Free Glory Alley and the Star Riders (The Glory Alley Series) by C.DEANNA VERHOFF Page A

months,” Miss Crenshaw informed . “Seems she’s been babysitting Ted Filmore instead . One of her teachers grew suspicious when he noticed Ted dropping her off at school in the morning .”
    Dad ’s voice rose in volume, hands fle xing at his side . “Why didn’t the school call me sooner ?”
    “They know the situation here,” Miss Crenshaw stated, voice dripping with contempt . “So they called me first.”
    Dad ’s chest heaved, but he made no reply.
    “I don’t understand,” Nana said . “Did you say she’s been babysitting Ted Filmore ? That can’t be right . He’s gotta be t wenty by now.”
    “ T wenty-eight ,” Miss Crenshaw corrected.
    “ Twenty-eight , s urely, he doesn’t need a babysitter … ” her voice trailed off . Suddenly, she gasped, splaying her fingers over her chest . “ Patrice , no ! ”
    Nana cried.
    Patrice turned her head toward the fields.
    This was bad, really bad. Glory twisted a long strand of hair until it felt like it might rip off her scalp.
    “Ted Filmore . ” Dad ’s voice was controlled, but he kept tightening and untightening his fists , making Glory extra nervous . “Where is he?”
    An officer replied . “ Jail. ”
    The muscles in Dad’s jaw visibly strained. “ For how long?”
    “We can’t hold him for more than twenty-four hours without a written complaint . To do that you’ll have come to the station and fill out s o m e forms, or for your convenience, if you’d like to come to the patrol car you can sign an electronic form.”
    “Consider it done. ” Dad turned to Patrice and started yelling . “W hat on Tullah were you thinking ? Ted Filmore ’s a playboy who ha s never done an honest day’s work in his life, squandering his family’s fortune, using up dumb little girls like you just for kicks . Don’t you want to do more with your life than play house with that loser?”
    Patrice screamed like a banshee through a river of tears . “Play house there, cook , clean and play mom here, what’s the difference ? At least Ted buys me things and tells me I’m pretty! All I do here is work, work, work and get nothing in return, and I’m tired of it! I don’t care if he’s using me as long as it gets me out of this dump and this po h - dunk town where everybody turns their noses up at the Alleys !”
    Dad said nothing , continuing to curl and uncurl his fists.
    Randy whispered, “ S he wouldn’t dare talk to Dad that way if the cops weren’t standing there.”
    Danny said, “ He’s gonna kill her when they leave .”
    S ick with worry , Glory held her hands over her face, peaking through fingers .
    “We would like to come in and talk to you some more ,” Miss Crenshaw said.
    “We can talk through the door,” Dad replied.
    “No, I wou ld prefer to talk to you inside, see the children. ”
    “I’d prefer you didn’t.”
    “I expected you to be difficult,” Miss Crenshaw said . “I can and I will come in. ”
    She pressed a piece of paper up to the screen door for Dad to read . He reluctantly stepped back and Miss Crenshaw entered, followed by the two officers. The Alley siblings slunk back into the kitchen out of view, but angled themselves so they could watch and listen.
    Miss Crenshaw frowned as her eyes roamed the surroundings . She lingered at the peeling wallpaper in the living room, the battered dingy walls running the length of the hallway, and the muddy trail of footprints down the scuffed hardwood floor.
    “It’s not fancy.” Nana apologized . “But it’s clean — e xcept the footprints, those weren’t there when I woke up, so they must have just happened . ”
    The lady from Child Protective Services was a tall woman, neither young n or old, with an athletic build and not bad looking . Glory despised her and was in awe of her at the same time . She wasn’t afraid of anything, including Dad . Turning on her heel, she sent Dad a stare that could melt granite. Crenshaw ignored Nana and gave a long drawn out sniff