All for Hope (25 page)

“Hey, darling.”

“They’ve got her, Mark. They just arrested Hope.”

A few hours had passed between the time the officer arrested Hope at the Terrance house and their arrival at the police station. A swarm of cops descended on the place, questioning Cindy for a while, but apparently Mark’s wife held her own because they didn’t spend much time on her.

Now Officer Guillory pushed Hope into an interrogation room, then left her, closing the door behind him. She sat there, crossed her arms in front of her, and stared at the gray wall. Fear was coursing through her veins as she waited to find out what would happen to her. By the time the officer came back into the room, she was trembling.

He dropped a tape recorder onto the table and sat down in front of her. “Do you want legal counsel, Miss Sheffield?” he asked.

Hope shook her head.

Officer Guillory nodded and began setting up the microphone in front of her. “I'm going to ask you some questions then—”

The door opened, and Guillory looked up, his expression one of annoyance. “I'm conducting an interrogation here.”

“I know that.” The man spoke as if he were greater than everyone and anyone. “I’m her lawyer, Audrick Van Buren.”

Hope looked up in confusion at the tall, blond man, then understanding dawned as she tilted her head and saw Kay standing behind him. She murmured the woman's name, but Kay only gave her an apathetic glance as she handed the lawyer his briefcase.

“I trust I’ll be allowed a moment with my client?” Mr. Van Buren asked, then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down and began mulling through the papers in his briefcase.

Officer Guillory looked to each of the three of them, then sighed and left the room. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, Kay dropped her veil of distance and took hold of Hope's shoulder.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Hope nodded. “How did you know? How could you get here so quickly?”

“Brennan called us—” She stopped when Van Buren raised a hand. He stood, rounded the table and pressed a button on the recorder. Hope realized the officer had left it on, probably on purpose.

“Go ahead, dear,” Van Buren told Kay, and she smiled like a love-struck teenager before returning her eyes to Hope.

“He called us just after you left New Durma and asked me to get Van down here as soon as I could, just in case. We left on the first flight we could get.”

“Thank you, Kay. I didn't think—well, you were the last person I expected to see.”

“You're a part of the family now, Hope. It is my duty to help you.”

“Thank you, again. Kay, I want you to tell Brennan to file the marriage certificate and go. I gave Mark strict instruction, and he knows what to tell Brennan to do. Make sure he does it. Mr. Van Buren, now what?”

“They'll question you. Want to know where Michelle is. Are you going to tell them?” Kay asked.

“No, I can't. She's the reason I'm in this position. Her safety means everything to me. Besides, I don’t know where she is anyway. “

“There will be a hearing to set a trial date and bail. I'll push for the hearing as soon as possible,” Van told her.

“Yes, I want to get all of this over with.”

Audrick looked at her critically. “Kay told me your story. I have to be honest; because you won't give the baby's location, it is unlikely we can get you out on bail. I’ll do my best.”

“Mr. Van Buren, I want you to be totally honest with me. Without me giving up Michelle, there's no way this will ever be resolved, will it?”

The man stared at her a moment, then looked at Kay who nodded her head. “Honestly? It is highly unlikely. Their main priority will be to save the baby. I will, however, do my best.”

Van and Kay began to discuss things between themselves, and Hope slipped off into her own world. Michelle had to be kept safe. That was all that mattered. Wouldn't she be safe as long as she was not given into the care of her family?

“I want to see the judge,” Hope blurted suddenly, captivating the couple with her determined voice.

“A judge?” Kay questioned.

“Yes, whoever will be presiding over this case. I want to talk to him— or her.”

“Why?” Van asked as he carefully set down a set of papers.

“I won't bring her back until I can be sure she won't be returned to her grandparents. I have to be assured of her safety.”

“Do you think he would hurt her even if she is only with him a short time? She is just a baby—”

Hope was shaking her head furiously. “The thought of her anywhere near that man makes me sick.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, I—”

Officer Guillory knocked before entering the room then, eying them all carefully. “Are you finished yet? I need to question her.”

“I don't think so.” Van stood. “I have advised my client not to answer any of your questions at this time.”

Hope simply stared at him, not answering. Officer Guillory sighed heavily, grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. He quickly cuffed her hands behind her back and began to lead her from the room.

“We'll let you know, Hope.” Kay called, betraying the cool exterior she had been trying to maintain in the presence of the office. Hope smiled and nodded, completely trusting.

“It seems your feelings toward her have changed,” Van commented, staring down at her with love.

“Good deduction, counselor.” Kay grinned. “She's too sweet and innocent to be a real criminal. God, I hope they treat her well, Van. She—”

“Don't worry,” he grinned roguishly. “I have friends here, too.”

After Guillory handed Hope off to another officer for booking, he returned to Van Buren and his assistant before they could leave. He placed his hand on the door frame and watched them a moment.

Before speaking, he closed the door to give them privacy. “I want you to know I gave Ms. Sheffield every consideration before I brought her in.”

The assistant started forward, a furious look on her face, but Mr. Van Buren placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “I appreciate that, Officer Guillory.”

“I could have picked her up the moment she got back into town, but I allowed her the time with her mother.”

“That was very good of you,” Van Buren acknowledged, inclining his head, and he slid his briefcase from the table and approached the door, prepared to push his way past the office.

“If she’ll tell us where the baby is, I can help her. I’ve got to get that kid back.”

Van Buren stared him down, unresponsive.

Guillory stared back, trying the “cold, dead look.” It didn’t seem to have an effect on the attorney.

“I’m gonna trust you here, Van Buren. You get the kid back here, okay?”

Still no answer, but a flicker of something in the big man’s eyes. Feeling comfortable with his decision to trust the man, he continued.

“Here,” Guillory handed him a business card and felt a little twisting pain in the center of his back. He would get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out about this, but he was only about seven days from retirement.
Regulations be damned
, he told himself.

“A private investigator?” the attorney said, a golden blond eyebrow arching high in question.

“When Justine Taggart objected to her parents’ custody of her daughter, she said her sister could corroborate her story. Her sister was never located, and Justine was considered just a lying prostitute.”

“You think a PI can find her?” the woman asked, pressing forward to look at the card in her attorney’s hand.

Van Buren laughed, tucking the card in his pocket. “I’d wager a bet that Johnny Pollard has already found her.”

Guillory shrugged, cocked his head then left the room.

Hope's cell was livable. It was not at all what she had expected when she had thought of being incarcerated. Somehow roaches, rats, and enormous biker women had always entered her mind. It was small, but not overly dirty, and she was the only occupant. The bed's mattress was a thin, lumpy quilt-like material, but she was doing very little sleeping anyway, so that didn’t matter.

Tomorrow she would meet with the judge, and she had asked Kay to bring her something nice to wear from her parents’ home. She hoped her old clothes would still fit her. She hadn't packed much as this was supposed to be a short trip.

When the doors down the hall clicked as they were unlocked, she stood, thinking it would surely be Kay. Instead she was surprised to see a man in dark clothes. When he turned, she smiled, tears in her eyes. It was her pastor, Father Andrew Bertaut. He was holding a satchel in his hands, and he smiled as he reached out and handed it to her through the bars of her cell.

Hope sat down on her bed as they let the priest inside, and she opened the bag to find one of her suits.

“How are you, Hope?” Father Bertaut asked, his voice gentle and soft, like a whisper.

“I feel much better just with you here. Did Kay send you?”

“When she went to speak with your father and to pick up your things, your mother thought to ask if you had seen a priest.”

“Goodness, I'm not on my deathbed, Father.”

He smiled and nodded in agreement. “I thought perhaps you might need some support,” he admitted.

“I do. Did they tell you I meet the judge tomorrow?” He nodded again. “I'm so nervous. I don't want to ruin things, but Van said I should just tell the truth. I just—what if I say the wrong thing?”