RECLAIM MY HEART(4)

Raising her son on her own hadn’t been easy. The responsibility had forced her to develop a steely resolve, an unfaltering tenacity, if not on the inside, at least in the brave face she insisted on presenting to the world.
She could handle anything life threw her way when it came to Zach. She was devoted to his protection, and she meant to nurture him and defend him and love him. No matter what. She intended to be the very be
When she lifted her gaze to Officer Perez, she knew she expressed more confidence, even if she still felt quite shaken inside. She’d just take the problem one step at a time.
“I’m sorry he painted the school building,” Tyne began. “He knows right from wrong. He knows better than to deface property. I can promise you he’ll face the consequences. We’ll clean the building, or pay to have it cleaned. Zach’s a good kid,” she insisted. “Yes, he’s been showing a bit of defiance lately. And, no, he should never have left the house tonight. He’ll be on restriction for that. But I don’t believe his behavior is so seriously depraved that he needs to have a criminal record.” Reality sunk in and she repeated, “A permanent criminal record.”
Officer Perez’s face held no emotion. None, nada, zip.
A flutter of panic threatened Tyne, but she held it at bay. “You said yourself that no one was hurt. He’s never been in any trouble before. Isn’t there some other way we can handle this? Is there anything I can do to get the charges against my son dropped?”
Without taking her eyes off Tyne’s face, Perez straightened the reports on her desktop, gathering them together and tapping them into a neat pile.
“I wish I could help you, Ms. Whitlock. But the damage is done. The report is already on file. There’s no way for me to undo it. It’ll be up to the judge to determine your son’s punishment.”
Refusing to feel defeated, Tyne asked, “Okay, so what happens now?”
“We’re releasing him into your custody.” She set the papers down and splayed her palm on top of them. “Listen, it’s very clear to me that you’re a…?a concerned parent. A truly concerned parent. I wish I saw more of those around here.” Perez’s dark eyes softened. “It’s usually my policy to give a kid a warning. I like to give them a chance if I can. If Zach had been merely loitering, then I’d have brought him home. I’d have given both him and you a stern lecture. However, he destroyed public property. He had a can of paint in his possession. Orange paint on his skin. And not only that, the boys Zach was with have already seen their share of trouble. They’re way past the warning stage. One of the boys spent thirty days in juvie hall. These are not the kind of kids you want your son hanging with.”
Closing her eyes, Tyne clenched her jaw so tightly the joints began to ache. Taking up with delinquents. Defacing public property. Running head-on into trouble with the law. Earning himself a criminal record.
She’d taught Zach better.
“This isn’t normal behavior for my son. You have to believe me.”
Perez rested her forearms on the corner of the desk. “I’ll tell you what I believe. Zach is disturbed about something. Angry would be a better word. I tried to get him to talk to me. Tried to connect with him. He was rude and disrespectful. I hoped that would change once we were away from the others. But even then, he continued to be uncommunicative. That’s not what I’m used to from first time offenders. They usually break down, express remorse, rather quickly. Not your son. Then fear got the better of him and he just shut down. It’s been my experience that kids like Zach—” She stopped, then started again. “There’s not an easy way for me to say this. I think your son needs some help. Professional help.”
Tyne fought the insult that reared in her chest, but she couldn’t fault the woman for stating the truth. She nodded, fighting to breathe around the knot that swelled in her throat. “He does need help. And I promise you he’ll get it.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Ms. Whitlock.” Leaning forward, the officer’s tone lowered an octave aesp an octs she suggested, “The first thing you should do is find a good lawyer. Zach has a mandatory court appearance in front of the juvie judge. And it’s soon. Our policy is to take care of these things as quickly as possible, so he’s scheduled on the court docket for Wednesday morning.”
“But that only gives me four days—”
“Three, actually,” Perez corrected. “We’re into Sunday morning.”
Tyne sighed sharply. “How am I supposed to find a lawyer by Wednesday?”
Unwittingly, items on her work schedule zipped through her brain; the meeting this afternoon with that couple to finalize their wedding menu, shopping and prep for the Women’s Association Tea on Monday, the Idea Exchange for the Small Business Owners Guild set for Tuesday morning.
“I can’t just go to court with Zach? Explain things to the judge myself? Surely—”
The officer cut her off with an emphatic shake of her head. “Not a good idea. Judge Taylor plays hardball. He’s a firm believer that a person is known by the company he keeps. It’s his motto. You’ll probably hear him say those words while you’re there. He’ll come down on Zach hammer-hard simply because of the friends he’s chosen to run around with.” Perez leaned forward, sincerity tempering her intense gaze. “Find Zach a lawyer, Ms. Whitlock. He won’t fare well without one.”
There were forms to sign and another firm lecture for Zach before Perez let them go.