Chapter 5

Later that afternoon Sheldon discovered that the DNA found underneath the victim's skirt was a match to the DNA found underneath her fingernails. And thanks to Alden Monteagle they had a name for the blond man Patterson Yeoville, a 20 year old socialite who lived purely off of his trust fund and didn't bother with university as he had a job waiting for him care of his father.

"One thing we made clear to all of our kids was that they need to work and learn the value of money." Beanie explained shaking her head as she watched a boy she'd known for most of his life be taken into custody, she spared a thought for his parents and thanked god that it hadn't been Alden. "Good work today Sheldon." She nodded at the younger man before leaving him pleased that the director had complimented him and he knew she really meant it.

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"I just had a call from your boss." Mac said running into Beanie in the hall, she'd decided to leave early as she was completely exhausted.

"He wants you to take over from me? You can if you want, plenty of paperwork left." Beanie joked.

"We've been allocated enough money for a new – reasonable one." He was impressed at how fast it had worked; she also made a few phone calls whilst typing the letter pleading the case. Had they had a functioning DNA machine her son would have been cleared the previous day, the fact that she'd offered to make a charitable donation to the lab to help with buying one had also made a large difference – although it was a donation she'd made from her own account rather than from the joint one. A look from Mac however told her that he knew she'd played a big part in the approval; he just wondered how much money she'd kicked in for it. "Now, as a friend I'm telling you to go home and spend time with the kids."

"That's what I'm planning to do," She made a move to head to her office but stopped. "Tell Adam to have the order on my desk in the morning and I'll get it pushed through." Mac nodded telling her thanks before she headed to her office.

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Beanie sat looking at the picture taking pride of place on her desk; she wished she could go back there to the beach with her husband and children on their holiday. A hot day and she'd taken the photo of father and children playing in the pool, it was her favourite one of the lot of them from the holiday, everyone looked so relaxed and happy, it was the complete opposite of how she both felt and looked. She signed some documents that needed signing to clear her in-tray a bit, and shoved a few more pieces of paperwork into her bag before heading out the door.

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When Beanie arrived home she was greeted by her youngest daughter, Edlyn who at 10 years old was the spitting image of her mother at that age. Edlyn didn't say anything she just jumped up and gave her mother a hug, Beanie really needed the hug. "Can we read a story?" Edlyn asked with a hopeful smile.

"Ok, let's go." Beanie dumped her bag in the hall and followed her daughter into the living room where Carsen and her other daughter Daelyn were waiting with a book. Sitting down in the middle of the sofa she had Carsen on her left and Edlyn on her right, Daelyn curled up on the lounge chair. 13 year old Belton sat next to Carsen saying he was only in there because there was nothing on TV, even though he secretly wanted to listen to his mother reading.

Alden got home half an hour after his mother and heard laughing from the living room and followed the noise, he saw his mother and siblings enjoying themselves with a book and straight away he wanted to join them going to sit down in front of the fireplace so he could listen, Molly their Labrador came to lay next to him. For the next hour Alden was like a little boy again, he loved listening to his mother reading to them, she wrapped them all up in a safe little world. As she stifled a yawn Beanie looked at her watch and decided that it was time for her to make a start on dinner.

"Ok kids, who feels like pizza?" She asked feeling too tired to cook, "And where's your father?" She asked suddenly realising that she hadn't seen him in the 3 hours she'd been at home.

"Study." Daelyn replied, saying he'd been in there since they got home from school and hadn't come out since, she didn't say that he'd been drinking as one look to her mother was all she needed to let her know.

"Ok, why not take the minivan and go get pizzas and a desert, bring me a large cheese please." Beanie said reaching into her handbag for some money and her copy of the van keys, Alden nodded standing up and rounding his siblings up, he gave his mother a sympathetic look and the 5 Monteagle children left their mother alone with Molly.

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