Free Dead Giveaway by Leann Sweeney Page A

were things I could and couldn't say to people.''
      ''If she did ask about his foster care placement perhaps you told her that was confidential information?''
      Roth's face brightened with realization. ''Foster care! That's it. She asked about becoming a foster parent.''
      ''Because she wanted to be Will's foster parent?'' I recalled how Verna Mae had bristled when I brought up the subject.
      ''No . . . it was after he'd been placed, and if I recall, she never mentioned him. I don't think we ever put a child in her home, though.''
      ''Why was that?''
      ''Could be we lost her information during the breakin, along with the other things those vandals destroyed. Yes. In fact, I'm sure that's what happened. Funny she never reapplied . . .''
      ''Break-in?''
      ''I kept cash in the office—to help families buy diapers or groceries or pay rent. Emergency fund. Couple hundred dollars. CPS really does do good work trying to keep families together. Anyway, someone, or maybe more than one someone, broke in and stole the money. It wasn't a big secret I had petty cash, considering I handed out quite a bit throughout the county. Had to be young people responsible, because they trashed the place. Burned things, wrote graffiti on the wall. Adolescent acting-out, we presumed.''
      ''Must have been upsetting,'' I said.
      ''Yes. What a mess they made. Even delayed that abandoned child's permanent placement. Everything was nearly finalized. His file went missing along with several others—probably burned, since we found a pile of ashes to go along with the spray-painted walls and overturned file cabinets.''
      Now this was important. ''This happened after your visit from Verna Mae?''
      ''After. Like I said, her paperwork probably was destroyed, too.''
      Destroyed because Verna Mae applied to be a foster parent to size up the place? Though I couldn't see her breaking and entering, she could have paid someone to steal Will's information. ''The police believed juveniles were the culprits? You don't think Verna Mae could have had anything to do with it?''

  ''She couldn't have knocked over those heavy cabinets. And those curse words on the wall? Had to be adolescents.''
      ''Other paperwork went missing, you say?''
      ''Yes. What a nightmare. Delayed several place
    ments. I wasn't very good with all the paper I generated, anyway. Then to have files crumpled, destroyed, burned. Well, it set me back awhile. It's not like they give caseworkers a secretary.''
      I asked a few more questions, but concluded I'd squeezed everything I could out of her. Besides, when she asked if I might like a job caring for children, I got out of there as quick as chained lightning with a snapped link. After I got behind the wheel of my car, I hunted in my bag for Burl's business card. I wanted to ask him if he had any knowledge of this so-called vandalism in the CPS office.
      A dull throb had begun at the back of my skull, and I had a feeling the coffee withdrawal was beginning despite the green tea fixes. The thought of drinking even one sip of java still made my stomach flip over. Once I got back on the road, my first stop would be for a Diet Coke.
      I found Burl's number, dialed his cell and said ''Hi'' when he answered on the second ring. ''I could use a little help.''
      ''Shoot,'' he answered, ''but make it quick. Got a court date in thirty minutes.''
      ''Do you remember a break-in at the CPS office sometime after Will was placed with the Knights?''
      ''No, but the CPS office isn't in Bottlebrush. I wouldn't have been involved. I can try to find out, though. When was this?''
      I told him about my conversation with Molly Roth.
      ''Come by later today and I might have something on it.''
      ''Come by?''
      ''Yes, ma'am. And bring Will. I have the keys to the house.''
      ''Already?''
      ''There's still a few legalities, but Verna Mae used the lawyer as the executor and that sped things up. He says