The Wolf Code

Senora was about to offer to look into a solution when Ty spoke.

“The people will take care of you,” he said.  “I’ll make some calls, and someone will be here today to help get you the resources that you need to keep your medicine coming in.”

“I can’t afford the medicine without Addie.”

“We’ll take care of that, too,” Ty said gently.  “We take care of our own, and Addie was one of us.  You’re her mother, and that makes you part of our family.”

There were tears in Mabel’s eyes again, but this time, they were tears of gratitude.

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

Ty stood, giving Mabel a tender kiss on her cheek and sliding his business card into her hand.

“If you think of anything, or if you need anything, call me.  Anytime.”

“I will,” Mabel said.

Mabel hugged them both, surprising Senora and squeezing her as tightly as she could in the process.  She felt Mabel’s warm breath on her ear, and the woman’s words cut Senora to the core.

“Please don’t leave until you find out who did this to my little girl.  You’re the only one that cares about her, and if you don’t find her killer, no one ever will.”

Senora pulled away, nodding but not wanting to give words to the false promise.  She would stay as long as she was able, but she would have to leave when the next case came in or when J called her back.  There was no telling how long she had, but she would do what she could in that time.

They left Mabel on the couch, and they were still on the porch when Loretta materialized from the walkway next door, a casserole dish in her hands and a grim look on her face.  She nodded politely as she passed by them without saying a word.

They got into the car, and Senora turned the engine on, cranking the AC up all the way and sighing when the air turned cold.  When she could breathe again, she looked at Ty and arched a delicate eyebrow.

“You said Addie was ‘part of us.’  What does that mean?”

“My people have lived in this area for generations.  We live outside of town on thousands of acres as one large tribe and have for as long as anyone can remember.”

“Where does Addie fit in?”

“When her captor released her, we were the first to find her.  She stayed with us for months before the state came and took her, claiming that she couldn’t just live with us indefinitely.  They said that she had to go through the proper channels first.”

“And that’s how Mabel ended up adopting her?”

“It was.  When the adoption was final, we made it clear to Mabel that there would always be a connection and that Mabel was part of the family now.  We take care of our own, even if they come to us under mysterious circumstances.”

“I’m glad that someone is going to step up and make sure that Mabel is taken care of.  I have a feeling the Sheriff isn’t going to fall all over himself to get Mabel the victim’s resources she’s entitled to.”

“You’re right.  The Sheriff would much rather Mabel waste away and then die.  At least then, he wouldn’t have the reminder of how he let Addie down.  Addie’s abduction was his biggest failure.  Once there’s no one left to care about Addie, he won’t have to deal with her cold case anymore.”

“I bet he’d like that.”

“You’d be winning that bet,” Ty said with a wry smile.

“Are you going to accompany me to the therapist’s office?” Senora asked as she keyed the address into her GPS.

“I’ll be staying with you until the case is complete.”

“Good.  I could use a local to make the introductions, and the Sheriff couldn’t be bothered.  People are more forthcoming when there’s a familiar face involved.”

“I’m not sure my presence will help, but I’ll do what I can.”

She smiled.  It might not be much, but having him with her would make a world of difference as she worked information from everyone in town she could get to talk to her.  As help went, it wasn’t a lot of work, but she would take all the help she could get at this point.  She wanted to find Addie’s killer, and she didn’t have much time.