A Child's Wish

Ruth Barnett glanced up then, her eyes wide and luminous. “You didn’t let Tommy down,” she said softly. “He loved it here and he particularly loved Ms. Foster. His second-grade teacher told us she suspected he was dyslexic. This year, after just six months with Ms. Foster, he’s reading up to his grade level and beyond. Something had been holding him back, but it wasn’t dyslexia. I hope you know what a gem you have in her.”

Such a passionate speech from this woman startled Mark. But then, women had a tendency to do that more often than not.

His relief was less easy to accept. He was Meredith Foster’s boss, nothing more. If he had to fire her, he would.

“She’s very consistent with her classroom results,” he said now, choosing his words carefully.

Pen held poised above the plastic clipboard, Ruth studied him. “My ex-husband insisted that Tommy change schools,” she said, naming a private institution across town. “Larry Barnett is a powerful man.”

Mark nodded.

“He won’t let this drop.”

It was confirmation he’d rather not have had.

“With your support, Ms. Foster might be able to keep her job.” Mark didn’t miss the plea in her voice or in her eyes.

“What she did was completely inappropriate.” He said what his job required him to say.

“What she did could very well save my son’s life.”

It was Mark’s turn to study her. “You’re saying there’s truth to her claim?”

The woman began to write again—rapidly. “I’m not saying that.”

“Then what?”

“Nothing, really.”

“If you know something you have to speak up, ma’am—if not to me, then to someone else. The authorities. You could be Tommy’s only hope.”

“I’m very well aware of my son’s safety requirements, Mr. Shepherd.”

She was a frightened woman, afraid of her ex-husband’s power.

On the other hand, if Tommy denied the abuse and his school counselor saw no evidence of it, and if his mother knew nothing, what was the flack all about?

One woman’s intuition.

It was pure craziness.

“If, as you say, your husband’s pursuing this, then it would help Ms. Foster a great deal if you went public with how you feel about her.”

She was writing so fast he didn’t see how she could possibly have read the questions. “It’s best if I stay out of this.”

Best for whom? Tommy? Not if he was being mistreated. Best for her, then?

“Are you keeping Tommy away from his father? Or at least having supervised visits?”

A bitter chuckle was her first response. “You obviously aren’t familiar with my husband,” she said. “If I tried to keep the two of them apart he’d find a way to take Tommy away from me completely.”

“The courts wouldn’t agree to that. Not without compelling reasons….”

“The ‘courts’ is one judge, when it comes down to that.” She spoke quietly, but not without cynicism. “Whatever judge is assigned to the case…. And with Larry’s contacts, you can bet he’d be assigned a judge who would be sympathetic.”

Mark was well aware this kind of thing happened. On television. In big towns. In other people’s lives. “Then why hasn’t he done that—gone to court already?”

“It wouldn’t be convenient,” she said simply. “Larry likes to play. Being responsible for a child 24/7 would hamper his freedom. And taking a child away from his mother might lose him some votes. Still… If there’s any possibility of people believing the truth of Ms. Foster’s claims, he’d get full custody simply to show that he has the stellar reputation to do so. It would shut up his critics. If he has any.”