Chapter 21

For more than an hour Misty led the three around the place. It was so perfect Hawk just couldn’t envision anyone wanting to sell it, nor could he imagine what she wanted for the place. He wanted Maria to see it just to be certain. While they walked back to the house Misty anxiously asked, “Well, what do you think?

Hawk responded, “Misty, I’m not going to play games with you. Personally, I think it’s perfect. I’ll want my wife to see it before I make a decision, but we’re definitely interested.”

“Hawk, I don’t know how much Dennis told you, but I’m under a lot of pressure here, both from my company and the IRS. I need to get back to Seattle immediately. Brenda said you had cash money and Dennis has already done a title search. If you could wire my bank two point six million in the morning I’ll include everything: the furniture, equipment, stock and even the optional land on the sides. I also have an agreement with the Indian Reservation allowing the buyer to assume the lease and renew it for another ninety-nine years.”

A flabbergasted Hawk said, “Misty, please excuse us for a few minutes.”

Hawk led Brenda and Mary Beth outside. There wasn’t much to discuss. They both thought it was a perfect home and the price was more than reasonable. Deciding to get Maria into the decision Hawk called her cell phone, but all he got was her voice mail. Realizing it was probably still at the apartment he called information for the number at the hospital. They not only gave him the number, but they put the call through. He had no problem with the automatic switching service at the hospital, and, in a moment, the phone was ringing in Maria’s room. Andy answered, “Hello?”

“Andy, it’s Hawk, can I talk to Maria?”

“Sure. Here she is.”

“Hi, Hawk.”

“Hi, Chipmunk, do you feel like talking about a house?”

“Sure. Have they found something?”

“Yes, and it’s pretty impressive. Here, I’ll let Brenda and Mary Beth tell you about it.”

While Brenda and Mary Beth handed the phone back and forth describing everything to Maria, Hawk walked over and sat on a bench next to the pond. The ducks all gathered around, waiting for someone to feed them. One male started scolding him for not doing so. When Hawk started talking to them it was almost like they understood, and were answering back. After almost twenty minutes Brenda walked over and handed the phone back to Hawk. It had been in use for so long the battery was actually hot. “Have they talked your ear off?” Hawk asked.

“No, but they make it sound like more than I’d feel comfortable in. Could we just live in the guest house?”

“If that was what you wanted.”

“Mary Beth said I’d get used to it. Hawk, it sounds like so much. But I’ve seen houses go for close to that around here without all that land. Are you sure we can afford something like this?”

“Chipmunk, if you just took my estate and invested it one year’s income would be more than the cost of the house. The biggest concern I have is the distance from school.”

“I can always take more of my classes via the Internet. I think we should do it.”

“Then, my queen, when you come home from the hospital it’ll be to your new castle.”

They exchanged loving good-byes, and Hawk ended the call. He informed Mary Beth and Brenda of the decision, and the three excitedly went back inside to tell Misty. She was on the phone talking to Dennis’s wife, hopeful Hawk would take the deal. When he smiled and nodded, she shouted and jumped for joy, just like a little child.

She handed the phone to Hawk, who advised Dennis of the agreement and the authorization to transfer the funds as she’d requested. Dennis would take care of all the paperwork, including several layers of ownership. There would be nothing that could tie the place back to any of the group. In working through the practical issues, it was decided Misty would leave the keys with Dennis, as well as sign a power of attorney and the quit claim deed. She was going to try to get a flight out that night. Dennis would finish everything in the morning and execute the wire transfer, as well as record the deed. Misty then gave them all a hug and thanked them profusely. An excited threesome climbed into Maria’s Mustang and headed back to the hospital.

When they arrived at Maria’s room they found she was asleep. Andy said Jason had brought her and Maria some clothes and toiletries, along with a beautiful robe for Maria to wear over her hospital gown. When Maria got tired he’d returned to his cabin. Zed was in the waiting room, and took Mary Beth back to his ranch, while Brenda stayed to be with Hawk. A short time later, with Maria still asleep, Hawk and Brenda went back to the apartment. Hawk took his medicine and the capsule that Jason had given him and they headed for bed. They were both exhausted from the long day and just cuddled. In a very short time they were both in a deep sleep.

It was a good thing that they got plenty of sleep, as Monday was an exhausting day. The DNA testing was scheduled for 10:00 a.m., and Hawk wanted to see the child. At 9:00 a.m. he and Brenda arrived at the funeral home, and parked Maria’s Mustang in the back of the rear entrance. A few minutes later Hawk, disguised as a much older man in shabby work clothes and a big straw hat, began using a rented blower to clean the sidewalks and parking lot.

A short time later a large SUV pulled up in front of the rear door. The driver got out and opened the rear door closest to the building. A large man exited first and looked around. His eyes locked on Hawk, but after a few moments, he decided the old man was safe. The bodyguard gave some sort of signal, and the other rear door opened, allowing a second body guard to exit the vehicle on the opposite side. As the second bodyguard watched the parking lot the first helped a small child from the rear of the vehicle. Walking her to the door of the funeral home, they passed within fifteen feet of the disguised Hawk. When Hawk got a good look at her it took all his determination and strength not to collapse. There was no doubt in his mind she was his; she looked like a younger version of his mother. Fighting his emotions Hawk pressed on to finish blowing the debris from the area. When he finished and started working around the side of the building toward the front the second guard went into the building. Brenda, seeing the guard leave, let down the convertible top and pulled out of her parking place. She followed Hawk along the side of the building, gauging her speed so she arrived at the front corner of the building at the same time as Hawk. When she slowed for moment, he threw the blower and hat in the back and jumped in the front seat. He slumped low in the seat, and she sped up and turned into traffic. A block or so away Hawk sat back up in the seat and fastened his seat belt.

“Well, what do you think?” asked Brenda.

“She looks just like my mother. It took everything I had to keep from breaking down and crying, or trying to hold her.”

“So, you’re convinced she’s yours?”

“Without a doubt. The question is, where do we go from here?”

“Hopefully, she’ll lead us to your ex-wife. Beyond that we’ll just have to play it by ear. What do we need to do now?”

“Let’s go back to the apartment and check with Dennis on the house. If we can, I’d say we start making arrangements to move. I suspect it’d be good for Maria to come home to her new house. Besides, I don’t want to be a target for that harpy apartment manager any more than I can help.”

“Sounds good. Let’s swing by to get some boxes and I can start packing while you go to the hospital. And that reminds me, have you taken your medicine this morning?”

“Yes, I have and have you noticed my skin tone?”

“Yes, that makeup does a good job. You’re lighter than Jason or Maria, but you still have a light Indian tone.”

“Brenda, this isn’t makeup. It’s something Jason gave me to take. He said it’s the herbs they used to give captured white children to make them look like Indians, but he’s put it in a capsule. It’s already changing my skin tone, and I’ve only been taking it for a few days. He says in ten days to two weeks I’ll be a close match to the rest of the tribe. It’ll do even better if I can get some sun.”

“Wow! Tan in a pill. Maybe he needs to find a way to market it?”

“In one sense that might be a good idea, but I’m not sure how many would want the reddish part of the tan. It’s the wrong skin tone for a normal tan. It’d be as bad as some of those creams they used to advertise that left you looking more bronze than brown. It’s something we could discuss with Jason though, as there might be something that could be left out or changed to make it look more like a normal tan.”

“Well, it’s definitely worth pursuing.”

They stopped by a U-move place and picked up some standard boxes, as well as some specialty boxes, along with tape, bubble and paper wrap, and markers. When they arrived at the apartment, there were several messages on the answering machine. The first was from Maria about talking to her teachers at the university. It must have come in right after Brenda and he had left to go to the funeral home. The second, third, and fifth calls were from Dennis, while three others were from the apartment manager.

In response to Maria’s message Hawk replied, “Damn, I forgot all about that. Please call her for me. Apologize for me and get the list of her teachers and classes. You can also let her know what we found. I can return Dennis’ calls while you do that.”

“No Problem.”

Hawk immediately called Dennis. When the call got through to him, Dennis said, “Where have you been? We’ve been trying to get you all morning.”

“Sorry, I had to see the little girl. I turned off my cell phone while I was there, and I guess I forgot to turn it back on.”

“You went to the funeral home? Hawk, are you crazy?”

“All they saw was an old Mexican or Indian in a big straw hat blowing the sidewalk. They pretty much ignored me. Now what’s the problem?”

“There are several. First, there’s been a tax lien of twenty-three thousand dollars placed on Misty’s ranch property. It just happened Friday. It seems there was a dispute over one of her dad’s prior tax returns, and it wasn’t handled in a timely manner. The figure she gave you was just to cover the debts she knew about.”

“Change the contract, adding that amount to the total, and stipulate we’ll pay off the lien. When you have everything in place wire the money to the Treasury Department and get it released immediately. What else?”

“We’re having a problem with the California investigation. It seems the local sheriff is in cahoots with the uncle. We’re not sure how to handle it.”

“Dennis, you’re my lawyer. Why do you need my advice?”

“Because, we don’t know whether to tie this thing up in the courts, get the girls out of there first, or what. This is more than a legal question. Besides, as a legal issue, who do we represent? Tom can’t hire us, and the girls are minors.”

“Maybe Tom Jackson can hire you. Find out all you can about the family. Is the Uncle on the father’s side or the mother’s? Are there any known relatives, dead or alive on the other side of the family? Is the will a matter of public record? If it is, get us a copy. Get back to me on this as quickly as possible.”

“Hawk, I’m not following what you might be considering, but I’ll get right on it. Next, were you serious about buying that apartment complex? The owner says it’s been losing money and he’d love to unload it. For an immediate buyout he’ll sell it for the amount left on the mortgage.”

“With that arrogant little bitch as the manager, I can understand why it’s losing money. Let’s do it. Set up an LLC owned by Dan’s and my partnership. Purchase it through that, and have the new mortgage funded at a half over prime by the Apache Trust. As soon as possible I want her fired, along with a complete, surprise audit of the apartment’s records. Also, I’ve got the name of an EMT who would be good as the resident manager.”

Dennis laughed. “Adding to your harem?”

Hawk searched for her number as he answered, “Not really. She’s just someone I met who has a great personality and heart. She’s going through a rough time at the moment, because her mother is dying of cancer and she’s about to lose her mother’s home through foreclosure. I told her I might know someone who could help her.”

“I like the sound of that. What’s her name and phone number?”

“Her name is Alicia Browning and her phone and pager numbers are,” he read the number off the paper and asks, “Anything else?”

Yes. I wanted to bring you up to date concerning the meeting with Bart Benson and Deke at the funeral home. Once all the agreements were properly signed and reviewed they did the three DNA tests. Deke had the technician from Benson’s lab do the instant test. Benson about had a coronary when the guy told him there was no possible match.”

Hawk chuckled. “I’ll bet. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Candice’s when he tells her. Did we learn anything about Candice’s whereabouts?”

“Well, the child arrived with the bodyguards on a plane from Seattle. We’ve identified the two body guards. They are from LA. The notary seal on the agreements and power of attorney were signed by Candice in New Jersey. The girl is presently on her way to Boston, accompanied by those same bodyguards. We are still shadowing them.”

Hawk replied, “Which means, at this point, we don’t know squat.”

“Well we know on Friday morning, Candice was in Union City, New Jersey.”

“Which is where?”

“Hawk, according to my map it’s on the Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel. Probably the closest place out of state someone from Mid-Town Manhattan could go. Is that where we start our search?”

Earlier, after Melissa and the two bodyguards were placed on the plane to Boston Bart Benson unhappily called his client, advising her of the results of the instant test.

She screamed, “What did you say?”

“I said our own chosen technician says there was no way this could be a match. I saw him take the sample, we checked fingerprints, and I verified the injuries. There’s no doubt the body was that of John Grayson.”

“Damn. Is there any chance the instant test could have been tampered with?”

“No, Deke Templeton made sure everything was as honest and above board as he could. I even broke the seal on the kit myself.”

“Who’s Deke Templeton?”

“He’s the new litigation partner in their firm. Previously, he was the state’s Assistant Attorney General. I understand the governor did almost everything to get him to stay but ride naked through the City of Phoenix. He has the reputation of being a good guy, balanced, and fair. Everything I’ve seen concerning this DNA thing bears that out.”

Slowly as the reality of everything hit Candice, she replied, “Then I guess your job is finished. I’ll send you the agreed upon amount within a few days.”

When she hung up, Candice walked over to the bar and fixed herself a large glass of Dubonnet Rouge over ice. She walked to the window and looked down across Madison Avenue at Central Park, and the sun setting over the Hudson River. As she stared intently, her mind was pondering what to do now.

This was the first bump in the plans she and William Brockman had devised more than seven years ago. What was worse was William was unavailable for advice. He was on a yacht somewhere in the Arabian Sea with a bunch of Arab millionaires trying to get them to invest in a new Las Vegas style resort planned for an island off the coast of India and Pakistan. If this venture was successful they’d be set for life.

The key question, she thought, is what to do about the girl? Candice had felt certain she’d stripped that little wimp of everything, but when she found she was pregnant she decided to keep the child as insurance, and as a means to get anything she might have missed the first time. She was sure John’s partner had pulled a fast one concerning the supposed morals clause in the partnership agreement, but she had no proof. Melissa was to be her means to get any of it that was still in John’s name.

Well, she was sure it wasn’t William’s, and she didn’t remember screwing anyone else at that time. That was why she’d been so sure it was John’s child. Now, with that option gone she didn’t want William to think the brat was his, or question she might have had another lover besides him. At that point she decided, ‘I’ll definitely have to do something about the child before he returns.’

Right after his mid-morning conversation with Dennis, Hawk took the list Brenda had gotten from Maria and went to the University. It took him a while, but he was eventually able to find all her teachers. After explaining the situation they advised him they’d make the lectures available to her via the Internet. The classes were already being taped for future use in Internet classrooms, and they would set it up so she could access them from home when she was stronger. Again, she only had the two projects to actually turn in by the following fall, so she should have plenty of time to recover. It was shortly after 3:00 p.m. when Hawk arrived back at the apartment. While Hawk was bringing Brenda up to date about the visit to the school, Hawk’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hawk, it’s Dennis. I’ve got a couple of updates for you.”

“Anything more about my daughter?”

“No. They’re still on the plane to Boston. I do have good news about the house, though; the deal is done. When do you want to move in?”

Hawk answered, “Maria will be in surgery tomorrow morning at ten-forty-five. I imagine they’ll release her Wednesday or Thursday, and I’d like to take her straight to her new home. Brenda has already started packing, so I’m hoping we can actually move tomorrow afternoon.”

“That sounds good. Why don’t you have Brenda come get the keys and such this afternoon?”

“I can do that. Also, I need you to open an account set up at a local bank in the name of Robert or Maria Gray Hawk. I figure to start with a hundred thousand, and I need ATM Cards or some cash immediately.”

“Hang on just a second.” Moments later Dennis returned to the phone and said, “Sorry about that. The account was set up last week, but in all the activity of the past few days it just fell through the cracks. We just used our office for the address. Brenda can pick up Maria’s and your ATM cards and some checks when she comes for the house keys.”

“Good. Don’t we also need to add Brenda to the account?”

“Hawk, I wouldn’t recommend it. She has her own account, covered by the trust. That keeps her slightly separated from you and Maria if it’s ever required.”

“You know what’s best. By the way, what’s the pin number?”

“Your mother’s date of birth.”

Hawk replied, “That will work. What about the apartment deal?”

“It should be done by Friday. The owner has agreed to an immediate audit, the firing of the current manager, and the immediate placement of our manager. Alicia was ecstatic over the offer, and will be moving into a vacant unit by the weekend. After the bitch was let go Alicia talked to the assistant manager and convinced her to stay.”

“Dennis that sounds good. What about the Jacksons? Any information there?”

“No, but we’re still working on it.”

“Good. Do you know if your secretary has the standard representation letter in the computer?”

To read this story you need a Registration + Premier Membership
If you have an account, then please Log In or Register (Why register?)

Support the author's future writing by purchasing this book from Bookapy

The Hawk and the Chipmunk

Mike Lowe aka The Scot

$5.95