CRANE, STOOPS, & COLLINS

Attorneys-At-Law

Wade pulled out the card and stared at it. The address matched, but not the name. He wondered if it was just a name change.

He entered through double glass doors into a darkly paneled waiting room, dimly lit and complete with leather chairs. He crossed to the window as the glass slid open.

“Can I help you?” a smartly dressed receptionist asked. Her nameplate said ‘Beverly’. Blonde hair, thin build, brown eyes. She was probably forty-five, but Wade thought she could pass for thirty.

“Yes. I'm looking for an attorney.”

“Well, we have three very good ones here. What's the nature of your case?”

Wade gave her a sheepish smile.

“No…I'm sorry.”

“What I mean is that I'm looking for a particular attorney. His name is Zebulin Johnson.”

Beverly obviously didn't recognize the name.

“Well, sir, I've been here for 13 Years, and I don't think I've ever heard that name.”

“Has the firm been in this same location all that time?”

“Yes sir, in fact, they've been located here for nearly twenty Years. What was that name again?”

He handed her the card.

“Zebulin Johnson, red hair and beard, maybe three hundred and fifty pounds.”

“I don't remember anyone like that. Let me ask Joyce.”

Beverly went and asked the filing clerk in the next room. Wade couldn't hear them, but saw the woman shake her head. Beverly returned and handed him the card.

“I'm sorry. She didn't recognize the name, either.”

“Really? Okay, well, thanks.”

“I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. Have a nice day.”

She flashed him a beautiful smile.

Wade didn't feel like smiling, but he nodded. He was too stunned. She had confirmed what he suspected before he had even come in. Something wasn't right with Jack’s adoption.

What exactly they were involved in, he didn't know. The question now was: what to do next? He couldn't tell Katie, he didn't know how she would react. Maybe he could tell Shirley. He needed advice, but it couldn't be just anybody.

He called the office and told Peggy he would not be in the rest of the day.

“Everything all right?”

“Yeah...Yeah, fine. Just need to take care of something.”

He hung up and sat in his car. Summer was turning to fall, and the sky was gray, a light drizzle coming down. The weather matched his mood. He stayed there for a long time, just trying to figure out what to do next.

Nothing seemed to be the only choice, but nothing wouldn't give him any answers.

He started the car and called Shirley.

****

“Mom, can we have our dollar?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, mom, the truck is coming.” Jesse chimed in.

“Okay.” Katie left the pot she was stirring on the stove and retrieved her purse. She rummaged around until she found four quarters.

“Here, boys. Be careful.”

“Okay, mom,” they said in unison.

Katie smiled as she watched them scamper out the door. The weather would soon be too cold for ice cream, and the truck will stop coming around. She'd have to come up with a new treat for after school, maybe hot chocolate. She returned to her stirring.

****

The boys reached the truck just as the driver was preparing to leave. Jack waved and Tommy reopened the window.

“What'll it be, boys, the usual?”

Jack was just about to say ‘yes’ when he heard a voice behind him.

“What's the usual?”

Jack, Jesse, and Tommy all turned and looked at the stranger. Jack recognized him as the man named Michael who had shaken their hands at the grocery store.

“Ice cream sandwich for Jack and a fudgcicle for me,” Jesse answered.

“Really? Why don't we have something new today?”

“We only have a dollar,” Jack explained.

“My treat. Anything you want.”

Jesse's eyes got huge.

“I've never had an Explosion Cone! Can I have one of those?”

Jack knew they weren't supposed to talk to strangers, but they had met him before. Besides, he'd always wanted an Explosion Cone himself.

“I'd like one, too.”

Michael looked at Tommy with a big grin.

“Make it three…what was it?”

“Explosion Cone!” Jack and Jesse shouted together.

“Right, make it three, to go!”

Tommy doled out the three giant cones, Michael paid, and they walked off. Jesse was in heaven, attacking his ice cream in a frenzy. Jack paused his eating to thank Michael.

“That was real nice, mister. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, and it was my pleasure. You boys get ice cream a lot?”

“Every day after school. If we've been good.”

“That's awful nice of your mom. You boys need a lift home?”

“No, thank you.”

Jack knew not to accept a ride, even if he had met Michael before.

“It's just a short walk. Bye, thanks again.”

“Bye, Jesse. Bye, Jack.”

Michael got in his car and watched the boys walk towards home. Jesse and Jack had just helped plan his next step.

****

Katie didn't see the boys come in, Jesse leading the way.

“Mom, look. We got Explosion Cones!”

Katie turned to look at them.

“Really, that's great. Wasn't that nice of Tommy?”

“Not Tommy…”

Jack cut in.

“The nice man from the grocery store bought them.”

Katie's face immediately turned dark, her voice rising.

“What man? You let a stranger buy you ice cream?”

“You remember. We shook his hand. His name is Michael.”

It took Katie a minute, but she did remember. She was still unhappy.

“You boys know not to talk to strangers, especially you, Jack.”

“We knew who he was.”

“He's still a stranger. Grandma Shirley is someone you know. Your soccer coach is someone you know. That man is still a stranger.”

Her voice held both anger and fear.

“Sorry, mom. I won't do it again.”

She could tell Jack was near tears.

“We promise.”

Katie took a deep breath and pulled him to her. She gave him a hug, holding on for a long time. She would have done the same with Jesse, but, as usual, he was wearing most of his ice cream. Katie and Jack both looked at him and started laughing at the same time.

Katie's anger disappeared, but the uneasy feeling was still there.

****

Shirley heard the phone ringing. Her hair was wet and she was wrapped in a towel. By the time she got to it, they had hung up. She looked at the number. Wade. She toweled off and got dressed. She was running a brush through her hair when it rang again. This time, she got there in time.

“Hello?”

“Shirley?”

“Yes. Hi, Wade. Everything all right?”

“Sure, Katie and the kids are fine. I'm calling about something else.”

Shirley put the brush down and sat on the end of the bed.

“Okay. What's up?”

“You remember the phone call I got at the soccer field the other day?”

She did.

“Yes.”

“Well, it wasn't about a deal.”

“I suspected as much. What was it?”

“It was some guy telling me that I had his son and he wanted him back.”

There was a long pause while Shirley let it sink in.

“Did you tell him he was mistaken?”

“Yeah...but he wouldn't listen. Finally, I just hung up.”

“Did you tell Katie?”

“No. I didn't want to scare her.”

 Shirley tried to reassure both herself and Wade.

“I'm sure it's nothing.”

 “There's more.”

Shirley caught her breath.

“To make sure I wasn’t just overreacting, I decided to call the attorney who set up Jack's adoption. The number was disconnected.”