Page 56 of Worth the Fall

Just as I’m about to pound again, I hear the deadbolt slide, and the door cracks open. Amelia Davis stands there, tears staining her face and hair a mess.

“Mrs. Davis? Is everything okay in there?” I ask, voice gentle. I’m well aware that Mr. Davis might be on the opposite side of the door, judging her every answer and the according punishment.

“Yes. It’s fine. Everything is fine,” she says unconvincingly as she widens the door without my asking so I can see inside. My eyes scan her person for bruises, but she’s wearing long sleeves mid-summer. “He’s not home, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Momma? Is everything okay?” Keely’s timid voice calls from inside.

“Yes, sweetie. The nice officers from the other day stopped by. They wanted to see the new rocks you painted.” She lies easily, and I’m not sure if I respect or detest her for protecting her child.

“He did? He is?” Awe fills her voice as she peeks her sweet face beyond the corner wall, blue eyes wide as a smile spreads on her lips.

“I did.” I nod and play along with the mother as I eye Nate to take over the questions while I separate Keely from their conversation.

“I’m sorry, Officer. It was just a fight.” I overhear Amelia say to Nate as I walk Keely down the path and away from the front door.

“Are you here because my mom and dad were fighting again?” she asks and breaks my heart.

I nod, not wanting to lie about the obvious and needing her to trust me. “Mm-hmm. It’s our job to make sure everything is okay.” I kneel so I’m eye to eye with her. “Is everything okay, Keely?”

She stares at me with eyes that have seen way too much, and her bottom lip trembles some before she nods ever so slowly.

I could kill the bastard for putting that look on her face. Wring his goddamn neck.

“You sure?”

She glances back to her mom and then down to her fingers, which have found their way to twist into her shirt. “Yeah.” Her little shoulders shrug. “Mommy had me go in my room and be quiet. I don’t know what happened.”

“Okay.” I nod. I can face down a six-foot suspect and know if he’s lying or not, but give me a five-year-old little girl, and I’m lost in fucking translation. “What were they arguing about?”

“Stuff.” She shrugs again. Twists her fingers. Shifts her feet. “Money and just stuff.”

“Okay. Were you scared for your mommy or daddy at all?”

She finally lifts her eyes to meet mine, and I can see her fighting wanting to betray her parents. “Yeah. I don’t like when they fight. Nemo and I hide under the covers and sing ‘You are My Sunshine’ so we don’t hear them.”

“That’s my favorite,” I say, thinking of how my mom used to sing it to Luke when he was a baby. “And a very smart move on your part.”

“Did you really want to see my rocks?”

“Yes. Of course. That was why I came to talk to you. I’ve found some new favorites.” I glance over to Nate to see where we are in the call, and his slight nod and stiff expression tell me he’s getting no-fucking-where. “The poop emoji one is my new favorite,” I say, trying to keep a straight face.

Her giggle makes me smile, though. “You know what a poop emoji is?”

“Of course I do. Don’t let the uniform fool you. I know poop emojis like the best of them.”

And every time I say “poop,” I get another giggle, a sound that should be a norm for her but probably isn’t. Déjà vu hits me in the moment, much like it did the last time I was here. I shake it, along with the image of the strawberry blonde little girl in my memories, away but come up with an idea.

“Tell me something, Keely, do you like to keep secrets?” I ask in a hushed voice.

“You mean like secrets that will get you in trouble or secrets like a super spy?”

“Like a super spy.”

She nods, her smile widening. “I can keep super spy secrets. Of course I can.”

“I thought so. I mean, I gave you the badge last time, but I was pretty certain you were spy worthy.”

“I am. I am.”