Page 36 of Baby Blue
“You’re welcome. Wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s not going to push kids around if I have anything to say about it.” He didn’t tell her he’d threatened to beat Galloway’s ass. That was something he figured he should just try to pretend hadn’t happened.
Blue waselbows deep in an oil change on Monday morning when a voice said, “BrentWallace?”
He rolled out from under the car to find a woman in her early fifties standing there. Her hair was cut short and neatly, and she had a brief case in her hands. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you?”
“My name is VirginiaParker and I work for the state child protective services office. We got an anonymous tip that you have a baby at your house that’s not yours and was received under suspicious circumstances.”
What the hell? Who would’ve… Oh, shit. Galloway. Blue felt like he was about to pop a gasket. That old fucker had called CPS on him? What the hell? “Yes, ma’am. I do have a baby at my house. She’s my baby, and her mother left her with me.”
“And when did this happen?” Ms.Parker asked.
“Ten days ago,” Blue answered. He remembered something he’d heard on TV once: When someone from the governmentasks you questions, never tell them more than they ask for. With that in mind, Blue didn’t say another word.
The woman adjusted her glasses before asking, “Yes, well, I see. So have you had a paternity test run to make sure the child is yours?”
Blue felt his heart sinking into his work boots. “No. I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I see. Mr.Wallace, we’ll have to look into this. We’re going to need to interview you, see the child, and do a home study to make sure you’re fit to care for her.”
“Home study? What? Why? She’s my baby! If I’d been there when she was born, you wouldn’t say a word!” Blue blurted out.
“Yes, sir, but you weren’t. The neigh… person who called it in said they saw a basket on your porch. Is that correct?”
“Yes, but?”
“Yes, sir, well, we have to make sure you didn’t kidnap this child from someone else and are posing as a father,” Ms.Parker explained.
“Posing as a father? Why in hell would anybody do anything like that?” Blue asked. That made no sense.
“We’ve actually had cases where a child was kidnapped to be used for sexual assault and?”
“Now see here, Ms.Parker!” Blue almost yelled. “There’s nothing like that going on here! She’s just six months old and?”
“Mr.Wallace! Contain your emotions, please!” the woman snapped at him and Blue fell silent. Dear god, what the hell was happening? Someone like Galloway could just accuse him of something like that with no evidence? “Where is the child now?”
“She stays with my neighbor during the day while I’m at work. My neighbor who’s anurse,” Blue added, hoping to impress her.
“I see. We’re going to have to see her, interview you, talk to this neighbor, all of that. Our office will call you to set up theappointment.” Ms.Parker handed him a business card and he checked it. There was her name on the front, along with the seal of the state and a phone number.
“There’s a problem with that. My employer doesn’t let me miss work, and I already missed a day last week taking her to the doctor. So I can’t take off work for something like this.”
The woman glared at him. “Mr.Wallace, I don’t think you understand. We can take the baby from you if need be. It would be in your best interest to comply.”
Blue felt a little dizzy. They could take Indigo? Not while he had breath! “I’ll do my best, Ms.Parker.”
“Don’t do your best, Mr.Wallace. Just do as you’re told and everything might work out okay.” He stood in stony shock as the woman walked away, the heels of her shoes clicking on the concrete floor.
Before he could even process what had just happened, Turner came thundering up. “What the fuck, Wallace? What the hell have you done now, stolen somebody’s baby?”
“I havenotstolen somebody’s baby. Why would you even ask me that?” Blue said, his voice barely more than a growl.
“Well, you’ve obviously donesomethingfor the state to come after you like this,” Turner said, his eyes almost twinkling.
“I haven’t done anything, but I’m going to have to take time off work when they call and make the appointment to come to my house. I don’t have a choice, Turner. It’s that or they take her away.”
“That would be the best thing for her, honestly,” Turner said, grinning maliciously. “You have no business with a kid.”
Working hard to rein in his temper, Blue repeated, “Doesn’t matter what you think. But I’ll have to take off work for the appointment.”
