Recovery of a Hero Ch. 10

I said, "I'm willing to bet that your going to get to stay, and that woman is going to be in a lot of trouble. She committed a felony by doing what she did. It's against federal law to use a position like hers to threaten or harass people like George and me. She did this in front of two reliable witnesses and her statements were recorded. She's going to be in a lot of trouble very soon now."

"And even if she could take you," I continued, "do you really think that your coach, George, Janny or I would let her? I don't think so. You should know us at least that well by now. I won't calmly sit by and let you go so now you're stuck with me."

I could see them visibly relax when I finished. They were still glaring at the CPS woman, but they weren't so tense now. That was an improvement compared to how they'd looked when they had heard what she'd said.

In a way, I was grateful to her. She'd done me a favor by what she'd said and made it almost inevitable that I'd be able to adopt these two girls. Any argument against it would look like a continuation of what she'd started and since she'd most likely end up in prison or at least fired from her job and on probation, any judge who got the case would be very cautious bout it.

As a result, I wasn't worried at all and I guess my demeanor as well as what I'd said helped them.

I didn't know what the future would bring, but I would make sure that they'd at least have the choice of facing it together and surrounded by friends who cared about them and would help no matter what.

Shortly after that, Janny and Sally came back with some food and drinks for us. They put the goodies on the table in front of the couch and sally handed me my travel mug with fresh coffee in it. I smiled at her and thanked her.

The tension in the room slowly eased as we waited for whoever was sent by the Sec Nav (Secretary of the Navy) to show up. I didn't know what investigative service it would be, but I knew that since I was involved, the big guns would be sent.

My old boss may not have known me personally, but he had my records and he'd know that if I stated that I'd handle it if he didn't I wouldn't be nice about how. Sometimes having a bit of a rough reputation could help.

While we were munching and chatting, the doorbell rang. Janny went to answer and brought back two men and a woman. They all had NCIS I.D.s. I had been expecting big guns, but they sent a battleship for this. Well, that works too. A fly is just as dead if you hit it with a hammer as it is if you use a flyswatter. Just mashed more. It was just harder to hit sometimes.

The older man introduced himself as Senior Investigator Reach. "I'll be handling this investigation," he said.

I guess some people don't know when to quit, because the CPS woman asked, "Under what authority are you here? I'm here to pick up two children and place them in foster care. These people are interfering with a State official and now you're here."

"Mam," said Reach, "we received orders from the Secretary of the Navies office to investigate an act of harassment against an employee of the Department of the Navy assigned to his office. The charge is directed against you and it will be investigated."

The CPS woman said, "You don't have that authority. I'm here on official business and you are interfering with my carrying out that business. I demand that the two children I'm here for be turned over to my custody and I be allowed to leave."

"I can't do that until I complete my investigation, mam," said Reach.

"Now," he said, "who is Senior Warrant Officer Eldarin DeShade?

"I am," I answered.

"Good," said Reach. "I understand that you have some evidence that you wish to give me about this alleged incident."

"Yes," I said. "There's a recording of the conversation in question, and the two policemen present can attest that it hasn't been disturbed. The tape is in the recorder on that intercom on the coffee table. It's been recording the whole time since the CPS official arrived, and I think it still is."

The female investigator said, "I'd like to talk to the children involved in this case. Is there someplace we can talk in private?"

Sally answered, " Yes. We can go down into the basement. George has an office down there that we can use."

The woman asked her, "Are you one of the orphans in this case?"

Sally said, "No. They are," and pointed to Ellen and Nancy.

They're the ones I need to talk to right now," said the woman. "But if you could show me the way, I'd be grateful mam."

The girls said, "Not without uncle Dar."

The woman asked them, "Are you related to Mr. DeShade?"

"No," said Ellen. "But since he saved Sally's life in the pool, we started calling him that. All the Cheerleaders call him that now. Sally's our friend, and she would have drowned if uncle Dar hadn't saved her. He's always been nice to us too."

The woman said, "I see. Well that answers some of my questions right there. If you really want him there, he may come after he's done here."

Nancy asked, "Can Sally come too? I don't want to go anywhere without her too."

"I'm sorry," she said, "But no. I'll allow Mr. DeShade to accompany you, but I can't allow more. Since I also have to question miss Brandt, she can't be there with you anyway."

"It might be better if you took Janny with you, girls. She and George will be your guardians anyway, so it might be better if Janny was there."

Ellen said, "But I want you there, uncle Dar. "I won't talk to them unless you're there and I don't care who they are."

Nancy said, "I agree. Since we can't take Sally with us, I won't go unless you come too."

The woman said, "Since the children don't have a legal guardian at present, and since this is an investigation, I can get a children's advocate here. But I have no problem with you being present if that's what the girls want. I understand that they've just lost their parents, and I don't want to upset them if it isn't necessary."

I reluctantly agreed, and Reach said, "Go ahead. I'll listen to the tape while you're doing that. I don't have any questions for you yet anyway."

I said, "Ok, lets go and get this over with."

The girls jumped up and each grabbed a handle of my chair. The investigator noticed this and said, "I see that you two are fond of Mr. DeShade."

The girls responded with "Yes, mam. He's our friend."

They pushed me out of the room and we headed to the basement.

When we got to the stairs, the girls helped me onto the wheelchair lift. The investigator looked at it and asked me, "Did the Carson's have this put in for your use?"

I said, "No. It was put in for their uncle who passed away about a year ago, I think."

"Convenient for you though," she said.

"Yes it is, because they have a small gym down there. I do my physical therapy there and Janny monitors me. It helps that she's a registered nurse, and familiar with physical therapy. I don't have to go to the V.A. three times a week because I can do that here. Saves a bit of time."

"I notice that you're able to use your right arm and hand a bit. According to the file I saw, you were suffering from some kind of paralysis there."

"Yes. I worked real hard at it after Sally Brandt's accident. Had I been able to use it at that time, I would have been able to release the chest belt on my old chair and get to her quicker. She almost died because I couldn't get to her faster, so I worked the arm as hard as I could until I could control it better. I still work to get better with it."

"I read the report on the way here," she said, "I think what you did was impressive as it is. You managed to get through a fence designed and installed specifically to keep you from having accidents involving the pool, went straight into the pool in your chair then fought your way clear of it and saved a person's life.'

"I don't think I could have gotten out of that chair if I'd been in it with your infirmities. Why didn't you try to get out of the chair before you went into the pool, though?"

I said, "Vinyl stretches when it's wet. In the pool, it gave me a bit of an advantage forcing the vinyl chair back off the rivets in the frame. Actually made it easier that way."

"Good point," She said. "I'll have to remember that bit of info."

After getting down the stairs, the girls pushed me over to Georges desk and sat in a couple of chairs by it. The investigator took Georges chair and said that the questioning would be recorded.

I said, "I think I should sit out of hearing for this. I don't want to be an influence on what answers the girls give you so I'll move over to where the t.v. is. If you need me, I can come back."

"I don't think that's necessary," said the investigator.

I said, "I'd feel more comfortable if I did that. I don't want to influence them but I'll be close by if they really want me. I think it would be better that way."

The girls looked at me and Ellen said, "You'll be right over there?"

I said, "I won't leave you. I don't think that you'll have any problems and I want you to be completely honest. You two aren't in any trouble so don't worry. Just tell the lady the truth whatever she asks you. If you need me, just say so and I'll come back. Promise."

Nancy said, "Ok, if you promise. We trust you."

The investigator said, "Well that answers a few more of my questions, girls. You really do trust him, don't you?"

"I do and I feel safe around him," said Nancy. "If he's there, I feel like there's nothing that can hurt me."

With that, I moved over to the t.v. and turned it on so that I couldn't hear what was said unless someone raised their voice. I didn't know exactly what the investigator wanted to ask them, but if I wasn't there I wouldn't be an influence on the answer.

I woke up when they came over to me. The girls seemed to be a lot calmer now and the investigator was smiling. "Good," I thought, "that's an improvement.'

The investigator asked, "Do you fall asleep like that often Mr. DeShade?"

I said, "Not any more, but yesterday was a long day, and today has been rather stressful. I still tire easily and sometimes I fall asleep."

"I can understand that," she said. "I took a long time recovering from wounds like that too."

"Oh?" I asked. "What happened to you?"

"Drug raid when I was with the DEA," she said. "I got hit and it was several months before I fully recovered."

"I see," I said. "Well I have learned one thing from this. I don't like getting shot. It hurts too much."

"I agree," she said. "Well, I'm done with these two and now I have miss Brandt to question. If she wants, I'll allow Mr. or Mrs. Carson to be present, but since she has a legal guardian here, I can't let you be present."

"I understand," I said. "I only came down because it made the girls here more comfortable."

"That's quite all right," She responded. "It made it easier not having to get an advocate here. That might have taken hours, so I have no problems with you having been present."

"Just so you understand, I would not have questioned them had they refused," She continued. "They've had enough trauma for one day and I really don't want to make it worse for them. And my personal opinion is that the CPS agent overstepped her authority and could have caused them unnecessary suffering. I'll note that on my report.

"I also think that you'll make them a fine father if you adopt them like they said you'd planned to," She added. "I'll also put that in my report."

"Thank you," I said. I appreciate that."

She said, "I think it might help your case. I'm a child psychologist now. I have a masters in that and a bachelors in criminal behavior. My professional opinion is that these two would be in good hands under your care."

"Again, thank you," I said. "I really appreciate that."

I'm a bit hazy as to what happened after this, but the CPS official was arrested and taken into federal custody. The girls were allowed to stay in George and Janny's care.

*

This ends chapter 10. Chapter 11 will be Sally telling the story.