“What’s all this?”
Jo placed a hand over an overstuffed folder. “This is the life of Ziggy Brown, illustrated by the Department of Corrections for the past seventeen years.” She slapped her hand on a file a quarter of its size. “This is the life of Ziggy Brown, illustrated by my dad and a few of his colleagues in Waterville.” She pointed to the far left corner of her desk. “River Bend Unified School District records of the Brown children . . . and last, but not least, Sheryl Brown.” Jo tapped her finger on the smallest pile in the stack.
“Who would Sheryl’s file be illustrated by?”
“My dad and the state of Oregon.”
Luke sank into a chair. “Your dad?”
“He tried to gather enough evidence of neglect to bring Child Protective Services in without any risk of the case being thrown out.”
“Too bad that didn’t happen.”
“According to the state of Oregon, Sheryl Brown has been the wife of Theodore Brown, aka Ziggy, for twenty-eight years.”
Luke tilted his head in thought. “Sheryl and Ziggy married after Zoe was born?”
“Yep. I’m not sure if Zoe knows that fact.”
“If only Ziggy wasn’t her biological father.” He couldn’t help but envision what that would look like. The thought was fleeting, however, since Zoe had a striking resemblance to the man.
“I doubt that.”
“Me, too . . . but it was a pleasant thought for a second.”
“No, more likely Sheryl ended up pregnant, and it wasn’t until after Zoe was born that Ziggy stepped up. Not that she was better off for it.” Jo paused, then asked, “Where is Zoe?”
“Confronting her mom at the diner. She didn’t want company.”
“I have a feeling Sheryl isn’t going to tell her what she wants to hear.”
Luke didn’t think so either. “I’ll never understand why people stay in abusive relationships.”
“We’re all able to take a certain amount of pain for love.”
He thought of his own love life . . . therefore he pictured Zoe. “True, but not when it comes to putting your kids in danger. I blame Sheryl for that. I want to like the woman, but it’s becoming harder by the day.”
“She’s not on my list of favorite people. Never has been. I always saw her as selfish and using. Her hand was out all the time once Zoe started making a name for herself.”
“Zoe is kicking herself for giving her anything to support that home.”
“She wouldn’t have done it if Sheryl told her it belonged to her dad.”
“What is it you always say, believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see?” Luke asked.
Jo nodded.
“That fits this whole situation. Sheryl lies about the house, the divorce. The powers in the penitentiary said Ziggy was in for another few years . . . even that was bull.”
“He did his time.” She tapped the biggest file on her desk. “Cleaned up the fights the last year . . . started to get friendly with those holding the keys. He also managed a consistent visitor.”
“Let me guess, Sheryl Brown.”
“Bingo.”
Luke sat forward, glanced at the names scribbled on the files on her desk. “So what can I do, Jo? We all know Ziggy is going to screw up. Do you know what his parole conditions are?”
“The standard stuff. No alcohol or drug use. Staying away from known criminals or criminal activity. His license was suspended, so he can’t drive. Although he might get that privilege back within a few months.”
“I don’t see him staying away from liquor.”
“Me either. And I doubt he’ll find a local job, but who knows. The RV plant is hiring.”
“Which leaves him right back to ‘finding’ money off unsuspecting people.” Luke used Zoe’s words for her father’s days as a thief.
Jo glanced at her watch and pushed back from her desk. “I’ve put Josie on notice if he shows up at R&B’s.”
If there was any trouble to be found, it would be at R&B’s. It was the only real bar in River Bend and close enough to the highway to attract caravanning motorcycle groups several times a year. “Buddy is still working in the kitchen there, right?”
Buddy had corralled him and Wyatt into a bar fight the previous year. He’d been a drifter until he found himself useful in finding the man who was behind Hope’s abduction. He was as big as a house and had several priors leading up to the fight, so the fact that he’d helped in finding Hope’s abuser shocked many of them. Apparently Buddy was tired of the life he was leading and decided to make a few changes. Working in the bar he’d done his best to bust up had a bit of irony.
“Yep.”
“My guess is he’s spent enough time with Ziggy’s kind to spot them.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Maybe Buddy can keep an eye open. Give me a call if he sees something Josie doesn’t.”
Jo stepped around her desk, grabbed her jacket off a coat rack by the door. “We can’t have enough eyes and boots on the ground. The sooner Ziggy is back in jail, the better for River Bend.”
“The better for Zoe.” Luke stood and followed Jo out.
“I’d like to think Zoe is back to being a part of this town.”
Yeah, he wanted to think that, too.
Zoe watched her mother through the window of Sam’s diner for several minutes. Her mom was an attractive woman, more so when she put a little effort into her appearance. Makeup had been a necessity to hide the bruises Ziggy left behind years ago. So it wasn’t a surprise to Zoe to see a dusting of foundation over her mother’s face. Was it preemptive makeup, something she wanted in place so people wouldn’t be surprised to find her painted up once the hits started coming? Or was her mom already catching the wrath of Ziggy’s fist?
Zoe wondered how many of the customers in the diner knew the truth about dear old Dad. Right after he’d been sent away, Ziggy had been all the town talked about. Zoe remembered her mother telling her to ignore the gossip and the stares. People all have issues in the privacy of their own homes.
As an adult, Zoe translated that to mean everyone had a skeleton they wanted to hide. She’d spent time watching other families and wondering if those dads were hitting their kids. It took a long while to hear someone yelling and not cringe. Even as an adult, Zoe would sometimes freeze when she overheard a heated argument between two strangers.
Her mother must have felt the weight of Zoe’s stare. Her eyes lifted from the table she was cleaning off and found hers.
Zoe took the few remaining steps and pushed through the doors of Sam’s diner.
The bell announced her arrival and a few heads swiveled her way.
Brenda stood behind the counter, coffeepot in hand. “Hi, Zoe.”
“Hey, Brenda.”
“I heard you were in town. Stayin’ for long?”
Zoe strategically avoided a direct answer. “I’ll be in and out. Mel’s wedding and all.”
Brenda refilled the cup of a customer at the counter. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Zoe looked directly at her mom. “I won’t. Do you mind watching my mom’s tables? I need a word.”
The diner only had a handful of patrons scattered about. The lunch rush had yet to start.