Sharkey came through the door. “We have Mateo in the nursery. He’s beautiful.”
“Can I see him?”
“In about an hour. How’s Javier?”
“Cynthia told me she thinks he’s going to be all right.”
“Good. I watched him take a bullet for Consuela. It was a crazy scene when I got there. I suggested to Sloan that his services may be needed for Javier. He said he will be here first thing in the morning. I think that’s in about two hours.”
“You must be dead on your feet,” said Harris. “I’m calling the chief and getting reinstated in the morning.”
“You need to slow down. You just inherited a family.”
Harris grinned. “Yeah, I did. I need to talk to Sloan and Javier about his son.”
Sharkey nodded. “I think that would be wise.”
“You gonna charge him?”
“That’s not my call. But he helped take Vasquez down. At this point he’s not even under arrest. However, I need to talk to him in depth about all of this.”
“Understandable. I gotta get cleaned up so I can talk to Sloan.”
Sharkey smiled. “He did take a bullet for Consuela…Just sayin’.”
“Yeah.” Harris grinned.
Sunday morning
Harris met Sloan in the lobby at eight o’clock. “How are you holding up?”
“My heart is full because the children were found.”
Sloan smiled. “Sharkey filled me in this morning on last night’s happenings. Can we make an appointment in my office with you?”
“Sure. I need to check on Javier then I need to go meet my grandson.”
Sloan grinned. “I’m really happy for you. It doesn’t always end this well.”
“It’s good for me, thanks. But not so hot for the kid’s mom and dad. I don’t know yet how to break the news to him about his mom and his dad.”
“That’s a tough one. I’m sure he’ll be all right. Kids are amazingly adaptive. It just takes a little time.”
“Okay. I’m on my way to see Javier for a few minutes, if that’s all right with the police.”
“You bet. Go. Let me know when you leave.”
“Will do.”
Harris went to the nursery. The nurse waved and pointed to a crib by the window. Harris looked at the baby and smiled. “You did good, Susan. Real good.”
Harris tapped on Javier’s door and walked in. “How you doin?”
Javier was partially sitting up and smiled when he saw Harris.
“I’m better than I thought I would be. They say the surgery was a success and I’m going to be okay. The bullet nicked the edge of my liver, but they patched it up, got the bullet out. They said it didn’t do too much damage and I should be back up on my feet soon.”
“That’s good news. Look, I gotta get home. They found Tyler.”
“That’s the best news. Is Mateo all right?”
Sharkey stuck his head in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt but I thought you might want to know that your uncle died on his way to the hospital.”
Javier’s mouth fell open. “What happened?”
“He ran from the police and got into deep sand on the beach. In all the tension and excitement and exertion, he grabbed his chest, and his heart gave out. The medics were right there but he died on the way into the hospital.”
Javier was speechless for a moment. “I’m sorry he died. Mostly he was supportive of me for years when I needed the help.”
“On the brighter side, Mateo is healthy and taking a bottle as we speak.”
“Fantastic,” Harris said.
“I gotta run. Just wanted you to know.” Sharkey said.
“Thanks, Sharkey.”
“Sorry about your uncle,” Harris said.
“So am I.”
Harris looked at Javier. “The little guy is great. You need to concentrate on him now.”
Javier smiled. “When I held him, he reached up and touched my face…I love him…I don’t deserve him, but I love him,” Javier said.
“That’s what he needs to know now. You spend time with him and he will know that you’re his dad and will love you. My friend R. Sloan will be up to see you as soon as I leave. He’s a good guy and will go to bat for you. Trust him,” Harris said.
“That’s good enough for me. Thanks, Harris. Susan was right. You’re a great guy.”
“Great might be exaggerating a little, but I strive for good. Thanks, kid. You’re pretty good yourself. I’ll be back.”
* * *
Sloan entered Javier’s room and introduced himself.
“Good to meet you. You come highly recommended.”
“I understand that you know that your uncle died of a heart attack on his way to the hospital.”
“I was informed.”
“First off, do you have the birth certificate?”
“I gave it to Vasquez. I’m listed on it by Susan Abbott as the father. I believe Detective Sharkey has a copy. I had the passport. Well, I had it when I went to Consuela’s house. I have no idea where it is now. It was in my pocket.” He looked anxious.
“Not to worry. I’ll hunt them down. I want you to just relax. I have a lot of work to do, but I assure you I will straighten this mess out. You can trust me. I’m working for you and I don’t back down. I believe that because you are the only living parent you will have no problem keeping your son regardless of where you live.”
Javier looked relieved.
“Now, I understand that you entered into a contract with your uncle Ricardo Vasquez. Where is that document?”
“He just told me that he would cancel my education bill and what I owed him for taking care of my winery.”
Sloan felt a slow smile come over his face. “So, there was no actual written contract?”
“No, not a document. He told me he would do that if I gave him
