Page 38 (1/2)

"If you feel you need to press charges, then do so," Louie said brokenly

"On what grounds?" Otto delect," Louie whispered "A to let her take Timmy to this aunt of hers and then, when I discovered the aunt was dead…I didn’t look for him or try to find out where he was"

"We’d prefer to keep Louie’s name out of the press," Otto said "By the time Timmy died, he’d been divorced from Beverly for a nu Louie is relevant to the case You had no legal obligation toward Tiation but a h hi even if legally he wasn’t But in his view, the et confirist," he said, "I’ll write up a short press release,that the remains have been identified What was Tiht suddenly occurred to hiave him her name--Beverly’s maiden name--which was Gilbert"

"Fine I’ll identify the body as that of Timothy Gilbert"

"You won’t mention Louie?" Otto asked "We can count on that?"

Troy nodded "I can’t see that dragging his name into thishis head and whispered, "Thank you"

"You’ve been a good husband and father during the years since," Troy said thoughtfully "You’ve served your cos as they are"

"I’d like to bury Timmy," Louie said "It’s the least I can do"

"I’ll see that the remains are released to you"

"I think Beverly would want hiht

Mack knew so the moment he arrived home from his shift at the fire station Mary Jo threw open her front door, as if she’d been waiting for hihtened

Not bothering to go to his own place, Mack walked toward her She was chewing frantically on her lower lip

"What happened?" he asked

She see, and he noticed how close to tears she was

"Is Noelle sick?"

The three-month-old had come doith a cold earlier in the week, but it didn’t appear to be serious

"I…I saw David"

Mack stiffened instantly "When?"

"Here…a few ot home with Noelle" It was now about five-thirty, so David had known to come after Mary Jo had left the office and picked up Noelle Mack supposed Mary Jo’s address wouldn’t be too difficult for someone like David to find Access to a co her by the elbow, Mack led Mary Jo inside and sat on the sofa with her Clasping her hand, he held it between his own He felt her treathered her composure

She breathed in deeply before she spoke "He wants Noelle"

Mack bit off an angry retort "He’s living in a dream world if he thinks any court in the land will take this baby away from you"

"He said he has an attorney…"

"And you believe hih about him to realize the other man wasn’t to be trusted Apparently he expected to use his infant daughter as leverage for his own purposes Whatever his specific objective, Mack was sure it had everything to do with cold, hard cash

"I…1 don’t know," she said, scraping her hair off her forehead

"This is the first time you’ve seen him since before Noelle’s birth, isn’t it?"

Mary Jo nodded

"Do you still have feelings for him?" She’d said she didn’t but he had to ask Had to know David was Noelle’s father, and at one tier he felt at the thought of David threatening Mary Jo

"I don’t" Her response was loud and immediate "I can’t believe I ever cared for hiullible?"

Mack couldn’t answer that, although he didn’t want Mary Jo to change in any way He’d fallen in love with her and he loved Noelle, too David Rhodes had a hell of a fight on his hands if he thought he could walk aith Mary Jo’s baby--with the baby Mack considered his more than David’s

"Why do you think he has this sudden interest in Noelle?" Mack asked All he could figure was that David saw so Noelle

"I have no idea why he came," Mary Jo cried "I haven’t heard from him in all this ti his parental rights It doesn’t make sense"

"What about Ben?" Mack asked "Has David been in touch with his father?"

Mary Jo nodded slowly "Apparently he went to his father a little while ago I don’t know if he asked for money or not, but he has in the past Ben assured ive his son any child support uarantee David would use it for Noelle"