“Anything with caffeine.” He stomped his feet in the foyer and removed his winter boots.
Taking his leather jacket, she hung it in the nearby closet. “How’s the packing going?” She wanted to tell him he looked terrible, but it wasn’t her concern. Today she was playing the role of casual neighbor acquaintance. She returned to the kitchen, stirred some French vanilla instant coffee into a mug and handed it to him. “Have a seat.”
He sat at the table while she made herself another cup. “I need your help.”
“Is something wrong?” She finished preparing her drink and sat across from him.
“Everything.” He took a swig of coffee. “I almost fell off the wagon this weekend.”
Her hand covered her mouth. “Oh, no. Was it because I brought that bottle of wine?”
He laughed a hollow laugh. “No. It takes more than that to make me want to drink.” His Adam’s apple shot up and down beneath his scruff. “They took her. They took my daughter.”
“What? Who?” Her heart started pounding.
“The sheriff.” He released a deep breath. “I have so much to tell you, I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Why would the sheriff take Bella?”
“Her name’s not Bella. Her name’s Skye.” He pulled his shirt to the side to show her his tattoo of the stars and moon. “That’s why I got this the day she was born.”
“Okay.” She didn’t understand why he would lie about his daughter’s name. “Is your name really Conner?”
“Yes, but I admit I’ve had several aliases over the last two years. All I ever wanted to do was protect her and now I don’t even know where she is. I feel so helpless. I’ve been wandering around the house, kicking furniture and hating myself for ever coming here. Then I remembered that you were a lawyer and I thought maybe you could help me.”
Something inside of her clicked and she sat up straighter. This was a professional visit. “Tell me why they took Bella.”
“Skye. Her birth name was Skye and I assure you, I am her father. Like I said, I used to drink a lot. Her mother did, too, and together we made lousy parents. We brought out the worst in each other and when Skye was little, I decided they’d be better off if I left. It was very immature and selfish of me, but the booze was clouding my judgment. Unfortunately, her mother kept partying, too, and had another child. Then she put her two babies in the back of her sedan and drove drunk down a curvy highway until she crashed into oncoming traffic. She killed a couple of people and fell into a coma. A friend contacted me and told me Skye was in the hospital. I drove all night to get her and never looked back. We’ve been on the run ever since.”
“What happened to her mother?”
“The doctors thought she wasn’t gonna make it and so I told Bella she died. I found out later, Gola pulled through and was prosecuted for vehicular homicide.”
She pressed her hand to her pounding heart. “Her mother’s alive?” He’d just told her that Bella’s—or Skye’s—mother had passed away. “You’re quite the liar.”
He nodded. “I was only trying to take care of my daughter. I was afraid her mother would automatically get custody when she was released, so I figured she can’t hurt Skye if she doesn’t know where we live.”
“I take it her mother has been released.”
“Yep. And she hired a private investigator to track us down. I took Skye to the urgent care clinic because she broke her arm and while we were there, they notified the law. Gola claims that I kidnapped my own daughter. I don’t see how that’s possible. She’s my blood just as much as she is Gola’s. And at least I haven’t killed anybody with my drinking. I straightened myself out and I feel like I am the better parent.”
She clanked the spoon against the lip of her cup before taking a sip. “When you divorced, what was the custody agreement?”
“Hell if I know. I just signed the papers and wished the bitch good riddance.”
She glared at him for cursing. “There’s no need to use foul language.”
“Sorry.” His face flared red. “Just thinking of that woman burns me up. She could’ve killed Skye. I don’t see how anybody can blame me for taking my daughter away from her.”
Running her fingers along the edge of her cup, she wondered if she should go get her legal pad to take notes. Was he expecting her to represent him in court? “Family law isn’t my specialty.”
“I don’t care. I don’t know any other lawyers. Can’t you please help me make sense of all this? How can they take my daughter and put her in foster care when I’m willing to take care of her?”
“You said you’ve been charged with kidnapping?”
He shrugged. “Something like that.”
“Why aren’t you in jail?”
“Because the sheriff and I are friends. Or at least we used to be. He took Skye but he let me go.” He rubbed his temples. “Please tell me how to get my daughter back.” Reaching in his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet and handed her a business card from the Department of Children and Families. “I tried calling, but they won’t tell me anything. Maybe if you call since you’re an attorney, you can get somewhere with them.”
“I’ll be glad to call, but I really think you should consult a family law attorney.”
Reaching in his wallet again, he removed some fifty dollar bills. “I can pay you. How much do you charge?”
The edge of her lip turned up. “I don’t want your money.” He couldn’t afford her anyway. This was about her daughter’s best friend—not money. “I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Thank you.” His shoulders relaxed a bit. “She means the world to me.”
“Of course she does.” She reached for the phone and dialed. After being transferred twice, she finally got some answers. She hung up and looked at him. “You’re being charged with aggravated kidnapping, which I believe is ridiculous considering her mother has been incarcerated and unable to provide care for her child. I am going to request an emergency hearing in order to determine custody as soon as possible.”
“Good.”
“It will be tomorrow at the soonest. In the meantime, I want you to tell me everything. The good, the bad and the ugly. Don’t leave anything out.”
He raked his hand through his uncombed hair. “Where should I begin?”
“Start with why you abandoned your family.”
“So we’re starting with the ugly.”
Figuring she could type faster than she could write, she walked to the nearby table and grabbed her laptop. She opened a new document and waited.
“I met Gola in a bar. Clearly not the ideal place to meet your wife. In less than a year, she got pregnant. We started resenting each other for being tied down. We were both alcoholics and not prepared to put someone else’s needs ahead of our own. I started to suspect Gola was cheating on me and pretty soon, I convinced myself I should split. Skye was so young, I didn’t even know her. She didn’t talk much and I didn’t have that instant connection that parents are supposed to get.”
“Go on.” She couldn’t relate because she’d been overjoyed the moment she held Zoe in her arms. Paul had been, too, but she’d heard stories of fathers who took longer to bond with their babies.
“The next few years I wasn’t good for much. I wasted my days working any job I could get and drinking at night. Until my friend called and told me about the accident. For some reason, the idea that my only child could’ve died knocked me out of my daze. I sobered up and swore I’d protect her from then on.”
“If Gola was in prison, why did you change Skye’s name? Why did you run?”
“Because.” He stood and paced back and forth. “I figure the courts always favor the mother.”
“Not in the case of severe neglect.”
“She has dirt on me. Like I said, we brought out the worst in each other. And if the truth isn’t enough, Gola would make up stuff.”
“Were you ever physical with Gola or Skye?”
“Uh, it matt
ers what you mean. I never hit either of them. But Gola and I both threw stuff.”
She shook her head as she typed. “Keep going.”
“Gola filed a restraining order against me.” He squeezed the back of his chair. “It was false. She set me up. She locked me out of the apartment, which she knew would make me furious. I knocked the door down because I paid the rent and she had no right to keep me out.” His knuckles turned white. “I grabbed some of my stuff and went to sleep on a friend’s couch. By then I knew the marriage was over. Anyway, she called the police and showed them a bruise on her face.”
Sucking in air, she looked up at him. How had she not seen the violence in him? Usually she had a sixth sense about those kinds of things.
“I didn’t hit her. I swear!” He returned to his seat. “I don’t know what she did exactly, but she’s crazy. I bet she hit her head against the door frame just to make a mark. Then the police saw how I’d broken down the door and they didn’t even care about my version of events.”
“That’s really going to damage our case in court.”
He sighed. “I know. Now you understand why I took Skye and never looked back.”
“What else? What else is she going to say about you? I need to know everything so we can prepare rebuttal witnesses.” The blood pumped through her veins with vigor as she prepared for battle.
CHAPTER TWENTY
During her lunch break on Monday, Beth went to her car to make a personal call on her cell phone. She dialed social services and asked for the new case worker. “This is Willow Moon’s foster mother, Bethany Morris. I’d like to see all of the records and CPS reports you have for my daughter.” My daughter. It felt right to call her that.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but those are confidential.”
“So you admit Child Protective Services had been called against Willow’s biological mother?”
The sound of shuffling papers came through the receiver. “CPS did check into reports of neglect in the home. It says both the mother and father lived together at the time.”
Beth had assumed Gola was responsible for all of Willow’s troubles, but maybe she’d been wrong. “What can you tell me about the father?”
“Not much. Only that he’s in prison and his parental rights have been terminated.”
“Did he sign them away or were they automatically severed like the mother’s?”
“Automatic, but there’s a note here that he didn’t protest.”
“Can you tell me why CPS investigated the family? Was there physical abuse? Was it an unsafe home?”
The woman cleared her throat. “I can’t say. The reports are confidential. I’m not sure why it matters to you anyway. Are you having trouble with Willow?”
“No, no. Not at all. I love Willow.” She caught her breath. Maybe she shouldn’t have admitted that to the social worker. Would she think Beth had lost her objectivity?
“I’m glad to hear Willow’s placement with you is going well.”
“Here’s the problem. I didn’t realize that Gola was going to be released from prison early on parole and I also didn’t realize that Willow wouldn’t automatically be returned to her mother.”
“What’s the issue here? It says the mother wants her parental rights reinstated. This is good news since no one has adopted Willow. We always want family reunification if it’s at all possible.”
“Sure. But what if that’s not in Willow’s best interest? What if her mom starts drinking again? What if her mom doesn’t have the parenting skills necessary to deal with Willow?” After all, Beth had gone to months of classes in preparation of bringing Willow home.
“Trust me, it isn’t easy for a parent to regain their rights. They have to prove they have a steady income, a safe environment and are drug-free.”
“Is that all it takes? Food, shelter and no substance abuse? That sounds like a pretty low standard to me.” Beth’s voice took on a derisive tone.
“I know it may not sound like much, but if Willow’s mother wants her back, that’s a positive step for both of them. I’m pleased that you’ve grown so fond of Willow but surely you believe she belongs with her real family.”
Beth rubbed the back of her tight neck. “How long does it take for the courts to reinstate parental rights?”
“Six months probably as a minimum. If Gola Moon does everything she’s supposed to. As far as I know, she hasn’t registered a permanent address or employer yet. She is attending follow-up AA meetings, though, so that’s promising.”
Beth’s insides felt like they were being wrung out, twisted in opposite directions. Of course she wanted Willow’s mother clean and sober. But Willow deserved a million times more than that. “What if I wanted to adopt her? Could I do that right away?”
“I don’t understand. If you wanted custody, why didn’t you start the adoption process as soon as you took in Willow?”
How was she supposed to know on day one the way Willow would become the best part of her life? “I didn’t even know I could adopt her. The social worker never told me. You guys have such a high turn-over, it’s really a crime against these children. How are they supposed to learn to trust anyone? How are they supposed to know who to turn to when every check-up is from someone new?” Her anger was misplaced but she felt the need to lash out.
“Hey, please don’t yell at me.”
“I’m not yelling.” Her voice had become a little loud, though, she had to admit. She wrestled it back under control. “Just tell me that my Willow is going to be safe. Promise me if her mother takes her back that it won’t ruin Willow’s life. Swear to me that Gola is going to be the best mom possible.” Which of course no one could. Because Beth knew in her heart, that she was prepared to be the best mother for Willow.
“Ma’am, I can tell you’re upset. Let me assure you we’ll do everything in our power to make sure Willow is safe from harm.”
“What about happy? Can you make sure she’s happy?”
Silence. “Don’t you think Willow wants to live with her mom?”
The truth was Beth worried that given the choice, Willow just might choose Gola. Instead of answering, she turned the tables. “How do you know if you’ve failed a child?”
“To me, failure is when a child dies. Trust me, that’s never happened since I’ve been here.”
“Death? Death is even an option?”
“Well, not in this case. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. It’s just that in this job, we do everything we can to keep the family together. Unfortunately, some people just weren’t meant to be parents.”
“Exactly.” Beth hung up the phone.
When Willow came home from school, Beth handed her an apple and told her to get in the car. Just like every Monday, they had somewhere important to go.
“But I don’t wanna apple. Can’t I have a cookie?”
“We don’t have any cookies. Come on, we’re going to be late.”
Just then the doorbell rang and Willow ran to answer it. “Momma!”
Sucking in her breath, Beth rushed to see her rival shivering on the porch. “Gola, what are you doing here?”
The woman’s shiny black hair hung loose over her denim jacket. “I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by. Is there a Starbucks close? They have the best hot chocolate.” As she smiled at Willow, the hard life etched on her face seemed less noticeable.
“Yippee!” Willow clapped her hands. “Can I have a cookie too?”
Gola shivered. “Sure. Whatever you want.”
Crossing her arms, Beth cleared her throat. “Um, I’m afraid we have an appointment to go to. If you would’ve called, I could’ve told you today isn’t a good day.”
“Sorry. The trip was last minute. I’m on my way to Michigan to see Skye.”
Willow’s eyes grew wide. “Skye? Can I come too?”
So she’d tracked down Willow’s sister. Her plan to reunite her family was coming together. “How is Skye?”
“Okay, I gu
ess. Her dad’s probably poisoned her against me. But that doesn’t mean we don’t belong together.” Gola’s gaze remained on her daughter’s face. “Won’t that be great? You, me, and Skye all under one roof together?”
Chewing on her lower lip, Willow nodded.
“Well,” Beth said. “I’m sorry but we’re in a rush.”
“What’s so important that you can’t blow it off? It’s not every day Willow gets to see her momma.”
Whose fault is that? Beth thought. If they cancelled this late, they’d be charged for the appointment anyway. “Sorry. Next time, please call first.” She hated to think that Gola was going to stop by and interrupt their lives whenever she felt like it for the next six months.
Willow tugged on Beth’s shirt. “Can Momma come with us?”
A deep breath bought her time as she tried to clear her mind. Gola’s brown eyes pleaded with her. Maybe this was a good chance to find out more about the woman who wanted to take Willow from her. She could find out if Gola was a changed woman or just putting on an act. “Sure.” Glancing outside, she saw that Gola didn’t have a vehicle. Probably hitchhiked again. “You can ride with us.”
Once at the counseling center, Willow insisted on introducing her “real mom” to her psychologist before starting her play therapy session. Gola shook the woman’s hand and ducked her head in deference to her authority. After the door closed, Gola took a seat next to Beth in the waiting area. The small room was vacant except for a secretary, who looked like an elderly librarian, sitting at a desk in the corner. Beth could easily imagine her scowling and warning people to “Shhh!”
Gola picked up a People magazine and flipped through it. “I don’t even know who these people are. I mean, it felt like forever when I was locked up, but I didn’t realize I’d missed so much.”
Was this woman her friend or foe? Beth couldn’t decide. “I bet you’re happy to be out.”
“Of course.”
“Have you found a place to live yet?”
“I’m in my friend’s basement, but she doesn’t have much. I’m sleeping on a mattress on the floor.”
A Mother's Conviction (Secrets Series Book 3) Page 17
