Profile of Fear: Book Four of the Profile Series (Volume 4) by Alexa Grace Page A

someday. Here’s our chance to get some practice and to find out if we’re any good at this parenting thing.”
    Brody cracked a smile and said, “Looks like it’s unanimous. When do we get to meet our kid in person?”

 
    Chapter Seventeen
     
    Dusting off the shoulder of his suit jacket, Cameron straightened his tie and wished the meeting was over so he could pick up Becca from the hospital and take her home. He’d gotten the social worker’s sign-off, but he needed information from the hospital pediatrician about the child’s physical condition and needs.
    Dr. Phoebe Weitzel’s small office had a simple, dark-wood desk with a laptop and a stack of files. It was very tidy compared to Cam’s office desk, which looked like the victim of a paper avalanche. On her credenza was a wedding photo of the doctor with her new husband, and a clock that sat on top of a small replica of the Eiffel Tower. On the wall were two framed college diplomas, along with her medical license. Another wall was covered with photographs of smiling children, presumably her patients.
    The door opened, and a small woman wearing a white lab coat entered the room and extended her hand to Cameron.
    “Hello, Mr. Chase.”
    “Please, call me Cam.”
    “Hello, Cam. I’m Dr. Weitzel. Melanie Barrett tells me that you are stepping in as an emergency foster parent for the little girl I examined last night, Becca Hicks.”
    “That’s correct.”
    “Then there are some things you need to know. Please sit down. Becca has been thoroughly examined and I want to talk to you about the results of her x-rays, toxicology screen, and blood testing.”
    “Is she okay?”
    “Becca shows signs of physical abuse. X-ray results revealed broken rib cage bones in various stages of healing. There is also a line of purple bruising dotting her rib cage where she has been struck with a blunt object.”
    Cameron blew out a breath and leaned back in his chair. “I saw the bruises last night.”
    “There’s discoloration and swelling around her left wrist.” Standing up, she turned on a small light illuminating an x-ray on the wall. She explained, “See the gap between these bones in Becca’s wrist? That’s a broken scaphoid.”
    “So her wrist is broken?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is she in pain?”
    “Yes, it’s undoubtedly uncomfortable for her if that area of her arm is touched.”
    “How long will something like that take to heal?”
    “Scaphoid fractures that are this close to the thumb usually heal in a matter of weeks with proper protection. This part of the scaphoid bone has a good supply of blood, which is necessary for healing. I’ve placed Becca’s arm and hand in a cast below her elbow. Try not to get the cast wet. Before her bath, put a plastic bag over the cast to keep it dry.”
    Cameron nodded. “I’ll make sure.”
    “I’m afraid there is another health issue concerning Becca. There are trace amounts of methamphetamine in Becca’s toxicology results.”
    Cameron sighed heavily. “One of my deputies found a half-filled glass of iced tea in the living room on a coffee table last night. We think her mother, Donda, was drinking it. It tested positive for meth. The glass was certainly reachable by a two-year-old. It’s not a far stretch of the imagination that Becca drank some of the tea.”
    “Like I said, it was just a trace. I expect her to fully recover.”
    “Thank God. Did you find anything else?”
    “Yes, Becca is underweight. She is thirty-three inches tall and weighs only twenty pounds. The average weight for a two-year-old girl with that height is twenty-six pounds.”
    “My family employs a wonderful cook and housekeeper. In addition, we take turns cooking healthy dinners. Getting Becca the nutrition she needs will not be a problem.”
    “That’s good, Mr. Chase, because Becca tested positive for anemia. The anemia may explain why her skin is so pale. In addition, her breathing is a little rapid.
    “How much of a concern is