***
For several weeks Samantha had no further problems. She hung out with Betty and their circle of friends but was hesitant about allowing herself to get close to another boy. That didn't mean she didn't become mildly interested in several whom she thought had possibilities but she wasn't going to get in a hurry, not after misjudging Shelton so badly. She promised herself that when and if she did think about seeing boys in a more romantic manner she would first introduce them to Shufus and see how he felt. She had no idea how he had zeroed in on Shelton's faults so unerringly, but he had proved she could trust his instincts.
By December, her parents were beginning to believe, very cautiously, that Meriweather might have given up on her quest to remove their daughter from her home for her "safety". They had heard nothing further from her nor had Steve said anything. Samantha had been called to the zoo twice but they had managed to avoid any publicity from either encounter, both of which Samantha had solved. She received a very nice check from each occasion. Most of it went to her college fund but she was allowed to spend some on herself.
When she and Betty, Betty's boyfriend and another boy were taken to the movies at one of the major malls in Lufkin by Betty's father, she shopped around and found presents for both her mother and father.
"Why are you buying something for them, Sammie?" Betty wanted to know.
She shrugged, slightly embarrassed but nevertheless told the other three, "Oh, just because they have to go with me to the zoo when I get a call and because they're always so nice."
"I wish
my
parents were even half as good as you say yours are," Caiden Jessup, the boy she was with said.
"What do they do?" Samantha asked curiously.
"Oh, it's not so much what they do as what they
don't
do. They never seem to have time for me. Always going somewhere with their friends and leaving me with someone, or making me stay home and not use my phone or computer or anything. They never offer to help me and never take me anywhere with my friends, either. It's always someone else's parents that do the driving."
Samantha felt sorry for the boy. She couldn't imagine either of her parents not paying attention to her or helping her with anything if she asked. In fact, they volunteered
before
she asked if they thought she needed any help or attention. That was proven dramatically when she arrived home after Mr. Orleans dropped her off.
She came inside with the presents she had bought, a new wallet for her father and a bracelet for her mother.
"I'm home!" she said gaily, "and I brought you some--". Her voice broke into an abrupt silence as she saw Ms. Meriweather sitting on the couch with her lips set in a thin, satisfied line. There was a female police officer beside her. Samantha thought they must have just arrived because her father had his phone out and was dialing someone. "What is
she
doing here?" she asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Just a moment, Sammie. Your father is calling Steve."
"He just dropped me off!" she said. "You didn't say why
she's
here. And what's the police doing with her?"
"Just wait a moment, honey."
Her father began speaking. "Steve? Sammie said you'd just let her out. Can you come back, quickly? Meriweather is here and she has a police officer with her. Yes, they just arrived a few minutes ago."
Samantha made a wide circle away from the CPS Director and scrunched in beside her mother in the big easy chair. "Why are they here, Mom?" she whispered.
"Ms. Meriweather is "investigating", or so she says," she replied loud enough for Meriweather to hear while looking daggers in her direction.
"I certainly am!" the woman said. "I believe I have enough evidence now to convince a judge remove this child from a clearly dangerous environment."
Samantha started to reply but her Mother gripped her tightly and told her, "Don't say anything else until Steve gets here, Sammie."
In lieu of not being able to speak, she added a volley of daggers from her eyes to those her mother was still throwing in Meriweather's direction. If looks could kill, the CPS Director would have been stretched out on the floor, dead as last week's road kill.
Ronald jumped up as the doorbell rang and hurriedly went to let Steve in. On the way back to the living room he explained what the CPS investigator had said, then added, "I have no idea why the police officer is here with her."
"It's a requirement now. She should have had one with her the last time, too. Have you said anything to either of them?"
"Nothing other than to ask her what she was after and why she had an officer with her."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing except that she was here on an official investigation and that she had enough evidence to have Samantha removed from our custody."
"Did you record it, I hope?"
Ron held up his phone in a way that it was blocked from Meriweather's view.
"Good. She can't have a child removed from anywhere by herself. A judge has to order it done. Don't tell her that, though," he said, lowering his voice as they came into the living room.
As they entered, Ron said to Meriweather, "I believe you know Mr. Orleans, do you not?"
"I do, but he's not going to do you a bit of good this time."
"We'll see. What is the officer doing here?"
"It's required in case the parents won't cooperate, which you certainly are
not
," she said, enunciating the last word with a snap of her teeth.
"No one here is interfering with you. Now do your inspection and leave, please."
"I have an emergency court order to support me."
"An illegal one, I'm sure. Sammie is in no danger whatsoever and neither of her parents intend to either place her in danger or cause any problems."
"Sir, I have to enforce the order to remove her if you don't relent custody voluntarily," the police officer said.
"And you are?"
"Oh. Sorry. I'm officer Amanda Billings."
"Well Officer Billings, I'm Steve Orleans, the family's attorney. Tell me, are you officially on duty or have you been hired as an off-duty officer working another job?"
"She doesn't have to answer that!"
"She most certainly does. If she's not officially on duty she has no business here. You need to go read your own regulations. And in case you need to review them, I happen to have a copy of the official procedures on my laptop in my briefcase. Would you care to look?"
Meriweather flushed a violent red, saying as plainly as words could have that she had been caught out.
"I see," Steve said. "You thought bringing a police officer along would intimidate Mr. or Mrs. Douglas into obeying an illegal court order. She can't be removed until after an investigation and
then
getting a court order. You can't do it in advance. Or didn't you and whatever judge signed your order know that?"
Meriweather remained silent for a moment but then stood up. Her face was still flushed. "This completes my investigation. I shall report that I was obstructed by the parents and I have a witness to prove it!" She glanced at the officer.
Steve raised his brows in the policewoman's direction. "Are you sure you'll be comfortable telling a court that you witnessed obstructive behavior when clearly there wasn't any? Swearing under oath is a serious business, officer. If I were you, I would quietly depart and have nothing further to do with this woman. She's been trying to grab Samantha Douglas for quite a while now, strictly for publicity purposes, thinking it might help in getting her promoted."
"That's a lie!" Meriweather said loudly but her face turned an even darker color, now resembling nothing so much as a ripe red beet.
The young woman glanced at Meriweather, who was already in the process of leaving, then at Samantha cuddled next to her mother. She remembered the publicity and the video of the girl leading a runaway tiger back into the zoo. "You know, Mr. Orleans, I believe you're right. I was brought here under false pretenses. I certainly don't see any evidence of abuse, obstruction or danger to the girl. I'm sorry I came."
"That's quite all right," Steve said gently. "You're not the first person that woman has fooled. She's a blot on the CPS Department. They do needed, useful work and it's too bad Lufkin has her at the head of the office here."
"I agree. She may bother you again, but I certainly won't, not unless I'm ordered to come with her."
After the officer had departed on the heels of Meriweather, Elaine asked, "Is this never going to end?"
Steve shook his head. "I doubt it. Meriweather should be fired but getting rid of someone in her position is almost impossible because of the Texas civil service regulations. I guess we can look forward to another day in court."
Or maybe not
, he suddenly thought.
I'll just bet the judge will think twice after reading that document Jane Carruthers left with me. And if not, then Jane herself, or possibly even her boss might have something to say about the case!
"And more publicity," Elaine said despondently.
"Don't give up so easily, Elaine. If this actually makes it to court I have a hole card I can play that should set matters right."
"You do? What?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's part of something I can't talk about for a number of reasons. Anyway, CPS court hearings are handled away from the media. Only the interested parties and their attorneys are allowed to be present."
"There'll still be a notice about it," Ronald said. "That's all it'll take to start the firestorm of publicity again."
"Well, I'll try to keep that from happening but I can't guarantee it. What I can tell you is that Samantha will not be removed from your custody. Trust me on this," Steve said, then refused to answer any more questions. He wished he could tell the family more but he was under an injunction from the agency not to reveal any help they might give him.
"Apparently Meriweather had to go back and start over, Ron," Steve said a couple of months later in answer to when he thought the woman might try again. Christmas had passed and they were well into the new year without any more word from CPS. "But don't let that fool you. She may be a butt hole and not all that bright but she's stubborn and persistent."
"It would be nice if nothing happened until the school year is out," Elaine said. "Sammie's doing real well in school with her advanced classes and I'd hate to have her be all upset the last week or two."
The four adults were enjoying after-dinner drinks at the Orleans home. They were keeping their voices low even though Samantha and Betty had retired to another room. It was a small house and they didn't want either of the girls to overhear.
"That would be good and we may just make it. Only a couple of months to go." The attorney scratched his chin for a moment before continuing. "I can't guarantee it, though. Also, when she does try, I suspect Meriweather will bring in one of her pet CPS attorneys and fight us all the way. A lot will depend on which judge we draw."
"Well, all you can do is the best you can do. We've got Dr. Summers on our side for certain, and I contacted the officer who was here that evening. She told me she would be a witness for us if we had to have her, but she doesn't really want to. She's afraid it might jeopardize her job."
"You can't really blame her for that," Steve said. "I'll certainly vouch for the fact that she came to your house with Meriweather under devious circumstances."
"So all we can do is wait?" Elaine asked.
"I'm afraid so. I know it's hard having this thing hanging over your heads but bear up the best you can. And remember, no matter what else happens I can practically guarantee that no judge will take Sammie away from you, so don't worry about that part."
"If you say so, we won't. And thanks for everything you've done, Steve. We really, really appreciate it."
"I'm always glad to help."
And so is Jane and her agency,
he thought with an inner smile.
"Thanks. I guess it's about time we were going. The kids have to go to school tomorrow and it's getting late."
"I'll get them," Steve said.
***
Elaine and Ronald both gave a sigh of relief three months later, even though they were clapping for their daughter at the time. She was receiving her diploma from Middle School, thanks to the placement tests that put her far ahead of her classmates, although one year's advance was all the authorities allowed her. Better still, there had been no mention of CPS since the last time they had talked to Steve. They were beginning to think Meriweather had given up after all.
Less than a week later when Elaine answered the doorbell, there the woman stood, completely unexpected and looking more smug and haughty than ever. This time she had a policeman with her, a sergeant in full uniform.
"I am here to remove your daughter, Samantha Douglas, from your custody. Judge Edmond agrees that leaving her here, where she is subject to contact with dangerous beasts cannot be condoned a moment longer."
Elaine stepped back from the entrance just as Ronald came up to join her and heard the statement. The two blocked the hallway leading into the living room as they stood side by side.
"You can't just take Samantha from her home. You have to have a hearing according to our attorney."
"Not in an emergency, which Judge Edmond maintains this is. Now will you step aside and produce your daughter?"
"Samantha!" Ronald called loudly. "Meriweather is here to take you away from us. Go to the back room immediately!" He didn't even grant the woman the courtesy of a title he was so mad.
Samantha had been in the living room with her parents watching television. She heard all of the conversation, including her father's command. Since there was no back room in their home she interpreted his words correctly. He wanted her to go out the back way and disappear.
Come, Shufus," she whispered, then with her dog she quietly opened the back door and stole away, heading for the woods behind their home, the woods that led to the zoo by a trail she knew well. On weekends she had occasionally gone to the edge of the zoo by that route. She could stop and talk to any animals on the way. If she had time, she then stayed to observe any zoo animals that were in sight from a vantage point near the fence surrounding the zoo. Occasionally she would see some of the big cats. They were never near enough to talk to but she thought they were fascinating to watch as they went about their business.