Chapter 7: Torn Between Two Fathers

Expecting a battle to get Bobby into counseling, Jennifer requested an injunction. The hearing date was a week away. Chad attempted to call Molly, but she ignored him. Jess met with them that afternoon after business hours, appearing more smug than usual.

“This is like taking candy from a fat kid!” she grinned, setting a medium duffle on the conference table. Paul joined them and accepted a water bottle from his wife. Chad took one and sat down.

“What do you have, Jess?” Paul asked her as he loosened his tie.

“Well, they aren’t very original,” she replied, “they retained Josh Perkins to represent them again.”

Jenn’s husband rolled his eyes and looked at his client. “Perkins & Pratt represented Franky D during the wrongful death suit,” he explained, “They are second-rate criminal attorneys, at best, and family law is not in their repertoire.”

Jennifer grinned and looked through her phone contacts. “I’ll contact him tomorrow morning to set up a meeting.” She jotted a quick note. “Since your ex tore up the petition, he will need another copy.”

“What can I do in the meantime?” Chad asked.

Jess leered at him. “Well ... PD. I can think of a few things.”

Jennifer noticed Chad’s blush and looked askance at her twin. “What happened to PB?”

“Oh no!” she smirked, “It’s PD.”

“What, pray tell, is a ‘PD’?” Paul asked dubiously

“Honey, you don’t want to know,” Jen smiled at him. The twins looked at each other and burst out giggling. “Piledriver!” they exclaimed simultaneously.

Chad looked down at the table while his attorney buried his face in his hands.

“Seriously though,” Jen added, “keep a low profile. There was a threat against your life, so we want you out of the picture until the hearing next week.”

Paul nodded. “Copies and transcripts of the surveillance from Franky’s house have been ‘anonymously’ tipped to both the FBI and the AG’s office.” His expression was hardly benign. “That will make it a federal case unlikely to be ignored.”

“If it is,” Jess added, “it will be sent to a couple of news anchors who aren’t swayed by threats.”

Jennifer nodded. “It will be leaked regardless once the court hears the petition. That’s when we go Battle Mode.”

Everyone glanced at her curiously as she took a sip from her bottle. She glared back, “What? It sounds cool when Spencer says it.”

They stood in the hallway at the courthouse a week later, waiting to plead their case. Molly and Franky stood aside with their rotund attorney and Chad’s three children. She had denied him every time he tried to speak to Bobby. When the youngest spotted his father in the hallway, he jerked away from his mother’s grip and rushed to embrace him. “Dad!” he wept as he clung to Chad’s shirt. The commotion drew stares, but the two were indifferent as they hugged tightly.

“When will you come home?” the boy sobbed against his chest. “I hate this!”

Chad held back tears as he hugged his son and reassured him quietly. He looked up into Molly’s hateful eyes. His jaw clenched in anger, and he looked away in disgust. Franky Jr. looked bored. The obese man in the ill-fitting suit stared at the two sharply dressed attorneys, then glanced away uncomfortably.

They were ushered into the courtroom and took separate positions on either side before the bench. They rose respectfully upon the magistrate’s entry, and the hearing was called to order. A stenographer sat off to the side, recording every word.

Paul presented their plea and reasoning for Bobby to be placed into counseling and described the child’s hardship due to his uncertain parentage and Chad’s concern for his welfare. He also submitted a custodial petition claiming Molly had denied him visitations since being served. The judge looked up with a frown at the woman and her attorney before scanning over the list of grievances.

After a moment, he looked up, “Mr. Perkins, would your client like to respond?”

“Indeed, we would, your honor,” he replied, standing.

They defended their position by accusing Chad of alienating his family for years and abandoning them recently. He contended that the husband posed a valid and dangerous threat to his estranged wife and children and presented a counter-petition for full custody with an additional restraining order prohibiting Chad from being within 500 yards of them.

Mr. Perkins presented Billy and Bethany as adult character witnesses. Billy readily took the stand and eagerly answered the attorney’s questions.

“Tell us, William, was your father a good figure while you grew up?” he asked.

“Well, I guess maybe—” he stammered, avoiding his father’s gaze. “I mean ... he was never really there, you know? He was always gone, and we never saw him,” he muttered, staring at his hands.

Chad whispered into Paul’s ear, who was scratching notes on his pad.

Mr. Perkins waved toward Molly and Frank. “Would you say your Uncle Frank acted as your surrogate father?”

Billy nodded but didn’t look up. “Oh, for sure! He has always been there for us. He helped Mom out a lot to raise us. He even bought us things for school and college.”

“What did your Uncle Frank provide for you and your sister?” Mr. Perkins continued.

“Oh, he bought us new clothes, cell phones, and laptops,” the boy answered excitedly. “He even got Bethany and me cars for college!”

Chad whispered to Paul again as the fat lawyer summed up his argument. “Did your father ever provide you anything?”

Billy scoffed. “Heck No!” he exclaimed, “his favorite word is—No!”

The judge looked skeptically at the defendants and nodded to Paul. “Would you like to cross-examine Counselor?”

Paul rose and straightened his suit. “Yes. Thank you, your honor.” He approached the bench and looked calmly at the nervous young man. “Billy—may I call you Billy?” The boy nodded and swallowed nervously.

Paul smiled warmly. “Thank you. Billy, do you know why your father was gone ‘all’ the time?”

“Yeah, sorta. He was off doing war stuff, I guess.”

“By ‘war stuff,’ you mean he was deployed with the US Navy, defending our country. Is that correct?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Paul nodded and crossed his arms. “And after he left the Navy, he worked for a Petroleum company in Nebraska, where he was gone for two weeks at a time—is that correct?”

Billy began fidgeting nervously as he nodded hesitantly.

“Will your honor interpret that as confirmation?” Paul asked the judge, who nodded.

“Did your mother work during this time?” he continued.

“Objection!” Mr. Perkins stood, “Your honor, raising three children is a full-time job!”

Paul conceded with a nod to the other attorney. “I’m only establishing that Mr. Hartley provided a great deal for his family during these expressed absences.”

The judge nodded again, “Understood, Mr. Bradley, continue.”

Paul turned back to the young man on the stand. “So, your father may have been absent at times, but he maintained a presence in the lives of you and your siblings, correct?”

Billy scoffed, “Not much of one.”

Paul frowned at him. “Tell me, Billy, did your father ever help you with your homework growing up?”

“Well ... yeah.”

“I also understand you and your sister were involved in school sports. Did your father participate?”

Billy flushed and muttered, “Yes.”

“How did he participate in your baseball, football, and track events?” Paul probed innocently.

“He ... coached me ... um, us.”

Paul nodded and held his chin as he faced the group. “Billy, who taught you to drive?”

The young man sighed heavily, “Dad did.”

“Thank you, Billy.” Paul stepped over to his table, then turned back. “But he wouldn’t buy you a car, correct?”

Billy nodded. “Exactly! Uncle Frank didn’t mind at all,” he exclaimed.

Paul nodded. “Did your father ever tell you why he wouldn’t buy you a car?”

“He said I wasn’t responsible enough,” he muttered angrily.

“I see.” He stepped around to his seat and paused before sitting down. “One last thing, young man,” he gestured. “What is the status of the new truck from your uncle?”

Gasps came from the defendant’s table, and Billy turned bright, looking down sheepishly.

“Answer the question,” ordered the judge.

“I wrecked it.”

“Your honor. We have striking testimony to show Mr. Hartley’s devotion to his children,” Paul stated later. “Whether the two oldest believe it or not. We feel it behooves the court to see to the emotional well-being of the younger child. Even though Bobby isn’t Mr. Hartley’s biological child—he is listed on the birth certificate as the parent and has provided for him since birth.” He waved his arm toward the defendant’s table. “Unlike his real father.”

“Objection!” Mr. Perkins rose frantically to his feet. “Paternity of the youngest child was never established in court.”

“Perhaps not, your honor, but independent laboratory tests established this as fact, and if the court pleases, it can be verified easily enough.” Paul rebuked him.

“Alright, that’s enough,” the judge barked, striking his gavel. He glared at the portly attorney. “Mr. Perkins, is your client Mr. Discarsio, the biological father of Robert Hartley?”