A Cop's Honor. Emilie Rose

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СКАЧАТЬ refusing to make eye contact. Whatever she had to say, it must be big to require this much courage. But a decade of practicing interrogation had taught him the value of silence and patience.

      She swallowed, then her worried brown eyes found his. “Something’s wrong with Mason.”

      Concern jolted through him. “Have you seen a doctor?”

      “He’s not sick. It’s his behavior.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “He’s back-chatting, saying things he shouldn’t. And he’s become increasingly defiant.”

      “Mason’s ten. Puberty’s knocking. With hormones come attitude.”

      Her shoulders slumped. She shook her head. “He was such a good boy until...” She took a deep breath then blew it out again, fluttering her bangs. One lock tangled in her long eyelashes and he had to stifle the sudden urge to brush it away.

      “He’s been in trouble at school.”

      “What kind of trouble?”

      Her cheeks darkened again. “He made inappropriate comments to other students.”

      “Kids talk junk, Hannah. Nothing unusual in that.” He and his friends sure had.

      “No.” She glanced over each shoulder then leaned forward. “His comments were...sexual and crude. I don’t even know where he heard the words he used. Definitely not from me.”

      “Movies? Internet?”

      She shook her head. “I don’t have cable TV and I’m very careful about what I allow him to watch, and I always supervise his internet time.”

      All good. “What about from the men you date?”

      “I don’t date!”

      Her shock at his question seemed genuine, and the rings would be off-putting to most guys. How long would it take for Hannah to move on? He hated to think Rick would be replaced, but Hannah was attractive, in great shape and only thirty. It was inevitable.

      “He probably has a girlfriend.”

      “He’s ten!”

      “They start early these days, Hannah.”

      Her gaze bounced to his then volleyed away again. She bit her lip. “I don’t think it’s a girl.”

      “What makes you so sure?”

      “Because if I didn’t make him do so he’d never brush his teeth, shower or change his clothes.”

      “Good point. Discovering girls would encourage him to improve his hygiene, and care about his appearance. Have you spoken to his teachers or the school counselor?”

      “Yes. They don’t have any idea of the cause. But... Brandon, they’re threatening to expel him if he doesn’t straighten up and I can’t... I can’t guarantee that he will. He’s a handful. Even for me.”

      “Have you asked him about sexual abuse?”

      She flinched. “Yes. I did. It was an...awkward conversation. He swears no one has touched him inappropriately. And I don’t know where it could have happened...if it had. I don’t leave him unattended or let him go anywhere that I haven’t thoroughly checked out.”

      “There’s always church and day care.”

      “Both places have excellent reputations, and there are always two adults in the rooms.”

      “If this has been going on for a while, why are you calling me now, Hannah? What aren’t you telling me?”

      She swallowed, inhaled and glanced around again. “You can’t say anything about this to anyone. Okay? It could...cause problems.” He nodded, knowing if a crime had been committed he’d break the promise. “Mason tried to sneak out Wednesday night.”

      That could be cause for alarm, but it could also just be Mason acting like an adolescent. “I snuck out plenty of times as a kid—usually to go somewhere with Rick. What did he have with him?”

      “His backpack.”

      “What was in it?”

      She blinked. “I don’t know.”

      “Didn’t you look?”

      “No. That’s a violation of privacy.”

      “You’re his parent, not his pal. Privacy is a privilege that must be earned.” Or so his parents always claimed.

      “I disagree. To teach respect you must show it.”

      “When he’s thirty. Right now he’s a kid with problems. You have probable cause and the right to search.”

      “You sound like a cop.”

      “Because I am one. Either you want my help or you don’t.”

      She tipped her head back to stare at the dense leaf canopy. Then she swallowed and met his gaze. “Do you know how hard it was for me to call you? I wouldn’t have if I’d had anyone else.”

      Regret twisted through him at the agony on her face. Talking to Hannah had once been almost as easy as talking to one of his sisters. She’d always been smart, informed and funny. “What about your dad or Rick’s parents?”

      Her mother had never been part of the picture. Rick hadn’t told Brandon why.

      “Dad’s stationed in Italy right now. He’s too far away to visit us more than once a year, and our parenting views...differ. Rick’s parents think I’m a horrible mother. They fuss continually because my kids are ‘ill-mannered and don’t respect others’ property.’ Once a month we visit them or they come here, but...it’s not a good relationship no matter how hard I try to fix it.”

      Some things never changed. On his few visits to Rick’s house he’d learned not to touch anything. “I take it their house is still full of priceless collectibles?”

      “Yes. In the Leiths’ eyes I don’t do anything right, and neither do my kids. Mason and Belle hate visiting them. But I want them to know their grandparents. I always lived too far away to see mine, and then they were gone and it was too late.”

      “What you’re saying is, Rick’s parents are still uptight pains in the ass?”

      She grimaced. “Pretty much. They keep pushing me to move closer so they can watch the kids when they’re not in school. What they really want to do is ‘fix them.’ But I don’t want to leave our home.”

      Her gaze bounced away. He waited, suspecting the speech she was formulating in her mind would be the core reason she’d called him.

      Worry-clouded eyes found his. “The Leiths miss their son, and they’re clinging to my children as a replacement—especially Mrs. Leith. When she heard about Mason’s troubles at school she insisted her precious СКАЧАТЬ