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“Good for you,” I said to Dale.
I looked up when a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” the principal said.
The doorknob twisted, and in walked Ruby Lee Steel, Ryan’s wife. I’d called her and asked her to meet me here as soon as she could get away.
“Thanks for coming.” I stood and hugged her. “This is my sister-in-law, Ruby Steel. She’s a former police detective. I wanted her to come and look around.”
“Nice to meet you,” the principal said. “Feel free to do what you need to do. I’ll be happy to help any way I can.”
Ruby shook Ms. Umbrage’s hand. “I appreciate it. I’d like to have a look around the playground. Is that where you saw the man this morning, Dale?”
“Yeah.”
“Outside the fence, like last time?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Can you show me where he was?” Ruby asked.
He nodded again and stood. “Can I go now?”
“Show your aunts where you saw the man,” the principal said. “After that, they can take you home if you’d like.”
“No. I want to stay at school.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yeah. Talon says it’s important to be strong and that I’m safe here.”
“You are,” the principal said. “We have an on-site police officer, as you know. School is safe.”
I hoped she was right. I didn’t feel great about leaving Dale, but I agreed with Talon. Dale and Donny both needed to learn that they were safe now, but we couldn’t shelter them and never allow them to leave the house. They’d grow up agoraphobic.
My brother was a smart man. Having been through what the boys had been throu
gh, he knew what was necessary for their healing.
“Okay, Dale. Let’s take Aunt Ruby outside and show her where you saw the man.”
He led us out the back door of the school to the enclosed playground. A ten-foot-tall chain link fence encased the large play area, which was covered in pea gravel.
“This way.” He pointed to the far end of the area, where two sides of the fence met in one corner.
Once we got there, Ruby put on some blue rubber gloves, knelt, and examined the ground. “Definitely some indentation on the other side, which could mean footprints. I’m going to go around and have a look.”
“Do you want to go along?” I asked Dale.
He swallowed. “Yes, I do. I want to face my fears.”
More words of wisdom that had come from Talon. I was sure of it.
“Are you sure?” This time from Ruby.
“I’m sure.”
He seemed a little less spooked than he had been the first time. We walked all the way back and then around to the other side. Green parkland surrounded the back of the school. A baseball diamond and football field were overgrown with weeds and grass. A shame.
