Page 58 of Heart of a Hero

“Maybe, when we work it out, we can plan a weekend trip to Virginia Beach. Close enough to home yet private.”

Eyes wide, she nodded. “I would love that, Mark. Let’s start planning.”

Throwing his head back, he laughed. Hearing noise coming down the hall, they released each other from their tight clutch. But he kept his arm around her with his hand on her waist. The kids and Richard came into the kitchen for more dessert, all laughing and talking. And no one seemed surprised that Mark and Karen were together.

She looked up at him and smiled, and he decided the image of her in his kitchen with all the kids around felt just right.

26

Karen was in her office when her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she was surprised to see Roscoe’s name. Connecting, she rushed, “Mr. Roscoe? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Ms. Karen. I’m calling about the kids.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. “What’s happened?”

“I have them here. They’re fine. Safe with me. But maybe you could come by sometime today.”

It was a school day, and she wondered why they hadn’t gotten on the bus while simultaneously grateful they had gone to Roscoe’s house for whatever reason they needed to. “I’m on my way now. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

She hurried out of her office and passed Selma, standing near the receptionist’s desk. “Selma, can you take over my visit to the Parkers? I have to go visit another patient and need to make the change.” Looking at the receptionist, she said, “I’ll call you in case I need to make other changes to my schedule today.”

“No problem. Is everything okay?” Selma’s brow furrowed with concern.

“Not sure. I’ll let you know. And thank you.” She pulled on her coat as she jogged to her vehicle. Once there, she drove as quickly as she dared and soon parked outside Roscoe’s home.Alighting, she raced to the door and knocked. It was thrown open before her knuckles could rap the second time.

Zannie grinned up at her with a peanut butter smile. “Miss Karen! Hi!”

“Oh, hi, sweetheart.” Karen stepped inside as Zannie moved back.

“Look, Mr. Roscoe! Miss Karen is here!”

He moved slowly from his chair to meet Karen as she walked closer. He smiled benevolently and waved Zannie back to the table where Marty was eating a sandwich.

“You kids finish here, and I’m going to take Ms. Karen to check my bed rails.”

“Okay,” the kids said in unison, seemingly satisfied with their meal.

Roscoe nodded at her, his eyes heavy with concern as he led her down the hall to his bedroom. The weight of unspoken worries lingered in the air between them. Once inside, she closed the door most of the way, then stepped closer. “What’s going on?” she asked, urgency and dread pulling at her.

He rubbed his whisker-covered jaw, his fingers catching on the bristles. “Three days ago, the kids came over after school. Said their mama wasn’t home, and they couldn’t get in. They hung out here until Alan got home, then went back over there, much like most days. Then yesterday, when they came over, they said he had left the previous evening, their mom never came home, and they ate some cereal and got on the bus. No one ever came yesterday, so I let them sleep on the sofa and wrote a note that Marty taped to their door letting their mama know that they were at my house. This morning, no sign of the mom or Alan. I let the kids stay here and not get on the bus until I had a chance to see what you thought.”

Her mind raced as she bit her bottom lip, anxiety gnawing at her thoughts. The situation felt wrong, unsettling, and the kidswere caught in the middle of it. She wanted to help, but this wasn’t something she could handle alone. The right thing to do, the safe thing, meant reaching out to someone who could take control of the situation.

“Hey, Karen,” Mark answered.

“Mark, I’m calling you because I’m unsure what to do.”

“What’s happening?” he asked, his tone no longer easy. “Are you okay? The girls?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I’m at a patient’s home. Do you remember the kids I told you about? Well, they’re here and not in school. It seems that their mom and her boyfriend may have left. The kids seem abandoned. Or at least that’s the story I’m getting. I thought of calling CPS but wanted to call you first?—”

“Is it the address you gave me the other day?”

“Yes—”

“I’m on my way. Stay inside; Brad and I’ll be there as soon as we can.”

She disconnected, then turned back to Roscoe. “I’m dating a detective. He and his partner are coming.”

---