“Maybe, but we don’t have anything other than a possibility,” the detective said. “Mark my words. If we do have reason to believe, that’s different, but, at the moment, we don’t.”
“Good enough.” Weston hopped to his feet, intent on leaving.
Then the detective asked, “Did you really come here for the dog?”
“I came here because of both the dog and my daughter,” Weston said. “Speaking of which, how do things work in terms of an adoption up here?” He explained the situation and what had happened with Angel.
“If Daniela has proper papers,” the detective said, “then the child is hers. But if something was shady about the process and the paperwork used, then who knows what a judge might entertain.”
“Meaning, if the adoption skirted the legalities, it could be ruled null and void, and the biological mother could get the child back. Correct?”
“Let’s just say that the biological mother would have a lot more power and a better chance of getting her daughter back. Particularly if she comes up with any proof she was pressured into giving away her child.”
“And considering that I’m the father, do I have any rights?”
“Just as much as the mother apparently,” the detective said. “But, even if she was pressured into doing it, she hasn’t shown up for all this time. But then, neither did you.” There was no pulling a punch on that one.
Weston nodded. “I didn’t even know about her,” he said. “I found out when Angel called me drunk one night, but, by then, the adoption was already done. I had no idea what to do. Daniela contacted me not long ago.”
“And this Angel seems pretty positive you’re the father?”
“That’s what she said to me and to Daniela. But what she would say to a judge is anybody’s guess. We’re actually waiting on DNA.”
“That would be good. It would give you more legal cause for a judge to grant you custody.”
“What if I’m content to have Daniela keep her?”
“It’s hard to say. If the judge doesn’t want that, it will become between you and Angel.”
“In that case, I’d fight to get her myself,” he said firmly. “Angel’s not a fit parent.”
“Then you should probably prepare for a legal defense, just in case.”
“And, if Angel does want Sari, for some nefarious reason, … like blackmail,” he said, letting his voice trail off.
“If that’s the case, you let me know,” he said. “Because that is something I can act on. If she gets into criminal behavior we can prove, then she can be charged.”
“Right,” Weston said, “but, in the meantime, it could get ugly.”
“Yes,” the detective said. “These things are just sad. And, if she didn’t want the child in all that time, you have to wonder why she wants her now.”
“That’s exactly the problem. I don’t get a good feeling about any of this.”
“Doesn’t matter if you do or not. Stay on the good side of the law, and hopefully the paperwork is in order, and it won’t be an issue.”
“Right, well, we’re working on that,” Weston said. “I’ve got the paperwork in to a lawyer, so we know where we stand there.”
“I can take a look, if you want to send it to me.”
Figuring it couldn’t hurt, Weston brought it up on his phone and emailed the documents. The detective printed it off, sat back to look at it. “I can get somebody in the department here to take a look at this. It looks aboveboard to me, but I’m not a lawyer.”
“Neither am I, which is why I was looking for a second opinion.”
“So Daniela had a lawyer when this was originally drawn up?”
“Yes,” Weston said. He searched his email and frowned. “I don’t have the name of the lawyer here, though I can text her for it.”
He sent Daniela a text, and, while he and the detective discussed the paperwork, they waited for a response. When it came in, he shared the name with the detective, who nodded.
“That is a reputable firm, so things are looking better and better in that regard.”
Weston felt a wave of relief at that news. “That is great to hear. At the time of the adoption, Daniela was married, and her husband has since passed away.”
“That’s always a problem too,” the detective said. “This is a generality, of course, but, when there are issues, and custody cases come before a judge, the stability of the homes is a consideration—like, if there is a dispute, and any chance of a decision being reviewed, if one party is married and is in a more stable situation, often that can influence the decision of the judge.”
“Meaning, the judge would prefer to have Sari raised by a husband and wife?”
“Yes.”
As Weston left the police station, he wondered about contacting the lawyer’s office himself. He hopped into his vehicle, wondering if the office could still be open, and brought the firm up on his GPS. When he realized it was just around the corner and a couple blocks away, he drove over and parked in a back lot up the street.
Shambhala strode happily along at his side, seemingly content to just be with somebody and to have a purpose. Weston reached out a hand and gently scratched her behind the ears as they walked the block. The legal firm was located at the front right corner. He turned the knob, but it was locked. He knocked on the door.
There was no answer, and it was dark inside. He frowned and walked to the adjacent parking lot. A couple vehicles were there, but he didn’t know who they belonged to. He went back to the lawyer’s office and tried again, but it was definitely locked. Heading to the nearest window, he couldn’t see anything because of the shutters, but, as he walked to the other edge, a little bit of space provided him a look inside. He peered through the window, and his heart froze. He couldn’t be sure because of the shades blocking his view, but somebody
