and-"
"My son did no such thing," Mrs. Seaton snapped. "Jeremy is a good boy. He could never hurt anyone."
"I've been informed otherwise. From what I understand your son was physically abusing Ms. Proctor." Galen watched as her lips thinned. "Did you know about the abuse?"
"I would hardly call a few bruises abuse," she said, adjusting her shawl.
Galen felt Nicole stiffen up. He turned his head and stared at her. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were full of anger. "Relax," he breathed. "Mrs. Seaton." He gave the older woman his attention. "When a man puts his hands on a woman in anger it's abuse and it is never - never all right. Ms. Proctor could have slapped your son or called him a name and it would not have given him the right to hurt her. Nothing justifies abuse. Now if you would please tell us where he is."
"I don't know where he is," she declared, averting her eyes.
"Lying to an officer is against the law," Nicole said coolly, her eyes flashing. "You would do well to remember that. By with holding information from us you are keeping us from doing our job. That is obstruction of justice and we can arrest you for that. I suggest-"
"I want you both to leave." Mrs. Seaton stood. "You've wasted enough of my time. I don't know anything and I refuse to be harassed another second."
"We will find your son," Galen vowed, "and he will be held accountable for his actions. We'll see ourselves out." He and Nicole got up from the couch, walked through the living room and into the foyer. Opening the door, he ushered her out onto the porch. He followed her, closing the door behind him. "If looks could kill, Goodwin, Mrs. Seaton would be dead right now. What's-"
"We should turn around, go back into the house, and arrest her," Nicole sneered.
Galen took her by the elbow and steered her toward the car. "We could, but it wouldn't do any good. She's determined to protect her son and nothing we do is going to get her to talk. Strauss said if she refuses to cooperate he'll tap her phone and put a round the clock surveillance on her. We'll get the information we need. It's just going to take a while." He opened the passenger side door for her. "Patience, Goodwin."
Nicole leaned her head back and gazed up at him. "Thank you," she uttered softly.
He arched an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For what you said to her." She lowered her head. "For telling her that nothing justifies abuse and that it's not all right."
Galen reached out and grasped her chin gently in his hand. He tilted her head back and looked into her eyes. Lurking in the depths of her beautiful blue eyes was an apprehension she wasn't even aware of. He quickly released her chin, ignoring how soft her skin was. "I won't tolerate abuse of any kind. It makes me sick just thinking about it. If I could-" He broke off, taking a deep breath. "It's just wrong and I wish it never happened."
"So do I ," she whispered.
The urge to know if anyone if her father had ever abused her coursed through him. He opened his mouth and quickly shut it again. Now was not the right time for questions of that nature. Later he would ask her. "We should go."
"Yes, we should," Nicole croaked.
Reluctantly, Galen walked around to the driver ’ s side and got in.
Chapter 8
Galen rubbed his tired eyes and let out a weary sigh. He hated stakeouts. Spending hours sitting in a car with nothing to do but watch and wait was tedious. He turned his head and looked at Nicole. Her head was back against the headrest and her eyes were closed. His gaze roamed over her face and her body. There was no doubt about it. His new partner was easy on the eyes. Sighing once more, he returned his attention to Mrs. Seaton's house.
"What time is it?" Nicole asked groggily as she opened her eyes, a few
"My son did no such thing," Mrs. Seaton snapped. "Jeremy is a good boy. He could never hurt anyone."
"I've been informed otherwise. From what I understand your son was physically abusing Ms. Proctor." Galen watched as her lips thinned. "Did you know about the abuse?"
"I would hardly call a few bruises abuse," she said, adjusting her shawl.
Galen felt Nicole stiffen up. He turned his head and stared at her. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were full of anger. "Relax," he breathed. "Mrs. Seaton." He gave the older woman his attention. "When a man puts his hands on a woman in anger it's abuse and it is never - never all right. Ms. Proctor could have slapped your son or called him a name and it would not have given him the right to hurt her. Nothing justifies abuse. Now if you would please tell us where he is."
"I don't know where he is," she declared, averting her eyes.
"Lying to an officer is against the law," Nicole said coolly, her eyes flashing. "You would do well to remember that. By with holding information from us you are keeping us from doing our job. That is obstruction of justice and we can arrest you for that. I suggest-"
"I want you both to leave." Mrs. Seaton stood. "You've wasted enough of my time. I don't know anything and I refuse to be harassed another second."
"We will find your son," Galen vowed, "and he will be held accountable for his actions. We'll see ourselves out." He and Nicole got up from the couch, walked through the living room and into the foyer. Opening the door, he ushered her out onto the porch. He followed her, closing the door behind him. "If looks could kill, Goodwin, Mrs. Seaton would be dead right now. What's-"
"We should turn around, go back into the house, and arrest her," Nicole sneered.
Galen took her by the elbow and steered her toward the car. "We could, but it wouldn't do any good. She's determined to protect her son and nothing we do is going to get her to talk. Strauss said if she refuses to cooperate he'll tap her phone and put a round the clock surveillance on her. We'll get the information we need. It's just going to take a while." He opened the passenger side door for her. "Patience, Goodwin."
Nicole leaned her head back and gazed up at him. "Thank you," she uttered softly.
He arched an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For what you said to her." She lowered her head. "For telling her that nothing justifies abuse and that it's not all right."
Galen reached out and grasped her chin gently in his hand. He tilted her head back and looked into her eyes. Lurking in the depths of her beautiful blue eyes was an apprehension she wasn't even aware of. He quickly released her chin, ignoring how soft her skin was. "I won't tolerate abuse of any kind. It makes me sick just thinking about it. If I could-" He broke off, taking a deep breath. "It's just wrong and I wish it never happened."
"So do I ," she whispered.
The urge to know if anyone if her father had ever abused her coursed through him. He opened his mouth and quickly shut it again. Now was not the right time for questions of that nature. Later he would ask her. "We should go."
"Yes, we should," Nicole croaked.
Reluctantly, Galen walked around to the driver ’ s side and got in.
Chapter 8
Galen rubbed his tired eyes and let out a weary sigh. He hated stakeouts. Spending hours sitting in a car with nothing to do but watch and wait was tedious. He turned his head and looked at Nicole. Her head was back against the headrest and her eyes were closed. His gaze roamed over her face and her body. There was no doubt about it. His new partner was easy on the eyes. Sighing once more, he returned his attention to Mrs. Seaton's house.
"What time is it?" Nicole asked groggily as she opened her eyes, a few
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