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.Judd stood in the opening looking at her, eyes scrunched into thin slits and his lips compressed with anger.Bella's stomach clenched."You took grandmother's things and I'm going to prove it." He clucked his tongue."When I have the evidence, I'll make you pay for exploiting these helpless people.""I didn't do anything.I've tried to protect them from whoever is stealing!"Judd zipped his coat, preparing to leave the building."That's not the impression I got from Aman.ur, Miss Howard.Bella's heart fell, leaving her stomach hovering as a nauseating knot at her throat.This situation was fast becoming critical; she didn't know where to turn.Should she get a lawyer? Her shoulders slumped dejectedly.Judd was the county attorney.If charges were filed against her, he became the prosecuting attorney.The man rudely shouldered past her without another word.Bella walked into Amanda's office, her mind full of curses, but she fought them back--no sense in borrowing trouble.She would know soon enough what had taken place in here.Taking a calming breath, Bella said, "I looked in on Gladys a few moments ago.She's calm, dressed for bed and ready to call it a night."Amanda's icy blue eyes took in the clock on the floral papered wall, but she remained silent."She acted much calmer.I'm sure she felt we would find her jewelry."Those frigid eyes snapped in Bella's direction.Again, she said nothing.Discouragement wrapped around her like a boa constrictor, ready to squeeze its victim to death.If Amanda's goal was to make her feel uncomfortable, she'd succeeded."Why is Mrs.Fortney ready for bed at six o'clock? You encouraged her to do this, didn't you? Amanda finally asked, her words sending frozen arrows through Bella's heart, cruelly accurate."She's tired.""You know my staff is keeping her from napping because she wakes up at three o'clock in the morning.How can we readjust her schedule if you're undermining our efforts?"Yeah sure, undermine your authority.The director handled the facility like a dictator.Bella refused to feel guilty."Gladys has had a few rough hours.She's really upset about her jewelry.Can't you give her a little consideration?"Amanda shook her head."No.She has to adjust, and it is your job to help."Bella refused to comment.There was no swaying Amanda.They're different management styles.Bella was helpful and leveled with a person, involved the resident with their treatment.Amanda demanded results from her staff.Bella hadn't seen any positive effects from this.Because it didn't work."I'm going home." She wasn't going to argue with Amanda, but she couldn't stand there and have her speak to her in such an insolent manner.Amanda slammed the desk drawer shut, her face purpled in rage."Not so fast." She stood, walking around the desk."Judd Fortney wants us to search your office for the missing items.""What?""Sorry, but it's the only way to disprove his accusations." Amanda's words sounded sincere, but a self-satisfied grin pulled lines into the corners of her mouth.Stretching her arm in Bella's direction she asked, "Can I have the keys to your office?Bella's pulse thudded in jagged strokes and her face flushed with humiliation."You know I don't lock the office, just my file cabinet."Amanda lifted her chin indignantly."So, give me those keys."A flash of embarrassment burned through her flesh.Reaching into her pocket, Bella felt the keys, warm from the temperature of her body.Clutching them for a moment, she hauled them out, dangling them in front of her.Amanda snapped them from her grasp."Let's go get this over with."Bella followed the nurse out the door and through the walkway not saying a word, but silently cursing Judd with each step she took.It seemed to take an eternity to reach her office.Garrett was sitting near the piano reading a large print magazine when they entered the area.He tossed his reading aside and stood, his smile mesmerized her; he seemed to fill the room with a masculine aura and vitality.She swallowed back the desire that inflamed her."Welcome back.Are you ready to go?" he asked, walking toward her.She held out her hand, motioning him to stop, and bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop the quivering.Stinging tears threatened at the back of her eyelids.Tipping his head slightly at her bleak expression, he asked, "Is something wrong?"She nodded."Don't come in here.Just wait for me out there." The words came out as a raspy whisper.She turned her back to him, entering the office, but she felt him follow them in anyway.With fists on his hips, his voice tainted with emotion he asked, "What's going on here?"Bella wrapped her fingers around his muscular arm, drawing him toward her."She's searching in here for the jewelry from Gladys' room." Pure rage burned within her, hotter than a fire."She thinks you took it?" he uttered incredulously, surprise flooded his face.She shrugged."I guess so--and so does Judd.He insisted the office be searched."They stood there watching Amanda open the file cabinet, scavenge through the individual folders and around the bottom of each drawer.Finding nothing, she re-locked the cabinet.Turning to Bella's desk, she ransacked the drawers, displacing the neatly placed items [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]