Chapter Fourteen #2
Kerrie sighed, following her into another room.
“Well, if this were a substance brought in then we would only send home the one who brought it in. We can’t fault them for being weak if it’s waved in front of their faces.
We offer a safe environment, and when it slips in, can we really expect them to resist? ”
“But a phone isn’t something their bodies are craving.” She used the closest bed to lower herself to the floor to look under it. Nothing.
“True. So that brings us to punishment. Obviously, whoever brought it in or had it dropped off will go. The temptation to contact the outside world would be great, but we can’t give it the same grace as if it were a substance.
Are all yours on legal? Do you mind checking under the other one?
Getting on the floor would be hell on my back. ”
“Can do. You handle the tall search, and I’ll do the low.
” She moved to the other and repeated the motion.
She was only five-five, while Kerrie was much taller.
“All of mine are on legal, except I have one that wasn’t court-ordered.
He asked his probation officer if he would find funding for him to go. ”
“Will?”
“Yep. That’s him. He hadn’t used in about a year, then his mom passed away, and he went on a short bender.”
She nodded as she shifted through a trash can. “I can tell he actually wants to be here. He’s very responsive when I do Group.”
“Yeah, I, ” she stopped, tilting her head.
“What?”
“Shh.”
There was a noise. A low buzz was somewhere in the room. She followed it to the farthest wall. There was nothing there except a painted-over brick panel and a platform where a woodstove would have once been.
“Did you hear that?”
Kerrie nodded. “I did. But from where?”
Reese looked around until her eyes landed on a plate-like cover that would have been where the woodstove vented out by a large pipe. It was well above her head. “Does that open?”
Kerrie stepped close to the wall. Using her fingers, she caught the lip of the cover and pulled. It opened right up. Kerrie grinned over her shoulder. “I’ll be damned.”
She pulled out a black phone, its screen still lit up from a missed call. Reese smiled. “We got it!”
***
One thing about her job that never got any easier was sending someone home.
It took an emotional toll on her. The guilt. The worry. The knowing what was waiting for the client outside of the rehab. Despite knowing full well that it wasn’t her fault that the client had broken the rules and put everyone else in a terrible situation, it never got any easier.
The owner of the phone wasn’t Payton. It had been another client of hers, a twenty-two-year-old named Shepherd.
They were able to get the phone unlocked thanks to the lock screen code being 1234.
Scrolling all the way back through the text messages showed the first message was him contacting his girlfriend, who apparently dropped the phone off to him one night.
They were able to identify five other clients who used the phone through texts and by using the numbers from their charts.
Most had contacted their spouse or girlfriend.
They were all court-ordered to be there, so it had been decided that she and Kerrie would contact their probation officers to let them know about the incident but that they were not being discharged.
If they did anything else, they would be, though.
Television privileges were also revoked for the whole house, as no one alerted them to the fact that there was a phone.
They had also planned for a random drug test the next day for everyone in Upper and Lower Sparrow.
The phone might not have been the only thing she dropped off.
Warm tears trailed down her face, blurring her vision and ruining her makeup. She had held back as long as she could while clients were around, but now it was the end of the day, and she freely let them flow while finishing up the last of her notes.
Her door was pulled shut with just a crack showing. A knock sounded and she suddenly wished she had shut it completely. Whoever it was didn’t wait for an answer before pushing it open.
She was mortified to see Matty’s head pop in. She must look like a mess.
“Hey, how—” She stopped suddenly at the sight of Reese. Her brow creased instantly. “What’s wrong?”
Reese stood to get some tissues from the box on top of the filing cabinet, but Matty beat her to it.
Taking a few out of it, she held them out to Reese.
Their fingers brushed. The feel of Matty’s skin against her own almost undid the wall she was trying to build back up from her small breakdown. She tried to smile. “Thank you.”
“Rough day?”
“You could say that.” She dabbed at her face. She just knew her mascara was probably causing her to resemble a raccoon. “I’m sorry, I probably look like a mess.”
“You look as pretty as always. Just a little sadness mingled in.”
If her face wasn’t already red from crying, Reese was sure that she would have blushed hard at Matty’s compliment. A smile tugged at her lips but it didn’t last long. “Thank you. You’re really sweet.”
“Just telling the truth,” she said, leaning against the desk.
She was covered in grime and dust. Reese had to stop herself from reaching up to rub a little smudge of dirt off her neck.
Had a cloud of emotional guilt and worry not been hanging over her head, she would have found the casual lean of her body and the way her T-shirt stretched over her breasts and the slight pudge of her belly a great way to distract herself. Her eyes lingered.
“Want to talk about it?”
No. No, she didn’t. But was holding it in helpful? She blew out a breath. “Not really, but sure. I had to send a guy home today. Not only that but I had to call some probation officers to let them know the clients broke some rules.”
“Oh wow, that had to be heavy. What did they do?”
“Cell phone. One had his girlfriend drop it off. Hopefully, that’s all she brought. We’re testing them tomorrow. I just feel so bad. I know I sent this guy back to jail.”
Matty shook her head forcefully. “No, no, ma’am.
We both know it was his choice. Coming from someone who’s been there, that’s solely on them.
The rules are given to you when you get here, and it’s continually mentioned.
These guys aren’t new to controlled environments.
They understand what happens when you break the rules.
And honestly, sometimes those moments of fucking up are exactly the wake-up call some need. ”
“I just feel so bad. I’m sending him right back there. He won’t get another opportunity like this until he flattens his time. He’s facing five years. Five years, Matty. He’ll be almost thirty by then.”
“So a little more mature. You can’t blame yourself.”
“I know. It’s just hard, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I don’t think so. Just saying it out loud helps.”
“Good. I’m happy to help.”
Reese rolled her eyes but smiled. “You are being helpful. What about you? When is someone helpful to you?”
She shrugged, her eyes looking to the side of Reese instead of at her. “I mean, I guess Kerrie helps me by giving me a lift.”
There was a hint of embarrassment in her voice that made Reese remember that weekend when both of them had been vulnerable.
It was hard for them to ask for help and then accept it.
They were similar in that aspect. Both had something to hide, and both needed to ask for help. A thought occurred to her.
“Do you know what we have in common?”
“Clothing choices?” she said snarkily, motioning between them. Matty was in a T-shirt, work pants, and steel-toed boots. Reese was in a light cream-colored blouse, dark purple skirt, and lavender cardigan with tan sandals. Total opposites.
“Yes, tomorrow let’s wear matching dresses.” Sarcasm dripped with every word.
“Deal.”
“Anyway, seriously, though, we both have things we need help with.”
Matty raised an eyebrow. “We do?”
“Yes, we do. My hoard and your GED.”
The silence that followed was thick. Matty pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth and crossed her arms. Reese hoped she hadn’t overstepped. She was relieved when Matty spoke. “I guess so.”
“I have a proposition.”
That earned her a curious look. “Yeah? What is it?”
She took a deep breath. This was a big leap for her. “I need help with things around the house. It’s such a large task. Repairs will be needed, and there’s some stuff I need an extra person to help with.”
Matty’s eyes brightened. “I can help with that.”
“You can, and I can help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yeah, you. You said you were worried about not passing. I’ll help you study. You help me de-hoard the house. And fix stuff. I can barely hang up a picture.”
Matty opened her mouth, then closed it again before speaking. “I, um, I guess?”
“Are you asking me or agreeing with me?” smirked Reese.
She let out a short laugh. “Uh, I think I’m agreeing.”
“Fantastic. I like this. We can both have support without having to expose ourselves to a lot of people. I’d rather everyone not know about the hoard. We’ll do it together.”
A look of something she couldn’t quite read flashed across Matty’s face. Was it excitement, maybe? “Together. Yeah, I like that. Let’s do it.”
“Are you busy this weekend?”
“Nothing I can’t work around. How about I come over Saturday morning? I’ll bring doughnuts, and you make the coffee?”
“I can do that. And then maybe Sunday evening, we work on the GED stuff?”
Matty nodded, more excited now. “Yeah, that’s great.”
Reese smiled. This was going to be a nice arrangement.