head.”

“But I have to.”

“We will, but you can't do anything in this condition.”

Reesa passed Ilona in the kitchen. And for the most bizarre moment, she wondered if Ilona had orchestrated this. She shook the thought from her head. She needed to stay rational. God knew Sarah wouldn't be.

She got ice from the fridge, dumped it into a plastic bag, and wrapped it in a towel.

When she got back, Ilona was leaning down in front of Sarah, holding her hand. Reesa did a double take; she didn't get that woman at all. “Here.” She handed Ilona the ice. Reesa heard the siren and she went outside to meet them.

They all arrived at once, EMTs, two squad cars, and a fire
truck. Before they got out of their cars, the sidewalks began to fill with curious people, residents and tourists.

“Inside, in the living room, possible concussion,” she said to the EMTs, then stayed to accompany the police inside. She identified herself and explained about the possible kidnapping. “We searched the house, it's the only explanation. The bio mother came and wanted her child. We're pretty sure she kidnapped her.”

The officer blew out air. “Can you describe her?”

“Her name is Carmen Delgado, she's about five four, one hundred sixty-five pounds, a known drug addict, who we thought had been rehabilitated. According to Sarah over there, she was back on drugs and demanding her daughter.”

“And she's responsible for Ms. Hargreave's injury?”

“Yes, that is my understanding.”

He looked past Reesa to the doorway. “I'm sorry, sir, you can't—” His expression changed. “Wyatt. You have an interest here?”

“Two interests.” Wyatt said no more, just strode across the room and knelt down by Sarah.

She started to cry.

“I heard the sirens. What happened? Sarah”—he said it sharply enough to make Reesa and the officer turn toward him—“pull yourself together and tell me what happened.”

“So that's Sarah,” the officer said and left Reesa to listen to what Sarah was saying.

Reesa followed him over, glad that Wyatt knew so many people in town and that he was well respected. He might get them to move faster on finding Leila.

The EMT had bandaged Sarah's head. But when he tried
to put her on a gurney to take her to the hospital, she refused. “Don't ask me to go. I have to find her.” She was looking at Wyatt.

He motioned for the EMT to step away. After a brief discussion, the EMT returned with a form for Sarah to sign, then they left, taking an empty gurney with them.

“I told them I would be responsible for you. So I'm sticking to you like glue. No arguments.”

The police officer in charge came over to Ilona. “And who are you?”

She told him. He exchanged looks with Wyatt. “You sure fly in high circles,” he said under his breath.

“Do you know what kind of car this Ms. Delgado drives?”

No one did.

“I know she takes the bus to work,” Reesa said. “I wasn't aware that she had a car.”

“Probably borrowed. And you didn't see it?”

Sarah shook her head, winced.

He took some more information, sent another officer to run identification on Carmen and with orders to send another unit to Carmen's house.

“But if she's not back yet, and she sees them, she won't go home. And we'll never find them.”

“Yes, we will,” Wyatt said.

“I'll send an unmarked to check on it.” The officer took everyone's cell numbers, including Carmen's, which Ilona had because she had brought her files with her. He told Sarah to call him if she heard anything and left.

Sarah pushed to her feet.

“Where are you going?”

“To find my keys.”

“Wait here. I'll get my Rover. You're in no shape to be running around.”

“We'll never get her to sit still,” Reesa said. “Get her some water. We'll take my car.”

“Somebody needs to stay here in case Carmen comes back.”

Wyatt and Reesa turned to look at Ilona.

“Not me. You may need legal advice. I'm coming, too.”

Reesa frowned, nodded. And reached for her phone.

Wyatt and Ilona began helping Sarah outside.

Reesa caught up with them at the car. “I called Karen, and she's on her way over. She'll man the phones here, and in case Carmen returns, there will be someone Leila knows. The police will leave someone to watch the house. She'll be perfectly safe.”

They settled Sarah in the front seat, and Wyatt and Ilona climbed in the back.

C
ARMEN LIVED IN
a complex of cheap apartments subsidized by the government for people on their (hopefully) way up. They gave a nod to home life by being designed like little box houses attached like paper dolls.

Wyatt scanned the street. “Which one is hers?” he asked.

Reesa pointed it out. The neighborhood was marginal at best, but all seemed quiet for a change.

As they watched, two men in shirtsleeves walked out from behind the complex.

Wyatt leaned forward. “Cops.”

“Yeah, I recognize one of them,” Reesa said. “They do a lot of work for family services.”

“They didn't go inside?” Sarah said. Her voice sounded weak to Reesa. She hoped Wyatt knew what he was doing by not insisting Sarah go to the hospital.

“Not without a warrant or probable cause.”

“Kidnapping is probable cause,” Sarah said.

“True, but it doesn't look like anyone's home. They'll leave an unmarked to watch the place.”

The cops walked to the street.

Sarah reached for the car door.

Reesa held her back.

“I just want to ask them.”

“You're a civilian and they'll send you home. Is that what you want?”

Sarah sat back and looked around to Wyatt.

He nodded confirmation.

The unmarked pulled away.

“But hello.” Reesa rolled down her window as a skateboarder whizzed by them. “Bobby Carter. Hey, Bobby!”

The kid flipped his board and skated back. Then he saw Reesa, and came to a stop before turning again and taking off.

“Damn,” Reesa said. “He thinks he's in trouble.”

Wyatt was out of the car before anyone could stop him.

“God, don't hurt him,” Ilona exclaimed from the backseat.

Reesa sighed. “Sorry. I scared him. I know him from his foster days. He probably thought I was going to pick him up.”

The three women watched as Wyatt ran after the skater, calling his name.

“What's he doing?”

“I don't know,” Reesa said.

“I hope he's not planning on physical force,” Ilona said.

“Shh,” Sarah and Reesa warned.

Wyatt caught up to the boy and ran alongside him until the skater stopped and flipped his board up to his hand.

Wyatt nodded in the direction of Carmen's apartment. The kid shrugged. Wyatt said something. The kid looked around. Wyatt moved in front of him, blocking him from view of the street.

A minute later Wyatt walked nonchalantly back to the car. The kid dropped his board and skated away.

“What was that about?” Reesa asked. “Did you buy drugs from that kid for information?”

“Didn't have to,” Wyatt said. “I sell diving and surfing equipment, but I keep spare skate parts for the local kids. I didn't recognize him until you said his name.”

“What did you find out?” Sarah asked.

“Carmen's been seeing a dealer, street name Hatch. Real name DeShawn.”

“That's him. Oh God, we have to find her.”

“Did he know where we can find this Hatch person?” Ilona asked.

“He lives in the projects. I don't have a last name, but the police should be able to run him pretty fast.” Wyatt was already on his phone to his buddy on the case, asking him to run a check on DeShawn, street name Hatch.

Sarah was looking at him like she had just had a revelation. “Thanks. You're amazing. You all are.”

Reesa pulled away from the curb.

“Where are we going?” Ilona asked.

“The projects,” Reesa said. “No arguments.”

No one said anything for the next few minutes, but when they turned down Quincy Street, Wyatt leaned over the seat.

“You let me out and keep driving down to the end of the block and wait. I'll see what I can find out. But I don't want you or . . .” He flicked a look toward Sarah. “Around if there's trouble.”

Reesa slowed down. Wyatt jumped out. So did Sarah.

Reesa stopped the car.

Wyatt grabbed Sarah as she reached the sidewalk. “Dammit, Sarah, get in the car.”

“No. I'm going with you.”

“Then so am I.” Reesa swerved to the curb and stopped in front of a fire hydrant. She turned to Ilona. “Think you can drive this old heap to the corner?”

“Me? I can, but I won't. You're not going in there without me. God knows what kind of trouble you all will get into.”

“Hell, I do this all the time.”

Ilona opened the door. “Are you gonna sit here talking or are you going to save that child?”

“Well, hell.” Reesa jimmied her CP&P card out of her purse, scribbled Dowd removal, and slapped it on the dashboard. She locked the car, not that that would stop anyone wanting to get in, and followed Ilona, who was already running up the sidewalk as fast as her lawyer shoes would let her.

Ahead Reesa could see Sarah and Wyatt talking to someone who pointed toward one of the doors. Reesa hurried toward them, praying this would not turn out to be a tragedy of déjà vu.

Wyatt and Sarah entered one of the buildings. Reesa and Ilona rushed to catch up, but the door swung closed before they could get there.

“Damn,” Ilona said. “Now what do we do?”

Reesa yanked on the door. It opened. The lock was broken—they always were.

Reesa barreled inside, not the smartest move, but she was beyond caring. She heard Ilona gasp as they came to a stop in a dank, fetid hallway. “If you're going to be sick, go outside and wait across the street.”

Ilona shook her head but put her hand over her mouth and nose.

The hallway was empty, except for the smell. Reesa took the stairs to the second floor, Ilona clattering up the stairs behind her.

She reached the next floor and saw Wyatt and Sarah at the far end. Wyatt was knocking on the door, yelling Hatch's name.

“Open up now. I want the kid.”

Reesa ran toward them, rummaging for her identification. “Child Protection!” she yelled through the door. “Open up!”

No answer. But she knew they were there. She knew it to the very core of her being. “Open this door, or I'll have to call the police.”

No answer. Sarah started banging both fists on the door.