“Shay, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but the case is technically the FBI’s now and with Mathis …”
Judson raises his hand. “No, you’re right. I didn’t expect you to drop everything and help me find my daughter. I just need to know if after all this is over, you can help.”
“Of course. I’ll talk to Riley after they get here. He might be able to call up Howard; he worked with us when we were trying to find Shayla and Dylan. He could probably help.”
“Thanks, Ryan. I appreciate it.”
We chat for a little while as we finish up breakfast and then Laney helps get Hannah ready to go, while Judson and I install her car seat into Laney’s vehicle. Once they are on their way to my mom’s, Shayla and I tidy up the kitchen before taking off for the hospital, hoping that all these extra measures won’t last forever.
Chapter Twenty
Judson
It’s been a couple of weeks since Laney and I talked to Ryan about helping us find Josie. He’s doing everything he can. He told me that he did a basic search right after I found out about her, but nothing came of it. He did give me his friend’s, Harrison Marsh, phone number, so I will be in contact with him about the case, since the FBI has taken it over.
Laney and I have decided to let our relationship progress as naturally as possible in our situation. It’s not like we’ve just met, so things are moving along quickly I suppose. Not that it matters to me now. I didn’t want to bring her into my dangerous world, but as she has pointed out to me on several occasions, she’s already in a dangerous situation with Mathis still out there. But honestly, I don’t think I could have denied either of us much longer. Laney has been there for me through everything, even when it was just a listening ear at the bar on a Friday night. I’m in love with her and having her finally know that makes me feel like maybe things won’t be so bad after all.
What I really want right now more than anything is to find my daughter. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move on with my life until she’s back with me. Riley, one of the guys who worked on the Mathis case with Ryan, agreed with Ryan on us contacting Howard Castile, who was one of the men on the team who helped rescue Shayla and Dylan a couple of years ago.
Howard was happy to help and is meeting me this afternoon via video chat to discuss what he has found and what the best course of action for me to take will be. One thing Ryan has been adamant about is that once we find her that we not have any contact with the family or Josie until they know how they came about having Josie placed with them. If it was through illegal means, which Ryan suspects, they could run with her. I’m not willing to take that chance. I’ll wait, no matter how difficult it is for me.
“Are you leaving already?” I ask Laney as she comes into the kitchen fully dressed.
“Yeah, I can’t miss any more work if you want me to go with you when you find Josie.” I squeeze her hand and kiss her palm.
“I want you with me when we get her.”
I tug her hand and pull her down to kiss her lips softly. Though I’d like to kiss her passionately, this is her mother’s house and I don’t want to take advantage of her hospitality. I already feel like I’ve over stayed my welcome.
“I will be. I told Mooney I needed to take some time off, so I don’t have to worry about the bar right now.”
Guilt surges through me. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know that, but I wanted to.”
“I don’t want things to be tight for you because of me. If you need money, please tell me.”
She snorts and ruffles my hair. “Silly man, I’ll be fine. I have some savings.”
“You sure?”
She gives me the side eye. “Of course I am, besides, if I was that strapped for cash, my mom and brothers would help me out, but I promise I’ll be fine.”
I just nod my head. I don’t want to argue with her and one thing I’ve learned about Laney is she’s quick to anger and is offended easily. I don’t really see it as a fault, just something to avoid if possible.
“Can I drive you to work?”
She takes a sip of her coffee before answering. “Sure, do you need my car?”
“If you don’t mind. I’d like to run home and get a few things.”
“I don’t mind at all, but please check with Ryan before you go over there.” I wink at her in answer. She shakes her head. “When do you think your truck will be fixed?”
“Ryan released it yesterday. I had it towed to the glass repair place. I can pick it up this evening. I thought maybe I could pick you up after school and then we could go get the truck.”
“Sure, I’d like us to stay at my house tonight. Ryan said it was fine. He’s not had anyone else pop up on radar about coming after you.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
I waggle my eyebrows at her, making her giggle and blush. The past week has been pretty nice. We’ve shared a room, but I’ve refused to let things go farther than kissing while we are under her mother’s roof, which I suspect is why she wants to go home tonight, not that I mind.
“I’ve gotta go.”
She puts her coffee mug in the sink, and I follow. I grab my shoes and coat by the front door as she hands me the keys to her car. I help her inside even though she says it’s not necessary, then hurry over to the driver’s seat. After we’re on the road a few minutes, she turns to me.
“What time is your video chat with Howard?”
“At noon, he needed it to be during his lunch break.”
She sighs. “I wish I could be there for you. Will you text me and let me know how it went?”
I twine our fingers together. “Of course I will.” I bring our hands up and kiss the back of her’s.
After I drop Laney off at school, I head over to the station to talk to Ryan. Grant has been back for a few days. I’d like to speak with him if Ryan will let me. I park the car and walk inside the station, finding Jessica sitting at the front desk.
“Hey, Jud. You here to see Ryan?”
“Yeah. If that’s okay.”
“Sure, come on back.” I follow her through the station to Ryan’s office. “Looks like he’s on the phone; just have a seat right here. I’ll let him know that you’re waiting.”
“Thanks.” I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but his door is cracked open, and I can hear him perfectly.
“Shay, please just listen to me.” Ryan sighs. “Baby, he’s not going to touch you, or the kids.”
I wonder if he’s talking about Mathis. The thought of him getting his hands on Laney terrifies me. I had never thought about Mathis coming for her until she told me that he’d killed their nephew to get to Ryan. I don’t know how Ryan deals with the stress. It’s eating me alive, even though the chances of him coming after Laney are slim.
Ryan starts to speak again. “It wasn’t anywhere near here, but we know it was him, there was a fox. I’ll send a couple guys to check it out. Please don’t worry.” Ryan stops talking. I can hear the clicking sound of his pen opening and closing rapidly. “Jon and Paul.” The chair squeaks as he lets out a frustrated noise. He mumbles under his breath, which makes me chuckle. He sounds just like his sister. “I swear it’ll be okay. I don’t know what Mathis’ plan is, but he’s on the run again. That we know for sure.”
That was news. I hope that means I will be able to go home soon. I love that Laney and her mom have opened their homes to me, but I need to get back to my place. I need to check on orders and just be home. I’ve become a big homebody these past few years. I love the solitude and the easiness it brings. I can’t wait to bring Josie home. It will make everything I’ve worked for in that house over the years worth it. She deserves so much more than I can give her, but God, if I can get her back, I’ll do everything in my power to be worthy of being called her dad. Ryan suddenly pokes his head out of the door, causing me to jump unexpectedly.
“Jud, come on in, buddy.” I stand and take Ryan’s extended hand for a handshake. “What brings you by?”
“I wanted to ask if I could go by my house and get a few things, and also to see if I could talk to Grant.”
“I’ll get an officer to go over with you. I’m still not sure that Lyon’s people have backed off of you, so it’s better to be safe. Grant is back in Brantsville. The FBI is watching him.”
I rub the back of my neck. “I wanted to tell him aboutJosie, but it's probably not a good idea to do that over the phone.”
“Well, you might want to talk to him sooner rather than later. After the FBI is finished with him, he'll most likely be going into the Witness Protection Program.”
I was shocked by this. Was Lyon's operation that big and far reaching? It seems crazy to think about. “Really? Wow, I didn’t expect that. I figured jail time for sure, but not being relocated in Witness Protection.”
“Yeah, he’s been really helpful with the FBI, so they’re not charging him for anything in return. If he had committed a huge crime, like being involved in Ralph’s murder, then I don’t think they’d let him off so easily.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“You want me to call over there and tell them that you’re on your way to talk to Grant?"
“Hold on,” I say, stopping his movement. “I can’t drive down there right now. I have Laney's car and Howard is supposed to be calling me about Josie at noon. Then, I have to get Laney from school so we can get my truck.”
Ryan thinks for a few minutes, tapping his pen on the desk, then finally says, “Why don't I have him brought to the station. Even if Lyon's people are watching him, it won't look strange for him to come here. He's been going back and forth anyway. How about you come here around one-thirty? Will that give you enough time for your call and to get back here?”
“It should. Howard is squeezing me in on his lunch break. I don’t think it’ll take that long for us to talk and Laney isn’t out of school until three thirty so that should give me plenty of time.”
“All right. I'll get in contact with his handlers. As long as they don't have something going down, it shouldn't be a problem.” He pauses for a moment and smiles. “So, Laney says you guys are working everything out.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I shouldn't have even tried to push her away. I mean, it's not worked in all the years I've lived here.”
Ryan throws his head back and laughs uproariously. “That's Laney. She's always gotten what she wanted.” He sobers. “You guys are good though, right? She's not over-stepping?”
“No, no not at all. We're great. She's been there for me for a long time. She was really the only one who never gave up. I understand why the others gave me space, but Laney never did. I appreciate that more than I can say. This hasn't been an easy road for either of us, but that support and friendship has grown into more, and I'm not going to fight it anymore.”
He smiles. “That's great news. How's the sobriety thing going?”
I smile. “Really good. I haven't had a drop since Ralph's murder. I plan to keep it that way.”
“Awesome! I'm glad to hear that, man. I’m proud of you.” Hearing him say that makes me actually feel like I’ve accomplished something and kind of proud of myself, which in itself is strange for me. “Let me get Jess to follow you to your house so you can get to your meeting with Howard on time.” He leaves the office then a few minutes later Jessica appears at the door with him.
“You ready to go?” She asks.
“Of course. Thanks for doing this.”
“No problem.”
We head out and once we arrive, Jessica has me wait in the car while she checks the property. She then follows me into the house as I gather what I need. It takes me less than twenty minutes and I'm back at Penny's house within thirty, just in time for Howard's call. The screen lights up and Howard's bespectacled face comes into view. He's not exactly what I expected. Though he wears glasses, like I pictured, he is sharply dressed with his hair neatly styled. He doesn't fit the pocket protector geek Ryan described.
“Hello, Judson. Nice to meet you face to face.” He beams a bright white smile.
“You as well.” I kind of stutter, trying to get my mind back on track.
He laughs. “Not what you expected, I gather? That's what happens when your girlfriend gives you a makeover, but it was for the best.”
“I've been there a time or two myself. So what'd you find for me?”
“Ah, yes. Okay, so I've combed the system as much as I could legally, and some not so much, but I found what you need. She was placed with a foster family about a month after the fire. She was hospitalized in South Carolina from the accident until the day they picked her up. The family is a legit foster home, but the paper work placing her with them is a little spotty, not necessarily illegal, per-se, just not a lot of info. There's no indication of where she came from or how she got to the hospital.” He flips open a file on his desk. “There is one entry of questions they asked Josie and she did tell them your name and your wife's name, but the last name is significantly misspelled.”
I rub my forehead, feeling a little overwhelmed already. “Neither of the kids could spell our last name yet. It was something they were working on in school. I don’t know, they both also said our name kind of funny. Shan and I thought it was cute but now,” I sigh. “Now, I realize it may have kept us away from each other.”
“You're listed as Judson Harlenbur, not Hardenbergh.”
“Is that why they couldn’t find me?”
“Maybe, as far as any searches for you, I can't find any. It may be that they only did a local search and when they didn’t find anything remotely close, they stopped and moved forward in the process. She is being adopted by the current foster parents. They petitioned a while ago, but because of scheduling and other occurrences, which are pretty standard, the hearing has been postponed until next Friday. I would suggest that you act soon. Not that we couldn't get an adoption reversed, but it would be infinitely more difficult.”
I blow out the breath I was holding. “But you think I can get her back?”
“Of course I think you can get her back. I know you can, this was a kidnapping. There was no negligence on your part.”
“Is she still in South Carolina?”
“No, they don’t live there any longer; that’s one of the reasons things were postponed at one point. The family lives in Virginia about sixty miles from you. My brother, Roger, is a lawyer and he has drawn up all the paper work, and filed everything you need for a petition, in your name, claiming paternity. The social worker should be receiving it today. From what I can tell, Lyon hasn't had a hand in anything past taking her to South Carolina. It's all legal at this point, minus the fact that she was kidnapped in the beginning. Do you have her original birth certificate, family pictures, medical records, things like that?"
I run my hand over my face. "I do have the birth certificate and death records. I have a few pictures and a toy that was her favorite. The fire got pretty much everything else. I'm not her biological father. Will that make things tougher for me?"
“No, you're the father listed on the birth certificate. As long as the biological father isn't contesting, there shouldn't be a problem. I believe Ryan said he already had Mr. McMann sign an affidavit stating that he relinquished all parental rights to you. You should be able to take custody as soon as everything is verified by the social worker and possibly seen before the judge. It should just be a matter of paper work.”
Well, that's good news at a least. “How long do you think it will be before I hear from them?”
“I've sent you the info you'll need through a courier. My brother and the social worker’s numbers are listed. I'd give my brother and even the social worker a call as soon as you get it. It should be there soon. You're at Ryan's mom's house, right?”
“Yes, at least until tonight. Laney and I are going to her house.”
“Well, it should be there any time. I asked that it be delivered by one today."”
“Thanks, Howard. This means mo
re than I can express.”
“No problem. One more thing, on paper her name was changed to Jane Doe Child, but her foster parents and social worker call her Josie. It's standard procedure in cases of unknown identity. Although, normally when the child tells them his or her name, they will only use Doe as the last name if unknown. So, I'm not sure what happened there.” He pauses for a few seconds. “Either way, it shouldn't be listed as Doe Child. Someone dropped the ball. It shouldn't matter now though.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Anytime. If you run into any issues, call me. I'm not above forgery.” He winks and I smile. “But my brother was quite thorough in all his filings. Give him a call. He’ll be happy to help.”
“Will do. Thanks again.”
We disconnect and less than five minutes later, the courier delivers the papers from Howard. Everything is in there; a recent picture of her, in which she looks sad, like the ones Grant showed me, and all the info Howard talked about, as well as a page of instructions for me to follow. The first being to call Roger, but I decide that I need to talk to the social worker, Stephanie Trenton, first. It’s most likely unprofessional, but what do I care. I want this woman to know I’m serious about getting my daughter back. The phone rings for so long I think it might go to voicemail, but a woman picks up, sounding hurried.
“Stephanie Trenton.”
“Hello, my name is Judson Hardenbergh. I was given your name as the social worker in my daughter Josie's case.”
There's a long pause with the sound of papers shuffling. “Yes, of course. I just received a petition from your lawyer a few hours ago. I have to say this is a very unprecedented case. You're claiming she was kidnapped from you after your house caught on fire, but I can't find any claims for a missing person’s report anywhere.”
“There isn't one. I was told that she and her twin brother were both burned beyond recognition. I buried both of my children and their mother. There should be death certificates on file that you can use to verify and a case has been recently reopened by the Oak Grove Police Department. You’re welcome to call Ryan Jacobs at the station. He’s the chief of police and handling the investigation.”
Penance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 2) Page 23
