Razing Kayne (13 page)

Kayne ignored him.

But Cody wouldn’t let it go. “How old did you say your wife was when you married her?
She doesn't look much more than a child herself. You sure seem interested in little
girls.”

Kayne stumbled, momentarily forgetting how to walk. Cody couldn’t have hit the mark
better if he’d tried. Eight years his junior, Oksana had turned eighteen a mere three
days before their wedding. A fact Kayne hadn’t learned until he’d met her face-to-face.

Son of a bitch!
He shouldn't have to be the one to leave.

With jerky movements, he grabbed the photo and shoved it into his wallet, then the
wallet into his pocket. Kayne walked around the corner, took the long hallway around
to the garage, and left.

He had never in his life truly wanted to kill anyone until that moment. He had to
get out of there before he gave into that desire. He wasn't abandoning Jessica and
the kids with that asshole, he assured himself. He was taking them out of the line
of fire. Cody clearly wasn’t going to give up, and, for whatever reason, Jessica wouldn’t
send him away. Besides, Trace would keep the asshole in line.

At the highway junction, he headed north away from his empty house. He couldn’t stand
the thought of being there right now. He'd just left the one and only place he wanted
to be. Christ Almighty! Tasha was alive, and, by some miracle, he'd found her.

***

Jess rounded on Cody the moment the garage door closed behind Kayne. “Who the hell
do you think you are? This is
not
your house! These are
not
your children! I'm
not
your wife!”
And he's not a goddamned pedophile!
She couldn't even voice such a vile accusation without being ill. “You had no right
to treat him like that!”

“The hell I don't. I'm not letting someone like that into your life.”

“It's not your fucking choice!” Jess shouted. Granted, she'd known Cody had had a
crush on her way back in high school, and after Jarred had died he'd encouraged her
to start dating again. But not once had she ever thought he'd meant start dating
him.
Yet that was the only logical explanation. Had Cody been waiting around for her all
this time? She nearly scoffed at the idea. He changed girlfriends more often than
he changed underwear.

Jess picked up her cell phone and tried calling Kayne, but it went to voice mail.
She hung up and tried again.
And again.
She was leaving a message after her fourth try, pleading with him to call her back,
to let her know he was okay, when the text came through.
Code-4.
Cop speak
for “I'm okay.” Not bloody likely!

“
What
is your problem, Cody?! You know what, forget it. Get out of my house and don't come
back.”

He crossed his arms defiantly. “Don't you talk to me that way; I have every right
to be here.”

“The hell you say. Get. Out.
Now
.”

Trace stepped between them. “Cody, she asked you to leave.
Now.”

“Fine.”
Cody glared at Trace for a long moment.
“For tonight.
But we're not through. Not even
close,
and you'd better get that through your head. I'm done playing this cat and mouse
game with you.” With that, Cody stormed out.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

FOURTEEN

Kayne sat at the stop light, staring at the sign over the office doorway he’d just
watched Jessica walk through, followed by Cody a moment later.
A family law office.

It had been another sleepless night. He'd taken the 300 Road, an unpaved forest control
road that crossed the top of the Mogollon escarpment, passing through a Keystone forest
made up primarily of Ponderosa and Pinon Pine to a quiet little spot nearly a hundred
miles from any major light source. He'd lain in the back of his truck in the pitch
black of night, staring up at the stars, trying to clear his mind. The heavens had
been dripping with light, something people from the city never got to experience.

Over and over, memories of his family played through his mind as he struggled to put
the pieces together. Try as he might, nothing added up, unless...

Unless Oksana hadn't killed their children.
And yet, he'd seen her standing over their bodies. For fuck’s sake, she'd apologized
before she shot herself.

Goddamn her!

If she hadn't done it, why would she leave him alone to try and pick up the pieces
of such a horrific tragedy?

So fucking alone.

But the night held no answers, only more questions, and, when morning encroached,
he hiked to Myrtle Pointe, climbed out on the rocky outcropping, and sat with his
feet dangling over the edge as he watched the sun crest the mountains. Awed by the
majestic view as light chased shadow across hills and over hollows, through the valley
more than two-thousand feet below, he sat there, finally realizing he wasn't alone
anymore. He'd found Tasha, and with her, a desire to live.

In that moment, he'd also thought he might have found something more, if he could
just figure out how to reach out to Jessica. But sitting here, watching first Jessica,
then Cody, walk into that attorney's office, he realized she obviously didn't feel
the same.

A car horn sounded behind him, forcing him forward. He glanced at the clock; it read
8:05am. She hadn't wasted any time seeking out an attorney, and she'd chosen to side
with Cody over him. Damned if that didn't hurt more than Kayne cared to admit.

Jessica had made her choice, and oh Christ, jealousy was an ugly bastard. He couldn’t
stand the idea of Cody being close to Jessica, much less touching her. The thought
made his gut clench.
Which was absolutely ridiculous.

He told himself not to panic, that surely there was a reasonable explanation, and
yet divorces and child custody fights didn't happen in church. The realization that
Jessica might try to keep him from his daughter cut deep. Betrayal tasted bitter on
his tongue, scorched down his throat into a pool of acid that ate at him from the
inside out.

He'd planned on heading home, showering, and then contacting the detective in Santa
Barbara to let him know Tasha had been
found,
which would bring in the FBI, because she'd been taken across state lines. Whoever
had done so had to have some knowledge of his children’s murder. It was the only answer
that even remotely made sense. Kayne also planned to find out why the diamond's serial
number had never been entered into NCIC.

Christ, Tasha had been so close to being returned to him, so damned close. But someone
somewhere had dropped the ball. He needed answers before he spoke with Jessica. He
needed to know what his rights were. Was he going to have to sue for visitation with
his own daughter?

Jessica had home field advantage. She'd grown up in Payson, and worked in law enforcement.
In a town this size, that pretty much guaranteed she knew most of the legal community,
which meant they knew her. So, it stood to reason that even if all things were equal,
they'd side with her. He had to find out about the adoption laws. Surely there was
a protection clause for kidnapped children. He had to have some rights to see his
daughter, didn't he?

The best place to start was at the courthouse. He suspected the files would be sealed,
but perhaps someone in the law library could answer some general questions.

Kayne made a right at the next intersection and pulled up to the small, two-story
building that housed several county agencies, including the Gila County Superior Court.

The desk clerk smiled up at him. “Officer Dobrescu, are you here for court?” 

“No, actually I needed some information. It's a personal matter.” He glanced at the
people waiting to see the judge. A personal matter he didn't want the whole town knowing
about.

“Well, let me buzz you back.”

He merely nodded his thanks and walked through the door when he heard the magnet release.

Kayne made his way into the small law library, nodded at the guy in the suit making
copies who made eye contact. Kayne didn't recognize him, but figured him for an attorney
or a judge. Thankfully, the room was otherwise empty, except for the clerk. A willowy,
strawberry blonde with a girl-next-door face sprinkled with a charming dose of freckles,
Janet was her name, he thought.

“Officer Dobrescu, what can I do for you?” She leaned forward, her interest a little
too friendly for his taste.
Especially today of all days.

Kayne folded his arms over his chest. “I have some questions about adoption law.”
And
thank you
, that had her shifting away from him.

“Oh, are you and your wife thinking of adopting?” She eyed his left hand. The one
that had been ring-free since the day he buried it with Oksana.

“No, not exactly.”
He tried for a friendly smile. “I'm just curious how the whole process works. I mean,
once an adoption is final, is it permanent? Or can it be reversed for any reason?”

“No, in Arizona once the parents sign away their rights, it's pretty much a done deal.
They can't just change their mind. Unless they can prove consent was given under fraud
or duress, that is.”

Kayne rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What if the parents didn't sign?”

“Were the kids taken away by Children's Services?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I believe the baby would have been considered orphaned or abandoned.
At least that's what Children's Services thought, but the child had actually been
abducted from another state.”

The copy machine stopped working, and the man turned to Kayne. “That's a whole different
issue.” He held out his hand. “I'm Brian Ellis, attorney. I couldn't help but overhear
your conversation.”

Kayne accepted his handshake. “Kayne Dobrescu, State Trooper.”

“Highway Patrol doesn't usually get involved in such things. They’re normally handled
by the locals or the Feds.”

Kayne’s body vibrated with nervous energy. “You've dealt with this type of stuff before?”

“Not here. I'm new to Payson. I retired from Phoenix—well I guess you could call it
retiring. I opened up practice here after twenty-seven years as a Judge.
Mostly family court.”

Yes!
“I could sure use some advice. When would you have time to sit down and talk, in
private?”

“I have a few minutes now. My last case was rescheduled. Truth is, I'm still pretty
new, and this town seems unsure of newcomers.”

“Tell me about it.” Kayne sighed. It was a huge factor in all of this, Kayne realized
.
Damn, he didn't want to fight her for visitation.

They found an empty room, and Kayne pulled up a chair across the table from Brian
and waited for him to pull a legal pad out.

Brian adjusted his glasses. “So tell me what's going on.”

Kayne let out a frustrated breath. “I don't have a lot of money. I can make payments,
but I can't afford a large retainer.”

Brian cocked his head thoughtfully. “I take it this is a personal case. The first
hour is free, so relax. Once we talk, if it's a case I think I stand a chance of winning,
we'll go from there. If it's something that isn't probable, I'm going to tell you
flat out. As much as I like money, I like my integrity better.”

Kayne nodded. “Okay.” He could accept that.

For the next hour, Kayne told Brian everything he knew, suspected, and feared. He
told him about the death of his other two children, and Oksana's suicide, about the
investigators’ belief of his guilt, all the way through yesterday's events.

Brian leaned forward. “How long has the adoption been final?”

Kayne sighed.
“About a year.
I think.”

“As in not quite a year, or as in just over a year?” he asked.

“I don't know.” Kayne shrugged. “Does it really matter though?”

Brian stared thoughtfully at his notepad for a long moment before meeting Kayne’s
gaze. “It could make a difference. In Arizona, there’s a clause that says an adoption
may be protested if there are factual errors in the adoption, but once a year has
hit, then everything is considered valid and rectified. It may be irrelevant in this
case, since the child was abducted, but it could give you an advantage if it comes
down to a case of best interest of the child.”

“Best interest?” Kayne didn’t like the sound of that.

Brian nodded and jotted down a note. “She’s been with this Jessica Hallstatt for nearly
two years, almost her whole life. A bonding specialist could argue that it would be
abusive to remove her from her only known parent. However, we’d argue that she shouldn’t
have been with Ms. Hallstatt in the first place, and since she’s so terribly young,
transition would have far less long-reaching effects.”

“So you're saying she can't keep me from seeing my daughter?” Kayne feared to hope
he understood this right.

“No, what I'm saying is she has no legal rights to Tasha.
At all.
If we're within the year window, we can file to vacate the adoption. We'll ask for
a change of venue to get it out of Payson so that she doesn't get a sympathetic judge.
We don't want her to play the dead-hero-husband, or I'm-one-of-you card. That way
we’ll be on even ground if she tries for best interest.
It may take a while, but we'll get your daughter back where she belongs, and you won't
have to deal with this woman or her boyfriend again.”

Kayne jerked back in surprise. “Wait, that's not what I want. I mean, I want my daughter,
but I don't want to hurt Jessica. Tasha has grown up as Gracie Hallstatt to this point.
She shares a room with a sister. She has siblings and a mom who love her dearly.”

Brian furrowed his brows, a look of confusion on his face. “If her life is so great,
why are you trying to disrupt it?”

“She's my daughter! I didn't give her up, she was taken.” Kayne slammed his hand on
the table. “I
want
to be in her life. I
need
to be in her life.”

Brian smiled a dangerous smile. “Then that's what you have to remember. You don't
get to have it both ways. This isn't some divorce where you can share custody. In
this case, it's either or. You get her back or Jessica keeps her.”

Kayne knew he was right. Whoever held custody decided everything from visitation to
where a child lived, attended school, and associated with. Kayne needed that control.
Perhaps he really was a selfish bastard, but knowing his daughter was alive, safe,
and loved wasn’t enough. He needed to be in her life.

Brian promised to do some snooping. “I’ll locate the original case. While it’s technically
sealed, I can find out when it was filed and finalized, and then proceed from there.”

Kayne nodded. “That seems fair.”

Brian’s gaze was intent. “Be prepared for this to move fast
.
Judges don’t like to sit on these types of cases. Every day a child stays with one
party keeps them from bonding with the caregiver they belonged with.”

Kayne dreaded asking the next question. “What about your fees?”

“I’m not charging you for this.”

Brian chuckled when Kayne just stared at him in disbelief.

“Look, I could lie to you and tell you I’m doing it pro-bono for purely altruistic
reasons. But the fact is, this is a once in a lifetime case. I’m too old to worry
about making a name for myself, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t what any petitioning
attorney would consider a dream case.”

Kayne swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. “Thanks.”

With an assurance that Brian would file an Order for Paternity by day’s end, Kayne
headed home.

He thought he'd feel better having put something into motion, but the reality was
it had left him with a heavy heart. He didn’t want to upend anyone’s life, but he
would not walk away from his daughter. At this point, all he could do was
wait
for Brian to call and advise him of their next step. In the meantime, he had phone
calls to make. Starting with a detective that made the belligerent hose-monkey look
like Kayne’s best friend.

***

Jess had mixed feelings as she walked out of her attorney's office. The adoption had
been finalized for exactly one year as of midnight tonight. After five o'clock today,
when the courts closed their door, no one could protest the accuracy of the adoption.
That was the good news.