12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Dion
I showed it to Emily. "Looks like we've got movement."
She nodded, some of the joy fading from her eyes, but before I could reassure her, we both heard the buzz of Emily's cell phone, and she got up, moving toward the living room where she'd left her purse.
I watched her go, admiring the way my shirt hung on her smaller frame. There was something deeply satisfying about seeing her in my clothes, surrounded by my scent. Mine. The primal thought resonated through me with surprising intensity.
Emily returned a moment later, her expression troubled as she stared at her phone.
"What is it?" I asked, immediately alert.
"Three missed calls from Susan," she said, frowning. "And a voicemail."
I set down the spoon I'd been using to stir the eggs. "Put it on speaker."
Emily nodded, pressing play. Susan's voice filled the kitchen, sounding professionally concerned in a way that made my skin crawl.
"Emily, this is Susan. I need you to come in for a meeting Tuesday at 9am.
I'm sorry to inform you that due to a complaint, you've been placed on administrative leave effective immediately.
Please do not contact any of your clients or access any files until we've had a chance to discuss this matter. I'll explain everything on Tuesday."
Emily's face had gone pale. "A complaint? What complaint?"
"They're trying to cut you off from your cases," I said grimly, moving to her side. "Make it impossible for you to help those kids."
"But who would file a complaint against me?" Her voice rose with indignation. "I follow every protocol to the letter. My documentation is impeccable."
I took the phone from her trembling hand and set it on the counter. "They're scrambling. They know you're onto them, but they don't know how much evidence you've gathered. This is a power play."
Emily paced the kitchen, running her hands through her hair. "What if one of the families accused me of something? What if they try to discredit me completely?"
"That's exactly what they're trying to do," I confirmed. "But we won't let them succeed."
She stopped pacing, her eyes finding mine. "They didn't find the lockbox. They don't know what I have."
"No," I agreed. "And that gives us an advantage."
Emily nodded slowly, her analytical mind visibly working through the implications. She sat heavily on one of the bar stools. "What should I do?"
"About Tuesday's meeting?" I asked, keeping my voice casual. "You have options."
"Like what?" She accepted the mug of coffee I’d just made and passed her.
"You could go in prepared, wearing a wire, with our team nearby for backup. Or you could call in sick again and buy us some more time."
Emily frowned, considering. "If I don't show up, they'll know something's wrong. It might push them to do something desperate."
"True," I acknowledged, offering her another bite. "Or it might make them careless."
She chewed thoughtfully. "If I go in, I might learn something useful. Susan could slip up, reveal something she doesn't mean to."
I nodded as if I was contemplating this, which was impressive considering my first reaction was to chain her to my bed so she couldn’t go. "It's risky, but potentially valuable."
"I want to go," she decided, her jaw set with determination. "But I want backup, like you said. And I want to be prepared."
"Good girl," I praised, unable to keep the approval from my voice. "We'll make sure you're ready." It was either that or chain her to my bed and something told me that wouldn't fly.
She blushed at my words but didn't look away.
"We have the day to get ready," she continued, as I scooped up the last bite. "That means we need to figure out exactly what they might try to accuse me of."
"The most obvious thing would be inappropriate conduct with a client," I suggested. "It's hard to disprove and damaging to your reputation."
Emily shook her head. "Too risky for them. Most of my clients are minors, and an accusation like that would trigger a police investigation they can't control."
"Good point. What about mishandling funds or resources?"
She considered this. "Possible, but again, there would be a paper trail they'd have to falsify. I'm meticulous about documentation."
"Professional misconduct then," I suggested. "Something vague enough to justify the administrative leave while they build their case."
Emily stilled. "Or something specific enough to distract from the real issue." Her eyes widened. "The Bennett placement."
"What about it?"
She shook her head, her expression clearing.
"Last month, I expressed concerns about placing fourteen-year-old Zoe Morris with the Bennetts.
They'd specifically requested a teenage girl, but something felt off during the home study.
Mr. Bennett seemed overly interested in Zoe's photos, kept asking if she had a boyfriend, social media accounts. "
"What happened?" I asked, feeling a chill run down my spine.
"I documented my concerns and recommended against the placement," Emily continued, her voice gaining strength as the pieces fell into place. "Susan overruled me. Said I was being paranoid and that the Bennetts were 'pillars of the community.' She accused me of seeking problems where none existed."
"And Zoe? Was she placed with them?"
Emily's face darkened. "Yes. Three weeks ago." She scrambled off the stool, nearly knocking over her coffee. "Dion, Zoe is still with them. She hasn't disappeared yet. She's still there!"
The implication hit me like a physical blow. A child currently in danger, still within reach. "When was your last home visit with her?"
"Last Tuesday. She seemed... withdrawn. Quieter than usual." Emily's eyes filled with horror. "I asked if everything was okay, but with Mrs. Bennett hovering, she just nodded. She was going to be my first call on Tuesday, and I planned to insist on privacy."
I was already reaching for my phone. "Eric needs to focus on the Bennetts immediately. Financial records, communications, visitors to the house."
Emily grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into my skin. "Dion, I think Susan's complaint is about the Bennett placement. She's using it to keep me away from Zoe."
"Which means..." I started.
"They're getting ready to move her," Emily finished, her face pale with dread.