When She Was Bad(77)

Walking into the room, I had the strangest feeling of intruding. Ed sat at a round table flanked by Debra, the thickset welfare officer who’d accompanied Laurie the first time we met her, and another woman with short cropped salt and pepper hair and tanned leathery skin, against which her teeth appeared unnaturally white when she smiled.

‘Dr Cater?’ she said. ‘Please come in and take a seat.’

There was another person seated at the table, a slight man with thinning strawberry-blond hair and a short-sleeved white shirt. He had freckles on his face and arms and a strangely shaped nose, as if someone had pinched it until it stayed that way. Jana sat to his left, looking cool and smooth.

‘You know Debra Albright, Laurie’s personal case-worker, and Laurie’s foster mother Jana Green, of course. This is George Sullivan, who runs our legal team, and I’m Nancy Meade, head of the Child Welfare Division. I’m afraid we couldn’t wait to get started. We’re all on a tight schedule.’

Her eyes darted towards the clock on the wall to make her point.

‘So, we’ve just been discussing Laurie’s case with Professor Kowalsky and agreeing that we’re all pretty encouraged by the progress she’s made since her parents were arrested. As you know, Laurie and her brother David have been made wards of state. David’s case is, of course, very different, owing to the level of neglect he suffered in his early years. At four and a half, Laurie still has the potential to put this part of her life completely behind her. There is an enforced adoption order in place so regardless of her parents’ wishes, we can push ahead with that if that’s what we decide is most appropriate. We have reciprocal adoption arrangements with organizations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK – places where Laurie could be completely anonymous. Mrs Green here is of the opinion that would be the best thing for her in the circumstances, and Professor Kowalsky has just told us that, from your sessions so far, the two of you are inclined to agree, which makes me wonder if we should start the ball rolling. George, can you explain to us the legal steps in this process . . .’

‘Wait a minute.’

The words were out before I’d even had a chance to work out what would follow them. Five pairs of eyes turned towards me.

‘It’s just that Ed and I – that is, Professor Kowalsky and I – haven’t really discussed this properly. The sessions are still very much ongoing and I think it’s too early to completely rule out the possibility that Laurie will need extensive long-term therapy to fully process what has happened to her.’

Nancy Meade blinked in surprise, although her ultra-white smile remained in place.

‘Well, obviously we would need to be completely sure, but I should remind you of the time constraints here. Of course the two of you,’ she nodded her wiry head in the direction of first Ed and then me, ‘know much more about the cut-off age for childhood amnesia, before the formation of long-term memories begins, but I would imagine we’re pretty near. Plus I don’t need to tell you that it’s far easier to find adoptive parents for a four-year-old than an older child.’

‘I think Dr Cater is just erring on the side of caution,’ Ed broke in, and I could tell from the way he stressed the first syllable of my surname, that my intervention had embarrassed him.

‘We know that the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex – the two parts of the brain responsible for processing memory – become fully developed around the age Laurie is now, so we’re well aware of the need for speed. We still have another couple of sessions scheduled and we will hold off from making any final decisions until we’re completely satisfied that adoption is the way to go, but I can say that at this moment in time, that seems like a more likely outcome.’

He glared at me through his reading glasses as if daring me to contradict him. I pinched the skin of my left wrist between the fingers of my right hand and didn’t look away.

Jana raised one of her long, slender fingers. ‘Could I say something? I know I’m only a mom and you all are the experts.’

A collective murmur of dissent went around the table. Ed shook his head vigorously.

‘I just wanted to give you my take for what it’s worth as I probably see more of Laurie than anyone else. She’s a dear little girl. That isn’t to say there aren’t aspects of her behaviour that concern me. She has occasional tantrums like all kids that age and she still over-reacts in situations when there’s strong disciplining going on. And she has those kind of trances, you know, like we talked about before.’ She was appealing to me and Ed.