The Advocate (The Advocate Series) by Teresa Burrell Read Free Book Online

when he left the second time.”
    “Any idea where he went?”
    “No, not yet. I’ll see what I can find, though, and maybe you could do the same. It’s probably nothing, but he’s so squeaky clean in Atlanta, I wonder if his political connections have something to do with it, or if he really is the ‘good guy’ he portrays. I’ve become so skeptical; I don’t believe anything I read anymore and only half of what I see.”
    “I know the feeling, but you have good instincts, Sabre. I know you’ll dig until you find what you’re looking for. Just keep me informed if you can.” Sabre could hear Marla shuffling through the papers on her desk. “Oh, here’s the report. Let’s see . . . page eight. No, sorry; I can’t read mine either.”
    “By the way, how are Alexis and Jamie doing? Have you seen them recently?”
    “Yeah, I went by this morning. They seem okay, but Alexis won’t let Jamie out of her sight. She nearly panics when they’re separated. She can’t focus until she can see he’s okay. I’ve seen siblings attached before, but this goes beyond that. You can see the fear in Alexis’ eyes when she doesn’t have a visual on him.”
    “You have to wonder what she’s seen or heard that has made her so ‘parentified.’” Sabre paused. “I think I’ll go by and see her when I leave here. Maybe I’ll take them for a bite to eat. Do you think I can get a car seat at Jordan? I don’t expect I’ll be able to take Alexis without Jamie.”
    “That’s a given. I’ll call over there and make sure they have one for you.”
    Sabre hung up the phone and read through the police report again. She jotted down a few questions she needed answers to.
    Where did Gaylord Murdock go when he left Atlanta?
    Does he have a record anywhere else?
    How did he meet Peggy Smith?
    Why does Alexis seem so protective of Jamie?
    How did Peggy get hurt the night of the arrest?
    Is she using drugs now while she’s pregnant?
    Finally, the ultimate question: Is it safe to send the children home with Murdock?
    She put down her note pad and dialed the Atlanta Police Department, “Detective Carriage, please.”
    “I’m sorry ma’am, but he’s gone for the day. May I take your name and number and have him return the call tomorrow?” the person at the other end of the line responded in her sweet, southern accent.
    Sabre gave the woman the information she requested along with her home and cell phone numbers. “If he calls in, please ask him to contact me. Oh, and please tell him not to worry about waking me up. I don’t sleep much anyway.”
    Sabre took out her calendar and gathered together the files she needed for court the next day. As she started to go through the first case, Elaine walked into the office with her purse and jacket in her hand. “I’m calling it a day, Sabre. Jack and David have already gone. As usual, you are the last to leave.”
    “Goodnight, Elaine. See you tomorrow.” Sabre heard the back door close and lock as Elaine left for the day. She buried herself back in the case.
    She wrote a few notes on a form she’d designed for her hearings. She had a different color for each type of hearing so she could find things at a glance. It became especially helpful in the middle of a hearing. Everyone at court teased Sabre about her anal organizational skills, but whenever someone needed information on a case, they checked with her first.
    She clipped the pink form on the right side of the Sanders file, closed it up, and started a separate stack of “ready files.” She picked up the next case; pulled a green form for the disposition hearing and filled in the date, case name, and department number; and proceeded to read through the file to see what she needed to cover in court. She started to write something in the “requests” section of her form when . . . THUD. Something hit the wall. She muffled a scream. She stood and pulled the curtain back a bit. Total blackness. She grabbed her cell phone and