Only a thin strip of
lawn with a single plumeria tree at the far edge stood between Charles’ window
and a half-acre of rental cars baking in the sun. Hardly a ‘garden view’.
“I
don’t mean to be petty,” he said. “But put yourself in my shoes. You’ve met the
woman. She talks a blue streak and most of it is self-centered prattle. She’s
rude to waitresses and she pitches a royal fit if she has to wait for anything.
My life with her will be financially comfortable but emotionally taxing. I
shouldn’t have to sign away my rights. To be frank, there’s no way I’d marry
her if she didn’t have money.”
I
stared at him. He probably thought I was judging his candor, but instead I was
indulging in a bit of my own mental self-centered prattle. Is this what money does
to people? Would my father’s millions turn me into an ‘emotionally taxing’
woman? Would Hatch resent being a ‘kept man’? Maybe on some level I already knew
the answers and that’s why I hadn’t mentioned my inheritance to anyone.
“Charles,
I think you have a decision to make. You can live the high life with a demanding
woman, knowing that if the marriage ends you’ll get nothing. Or, you can walk
away from it all right now. It’s one-hundred percent up to you.”
“What
would you do?” he said.
“It’s
not for me to say. It’s a tough decision.”
That
was a complete lie. I’d never walk away from Eleanor’s money.
I’d
run.
CHAPTER 13
At
dinnertime I called Hatch at the fire station and gave him an abbreviated
version of how my day had gone. I started off by saying it looked like the
wedding I had scheduled for the Fourth of July might fizzle. He murmured a few
words of consolation. I followed up by telling him someone had dropped off a
baby at Farrah’s store.
“She’s
babysitting?” he said.
“Not
exactly. The mother left the kid at the store and it doesn’t sound like she’s
coming back.”
“Did Farrah
meet the mother?”
“Nope.
The baby was there when she came down to open the store.”
“She
should have brought the kid here to the station. We can take abandoned
newborns, no questions asked. And there’s no blow-back on the mother for
abandonment or anything.”
“Well,
the mother didn’t do that. She left him at Farrah’s.”
“Has
Farrah called the cops?”
“No.
She’s staying up here with me and Steve while she figures out what to do.”
“There’s
nothing to figure out,” he said. “She’s got to report an abandoned baby. If she
doesn’t, she’s breaking all kinds of laws—child endangerment, custodial
interference, you name it.”
“Look,
Hatch, the child isn’t in danger. And Farrah isn’t interfering with anybody’s custodial
rights. The mother left a note saying she wanted Farrah to have him.”
“Was
the note signed?”
“No,
anonymous.”
“Then
how does Farrah know the mother even wrote the note? Maybe somebody snatched
the kid and ditched it at the store to elude the police. She’s got to report
it.”
I
didn’t say anything.
“Pali,
this isn’t the former cop in me talking. I’m speaking as a friend. You’ve got
to get Farrah to report this. She can’t play ‘finders keepers’ with a kid.
She’ll end up in jail.”
I
changed the subject and asked him what I should wear to the firefighter dinner
on Saturday night.
“Wear
a dress,” he said.
“But I
only have the one dress. And it’s starting to look a little shabby.”
“So? Buy
another one.”
I wanted
to say I’d rather bury a chopstick in my inner ear than go shopping, but I kept
quiet.
“Tell
you what,” he said. “I’m off tomorrow. Why don’t I take you to Queen Ka’ahumanu
Center and we’ll find you a kick-ass dress? My treat.”
I
agreed to go.
“Is
Farrah handy?” he said. “I’d like to talk to her before we hang up.”
“She’s
trying to put a baby crib together. From the sounds of things, it isn’t a good
time to interrupt.”
“Tell
her
lawn with a single plumeria tree at the far edge stood between Charles’ window
and a half-acre of rental cars baking in the sun. Hardly a ‘garden view’.
“I
don’t mean to be petty,” he said. “But put yourself in my shoes. You’ve met the
woman. She talks a blue streak and most of it is self-centered prattle. She’s
rude to waitresses and she pitches a royal fit if she has to wait for anything.
My life with her will be financially comfortable but emotionally taxing. I
shouldn’t have to sign away my rights. To be frank, there’s no way I’d marry
her if she didn’t have money.”
I
stared at him. He probably thought I was judging his candor, but instead I was
indulging in a bit of my own mental self-centered prattle. Is this what money does
to people? Would my father’s millions turn me into an ‘emotionally taxing’
woman? Would Hatch resent being a ‘kept man’? Maybe on some level I already knew
the answers and that’s why I hadn’t mentioned my inheritance to anyone.
“Charles,
I think you have a decision to make. You can live the high life with a demanding
woman, knowing that if the marriage ends you’ll get nothing. Or, you can walk
away from it all right now. It’s one-hundred percent up to you.”
“What
would you do?” he said.
“It’s
not for me to say. It’s a tough decision.”
That
was a complete lie. I’d never walk away from Eleanor’s money.
I’d
run.
CHAPTER 13
At
dinnertime I called Hatch at the fire station and gave him an abbreviated
version of how my day had gone. I started off by saying it looked like the
wedding I had scheduled for the Fourth of July might fizzle. He murmured a few
words of consolation. I followed up by telling him someone had dropped off a
baby at Farrah’s store.
“She’s
babysitting?” he said.
“Not
exactly. The mother left the kid at the store and it doesn’t sound like she’s
coming back.”
“Did Farrah
meet the mother?”
“Nope.
The baby was there when she came down to open the store.”
“She
should have brought the kid here to the station. We can take abandoned
newborns, no questions asked. And there’s no blow-back on the mother for
abandonment or anything.”
“Well,
the mother didn’t do that. She left him at Farrah’s.”
“Has
Farrah called the cops?”
“No.
She’s staying up here with me and Steve while she figures out what to do.”
“There’s
nothing to figure out,” he said. “She’s got to report an abandoned baby. If she
doesn’t, she’s breaking all kinds of laws—child endangerment, custodial
interference, you name it.”
“Look,
Hatch, the child isn’t in danger. And Farrah isn’t interfering with anybody’s custodial
rights. The mother left a note saying she wanted Farrah to have him.”
“Was
the note signed?”
“No,
anonymous.”
“Then
how does Farrah know the mother even wrote the note? Maybe somebody snatched
the kid and ditched it at the store to elude the police. She’s got to report
it.”
I
didn’t say anything.
“Pali,
this isn’t the former cop in me talking. I’m speaking as a friend. You’ve got
to get Farrah to report this. She can’t play ‘finders keepers’ with a kid.
She’ll end up in jail.”
I
changed the subject and asked him what I should wear to the firefighter dinner
on Saturday night.
“Wear
a dress,” he said.
“But I
only have the one dress. And it’s starting to look a little shabby.”
“So? Buy
another one.”
I wanted
to say I’d rather bury a chopstick in my inner ear than go shopping, but I kept
quiet.
“Tell
you what,” he said. “I’m off tomorrow. Why don’t I take you to Queen Ka’ahumanu
Center and we’ll find you a kick-ass dress? My treat.”
I
agreed to go.
“Is
Farrah handy?” he said. “I’d like to talk to her before we hang up.”
“She’s
trying to put a baby crib together. From the sounds of things, it isn’t a good
time to interrupt.”
“Tell
her
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