Chapter 3

Dad made it in twenty minutes. He came through the door. I was sitting in the living room watching as he came into the kitchen. "Where is he? You shouldn't have let a stranger into the house."

"I spoke from the chair I was sitting in. "There is no one, Dad. I wanted to see you and I knew you wouldn't come home just to see me."

"What in the hell do you want? I thought I'd seen the last of you. You can turn around and get out."

"Does that hold for me too, Daddy? It has been three years since I've had a chance to visit." Andrea put in her two words.

"Yes, you too. There is nothing here for you to hang around for. You get out too."

Mother stepped from the bedroom, facing her husband. "Remember me, Aden? I'm your loving wife. You know, the one with a felony on her record."

Dad was speechless. Then, "I divorced you. I'm married to Sandra now."

"That's funny. There is no record of a divorce. Not here and not in Vermont."

Sandra spoke. "That tells me that I'm not married and that I have three illegitimate children. I wonder what the law is going to say about that."

"Barbara will want a divorce and we can be married. No problem."

We all stared at my father. He realized it wasn't going to work. "Okay, what do you want? Who set this up? You, Barbara?"

"No, but I certainly am in accord with what Adrian is doing. He has figured out how he and Andrea can recover their inheritance. I think he has figured out how much I am due as well. I want it all back."

"I guess that can be arranged."

"You didn't let me finish. There is more. We feel that Sandra and her children need protection and should be compensated for the situation you have placed them in."

"Are you speaking for her? She is nothing to you."

"No Dad, I'm speaking for her. She is going to get her money back just the same as your first family. We may leave you something, but you are going to set up a fund for your three kids from your own really flush Money Market account. I figure there might be about $10,000 left in it when we walk out the bank door."

"No way in hell am I going to agree to this."

"Her name is on the account, or, how does three years in prison and a $200,000 fine for bigamy sound? That is the average sentence."

"You bastard, you can't do it. You can't make me give up all I've worked for. It took me twenty-six years to put this in place."

"Yes, and think of all the heartbreak and pain you have caused us. If we take your assets, you still haven't paid your whole debt. You denied Mom the pleasure of seeing Andrea and me grow up. You took our loving mother from us and made us think she was dead. You--you never told us you loved us. You couldn't, because you didn't."

I couldn't go on for a minute. "Okay, we have some business to transact at the bank. All of the CDs are going to be put in our names. Hey, that is pretty neat, you keeping track of the money for us. You thought that would keep you out of jail. It will, but then you won't have the money either. So let's go. Dad I'll ride with you. I don't think Mom wants to be in the same vehicle. Sandy, would you drive Mom and Andrea?"

Dad drove. He was pissed and didn't know where to turn. He was mumbling under his breath. "What did you say? Speak louder."

"Son-of-a-bitch, son-of-a-bitch, son-of-a-bitch." Dad was repeating this over and over. Before we turned down the avenue where the bank was located, he pulled to the curb. "I'm not doing it. There is no way you can force me." He looked hopefully at me thinking I would capitulate.

I just pulled my cell phone out and started dialing. "Hello, may I speak to someone about my father? I think he has more than one woman he--"

I was cut off by Dad screaming, "Okay, you get your money." He started the car and pulled back into traffic. I could see that Sandra was right behind me when I looked out the side mirror. Dad was very unhappy, but resigned. Did I feel sorry for him? Some, but he had screwed up so many lives. That wasn't all, I figured he wasn't through doing this to one of us either. That would be Sandra and she was being treated just as we had been a dozen years earlier.

We still had no idea what he had planned for Sandy. It probably wouldn't have been the same thing that he had done to Mom. After all, there were three young kids involved--all under seven years of age. He should have had a smidgen of affection for them. "How are you going to handle this, Dad? Am I going to have to worry about you causing trouble in the bank?"

"No, I will play it straight. I am worried about Sandra having the same name as mine. There can't be two Mrs. Hunters. What will I say if they start asking questions?"

"Dad, you make a terrible con man. I can think of dozens of ways you could have done better in setting up a way to get rich off of other people. You have left so many loopholes in your planning."

"Maybe, but that doesn't get me out of this problem. You tell me if you are so damned smart."

"Try coming up with an imaginary much younger brother that has passed away. She can be your sister-in-law. That should get you out of this particular problem. I predict that someday though, you are going to wish that you had taken the love Mom had for you and returned it. Now have you got straight what we want from you? You are going to have to act as if this is all your idea. Any glitch and we know you can be in a cell by evening. Repeat how you are going to do this."

"Yes. CDs that you and I own together transferred to your name. Andrea gets the same treatment. My wife Barbara and I are separating and she gets the CDs and I get the house. That's the story. What Sandra gets is what I have been holding for her in her dead husband's memory. The same with half the MM account for his children."

"No, you keep $10,000. All of the rest goes to her dependent children."

"You are some kind of bastard. How did I ever sire you?"

"If I can stand to be in the same room with you, we'll have to talk about who is the worst sometime. I think it is you."

We drove into the bank parking lot. Sandra pulled up next to us and we all got out. I spoke to Sandy. "If Dad has to explain your having the same last name, you were married to his younger brother, Allen. He is so sad and offered to watch your money until you got on your feet. Now he is transferring the money back to you and your children. Have you got that? Don't volunteer anything else."

Sandra giggled. "Oh yes, you were quite fond of your Uncle Allen as I remember." Dad couldn't see the humor.

It really did go quite smoothly inside. Mom wanted her funds distributed to Andrea and myself, equally. I was surprised, as was Sis. Then I remembered that Dad was going to be named in a divorce suit very shortly. Mom didn't want her money in her name. We would square up at a later date. Mom excused herself while Sandra was getting her funds into separate accounts and went outside.

The bank was pleased the funds were not leaving this institution. Mom came back in and heard the banker ask Dad if his other accounts needed updating. Mom spoke for him. "Just give us a list and I will advise him. He really is doing a wonderful job of managing our money."

Dad looked pretty disgusted that he had to disclose to us that he had more money than what we had known about. He could have killed the banker and wanted to tell him not to bother. I had my cell phone in my hand. We got the list and Mom put it in her pocket. This concluded our business inside the bank.

There were two men standing at the foot of the steps leading into the bank. One stepped forward. "Mr. Aden Hunter residing at 737 Cactus Lane?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You have been served." Dad looked stunned as the process server handed him some papers. He first looked at Sandy and then at Mom.

"It was me, Aden. I'm suing for a divorce."

"Okay Barbara, I expected that you would. You certainly haven't lost any time." Dad's troubles were not over.

The other person that was standing at the bottom of the steps, flashed a badge and came up and circled behind my father.

"Mr. Aden Hunter, put your hands behind your back. There has been a claim that you are a bigamist. I'm taking you down to headquarters to get it straightened out. You may call your attorney from there." He was read his rights as the handcuffs were put on his wrists. His spirit broken, Dad was shoved into a cruiser.

Sandy spoke then. "I made the charge. Barbara, would you provide your marriage certificate to back up my complaint? I'm to go down to the precinct in a half hour to confirm. It would help if you went with me." She turned to me. "Adrian, would you get the children from Miss Harris's care and take them home? They trust you. Tell them I have some business and will be home as soon as I can."

"Okay, sure. Andrea, you're in this with me. The kids don't know you as well as they do me. It is time you got to know them."

I related to Rena what had taken place at the bank. While Andrea was getting the kids ready to leave, I pulled Rena aside and told her that Mom had my father served and Sandy had him arrested on a complaint of bigamy. "You know Dad is crushed. I could almost feel sorry for him. I suspect he will be spending some time in jail while this is all sorted out."

"Don't forget that your father has caused everyone connected to him a lot of pain. It is time for him to feel some now."

"You are right of course. I wonder if right at this moment he wishes he could have a do-over. It certainly isn't going to happen." Andrea and I waited until after seven that evening before Sandra and Mom arrived at the house.

"He is in jail tonight. He will be arraigned sometime tomorrow on a charge of bigamy. He made his one phone call. Bail will be set when he is charged. The policeman said it would be high. They are going to take into consideration his leaving Vermont and coming to Texas. To them, that indicates a risk of flight."

"I didn't know you were going to have him arrested. That was a total surprise. I threatened him with it to get him to give up the accounts. This really must have been a shock to him."

"Adrian, I don't know what my position is in all of this. I was advised to get a restraining order to keep him away from here. I have done that. Aden doesn't even have a place to call home anymore. It is going to be equally hard for me to survive. I'm not trained for anything. The worst of it is, I don't know if I have done the right thing."

"I'm sure you have done what is best for you."

"Adrian, would you go to the arraignment with me in the morning? I want to meet Aden's lawyer and see what I'm up against before I hire one to see to my interests."

"You should have one already."

"I know, but the police said it would be a few days before I needed one to speak for me."

"I guess. I'll pick you up then. Do you want me or Andrea to stay here tonight with you?"

"You. The children know you best. They always get so excited when they know you are coming."

"I get kind of excited myself." Sandra flashed me a glance, but didn't hold it. Maybe I was still a teenager to her--one that was growing up. She couldn't think that. I was twenty-two. I honestly didn't have any hidden meanings. At least until she glanced at me.

Aden was brought before the judge in the morning. It was found out at that time that my father hadn't hired an attorney. His one call was to his place of business. When he told why he wanted the day off Monday, after asking for Friday off, he was told that they didn't need him anymore.

There were several exchanges between Aden and the judge, ending by the judge asking how he pled.

"Guilty as charged, your honor."

"I won't accept that. Get yourself an attorney. Bailiff see that he is represented by next week Thursday. When he is represented, I'll consider bail. Until then he is remanded to his cell."

I went around to the desk sergeant and asked to visit my father. I had ten minutes with him. At first he wouldn't speak. "Dad you have to get a lawyer. Sandra needs to have the children's situation defined. You can't do this sitting in a cell."

"I blame you for this, Adrian. You said if I turned over the accounts, I wouldn't be in trouble. Now look at me. No job, no home, and almost no money."

"Dad, you are going to have a lot of time to think in the next few days. Think about who is to blame for your situation. I'll admit, I didn't realize that Mom and Sandra were going to be as vindictive as they are. I can understand it. Mom spent time in prison and you denied Sis and me a mother for ten years. Sandra has three kids, who you apparently don't give a damn about. Her life is totally screwed up."

I had said enough. I wrapped on the door to be let out. Before it opened, I contained my wrath. "Dad, is there anything you need?"

"Yes, get me a lawyer."

When I got back to Sandra's house, Mom was there and they were discussing hiring an attorney together. I advised against it. "There may be some conflict between you two at some time. Get separate ones. Dad wants a lawyer now and I'm going to hire him one. That doesn't mean I'm at cross purposes with you, but he has a right to one." I laughed. "That's the future attorney in me speaking." Sandra and Mom both smiled.

Rena Harris had to return to her classroom on Monday. The school administration had covered her being out for personal reasons by hiring a substitute. It was nearly the end of the term, with only three weeks to finish. Mom and Andrea were heading east in a couple of days. Mom to Vermont and my sister back to Pennsylvania.

Mom's suit for divorcement was to be handled in Vermont. She did want representation when Aden was brought before the judge again. Sandra's attorney had a list of demands that she was going to insist on. Some of these were much the same as they would be in a normal divorce--except there had been no marriage. The crime itself was between the state of Texas and Aden Hunter, not between Sandra Beeman (Hunter) and Aden Hunter.

There was to be no redress for the pain and suffering that Sis and I had encountered during the years that Dad had taken us away from Mom. It was just one of those situations where it happened and nothing could be done about it.

Again I had signed up to work on an oil rig for the standard ten weeks. I was as reluctant this time as I could be. Now money-wise, I was in a position to be able to refuse. But when I signed, it was as if I had shaken hands and given my word. Sandra's children finally realized that the man they called Daddy wasn't living with their Mom anymore. I don't think it bothered them very much, for he had shown them little affection lately. They were saddest when I said I was leaving for my summer job.

The kiss that Sandra and I shared as I was getting ready to leave, was one that shouldn't have happened. There was just too much passion in it for a stepson and stepmom to indulge in. "Go Adrian, your taxi is waiting. Forget we did that. Please? I don't know what I was thinking." She whirled and went into the other room.

"Sandy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shown so much feeling. You do know I think you are special, don't you?"

"Yes, but there can be nothing between us. Radio me when you get to sea, but please nothing personal."

"Okay Sandy, I'll be back in August. Maybe things will change by then. Could be I'll fall in love with a mermaid." I opened the front door and slid into the waiting taxi.

There were changes when I arrived back in Texas. My Dad had been sentenced to a year in county jail and a $10,000 fine. Sandra had received everything she had asked for. One thing she asked specifically for was to be able to retain the name of Hunter and have it made permanent. She requested this so she would have the same last name as the children. She had a monthly payment that would be alimony the same as if she had been married and then divorced. Of course there was the child support payment for the three children as well. This money was paid out from some of Dad's assets that the bank had inadvertently disclosed. Earning no salary now, Dad would become poorer as the months rolled by while he was incarcerated.

Dad had tried to plead guilty when first arraigned. This time in court he did the same over the objections of counsel. He did come away with the right to visit the children when he was discharged from jail. This was by his request, which was a surprise to us who knew him.

When I returned from sea, I went to the jail for a visit. "I wondered if you would come to see me. Andrea was in town but she didn't come near me. Son, I realize what an asshole I have been. Sandra comes in once a month to bring me pictures of the kids. She comes in for the kids, but not for herself."

"So what do you do here all day?"

"I have chores and I help the other inmates by listening to their problems about their financial situations. Ain't that a hoot? I'm in jail for planning on screwing my loved ones out of their money and I'm asked to give financial advice. I'm thinking a lot about different things. I've written to your mother. She has an address that lists a Paul Black. Do you know anything about him?"

"I've met him. Nice old guy. He gave Mom work on the farm, so she could get out of prison early. He's retired now. Mom's his housekeeper."

Dad thought for a minute. "He must be about sixty-eight or nine then."

"No, he is over eighty. Those Vermont farmers don't plan on retiring until they have one foot in the grave and it better not come before eighty, either."