Page 10 of The Enforcer

Her cousin looked puzzled. “Then why did they allow Zoe to stay with Britney in the first place? No offense, but she was an addict. A recovering one or not, she certainly wasn’t capable of being guardian to a little kid.”

Mary got up, shaking a little. “You know where Britney and I met. Zoe has an uncle who likes to drink.” She didn’t need say more.

Jazzy’s eyes almost turned feral. “That uncle will get Zoe over my dead body.”

She loved her cousin, who was like a sister. No, she was better than her own sister. Because, as usual, when she needed Gina the most, she was nowhere to be found.

Zoe emerged from her room, dressed in jeans and a pink sweater, holding Spidey in her arms. Unlike her own sister, Mary wasn’t going to abandon Zoe to her fate.

She took Zoe’s hand and they went outside, following Mrs. Wilson.

***

The last few hours had been the worst hours of her life. Zoe had cried, then screamed, and eventually begged Mary to not leave her behind. She hadn’t asked about Britney once, which worried Mary for an entirely different reason than one might think. It was the frown on Mrs. Wilson’s face when she asked Zoe about her sister, and Zoe still kept sobbing for Mary. It was the way Mrs. Wilson’s pencil had started scribbling in her dreaded notebook, as if she was putting another stripe on it, and it wasn’t one in favor of Mary.

Mary was absolutely heartbroken when she returned to her apartment. She was met by Jazzy and Tommie, still sitting in her living room.

“How did it go?” Jazzy asked.

Mary dropped onto the couch, feeling like crying herself. She kept seeing Zoe’s crushed face. The girl didn’t understand what had just happened. One minute, they were having breakfast, and the next, she was left behind with strangers. She just didn’t understand, because she always went back home with Mary. Which wasn’t healthy, perhaps, but it was better than being in a group home. Perhaps it had been wrong to let Zoe get so dependent on her, but she loved that kid. She wasn’t giving her up without a fight.

“I need help, Jaz. You should have seen Zoe’s face. The hurt, the disappointment. She doesn’t understand. A six-year-old doesn’t care about laws and blood relatives. We were going to…” She hiccupped. “Tonight is cupcake night.”

Jazzy handed her a tissue. “I spoke to a lawyer and we have an appointment in an hour. Let’s go.”

“Wait. What? When did you have time to speak to a lawyer?”

Jazzy gave her a look. “Um, you’re forgetting that my brother-in-law is one. Jackson’s area isn’t family law, but I’m sure he can help us out.”

“We will figure this out, Mary,” Tommie assured her. “That little girl still owes me a batch of cookies for losing atMario Kart.”

If it had been his intention to make her smile, it worked. Those two were always holding some kind of video game tournament which was just another reminder of how much Zoe enriched her life.

“We’ll get you the best lawyer in town,” Jazzy promised.

“I don’t think I can afford the best of anything,” Mary admitted. “How about a ‘good enough’ lawyer?”

“Could you please, for once, leave your pride at the door?” Jazzy sounded exasperated. “You didn’t accept anything from me after Grandfather died and the mansion was sold, and I respected that choice. I even pretend to be okay with you living in the bad part of town. But this is a little kid we’re talking about. Please, let me help you. Isn’t this what family is for?”

Mary didn’t have much to bring against that logic, or anything at all, really, so she gave in.

They went over to Detta Tower to meet with Jazzy’s brother-in-law. Like all the Detta brothers, Jackson sported jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. Mary knew him to be the most analytical-minded brother, a trait she could really use right now.

Jackson ushered them into his office where he stood against the San Francisco skyline that was filled with sky scrapers, dominated by the Transamerica Pyramid building.

He got straight to business, as he was prone to do.

“Ladies, Tommie.” Then he looked straight at her. “I’ve been on the phone with a friend of mine. He’s one of the top family law lawyers of San Fran. Since he won’t be back in town for the next few days, I took the liberty of hiring him for you. I already received a message that he has petitioned for temporary custody. There will be an emergency hearing within a week.”

Mary groaned. “A whole week?”

“Within a week. In judicial time, that usually means about five work days.” His eyes zoomed in on her. “How old are you, Mary?”

“Twenty-one. I know that’s young, but I’ve been taking care of Zoe since she was three. Britney and I met at the shelter three years ago.”

Jackson didn’t make any notes. She remembered he had an eidetic memory. “What about Zoe’s father?”

“There’s no name on the birth certificate. Britney told me once that her mother didn’t have a clue who the guy was.”

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