Hunting (8 page)

“
That’s why I’m calling.
The judge will be ruling for termination of parental rights on Ruth
Mary’s biological father next week. Her mother faces a hearing in
three weeks regarding Ruth Mary.”

“
She prefers Ruthie. She
told me that the day we met.”

“
You’ve met the child
before?”

“
I was one of the first to
provide medical evaluation the day she entered the system.” How
much should she volunteer? Wasn’t all of this listed in
Ruthie’s—and her—files? “She remained with me for nearly a day
during the initial interview process during a case my team with the
FBI was investigating.”

“
Good. That will make it
easier. We can do visitation, then transition to a foster-to-adopt
placement. I’ve spoken with the Lakes, the foster parents currently
housing Ruth—Ruthie. They say she’s having a difficult time
adjusting.”

Why wouldn’t she? She was
the daughter of a serial killer and rapist. And her mother had
abused her from the day she was born most likely. The only
stability she’d had had been in the form of an older
child—Hannah—in the home. “I see.”

“
To be honest, they’ve
requested her to be placed elsewhere. They’re not happy about it,
but they have six other children in the same age range, with more
pressing psychological and physical needs.”

Jules closed her eyes,
trying to erase the thoughts of a little girl with no one to really
care what happened to her. No one but Jules. “I don’t understand.
Don’t they know that I’m trying to get her?”

“
Yes. But let’s be
realistic. These things take time, especially with interstate
adoptions. Ruthie needs placed right now.”

“
Yes, of course.” Jules
hated it, but knew the social worker was right. And it was the
nature of the beast that was the foster system. Most people
involved really tried to do what was best for the kids, but
sometimes, shit just happened. The only thing that will help Ruthie
now was getting her into a permanent and stable home. Hopefully,
that would be in St. Louis. “So when can we start visitation? Does
Ruthie…know about me?”

“
I’m not sure. I’ll be
meeting with her at the Lakes tomorrow, and taking her to her new
placement. I’ll start preparing her for your visits. I’ll call you
this weekend with the first date. Will you be able to attend
easily?”

She’d already discussed the
adoption process with Ed and Mia—who would cover for Jules when she
had to be out of state. “Yes. I’m taking personal leave on those
days. My superior at PAVAD has already approved. How long on the
visitation? A month? Two? I guess my main question is when can we
get that little girl into my home, where she’s wanted? When do I
need to have everything ready?” She knew she was being pushy with
the social worker, but this was her future, and more importantly,
Ruthie’s, at stake. “She’s been in care since April. Hasn’t she
been through enough? She’s not even four years old yet…”

“
We are moving as fast as
we can with the ICPC. You know what that is, I guess?”

“
Interstate Compact on the
Placement of Children. Yes, I’m familiar with it.” It was the
compact between states that allowed for adoption between children
in one state and adoptive parents in another.

“
Excellent. And you’ve
passed all necessary background checks, your home has been
inspected for safety guidelines, and now the homestudy has been
approved. And you’ve already been identified as a match for Ruth
Mary.”

“
Yes, I’ve been calling her
previous casework Rita Sloan weekly for updates on the process. And
my own, Jenny Barry, too. Once I finished the classes and the first
steps in the process. They seem to think Ruthie and I would be a
good match, as I have met her, am familiar with her history, and
can provide appropriate counseling for the traumas she’s
endured.”

“
Yes. Both Rita and Mr.
Barry have noted your determination to care for Ruth Mary. And
we’ve had a few inquiries in the state, as well. But all have
fallen through.”

“
And that brings you to
me.” How could they have all fallen through in less than seven
months? On such a young child?

“
Yes. At this time, we here
at the agency feel that finding Ruth Mary a placement outside of
the area will be best. Away from…well…everything that her father
was involved in.”

“
Of course. I understand.”
He’d murdered how many young girls and women? She’d personally done
the autopsies on all of Travis Byrum’s victims and would never
forget what the man had done. “When can we arrange the first
visitation?”

“
Would Monday work for you?
That will give us a day or two to get her placed elsewhere, and
give her time to get settled in. I’ll discuss with her the next
stage of the process.”

“
Thank you. Guess this is
it, then, isn’t it?”

“
Certainly. Now, I need to
remind you that there are no guarantees. And I wouldn’t have called
had I not just received a message from her current foster home.
Once I reviewed her case and saw how far along you were in the
process to foster-to-adopt her, I felt I needed to touch base with
you. Make sure we were on the same page. Usually children like Ruth
Mary go out into the foster-adopt tract rather quickly. Hopefully
for her sake, the same will happen with Ruth Mary.”

Jules disconnected the call
a minute later and sat staring at the phone for she didn’t know how
long.

It was really
happening.

Shit.

She was so not ready for
this.

She had four days to get
ready for the first visit. She’d need to call Ed, and her assistant
Mia. She needed to book travel arrangements, and she needed to tell
Georgia and Ana. They’d been with her every step of the process
from the realization that she needed to do something for Ruthie, to
the prepping of her home for the homestudy portion of the
process.

“
Am I crazy?” Jules asked
two days after Christmas, and Al didn’t know how to
answer.

Paige ate half the hot dog
before she answered. “Probably a little. But if you feel that you
and this kid can make things work, isn’t that better than the
alternative?”

“
I hope so.”

“
So what’s so special about
this kid that you will completely redo your life for her?” Al
couldn’t imagine it. Could she make room in her life for some kid
like Jules was doing? Al wanted children, yes. And she wasn’t
against adoption, by any means. But she also knew she wasn’t ready
for a child right now. Of course, Jules was older than she, had
been married and widowed, had worked her career for several years.
She probably would be a good place for a lost and forgotten little
girl to be. And Al had seen her with Mattie, Georgia’s little boy.
Jules would probably make one heck of a good mother.

“
She’s so alone.” Jules was
picking at her food, and Al reached over and snagged half Jules’
nachos. The food court nachos were far better in taste than they
were appearance. And Jules never ate a full plate of anything,
anyway. “Her family took the brothers in, but left her in foster
care. She’s three and a half and nobody wants her.”

“
Except you.” Poor kid. How
could any family do that?

“
Except me. And the case
workers seem to think we’ll be a good fit. So…”

“
You’re doing it.” Al said
it though it was unnecessary.

“
Yep. This will be our
third visitation. I went up a week ago, then two weeks before
that.”

“
And now we’re here at the
mall looking for a gift for a three year old.”

“
She doesn’t have much.
Just a battered teddy bear. One of the PAVAD ones that your brother
gave her when I first met her. She carries it everywhere. It’s the
only toy she has. I want to give her something nicer than a two
dollar bear we give out in crises situations.” Determination was
clear on Jules’ face. Al knew her friend would do her best for the
little girl. And that, more than anything, made her proud to
consider Jules a friend.

Al could understand that.
“So what size is she? My god kid will need clothes. Lots and lots
of clothes.”

“
Dear god, Al, she’s not a
baby doll.” Paige sipped her soda. “Although, I did see these
absolutely awesome combat boots for kids once. They had cartoon cat
skulls on them. We could get her some of those.”

“
A Goth three year old.
Probably not what the social worker had in mind.” Al actually
laughed at the image of the little girl in the picture Jules had
shown them dressed in an outfit similar to the black leather Paige
wore today. Even the cast still holding Paige’s broken arm in place
was black with glow in the dark skull stickers. “What about
dresses? Little girls love dresses.”

“
Ugh. I hated dresses.”
Paige actually shuddered. Al had seen her friend in dresses before,
daring cuts that flattered. But it was always when they were
undercover. That was the only time Paige dressed
feminine.

Paige was so pretty, when
she put effort into it. Most of the time, she hid herself behind
black. Al had an inkling why, though she’d never asked.

“
No clothes. I want to let
her pick out a bunch of stuff to wear. I don’t think she’s ever had
that option.”

“
We can do toys.
Definitely. Aislyn, Dan’s littlest, really likes Care Bears. I’ve
watched them a few times, and they have good messages,” Paige said.
“And I’ve seen the toys all over the place.”

“
Care Bears sound good. And
we can take a look around for other things while we’re in the toy
store.” Jules gathered up her trash and carried it to the
wastebasket.

“
So when do you
leave?”

“
I’m testifying on Monday
afternoon. Then going to spend all of Tuesday with Ruthie, and fly
back Wednesday morning.”

“
You flying up with
Malachi, then?”

“
Excuse me?”

“
Mal’s testifying Monday,
too.” He would be out of town for at least a day or two.

“
Great. So that’s who the
PAVAD agent is. Ed mentioned it when he booked the flight for me.
He didn’t tell me who.” Jules obviously wasn’t happy about it. Al
wasn’t offended. Her brother and Jules still sent sparks flying off
of each other whenever they were in the same room. That hadn’t
happened much since they’d been rescued a month ago—Al suspected
Jules was avoiding Malachi, whereas he watched Jules almost too
protectively. Al sometimes wondered just how deep their feelings
went for each other. There was just too big of a spark between them
for there not to be some serious feelings underneath.

“
So who all knows about
Ruthie?” Did her brother? What did he think? Did he have romantic
feelings for Jules? Did Ruthie change anything for him?

“
You two. Eddie. George and
Hell. Ana and Fin. I don’t want it all over PAVAD. Not yet, anyway.
I don’t know if the adoption will be finalized. Something could
still jeopardize it.”

“
No problem.”

“
I was afraid the
kidnapping would stall things, but it didn’t. I have Ed to thank
for that, I think. He may have made a few calls. He’s good at
that…”

“
Nothing like having a
deputy director of the FBI pulling for you.” Al really liked Ed
Dennis and she wished him and his fiancé the best of luck. Ed and
Marianna were getting married in four weeks. Al, Carrie, and
Paige—if they weren’t on cases—were providing the music.

It seemed like everyone in
PAVAD was pairing off. Georgia and Hell, Ana and Fin, Carrie and
Lorcan, Ed and Marianna, even Dan and Dr. Brewster from forensics
had paired off, married, and were expecting twins. Al couldn’t help
but feel a small bit of envy for them. What was it like to have
someone who understood the job as deeply as she did? Who understood
that she couldn’t just drop everything to take care of his
needs?

Who didn’t think she was
supposed to play second fiddle to him?

Jules went in on Friday
knowing she’d be swamped. She was trying to ensure that Mia wasn’t
overwhelmed by her absence on Monday and Tuesday. She’d be flying
back early Wednesday, and would probably work Saturday and Sunday
to make up for lost time.

Not that her position was
necessarily a nine-to-five, Monday-through-Friday kind of
thing.

People died at all hours of
the day or night. And she’d been called in on those
hours.

With Ruthie coming, that
was going to have to change. Mia was being promoted to a
supervisory position and they were hiring two additional forensic
pathologists. It had always been in the budget, they just hadn’t
implemented the new plan yet. Forley had retired, and Jules knew
she’d have to replace him eventually. The one extra person would
make a huge difference to all of them.

She had several copies of
paperwork to be distributed to the various teams in the PAVAD
directorate, and she liked to handle that task herself, putting the
files in the hands of each supervisor directly. Less likely for
paperwork to get lost that way.