Twisted Paths by Terri Reid

Bradley said to Ashley. “But I’d like you to canvas the downtown area with his photo and let the community know this guy is very dangerous.”
    “Do we need any school lockdowns?” she asked.
    “No, I don’t think he’s a threat to the public at large,” Bradley said. “But it wouldn’t hurt to send an email to the school district and have them circulate the photo too.”
    “Cal suggested we send it through the Freeport Downtown Development Foundation and they could send it on to some of the retailers,” Mary added. “But, you should probably follow up because many of the small mom and pop stores don’t have email.”
    Ashley nodded, gathered up her reports and turned to Clarissa. “So, remember what I told you,” she said.
    Clarissa grinned and nodded. “I will,” she agreed.
    “Excellent,” Ashley said with a smile and she winked at Clarissa before leaving the room.
    “Told you?” Bradley asked, taking Ashley’s chair.
    “Ashley said if I ever need a babysitter who can shoot a gun, I should call her,” Clarissa replied. “She’s nice. And brave. But she didn’t even know Mike was here.”
    “That’s our little secret,” Mike said, coming to join them at the desk. “And you were an exceptional young lady while you waited.”
    “That’s good to hear,” Bradley said, stroking Clarissa’s head.
    “So, how are you doing?” Mike asked Mary.
    Clarissa moved her chair so it faced Mary.  “Were you chasing the bad man?” she asked.
    Mary nodded. “Yes, I was. But, unfortunately, he got away.”
    “But he ran away, so he was scared of you, right?”
    “Right,” Mike agreed.
    “Well, I don’t think he wanted to get caught,” she answered. “So, I suppose he was afraid of me.”
    “So, you’re brave, right?”
    “Mary is very brave,” Bradley inserted, turning to smile at Mary and whispering softly so only she could hear, “and very stubborn.”
    Clarissa slid off the chair and walked over to Mary. “Maggie said you can see things like she does.  Like the sad lady. Did you ever see my birth mommy?”
    Nodding, Mary bent at her waist to lean closer to Clarissa. “Yes, I saw your mommy,” she replied. “She and I became very good friends and she asked me to help your daddy find you.”
    The phone rang on Bradley’s desk and the conversation halted as Bradley stood up and reached over to pick it up. “Chief Alden.”
    He paused for a moment. “Hey, Bernie, it’s good to hear from you too,” he said, looking over to Mary. “Yeah, she’s right here. We’ve had a busy morning.”
    He listened for a moment, his face sobering and he nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “Yes, please send her here to Freeport. I’ll take care of the arrangements.”
    Sighing deeply, he hung up the phone and walked around the desk in front of Clarissa.  Squatting down in front of her, he took both of her hands in his. “Clarissa, sweetheart, the man that called is a friend of mine from Chicago,” he said. “He called to tell me that…”
    He stopped and exhaled sharply. “Sweetheart, they found your mother, Becca.”
    “At the bus station?” she asked.
    “Yes,” he replied. “A policeman found her at the bus station.”
    “Did he know she was dead?” she asked innocently.
    Surprised, Bradley paused for a moment, and then asked, “You knew she was dead?”
    Clarissa nodded. “Yes, when I woke up from my nap, she was already dead,” she explained. “She wasn’t breathing and I knew she went to live with God, just like my daddy Henry.”
    Mary bit her lip to hold back her tears. “Were you frightened?” she asked.
    “Well, I was a little ‘cause I looked up and saw a man. I thought it was the bad man,” she said. “But it was Mike saving me just like my daddy Henry said he would.”
    Mike looked down at her. “What did he say?” he asked.
    She smiled up at him. “He said God always sends angels just when you need them.”
    “Yes, he does,” Mary said, looking up at Mike