bar. He was already late and the game well under way. He was puzzled by Sheila’s demeanor over the phone but if she was going to talk in circles she could do it to someone else.
By the end of the next day, Jacks had completed a thorough investigation of the girl and her parents de e m ing it a definite case of passive child abuse. Alerted officials cut through red tape and soon had all paper work in order . W ithin forty-eight hours the child was in the court’s custody to be placed in a foster home. The parents were charged with criminal intent to use a minor for exploitation and unjustifiable purposes.
It was Honey ’s day off and it was nice to have one with nothing planned. She spent the morning catching up on mail and e m ail. Her oldest nephew, Rhett was in the military, serving in Afghanistan . S he had just got ten a package off to him and was lounging with a book when the phone rang. She reached for the cordless lying on the coffee table without too much effort.
“Hello.”
“Hello, could I speak to Honey Magill , please.”
“You have her, how can I help you?”
“M is s Magill , I am with the ACAA here in Jackson , Ms and our attorney Jacks , would like to speak with you. I will put him through.
“Wait!”
“Yes ma’am?”
“ACAA represents abused children and I would love to oblige but I have the day off today . I f you will just have him contact my office tomorrow I will be happy to speak with him then .”
“ Y es ma’am but...”
“ I will be in my office t omorrow, g ood-bye now.” She firmly hung the phone up.
She had dealt with these people before and while she admired what they stood for, sometimes they irritated her . Anything that they needed from her could wait until she was in her office . S he wondered who gave them her home phone number anyway and made a mental note to find out.
The phone rang again. Surely not...
“Hello?”
“ Honey , this is Dwight . I am afraid we have a serious probl e m and could use your help.”
Sitting straight up in alarm at the tone of his voice , she said quickly, “Whatever I can do Pastor Dwight , just tell me and I will be happy to. I know, you need a babysitter and it ’s my turn? ”
“Dear Lord, I wish that were it, but it ’ s not. Joe and Brenna Bowler have been arrested and they did n’t have a clue who to call, so they called me. They said you may be able to help as it involves Carol. They have taken her.”
“ They have taken Carol? Who , and w hat in the world could Joe and poor Brenna have done to get arrested?”
“ All I know is that they said something about some child protective agency and that they were arrested on c hild abuse charges . If you would like, I can pick you up and we can drive to the jail . Gus has a brother - in - law who is an attorney . H e is already on his way there.”
“I will be outside.”
She threw the phone on the sofa and ran to her bedroom to pull on some decent clothes. Never mind her hair and her face would just have to do , for it would take the Pastor only a few minutes to drive to her house.
In less than the fifteen minutes it did take him, Honey was waiting. It was a mistake, it had to be , for Carol was the most adored and loved child she had ever met . Her parents would never do anything to hurt her. Poor Carol , to be taken away from her parents , ill as she was.
She had come to know the family in the last months and considered th e m her good friends. All the sorrow the family already had to endure, n ow this. What could have happened to cause the law to become involved? Then she r e m e m bered the phone call she got just before the Pastor called. S he moaned to herself, “The ACAA , I t was Carol they were calling to talk about!” She ran back into her apartment and got her phone and when she found the number, dialed it. The same girl answered and said the person who wanted to speak with her was now out of the office. Dang! She hung up and by the time she got back out
By the end of the next day, Jacks had completed a thorough investigation of the girl and her parents de e m ing it a definite case of passive child abuse. Alerted officials cut through red tape and soon had all paper work in order . W ithin forty-eight hours the child was in the court’s custody to be placed in a foster home. The parents were charged with criminal intent to use a minor for exploitation and unjustifiable purposes.
It was Honey ’s day off and it was nice to have one with nothing planned. She spent the morning catching up on mail and e m ail. Her oldest nephew, Rhett was in the military, serving in Afghanistan . S he had just got ten a package off to him and was lounging with a book when the phone rang. She reached for the cordless lying on the coffee table without too much effort.
“Hello.”
“Hello, could I speak to Honey Magill , please.”
“You have her, how can I help you?”
“M is s Magill , I am with the ACAA here in Jackson , Ms and our attorney Jacks , would like to speak with you. I will put him through.
“Wait!”
“Yes ma’am?”
“ACAA represents abused children and I would love to oblige but I have the day off today . I f you will just have him contact my office tomorrow I will be happy to speak with him then .”
“ Y es ma’am but...”
“ I will be in my office t omorrow, g ood-bye now.” She firmly hung the phone up.
She had dealt with these people before and while she admired what they stood for, sometimes they irritated her . Anything that they needed from her could wait until she was in her office . S he wondered who gave them her home phone number anyway and made a mental note to find out.
The phone rang again. Surely not...
“Hello?”
“ Honey , this is Dwight . I am afraid we have a serious probl e m and could use your help.”
Sitting straight up in alarm at the tone of his voice , she said quickly, “Whatever I can do Pastor Dwight , just tell me and I will be happy to. I know, you need a babysitter and it ’s my turn? ”
“Dear Lord, I wish that were it, but it ’ s not. Joe and Brenna Bowler have been arrested and they did n’t have a clue who to call, so they called me. They said you may be able to help as it involves Carol. They have taken her.”
“ They have taken Carol? Who , and w hat in the world could Joe and poor Brenna have done to get arrested?”
“ All I know is that they said something about some child protective agency and that they were arrested on c hild abuse charges . If you would like, I can pick you up and we can drive to the jail . Gus has a brother - in - law who is an attorney . H e is already on his way there.”
“I will be outside.”
She threw the phone on the sofa and ran to her bedroom to pull on some decent clothes. Never mind her hair and her face would just have to do , for it would take the Pastor only a few minutes to drive to her house.
In less than the fifteen minutes it did take him, Honey was waiting. It was a mistake, it had to be , for Carol was the most adored and loved child she had ever met . Her parents would never do anything to hurt her. Poor Carol , to be taken away from her parents , ill as she was.
She had come to know the family in the last months and considered th e m her good friends. All the sorrow the family already had to endure, n ow this. What could have happened to cause the law to become involved? Then she r e m e m bered the phone call she got just before the Pastor called. S he moaned to herself, “The ACAA , I t was Carol they were calling to talk about!” She ran back into her apartment and got her phone and when she found the number, dialed it. The same girl answered and said the person who wanted to speak with her was now out of the office. Dang! She hung up and by the time she got back out
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