My legal system is loosely based, yet quite different, from that which those with legal backgrounds practice. Those legal beagles leave snide comments, but if I can raise the ire of an attorney that's a good thing, right? They'll just bill their time spent bitching to every case they're currently working on anyway. Have to get those billable hours by hook or by crook.
Elton John; Bernie Taupin: "Burn down the mission, if we're gonna stay alive. Watch the black smoke fly to heaven, see the red flame light the sky."
= = = =
Cary and Donette were your typical young suburban couple. Met in college. Partied hard until they decided they were meant to be together and then began to settle down. Both got degrees and found good jobs in the same city. A few years after the wedding bells chimed they welcomed their only child Chelsea into the world. That was about nine months ago. Chelsea has Donette's nose and Cary's chin. Thankfully her hands and feet look like her mother's as Cary has a rugged build. No female should have man-hands like the Statue of Liberty. Wait! Is Ms. Liberty a cross-dresser? Damn those French people!
As a reporter for Channel Eight, Donette had been ripe for the picking when she interviewed Byron Wesler about the upcoming election. He was a charmer and excluded confidence. She initially resisted the temptation but he was a skilled predator.
With her bylines about subjects that even the most seasoned reporters couldn't get, rumors began to question how Donette was securing those interviews with people close to Byron. Said rumors spreading implied spreading was involved. Reporters can be such a pissy bunch not to mention that they're a jealous lot as well. Let's face it, competing organizations relish spreading dirty laundry. Never let the truth spoil a good story. Donette's once or twice a week on-air time easily doubled as she became a fan favorite during and after her successful pregnancy.
+ + + +
In what can only be called a well rehearsed tactical strike, moments after a certain motel room shut, a man in black rushed to a sedan and popped the lock in under ten seconds. Another person in a flowing black cape rushed the car and spent about thirty seconds doing something in the back seat. Car doors closed and locked with the sound of a click and the pair darted around the side of the building.
A minute later a frantic lady burst through the front door and rushed to the registration desk. In a loud panic-stricken voice "There's a BABY locked in a car in your parking lot!"
It was approaching ninety degrees out and only expected to get hotter. The desk clerk immediately called the police. The woman reporting the situation made herself scarce.
Before the smoke from the skidding police tires had dissipated, a Channel Six news van arrived on the scene as well. Cue the NCIS music as it was starting to look like a film production set in the parking lot. How the Channel Six team knew to be there would be questioned down the line.
Equipped with the tools of the trade, the police had no problem popping the lock on the sedan and freeing the sleeping baby from her likely death chamber. The other officers spread out banging on doors to find either Cary or Donette Hargrove, the names found on the vehicle registration in the glove box. It didn't take long.
Mrs. Donette Hargrove, covered with a bedspread, was ushered from her room. The news crew seemed more interested in the gentleman hiding behind the door. Rumors were circulating that it was State Senator Byron Wesler. It was none other than the desk clerk spreading those rumors. Mr. Wesler was the man who'd paid for the room so the clerk was fairly certain of his claims.
Audio eavesdropping picked up the conversation between Donette and the police shortly after Donette was read her Miranda rights.
"You are under arrest for child abuse, criminal neglect, and reckless endangerment of a minor. Other charges may be filed if the child is deemed to have suffered any side or permanent effects from your attempt to murder her."
"NO! I did NOT leave her in the car! You don't understand! I dropped Chelsea off at my mother-in-law's house not more than an hour ago. Call her! I don't know how Chelsea ended up in the back seat of my car."
"Sorry Mrs. Hargrove but we are required to get Child Protection Services involved. You are facing some serious jail time for placing your daughter's life at risk."
"But I didn't! I would never do that!"
"Much like you would never break a wedding vow. Am I right?"
His snide comment was like a gut punch. It finally occurred to her that everyone would know she was a cheater. Her fate was sealed when the Channel Six reporter, who she had met several times before, called out "Hey Donette! Any comment?"
Like a scene from a fraternity toga party, a bedspread covered Donette was handcuffed and placed in the back seat of the squad car. She begged the officer to call her mother-in-law and gave him her number.
A minute later the officer returned "Sorry Mrs. Hargrove but your mother-in-law says she turned you away this morning as she had errands to run and was unable to watch Chelsea."
Knowing she'd been set up, Donette sat and fumed. Her life was unraveling before her eyes. She felt a pain in her chest knowing that Cary knew about her affair. He had to understand that this was just work related. Then she shivered knowing that Cary would not be very forgiving.
"Have you checked the surveillance cameras?" Donette pleaded.
"Yes ma'am. They were not in operation today" from the stoic officer.
Donette was pissed at him referring to her as 'ma'am'. At twenty-eight she was far too young to be addressed that way.
"See! They did that on purpose. I didn't leave my baby in the car. Someone put her there."
"So you say. You'll have a chance to call someone who cares after you're booked. Good luck conjuring up whatever kind of spin you're going to put on this."
"Why are we still sitting here then?"
"I wanted you to see Child Protection Services taking your child away from you, hopefully permanently" with a touch of snide righteousness in his voice.
Tears broke out despite Donette's attempt to arrest them. Surely they wouldn't take her daughter away from her, would they?
+ + + +
"Hey Cary, call for you on line two."
"This is Cary."
"Mr. Hargrove, this is Wanda Richards from Child Protection Services. We have your daughter Chelsea with us."
"Excuse me? Child Protection Services? I'm confused. How did you end up with my daughter? Has she been injured?"
"Well sir, your wife left Chelsea in her car while she entertained a man in a motel room. The police were called and they, in turn, called us to rescue the child. As far as we can tell there are no outstanding court cases involving you so you are free to drop by and retrieve your daughter. We have received a restraining order barring your wife from coming within five hundred feet of your daughter."
"Um, wow. That's a lot to digest. Of course I'll come get Chelsea. Where are you located?"
Information was exchanged. Cary was in a daze. As a computer programmer he could get a little time off with a simple request. His elevator reached the ground floor before Cary realized he had not asked for the time off. Shaking off the daze he took the elevator back to his floor.
"Hey Cary. You look like your dog died" from one of his cubicle neighbors.
"Worse than that. I gotta go see Glen."
A minute later "Um, Glen, I have a serious family issue. I need to pick up my daughter from Child Protection Services."
Glen looked him in the eyes "That's a new one. Are you alright? You seem distraught."
"They said Donette was in a motel room and left my daughter in the car."
"In this heat? Oh wow, that's crazy. GO! Call me if you need tomorrow off."
Like a man walking to his execution Cary made his way to his car. An hour later Chelsea and he were reunited. His drive home failed to uncoil the knot in his stomach. Donette in a motel? Was she doing an interview? Was it the unthinkable? That lady did say 'entertaining a man.'
Chelsea needed changed and a bottle warmed. Once she was fed he played with her until she started acting cranky. Rocking in his recliner, with Chelsea's head in his chest, his mind continued to swirl. Tenderly he put the sleeping child in her crib.
Turning on the television he caught the news. They were all over a story about the reporter leaving her child in her car while she had a rendezvous with State Senator Byron Wesler. Cary felt like hitting something. How could she? He was on the warpath and within an hour was filling out online forms in preparation for meeting with a family lawyer. They hadn't built up a nest egg but Cary took the steps the divorce website laid out.
+ + + +
'Cary, I've been arrested. My parents are still on their cruise so I need you to post bail for me. It's a complete misunderstanding. Also, could you find a lawyer to represent me?'
Donette slumped in the chair. Her 'one' call had been relegated to messages. Where was he? Did he ignore her call intentionally?
Ushered back to her cell she waited patiently. 'Be patient' worked for the first two days, but had now worn thin. The bottled water was turning to tears at an increasingly faster pace.
Her sprits perked up when the deputy came calling.
"Someone to see you. You know the drill. Same as your phone call. Shackles on."
Donette figured that the man standing there was the lawyer Cary had arranged for her. Quite the contrary.
"Donette Hargrove, you've been served."
"Served? What the hell does that mean?"
"Have a good day."
"Come back here and answer my question! What does 'served' mean?"
The deputy roughly herded Donette back to her cell. Only after the handcuffs were off did her world turn an even more putrid scent of shit. It was divorce papers and Cary was seeking full custody of Chelsea citing Donette as an unfit mother. Also, there was a copy of the restraining order keeping her away from Chelsea. Rarely heard combinations of four-letter words echoed for several minutes followed by the sound of a woman crying in despair.
When paraded before the bench, Donette explained to the judge that her husband hadn't returned her call and as such she had no legal representation. The judge allowed her to phone her grandparents. A few hours later a young attorney sat across from her orange jumpsuit. Gone was the make-up from days ago and also the swagger of a successful reporter with a promising career. They spent over an hour together as Donette accused everyone she could think of remotely connected to her husband's family. Going over her options they would demand a jury trial after pleading 'Not Guilty'.
As Donette was deemed harmless, her lawyer succeeded in getting her released on 'Own Recognizance'. That's where the judge simply releases you on a promise to appear at your next court date based upon the fact that you have established ties to the community and are not a risk to yourself or others.
Once reunited with her cell phone, Donette called Cary and he answered promptly.
"Hey how's the investigative slut reporter? Dogging for news stories? What do you want?"
"Is Chelsea safe?"
