“Is something wrong?” Changing marshals in the middle of the day was uncommon.
“Everything is fine here, but the school called for you. Said it was important.” Hank grabbed the defendant’s arm as he stood from the table.
Liam looked at the phone on his belt. One missed call from the school. He had never even felt it vibrate. His pulse raced.
“Before you panic, Aubrey confirmed that it was not a situation that couldn’t wait until you were done with this hearing.” Hank led the defendant to the courtroom’s secure exit.
“Thank you.” He pulled the phone from his belt and checked the voice message that had been left.Please call me back.
He dialed the school’s number. “This is Liam Roberts, and I’m returning Ms. Duncan’s phone call.” He ran his free hand through his hair.
“One moment, please.” He was placed on hold, and digitized elevator music belonging in the 1990s started to play.
After a few moments, an unfortunately familiar voice answered: Principal Duncan. “Mr. Roberts?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to come pick up Sophia. She isn’t sick or injured, but she is in trouble. Your niece pulled the fire alarm today, causing the school to evacuate and the fire department to respond.”
Liam rubbed his hand down his face. “She did?”
“We can discuss it in more detail when you arrive, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to suspend Sophia for three days.”
His stomach turned. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Liam disconnected the call and stormed down the hall to the Marshals’ office. He pushed through the door.
Aubrey looked up from her computer screen. “Everything okay?”
Liam shook his head. “My niece has gotten herself into some trouble, and I need to pick her up from the school.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She frowned.
“Me too.” He used his key card and let himself into the secure portion of the office. He walked down the hall to Supervisor Howard’s office to let him know he had to leave for the day.
Two days on the job and he was already having to take personal time off.
It took twenty minutes to get to the high school, and Liam used all of that time to pray for wisdom and discernment for everyone involved. His chest tightened at the sight of a fire engine parked in the bus lane.
What had Sophia been thinking?
He locked the SUV and marched inside. Sophia sat in a lobby chair next to a girl whose brown hair hung down and obscured her face. She appeared to be about two inches shorter than Sophia and roughly the same weight, but that was a crude estimate since she was seated and slumped over a bit. Neither of them looked happy.
Because they’d been caught?
He opened the lobby door, and the girls looked up. He knew the other girl’s face. He’d seen it on his computer yesterday afternoon. Isabella Williams.
Voices from his left drew his attention to a narrow hallway, where a woman in a blouse and slacks walked side by side with Samantha Williams.
Liam and his niece had been in town less than a week, and Sophia had managed to get herself tangled up with one of his witnesses. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Thank you, Ms. Williams,” the principal said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Samantha stopped in her tracks when she saw him in the lobby. Then she wiped the shocked look from her face and turned to her niece. “Bella. Let’s go.”
“Mr. Roberts, you and Sophia can follow me.” Principal Duncan gestured down the hallway.
At the mention of his name with Sophia’s, Samantha’s head whipped in his direction.
