LITMIR.BIZ

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into his jacket pockets and simply fell into step behind her.

      Brenda Connors was retrieving a briefcase from the trunk of her car. She straightened her short, fitted, wool coat as Jill and Mitch joined her. “Let me approach Ms. Stevens first, one-on-one. But stay available. I’ll signal if I need you.”

      “If Natalie attacks you, you’ll need us for sure,” Mitch said. “She was all over me like a crazy wildcat last night at the fire. I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her. If she’s hurt those kids, you may have to protect her.” He felt Jill’s calming touch through his sleeve.

      “He doesn’t really mean what he says,” she told Ms. Connors. “It’s been a long, trying twenty-four hours for all of us. I’m sure everyone will settle down as soon as we’ve determined where the children will be living, at least for now.”

      “Believe it or not, I do understand,” the social worker replied. “I’ve been doing this job for a long time. There’s not much I haven’t seen or experienced.” Pausing, she looked pointedly at Mitch. “Just keep reminding yourself that the welfare and happiness of these three minors is our mutual goal. The smoother this transition goes, the better for the children.”

      Mitch gritted his teeth and nodded. She was right, of course. It was just that he hated feeling so helpless, so inadequate. He was a hands-on kind of guy. A person who liked to have all his ducks in a row. A man on a mission, if he were totally honest with himself. He felt at least partly responsible for Rob’s and Ellen’s deaths and he owed their children one hundred percent of his efforts.

      Beside him, he sensed Jill’s attention so he turned to her. There was tenderness in her expression mixed with something puzzling, something elusive, something compassionate to the point that he wondered if she’d just read his most private thoughts. There was a glimmer in her eyes that made them sparkle like flower petals sprinkled with drops of morning dew. Of all the previous times he’d seen her, had appreciated her loveliness, she had never looked more appealing.

      “It’ll work out, Mitch,” she said. “In a few minutes we’ll all be on our way to my farm and the kids will be able to relax. There’s nothing like petting a dog to calm a person down. Mugsy’s passed his socialization exams so he’s a fully certified therapy dog. I can even take him on hospital visits with me if I want.”

      Mitch had to smile in spite of the tense circumstances. “Now that could get interesting. I can picture him tearing up and down hospital corridors at top speed and sliding the corners like a base runner trying to score on a double play.”

      To his delight, Jill mirrored his smile. “He’s not quite that bad, you know. He may get a little too rambunctious at home but his manners are fine when I take him out.”

      “I’ll believe that when I see it.” Mitch rolled his eyes. “If that dust mop of a mutt wasn’t always on the move, you wouldn’t even be able to tell which end was which.”

      “You can tell right after I’ve trimmed the hair around his eyes. It grows back really fast though.”

      “Everything about Mugsy is fast,” Mitch quipped. “Half the time he’s just a passing blur.”

      “True. I wish I had his energy.” Pausing, she sobered. “How are you doing today? You must have been up all night.”

      “Most of it,” he replied. “I’ll rest later. Right now I’m far too keyed up.”

      He began to watch the house more closely. Brenda Connors was standing at the open front door, apparently speaking with someone who remained inside. Since Brenda had not been invited to enter, he had to assume that her reception had not been a cordial one. That was no big surprise. When Natalie was behaving normally she wasn’t very friendly. Under the present stressful conditions, Mitch doubted anyone was going to have much success reasoning with her.

      Raised female voices carried to them. Mitch glanced at Jill, then back at the porch. His attention was diverted only momentarily, yet he almost missed seeing what happened next.

      The screen door abruptly swung open. An arm shot out, palm forward. The thrust caught Brenda Connors in the upper chest area and shoved her backward so hard she staggered. For an instant he was afraid the middle-aged woman was going to topple off the porch.

      Mitch began to run toward the house with Jill in pursuit. The door slammed with a noisy bang before he got there but he took the front steps two at a time just the same and confronted Ms. Connors while he steadied her. “What just happened?”

      “She refused to admit me. I’m calling the police.”

      “The kids! Did you see the kids?”

      “No.”

      “What about Natalie? How was she acting? Was she raving the way she did last night?”

      The gray eyebrows arched and her eyes widened behind her bifocals as the social worker nodded. “I don’t know what she was like when she attacked you, but she just scared the stuffing out of me.”

      Mitch didn’t wait for further discussion. Wheeling, he almost collided with Jill as he left the porch and started to rapidly circle the modest, single-story dwelling. He’d never been to the house before and had no idea how he was going to get to those children. He only knew that he was going to do it. No matter what.

      Jill didn’t need any verbal clues to figure out what Mitch was up to. She’d known him long enough to be certain he was going to act, regardless of what Ms. Connors had said. In this instance she couldn’t fault him, either. As a matter of fact, she intended to help.

      Stepping past the frustrated, trembling older woman, Jill yanked open the screen, made a fist and began pounding on the hollow front door. The way she saw the situation, the more distraction she could provide, the better Mitch’s chances were of reaching the Pearson children unobserved and spiriting them out of harm’s way.

      Was that legal? She doubted it. Nevertheless, she stood behind his actions with all her heart. There had been many times in her younger years when she had prayed for a champion, a knight in shining armor who would ride to her rescue as if she were a princess being held prisoner in a castle tower. Seeing Mitch playing that part for the sake of helpless little ones who were likely in danger of emotional, if not physical, abuse warmed her heart in ways she could hardly fathom.

      “Open this door!” Jill shouted, continuing to bang on it. “Let us in this minute. Natalie? Do you hear me? I said open the door.”

      Behind her, Ms. Connors was covering one ear and practically shouting into her cell phone.

      Jill made no effort to quiet her demands for the other woman’s sake. On the contrary, she redoubled her assault.

      Both her fists pounded until the wooden door rattled in its frame. “Open up! You have no right to keep us out. This lady is only doing her job.”

      Brenda grasped Jill’s left arm. “Stop that. You’re only making things worse.”

      “Leave me alone. I know what I’m doing.”

      “No. Stop. Wait for the police.”

      Once again Jill hammered relentlessly. “Did you hear that? The cops are coming,” she yelled. “If you let us in before they get here you won’t be in nearly as much trouble.”

      “Go away.”

      A-ha! Natalie was paying attention to her assault. The plan was working.

      Since the unhinged woman was clearly standing right on the opposite side of the locked door, that probably meant she was not watching her nephews and niece closely. Therefore, Mitch had a much greater chance of success.

      “We’re not going away,” Jill answered loudly. “You might as well let us in.”

      “No!” Natalie’s reply was a little louder this time, raising Jill’s spirits even more.

      “Don’t be ridiculous. You know you can’t

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