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Officer Hatcher glanced from Luc to a clearly nervous Grace. “Perhaps I better come in and straighten this out,” he addressed his partner. “Carl, escort Mrs. Bumgartle to her apartment and take a statement.”
After a momentary hesitation, Luc stepped back to allow the policeman access. Though he didn’t say anything, Grace saw the muscle leaping in his jaw and the dark, furious glitter of his eyes. Why, oh why, she wondered with a sinking heart, did it have to be Hatcher who responded to the call?
“There’s nothing to straighten out,” Luc insisted, leading the way to the living room. “I explained before that we were babysitting my niece and that’s precisely what we’re doing.”
Hatcher pulled a notepad out of his pocket and flipped through the pages. “According to my notes, you said you were babysitting for a few hours. It’s now been almost two days. Would you care to explain the discrepancy?”
Luc glanced briefly at Grace, then said, “I believe I mentioned that my sister-in-law’s mother is ill. My brother and his wife were going to fly to Italy with the baby, but decided at the last minute to leave Toni with us.” He caught Grace’s hand in his and pulled her close. “Is that a problem?”
Officer Hatcher began adding to his notes. “You have something from the parents stating this?”
“No,” Luc admitted. “I didn’t realize that would be necessary.”
The policeman’s gaze sharpened. “A medical release form? A birth certificate? Anything?”
Luc shook his head. “They should be back soon.”
Hatcher glanced at his notes again and froze. “How old is your niece, Mr. Salvatore? What’s her birth date?”
Grace started, staring up at Luc in a panic. His arm tightened around her, crushing her to his side. “She’s three months,” Luc said stiffly, then confessed, “I’m not sure of the exact date of her birth.”
“And when did her sex change from male to female?” Hatcher asked with unmistakable sarcasm. He had them and knew it.
Luc swore beneath his breath.
“You didn’t know she was a girl, did you?” The patrolman’s mouth twisted in a parody of a smile. “Is she even your niece?”
“I didn’t know she was a girl until we changed her diaper,” Luc was forced to concede. “Carina called her Toni, and since Salvatores have a history of producing boys, I assumed...” He shrugged, then stated forcefully, “But she is my niece.”
Officer Hatcher checked his notes again. “The baby’s name is Antonia Donati Salvatore? Or was that a lie, too?”
Luc closed his eyes, releasing a long, drawn-out sigh. “Carina and my brother aren’t married. Yet. I expect that to change very soon.”
“Let me get this straight.” The officer’s words fell, cold and hard as chipped ice. “You said the parents left the baby in your care and would be back in a few hours. That was a lie. You said the child was your nephew. That was a lie. And you said the baby’s parents were married. Another lie. You don’t have any legal authority to care for this baby whatsoever, do you?”
Luc’s fists clenched at his sides. “Look. Carina, the baby’s mother, left Toni with my brother because of a family emergency. That much is true. And she needed someone to care for Toni during her absence. That is also the truth. Since my brother Brand is the baby’s father, he was the natural choice. The only problem was, Brand didn’t know about Toni until Carina arrived at my office.”
Understanding dawned. “Which explains the argument in the lobby.”
“Yes. My brother went after Carina to try and stop her. Thanks to your intervention, he wasn’t in time.”
Grace winced. “Luc, it won’t help to antagonize him.”
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “If the police hadn’t been so quick to let Carina go, we wouldn’t be in our current predicament. Not that it matters. When Brand does catch up with her, they’ll marry and return for Toni. Until then, my fiancée and I are taking care of the baby. She’s perfectly safe and in good hands.”
“That’s not for me to decide.”
Luc stiffened. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Easy,” Grace murmured, laying a restraining hand on Luc’s arm.
“No.” He shook free of her hold. “I want to know what he means.”
Hatcher eyed them sternly. “I mean that what happens to the baby is up to social services, not me. Legally, she’s been abandoned.”
“No, she hasn’t!” Luc bit out. “The mother left her child with the father.”
“Mr. Salvatore, I don’t intend to argue with you about this. I’m taking the baby into custody. If you resist, I’ll arrest you.”
