Leopard's Baby

Brendan stopped crying when a Q-tip soaked in wine was placed in his mouth at the conclusion of the bris. The large crowd in the Selinson home applauded. Tammy scooped up her son and headed for the stairs. As she was leaving, she said, “I’m going to feed him, change him, and put him down for a nap. Enjoy yourselves. I’ll be out in a little while. When the party is over relatives can see him briefly before they leave. The rest of you will have to wait until another time. It’s been an ordeal for him. No offense, but eight days old is too young to be exposed to a whole bunch of strangers.”

“Does she think we’re carrying some dreadful disease?” Jennifer Roberts muttered. “It’s humiliating having to beg permission to come here to see my own grandson. They never leave me alone with him. Tamara’s horrible little sister was practically stepping on my heels the other day when I was taking him for a walk in the carriage I bought for him. I almost slapped the little bitch across the face.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t, Mother,” Karla Roberts said. “Tiffany is no pushover. They’ve accommodated you to some extent. They allowed you to have him examined by a hematologist of your choosing. He agreed the blood abnormality was benign.”

“He didn’t say it was benign,” Jennifer contradicted. “He just said the same type of disorder occurs in all members of their family, and they all appear to be healthy. Besides, they only agreed after I threatened legal action.”

“You’re paranoid, Mother,” Karla said. She puffed out her cheeks and blew air out of her mouth. “You think they’re scheming against you.”

“I’ve got to leave,” Senator Roberts said. He looked at his watch and then at his phone. “There’s a motion coming up this afternoon and I have to be there for the caucus and the vote. Party leaders will be meeting afterward, so I won’t be home for dinner. When are you headed back to school Karla?”

“My flight leaves at 6:00AM tomorrow morning,” his daughter replied and made a face. “Ugh! I’ve got to be up by 3:00. The semester will end in a month. I can’t wait. I want to spend more time with my nephew.”

“You’ll probably be asleep when I get home and I’ll be asleep when you leave, so I’ll say goodbye now. See you in a month.” The senator hugged and kissed his daughter and left.

Two hours later the party wound down. Jennifer and Karla Roberts were the only outsiders remaining. Tammy led them to where Brendan was sleeping, but refused to allow them to hold the baby. She said she didn’t want to awaken him. Jennifer’s jaw was clenched tightly closed as she air-kissed Olivia and Tammy. Karla and Tammy hugged for several seconds.

***

“Thank God the wicked witch is gone,” Tammy said after Karla and Jennifer left. Tammy shivered. “My mother-in-law gives me the creeps.”

“Watch yourself and Brendan,” Olivia said. “Sure as shit stinks she’s planning something. Make sure one of us is always there when she’s with him.”

“What can she do?” Tiffany asked. “We’re all a lot stronger than she is. Even me and I’m not a were-leopard. Not yet anyway.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Olivia cautioned. “She has all the resources of a billionaire, not to mention the clout her husband has as a US senator. In a couple of weeks I’ll be leaving for Europe and will be there for three weeks. She might try something then. Maybe I should find some reason not to go.”

“We can’t put our lives on hold waiting for her to make a move,” Tyler said. He put his hand on his mother’s arm. “Don’t worry Mom. We’ve got this.”

“I hope you’re right,” Olivia said. “I hear Didi calling. Dinner’s ready.”

***

“Are you going out tonight?” Jennifer asked her daughter as the two women entered the family mansion.

“Can’t,” Karla replied. “I’ve got a paper due in a couple of days, and I have to work on it.”

“Don’t stay up too late,” Jennifer admonished. “You have an early morning flight. Merritt is coming over after dinner. We’ll be busy for quite a while in my office, and we don’t want to be disturbed.”

“What are you planning, Mother?” Karla asked, giving Jennifer a steely-eyed look.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Like hell you don’t!” Karla exclaimed. She glared at her mother. Jennifer looked away. Karla clasped her hands in front of her chin and clenched them tightly together. She took in a deep breath, let it out, and said, “You don’t usually meet with your lawyer in the evenings. You have something up your sleeve. If you try pulling a fast one you have no idea the kind of shit-storm you’ll be stirring up.”

“You know that kind of language upsets me. Why can’t you be on my side for once.”

“I’m always on your side,” Karla said. She wrapped her arms around her mother. “I love you, but I also love Tammy. You don’t seem to realize how dangerous she can be. I’ve seen her in action. You haven’t. You fight by using lawyers like Merritt Covington, who employs the usual lawyerly dirty tricks. Tammy can get real physical real fast. If you try to take Brendan away from her the consequences can be dire.”

“I’m touched that you care,” Jennifer said. She patted Karla on the back and snorted. “You think I’ll be in physical danger simply because I use the law? Poppycock! We live in a civilized country and we have ample security.”

“I hope you’re right, Mother,” Karla said. Tears formed in her eyes. “At least about the physical danger. I’m afraid I’m going to lose either my mother or my best friend. Maybe both.”

***

“You know what I want,” Covington said as he handed two documents and an envelope filled with cash to his companion. “You also know to keep your mouth shut afterwards. You’re being paid plenty now. You’ll get the same amount again when you deliver. If the goods are up to snuff.”

“You won’t have no complaints, Covington,” the other man said. “This job is trivial. If you want a rush job, like tomorrow, it’ll cost you a little more. Otherwise it’ll be a week.”

“Delivery in a week will be fine,” Covington said. He glanced at a clock on the wall. “I’d rather you take your time. If you rush things you might make a mistake.”

“There won’t be no mistakes,” the man said as he inspected the bills. “You never had a problem with my work before, and you won’t this time either. “You meet me here in a week. Have the money with you.”

“There’s more at stake now than there was in the past,” Covington said. He put on his hat and headed toward the door. As he reached it, he turned back and added, “I’ll be back next week. Same time.”

***

“Mom’s right,” Tiffany said. She’d been brooding throughout most of the evening meal. “That bitch is going to make a move to get Brendan, I just know it,” Tiffany ran her hand lightly over Brendan’s head as he sucked busily on Tammy’s right breast. “This guy can really eat. He’s gained almost ten ounces since birth.”

“What can she do?” Amanda asked. She got up to help Didi, the housekeeper, clear the table after dinner. “I know she’d like to have Brendan exclusively for herself, but in order to do so she’d have to show Tammy’s an unfit mother. Either that or kidnap him.”

“What a clusterfuck that’d be,” Tammy said. She grinned at the image. “The senator’s wife on trial for kidnapping. It would almost be worth it to see her put away. She won’t do anything so overt, however. She’ll spend part of her family billions on lawyers and legal chicanery, aided by the many judges beholden to her husband.”

“Don’t take those things lightly,” Olivia cautioned. “Clever lawyers can twist anything. They can make it appear that you did the kidnapping and Jennifer was saving the victim.”

A whoop came from the front door. Megan bounced in waving a sheet of paper and grinning from ear to ear. “I just got the official acceptance from the University of Illinois medical school.”

“Great!” her father, Cary, said as he hugged his older daughter. “Which campus?”

“Chicago,” Megan said. She started dancing around the room.

The rest of the family surrounded her, offering congratulations. The worry about what actions Jennifer Roberts might take forgotten. At least for the moment.

***

“Let me take your hat, Merritt,” Jennifer Roberts said as Merritt Covington entered her home and kissed her on the cheek. “Curtis has business on the hill tonight. He won’t be here.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Covington said. He was slightly below average in height with salt and pepper hair. As usual he was impeccably dressed in an expensive three piece suit, cut to try to obscure the fact that he was at least thirty pounds overweight. It failed.

Karla emerged from a room and joined them. “Good evening, Karla,” the lawyer greeted her. “Your mother and I have some business to discuss. It’s confidential. We’ll be retiring to her office. Just the two of us. I hope you understand. I’m sure you’d be bored with the legalese anyway.”

“There’s no doubt anything you have to say would bore me Mr. Covington,” Karla said. Covington bristled at the insult, but didn’t respond. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told my mother,” Karla added. “If you’re planning some move to take Tammy’s baby away from her, it’s very likely you’ll deeply regret the eventual results. You can’t even begin to guess just how formidable she can be.”

Karla headed up the stairs to her room. Jennifer led Covington to her office. They both took seats on a couch. Jennifer used a house phone to request a coffee service be brought in. Covington took some documents out of his briefcase and placed them on a table in front of the couch. A maid wheeled in a coffee service, poured a cup for each of them, and departed.

Covington added cream and sugar to his cup, took a sip, put the cup down, picked up the sheet of paper on the top, and handed it to Jennifer. “This is the overall plan. You know how sensitive this information can be, so make sure it’s locked in your safe after I leave. I made the arrangements to have the key document taken care of earlier today. We’ll have it by next week.”

“Next week!” Jennifer exclaimed. “I can’t bear to wait that long. My grandson will be with those… people. It was agony watching them circumcise him and turn him into a Jew.”

“You’re going to have to be patient, Jennifer,” Covington said. He patted her thigh. “I’m afraid it will be a bit longer than a week. It would be foolish to start the legal proceedings before the baby is in our hands. That’s the most delicate part. Once you get him, you can have him baptized. These people can be dangerous. Very dangerous.”

“You sound like my daughter.”

“I’ve checked into them. Karla is correct. They have a penchant for violence. Tamara really was with the CIA, if only briefly. It’s not farfetched at all that she killed the terrorists who kidnapped her and Karla. Olivia, her mother, was, among other things, a secret service agent. Did you see the video of her manhandling some nutcase who tried to attack Congresswoman Martinez?”

“I saw it on YouTube,” Jennifer said and frowned. “I didn’t think it was real.”

“It was real, believe me,” Covington said and took out his phone. Another video began playing. “Look at this. It shows Tamara stifling a bank robbery attempt when she was six months pregnant. Don’t underestimate the capabilities of those people.”

“You sound like you’re afraid to proceed!” Jennifer shouted in a shrill voice as she jumped to her feet. “You must! I can’t leave my grandson with those heathens a second longer than necessary.”

Covington took another sip of coffee and also got to his feet. He put an arm around Jennifer, pulled her against him, and, while rubbing her back, said, “I’m not giving up. I already told you I’ve made arrangements for the document. Believe me, it cost a pretty penny, and will cost more next week. I’m being upfront with you. Our plans cannot be rushed. It will take at least a month and possibly more. We must bide our time. If we move too soon everything we’ve done could go up in smoke.”

“Are you afraid of their ferocity? You make them seem invincible.”

Covington released Jennifer, sat back down, and picked up his coffee cup. “They’re far from invincible. In the long run their savagery will serve us well in court. In the short run, however, we cannot act rashly.”