Chapter 6

SIX

Styles' experience with kids was zip. He liked kids just fine but had no idea what to do with the crying child. He took him into the kitchen and sat him on a chair. "Hello, Billy. I'm your uncle, your mom's brother. My name is Dax. What's your favorite food? Can I get you something?"

"Cookies." Billy hiccupped and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. "Why is Mommy angry?"

Pulling out a few wipes from a packet on the counter, Styles gently wiped his nephew's tear-streaked face. "You don't have to worry. She's not angry with you. It's my fault. When I was a little boy, I ran away from her in the forest and got lost. She couldn't find me. It was a long time ago."

Styles looked around the kitchen and found a jar of cookies, homecooked by the look of them." He held up the cookie jar. "These cookies?" He opened the jar and placed it in front of the boy.

"And milk." Billy took two handfuls of cookies and stuffed one in his mouth.

Breathing out a sigh of relief at seeing a small cup with the name billy on one side, Styles opened the refrigerator and poured a glass of milk. Whatever he was doing, it was working. His nephew was settling down and let out a sob only occasionally. Maybe kids took a while to run out of steam, like an old engine. "Nothing is happening to Mommy. We're taking you to a nice place for a few days, so you can play with other kids." He looked at the child, so much like his mother, and smiled. "I'm very happy to meet you at last, Billy."

The boy sipped milk and ate cookies but didn't make any further conversation. Styles heaved a sigh of relief when Beth came back into the kitchen. "Ah, what now?"

"I'll pack a bag for Ginny and Billy." Beth removed her gloves and pulled her long blonde hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a band from around her wrist. "The sheriff will be here soon. I guess then we go and hunt down Ethan Shoebridge and the doctor." She stood hands on hips looking at him. "Ava will need treatment. There's a good chance they'll place Billy into care. Ginny is naive and has no idea about what's happening here."

Styles looked at Billy devouring the cookies and shook his head. "I can't allow that to happen. You of all people know what can happen to kids in care."

"Not in Black Rock Falls." Beth met his gaze. "You know how diligent Sheriff Alton is about the system in her county. You can't possibly care for a four-year-old. We're never home and, going on the amount of cookies you've given him, you have no idea how to care for a child."

Styles shook his head. "Okay, fine. I figure Ginny was doing just fine raising him. I don't believe it will be an issue, but I'll step up if needs be." He stared at her. "Anyhow, we have other things to deal with right now."

Not wanting to discuss Billy any longer, Styles waved a hand toward the stairs. "You mentioned something about packing a bag?" He glanced at the boy and took the jar of cookies from him. "Do you want to watch some TV?"

"Yes." Billy ran into the family room and climbed on a chair.

Following close behind, Styles found a kids' channel and walked back to the passageway. "You asked permission to pack their bags, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Beth smiled at him. "It will give us the chance to look around, although I don't believe we'll have a problem getting a search warrant. We can't take anything incriminating but I'll photograph anything I see. Then we'll come back when we've got the paperwork."

Styles headed along the passageway and into the den. He found a man cave with a big-screen TV and games. In one cabinet a stack of DVDs in numerical order, none of them with more than a number on each one. Pornography was left out as if on display. A bar along one side, large comfortable leather sofas, and the smell of cigars tainted the air. The house looked modest but this room held expensive equipment. He pulled on examination gloves and opened a few drawers. Video equipment, cameras of the highest quality, and on a table beside the sofa, he found a laptop. He opened it but it was password protected. He shook his head. Beth could crack it, but right now he couldn't touch a darn thing. He pulled out his phone and took photographs of the room and everything he'd seen. Not for court but as a record to see if anything mysteriously went missing when they left the premises. With young girls coming and going on a regular basis, it didn't take too much imagination to realize Ethan Shoebridge was running a halfway house for the supply of minors to pedophiles. If they'd stumbled on the tip of the iceberg, just how deep did it go?