"But it caused extensive reform. That’s what you wanted.”
“And put my ass in hot water. I should have kept my mouth shut. I don’t take risks like that anymore. I do everything by the book. I help you do this today, and tomorrow they find a way to use it against me. I’m not going to end up without a pension. I’ve visited too many old people in public housing trying to survive. That’s not going to be me."
"Then why did you accept Mark’s invitation?" Joe asked.
"Free dinner." She shrugged. "And I was curious." She turned to Eve. "I’ve read about you, but the media is sometimes full of hot air. I wanted to see for myself how you’d turned out. Do you remember me?"
"I think so. But you’ve changed."
"So have you." She studied Eve’s face. "You were a tough little kid. I remember I tried to talk to you once and you just stared at me. I thought you’d be hooking or dealing by the time you were fourteen. I would have liked to have made another try with you, but I had too many cases." She added wearily, "There are always too many cases. Too many kids. And most of the time we can’t help them. We take them away and the court gives them right back to their parents."
"But you try."
"Because I’m too stupid to give up hope. You’d think after all these years I’d learn, wouldn’t you? You turned out all right, but it was nothing I did."
"You must make a difference sometimes."
"I guess so."
"You could make a difference this time. You could save a little girl.”
“Get a court order. If it’s that important, there should be no problem.” The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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“We can’t do that. I’ve told you I can’t go through channels." Barbara Eisley was silent.
"Okay, you won’t give us the records, but maybe you remember something about this child,"
Joe said.
An undefinable expression crossed her face. "I don’t handle casework any longer. I have too much paperwork."
Eve leaned forward. "But you do remember something."
She was silent a moment. "I had to authorize taking a little girl out of a foster home two years ago. The couple who was caring for her claimed she was disruptive and disobedient. I had to bring the child in and interview her. She wouldn’t talk to me, but she was covered with bruises.
I checked her medical record and she’d been taken to Grady Hospital twice with broken bones during the last year. I gave permission for her to be removed from the home. I also removed the foster parents from our rolls." She smiled. "I remember thinking she must have been a gutsy little kid. She kept on giving those bastards hell."
"What’s her name?"
She ignored Eve’s question. "She was a smart kid. High IQ, did well in school. She probably figured they’d give her up as a meal ticket if she caused enough trouble."
"You placed her with another family?"
"We had no choice. Most of our foster parents aren’t abusive. Sometimes we make mistakes.
We can only do our best."
"Tell me her name."
Eisley shook her head. "Not without a court order. What if I was wrong?”
“What if you were right? She could die, dammit."
"I’ve spent my entire life trying to help kids. Now I’ve got to think of myself.”
“Please."
She shook her head again. "I’ve worked too hard. I still work hard." She paused. "You’d think in my position I wouldn’t have to take work home." She nodded at her briefcase beside her chair.
"But I had some old files on a computer disk to review, so here I go again." Hope flared inside Eve. "That’s too bad."
"It goes with the territory." She stood up. "It’s been an interesting evening. Sorry I can’t help you." She smiled. "I believe I have to go to the rest room. I suppose you’ll be gone when I come back. I hope you find the little girl." Her gaze narrowed on Eve. "I just remembered, the kid The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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reminded me a little of you. She stared at me with those big eyes and I thought she’d go on the attack any minute. Same tough little— Something wrong?"
Eve shook her head.
Barbara Eisley turned to Mark. "Thanks for dinner. But I still haven’t forgiven you for quoting me in that story." She turned and made her way through the tables toward the rest room.
"Thank God." Eve reached for the briefcase. It was unlocked and there was only one disk in the leather pocket on the side. Bless Barbara Eisley. She tucked it in her purse. "She wants us to take it."
"You mean steal it," Joe murmured as he threw some bills down on the table. "Which puts her in the clear." Eve turned to Mark. "Do you have a laptop with you?"
"In the trunk of my car. I always keep it there. We can check the disk as soon as we reach the parking lot."
"Good. You’ll have to drop into Barbara Eisley’s office tomorrow and leave the disk on her desk.
I don’t want to get her into trouble." She stood up. "Let’s go. We need to be out of here before she comes back. She might change her mind."
"Not likely," Joe said. "It’s pretty clear you impressed her when you were a kid.”
“Or Jane did." She started for the door. "Or maybe she’s just a woman trying to do the right thing in a wrong world."
There were twenty-seven records on the disk. It took Mark twenty minutes to scan the first sixteen.
"Jane MacGuire," Mark read from the computer screen. "The age is right. Four foster homes.
Physical description checks out. Red hair, brown eyes."
"Can you print it out?"
Mark plugged a small Kodak printer into the laptop. "She’s living right now with a Fay Sugarton who’s also foster parent to two other children. Chang Ito, twelve, and Raoul Jones, thirteen."
“The address?"
"Twelve forty-eight Luther." He tore off the printout and handed it to her. "Do you want me to get out my street map?"
Eve shook her head. "I know where it is." Dom had said she would recognize the place. "It’s in my old neighborhood. Let’s go."
"You want to go see her tonight?" Joe asked. "It’s almost midnight. I doubt if this Fay Sugarton The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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will take kindly to being awakened by strangers."
"I don’t care how she takes it. I don’t want—"
"And what are you going to say when you do see her?"
"What do you think? I’m going to tell her about Dom and ask her to let us keep Jane until the danger is over."
"It will take some persuasion to make her do that if she cares anything about the kid."
"Then you’ll have to help me. We can’t leave her in a place where—”
“You’re going to need Fay Sugarton’s cooperation," Joe said quietly. "You don’t want to get off on the wrong foot."
Okay, be sensible. Dom had set up the elaborate ploy because he wanted her to make contact with Jane MacGuire. He probably wouldn’t make a move until she’d—
Probably? God, was she risking a child’s life on probabilities? He could be at that house on Luther Street right then. "I want to go tonight."
"It would be better—" Mark began.
She cut him off. "I just want to make sure everything’s okay there. I won’t go inside and wake everyone up."
Mark shrugged and started the car. "Whatever you say."
The house on Luther Street was small and gray paint was peeling from the porch steps. But the rest of the house appeared neat and well cared for. Cheerful fake greenery hung from plastic baskets on the porch.
"Satisfied?" Mark asked.
The street was deserted. No cars cruising, no one stirring. Eve wasn’t satisfied, but she felt a little better. "I guess so."
"Good. Then I’ll drive you and Joe to his apartment and come back to watch the house."