But Oliver persisted. He feared for the girl’s mental state and was adamant, and Tess had backed him up. “If you don’t try to help her,” she’d told Bass, “if you just use her for the trial and toss her away, you’re no better than Beck. Many women rescued from trafficking situations face a long, hard road ahead to regain a normal life. The dehumanizing practice of slavery messes with their heads.”

In the end, Bass ran a check on Peel and then allowed it. Oliver told the woman about the situation and she volunteered to help. So far, Dr. Peel and Chevy seemed to be a good fit.

Oliver hated to think about what Chevy had been through, what the past three years had done to her physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

“For a young person, she has been through so much,” he said. “It worries me that she never talks about her parents or family or life before Beck.”

“From what I read, she doesn’t have any family to speak of. She had a horrible home life, actually left with Beck of her own volition.”

“Yes, but you and I both know what a manipulator he is. She doesn’t want to contact anyone from her past, which is okay with Bass right now, but what happens when the very public trial starts?”

“Cross that bridge when we come to it. But speaking of family, there’s a lot of chatter around town about a certain couple—”

“Janie and Garrett Cooper?” Oliver winced. He’d bent over backward trying to help the pair, but nothing seemed to make a difference.

“Yeah, not so much her, but that Garrett is a hothead.”

“He hasn’t always been this bad, but I guess the stress of losing the house sent him around the bend.”

“Most people are likely to cut him some slack, but . . .” She shrugged and Oliver knew what she meant. Their fighting was often public and loud. Tess went on. “Right now, it’s a gossip problem. My fear is that it will soon become a police problem.”

Oliver held her gaze. “If it does come to that, arresting Garrett won’t solve the problem.”

“It will if he hurts her or tries to. I have zero tolerance for domestic violence.”

“I do too. It’s just that I’ve known those two since they were kids. My prayer is that they stop fighting with one another and come together, not just for themselves but for those kids.”

“I’d like to see that too, but maybe in this case, prayer isn’t enough.”

Oliver considered her words. The sentiment he knew came from the fact that she’d seen so much evil at work in people’s lives in her line of work. Oliver too had seen evil and viciousness, but he’d also seen healing and battles won by being fought on his knees.