Since only parents were allowed in the NICU, they couldn’t see Violet in person, but Derrick showed them the photos he’d taken with the camera phone.
Matthew offered to buy a box of “It’s a Girl” cigars from the gift shop. “I know these aren’t as good as what you’re used to,” he said to Derrick.
“It’ll do for now,” he replied.
The four of them went outside into the early morning. The sun was just beginning to rise on a new day. After a couple of puffs, Cassidy started coughing, followed by Matthew.
“I can’t do this,” Cassidy said, wheezing.
“Don’t inhale,” Derrick advised.
She put out the cigar and left the smoking to her brothers.
Derrick blew his smoke up into the early morning sky. He suddenly realized the most important people in his life were all here in the same place. His wife and daughter were safe upstairs, and his brothers and sister were lending their support beside him.
A wry smile lifted one corner of his mouth.
Life couldn’t be better.
Chapter Fifteen
Derrick scrolled through Eva’s account online, a frown creasing his forehead. He didn’t like what he saw.
Large disbursements had been made over the past three months to the investigator searching for her father, and after their conversation last night, it didn’t sound as if the so-called investigator was any closer to finding him since the last time they’d discussed his progress. Yet he needed more money. And Eva had come to Derrick to ask for more money—something she’d never done before.
He’d recognized the look in her eyes. The pleading desperation he acknowledged came from wanting something so much you’d do anything to get it.
He’d promised to have the funds transferred over after the weekend. Under normal circumstances, he would have done it right away, but a peculiar sensation in his gut made him want to look into this further. The negligible amount didn’t concern him. What concerned him was that this “investigator” could be taking advantage of her desperation. That he couldn’t tolerate.
Derrick understood the emotional need to connect with family and how it could cloud logic, and as he looked at the situation from the outside, he saw what Eva couldn’t. Her explanation for why he needed more money sounded fishy. In emotional situations like this, normally intelligent persons could be swayed into unintelligent behavior. Coupled with a heart as big as Eva’s, the detective had hit the jackpot.
Call it cynicism. Realism. But no one was going to take advantage of her.
He picked up the phone and called his assistant. “I need an address,” he said. He gave her the name of the investigator, and within minutes, she called back with the address and the GPS coordinates.
A glance at the digital clock on his desk told him he had plenty of time to get over there before heading home. The day had been a bust anyway. He had spent the morning in the attorneys’ office signing a multitude of paperwork.
Once his uncles understood their allowances and the other advantages of the Hoffman name weren’t jeopardized, negotiations went a lot more smoothly. Knowing Phineas left his entire estate to a non-blood relative may have been a slap in the face, but common sense prevailed. After weighing the pros and cons, they decided forgoing the financial benefits in the short term for potential gain in the long term—which may not even come—was not worth it.
Derrick slipped into his coat and wished his assistant a good weekend. He certainly intended to have one. After four weeks, his baby girl was coming home from the hospital today. With Christmas around the corner, Eva decided to have a combined welcome home/Christmas party with the family. He intended to be there on time.
Right after he finished taking care of this little problem.
****
“Sorry for the mess. We just moved in and haven’t had a chance to get organized yet.”