Where Dreams Begin (34 page)

“No, I just want to get away. I don’t want to have to tell my story over and over and then just have Ford laugh at me in court. He saw my angel yesterday and called me a lying whore for hanging out here when he’d forbidden it. He screamed at me that I wasn’t no homeless teen, my home was with him. But not anymore it isn’t. You got some place for me to go?”

Luke stared at her and shook his head. “I won’t waste a bed in a shelter unless you’re finally serious about leaving Ford.”

Violet’s eyes were swollen to mere slits, but she returned Luke’s skeptical stare. “It frightened me at first, but I love being one of Rafael’s angels. There’s no way I’m going to let Ford take something that special away from me.”

Dave came in the door in time to hear the last of Violet’s comment. Stunned she’d been so badly beaten, he looked toward Catherine, who just shook her head sadly. “Shouldn’t we take some pictures?” he asked. “Isn’t documentation important?”

“Yes, it is,” Luke said. “But before we do anything, I need your word, Violet, that you’ll stay at the shelter until they find you work and a home, and you’ll attend their therapy sessions for as long as it takes for you to learn to avoid abusive men like Ford Dolan.”

“I’ve already learned that,” Violet murmured.

Apparently unconvinced, Luke waited a moment longer, but when Violet remained silent, he gave in. “All right, I’ll call the shelter. Take a couple of photos, Dave, but if you have other bruises you’d rather not show him, Mrs. Brooks could take photographs of those.”

“I’ve got bruises all over,” Violet admitted shyly. “So maybe Mrs. Brooks ought to do it.”

“Fine,” Dave agreed. He had entered the office to grab a pencil from Pam’s desk. He got one and left without again glancing Catherine’s way.

“I may have to call several shelters to find a place for you, but I want you to sit right there and wait.”

“I understand,” Violet replied. “I’m not completely stupid about everything, you know.”

Luke caught Catherine’s eye before returning to his office, and it was plain he doubted Violet knew anything at all worth knowing.

Pam left her chair to open the restroom door. “Why don’t you come on in here, Violet, and strip down to your underwear. Catherine can take the photos through the open door so no one else will see you. Then if you change your mind about pressing charges against Ford, you’ll have the necessary evidence.”

“Okay,” Violet reluctantly agreed. She left her backpack on her chair and then shuffled into the restroom.

“I feel sick,” Catherine whispered. “What kind of a monster gets his kicks from beating up such a beautiful child?”

“Ford Dolan’s a pathetic excuse for a man, all right, but this isn’t the first time Violet has shown up here with a split lip or black eye. She’s always refused Luke’s help, but she needs it as much as Ford does. Let’s hope she finally gets it in a battered women’s shelter.”

When Violet opened the restroom door, Catherine took the photographs, but the girl’s arms and legs were covered with so many bruises she looked as though she’d fallen down a flight of stairs. It truly did make Catherine sick to think how Violet must have cried and begged for Ford to stop before he’d finally vented his foul temper.

While Violet was getting dressed, Catherine whispered to Pam. “Luke swore to me that men like Ford Dolan usually come to a bad end, but clearly it hasn’t been nearly soon enough.”

“I hear you, girl. At least Violet came to her senses before she was injured more severely, but for some women, anything short of death doesn’t faze them. At least now domestic violence is treated more seriously, but Luke swears no one is doing enough to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

“He’s right too.” Catherine really did feel unsteady and sat down to rest a moment. “What a way to start the day.”

Pam raised her brows. “Doesn’t bode well for the week, does it?”

“No, it sure doesn’t.” Come tomorrow, her period would be a week late, and she would have no excuse to avoid taking a pregnancy test. It was time, and Luke deserved to know the results just as soon as she had them. Just imagining that conversation truly made her ill.

She pushed out of her chair. “I think I need some fresh air. I’m going to go on across the street. Will Luke need me to ride to the shelter with Violet?”

“No, the fewer people who know its location, the better,” Pam said.

Catherine stood on the steps and took in several deep breaths, but she still felt far from well. When Dave joined her at the corner, she didn’t feel up to arguing with him and quickly said so. “I’m sorry, Dave, I know what you must think of me, but—”

Dave hit the button for the light. “Don’t apologize. Just ask Luke what his hopes are for the future. We eat dinner together a couple of times a week, or at least we used to, and I can guarantee that he’s not interested in having a wife and more kids. You just think about that, because there are a lot of guys, me included, who’d like nothing better than to come home to you and some cute little red-haired kids.”

He wasn’t telling her anything she hadn’t agonized over herself, and her smile was faint. “Thank you, Dave.”

“You’re welcome. I’m just going over to check the scaffolding, and then I’ll stay out of your way. If you need another algebra lesson, Pam can find me.”

“Thanks, but I understand so much more than I did, I think I’ll be okay.”

Catherine found her beach chair and sat down to observe the day’s work on the mural. Rafael was painting in the features on another angel while the rest of the kids were still working on the angels’ flowing robes and wings. The whole mural was coming along nicely, and best of all, the kids were working together and getting along well.

The other Lost Angel volunteers were crossing the street more regularly now to gauge the mural’s progress, and Catherine enjoyed their friendly company, but whenever she was alone, she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

Having had one horrible encounter with Ford Dolan, she didn’t want to see him ever again, but she doubted it would take him long to discover Violet was gone. Then he was sure to come to Lost Angel. She’d stood her ground when he’d warned her away from Violet, but he’d be in a terrific rage now.

At noon, when Luke came to walk her to Lost Angel for lunch, she knew no matter how delicious Mabel’s spaghetti was that day, she wouldn’t be able to eat a bite.

“How long do you think it will take for Ford to show up here looking for Violet?” she asked.

“I expect to see him this afternoon,” Luke replied, apparently not in the least bit concerned.

Catherine gripped his arm. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing. I’ll just give him a blank stare and swear I’ve not seen Violet today. It’s the best way to protect her.”

“Fine, I’ll remember that if he confronts me in the parking lot again.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll come and get you at four o’clock and make certain you reach your car safely.”

They had just crossed the street and started down the sidewalk when Ford Dolan drove his truck up over the curb to block their way. He jumped down from the cab screaming obscenities, and Luke took a protective step in front of Catherine.

“What the fuck have you done with Violet?” Ford yelled at them, shaking loose his carefully styled pompadour. Part of his shirttail hung over his belt, and his pants were stained with grease. “That slut ought to be home. Where is she?”

“I’ve no idea,” Luke replied, “but I’m real pleased to learn she’s left you.”

Catherine turned in hopes Garcia and Salzman might be observing them, but their sedan was parked around the corner. She was tempted to run and get them, but she was unwilling to leave Luke alone with Ford. Most of the kids had crossed the street to go to lunch ahead of them, and the few stragglers still in Toby’s yard were all girls.

“You’re lying,” Ford swore, “you and the book bitch hiding behind you. You know where Violet is, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll tell me right now.”

Luke remained calm and shrugged off Ford’s threat. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know. Maybe Violet took a bus to San Diego, or San Francisco. My guess is that she’d want to be a long way from you.”

“That’s crazy. Violet loves me.” Ford spit in the street. “She’s my woman, you hear, and you tell her she better get herself home by tonight.”

“Do I look like your secretary? I’m not relaying your messages. Maybe Violet left you a note. Did you look for one?”

“No, but—” Ford stammered a moment and then fell into another long string of expletives, got back into his truck and, with screeching tires, careened away.

Catherine sagged against Luke. “What did Violet ever see in that oily slug?”

“I told you she was an abused child. Healthy relationships are completely foreign to her, and that made Ford irresistibly appealing.”

“But still—”

Luke hugged her. “Hush. Don’t try and get in her head, but you’ll be pleased to learn Violet took a whole bag of books with her. At the shelter, she’ll be able to read without anyone criticizing her taste.”

“It wasn’t her taste in reading material Ford objected to. He just didn’t want her to read period. Makes me rather proud to be the book bitch, though.”

“That’s the spirit. Now let’s have some spaghetti.”

“How can you think about food?”

“How can you not? Ford will probably go home and tear up the place looking for a note. Then he’ll be back, and I want to be ready for him. I need food for energy. I can’t fight punks on an empty stomach.”

“Are you serious?”

“No, I’ll just call the police if he shows up here again. Now, sit with me today. I’m tired of pretending you’re just another volunteer.”

She was still trembling. “I don’t understand how you can remain so cool.”

“Look, I’m playing Ford. I want him to flail around in his own misery for a few days. Then when it finally hits him that Violet is gone for good, he’ll either come back in a rage I’ll let the police handle, or he’ll cry, bitch and moan that no one understands him. I might be able to convince him to get treatment then. That’s my goal, not just to punch him out and send him on to abuse another poor girl. That won’t help anyone.”

“Well, at least you have a plan.”

“Of course, my life isn’t completely aimless.”

“No, I didn’t mean that. It’s just that Ford scares me. When he actually believes he has the right to beat up Violet, how can you predict what he’ll do next?”

“I can’t, but psychology would be a really dull field if human behavior were always predictable. People tend to follow certain patterns. Those can be observed, and I doubt Ford is so creative he’ll go off on some new tack of his own.”

“Still, I wouldn’t put anything past him. Do you consider me predictable, by the way?”

Luke laughed and hugged her as they passed through the office on their way to the hall. “Never, but that’s the challenge. Now let’s eat.”

“Easy for you to say.” She trusted Luke, and his years of experience had given him a confidence she would never attain. Still, there was a wild gleam in Ford’s eye that had been truly terrifying.

Chapter Seventeen

On the way home from Lost Angel on Tuesday afternoon, Catherine stopped by a drugstore and bought a pregnancy test kit. She followed the directions with meticulous care, then couldn’t bring herself to check the results. She wished Luke were there to do it for her, and in the next breath, was relieved that he wasn’t.

“Courage, Catherine.” She finally forced herself to look, and just as she’d feared, the result was positive. She had already known the truth in her heart, but holding the scientific proof was still daunting.

It was dusk before she walked up the street to tell Joyce. Her friend welcomed her with an ecstatic cry and then took note of her somber expression. “I’m pregnant,” Catherine blurted out.

“I knew it. Come on in. Let’s have a drink to celebrate, or bemoan the fact, whichever, but I guess alcohol isn’t recommended, is it?”

“No, it isn’t. But I stopped by to let you know you’ve convinced me to tell Luke right away. He’s a stickler for honesty, and waiting will only worsen his reaction.”

“That’s a big plus right there. At least split a soda with me. Have you planned what you’ll say?”

“No, but I’ll try and sneak up on the subject rather than pummel him with it.”

“You might as well try to sneak up on the Matterhorn. What can you possibly say?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll wait until we’re away from Lost Angel and he’s in a real mellow mood.”

“Sleep with him first, you mean? That could work, I suppose.” Joyce pulled a can of diet 7UP from the refrigerator, poured two glasses and added ice.

Catherine carried her glass to the breakfast table and sat. “Sleeping with him would be too devious, but he’s always more relaxed away from the center.”

Joyce joined her at the table. “Maybe you’ve got him all wrong. He might be thrilled at the prospect of fatherhood.”

Catherine took a sip of her drink. “Not a chance. The very best I can hope for is stunned silence. Now how did Saturday’s date go with Shane?”

Joyce’s expression lit with a happy glow, but turning shy, she ran her fingertip around the rim of her glass. “It went exceptionally well, but that’s trivial compared to your news.”

“No, it isn’t. I want to hear all about it,” Catherine encouraged, but as Joyce described how affectionate Shane had become, her mind drifted away. Her whole life had changed since meeting Luke, but she had little hope he’d welcome those same changes in his neatly ordered world.

She glanced up and found Joyce had fallen silent. “I’ll tell Luke tomorrow,” she promised. “I’ll invite him to come over for dinner, and then I’ll break the news.”

“You go, girl. I’ll be home tomorrow night, so give me a call if you need reinforcements.”

“I just might,” Catherine admitted, but this was one thing she was determined to do on her own.

Despite Catherine’s resolve, she found it difficult to approach Luke Wednesday morning. She avoided the Lost Angel office and went straight to Toby’s. The kids were fooling around, not ready to get to work yet, while Rafael was already busy painting in the features of another angel.