Chapter 7

Maria Lopez turned the car onto her street, worried by how silent her daughter had been since leaving the welfare office. "Well, that didn't take as long as we thought."

"It was still humiliating," Lexi grumbled, raking her hand through her long dark tresses as her mother turned into their driveway. She offered a soft snort at the thought of her having any dignity left after the tawdry life she had lived for the last five years.

In the distance, both women heard the wailing of sirens. Instinctively, Maria made the sign of the cross for whomever was in need, and silently prayed for the safety of those responding. As they walked closer to the porch, they heard Bri's frantic voice coming from inside their residence. Lexi screamed, scrambling up the steps and pulling open the front door, followed by Maria who caught a glimpse of Squad 51 turning onto their street.

"Oh, Dios mio," the older woman muttered, rushing as quickly as her rotund body would allow.

Lexi's wide eyes scanned the living room, immediately finding Bri on her knees at the hall closet, weeping. "What the hell's going on? What have you done?" she cried out. "ANTONIO?"

"I'm sorry, Lex. We were playing hide-and-seek and, and…" Bri stammered, seeing the angry eyes of Lexi glaring at her.

"You locked my son in a closet? What's wrong with you?" the young mother questioned, twisting the broken doorknob.

"MOMMMAAA!"

Bri tried to explain what happened while also comforting Antonio as best she could. "No, Lexi… the doorknob is broken and… Ant? Ant, the firemen are here; they'll get you out. It'll be-." Before she could complete her sentence, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. "Arrgh!" she screamed as her hair was violently jerked backwards. Bri slapped around behind her head, trying to break the hold Lexi had on her hair as she was dragged backwards.

"LEXI, STOP IT!" Maria called out, rushing to the place where the two younger women were fighting.

When the paramedics entered the residence, they dropped their equipment, yelling for assistance as they searched for their victim.

"CAP?" Dwyer called over his shoulder.

"NEED SOME HELP IN HERE," yelled his partner to the rest of the station crew.

Lexi was holding a handful of Bri's hair, using her free hand to drag her back towards the living room. In the melee, Maria managed to quickly explain to the paramedics that her grandson was trapped in the closet. Captain Hookraider grabbed Lexi's arms while the linemen joined in trying to break up the fight between the two young women. Mike waited nervously on the front porch, having to stand guard over the rigs, but desperately wanting to know what was wrong with Antonio.

"Help my baby!" Lexi screamed, as the linemen parted the two women.

"I'm sorry," Bri cried, feeling strong arms pulling her towards the front door. She recognized the tall fireman standing on the porch and collapsed into his arms.

"Stoker, try to calm her down, will ya? We got a kid stuck in a closet in here," Hookraider ordered, unaware of his engineer's connection to the dueling duo.

"I didn't mean to, Mike," Bri cried. "We were just playing and… and the doorknob broke… and…"

"Sshhh," the engineer soothed. "We'll get him out."

Inside the residence, Lexi was in hysterics, being held away from the closet by the junior medic while Dwyer tried to assess Antonio's condition through the locked door. One of the linemen retrieved the necessary tools from the engine and within a couple of minutes, the door had been removed from its hinges and the little boy shot out of the dark closet into the waiting arms of his crying mother.

"Oh, my baby… are you okay?" she asked as the youngster wrapped his arms and legs around her.

"Ma'am, let us check him out, alright? Can you bring him over to the sofa?" Dwyer asked, knowing that the child was probably more frightened than hurt, but he needed to make sure. He saw her struggle to stand up with Antonio wrapped around her torso, so the paramedic held onto her elbow to guide her towards the living room. "You can hold him while we look him over."

Lexi sat down on the edge of the sofa, her heart breaking as her son sniffled into her ear, his head resting on her shoulder. She had only left him for a short time, and this had happened.

"Hey, buddy, let me take a look at your eyes with my little light," Dwyer said, using his best kid-friendly voice. "I've got some far-out gadgets that you can play with while we look at you."

While the linemen carried the closet door onto the back porch so as not to pose a danger to the residents, Vince walked into the house. Maria sat down with the uniformed officer and Captain Hookraider to help make out the report. Lexi brushed Antonio's hair out of his eyes, drying his tears while the two paramedics gave him a thorough examination. But when she looked onto the front porch, she saw a sight that made her blood boil. There was Bri being comforted in the arms of Mike Stoker. Why was he here? He wasn't supposed to be on shift. Then everything began to fall into place for her. Bri had offered to babysit. Had she known that Mike was working? And if so, had she intentionally locked Antonio in the closet so she could call Station 51 for help?

"I think he's fine, ma'am. He's just had a pretty exciting morning. If you see anything unusual, just take him to see his pediatrician… Ma'am?"

Lexi only responded when Dwyer tapped her shoulder. "Ma'am?"

"Oh, what?"

Dwyer repeated his instructions as he and his partner packed up their gear. When he realized that Lexi was staring out the front door, his eyes followed her gaze. He saw Mike who was obviously consoling the other young woman as they were talking to someone outside. He briefly wondered about the dynamics of the situation. As he stood up, he saw Mike and Bri shifting to let another couple get on the porch. Quickly the front door opened and a familiar face rushed inside.

The senior paramedic looked up. "Marco, how's it going?" Dwyer asked, extending his free hand.

"Mike said Antonio got stuck in the hall closet," Marco commented, sitting on the arm of the sofa beside his nephew and sister. "Are you okay, Ant?"

"I got stuck, Meeko," the child sniffled.

"What were you doing in the closet?" Marco asked just as Beverly walked through the front door.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lexi spat out sarcastically, nodding her head in the direction of the porch. "She locked him up so she could call Michael to come be the hero."

Beverly spoke up. "That's not what Bri said."

"Oh, so you're gonna take her side? You weren't even here!" Lexi shot back.

"Well, neither were you!" Beverly countered, needing to stop Lexi's erroneous thought processes. Feeling her frustration at Lexi growing, she turned her attention to Antonio. "Sweetie, can you tell Aunt Beverly what happened?"

"Uh-huh," he said, sitting up straighter now that everyone's attention was focused on him. "I was hidin' from Aunt Bri, an'-"

"WHAT?" Lexi shouted. "What did she do to you, Ant?"

"Nothin', Momma. We was jus' playin' hide-and-sp, um, seek," the child said, trying hard to pronounce the phrase correctly. "An' I was jus' gonna hide in the closet an'… an' the door got stuck." Fearing he had done something wrong, he quickly changed the subject. "An'… an' she said a BAD word."

On the porch, Mike walked Bri to one of the rocking chairs, helping her to sit down.

"See, he's fine," the engineer consoled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"But Lexi isn't," Bri sniffled, running her fingers beneath her eyes to dry her tears. "She hates me."

Mike sighed, taking a quick glance into the living room and seeing Lexi's dark eyes shooting daggers at him. "Yea… I know the feeling." He continued his efforts of consolation for several long moments, to no avail.

Both of them turned as the front door opened and the rest of the station crew, along with Vince and Mrs. Lopez, exited the house.

"Let's roll, Stoker," the gruff captain announced, unnecessarily.

"I've got to go," Mike said. "It'll all work out, Bri. Just take a few deep breaths and give her some time to cool off."

"What are you gonna do?"

Mike's blue eyes darkened at Bri's question. He knew she was asking about his relationship with Lexi. He shrugged his shoulders as he turned to walk away. "Nothing… nothing at all."

Mrs. Lopez stood on the porch watching as the first responders drove away. She ran her fingers across her forehead, tufts of her long salt and pepper colored hair had loosened from her braid and were blowing in the gentle morning breeze. Bri noticed how her face appeared more wrinkled after the shock of coming home to the fire department responding to her house. Guilt cloaked Bri and she felt an even stronger need to leave the Lopez residence as soon as possible. She had caused enough damage for a lifetime. Being familiar with the homeless shelters in town, she knew that she would need to get going soon. It was a long walk to downtown LA and with only $12.50, she couldn't afford to squander it on the luxury of a bus ride. She was about to stand up when Mrs. Lopez turned to look at her, offering her a semblance of a smile.

"Give them a few more minutes, please," she said, nodding her head towards the front door.

"I need to leave, Mrs. Lopez," Bri explained, not using the term of endearment that Maria had requested the night before. Bri knew she had made a mess of things, and no longer felt that referring to Maria as Mama Lopez was appropriate.

"Nonsense, child. Marco and Beverly are talking to Lexi now. Give them a chance to help her before you leave. Besides, where will you go?"

"Home with me," Beverly said, pushing through the screened door, having overheard the question.

"No," Bri responded quickly. "I've caused enough problems for you all. I'm not going to intrude on you, too."

"You are not an intrusion. I'm inviting you to be my houseguest." The tone of Beverly's voice let Bri know that it really wasn't an invitation she could refuse.

"I know what you're doing, Beverly. Yes, I'm a high risk for returning to prostitution if I'm homeless and hungry. And, yes, I know that wouldn't look good for you or for the stats for the Wellhouse."

"Hold it right there, Bri," the counselor said, sternly. "This has nothing to do with me or the Wellhouse stats, as you put it. Most women I rescue go back a few times before they make a clean break, so that's nothing new. Drop the attitude, Bri. We're not at the Wellhouse and I'm not your counselor. I'm your friend asking you to please come stay with me for a few days. That's all I'm asking for."

Mrs. Lopez looked at the hurting young woman sitting beside her. Her heart was breaking, but she knew that Bri and Lexi couldn't remain in the same house, at least not for a while. "Please?" the older woman asked, holding her breath. She didn't think her heart could stand it if Bri were to return to her former life.

"Only if you'll let me do something to earn my keep."

"I'm sure I can find a few dishes for you to wash," Beverly said with a snicker, relief evident in her voice.

"At least you don't have a kid I can trap in a closet," Bri offered, unaware of how her attempt to lighten the mood was a stinging blow to Beverly.

Beverly fought past the ache in her heart that hadn't entirely gone away since learning that she hadn't been pregnant. She knew that Bri hadn't meant to hurt her, but that didn't lessen the pain. She also knew that Bri had felt the pain of losing a pregnancy at the hands of Ricardo and the older woman felt even more protective of her. They really had more in common than just their lives in prostitution. Neither of them had family, and both had known the loss of a child they never got to hold. Beverly thought about the days she had spent thinking that she might be pregnant with Marco's child. Secretly, she had really wanted to be pregnant, but she wasn't. Those thoughts sent her mind back to the time when she really had been pregnant, when she was a sixteen-year old prostitute. She shuttered, rubbing her arms to remove the goosebumps before anyone else saw them. She had never told anyone about that time in her life – not even Marco.

Beverly directed her next comment at Mrs. Lopez. "Marco is going to drive us to my apartment, then he's coming back here to stay with you tonight. He's going to try to put the door back on the closet and replace the doorknob with one that won't lock."

Maria released an audible sigh. She didn't think she could handle Lexi alone, and she knew that Antonio was going to need a little extra attention after his morning ordeal. Truthfully, Maria Lopez was exhausted from the effort of helping Lexi return to a normal life and from raising Antonio. "Gracias."

"C'mon, Bri… Let's go get your things," Beverly said, feeling the need to escort the younger woman through the living room and protect her from the flaming verbal barbs Lexi might throw her way.

E!

Mike drove back to the station on autopilot. His body knew exactly what to do without even engaging his mind in the familiar activity. Unfortunately, that left him with time to think about what he had just witnessed. It was obvious to everyone at the scene that the incident had been an unfortunate accident, but Lexi had lashed out at Bri in a way Mike hadn't even known was possible. He wondered how he would handle a situation where she did that to him? Could he deal with a woman who lost control like that? He had gotten a couple of tiny glimpses of what she was capable of – first, when she dropped Hunley to his knees with a well-aimed kick to the groin during the personnel hearing, and more recently in the restaurant that day, but she hadn't been physically aggressive towards him… not yet. He knew he would never strike a woman, but if she ever assaulted him the way she had Bri… He had tried to get her attention from his post outside the Lopez home, but she ignored him, even after being reassured that her son was fine. He had wanted to talk to Antonio, too, but Bri had been so upset that he felt the need to calm her. No one had seemed too concerned about her. All attention had been focused on Lexi and Antonio. He thought about how grateful Bri had seemed to be when he held her, reassuring her that everything would be okay. Then he remembered the look on Lexi's face when she had seen them. He recalled how Lexi's dark eyes had seemed to flash over when Bri laid her head on his chest. Why would she do that? Then another thought crossed his mind… Was Lexi jealous? No. He dismissed that thought just as quickly as it had formed. Lexi was angry at him for something, he just wasn't exactly sure what it was that had set her off that day in the restaurant. He knew she didn't like the fact that he and Marco had been discussing intimate issues related to her, but…

"You gonna get out or jus' wait there for the next run, Stoker?"

Mike was jolted back to reality by the gravelly voice of his current captain. He looked around, seeing the older man standing between the squad and the engine; everyone else had already departed the vehicles.

"Sorry, Cap," the engineer said, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Phone's for you, Mike," the senior lineman called out, holding open the dayroom door.

"Coming," the quiet engineer responded, stepping down quickly and doffing his turnout coat. Once again, he draped it over the bumper of the engine, ready to be donned when the next call sounded. His long strides carried him around the front of the squad and into the common area. He wondered briefly if the call might be from Lexi, and if so… how was he going to respond? He put the receiver to his ear, turning his back to the rest of the crew.

"Fireman Stoker," he spoke into the receiver.

"Mr. Stoker, this is Margaret at the District Attorney's office. Would you be available to meet with the DA on Friday morning at 10:00 am? This is related to the Hunley and Gomez cases," the disembodied female voice said.

"Oh, um, yea… Yes ma'am, I'll be working off shift that morning so unless we have a major incident before shift change, I should be able to be there."

"Thank you, Mr. Stoker. I'll let Mr. Nordon know of your availability. He'll see you then."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

Mike hung up the phone, his mind reeling. Why would the District Attorney want to discuss those two cases with him? Was he going to be called on to testify at their trials? His stomach churned. He hated both men, especially Hunley. The former arson investigator represented everything Mike Stoker and the LA County Fire Department opposed. He thought of everything Hunley had put Bri and himself through, and he only knew a tiny portion of what the young woman had actually suffered at the hands of the monster. Then he thought about Ricardo Gomez. The pain he had inflicted on both Bri and Lexi was unimaginable. He had even tried to kill Lexi after torturing her in her apartment. If Mike hadn't been outside of her building that night, Lexi might be dead and Antonio would never have gotten to meet his mother, and the Lopez family would never have been reunited. He swallowed hard. If he was going to be called on to testify, then like it or not, he needed to talk to Lexi. How much would she want him to say? Even though they weren't speaking to each other at the moment, he still had enough respect for her that he wouldn't disclose anything she didn't want him to tell.

"Chow's on, Stoker," Dwyer called out, placing a loaf of bread on the table for the sandwiches they would be consuming. There had been no time to prepare a cooked meal.

Mike turned around to see the rest of the crew taking their seats. "Thanks," he said, in his typical Stoker one-word response.

E!

Bri shouldered her purse and backpack while Beverly carried her other bag. The two walked down the stairs, heading for the front door. Antonio jumped from his mother's lap and ran to hug the two women.

"When are you comin' back?" he asked, Bri.

Bri knelt down beside him, kissing him gently on top of his head. "I'm not sure," she said, not knowing what else to say. She looked into his innocent eyes, wondering if her baby might have looked at her with similar eyes if the child had lived.

Beverly quickly interjected herself into the difficult conversation. "Aunt Bri is going to help me with wedding plans. And…," she hesitated for dramatic effect. "I have a special favor to ask you, young man."

"Me?" Antonio asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," the counselor replied. "Will you be the ringbearer at our wedding?"

"YEAH!" the child squealed. "I will, I will… Um… what's a wing bear?"

"Ringbearer," Lexi corrected. "It's a very important job. It means you have to carry the rings down the aisle and hold them on a pillow until the priest asks for them during the wedding."

"Do I got to do it all by myself?"

Marco spoke up next. "That part is all up to you, Ant, but we're hoping we might be able to find a pretty little girl to carry flowers and walk with you."

The little boy raised his shoulders up to his ears, giggling. "Corrie!"

"Why I think that's a wonderful idea, don't you, Bev?" Marco asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I do, indeed. Will you talk to Chet tomorrow?"

While the three of them continued their conversation, Lexi looked on, refusing to look at Bri. She was beginning to feel twinges of guilt for how she had reacted earlier, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell the other woman how she felt. Bri stood up, once more patting the little boy on his head.

"I think the two of you will make a great little couple at the wedding," Bri stated, taking the bag Beverly was holding. "I'll be waiting outside."

Marco shot his sister a concerned look, dismayed when she turned her gaze away from him. "Are you ladies ready?"

"Yes," Beverly replied; she, too, looked at Lexi with angry eyes.

Marco heard his mother bustling about in the kitchen. "Mama, I'll be back in a little while," he called out over his shoulder.

Maria dried her eyes as she walked back into the living room after the trio left the residence. She had no idea what she was going to say to Lexi, but she knew she couldn't do it in front of her grandson. He had been through enough trauma for one day.

Antonio was the first to see her. "Grandma, I'm gonna be a… a…," he knitted his eyebrows together, turning to look at his mother. "What am I gonna be?"

Lexi gave him a wistful smile. "The ringbearer for Marco and Beverly."

"Yea… the wing bear," he proudly boasted to his grandmother.

"What a great honor that will be," she said, exaggerating her expressions. "And do we know when?" she asked, assuming Lexi knew the answer.

"Uh-huh," Antonio responded. "When they get married, silly."

"Oh, well, of course. I don't know why I didn't think of that," she replied, rolling her eyes and grinning. "Antonio, will you watch television for a few minutes while I talk to your momma in the kitchen?"

Lexi huffed, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She didn't wait for her son to answer. She got up and headed for the kitchen, turning on the television set as she passed by.

Maria patted her grandson's leg as he settled into the pillows on the sofa. She trudged across the room, pushing her way through the kitchen door, still unsure of how to begin the conversation.

E!

At her apartment, Beverly said goodbye to Marco, offering him a supportive kiss as she and Bri got out of the car. She knew he had his work cut out for him, dealing with Lexi in her current state of mind.

"I'll call you later," he responded. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Beverly walked up the narrow staircase to her garage apartment, knowing that Marco wouldn't leave until she and Bri were safely inside. She unlocked the door, ushering her charge inside her humble abode.

Bri set her bags down beside the small sofa. "Okay… where are the dishes that need washing," she said, only half joking. She really didn't want to be a burden to her friend.

"We'll have to dirty some up first," Beverly explained, walking to her bedroom.

Bri looked around the sparsely furnished room. It was obvious that there was only one bedroom and no spare bed. She sat down on the lumpy sofa. She had certainly slept in far worse places under much less comfortable circumstances.

Momentarily, Beverly returned. "Okay, there's an empty drawer in my dresser for your things and the bed is large enough for both of us, if you don't mind bunking together," she said with a grin.

"Nope, not going to inconvenience you," Bri said, patting the spot beside her. "This is much better than a lot of places I've slept."

Beverly sat down beside her. "Bri… I want you to make yourself at home… not just for tonight."

"But-"

"Wait," Beverly said, holding up her hand. "You know that Marco and I are getting married soon, next month, actually, and…" Beverly reached for Bri's hand. "I know this isn't much, but I'm going to be moving into Marco's apartment and… This one will be available… so…"

Bri's eyes widened. "You mean, I might be able to take over the lease? I'll need to find a job," she began excitedly. "But I'll try real hard to find work… maybe two jobs… Does the bus stop near here? I'll need transportation."

Beverly was energized by Bri's exuberance. She had already talked to Amy at the Pourhouse and knew that there was a part time job available, but she didn't tell Bri that the job was hers if she wanted it. Amy had been a good friend to the staff at the Wellhouse since the residential facility had opened up. She often allowed women from the shelter to gain valuable work experience by waitressing, cooking, cleaning, or anything else that needed to be done around the diner. Not only was Amy the head waitress, she was also the owner – a fact most people didn't know. She was also a woman who had fallen on hard times during her lifetime, and was more than willing to help those in need. She had been frugal with her money over the years, and could easily leave the business in the capable hands of a manager, but Amy was a hands-on kind of woman. Beverly seemed to be made from the same mold and the two had a great respect for one another.

Beverly got up and walked over to her kitchen table, retrieving the morning paper. "Look at the 'help wanted' section," she said, tossing the paper over to her guest. "While you're doing that, I'll heat up some soup for lunch," Beverly said. "Perhaps we'll go eat dinner at this little diner I know – my treat," Beverly said, setting the stage for a job offer she knew Amy would make if Beverly could get Bri there. Beverly needed to keep Bri busy to keep her mind off her morning with Lexi. Thoughts of Lexi immediately sent her mind to the Lopez household and she couldn't help but wonder how Marco was fairing.

E!

Marco twisted the screw driver, tightening the last screw into the new doorknob on the closet door in the hall of his childhood home. His sister had been hiding in her room after a thorough chastising by their mother and his nephew was taking an afternoon nap. He stood up, surveying his handiwork. Satisfied that the hall closet was now child-safe, he returned to the kitchen to have a late lunch with his mom.

As soon as he pushed through the door, Maria looked up with tired eyes. "All done?"

Marco snickered. "Mama, I'm grown now."

Maria laughed at her choice of words. "I guess I have been taking care of Antonio for a while, haven't I?"

"Well, to answer your first question, yes, I'm, uh…, all done. As for the second… I don't know how much longer he may need you to see about him. Seems my sister can't get her head on straight, can she?"

Maria knew she was being baited, but she needed to let Marco know the truth. "She's paranoid and angry at the world. She thinks Mike and Bri are romantically involved. She thinks Bri locked Antonio in the closet because she knew that Mike was on duty and would respond if she called it in."

"But the spring was broken," Marco countered.

"I know. Nothing I said seemed to make a difference. What are we going to do? This can't go on, Marco," she wept.

"I know, Mama," he replied, patting her hand to offer her some semblance of comfort. He wondered how much to tell her about his own difficulties with Beverly. Deciding she needed to know, he forged ahead. "Um, Beverly and I would like to get married in the backyard at our Thanksgiving gathering, if that's okay with you?"

Grateful for the happier subject, Maria leaned over, smothering him in a hug and kissing him on the cheek. "I can't think of anything I'd be more thankful for," she replied. "What can I do to help get ready for the day?"

Marco saw her question as the perfect opening. "Pray," he replied, looking up with sad dark eyes.

"Pray? I don't understand."

"Beverly and I had a rough day yesterday. It's kind of a long story, but the short version is that I found a graduate school application that she had thrown away. She wants to become a psychologist so she can provide therapy for the ladies at the Wellhouse, but I don't make enough money to pay the tuition and she doesn't want us to go into debt for a doctorate degree. I told her I was going to mail it in anyway and she… she had a meltdown."

"Oh, no."

"Yea… I made her feel like she was… um, being controlled, or something," Marco said shaking his head in dismay at his own behavior. "Looking back on it, it all makes sense, but at the time… I don't know."

"And you need me to pray for the two of you and your relationship?" Maria liked to pray for specific things.

"Not exactly. Um, we're going to see a therapist Friday afternoon. We want to know how to deal with her past before we start our life together. I don't want to do anything that upsets her like that again, and she wants to know how to control her emotions better. Just pray that this doctor will be able to help us."

"I will, son. Beverly has come so far in only a few short years and she's made you so happy," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. "It's written all over your handsome face."

Marco felt his cheeks warming up. "Yes ma'am, she does just that. But I was also thinking that if this therapist is able to help Bev and me, then maybe she can help Lexi, too. She works with women who have been in, um, the life," he said.

"It's okay, Marco. You can call it what it is. I've come to terms with it."

"Yea… Do you think she'll be willing to go?" he asked.

"I think that if you and Beverly talk to her, she just might. She isn't happy, Marco. She isn't even happy when she's with Ant. It's like… like she's lost her soul to that monster, Ricardo. Her coming home was only a temporary improvement. Now…"

As if on cue, the telephone rang.

"I'll get it," Marco stated, seeing his mother's eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Lopez residence." He knitted his eyebrows together in concern when he heard the voice on the other end. "Um, yes ma'am. Just a minute, please." He set the phone down, whispering to his mother. "DA's office for Lexi."

Marco hurried from the kitchen in search of his sister, finding her laying across her bed in her room.

"Hey, sis? Phone's for you… It's the DA's office."

Lexi gasped in concern. "Wha, uh, why?"

Marco shrugged his shoulders, stepping into the hallway to retrieve the upstairs phone for her before leaving her alone to take the call.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Maria knew she should hang up the extension, but she was too worried about her daughter to give her the privacy she deserved. Instead, she listened quietly, growing even more worried by the conversation she was overhearing.

E!

By mid-afternoon, Bri had found a couple of jobs she wanted to apply for. Using a red ink pen, she circled the ads in the 'help wanted' section of the newspaper. The ringing telephone caught her attention.

Beverly, who had been reading a magazine in her favorite chair, stood up and walked to the kitchen to answer the telephone.

"Hello?" the counselor said, assuming the caller was Marco.

"Ms. Marsh, this is Francine at the shelter. Um, the DA's office has been calling here looking for Brittany. I didn't tell them where she was, but I told them I'd get a message to her. Um, Mrs. Lopez told me she was with you," the older woman said softly.

Beverly looked over at her houseguest who was studiously reviewing the same section of newspaper. "Yes, that's right."

"Will you ask her to call Margaret at the DA's office at 555-3998?"

Beverly quickly wrote down the number then said her goodbyes to the housemother. She slowly walked over to the place where Bri was sitting, hoping that whatever news the DA had to share with her wouldn't set the young woman back in her recovery.

E!

At headquarters of the LA County Fire Department, investigator Samford Bennett hung up his phone with a sigh. He had just received word that his presence was requested at the DA's office on Friday at 10:00 am. There was only one fire department case pending with the DA and that was his former supervisory and former assistant chief, Leonard Hunley. The summons had to be related to that case, but it wasn't due to come to trial for a few more months, and Sam assumed that Hunley's lawyer would keep putting it off as long as possible. Was it possible that the charges were being dropped? If so, did that mean that Bri was no longer willing to testify? Icy cold fingers gripped his heart. He hadn't seen Bri since shortly after she had been rescued. Was it possible that the young woman who had so bravely faced Leonard Hunley at Mike Stoker's personnel board hearing was no longer willing to face him again in a court of law? Or even worse… had Bri returned to the streets?

He walked over to his file cabinet, pulling open the second drawer and retrieving the thickest file in the drawer. He opened it up and began reviewing his notes. When he turned the second page, a photograph he recognized stared back at him. It was attached to the statement he had taken from Bri when she was in the hospital recovering from her assault after the first fire – the one that resulted in the loss of her baby. The case had ultimately been traced back to Leonard Hunley and so it was now a part of the case against the former assistant fire chief. He stared into the hopeless face of the battered young woman. He felt an overwhelming desire to protect her, to shield her from the world that had so mistreated her.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, shaking those thoughts from his mind. He had given her his business card but she had made no attempt to contact him. He was sure she had moved on, or simply had no interest in him. He glanced at the name written in neat print beneath her picture – Briana Olivier. He reached into his shirt pocket, removing his pen and clicking it. He drew a thick line through the alias and replaced it with the young woman's real name – Brittany Mendoza.

"Don't go back out there, Bri… Please… don't go back," he muttered to himself as he continued to peruse the file, preparing for whatever the DA had in store for him on Friday morning.