Sharon felt a rage inside her she hadn't felt in a long time. She put on a calm face for Rusty, but in her mind she was already in her vehicle and on her way to Daniel Dunn house to show him what happens when you mess with her kid.
Sharon finished cleaning up Rusty's wounds while they discussed the best way to handle Mr. Dunn then he went to bed. She felt her anger getting worse the more she thought about it.
She poured herself a glass of wine then another. She drank three and it still hadn't calmed her. She poured her fourth and dug into her purse for the cigarettes she kept in there. She pulled one out of the pack and a lighter then tucked the pack back into her purse.
She walked out on the balcony and lit the cigarette beeped she called Andy. He would either talk her down or come pick her up.
"Hey, Captain." Andy answered. "Is everything okay?"
"No," Sharon sat down on a chair with her wine in hand and a cigarette in the other. "When I came home, Rusty was here."
"Back so soon?"
"Yeah, seems Mr. Dunn's fiancée didn't like the answers to the questions she asked Rusty." Sharon explained trying to control her temper as she spoke. She took a draw from the cigarette before she continued. "Mr. Dunn took him out of the house and gave him a busted lip and black eye."
"He what?! Son of a bitch!"
"Not only did he call him a problem yesterday, but he was late picking up and didn't see the why it was a big deal. Now this." Sharon felt her anger getting stronger. "I'm having trouble talking myself out of going over there and putting a gun to his head. If I haven't already drank three glasses of wine and working on my fourth, I'd probably already be on my way."
"As much as I'd love to see you put that bean bag gun to his head," Andy sounded amused at the idea. Sharon knew if she asked him he'd do just that. "I think we should sit on this. Dunn will come crawling back."
"The bean bag gun wasn't the gun I was thinking about." Sharon mumbled.
"I know," Andy half laughed. "But you looked really sexy shooting it. I still have the bean bag."
"You do not." Sharon laughed.
"I do." He insisted. "I'll show you tomorrow. Has Dunn called or texted you?"
"No." Sharon shook her head. "I told Rusty to ignore his phone calls because he'd eventually show up."
"Then we arrest him."
"I've talk to Rusty about what he wants us to do." Sharon swirled her wine around in the glass and took a drag of her cigarette. "I told him Mr. Dunn just opened us up to a few have options. We arrest him or we make a deal with him. We let him go and he signs his rights away."
"Making Rusty a ward of the state."
"Yes." Sharon nodded then finished the wine in her glass.
"Meaning you could adopt him."
"Maybe, I haven't gotten that far yet." Sharon shrugged. The idea had crossed her mind. "Rusty will be eighteen soon. Plus I'd have to get Jack to sign off on it since he's still my husband."
"It will all work out, Sharon." Andy assured her.
"I hope so." Sharon looked into her empty glass. "I just don't understand how parents do this to their children. Do you know Rusty's mother let her boyfriend beat on him until Rusty stood up for himself? That's when they left him at the zoo."
"Poor kid. No wonder he acts the way he does. One minute he's more adult then I am, but then the next he's throwing a temper tantrum."
"Yeah," Sharon stood to go get a refill putting the remainder of her cigarette out on the way in. "He never got to be a kid. He cooked breakfast for me and said he used to cook for his mother all the time."
"Probably the only time she ate." Andy commented.
"Yeah." Sharon looked at the empty wine bottle and thought of Rusty's mother. She put the bottle in the trash. "I should just go to bed."
"Need me to come over and tuck you in?" Andy asked in a flirty tone.
"Hmm," Sharon hummed. "Yes, I'd like that."
"If Rusty wasn't there and you weren't tipsy then I'd come over."
"I'm not tipsy." She lied making her way to her room.
"You wouldn't have taken me up on my offer if you weren't." Andy countered. "Go to bed and I'll see you in the morning."
"You could tell me what you'd do if you did come tuck me in." Sharon whispered after she closed her bedroom door.
"What are you wearing?" Andy asked.
"I'm still in my work clothes." Sharon began to undress.
"I'd take those off you. When you were completely naked I'd put a night gown on you."
"A night gown?" Sharon found a night gown and pulled it on then laid down on her bed ready for what came next.
"Yeah, Then I'd lay you down in the bed. Pull the covers up over you."
"Wait," Sharon frowned. "What?"
"Just listen." Andy laughed. "Then I'd kiss your . . . Forehead and tell you goodnight."
"You would not!" Sharon huffed.
"I would, because you've been drinking. One glass sure. You're okay, but you said you've had four. That's where I take you home, tuck you in, and leave."
"Party pooper." Sharon pouted.
"You'd thank me in the morning." Andy assured her. "Goodnight, Sharon."
"Goodnight, Andy." Sharon hung up the phone and crawled under the covers. Daniel Dunn would get what he deserved. One way or another.
Daniel Dunn did just what they thought he would. He signed his rights away. Sharon could see the joy on Rusty's face when the whole team signed as witnesses.