Chapter 11
The next morning was better than the previous one. Danny had slept through the night without any major episodes. Calleigh had to go in and wake her up so they wouldn't be late and Danny didn't react like combat veteran. Natalia watched Calleigh arrive to work. No one spoke of the fact that they hadn't called the father that was obviously missing her. She didn't agree with it. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. She went and looked at the file.
She clutched the phone to her ear, "Hello, Mr. Emmery?"
"Yes?"
"My name is Natalia Boa Vista, I'm with the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. Are you the legal guardian of Taylor Emmery?"
"Yes I am! Oh God, please tell me she's alright."
"She was assaulted, but she's alive. She's in protective custody right now, but you are more than welcome to come get her at your convenience."
"Oh my God. I'll be in the first plane out. I will get her from you around six, does that sound good?"
"Yes, sir. She'll be ready to go. She may have to come back to testify, or for anything that the DA needs for the case."
"Oh, yes, I understand. And Ms Boa Vista…Thank You. You have no idea how much help you have been."
"No problem sir. We'll see you at six." She hung up the phone, feeling quite proud of herself. If only she knew the monster that was heading to Miami.
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"Calleigh…" Horatio said as he walked into the ballistics lab.
"Gun-locker." He heard her call. He made his way to her.
"I just though you might like to know, well, what we know." He said. She rushed out of the locker.
"Yes, I do!"
"Meet Justene Maraloes." He started handing her documents, "She gave birth to Danniella Maraloes on December 4, 1990. No father on the birth certificate. On May 21, 1994, Justene married Stephan Thomas and adopted his son Matthew, who was five."
"Matty" Calleigh deduced.
"Between August 1994 and May 1999, Justene was taken to the emergency room more than fifty times for 'falls'. Her daughter was occasionally taken with her, but never really examined, except when Justene claimed to have fallen with her or on her. That ended with her suicide May 18, 1999. After that, there is no record of Danniella, Matthew, or Stephan. I went back and looked for emergency room visits that matched the mother's injuries. Thirty-two visits match Danny over the years; all had similar injuries concurrent with severe physical abuse, including broken bones, cuts, and burns. And later, a doctor found evidence of prolonged sexual abuse, but every emergency room was given a different name so there was no way to cross-reference anything. Every person to those names has simply vanished, even the few times the police were called. Until now, we have Dennis and Taylor Emmery."
"What about Matthew?"
"I don't know."
"That guy is a real piece of work."
"You need to either get her talking, or we will have to give her back. We can't keep her from him for much longer, not legally."
"I'll do what I can. Is she going to end up in foster care?"
"If we can stop him from disappearing with her, she will. Maybe you could make a call to Tim's parents. They may be her only chance at a family."
"They just lost their son…"
"All the more reason to give them their granddaughter."
"Okay. I'll call." She looked at her watch, "But right now, I have to pick Danny up from school."
"Calleigh, this is what's best for her."
"I know, Horatio." She walked out of the lab and out to her Hummer.
Calleigh though about the things Horatio had told her about Danny's past. It was no wonder she didn't want to go back, and why she was a habitual run away, and why she didn't trust the police, and why she wanted out of the hospital so quickly. Because in her mind, none of them had ever tried to save her, they just cleaned up the mess. She hated the thought that she may have to let him take her back. She would call Speedle's parents tonight. Maybe they could sue for custody. They were her only real hope. After all, Calleigh was not a mother. She couldn't keep her, even though she wanted to more than she had ever wanted anything.