“I was given your number to call by a detainee.”

  “Okay?” Grace rubbed her eyes. She didn’t know anyone in jail currently, but that didn’t mean some of her former arrests still didn’t have her number to call in case they got collared again. It wasn’t uncommon before she’d been a detective, and there were a few throughout the last year who had called. “Who is it?”

  “A kid named Peter Schultz.”

  “Oh God.” Grace’s heart plummeted. Reaching over she shook Amya’s arm, trying to wake her up while still focusing on the phone call. “What happened?”

  “He was in a vehicular accident.”

  Grace was out of the bed in two seconds flat. She hit every light as she went through the house, including the one in their bedroom to rouse Amya’s still sleeping body. She headed straight for the front window to stare out at her driveway. Sure enough, the car Amya had bought last December for Peter to use was gone.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine. The passenger in the vehicle is also fine but has been taken to Saint Patrick’s for observation.”

  Grace’s mouth went dry. She felt like she was going to puke. Walking as fast as she could back the way she had come, she flung open the door to the guest bedroom and flipped the light on. The bed was still made, Kit’s clothes put away in the dresser. She kept the room impeccable. But there was no Kit in sight.

  “Fuck,” Grace muttered. “What did he hit?”

  “He struck another vehicle.”

  “So he’s arrested for DWI?”

  “And distribution.”

  “What?” Grace’s eyes went wide. She leaned against the doorframe, her head against the edge of the wood, and she wanted to smack it really hard.

  Amya popped out of the bedroom, completely confused. Grace waved her over and gripped her hand. Without another beat, Amya squeezed her fingers, looked in Kit’s room then went to Peter’s, turning the light on and coming back after not finding him.

  “How long are you keeping him?”

  “We will release him after a seventy-two hour hold.”

  “Good. We’ll be there to get him. Thank you for the courtesy call.”

  “Any time, Detective.”

  Grace hung up. She glanced at Amya, and her voice trembled, “Peter crashed your car.”

  “What?” Amya’s eyes were wide. “Is he okay?”

  “He’s in lock up. He was drunk driving. But he had Kit with him. She’s at the hospital.”

  “We’re going, right?”

  “Yes.” Grace pushed up from the doorframe and walked straight to their bedroom. “Yes, we’re going. Now.”

  She got dressed as quickly as she could, Amya following suit. When they slipped into Amya’s beat up car, Grace let out a breath. She was about to break a rule to find out where Kit was, but she didn’t care. It was for a good cause. Amya took her hand as she drove, which steadied her racing heart and helped tamper her anger.

  “Peter will be released in three days.”

  “Leaving him there?”

  “Yes. He needs it. It’ll sober him up good, too.”

  “I agree with that decision.”

  “Good.” Grace clenched her jaw. “He apparently gave Kit alcohol.”

  “What?” Amya turned, surprise lacing her tone.

  “He’s been arrested for a DWI and distribution of alcohol to a minor.”

  “Damn it, Peter. We should have done something sooner.”

  “Probably.” Grace drove through the quiet streets and headed straight for the hospital. She had grabbed her badge before she’d left the house, and she was ready to use whatever means she had to find out where Kit was and what medical information she could find.

  When they got to the hospital, Grace and Amya walked confidently into the emergency room, the only doors open that late at night. Amya took Grace’s hand and stepped in front of her as they went to the desk. She slipped a badge Grace had never seen in front of the receptionist. “I need to know where Kit Umptree’s room is. I’m Chaplain Amya Stone.”

  The receptionist glanced at it then turned to her computer and typed into it. “She’s still in the ER, in curtain seven.”

  “Thanks. I know the way.”

  Amya dragged Grace with her. Grace glanced at the receptionist, who gave them a curious look. Grace turned on Amya. “What the hell badge is that?”

  “My religious credentials. My standing, essentially, as an ordained minister and as a Chaplain. Gets me into places you can’t go.”

  “What even? Why didn’t I know about this before?”

  Amya shot Grace a look, reminding Grace of their earlier conversation that night, and then turned toward the patient area. She found Kit’s bed and opened the curtain, smiling as soon as she entered. Amya went to one side of Kit and Grace the other. Grace touched Kit’s shoulder briefly before she realized she might be bruised under the hospital gown.

  “Hey, kid,” Grace said.

  “Hey,” Kit answered, tears swarming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry!”

  Grace wanted to lean down and hug her, but she wasn’t sure the move would be accepted, and she certainly wasn’t sure Kit would be up for it after being in a car accident. “Don’t worry about that. We can talk about it later. First, are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” Kit sniffled. “Yeah, I’m fine. They won’t let me leave.”

  “You’re a minor, so that’s not unexpected.”

  Kit shook her head, tears brimming over her eyes and falling down her cheeks. “No, they won’t let me leave with you. They made me tell them my parent’s phone number or they were going to call DCFS. I can’t do that again.”

  Grace gave in and brushed her fingers over Kit’s brown hair and slid her gaze from Kit’s broken face up to Amya’s. They were both thinking and feeling the same thing. There was nothing they could do. The hospital was following protocol as they should.

  Amya’s voice rang true. “Kit, you’re going to have to go home with your parents unless they allow you to come home with us. But let’s talk about that when it comes to it. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine. They took some x-rays of my chest.”

  “Why?”

  Kit shrugged. “Don’t know. They won’t tell me much.”

  “I’ll deal with it.” Grace glanced at Amya. She left the curtained area and found a nurse at the nurses station. Flashing her badge, she nodded her head. “I need to know what’s going on with Kit Umptree. She said x-rays were taken, but she doesn’t know why. You need to inform your patients of what you are doing. She might be a minor, but she is old enough to understand.”

  The nurse paled. “They were checking for internal bleeding.”

  “Why? Was there evidence of it?” Grace gave her a pointed stare.

  “Yes. There is bruising on her chest and back.”

  “Consistent with a seat belt?”

  The nurses lips parted, and she didn’t say anything, but she shook her head. Damn it. Grace closed her eyes. “Thanks. Her parents answer the phone?”

  “No, we are still trying to reach them.”

  “Good luck with that. They’ll likely show up when I drag them down here.”

  The nurse gave her a curious and blank look. Grace ignored her and went back to Kit and Amya. As soon as she entered, they quieted. What the nurse hadn’t said was the x-rays were to look for more than just internal bleeding. They had suspicions, and now so did Grace. A month home had already taken a turn for the worst.

  “What were you doing with Peter?”

  “He said he’d get me some beer.”

  “And did he?”

  “Yes.”

  Grace wished she could tell Amya what she suspected, but there was no way she was going to do that with Kit right there, and she certainly wasn’t going to leave Kit alone. She wanted to ream Kit a new one asking her what she was thinking going to get drunk with Peter, and she wanted to ream Peter a new one. She wanted to let her anger fly, but as soon as she looked down at Kit’s prone form, she stopped short of it.

  “We’ll stay here with you as long as we can, okay?” Grace said.

  “Okay.” Kit wiped her tears away.

  “But when your parents come, what they want takes priority, and we will likely have to leave. But remember this, Kit, please remember this, you are always welcome at our house.” Grace made sure to make eye contact with Kit, her meaning clear.

  It took until nine in the morning before Kit’s parents arrived, mom and dad in tow. Grace and Amya had wondered, along with hospital staff, if they were ever going to show. They’d finally answered the phone around seven and clearly hadn’t rushed over to see their only living daughter who was in the hospital. As they walked into the curtained area, Grace’s spine stiffened as she prepared for battle.

  “Get out.” Her mother’s voice was firm.

  Grace put her hands up. “We’re here to make sure she’s okay.”

  “She’s clearly not, and this is all because she was with you. Disgusting is what you are. Get out.”

  Amya stepped between Grace and Kit’s parents. “We will leave. We wanted to make sure Kit was okay before we left and that she had someone here to be with her.”

  Amya, the perfect mediator. Grace, however, wasn’t through. She sneered. “It took you six hours to get here. What kind of parents does that make you?”

  “Her parents!”

  “Some parents. Did you even know she was with us until this phone call?”

  Kit’s father paled, but her mother’s face tightened with anger. “We know exactly where our daughter does and does not go. It was your son who got her drunk. Your son who drove while drunk. Your son who crashed the vehicle. Maybe you should think a little more about your family and leave ours the hell alone.”

  Grace’s fist curled tightly, her nails digging into the palm of her skin. Amya gripped her hand, trying to soothe her, but Grace saw red. “My son has a whole lot more love for your daughter than you do. You could very easily take lesson from him on how to love someone. And frankly, we love her more than you seem to. Care more about her well-being. Kit is a blessing. She’s an amazing young adult who is just trying to find her way in this crazy world, her way when she’s getting absolutely no guidance from the likes of you. Grow up, get over your shit, and raise your daughter.”

  Without another word, Grace stormed through the curtained area and left the emergency room. Amya stayed behind, probably to soothe ruffled feathers, but Grace was too angry to calm down. She wanted to punch something, needed to get rid of the anger as it built in her chest and grew in ways she hadn’t seen it in years.

  Kit did everything right, or at least she tried to. All she wanted was to be loved, cared for, safe. She’d never find that in her own home. When Amya showed up and ran a hand over Grace’s shoulder and down so their fingers could entwine, Grace let out a breath.

  “They took the x-rays because of bruising that was already on her.”

  “She bruised that fast from the car accident?”

  Grace shook her head, her own tears brimming in her eyes, and she realized it wasn’t anger she was feeling. She was scared. She was scared shitless that if she sent Kit back to her parents’ house the next time she saw her would be in the morgue, naked on a slab of cold metal.

  “No, for bruises already on her, from before she came to stay with us.”

  Amya’s eyes widened. “What did they find?”

  “No clue, but I doubt she got them from falling down stairs.”

  “We have to call Doreen.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, we’ll call DCFS. I’m sure the hospital has already done it if they verified any of their suspicions.” Though even then, she wasn’t sure how well Kit would do being in foster care again. They no doubt wouldn’t send her to Grace’s and Amya’s with the argument they’d just had with Kit’s parents. Leaning in and kissing Amya, Grace put their foreheads together. “Come on, let’s go home and get ready for work. We’re both late.”

  “Worth it.”

  “Yeah. We can figure out Peter’s problem tonight.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  The Cock Crows

  When Grace had gotten to work that morning, which was far closer to noon, she’d had to sit in Humbard’s office and explain why she was late. The conversation had gone decently enough, but she couldn’t help but feel there was an underlying tension throughout it all. Perhaps he was also feeling the weight of IAB’s investigation into the department.

  Finally sitting at her desk, Grace pulled up her computer and closed her eyes to concentrate. She had to make a list and a plan for what she needed to do in the few short hours she was there that day. Otherwise she wouldn’t get anything accomplished. Who thought teenagers and young adults would cause sleep deprivation? She hadn’t. That was for babies. Sighing, she pulled up the Internet to start a search.

  Paige came over, sitting on the corner of Grace’s desk like she typically always loved to do. Looking up at her, Grace shook her head. Exhaustion seeped into every bone she had, making her eyes want to droop. She needed more coffee.

  “You look like shit, Halling.”

  “I feel like it. Be helpful, please, and go get me some coffee.”

  Paige’s lips thinned, her green eyes staring at Grace unnerving, but she did get up without another word and go over to the coffee maker. Grace hoped it was newer coffee, but when she saw Paige changing everything out, she figured it had been so old even Paige wouldn’t drink it.

  She typed quickly into the search bar, trying to find places that made school rings. She really wished she had known what else was on the ring other than a red gemstone. Typically, from what she remembered which was not much at all, class rings held a bunch of information. But if this kid had a class ring on his finger, wouldn’t that mean he had graduated and wasn’t as young as they thought he was?

  She redoubled her focus, skimming through the ads. It would be helpful if she knew which company was used by schools locally because there were so many and none of them were located in their fair town. It would take her decades to get the proper paperwork to filter through them all, which was not a prospect she was looking forward to.

  Paige came back over with the coffee in hand and slid it in front of Grace’s nose. Grace grabbed it immediately and took a long sip from it. Paige made excellent coffee, which Grace preferred to let someone else make it all the time since any time she attempted to make it, it tasted like muddy water.

  “Thanks,” she muttered into the cup before she took another sip. It was hot, but it was good.

  “Any time.”

  Once again, Paige sat at the corner of Grace’s desk as was her norm and crossed her arms over her chest as she stared out at nothing. Grace didn’t say anything and went back to her search results. Paige would get around to whatever she wanted to ask soon enough. She was hesitant for whatever reason because normally Paige was a bull in a china shop and barreled straight through whatever she was thinking, but on occasion she did something like this, and it was normally when she had a huge revelation about something.

  Grace moved through the second page of search results and shook her head. Her brain was not functioning up to par. Lack of sleep was one thing she used to be good at dealing with, but as she got older and into more of a routine at home, it became harder and harder.

  Paige shifted. Grace skimmed her gaze up over Paige’s profile. She looked so deep in thought and lost. Grace ignored her. Paige would figure it out. She always did. On the third page of search results, Grace realized she wasn’t retaining any information and there was a much better method to trying to figure this out. She closed out of the search and pulled out her cell phone.

  “She didn’t give me her number.” Paige sounded morose, so beaten down that Grace had to look up at her to make sure it was the same Paige she knew.

  “Who didn’t?”

  Paige turned, staring down at Grace with a sad look on her face. “Crystal.”

  “Oh. But she agreed to go on a date with you.”

  “Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, isn’t it, Halling? I shouldn’t have asked her the way I did. It was reckless and awful of me. You don’t think she’s had any fallout has she?”

  “Not that I’ve heard, but it is spring break this week, so she’s not at the school right now. Crystal tries to keep most of her life private from the kids, at least what she can.”

  “She invites you to her classroom all the time.” Paige rubbed her lips together.

  “Yeah, to teach the kids about shit not to ask her on a date.” Grace cringed. She knew that had come off as far too harsh. She had zero interest in Crystal. They were first and foremost best friends. They’d kissed exactly one time when they had been fourteen and stupid, trying to prove Crystal didn’t like girls in the basement of Crystal’s house.

  Grace rolled her eyes at the memory and took another long sip from her coffee. That had not been an entire disaster because she’d realized herself she also liked girls, just not Crystal, in that way. Crystal, however, had always been the one to date and be far more in the public eye with her sexuality. Grace just stood in the background as she liked it and didn’t really date until after she’d dropped out of high school and started working.

  “That was harsh,” Paige finally responded.

  Once more, Grace glanced up at her. This time, she leaned back in her chair, her coffee mug between her hands as she stared up at Paige. There was something different about her compared to normal. She debated. Crystal had agreed after all, if she didn’t want to go on a date, she would have said no.

  “I’ll give you her number.”

  Paige narrowed her gaze. “You refused before.”

  “Yeah, but before Crystal didn’t agree to go on a date. Call it flustered or whatever when you asked her out. She agreed. So I’ll give you her number.”

  “Really?” The light that blossomed on Paige’s face was brilliant.

  If Grace didn’t know better, she’d think Paige actually had an interest in Crystal beyond the fact she was Grace’s best friend. However, Grace still had her doubts on that one and was pretty sure Paige had been honest on Friday when she’d said it was all because Grace was taken.