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“More important than that. I need to make a couple calls, but then, you want to come with me to the courthouse?”
“The courthouse? Look, if this is about eloping or whatever, yes, I love you, but it’s a little too soon for me.”
“It’s not about you, Emily. It’s about Charlie.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry about it. You drive and I’ll explain on the way.”
Thirty minutes later, Emily, Charlie, and I are pacing in front of the Ironwood Falls courthouse — well, Emily and I are pacing, Charlie’s bouncing in Emily’s arms and almost asleep — when Rabid’s ol’ lady, Claire, and Officer Maya Alvarado, both arrive at nearly the same time. Claire pulls up in a shining black BMW and steps out dressed like she’s just come from a meeting with a high-powered client, which, considering her status as one of the top lawyers in the state, is not entirely out of the question. Officer Alvarado pulls up in her Ironwood Falls PD patrol car, dressed in her usual uniform. She approaches us with a quiet, casual confidence and a ready smile that is almost enough to make me forget who she works for.
“Morning, Hunter,” she says. “After the stuff that’s happened lately, I hope you’re planning on making my life interesting in a positive way today.”
“Morning, Officer Alvarado. Actually, I’m here to ask you about a murder,” I reply.
Immediately, Claire frowns. “Is that why you’ve asked me here, too? Get patched into the club and decide you want to throw a few more cases on my plate?”
I shake my head, smile at her in a way that I hope sets her at ease. Then again, Claire’s always the type-a type who I doubt rarely ever is at ease. “You’re here for legal advice, but it’s got nothing to do with murder.”
Claire’s frown doesn’t waver. “Still, considering you’re in my ol’ man’s MC, and considering I am a lawyer, I’m going to ask you to state right now, in front of Officer Alvarado, that you are taking me on as your attorney so that attorney-client confidentiality applies. Then I’m going to ask for you and I to step aside and you can tell me just what mess you’ve gotten into.”
“No, we won’t be doing any of that,” I say. Before Claire can do her lawyer-thing and charge through my objections, I press on, “You both are here because I’m putting down roots here in Ironwood Falls. Course, you two are both smart women, and you’ve probably figured that out, because I’ve joined the MC, signed a lease with Emily, and have not tried to hide that I enjoy living in this town. But what I need your help with is making this little guy here,” I gesture to Charlie, who’s resting half-asleep in Emily’s arms, “my legal son.”
“He’s not your son?” Claire says. “Did you kidnap him?”
I shake my head. “Nothing like that. I took him from the scene of a murder.”
“Fuck, Hunter, don’t go admitting to that in front of the police,” Claire says.
“He’s my nephew. His parents — my brother, Tyler Hayes, and his mother, Kate Hayes — lived in Billings. I was on my way to visit them, and when I arrived, I found the two of them murdered and Charlie all alone in his crib. I took my nephew, and, since I’m his last surviving relative, I’d like to adopt him,” I pause, look at Charlie, who must’ve realized I’m talking about him, because he’s gazing at me with curiosity and a flicker of something else in his eyes that puts a parental hitch in my voice. “I love the kid. Didn’t know what I was doing when I first found him, Emily can attest to that, but I think of him as my son, and since I’m building a life for the two of us here, I want to do it right.”
“Hunter, I’m so sorry,” Claire says.
“Me too. Tell me what you need, Hunter. Anything, I’ll do what I can to help you and Charlie,” Officer Alvarado says.
I look at Officer Alvarado first. “I don’t know how this whole process works, so I want your help to know that I’m not breaking any laws in adopting Charlie, considering his parents were murder victims. Maybe the police over in Billings might need his help with the case or whatever.”
Officer Maya Alvarado smiles. “He’s only five months old, and, though they may be missing out on not having a cutie like him around, considering he still needs help with his diapers, I doubt they’ll need his help to crack the case. Still, I’ll make a few calls.”
She takes out her phone and, in a second, has someone on the line. A few words go back and forth, and she hangs up, frowning.
“It’s odd. There are some flags on it. Something’s got this case under tight lock and key. You should be fine, Hunter, but for Charlie’s sake, I’m going to call a friend in the State Patrol over there, see if I can’t use a favor and find out what’s really going on with the investigation.”
She makes another call. Beyond the introduction, which brings out a big smile, the frown returns to her face. Moretti’s name gets tossed around more times than I’m comfortable with, enough that, by the end of the call, the hair is standing up on the back of my neck. Still, she ends the call and nods.
“I don’t like whatever they’ve got going on over there. It doesn’t smell right. But my friend said there’s nothing stopping you from adopting Charlie. You’re all clear, Hunter.”
“Thank you, Maya,” I say.
“It’s Officer Alvarado. And you’re welcome,” she says.
“What do you need from me, Hunter?” Claire says.
I shrug, but there’s a grin on my face that doesn’t match the nonchalant gesture. My voice shakes, and my heart dances in my chest. “Not sure. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever done. I’m taking on a son. A son. Just saying that scares the ever-loving crap out of me and excites me more than anything I can imagine. There’s going to be papers, questions, decisions, and I’ve never been the type to handle things in a legal matter. But this involves my family, and I want to do it right. So, what I’m asking, Claire, is if you’ll come in there with me and watch my back.”
“It’s all fairly standard forms. Boilerplate, really. You just need to make sure…” She stops, looks at Charlie, then at me, and says, “Of course. I’ll be there. We’ll make sure everything happens the right way.”
“Thank you.”
