Page 64 of Smitty

“And what about the abuse?” I asked. “Do you think his father has been hurting him?”

“He didn’t really open up about that, but I would say there is definite cause for concern. We will need to complete an immediate investigation on his behalf.”

“Now, we have two children that need help instead of one.”

Daniel’s words settled over me.

Two children.

Not a victim and a villain. Two kids who had been carrying burdens far too heavy for their shoulders.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done on this case.” Lisa offered me a tired smile. “I’m hoping you can give Daniel a hand.”

“Of course.”

“I want a home visit done by the end of the week.”

“You don’t think we should go there today?”

“I think we have time. The weapon has been confiscated, and after our meeting with Jimmy, they will be expecting us to visit the home. I think it’s best to give it a little time.”

“Understood.”

For the first time all day, I felt some of the weight lift from my chest.

Not all of it. There was still Ryan. I needed to have a long talk with him about things, and I also had to prepare for Anslee’s first real meeting with her father and everything that would come after.

That was a lot, but somewhere across town, a little boy had finally opened up and told the truth. And now, he and his family were safe. That alone was enough to keep me going for another day. I was about to go over the notes Daniel had given me when my cell buzzed with a message.

I glanced down at the screen, and butterflies filled my stomach when I saw it was a message from Brayden.

Brayden:

Hey.

We’re on our way back.

Should be home later tonight.

Me:

Wow. That was a quick trip.

Brayden:

Handled what needed to be handled.

Me:

Good. Any thoughts on when you’d like to get together?

Brayden:

How does tomorrow afternoon sound?

Me:

That would be great.