“The part where you’re planning on removing custody from me, using the lie you told your fucking parents when you left me,” I snap.
“I can’t believe you were listening in on a private conversation!” Polly shouts.
“Don’t give me that!” I say. “When were you going to tell me that the only reason you’ve decided to come back into my life is to remove Lily from me? Where the hell do you get the right after you’re the one who abandoned us for ten fucking years?”
“First, I didn’t plan on removing Lily from you at first, I just wanted to see my daughter,” Polly says coldly. “But then I saw that damn jacket, and I knew I needed to take her.”
“What jacket?” I demanded.
“Your gang jacket,” Polly hisses.
For a moment, I don’t know what she’s talking about. But then I remember the Roughshod Rollers jacket that hangs up by the front door.
“I’m not part of a gang!” I say, shocked.
“Just like you weren’t part of a gang before I left you,” Polly snorts. “I remember that friend of yours that went to jail for murder. And those two that committed robbery? Yeah, definitely not a gang, Ethan. You wanted to know why I left you? The whole thing about the post-natal depression was true. But I didn’t trust you anymore! You hung around with those sorts of people, and, apparently, you didn’t learn your lesson!”
“I had no idea what those guys were going to do,” I snap. “And the Roughshod Rollers is just a group of guys that own motorbikes. We meet up at the bar sometimes, and we’re renovating a fucking house for the authorities. We’re not a gang.”
“I don’t believe you,” Polly snarls. “Lily doesn’t deserve to be in that kind of environment, and you don’t deserve to have her if you’re going to put her in that sort of danger. I’m taking my daughter, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
She hangs up. Frozen, I listen to the dial tone, my shoulders tense. Fuck, now what?
But…
I take in a deep breath and slowly put my phone down. I walk over to the table and pick up my cola, draining it in several deep gulps. Distantly, I hear the shower switch off, Georgia humming as she finishes her shower.
Something doesn’t feel right.
If Polly was that scared of me being in a “gang” ten years ago, then why didn’t she just tell everyone that instead of feeding them a stupid story about abuse? And why didn’t she take Lily with her at the time if she was that worried about my character?
No. Something is very wrong here. I narrow my eyes. Polly is lying.
I pick up my phone again. I hadn’t wanted to involve him, just in case we ended up catching the attention of a powerful councilor, but it’s too late. There’s nothing more I can do on my own, and that councilor has already set his eyes on both me and my daughter. I need help.
The phone rings twice before it picks up.
“Howard Detective Agency,” the man at the other end answers.
“Alex,” I greet. “It’s Ethan Martin. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” Alex says primly. Then he coughs. “How likely is this to get me in trouble? Grant still hasn’t completely forgiven me for what happened with Jessica.”
“Er…” I wince. “We’re going up against my ex-wife, who is now married to a councilor in Newark.”
“Great,” Alex mutters. “You guys always bring me the most wonderful cases.”
“I’ll pay you,” I promise. “I’m sorry, Alex, but this is really important.” I swallow. “She’s trying to take Lily from me.”
I hear a sharp intake of breath.
“What can I do?” he asks immediately.
“I don’t really know,” I admit. “I just spoke to her; she claims she left me because I was apparently part of a gang, and now believes that I’m part of another one because of the Roughshod Rollers. She’s using that as her excuse, but it doesn’t feel right. She also told everyone, ten years ago, that she left me because I was abusing her.”
“Are you serious?” Alex asks, incredulous.
“Yeah,” I say with a grimace. “I just need something to make her back off, I think. She and her husband, who knows the truth about her lies, from what I heard, are putting together a case, and I need to stop her before it gets to court because…because I’m pretty sure I’ll lose, even if I can prove she abandoned us.”