CHAPTER FOUR #2
Hayden looked dubious at my promise, but Gracie and Clementine nodded.
Gabriel sent me a look. “I’ll take you guys into the house so you can get some clothes for the girls.”
I looked back at Hayden, Clementine, and Gracie. “Do you guys have any favorite outfits you want me to grab? Any stuffed animals, blankets, special treasures?”
“My squishy Hay Hay got me,” Gracie said softly.
Clementine blinked a few times, her face still pale. “Can you get my books for school and my Hunger Games book? I was right in the middle.”
“Of course. I’ll get all your backpacks.” I sent Clementine a small smile. “I love that one.”
“Really?”
My smile widened to a grin. “Team Gale or Team Peeta?”
A hint of pink hit Clementine’s cheeks. “Peeta. He’s quiet, but he’s always looking out for her.”
“Sometimes, the quiet ones are the best ones. You know, I think I might need a reread. We can have our own book club.” I felt eyes on me, and my gaze flicked to Hayden, who didn’t seem thrilled with the idea. “Be right back.”
Gabriel led me and Noah toward the house. “I had the officers do a search, and it wasn’t pretty.”
A hollow feeling settled somewhere deep inside me. “What’d they find?”
“An unsecured thirty-two. Loaded.”
My back teeth ground together, but I stayed silent, sensing there was more.
“A stash of meth in one of the drawers in the mom’s bedroom. That’ll get her a possession charge. The gun isn’t registered, and—”
“It’s enough to support removing the children from the home,” Noah finished.
Gabriel nodded. “I’ve got a deputy running her criminal history to see if anything else can nudge this into something a judge will move on more quickly.
I know nothing popped in earlier searches, but we’re just doing our due diligence.
And I need you to see the house. It paints a picture. And it’s not a fuckin’ good one.”
I saw it then: the anger Gabriel had been trying to cover so he wouldn’t scare the girls. He was furious. And the moment I stepped into the trailer, I saw why.
The scent of stale air and rotting food swirled.
Plates were piled high in the sink, and a half-eaten meal had bugs crawling all over it.
The carpets in the living room were soiled with who knew what, and countless piles of debris littered the couch.
The only empty spot was a recliner in the corner, where empty glasses and some hard seltzer cans sat.
Nausea rolled through me as I covered my nose with my shirt. I couldn’t believe the girls had been living like this.
“Primary bedroom’s that way.” Gabriel headed in the opposite direction. “This is the girls’ room.”
I stepped inside, and my eyes widened. The small room held a set of bunk beds, a single twin, and two mismatched nightstands that had seen better days.
There was a dresser on the far wall near a closet.
The entire room was spotless. No marks on the carpets or piles of trash.
Other than a handful of dolls and a few stuffed animals that were obviously mid-tea party, even the toys were put away.
My throat constricted, and I struggled to swallow. “Hayden’s taking care of them.”
Gabriel lifted his chin in assent. “Look at this.”
He moved to the closet and opened the doors.
At first glance, it looked normal: hanging clothes, shoes, and some boxes.
Then Gabriel pushed the clothes and a box aside, revealing a mini fridge tucked into the corner.
Opening it, he stepped back so we could see.
Milk, cheese, and turkey. Sitting atop the fridge were two boxes of cereal and a sleeve of bread.
“There are other items in the boxes. All hidden under layers of clothes,” Gabriel went on.
“They’re hiding it from their mom.” The fact that the girls needed to do this made me want to rage. Instead, I took a deep breath and started planning. “Noah, we need to file to terminate parental rights. Do we know if there’s a father in the picture?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “There’s a Les Jensen listed on their birth certificates. But none of the teachers I spoke with were familiar with him, and Ms. Jensen said she was a single parent.” Noah looked at Gabriel. “Your deputies take photos?”
“I’ve got every angle you could ask for. Made sure to get the rat droppings, too.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and then pulled the empty duffel from my tote bag.
We didn’t get much funding for extras like travel bags for the kids we worked with.
Sometimes, nonprofits stepped in to help, but other times, kids could be left transporting their things in garbage bags.
I wasn’t about to let that happen. I always bought duffels in bulk whenever they went on sale on or other similar sites.
“Noah, will you get their school stuff?” I asked.
“On it.” He moved around the room as I gathered clothes and shoes and Clem’s books.
Knowing the girls might never return, I took more than I usually would and included some things that looked like keepsakes.
A single framed photo of the three of them.
A drawing. A jewelry box filled with beaded bracelets.
Noah lifted two backpacks onto his shoulders and handed a third to Gabriel. “Got everything but the squishy.” He said the word squishy as if it were foreign.
I moved to the bunks, thinking Gracie would likely be on the bottom. My gaze roamed over the stuffed animals on the bed, settling on one. I bent and picked up the round, purple creature. “A Squishmallow. They’re all the rage with kids these days and very huggable.”
I tucked it under my arm and turned back to the group. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Don’t have to twist my arm,” Gabriel muttered.
Steeling myself to pass through the rest of the house, I followed Gabriel into the hall. We wove our way back outside, and I sucked in fresh air the moment we passed the threshold.
The sound of cursing had my gaze searching out the source. A woman was struggling against Deputy Fletcher’s hold as he tried to guide her toward a squad car. Her hair was a mix of brown and gray, her amber eyes were dull, and her skin was sallow. But I would’ve known the face anywhere.
I’d only seen a crumpled photo of her and a man once, but the image was burned into my brain. How couldn’t it be? It didn’t matter that they were younger in the photo or that she looked less ravaged by drugs and hard living. I’d never forget her face. Not when I knew the damage she’d done.
My hand lashed out, gripping Gabriel’s arm with a force that had him jerking his head in my direction. My heart hammered against my ribs, and blood roared in my ears. “W-what is she doing here?”
Some part of my brain recognized the confusion on Gabriel’s face. “That’s Renee Jensen. The girls’ mother. You know her?”
“Those girls,” I croaked, my brain rapidly putting the pieces together, a sick feeling sinking into my gut. Gracie’s, Clementine’s, and Hayden’s eyes were amber. It was a color I knew better than any in existence. Those girls were Kye’s sisters. And he had no idea they existed.