“Now you sound like a lawyer, Annie. With Corrine and me, it’s gone beyond being able to talk. You heard her screaming at me on the phone. Do you call that rational?”
“I don’t know her, Sky, so I should have kept my opinion to myself. I seem to have difficulty doing that. My only excuse is that these are the kinds of situations I worked with a lot in L.A.”
“Yeah, well your name came up this time. You remember that our dispatcher told Corrine about the drive-by at your house and said I was there having dinner? Yesterday, Corrine was ticked to hear that I took Zack to one of your work sites. She says I’m irresponsible for allowing him to sand boards that might have had rusty nails in them. Oh, and giving him an orange soda was a cardinal sin as far as she and Archibald are concerned.”
“Why is she so angry at you, Sky?”
“Both the lawyer I had in Maryland, who was referred by the military, and my lawyer here asked that. I don’t know, so you’d have to ask her. I thought we had an okay marriage. Apparently she claimed I’d deserted her. Like I could tell the military I wasn’t going on tour. At one hearing her lawyer said she felt our marriage was a mistake and wanted out.”
“For Zack’s sake, you two should communicate. Otherwise, you can’t hope to build an amicable relationship.”
“We’re way past amicable. Listen, Annie, I need to run. I have to go by the station and make sure patrols are covered for the time I’m in court. You haven’t said if you can wait until later to check out that warehouse?”
“Okay. I’m picking up paint for the Dodd house in half an hour. Speaking of paint, did you get the folder from Mrs. Culver? You know,” she said thoughtfully, “a judge might like the fact that we’re upgrading Briar Run, and that you have plans to repaint your home. Once the work’s done, you can request another evaluation by a child welfare investigator.”
“What business is it of theirs where I live? I’m gainfully employed and I pay an inflated amount of child support every month. A family court judge combed through my military records and I submitted to a battery of psychological tests they claimed were necessary to prove I hadn’t come back with PTSD. What did Corrine’s new husband have to undergo? Nada!”
An uncomfortable silence ensued for several seconds.
“Uh, perhaps you should rethink that attitude, Sky.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my attitude.”
“It’s hostile,” Annie said evenly.
“For good reason,” he returned. “Listen, I really need to go. So, what about the warehouse this afternoon?”
“I think two o’clock should be fine. Call if you can meet me there. If I don’t hear from you by one-thirty, I’ll see if Sadie feels up to going. I intend to ask her to design the layout inside if I’m able to buy it.”
There was a lingering testiness in his reply. “I’ll be in touch.”
Annie held the phone longer than necessary after Sky had ended the call. She shouldn’t have said anything, shouldn’t have commented on his family problems. All the years she’d worked with couples in similar cases should have taught her that when it came to divorce and child custody, very few people could be clearheaded about their own circumstances. Second marriages and stepfamilies added a whole other complicated dimension. Sky wasn’t one of her cases, and she should have better sense than to befriend someone mixed up in a custody battle.
Were they friends, she and Sky? That thought knocked around inside her head as she backed out of her garage and drove to the hardware store. For a few minutes she reflected on the evolution of her relationship with Skylar Cordova. Tense and heated were words that described their early encounters. Friendlier, yet mercurial seemed to define their more recent exchanges. So why did they continue contacting each other? That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, wasn’t it?
Luckily she arrived at the hardware store and was able to put those musings on a back burner.
Something stood out the minute she walked into the store where she’d been buying paint for over three weeks. Michael, the clerk who always rushed over to greet her, took off in the opposite direction. Brian Townsend, the store owner she’d negotiated prices with on her first visit, hurried toward her. And it wasn’t just her imagination that Brian was acting...nervous.
“Ms. Emerson, we don’t have the paint you requested.”
Ah, so that was the problem and no one wanted to admit it. “That’s odd. I phoned in my order to Michael yesterday,” Annie said. “He verified that the moss green and ginger colors for the Dodd home were in stock and available, as was the coffee brown I said I’d get for their neighbor at the same time.”
Townsend started moving her along toward the front entrance. “I’m no longer handling that company’s paint. It’s a franchise matter,” he mumbled, distinctly anxious for her to leave.
She noticed that his gaze flicked everywhere but at her as he made his excuses. Annie braced a hand on the door casing, determined not to be hustled out. “It’s fortunate, then, isn’t it, that you stock other brands. I’m sure another company will have comparable colors, and we can negotiate a multiple gallon price. Mrs. Dodd’s choice isn’t out of the ordinary. But I will need a new brochure. I gave the others to home owners on the street where we’ll be working next.”
Townsend literally wrung his hands. “It pains me a great deal to tell you this, Ms. Emerson, since you’ve been my best customer in months. Heaven knows business is slow. But...I can’t sell you paint at all. Someone wants to halt your operation.”
“Who?” It had slowly dawned on Annie that this problem wasn’t merely a matter of the store changing paint brands.
“I don’t know. But my mother raised me as a Southern gentleman, and I’m thoroughly ashamed to admit I’ve let a threatening letter drive a reliable customer away. I’ve been at this location serving Briar Run for almost thirty years. Maybe the letter is a hoax, but...” His voice trailed off, and this time he did look at her, his eyes filled with worry.
Annie readjusted the sunglasses she’d shoved up into her hair. “I’m sorry if I’ve brought trouble to your establishment,” she said earnestly. “It’s probably not a hoax. I wanted to buy locally to help local merchants. And now that I think of it, didn’t you have problems before I started buying here? On my first visit, you said you’d installed a burglar alarm because your store was broken into twice.”
“Yes, but insurance covered those losses. This letter threatened physical harm to my family and the families of my clerks if I continue doing business with you.”
“Did you report the letter to the police?”
The store owner shook his graying head. “The instructions in the letter were very specific. If I quit selling you merchandise, nothing else will happen. They attached a copy of a flyer where you said you were hoping to organize families to boot out the gang.”
“If store owners like you cave, Briar Run will suffer more and more criminal activity. Long-time residents are moving out due to the decline of a once-safe town. And that’s without even considering the drugs that are being openly sold near our schools and in the park.”
The man stared at Annie as if she had two heads. Sighing, she lowered her glasses to hide the frustration she felt. “Can you at least direct me to the nearest big paint store?”
He rattled off an address. “That’s in Louisville proper. I do appreciate that you bought here, Ms. Emerson, but the truth is the bigger store can offer you a better price break than I can.”
“The convenience of buying here meant more to me. It’s sad that we can’t band together and force out the scum that’s sucking the life out of Briar Run.”
“You need to be careful. The tone of that letter was hateful.”
“You’re telling me? They shot out my living room window,” Annie said, this time shoving open the hardware store’s front door.
&n
bsp; As she unlocked her pickup, she cast a furtive glance around to see if anyone was lurking, watching her leave without the paint she’d come for. She felt like shaking a fist in the air and shouting to any intimidators out there that they weren’t going to drive her away. After all, her mother and grandparents were buried in Briar Run, and she had a deep vested interest in this town.
But the street in front of the hardware store was vacant, just as it had been on most of her previous visits. It was as if residents had stopped shopping at businesses on this street. It was the first time Annie had noticed that the pet shop next door was chained shut. So was an equipment rental store down the block. A liquor store had heavy iron bars on both windows and the front door, but looked open. If she had to bet, she’d put her money on the operator of that establishment having a sawed-off shotgun under his cash register. Or maybe he was beholden to gang leaders. In L.A. she knew that was sometimes the case. Certain store owners paid protection money. People didn’t think stuff like that happened in the States, but they were wrong.
She phoned Mrs. Dodd. “This is Annie. Your house paint isn’t ready yet. Will you please tell any workers who beat me to your house that I’ll be along shortly? And, Evelyn, two new guys may show up.” Annie listened a moment. “That’ll be great if you want to serve them coffee and muffins. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
The clock on her dash said nine. She spared a thought for Sky’s trip to family court. She hoped his morning was off to a better start than hers.
* * *
SKY SAT WITH his lawyer outside the private office of a family court judge. It was the first time one of his hearings wasn’t assigned a number on the court docket.
“This is an informal hearing,” his lawyer said in answer to Sky’s question about the difference. Glancing up, the lawyer added, “There’s our opposing counsel. We’re all here, so this shouldn’t take long. Answer the judge’s questions, Sky, but don’t say any more than necessary.”
Sky nodded. He dug an antacid out of his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. It didn’t seem to matter how often he’d appeared before a judge on his own behalf, it always tied his stomach in knots.
His lawyer nodded to Corrine’s attorney. Sparks was his name. Sky thought of him as the shyster. But when he’d asked around in the police community, he was told the guy had a reputation for being a bulldog and winning.
A clerk Sky had seen before stuck her head out of the office. “It looks as if everyone involved in the Zachary Cordova case is present. Judge Martin has reviewed his history and the current complaint. She’s prepared to see you all now.” The woman opened the door wider and swept a hand toward the interior.
Sky let the two lawyers go in ahead of him. The judge, an older woman, wasn’t wearing judicial robes, but had on a plain tan suit. He hated to look nervous, but recognized his own tension when he raked a hand through his hair. Thank goodness he’d gotten to the barber for a trim.
“Please be seated,” the clerk said, indicating chairs in a semicircle facing the judge’s desk. “The Honorable Sara Martin is presiding.” The clerk slipped into a chair behind a digital steno machine.
The judge peered at the assembled trio over the top of her half glasses. “Zachary’s caseworker can’t be here, since she was called away on an emergency. I hope we can resolve this based on her report and our meeting.”
“Your Honor, we can resolve it,” Mr. Sparks said. “My client again requests total custody, this time due to a very upsetting incident that occurred at her home. I submitted a photo of the rock and a copy of the note tied to it that was thrown through Mr. and Mrs. Fleming’s living room window.”
“I reviewed the evidence,” Judge Martin said. She turned her attention to Sky. “I believe that after the rock-throwing, you were shot at?”
He shifted on the hard chair. “I’m a law officer,” he stated, linking his hands in his lap.
“He’s chief of police in Briar Run,” his lawyer clarified.
“Yes, I know. I did some checking. The city has lost population and has therefore reduced police and fire protection. Is that right?”
“Yes.” Sky felt a slow burn start in his stomach. He wanted to defend his job, his city and his rights, as Zack’s biological father, to have unrestricted access to his son. Except... His most recent conversation with Annie rang in his ears, particularly the part where she accused him of having a hostile attitude, and her insinuation that he’d get farther if he curbed his temper. “Cities of all sizes across the country have been adversely affected by a sluggish economy, Judge Martin. Small towns suffer most. I came to the department at a time of substantial budget cuts. Despite being a limited force, we give the town twenty-four-hour coverage.”
“I read that you served in the armed forces. That’s laudable, don’t you agree, Mr. Sparks?” She pinned the Fleming lawyer with a needle-sharp glance.
“The number of tours he served left his ex-wife alone to have her baby. She was separated from family and friends. And Mr. Cordova didn’t see his son until Zachary was almost two years of age.”
Sky’s lawyer objected. “While Skylar served his country, his wife chose to file for divorce and flee with his son to Kentucky, where she promptly married Mr. Fleming. All of that has been hashed and rehashed, Your Honor. Our contention has always been that Mr. Cordova has done everything required of him by the court to allow for unfettered joint custody. And still Mrs. Fleming wants those rights restricted.”
“Not merely restricted, Judge Martin,” Mr. Sparks put in smoothly. “Terminated. We are asking for termination because of continued unsafe conditions in the town where Mr. Cordova works and lives.”
Sky felt the judge’s scrutiny return to him, and he bit his tongue to keep from lashing out. Twisting his hands together, he stopped short of cracking his knuckles.
“Is there gang activity in town?” the judge asked, again leafing through the file.
Feeling his heart dive, Sky lifted his head and met her eyes. “Yes. I believe they orchestrated the rock-throwing incident and the drive-by shooting. The encroachment of the Stingers didn’t have much opposition before...well, before,” he finished, reluctant to name Annie and effectively throw her under the bus.
Sky’s lawyer had no such compunction. “Before a former resident, a woman from California, came back home. Her efforts to rally residents and revive the town has upset gang leaders. She unwisely announced her intentions on a flyer.”
Both lawyers shifted their gazes to Sky, who said, “Ms. Emerson inherited her grandmother’s home. Her dying request was that her granddaughter would make Briar Run the thriving place it once was. The Stingers clearly don’t like her intervention. She’s...fearless and won’t be dissuaded.” Sky stopped talking when his lawyer poked him.
The judge gave a slight smile. “It so happens I have a good friend, whom I won’t name, living there. I took the liberty of speaking with her. She’s seventy, but in her day was also fearless. She’s quite enthusiastic about the restoration, and plans to paint.”
“What is this nonsense?” Sparks burst out. “The Emerson woman is who Cordova was dining with when they were shot at. His lieutenant’s wife was hit by a stray bullet! Even after that, Cordova had the nerve to take little Zack to that woman’s construction site. It is simply not acceptable to his mother or me.”
“Mr. Sparks,” the judge said, “it’s my job to determine what is acceptable. As someone who has worked in family court for years, I can tell you that the majority of cases we see involve mothers who petition the court time and time again, hoping for a shred of cooperation from their children’s dads. Here we have a willing father. My decision, for now, is to continue his visits. In fact, seeing his son once every two weeks when they live less than an hour’s drive from each other seems miserly. I’m increasing his access to once a week, with visits to be worked around Chief Cordova’s
work schedule. By that I mean some weeks his day with Zachary will be a weekday, and other times it’ll be on a weekend. Mr. Sparks, I’ll leave it to you to inform Mrs. Fleming of this change. Out of curiosity, why isn’t she present?”
“Why should she be subjected to being in the same room with a man she divorced?” Sparks asked bluntly.
The judge removed and folded her glasses, then set them on the fat court file. “Need I remind you there’s a reason we call this family court, Mr. Sparks? Our single most important goal is to facilitate the conditions that are best for the offspring of couples who feel they can no longer live together.”
Sparks reared back, a slight sneer on his lips. “I speak for Mrs. Fleming when I point out that she resides on two hundred and fifty acres at Fleming Horse Farm, in an elegantly appointed home, while Mr. Cordova lives in a seedy suburb of Louisville. There’s no comparison to what Mrs. Fleming can offer Zack.”
Sky would have liked to wipe that sneer off Sparks’s face. He let the thought churn in his belly. However, the elation he felt about getting to see more of Zack won out over the anger he felt toward Corrine’s lawyer.
“I beg to differ,” the judge said, jotting a note before she closed the file. “Zachary’s caseworker attests to the fact that the boy, in his own words, loves his dad. It’s plain from the number of hoops Mr. Cordova has already jumped through that he loves his son in return. In my book, love beats living in a castle. This case is dismissed. I’m requesting an update back here in my office in October. My clerk will give you all a date before you leave. And, Mr. Sparks, I’ll expect to see Mrs. Fleming, too, or she’ll be in contempt.” The judge rose and everyone else did, too. She handed the case file to her clerk, and disappeared through a back door.
Sparks slammed his papers into an open briefcase. “I’ll be in touch for that next court date,” he told the clerk. “I plan to file for a continuation with the previous judge,” he informed Sky’s attorney. Sparks left without so much as looking at Sky.
Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) Page 14