Rylan held tightly onto Richie's hand as the judge asked her to tell
what happened the night she ran away. Richie watched her closely as she
told the story. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she
sorted through the details and re-lived the memory. He wanted to tell the
judge to leave her alone, but he knew that the less he said, the faster the
hearing would go, and the sooner she would move in permanently. So he sat
quietly and held her hand.
"Where did the bruise on your upper left arm come from?" Judge Baker asked.
"It got slammed in the door." She answered.
"How?"
"As I was leaving I pulled the door open really hard. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but somehow he grabbed my wrist and kept my arm in the apartment and I got the rest of my body into the hall. I pulled the door open so hard it bounced off the wall and closed on my arm."
"So that wasn't Mr. Douglas' fault?"
"He didn't physically close the door on me, no."
"You said you were leaving, where did you go?"
"To Duncan and Tessa's."
"And why did you want to go there?"
"That's where Richie lives."
"Richie." The judge repeated looking down at his file. "Oh, yes. Richard Ryan, age eight-teen. The other minor involved in the '87 case. Is that you?" He looked up at Richie.
"Yes, sir." He answered.
"Ms. Fisher, why did you want to go see Mr. Ryan?"
"He told I could if I needed to."
"When did he tell you that?"
"When he saw the bruises on my arm."
"The one's from a previous attack?"
"Yes."
"So what happened on January 13 was not an isolated incident."
"No, sir."
"I see." He made a note in the file. "How long had you been in the care of Mr. Douglas?"
"Almost two months."
"And how many times did he beat you, before the thirteenth?"
"Before?" She thought for a moment. Richie patted her hand. "Three times."
"Was there any attempt at a sexual assault?"
"No." She answered quickly.
"So this has no correlation with the other case."
"No, sir."
"Mr. Ryan, how long have you known Ms. Fisher?"
Richie looked away from Rylan and at the judge. "Twelve years."
"So you had known her for seven years when you were molested."
"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"I'm just trying to understand your relationship." Judge Baker explained. "I understand you are the one who told Ms. Noel of what had happened."
"Yes, sir."
"Why didn't you say something earlier, when you first saw the bruises?"
"Rylan said she could handle it."
"Is it true that you were abused in one of your homes?"
Richie swallowed. "Yes, sir."
"But you still didn't say anything."
"No, I didn't. Not until it got out of hand."
"Wouldn't you say it was out of hand once it started?" Richie set his jaw and didn't respond. "Mr. Ryan, how long have you lived with Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Noel?"
"A little less than five months."
"And how long have you known them?"
"A little less than five months." Richie repeated.
"How did you meet them?"
Richie shifted in his seat. "I broke into their store."
"You broke into their store and then moved in with them."
"Yes."
"Interesting. Would you describe your living situation as good environment?"
"Definitely." Richie answered.
"Mr. MacLeod, you are the one who actually filed the report, correct?"
Duncan sat up in his chair. "Yes."
"And how did you find out about the incident?"
"Rylan told me."
"When did she tell you?"
"On the way to the police station."
"Then how did you know to take her there?"
"Tessa and I had become suspicious. I was down stairs talking to Rylan while Tessa was upstairs with Richie. When we all got together I found out enough to know I had to do something. Rylan gave me the details on the way." He explained.
"Had you known about Ms. Fisher and Mr. Ryan's pasts when you first learned of this?"
"No."
"Is this the first you've heard of their other problems?"
"No. I've found out a lot about both of them since Rylan began staying with us."
"Ms. Noel, why did you and Mr. MacLeod allow Mr. Ryan to move in with you?"
"Because we felt he needed a second chance to build a good future for himself." Tessa answered holding onto Duncan's hand.
"And I see that you have filed an interest in adopting Ms. Fisher. Do you feel she needs a second chance as well?"
"Yes, and she and Richie should be together, they deserve at least part of a normal life."
"Alright. I believe I've heard enough." Judge Baker said gathering his papers. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go over my notes and make my decision." He stood up and left the room.
"Now what?" Richie asked once the door closed.
"Now we wait." Duncan answered.
"Where did the bruise on your upper left arm come from?" Judge Baker asked.
"It got slammed in the door." She answered.
"How?"
"As I was leaving I pulled the door open really hard. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but somehow he grabbed my wrist and kept my arm in the apartment and I got the rest of my body into the hall. I pulled the door open so hard it bounced off the wall and closed on my arm."
"So that wasn't Mr. Douglas' fault?"
"He didn't physically close the door on me, no."
"You said you were leaving, where did you go?"
"To Duncan and Tessa's."
"And why did you want to go there?"
"That's where Richie lives."
"Richie." The judge repeated looking down at his file. "Oh, yes. Richard Ryan, age eight-teen. The other minor involved in the '87 case. Is that you?" He looked up at Richie.
"Yes, sir." He answered.
"Ms. Fisher, why did you want to go see Mr. Ryan?"
"He told I could if I needed to."
"When did he tell you that?"
"When he saw the bruises on my arm."
"The one's from a previous attack?"
"Yes."
"So what happened on January 13 was not an isolated incident."
"No, sir."
"I see." He made a note in the file. "How long had you been in the care of Mr. Douglas?"
"Almost two months."
"And how many times did he beat you, before the thirteenth?"
"Before?" She thought for a moment. Richie patted her hand. "Three times."
"Was there any attempt at a sexual assault?"
"No." She answered quickly.
"So this has no correlation with the other case."
"No, sir."
"Mr. Ryan, how long have you known Ms. Fisher?"
Richie looked away from Rylan and at the judge. "Twelve years."
"So you had known her for seven years when you were molested."
"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"I'm just trying to understand your relationship." Judge Baker explained. "I understand you are the one who told Ms. Noel of what had happened."
"Yes, sir."
"Why didn't you say something earlier, when you first saw the bruises?"
"Rylan said she could handle it."
"Is it true that you were abused in one of your homes?"
Richie swallowed. "Yes, sir."
"But you still didn't say anything."
"No, I didn't. Not until it got out of hand."
"Wouldn't you say it was out of hand once it started?" Richie set his jaw and didn't respond. "Mr. Ryan, how long have you lived with Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Noel?"
"A little less than five months."
"And how long have you known them?"
"A little less than five months." Richie repeated.
"How did you meet them?"
Richie shifted in his seat. "I broke into their store."
"You broke into their store and then moved in with them."
"Yes."
"Interesting. Would you describe your living situation as good environment?"
"Definitely." Richie answered.
"Mr. MacLeod, you are the one who actually filed the report, correct?"
Duncan sat up in his chair. "Yes."
"And how did you find out about the incident?"
"Rylan told me."
"When did she tell you?"
"On the way to the police station."
"Then how did you know to take her there?"
"Tessa and I had become suspicious. I was down stairs talking to Rylan while Tessa was upstairs with Richie. When we all got together I found out enough to know I had to do something. Rylan gave me the details on the way." He explained.
"Had you known about Ms. Fisher and Mr. Ryan's pasts when you first learned of this?"
"No."
"Is this the first you've heard of their other problems?"
"No. I've found out a lot about both of them since Rylan began staying with us."
"Ms. Noel, why did you and Mr. MacLeod allow Mr. Ryan to move in with you?"
"Because we felt he needed a second chance to build a good future for himself." Tessa answered holding onto Duncan's hand.
"And I see that you have filed an interest in adopting Ms. Fisher. Do you feel she needs a second chance as well?"
"Yes, and she and Richie should be together, they deserve at least part of a normal life."
"Alright. I believe I've heard enough." Judge Baker said gathering his papers. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go over my notes and make my decision." He stood up and left the room.
"Now what?" Richie asked once the door closed.
"Now we wait." Duncan answered.