Look Again - Lisa Scottoline [124]
“I’m welcome to?” Bill repeated, incredulous.
“I will agree to a lab of the FBI’s choosing, with the test to be administered under their supervision.”
“I won’t take any damn DNA test!” Bill’s jaw set with determination. “Timothy’s my son, and I’m keeping him!”
Ron raised a finger in his professorial way. “As a legal matter, we could require you to take a DNA test. If we take this matter to court right now, any judge would order you to do so, and my client and I are more than prepared. In fact, bear with me.” Ron reached into an accordion-style briefcase sitting on the floor, extracted a manila folder, then opened it, slid out some papers, and handed them to Special Agent Manning, Bill, and Cusack. “These papers are ready to file. I have an emergency judge standing by. It’s your choice, Mr. Braverman. If you and Will don’t voluntarily take the DNA test, the court will order you to do so. I’ll also ask the court to place Will in protective custody in the interim, so that you don’t leave the jurisdiction with him.”
“You have to be kidding!” Bill grabbed the papers from the center of the table and skimmed the front page, his eyes darting rapidly left and right, his mouth pursed in fury.
But Ellen could see that Cusack, sitting next to him and reading the papers, lifted his eyebrow again.
Ron added, “Mike, if you’d like a minute alone with your client, Ellen and I would be happy to step outside.”
Cusack looked up after a minute, deep in thought. “Yes, thank you. I’d like to confer with my client.”
Ellen and Ron rose from the table, left the conference room, and went into the hallway, where they closed the door behind them and Ron placed a fatherly hand on her shoulder.
“Ellen, don’t get excited.” His brow furrowed. “You have to remember that the Internet lab could be wrong. Even the most reliable labs get false results on tests, all kinds of tests, and I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“They’re not that fly-by-night,” Ellen said, but she knew better. “Jerry Springer uses them.”
Ron smiled. “Remember, plan for the worst and you’ll be happily surprised.”
“Way to kill the mood, counselor.”
Fifteen endless minutes later, the door to the conference room opened, and Special Agent Manning stuck out his head. “We’re ready for you,” he said simply.
Chapter Ninety-five
Ellen filed into the conference room with Ron behind her and took her seat at the table across from Cusack. Bill had deserted his chair but was standing by the window, his arms folded and his expression grim. Ellen saw the strain around his eyes and knew that he was more anguished than angry, and her heart went out to him.
Cusack began, “We’ve decided, in a spirit of cooperation, to undertake a DNA test. The FBI has recommended a lab that it uses all the time, and we’ll be taking the samples of Bill and Timothy tonight.”
“We’ll fast-track it,” Special Agent Manning interjected. “We should have the results by Monday.”
Ellen felt her heart pounding but didn’t show any emotion, for Bill’s sake.
Cusack continued, “However, we don’t believe it’s necessary to place Timothy in protective custody with the Bureau, pending the results. Timothy is at the Four Seasons with a babysitter that comes highly recommended. Bill would like to keep the boy with him at the hotel and he won’t leave the jurisdiction. We trust you’ll agree.” Cusack fell silent, awaiting Ellen’s response.
So did Bill, by the window, his arms folded, and Ron, who cocked his head, his smile characteristically gentle.
“What do you want to do, Ellen?” he asked. “You can leave him with Bill until the tests come back, or the FBI can make him comfortable in a hotel.”
Special Agent Manning added, “The Four Seasons isn’t in our budget.” He chuckled, huh huh, but nobody else did.
Ellen’s eyes met Bill’s from across the room, and she felt their shared bond. This situation was no-win, at every turn. As for protective custody, it had been