Free One Scream Away by Kate Brady

created bubble for her and Abby on Ashford Drive, complete with a picket fence, flower beds, and a mutt from the pound.
    And a state-of-the-art gym, where she’d spent hours each week getting strong, never letting herself forget there was a time when fear and weakness had almost cost Abby her life.
    “Are you listening to me, Beth?” Adele Lochner touched her arm.
    “No,” she admitted. “I was thinking about Adam and Abby. I’m sorry.”
    “Tell Abby you’re sorry when you can only talk to her on the phone once a month.”
    Beth quailed, and Adele Lochner seized the moment. “You came to me this morning wanting to know what to do. Now I’m telling you: Keep your mouth shut.”
    “I did.”
    “So far. But the authorities haven’t pressured you yet.”
    “They haven’t?”
    “They haven’t even begun. I know how these guys work. If the police decide you’re the link to someone they want, they’ll bulldoze you under to get to him.”
    “Sheridan knows about Anne Chaney. He said the caller may have committed a murder several years ag—”
    Adele Lochner put up a hand. “They don’t know.”
    “You’re sure?” Beth asked, wanting with all her heart to believe it. “Then why are they hunting for Bankes, without even knowing who he is?”
    “It doesn’t matter why they’re hunting for him.”
    “What do you mean, it doesn’t matt—”
    “I mean, if you want me to be your lawyer, nothing matters but doing what I say. And I say
keep quiet
. I can tell you honestly that right now the authorities are looking for Bankes based on pure speculation; that’s why they haven’t thrown the book at you yet or charged you with anything real. As long as you don’t give them any morsels to chew on, nothing is going to come of this. Even if Bankes does show up, you can send him away with a butt-load of money and no one will ever be the wiser.” She gave Beth a cutting look. “But if you break down, the whole story will come out. Then, Ms. Denison, you can’t win, your daughter can’t win, and I’ll drop you like a hot potato.”
    Single-minded bitch.
But then, that’s why Beth had chosen her. “They’ve filed charges against me.”
    “Smoke and mirrors. I’ll have them dropped within the hour. If you want, I’ll bring charges of harassment against the police department, and I could manage a restraining order against Sheridan, too.”
    “I don’t care about any of that. Just get me out of here.”
    “Fine. But there’s one more thing to do before you go.” Adele Lochner crossed to the door and summoned a uniformed officer. “My client would like to file a complaint,” she said to the officer.
    “What for?” he asked.
    “She wants to report obscene phone calls.”
    Neil stayed out of sight until it looked like the paperwork was done, then strode to Denison’s side.
    “Need a ride?” he asked.
    Her eyes flared. “I’ll call a cab.” She signed on one more line, and the receptionist handed over her purse, phone, and derringer. “Where do I go to get my daughter?” she asked the woman at the desk.
    “Daughter? There’s nothing here about a custodial child.”
    “What? What do you mean?” Her voice began to shake. “Oh, God. Where’s my daughter? Lieutenant Sacowicz was getting her! Where’s my daugh—”
    “I’m checking, ma’am. Are you sure the lieutenant—”
    She spun to Neil, on the sharp edge of horror. “Where is Abby? Where is Abby?”
    “Abby’s fine,” Neil said and couldn’t help but take her by the shoulders. She was trembling. “Abby is in good hands. I came to take you to her.”
    A sound passed her lips—relief and even gratitude, maybe. “You’re sure?”
    “Lieutenant Sacowicz didn’t want her to be taken into protective custody for the night, that’s all. He called in a favor with one of the caseworkers and made other arrangements.”
    “What other arrangements? Where is she?”
    Neil was hard-pressed not to smile. Christ, she loved that little