B&C III - 32

Brian and Christine
Book Three
Saint Jane's
Part 32

“Martinez couldn’t tell me more than that she was safe and under 24 hour police protection. I asked if I might see her and he said only if she requests to see me. I asked him if she knew that she could ask to see someone. He said she could but whoever it was had to pass approval from the police and the welfare worker who is assigned to her.

I still wasn’t getting the answer I wanted so I asked for the case worker’s name and number. He got that for me. I told him that she had some personal items when she entered Saint Jane’s, could she still have them. He said everything they found was being held as evidence and wouldn’t be available for a while. So I asked if I could send her some things, same clothes and things. I said she likes to draw pictures, could I send her some paper and colored pencils with a note leaving her my phone number and saying that she could ask for me to come and see her if she wanted. Martinez thought that was feasible so I told him I would do that.

He also said it was more than likely the judge would deny bail to all of those people, so as soon as they were all processed and locked up Christy would be safer and might be able to leave if she has any place to go. I said that she could certainly come and stay with me. After all, I told him, we are friends and it’s likely she would feel comfortable with me. He agreed.

Tom got as much information as he could about when the preliminary hearings would be, when it was likely a grand jury would be paneled and when Martinez thought the trials would begin. Much of that Martinez didn’t know yet. Tom asked him to keep him informed. Martinez wanted to know why. Tom said so that he could be there. When Martinez asked him why he wanted to be there, Tom said so that he could be the nail. The DA asked him what he meant by “the nail” and Tom said to close the coffin. Tom wasn’t joking.

So we left it there. I’ll call this case worker woman, Alice Foster, interesting name for someone looking after an orphan girl, and see what she says about sending stuff to Christy and making a visit.”

“What about a visit from me?”

“I’ll ask her.”

“Poor Christy, all alone in some strange place with no friends around. That is not a happy life.”

“No, but I guess it’s better than the one she’s had for the post two weeks.”

Wendy phoned Alice Foster, who sounded like a practical, businesslike woman, but with a reasonable attitude. Foster told Wendy that providing Christy with clothes and other things would be a good idea as long as whatever goes in to her is inspected by the police and approved of. She also told Wendy that a visit was possible if Christy agreed but that she would have to be there during the visit. Wendy found that acceptable. So they made arrangements for Monday to bring a package to Ms. Foster to take to Christy. Wendy thanked her and expressed her gratitude and appreciation for Ms. Foster’s concern and protection of Christy.

After she hung up she said “Mr. Three Toes, do you have any money left?”

“Yes” said Brian, “I got a check from Silverstone for a film script I’ve almost forgotten about.”

“Good. Then tomorrow let’s go shopping: new clothes, we still have the sales slip which has the sizes on it, more art stuff, a new cell phone and something that tells her that we love her.”


(To be continued.)