Barbara Delinsky - The Family Tree

He tried to call her, but she wasn’t there, so he bought a cup of coffee and walked outside to the patio. He was just sitting down on a bench when his phone rang. His partner’s cell phone number appeared.

‘Hey, Julian.’

‘I have to be at the courthouse on the Ryan case, but it shouldn’t take more than an hour. I thought I’d drive by the house afterward and get Deb. She wants to see the baby. Is Dana up for a visit?’

Julian was one of Hugh’s closest friends. They had met in law school, drawn to each other by a shared vision of the kind of lawyer each wanted to be. Julian was as open-minded and caring as anyone Hugh knew, but he still hesitated.

‘I don’t know, Julian. She’s pretty wiped. Neither of us got much sleep, and she’s starting to hurt. It might be better to wait until we’re home.’

‘But she’s okay, isn’t she?’

‘She’s fine. Just exhausted.’

‘Then we’ll take a quick peek at the baby and leave.’

‘If you drive all the way down here, Dana will want to visit. Really, Julian. Give her a day to recoup.’

‘Deb’ll be disappointed. But I hear you. Will you let me know if I can do anything at the office?’

Hugh ended the call feeling like a fool. He couldn’t hide the baby. Today, tomorrow, the day after – it wouldn’t make any difference when Julian saw her – Lizzie’s skin would still have a copper tint. Julian wouldn’t care. Nor would Deb. But they would ask questions.

As he sat there with cooling coffee, staring blindly at a bird that had perched on the end of his bench, his thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched voice on the far side of the hedge bordering the patio.

He ignored it. He had problems of his own. He didn’t need to hear someone else’s. But when that distressed voice rose again, he couldn’t help but listen.

‘I tried!’ she cried. ‘I can’t get through .’ There was a pause, then a desperate ‘How am I supposed to do that? He won’t take my calls !’ When she continued, her voice was lower, though still easily heard. ‘There’s this first surgery and he’s stuck in a body cast for six weeks. And they keep talking about growth plates, which’ll mean more operations. I don’t have the money for that.’ She paused. ‘Do you have insurance? It isn’t just me.’ She added with a sob, ‘I didn’t ask for that car to hit him, Mama. I was right there in the yard. The car came out of nowhere and swerved onto the sidewalk.’

Hugh was intrigued despite himself.

‘I just told you,’ she argued. ‘He won’t take my calls, and I know he’s in Washington. He was on the news the other night talking about some big Senate vote. He just doesn’t want to admit Jay is his.’

Hugh smiled. He knew congressmen. He knew power brokers of other ilks as well. As a group, they were arrogant SOBs.

‘I didn’t plan on getting pregnant either,’ the girl continued, ‘but I didn’t do it alone. Doesn’t he have a responsibility to help?’

Yes, he did, Hugh thought silently. If a man sired a child, he did have a responsibility.

There were a few diminishing sobs, then, ‘Mama? Please don’t hang up. Mama?’

Not his business, Hugh told himself. Especially not now.

Tossing the last of his coffee into the bushes, he rose from the bench. Rather than heading back into the hospital, though, he rounded the hedge and entered the garden.

The woman was doubled over on a bench similar to the one he had been sitting on. He could see denim legs, the back of a slim-fitting tee shirt, and an unruly mass of auburn hair. A pair of stubbed cigarette butts lay in front of her sneakers.

‘Excuse me?’ he said.

Startled, she lifted her head. Her left eye strayed, but her right held his. Both were red.

Gently, he said, ‘I was sitting on the other side of the bushes and overheard your call. I may be able to help.’

She wiped her eyes with fingers that shook. ‘By hitting on me?’

He smiled. ‘No. I’m married. My wife just had a baby. But I’m a lawyer. It sounds to me like you have a father who is denying paternity of his child.’

‘You had no right to listen in on my call.’

‘You weren’t exactly whispering. That father does have a legal responsibility. I know. I’ve handled paternity cases.’

She gave him a dismissive once-over. ‘You don’t look like a lawyer.’

‘Like I said, my wife just had a baby. Literally. We’ve been up all night. I don’t look like this when I’m going to court.’

She choked out a humorless laugh. ‘If I can’t pay my boy’s medical bills, how can I pay a lawyer?’

‘When I find a worthy case, I don’t charge.’

‘Oh, yeah.’ She stood. She was tall – five nine, he guessed – and that one direct eye leveled him a cynical look. ‘Right.’ She stuffed her phone in the small pocket at the front of her jeans and turned to retrieve a worn canvas pouch.

Taking his wallet from his own jeans, he pulled out a business card.

She didn’t take it.

Undaunted, he said, ‘I know Washington. I have a large network of contacts there.’

‘Not for this. You can’t help.’

‘He’s that high?’

She didn’t confirm or deny. Nor did she turn and run.

‘How old is your son?’ he asked.

She raised her chin. ‘Four.’

‘Hit by a car?’

‘Yes. Two days ago. His spine is messed up. And his leg.’

‘Is the father a senator?’

Staring at him, she put the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

‘And he won’t take your calls?’ Hugh persisted. ‘I can get through to him.’

‘Yeah. Right. If he won’t talk to me, why would he talk to a lawyer ?’ She said the word like lawyers were scum.

‘He’ll be frightened of the publicity if he doesn’t,’ he said. ‘Bring a lawyer into the picture, and he’ll want things settled quickly and quietly. Trust me. I know these guys. They think they can do anything they want while they’re out there on the campaign trail.’

‘He wasn’t campaigning. He was hunting.’

‘Around here?’

‘In New Hampshire. He had dinner at the restaurant where I work. I waited on him.’

Hugh could picture it. Neither the mess of her hair, nor her pallor, nor that wandering eye could hide the fact that she was very attractive. ‘Is that where he’s from – New Hampshire?’

‘No. He was someone’s guest.’

‘Are you from New Hampshire?’ If so, the case would be out of his jurisdiction.

‘Massachusetts,’ she said. ‘Just over the line.’

It was a go. ‘Can you prove you were together?’

‘No.’

‘Did anyone see you?’ When she didn’t reply, he added a goading ‘And you’re sure it happened the way you say?’

‘I took the motel room,’ she snapped. ‘The clerk saw me. But I don’t know if he saw the man I was with.’ She looked down to rummage in her bag.

‘Did you talk with him after that night?’

‘I called to tell him Jay was born.’ She took out a cigarette.

‘And you got through?’

‘No. I said it was personal. They put me through to someone who said it was always personal with women like me.’

‘I take it he said the boy wasn’t his boss’s.’

‘Oh, yeah.’ She tossed the cigarette back in her bag.

‘Are you sure he is?’

‘Jay looks just like him.’

‘Looks can deceive,’ Hugh said. ‘Did he pay you?’

‘I don’t need this,’ she muttered, starting to walk away.

‘Wait. I’m sorry, but these are lawyer questions. If I don’t ask them, someone else will.’

‘Not if I don’t do anything,’ she replied sweetly.

‘You have to do something. There’s your boy to consider. He needs care, and you have no insurance. What about the driver of the car?’