by Diane Weiner
“I’m so glad the truth finally came out, even though it doesn’t bring Nathan back.”
“At least Nathan’s father can bury his son now.”
Chapter 30
“Maddy, you have to eat something. If you don’t want oatmeal, at least grab a piece of toast.”
“Emily, I’m too excited to eat. Besides, we can get something later. I can’t believe it’s really happening. In just a few hours, Coralee’s Cozy Cat Café will be open for business.”
“Henry and I are so proud of you. That’s quite an accomplishment getting your project up and running so quickly.” Emily scooped out a bowl of oatmeal and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“The colleges are going to be impressed,” said Henry. “And when it’s time to apply for veterinary school, you can show a long history of interest in helping animals.”
“That’s like, eight years away, but whatever. I’m going to get in the shower.”
“The press will be there,” said Emily. “You should wear that cute velvet dress we ordered from Amazon.”
“A dress? Whatever.” Maddy grabbed Chester and headed to her room.
Henry looked up from the newspaper. “Mair’s father confessed to tampering with evidence and was charged with obstructing justice. He’s going to lose his pension and is looking at jail time.”
“He’s getting what he deserved. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, did it?”
“Speaking of apples and trees, I was thinking we can throw a party after our court date to celebrate Maddy’s adoption.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Maybe we can do a family trip as well. How about Disneyworld during Christmas break? The weather will be nice in Florida, and the parks will be decked out for the holidays. I wonder if she’s ever been?”
“Let’s surprise her at her adoption party. It’ll be our first gift to her as parents.”
Emily finished breakfast, loaded the dishwasher, and jumped in the shower. Henry finished the Sudoku, then received a text from the lawyer handling the adoption. They had a court date. The adoption hearing was scheduled for the Friday before Thanksgiving. As anxious as he was to run and tell Emily and Maddy, he restrained himself. He didn’t want to detract from the excitement of the grand opening. He’d share the news tonight.
Maddy, looking like an antique China doll in her burgundy dress, came into the kitchen. “Come on. I don’t want to be late.”
Henry put on a suit jacket, and Emily came in wearing a winter white pant suit.
“I have to say, this is one good-looking family,” said Henry. “I’m going to ask Abby to take a family picture in front of the inn.”
The air was brisk and the sky a steely gray. Emily tucked her scarf around her neck and watched Maddy zip her ski jacket over her elegant dress. Next weekend she’d take her to buy a proper winter coat to wear with dress clothes.
They got into the Jeep and headed to Coralee’s.
“Look at all the cars already!” said Maddy. The front lot of the inn was completely full.
In front of the inn, Emily spotted the local news van. A familiar reporter stood outside testing a microphone. Henry pulled around back and parked near the kitchen entrance. Coralee, busy overseeing the gala, greeted them.
“This is already turning out to be fabulous! Everyone’s waiting for you to cut the ribbon, Maddy. I even set out a little podium—you’ve got to make a speech!”
Coralee led them through the crowd to the new café. A hand-painted sign hung over the door, and a blue ribbon guarded the entrance. The reporter who had been outside, was poised with her camera man beside her. When the crowd saw Maddy, they clapped and whistled. Coralee took the podium.
“We are delighted to see such an enthusiastic turnout for Sugarbury Falls’ one and only cat café. As you know, all profits are going to support the Humane Society right here in town. Hopefully, some of you will leave with a new feline friend, but even if you are unable to give a cat a home, please enjoy their company and spread the word to your friends. Now, I’d like to introduce the young lady who made all this possible. Maddy Fraser.”
Maddy worked her way to the podium. Emily whispered in Henry’s ear. “Coralee doesn’t know Maddy’s last name. You don’t think Maddy will want to take our last name after she’s adopted, do you?”
“I think that’s too much to hope for. She’ll want to keep Fiona’s family name alive, knowing Maddy.”
Henry and Emily both knew Maddy hated speaking in front of crowds and were pleasantly surprised at her ease as she took her spot to speak.
“I’m touched that we have so many cat lovers amongst us. This started as a school project, but has become a true passion. I’d like to thank everyone who made today possible, from the people who showed up to paint, Noah and Franklin who built the cat furniture, my school counselor, Mrs. Richards, the Humane Society of Sugarbury Falls, Coralee, of course, and most especially, my parents, Emily and Henry Fox for believing in this project and helping me from the start.”
Emily wiped a tear from her eye and squeezed Henry’s hand.
Cameras snapped photos, the crowd clapped, and the reporter asked a few questions before letting Maddy leave the podium. Then, Coralee handed Maddy the scissors.
“Go on, Maddy. Cut the blue ribbon. You should be the first to enter.”
Maddy walked inside, smiling from her hair to her toes. Emily and Henry stood beside her, beaming with pride.
The café was painted light green with white trim. A mural of every imaginable type of cat covered one wall, opposite the giant cat condo. Baskets of donated cat toys flanked cushy chairs, a sectional sofa, and several tables that Henry made in his barn workroom. A glass partition separated the food preparation area from the cats, but once the food was purchased, guests were free to carry it into the cat room. Henry snapped pictures with his phone.
Most of the cats hid when bombarded with all the people, but eventually some found their way to laps. A steady stream of people passed through the café and nearly all the cats were adopted, though the Humane Society assured everyone there were plenty more coming. Maddy collapsed into a chair next to Emily and Henry, holding Max on her lap. He was most definitely not up for adoption. The door flung open.
“Excuse me. Excuse, me. I’m looking for Maddy Fraser.” Max jumped down off Maddy’s lap and hid under a chair.
Henry wondered if he was another reporter. “Here’s the lady of the day right here.”
“Great. Come here, Maddy. I’ve been searching for you. It’s me.” He ran to Maddy and gave her a bear hug.
Henry put his arm on the man, releasing his grip on Maddy. “Don’t grab my daughter like that.”
“Your daughter? I’m afraid there’s been a mistake. I came to bring Maddy home. I’m her uncle, Fiona’s brother. Don’t you remember me, Maddy? It’s Uncle Malcolm!”
Chapter 31
Exhausted and feeling like she’d been hit with a steel beam, Emily went into her kitchen, spilled water as she poured it into the Keurig, then dropped coffee grinds all over the counter. Out of the blue, after all these months, an uncle pops up, wanting to take Maddy back to Scotland to live with him. Where was he all this time? And if Fiona trusted him, surely she would have named him guardian instead of her. She felt like her heart was being twisted and wrung out like a wet towel, leaving her limp and breathless.
Henry wanted to punch the interloper who showed up just at the moment Maddy was about to become their daughter. Instead, he made polite chit-chat while Emily made coffee. Maddy sat beside him on the couch, her head leaning against his upper arm.
Henry cleared his throat. “So, what brings you here now, so many months after your sister’s death?”
“Aye, a good question indeed. I’d been traveling, out on safari in Africa. Shoulda seen the rhinoceros I shot. Bam, right between his eyes. Got a Bengal tiger as well. He’s at the taxidermist, but will be sitting pretty over my mantle by Christmas.”
Maddy turned pale, then
excused herself. Henry followed. Hearing her throw up in the guest bathroom, he felt helpless, wanting to grab her and make everything okay.
“Maddy, are you going to be alright?”
“I’m not going with him. He kills animals? On purpose? I hate him already and I sure don’t want to move to Scotland. Don’t I get a say in this?”
Henry felt sick. “I’m going to call a lawyer the minute he leaves. If he thinks he’s going to take you away from us, he’d better brace for a fight.” He heard Emily talking in the living room. “I’m going to get back there and see if I can make sense out of his story. You don’t have to join us if you’re not up to it.”
Henry noticed Emily’s hand shaking as she handed Malcolm a mug of coffee. He could tell she’d gone into reporter mode, trying to put together this bizarre story.
“So, you were in Africa when Fiona died. When had you last spoken to her? She barely mentioned you when we were roommates back in college.”
“We lost track of each other. I worked undercover for Scotland Yard for years and went long stretches where I was forbidden to contact my family, for their own safety. I couldn’t put my own sister or my little niece in danger.”
Emily thought he looked a bit too old to have just recently retired, especially from such a physical job. She felt her face heat up with anger. “You retired when?”
“When I felt the time was right. I have return plane reservations for me and the girl on Tuesday. Whatever she can’t pack, you can send later.”
Emily’s heart sank. “That’s too soon. Maddy is in the middle of the quarter at her school and she just launched her community service project. If you care about her, you won’t rip her away. She’s barely adjusted here after having to leave Chicago when her mother died.”
“There’s a first-class prep school not far from my home. She’ll be just fine. Now, I think I’d best be getting back to the inn. Jet lag is a bear. I’ll be back tomorrow to visit with my niece.”
Henry locked the door behind him. Emily screamed, “I’m not letting him take her. Call a lawyer.”
Henry fumbled with his phone. “Do you have a lawyer in mind?”
“No. Don’t you know anyone at the hospital who can recommend someone? What about Pat?”
Henry said, “One of the nurses in the emergency room is married to a lawyer. I’ll try her.”
Meanwhile, Emily knocked on Maddy’s door. Getting no response, she gently pushed the door open and saw Maddy crying on the bed, Chester cradled under her arm. She wanted to sound strong and comforting, but instead, broke into sobs as she sat on the bed next to Maddy.
“He can’t just take me, can he? I’ll run away before I go with him. He could be a pedophile for all we know. I’m not getting on a plane with a stranger and I’m not leaving my home.” She buried her face in the pillow.
Emily couldn’t stop the tears and her voice broke as she spoke through them. “Henry’s getting in touch with a lawyer right now. There has to be something we can do.”
She laid next to Maddy, unable to think clearly. Just when they were about to become a family, a stranger threatened to shatter their lives. Why would he want the responsibility of raising a teenager when he had the freedom to travel and do as he pleased? Something didn’t feel right.
Henry walked in, phone still in hand. “I talked to the nurse’s husband. He’s a tax lawyer, but he referred me to a friend of his. We’re going to meet with him first thing in the morning. Maddy, are you sure your mom had no contact with this uncle of yours? Did she ever talk about him?”
“I haven’t heard his name since I was maybe, five or six years old. If she trusted him, wouldn’t she have made him my guardian? Obviously she wanted me to live with Emily.”
Emily said, “She named me your guardian years ago. What if she changed her mind?”
Henry said, “If she had, surely she would have amended the paperwork. Let’s take a deep breath and wait to see what the lawyer says.”
Emily went to bed early, but tossed and turned, debating whether or not to get out of bed and watch television.
“I can’t sleep, either,” said Henry. “I love Maddy. She’ll be miserable if he takes her away. Remember what happened when we were deciding whether or not to accept custody right after Fiona died?”
“How could I forget? She took all those pills she got her hands on at her foster home. She’ll try that again, won’t she?” Emily grabbed a tissue from her nightstand.
“I like to think she’s much stronger now, but I question why Malcolm wants her? He didn’t look at her with any sort of affection.”
“Maddy looks just like Fiona. If it were you and you met your dead sister’s child for the first time, wouldn’t you say something like she reminded you of her?”
“He barely talked about Fiona, as a matter of fact.”
“And do you buy that whole story about Scotland Yard and the safari?”
“I’m not taking his word for it. I’ll talk to Megan after we see the lawyer and see if she can do some kind of background check.”
“Better yet,” said Emily. “I know someone close to home who can help us.”
Chapter 32
In the morning, the first snowfall of the season blanketed the roads. Henry and Emily drove silently to the lawyer’s office.
“Thank you for coming in on a Sunday,” said Henry.
The lawyer said, “It sounded urgent. Hope I can help. Have a seat. Can I get you some coffee?”
Anxious to get started, they both shook their heads. Emily spit out the whole story, barely stopping to breathe.
“Do you have the guardianship letter?”
“It’s in the safe at home.”
The lawyer scribbled notes on a yellow legal pad. “First, we have to get a background check. If he’s ever been in trouble with the law, we can make a case.”
“And if he hasn’t?” asked Emily.
“The courts favor blood relatives, but let’s take it one step at a time. Do you have access to Maddy’s school records?”
“I can get them,” said Emily.
“Make a list of people who have witnessed interactions between the two of you and Maddy. People who are willing to vouch for the three of you as a family.”
Emily started a list in her head…Kurt, Megan, Pat, Nancy, Coralee…
“If you sign this permission form, I’ll access her medical records. We want to show Maddy is well taken care of, in good health, and emotionally sound. Has she ever been to a counselor or therapist?”
“You mean a psychologist?” said Henry.
“Yes, or even a guidance counselor who can attest to the fact that Maddy has adjusted well to living in Sugarbury Falls with the two of you.”
“We probably can, but he’s planning on taking her back to Scotland in two days.”
“I understand, Mr. Fox. We’ll work as rapidly as possible. Even if he does get her on that plane…”
Emily jumped up. “What do you mean if? He can’t get her on the plane, I thought you understood that.”
“Calm down, Mrs. Fox. All I’m saying, is if we run out of time before we get our ducks in a row, Scotland law won’t block us from bringing Maddy back if the court decides to deny custody to Maddy’s uncle.”
Henry squeezed Emily’s hand. “Thank you. Let us know if you need anything further.”
Back in the Jeep, Emily said, “He’s been with Scotland Yard his whole career. What are the chances he has a criminal record? If we don’t find something, we’re going to lose our daughter. We should find another lawyer.”
“I’m not going to let that happen,” said Henry. His phone vibrated. “Pat, yeah, we’re in the car. Just saw a lawyer. Can Megan dig up anything on Uncle Malcolm for us?”
Pat’s voice came through the car’s Bluetooth. “She has to go through proper channels, as she put it. It’s going to take some time.”
“We don’t have time,” said Emily. “He’s taking our daughter across the ocean in two days.�
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“I know. I don’t mean to make light of the situation. The three of you are a perfect family––even got us talking about having kids of our own one day. I called for another reason. Megan interviewed Brody’s father. He doesn’t have an alibi for the night of Danielle’s murder. In fact, he didn’t show up at work that day and the neighbor says his car wasn’t in the driveway, and the newspaper was piled up on the stoop.”
Emily said, “Did they check flights?”
“So far, no commercial travel, but Megan’s getting toll records. Problem is, he could have taken back roads. Megan says he fits the physical description gotten from your neighbor’s photo, Anyway, it’s the first new lead they’ve had.”
“Thanks, buddy. Keep us posted.” Henry put his hand on Emily’s thigh. “It’s all going to work out.”
“I’m not willing to sit back and wait. Let’s make a stop on the way home.”
Without having to ask, Henry drove to Rebecca and Abby’s cabin. “Their cars are here. Think we should have called first?”
“I think they’ll understand the urgency.”
Emily took the lead. Standing on the fall inspired welcome mat, her heart raced as she knocked. Rebecca was her best shot at saving Maddy. Milo barked, and Rebecca answered the door. “I’m sorry to come by unannounced, but it’s an emergency.”
“Come on in. We were just hanging out, doing the Sunday puzzles. Did you see the great article about the cat café? Nice picture of Maddy with the cats. Can I get you some coffee?”
“No, thanks. Rebecca, remember the uncle who showed up at Coralee’s yesterday?”
“How can I forget with that grand entrance he made.”
“He wants to take Maddy back to Scotland. We talked to a lawyer, but he’s a blood relative and I’m afraid we’re going to lose Maddy.” She wiped away tears as Henry put his arm around her.
Rebecca was no nonsense. “Let’s check this guy out.” She opened her computer. “Spell his name for me.” Rebecca clicked the keys while Emily and Henry peered over her shoulder.