Chapter 15

Ron stood in the parking lot of an office building. He saw April’s blue Festiva approach. She parked in the stall adjacent to his and approached him. He embraced her and kissed her. They locked fingers and headed inside. “Nervous?” he asked.

“I think you’re more nervous than I am,” she replied. “I just want to get this process started.”

Ron opened a door marked Bludstein and Ross. April stepped inside and he followed.

“May I help?” asked a receptionist.

“April Hunter and Ron Quick,” Ron replied. “We have an appointment with Ms Bludstein.”

“I’ll let her know you’re here.” She picked up the phone. “Your eleven o’clock is here.”

A woman in late middle age with hair heavily streaked with gray approached them. “Ron and April? I’m Amanda. Please come back.”

They followed Amanda into her office and she closed the door. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Steve Cottor told me a bit about your situation. I’ve been a client of that firm for years and I can’t tell you how shocked I was to hear of Brad and Rayla McIntyre’s indictments. Steve told me you’re Brad’s sister.”

“Half-sister,” April replied.

“He also told me that you have foster custody of Brad and Rayla’s child, that you’re the child’s aunt and you wish to arrange for permanent custody.”

“That’s what we wanted up to a couple of weeks ago,” Ron replied. “We’ve recently learned that it’s quite a bit more complicated.” He reached for April’s hand and they locked fingers.

“About the same time as Rayla was pregnant,” April began, “I also found myself in a similar situation. Coincidentally, Ralya and I, independently, found ourselves in labor at the same time in the same hospital. My labor wasn’t going well and the doctor ordered a C-section. When I came to, my parents and I were informed by the nurse that the baby didn’t survive.”

“I think I know where this is headed,” Amanda remarked.

“It was Rayla’s child who was stillborn. Brad knew someone at the hospital who owed him a favor and arranged for the babies to be switched.”

“I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening,” Amanda replied, “most often by accident or neglect. It must have been heartbreaking to endure all that and learn the baby died.”

“We were sad,” April said, “but we also were relieved. I had just turned eighteen and had dropped out of high school. My father had been laid off from his work and my mother was ... is a stay-at-home homemaker. We were not in a position to give an infant the care she deserved. Our condition was so dire, we had decided to give the baby up for adoption.”

“So it was heartbreaking either way,” Amanda said.

“We knew we wouldn’t be bringing a baby home,” April added.

“I can fully understand that. How did you learn this?”

“My parents told us,” April replied. “They said that Brad came to them wanting me to live at their house and be a live-in nanny for Mattie.”

“Mattie is the girl’s name, I presume,” Amanda interjected.

“Yes. Brad came to them nearly a year after Mattie’s birth. He confessed what had happened and swore them to secrecy. I had no idea until they broke the news to me right before our wedding.”

“So, what you’re looking for is for the court to order the birth records for Mattie and the stillborn child to be corrected.”

“That’s right,” April replied. “We’d also like Mattie’s last name to be changed from McIntyre to Hunter.”

“We figured,” Ron said, “that DNA testing could confirm what we said.”

“Oh, certainly and with that sort of evidence the court will have a hard time denying you. Let me take some notes...” She procured a yellow legal pad. “April -- what is your full name?”

“April Julia Hunter.”

“Date of birth?”

“September 18, 1993.”

“Mattie’s birth date?”

“October 28, 2011.”

“And, the father’s name?”

“Danny someone,” Ron interjected.

“Danny Bergstrom,” April said. “I’m terrible with names but for the past two weeks I’ve been wracking my brain and it came to me. It was Danny Bergstrom.”

“Do you know where he is?” Amanda asked.

April shook her head. “He was Scandinavian ... Norwegian ... no, Danish. He was from Denmark.”

“An exchange student?”

“No -- his whole family was here for a two year assignment at local chemical company ... no, pharmaceutical.”

“Biopharmacia, perhaps?” Amanda asked. “That’s the big pharma concern here in town.”

“Could be. I didn’t know or care to know their employment.”

“Understood. Did Danny know about you being pregnant?”

“No. I met him at a Christmas party at a mutual friend’s house. We started dating that semester. I was seventeen but a sophomore due to having to repeat a grade, and he was a year older. He had a driver’s license but I didn’t, so he’d pick me up for dates.”

“Based on Mattie’s birth date, you would’ve conceived her in the February-March timeframe.”

“That’s about right. That’s about when we started having sex. Danny’s parents were recalled to Denmark before the end of the term ... early May if I recall. He and a younger sister went with them.”

“So you would’ve been starting your third month and not showing.”

“I knew something was happening in my body but I didn’t understand what it was. I was ignorant of sex -- my parents never talked to me about it. That’s something I intend to correct with Mattie. I wasn’t even diagnosed as pregnant until my seventh month.”

“And, you haven’t kept in touch with Danny.”

April shook her head. “No. I have no idea where he is.”

“Why is he important?” Ron asked.

“Family court has, in the past several years, become more interested in keeping children with their birth parents. Wherever possible, they want both parents identified, primarily for child-support reasons.”

“Ron and I are married,” April replied. “We have good incomes. We won’t need child support.”

“Situations change,” Amanda said. “If, God forbid, anything should happen to you and Ron, then Mattie could be placed with his family.”

“I hadn’t considered that aspect,” April said.

“It also would help our cause if we could locate him and obtain his cooperation for DNA testing.”

“Well, I have no idea where he is,” April replied, “or any idea how to locate him.”

“Let’s start with first things, first -- the DNA test. There’s some lead time with it so we should do them as soon as possible.”

“Do you mean like those they advertise on TV?” Ron asked.

“No -- those mail-in tests aren’t rigorous enough and we need to show an unbroken chain of custody for the test samples and the results. I’ll write up an order for you to take to a forensic clinic we use. They are very accurate and highly regarded by the courts. They are, however, more expensive than the mail-in tests -- five hundred dollars per subject.”

“We’d need April and Mattie tested,” Ron mused. “That’s a grand ... we can afford that.”

“We’ll also need Brad and Rayla tested,” Amanda added. “We have some luck on our side -- since they’re incarcerated felons, their DNA was collected as part of the prison intake process. I’ll obtain a subpoena for the Bureau of Prisons to release those results to us.”

“Is there anything else you need from us?” Ron asked.

“I’ll need a one thousand dollar retainer. My services are billed at three hundred fifty an hour, which I invoice monthly.”

“I ... I don’t have my checkbook.” Ron said.

“I have mine,” April added. “I can cover this.” She began writing a check.

“Make out to Bludstein and Ross, Attorneys,” Amanda replied. April tore off the check and handed it over. “Very good. Thank-you. I’m eager to help you with this, April and Ron. I’ll be in touch.”

Holding hands they headed to the parking lot. “This is going to get expensive,” April remarked, “all because of my stupid half-brother.”

“This first visit is free -- that’s what Steve told me. We won’t start getting bills until the retainer is exhausted, either. We just need to get this done.”

“Agreed.”

“Did you have any trouble getting time off from school?”

“No, but I better get back.”

“Me, too. I don’t want to miss Mattie on the bus.”

Ron pulled into a parking stall and slammed the car door behind him. He dashed into the office building and saw April standing by the door to Amanda’s legal firm. “Did she say what’s so urgent?” Ron asked her.

“No -- only that we should come right away.”

They stepped inside. “She’s waiting for you,” the receptionist said. “Go on back.”

Together they entered Amanda’s private office. “April ... Ron ... We’ve located Danny Bergstrom.”

“Where?” April asked.

“Grindsted, Denmark.”

“How?”

“Our investigator contacted Biopharmacia and spoke to their HR department about someone from Denmark doing a stint here about eight years ago. Biopharmacia’s parent company is located in Copenhagen so they frequently have staff from there coming here. Then, we inquired about someone named Bergstrom. It turns out that Henrik Bergstrom was here for a stint in your timeframe.”

“So, you’ve identified Danny’s father,” Ron remarked.

“Yes, and we contacted the firm in Copenhagen. They led us to Henrik and we asked him if he had a son named Danny ... Daniel, and if he remembered a girlfriend named April. Henrik did, and he gave us Danny’s phone number in Grindsted.”

“Wow,” April remarked.

“Not so difficult, really,” Amanda replied. “Danny is awaiting our call. It’s late afternoon there.” Amanda placed a speakerphone on her desk and punched in a number.

It rang. Hallo

“Is this Daniel Bergstrom?”

Yes ... pardon my English is a bit rusty.

“Hello. I’m Amanda Bludstein and I’m an attorney here in the states. I’m calling in regards to someone you might have known seven or eight years ago, named April Hunter.”

Yes. I remember April. We dated.

“Did you know that April became pregnant and had a child?”

I ... I did not. Why call me on this? Do you think I’m the father?

“We do. Were you intimate with her?”

What?

“Did you and April have sex?”

Yes ... What do you want from me? Are you looking for money? Could be one of many. She was a Rita.

Amanda pressed the mute button on the speakerphone. “Rita?”

“It’s a high-school slang expression,” April replied, “for an easy girl.”

Amanda unmuted the phone. “Daniel, I’m sorry not to have told you sooner. I have April here, along with Ron, her husband.”

“Hello, Danny,” April said. “Maybe I was a Rita, but I was a faithful one. I’m faithful to the man I’m with ... always was and always will be. I never cheated on you. Can you say the same?”

April! Sorry about the Rita remark. Yes I was true to you ... but I knew it couldn’t last, that I would have to return to Denmark. You didn’t seem to appreciate that.

“We’re not here to argue water over the dam,” Amanda interjected.

Of course not ... April, good hearing your voice. It’s been a long time.

“Too long, Danny,” April replied, wiping tears from her eyes. “You should see her, Danny. She’s beautiful. Her name is Mattie and she has your face and your coloring.”

“The reason we’re calling, Daniel,” Amanda continued, “is that we’d like your cooperation. We’d like it if you’d take a DNA test for us to prove you’re the father.”

Why should I agree to that?

“We’ll take care of the costs,” Amanda added. “We’re sure you’re the father. We’re asking for proof. April has knowledge of you that only someone who was intimate could know.”

“That’s right,” April added. “You have a birthmark -- a port wine stain on your left inner thigh.”

Amanda pushed the mute button again and held her hand to her mouth. “That’s a bluff I use in these situations,” she said with a slight giggle. “To actually know it...” She unmuted the phone.

“Danny,” Ron said, “This is Ronald Quick, April’s husband. We’re reaching out to you in friendship. Do you have a family?”

Yes ... My wife Ilsa and I have a three-year-old girl named Letitia.

“Wouldn’t Letitia be thrilled to know she has an older sister in the U.S.?” Ron asked.

“We want nothing from you but the truth,” April added.

“Man-to-man, Danny,” Ron continued, “you and I have something in common -- the love of a remarkable woman. I’m sure you still have feelings for her. Do the right thing for her.”

“The reason we want this,” Amanda said, “is to correct some mistakes in Mattie’s birth records -- so that April can retain custody of her ... and your ... daughter ... to continue giving her a loving home.”

“And, that’s all we want,” Ron added.

Why didn’t you say so sooner? In that case, of course I’ll cooperate.

“We’ll have an agent in Denmark contact you with the details. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Danny,” April added.

April -- when you get a chance ... send me a picture of Mattie. Are you on Facebook?

“No, I’m not,” April replied. “But I can be.”

Look me up ... Daniel K Bergstrom.

“Good bye,” April said.

Amanda cancelled the call. “That went better than I had expected. You tugged his heartstrings, Ron. With his DNA evidence, getting those records corrected will be like skating on glass. We’ll get Daniel K Bergstrom listed as the biological father. It may even turn out that Mattie will have dual citizenship -- American and Danish.”

“Wouldn’t that be something,” Ron remarked. “I can imagine Mattie and Letitia becoming fast friends.”

“So, what’s the next step?” April asked.

“We have the DNA results for you and Mattie,” Amanda replied. “We also have Brad’s and Rayla’s from the B.O.P. Through mitochondrial DNA there’s no doubt you’re her mother. As soon as we have Danny’s, I’ll write up a petition, assemble the DNA evidence and we’ll get it on the docket. I’m really pleased to be able to help you.”

Ron stepped into his condo. “Well, Mattie’s on the bus,” he said. He saw April manipulating her phone. “What’s that?”

“An email from Danny. It just came in.”

“What does he say?”

April began reading from her phone. “Hi April. And Ron and Mattie. Thanks for your photo of you and Mattie. You are right she is beautiful. I do see the resemblance in Letitia. I also see you are as pretty as I remember and you still have that pretty smile that drew me to you.”

“See? I’m not the only guy to have appreciated your charms.”

“I hope you’re not jealous,” she replied.

“Do you sense any jealousy from me?”

“No. None at all.” She continued reading “I sent you photos of the three of us and one of Letitia. You ask about dual citizenship. Maybe once Mattie’s birth records are straightened out you can send me a copy. I’ll see what I can learn.” She looked up at Ron. “Is that something you think we should do?” she asked him.

“We can talk to Amanda about that.”

April returned to reading from her phone. “You ask about Grindsted. It’s a small city in the north of Denmark near Billund, where the Lego company is. In fact I am a toy designer for Lego. Tell me if Mattie enjoys playing with Legos. I can probably send some.”

“That’s kinda neat,” Ron interjected.

“I think so, too.” She resumed reading. “That is about all I have for you now. We should keep in touch. I want to know more about your work and Ron’s.” She stroked her phone’s screen with her finger. “Here’s the photo of them.”

“Let’s see.”

April put her hand to her chest. “Odd mix of emotions seeing him again after all this time and after all we know.” She turned her phone toward him.

“He’s a handsome dude,” Ron remarked. “They look like a lovely family.”

“That they do.” She swiped the screen. “This is Letitia. She does look like Mattie.”

“Pretty little girl. I think it’s the nose.”

“Right. Mattie certainly did not inherit her nose from me.” April slipped her phone into her bag.

Ron embraced her and kissed her nose and then her lips. “I love you.”

“I know. I needed hearing that right now.”

“I know,” he replied. “We’re due at court. Are you nervous?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m not nervous. I’m scared shitless.”

“This is the last mile of the marathon,” he replied. “The last mile is the toughest.”

Holding hands they headed for his carport. Ron drove to the civic center and they entered the county courthouse. He spotted Amanda and she greeted them.