A Case of the Heart (8 page)

Scotty half smiled and shook his head again.

“All right, but if you change your mind, come out and play a game?”

“No, thanks.”

“Okay, Scotty. Call me if you need anything.” Alex gave him a pat to his shoulder and went in to join Jimmy and John for a game of UNO.

Jimmy started bouncing in his seat when he saw Alex. John dealt out the cards and they began the game. Alex periodically looked over at the doorway, hoping Scotty would change his mind and join them, but he never did. Alex was so distracted he got beat, even by Jimmy.

Jimmy frowned and put his hands on his little hips. “You lost on purpose.”

Alex looked at the mass of cards he had in his hands and Jimmy and John’s empty hands. “No, I
really
didn’t.”

Jimmy’s eyebrows shot up. “Then you’re
really
bad at this game.” He began to scoop up the cards as John and Alex enjoyed a good laugh.

Chapter Eleven

Whittier Elementary was located near an area called Five Points. It was close to an intersection east of downtown where five streets intersect. The neighborhood had not been kept up and now showed its age.

Scotty and Jimmy both attended this school, so Liz could get a lot of information at one time. She entered the front office and immediately felt the activity level.

Liz handed her business card to the woman behind the desk and asked if she could speak to the principal. The tall woman in a pink sweater and gray skirt acted as if it were routine to see Social Service workers on a daily basis. Unfortunately, she probably did.

Liz sat down and waited, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, taking in the feel of the place. Three women sat up front, each behind an old, wooden desk. One woman’s phone rang constantly. What calls she couldn’t get, the other one behind her would take on backup.

The third took the walk-ins. Many children were in and out, needing the phone or asking to see the nurse. Parents came in as well. They would pick up their children, or drop items off for them. She felt as if she were on a merry-go-round that never stopped.

A tall slender man stepped out of his office. The woman at the front desk pointed to Liz. He walked over to her and offered his hand and pulled her along as they shook.

“Ms. Adams.” He was cordial but rushed.

She understood. It was just the way the school functioned.

His office was drab and bare. The only contents were his desk, one chair and a table piled high with papers next to a huge filing cabinet.

They went over the basics of her visit, and he got on his phone and requested the boys’ teachers come in. The confidentiality agreement between schools and Social Services helped move the process along.

Scotty’s teacher was a very poised and cooperative young woman. “We haven’t had any real problems with Scotty, an occasional tardy or minor playground infraction, but nothing serious.”

The school social worker didn’t have much information on the family. “There are so many families with extreme needs that sometimes the families with less pressing issues got lost between the cracks.”

Liz understood, having the same problem—too many needs and not enough caseworkers.

Jimmy’s teacher, Ms Clement, hadn’t added any information to this point but added, “I’ve been informed of the foster care situation. But that’s all I’m aware of.”

Liz asked Scotty’s teacher, Ms Smith, about the problems on the playground.

“He was talking to a young man on the other side of the playground fence. The man appeared to be angry, and then I heard him yelling. That’s when I told Scotty to move away, but he wouldn’t listen. I kept telling him until he finally came over. I had to give him a detention because of that.”

“When did this happen?”

The teacher sat back and thought about it for a moment. “It’s happened a couple of times. The last time was just the other day.”

“Do you have any idea who this guy is?”

“No. I’ve seen him hanging around quite a bit, though.”

Jimmy’s teacher nodded as well.

“Could you give the police a description of him?”

She hesitated and maneuvered herself to the edge of her chair. “I could try.”

Liz called Alex to arrange for her to come down to the station to make a composite.

“If you can think of anything further, please contact me.”

As Liz left, she noticed the kids on the playground. She stopped and watched them play a game of tag and noticed a young man who looked a lot like Pirelli on the other side of the fence. He seemed to be waiting for someone. She walked closer to talk with him or at least get a better look, but as soon as he saw her he turned and started walking away.

“Pirelli.”

He stopped and turned around, and surprised Liz by approaching her. She went from the pursuer to being pursued. Liz held her ground and kept her feet planted and eyes fixed.

“You’re the sosh that got me arrested the other night.” His frosty blue eyes looked down at her, chilling her to the bone.

Liz hated the term
sosh
. Only lowlifes or egomaniacs called social workers that. “No, I was doing another investigation.” She tried her best to keep her voice from shaking by scowling at him. She would at least look the part even if she didn’t feel it.

“Yeah, to take Carrie’s brothers away.” He was in her face now, staring at her with unblinking eyes.

“Called me lately, Pirelli?” It was worth a shot.

“Do I have a reason to?” His blond hair hung down in his face, slightly covering his clear, blue eyes.

Liz was almost too embarrassed to call Alex. Almost, but she was tired of being intimidated, so she pulled out her cell phone and pushed send.

He did an about-face. “You best stay away. You got nothing on me,” he yelled over his shoulder. He started walking faster and soon was into a jog. A shiny, black Navigator came roaring toward them, fast.

Liz turned and started running. Her only chance was to get through an opening between the two metal chain link fences that led into the playground.

The car tires hit the curb. Adrenaline pushed her into a level of speed she never knew she had. Liz flew through those two fences so fast she didn’t instantly feel the metal tear into her flesh as she whizzed by. Liz stopped and became aware that she was the brunt of his sick attempt to scare her.

Pirelli stepped into the SUV and stuck his head out the window, laughing. “Tell Demas I’m looking for him.”

The driver hit the gas and sped off with Pirelli mocking her as they drove away.

Liz walked to her car, feeling the throb on her leg, and even worse, the sting of embarrassment that she let herself fall into Pirelli’s game.

She pulled up her pant leg to take a look. A two-inch gash with jagged edges protruded the skin, blood flowed freely from the wound. She took some Kleenex tissues from the glove compartment and held them on the wound.

Her hand shook from the adrenaline that still flowed through her, as she moved the tissues off the wound. The blood quickly soaked through the wad of tissue. She applied more tissues and pressure, and then sat in silence catching her breath. Her cell phone rang startling her. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw Alex’s name on the caller ID.

“Did you just call?”

Liz had forgotten that she made a call and must have disconnected sometime during the chase. “Yeah. You didn’t hold Pirelli?”

“No. He has a record, but I didn’t have anything to charge him with the other night. Why are you breathing so hard?”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly to try and steady her breathing. “I just ran into him at the Harris boys’ school.”

“Are you okay?” His questioning tone sounded as if he knew there was more than she was telling.

“Yeah. Pirelli told me to stay away from him. I think I will.” Her nerves started to settle and her body relaxed.

“Okay, I want to know what your schedule is so I can keep tabs on you when I’m not on a call.”

“You don’t need to do that.” Actually, she was glad to hear his suggestion. She just had too much pride to admit it.

“I can’t believe you’re even trying to disagree with me about this.” He didn’t hide his agitation.

“Okay, sorry. It’s probably a good idea.”

He sighed. “Trust me, I’ll sleep much better. How about meeting me for something to eat? We can go over your agenda for the next couple of days.” It wasn’t a question.

She needed to make a quick recovery and tried to think of someplace that would give her some time to stop sweating and bleeding. “I can be at Chicken Express in twenty minutes.”

“You read my mind.” Despite worrying over her, he seemed to be in good spirits.

She’d have to keep the light conversation because he wouldn’t like the cut on her leg, or more so, how she got it.

She was almost to the red and white sign with the flying chicken when she noticed a cop behind her. She couldn’t see in the car but figured it was Alex so she ignored him, until she heard the siren. She pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car as Officer Dixon methodically pulled himself out of his car.

He was the only cop she knew who was always completely decked out. Nightstick, flashlight, handcuffs, radio and every clip holder full, made him unlike most cops that would take only what they needed for each call. He adjusted his hat and tugged at a glove as he strolled over.

Dixon thought her department took up too much of their time and paper work. Dark eyes turned down at the ends as he sarcastically smiled at her. “Well, if it isn’t one of the bleeding hearts.”

He carefully took out a toothpick from some secret compartment in his belt, sticking it in his mouth.

“Officer Dixon.”

“You shouldn’t ignore a cop. That’s evading an officer. You could get a ticket for that. And you were speeding.” His toothpick appeared in the corner of his mouth followed by a slight curl of his lips. He took out his pad and pen.

“I thought you were Demas, that’s why I ignored the siren.”

He put pen to paper without answering.

She pinched her eyebrows together and was about to say something she shouldn’t when the swift whine of another siren made her pause. Alex’s black and white entered the lot. He flew in next to her and killed the engine. He didn’t waste any time getting out of the car to join them.