Chapter 14 #2
“No, don’t go. We have to talk anyway.” Brian still wasn’t smiling, but at least his look had softened. She wondered what he wanted to talk about. He never wanted to talk, or at least he never admitted he wanted to talk before.
“Right now you and I, Brian, need to go over your response to the TRO request. The preliminary injunction hearing is in an hour,” Al said. He looked at Roxanne. “Maybe you should wait out…”
“TRO?” Brian asked.
“Temporary restraining order.”
They both looked at Al.
“Listen, I want some straight answers. Does Paris have a chance? Could the courts possibly give him custody of my daughter? Can he actually stop me from seeing her?” Brian asked.
“If they were convinced it was in her best interest.”
“Is it?” Brian shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and stepped to where he could look out the window.
“Only you can answer that.” Al said.
Roxanne couldn’t believe Brian had even asked the question. “Are you crazy? Brian Dennis, she’s your daughter. You damn well better show her you know it. And that you want her.” She leveled a stare at Brian and didn’t let up.
“Who the hell are you? My conscience? I’ve been nothing but an uncle to her all these years and you know it.”
“And Paul Paris was nothing but her mother’s husband. Her second husband.”
“I’m not in any position to raise a young girl.”
“Paul Paris isn’t in any better position.” She wheeled around to Al. “Are you going to sit here and let him make excuses?”
“Yes. If he doesn’t really want custody, I’m not going to bother representing him.” Al looked at Brian. “You might both have a problem with custody if the maternal grandparents decide to petition for it.”
“What?” they said simultaneously.
“You heard correctly. I received a call today from their lawyer. Just an inquiry at this stage.”
“But a little girl needs her father,” Roxanne insisted, unable to stop herself from pitying Lindy as she remembered her own father’s lack of attention.
“That depends on the father,” Al said. They both looked at Brian. His eyes were hard.
“I’m her father. And I will retain custody. With or without your help. I’m responsible for her, whether I asked to be or not, and it’s time for me to face it. Are you going to represent my interests in this?”
“You want full custody? Not just partial custody like before, when her mother was alive?”
“Full custody. Her mother isn’t alive anymore. That’s something I can’t get around. No more taking the easy way out. I don’t want my daughter being raised by her grandparents.”
“All right. I’ll represent you on this. Be warned. The media’s going to love it. And…” Al turned to Roxanne. She smiled with her pleasure at Brian’s decision. Lindy would be so happy.
“And what?” Roxanne said.
“It would be better if you stayed out of it. It should be cut and dry, but the publicity factor could affect you both.”
“You can’t be serious, Al? The press hasn’t said anything for a long time about Don’s death.
How could they since I denied the inheritance?
This private detective Penelope has snooping around is not going to find anything.
There’s nothing to find. Soon he’ll prove what we already know—that Penelope is letting her vindictive imagination get the better of her. Then that will be the end of it.”
“That’s true except they have the new lawsuit now.
And except the part about the PI not finding anything.
I’ll have to talk to you about that later.
” He turned to Brian. “I’m advising you as your attorney to steer clear of Roxanne for the duration.
Roxanne should stay away from Lindy. It’s in your best interest. In Lindy’s best interest.”
Roxanne held her breath. Tension froze her. Could she really harm his custody battle? And what did Al mean about the PI finding something? She felt dizzy waiting to hear Brian’s verdict. He took his time, but finally spoke.
“I want Roxanne to come with us to the hearing,” Brian said in a sure voice.
Al pursed his lips. “You’re paying me. But I’m advising against this.”
Brian was full of surprises, Roxanne thought. This one made her want to hug him on the spot, but something told her not to press her luck.
***
The judge’s chambers of the county’s Probate and Family Court were not particularly plush, but as they were shown through the doors, Roxanne felt relieved.
She hated how quickly the media could turn a serious legal proceeding into a three-ring circus.
The judge had been rightly upset at the number and volume of reporters and cameras outside.
The judge was very suspicious of Paul Paris’s lawyer, insinuating he may have tipped them off earlier.
Roxanne had her own suspicions on that score. She sat next to Brian on the worn leather couch and Al squeezed in next to her. Just as she was thinking how cozy this was—not—the judge slammed the door behind them.
“All right, people. I’ll pretend that fiasco never happened. What gives?” The judge looked directly at Paul Paris’s attorney, a man named Scotty. She folded her arms. She was a big woman and Roxanne would have been intimidated if she were Scotty.
“Your Honor, if you please, we’re here on behalf of a little girl,” Scotty began in a drawling southern accent that sounded ridiculously out of place to Roxanne.
“Save it, Scotty. Get down to business and be quick about it.”
“Mr. Paris is petitioning to have the custody revoked from Mr. Dennis for Lindy Dennis, whose mother recently perished in a horrible accident. Your Honor, the little girl, only seven years old, has suffered gravely, both physically and emotionally, for the past seven weeks. Her natural father, who has never spent much time with her, has only visited her at the hospital on a handful of occasions.”
“You want me to extend a TRO because he’s not been visiting enough? That sounds a lot like cutting off the nose to spite the face.”
“Oh no. There’s more.”
“Get to it.”
“Your Honor, may I speak?” Al asked.
“Not yet, Al. Be patient. Go on, Scotty, and please get to the point,” the judge directed as she took her seat.
“Your Honor, we can show that it is more detrimental at this time to the child to have her hopes built up only to be dashed by sporadic visits and rash promises by this irresponsible, uncaring man, who admitted on public television that the game of basketball is more important to him than his own daughter. We have expert opinions from respected child psychologists to substantiate this. We assert that Mr. Dennis brings further danger of severe and lasting psychological damage to the child by his association with this woman, present here, known as Roxanne Monet. Ms. Monet, according to a wrongful death suit filed today, is currently under suspicion of murdering her late wealthy husband.” Scotty turned to stare Roxanne in the eye.
Roxanne gasped. Her head floated and her body turned to fire. She felt Brian stiffen.
Al jumped from his sitting position and papers slid from his lap. “Your Honor, this accusation of murder is outrageous to the point of slander,” he said.
Brian sat with his head down and one hand covering his face, completely still and taking deep breaths. Alarm for Brian compounded her anxiety for Lindy and herself.
“I agree, Al. Take it easy,” the judge commanded.
Roxanne felt calmed by the huge woman, who had control of the situation.
“Scotty, this is serious stuff. I hope you have something to back it up because you’re not playing this case to the media in here. I’m making the call. And remember, it’s not Ms. Monet you are requesting the TRO against.”
“Yes, ma’am. I have it all right here. Police files and all.”
At that, Al jumped up again. “Your Honor, may I see those papers?”
“Scotty, did you bring a copy for Al?”
Scotty gave Al his copy and the judge glanced over the papers, then looked at Roxanne. Roxanne felt dizzy. Queasy. She needed to hold it together. Resisting the urge to grab onto Brian’s arm and squeeze tight, she balled her fists and lifted her chin.
“Is it coincidence that brings you to these chambers today, Ms. Monet? Or do you in fact have a relationship with Mr. Dennis?”
Roxanne stared at the woman. She shivered. She opened her mouth. What could she say? She didn’t know the answer. She couldn’t guess at the right answer. She was damned.
“Let me answer that, Your Honor,” Brian spoke, dragging his hand from his face. Roxanne could barely stand to hear it. His voice sounded strained yet firm.
“Go ahead, Mr. Dennis.” The judge shifted her ominous gaze in his direction. They all did.
He did not look intimidated as he leveled his formidable blue eyes directly and unblinkingly at the judge. Roxanne recognized his game face. She had no idea how he would respond to that question. He could say almost anything—and it might be true.
“Roxanne and I are seeing each other. And she is not a murderer.” Brian glanced pointedly at Scotty. By virtue of his calm certainty, Brian made the lawyer’s assertion seem ludicrous.
“Just stick to the issue of your relationship. What exactly do you mean that you are ‘seeing each other’?”
“I doubt we have the type of relationship that Scotty is insinuating.”
“And what kind of relationship do you think he insinuated, Mr. Dennis?”
“He insinuated that it was serious, Your Honor.” Now he quirked a half-smile at the judge and Roxanne watched her nod.
“And your relationship with Ms. Monet is not what you’d characterize as ‘serious’?”
“No.”
“What do you call serious?”
“Engaged, living together, married.” He finished.
She looked at Roxanne. “Do you agree, Ms. Monet?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” Roxanne didn’t hesitate a second. She stifled the urge to give the Scout’s Honor signal, feeling partly relieved and, though she had no right, partly disappointed. She found it easier to breathe now. But her hand shook as she pushed a strand of hair off her face.