Chapter 10 - The Phone Call On Speaker
The sheriff put his phone on speaker and set it on the arm of the couch. The screen said County Dispatch and then it clicked and a woman's voice came through, clear and tired.
"This is Marlene with on-call, go ahead," she said.
My grandfather didn't sit. He stood behind me with his hand on my shoulder. My sister sat on the other end of the couch with her hands locked around her knees. The woman in green had fixed her dress and was standing by the fireplace like she was the host again. My dad was next to her with his hands in his pockets.
The sheriff leaned toward the phone. "I've got a residence on Christmas Eve, two minors in the home, grandfather present, stepmother present, father present. I need a screening for possible neglect and intimidation. I'm on scene, report number 24-1187."
"Okay, let's screen," Marlene said. "Who's the alleged victim?"
"The boy, seven years old," the sheriff said and looked at me. "Exposure to cold, left in entryway with wet outerwear, told to stay with the coats. Intimidation with an object. Sister is thirteen, also in home."
I felt my grandfather's thumb press once on my shoulder.
Marlene's voice was steady. "Sir, are you the grandfather? Can you tell me what you saw when you arrived?"
My grandfather cleared his throat. "I drove up about seven fifteen. The front door was open, snow was coming in. My grandson was in the entryway in a red sweater holding a pile of wet winter coats. There was a red scarf on top. The floor was marble and there were puddles melting around the pile. His boots were soaked through. White trim was dark with water. He'd been made to stand there while the adults were in the living room by the fire."
"How long was he there?" Marlene asked.
"I don't know exactly," he said. "My granddaughter texted me at six forty to come get them. She said they'd been told to wait in the entry. When I got there he was still there."
My sister flinched when he said texted.
Marlene said, "Is there documentation?"
My grandfather pulled his phone out. "I took photos as soon as I stepped inside. The coats on the floor, the puddles, his boots. I have the texts from my granddaughter. She wrote 'please come she left us in the hall again' and 'he's cold.'"
The sheriff nodded. "I observed the same. Coats and scarf still on the floor per my instruction to leave the scene. Boots are still wet. I also observed a brass candlestick involved in a verbal altercation. The adult female raised it during an argument. No contact."
The woman in green took a half step forward and smiled even though her voice was on speaker. "Can I speak? This is being so blown out of proportion. It's Christmas Eve, we had guests, the hall was crowded. I asked him to hold the coats for just a minute while we got settled. The door was open because my father-in-law had just arrived with snow on him. I would never leave a child in the cold."
My dad finally spoke. "Yeah, that's right. It was a misunderstanding. We were trying to keep the party moving. We can hang the coats right now and warm him up. He's fine, he's right here with us."
I stared at the fireplace. The garland smelled like pine and the cake was still on the side table, white with red balls, perfect. The heat from the fire made my wet socks steam a little.
Marlene didn't react to their tone. "Ma'am, did you tell him, quote, 'You stay with the dirty coats'?"
There was a pause. The woman in green kept smiling. "I may have said to stay by the coats, yes, to keep them from falling. I didn't mean it harshly."
The sheriff glanced at his notepad. "Witness statement from the grandfather and the teenage girl corroborates the exact wording and tone as commanding."
"And the candlestick?" Marlene asked.
"That was not intimidation," the woman said quickly. "I was moving it from the table, we were decorating. I set it down right after. This is my house, I was just asking them to leave if they were going to make a scene."
My grandfather's hand tightened. "She said 'Get out of my house' while holding it toward me when I told her not to speak to him like that. My grandson was against me. She was close enough I could see her grip."
Marlene was quiet for a second and I heard typing. "Okay, I'm screening this in for an in-person assessment tonight based on supervision concerns, exposure, and intimidation in the presence of the child. This does not meet criteria for automatic law enforcement removal tonight without a court order, but it does meet for an emergency response."
My sister let out a breath she hadn't been holding.
"Here's my direction until the worker arrives," Marlene said. "Both children remain in a common area, the living room, with a neutral adult present. The father or grandfather, but not alone with the stepmother. No child is to be isolated, sent to a bedroom or entryway, or disciplined tonight. The scene stays as is. No coaching. Worker ETA is between one and three hours, she'll call the deputy when she's en route. Does everyone understand?"
"Understood," the sheriff said.
"Yes," my grandfather said.
The woman in green pressed her lips together and then nodded at the phone like Marlene could see her. "Of course. We want everyone comfortable. I'll get him some dry socks."
"Leave him as he is for the worker to see," the sheriff said, not unkind. "You can offer a blanket in here."
May you like
Marlene said, "Grandfather, keep those photos and texts available. Sheriff, thank you for holding. We'll see you tonight."
She hung up and the speaker beeped. The living room was quiet except for the fire cracking. The sheriff picked up his phone and slipped it back in his pocket. My grandfather pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and tucked it around my shoulders without moving me away from him. My sister reached over and put her hand on my ankle, just above my wet boot. The woman in green stayed by the fireplace, her hands now folded, her perfect cake right beside her, and she didn't say anything else.
