Page 45 of Baby Blue
“My next-door neighbor, AnneBlack. She’s a nurse,” he told her.
“So tell me about this neighbor. What makes you think she’s qualified to watch an infant?”
That’s the dumbest question anybody ever asked me, Blue thought, almost chuckling to himself. “Well, she’s got two kids, a thirteen-year-old girl and an eight-year-old son. Polly and Toady. They’re really good kids.”
“I see. So what exactly is your relationship with thisneighbor,” she asked, and Blue knew exactly what she was trying to ask him.
He’d rehearsed it several times and his delivery was flawless when he said, “We’ve become good friends. We have mutual respect for each other and enjoy each other’s company. And I love being around her kids. They’re good kids, and smart too. We do things together and go places together. I’m lucky to have her next door,” he tacked on the end. He hadn’t rehearsed that, but it had just come to him, and it was sure as hell true. Then he decided to just wing it and hoped he wasn’t about to make a huge mistake. “Could I tell you something?”
Ms.Parker stopped her writing and looked up at him. “Please.”
“Well, I just wanted to say… When she turned up on my doorstep, I really didn’t know what to do. But in the time she’s been here, I’ve done things I never thought I’d do and learned things about myself that have made me a better person. I’m a better person because of Indigo. She’s forced me to think about someone other than myself. She makes me want to do better, not just for myself but for her too.”
All she said was, “I see.”I’m talking to you from my heart and all you can say is, “I see?”Blue wanted to scream. “Has she seen a physician?”
Blue straightened his back. “Yes, ma’am. She has. The doctor’s office did some digging and managed to find her previous records. Her mother hadn’t bothered with her immunizations, so I’m having that taken care of now.”
To his surprise, she looked up and smiled. “Good! That’s very good. What did they say about her health?”
“They said she seems perfectly healthy, thank god.”
“Would you mind giving us permission to look at her records?” the woman asked.
Glen had already told him what to say. “Ma’am, I’d like to, but my attorney has advised me against that. He said if you wanted those, you should subpoena them.”
The glare she gave him was frosty. “Oh? Who’s your attorney?”
And Blue was ready. He reached into the pocket of his tee shirt and handed her Glen’s business card. “If you need anything, Mr.Baker will be happy to talk to you.”
With a huff she asked, “How’d you afford someone that well-known?”
Blue shrugged and fought to keep from laughing. “What can I say? I have friends.”
She shook her head and stared down at her legal pad again. “You must have. By the way, how did you afford all the nice baby items? New? That was expensive.”
Now she was just being nosy, and Blue didn’t like that. It took everything he had to calmly say, “Friends. They gave me a baby shower. Nice things. I was really grateful.”
“You seem to have a lot of friends, Mr.Wallace,” she said, planting both hands on her legal pad.
“I’m a likable guy, Ms.Parker. I work hard, try to do a good job at the things I do, and try to keep a decent place,” he said, remembering how he’d mowed the grass on Saturday.
“Hmmm. Yes. I have to say, this is not what I was expecting,” she said, gazing around the room.
Suck that, Galloway!Blue wanted to cheer. The old fucker hadn’t managed to ruin everything after all. “I’m not sure whatyou were expecting, but I hope I exceeded your expectations,” Blue told her.
“Actually, you did, I must say. Based on the report from the caller, I thought you probably lived in a pigsty with garbage piled up four feet high. This place isn’t fancy, but it’s perfectly livable,” she said. “One of my concerns is that you haven’t had a paternity test done yet. Do you have intentions of doing that?”
He knewexactlywhat to say to that?he and Glen had talked about that extensively. “No, ma’am. I don’t have the resources to do that. My attorney said that, with a birth certificate and the note from her mother, if child protective services won’t take that as evidence of her paternity, your agency will have to pay for it. The burden of proof is now on you,” he said, repeating word for word what Glen had told him.
“I see.” Ms.Parker made another note, and Blue wished he could see what she was writing. “Well, Mr.Wallace, I think I’ve seen enough. We’ll be getting in touch with you regarding the next step.” She rose, and Blue did too. “Thank you for your time,” she said and extended a hand.
Blue took it and squeezed it gently. “Thank you, Ms.Parker. I appreciate the work you do to protect children.”
“You’re welcome. Have a nice day,” the woman told him as she headed to the door. But when they reached it, she turned. “You do realize, if you need something for her or have questions, that’s also one of our duties. We’re there to help, Mr.Wallace. We’re not doing this for spite. If we can help you in some way, we’ll be glad to do it.”
That surprised Blue a little. “Oh. Well, thank you for the offer. If there’s anything I think of that I think you might be able to help me with, I’ll be sure to give you a call.”
“Yes, please. And if things change?you get a job, she gets sick, anything?please keep me apprised. If anything bad shouldhappen and we don’t have it documented, that will reflect poorly on you.”
