Terminal (A Lomax & Biggs Mystery Book 5) (25 page)

“Circle the wagons,” Sophie said, “and you’re either inside the circle shooting out, or you’re outside the circle shooting in.”

Lucy looked lost.

“Lucy, it was not easy for me to understand when I first signed on to this crazy family,” Angel said. “But don’t worry. The important thing is that there are no real guns.”

“To Sophie,” Big Jim said. “Welcome inside the circle.”

We all drank, and as soon as Big Jim sat down, Izzy stood up.

“I’d like to make a toast too,” she said. “Sophie, you and I have something in common. I was adopted too. My father was a Marine. He was killed in the line of duty before I was born. My mother died when I was only five. And then the most wonderful people in the world adopted me, just like Mike and Diana are adopting you.”

“Well said,” Big Jim yelled out.

Izzy smiled. “Hold on. I’m not finished yet.”

Frankie flashed me a proud smile. It’s not every day that someone cuts Big Jim down to size, and my brother was thrilled that his girlfriend did it—and in front of the entire family to boot.

Izzy turned back to Sophie. “There’s only one big difference between what you’re going through and what I went through. Your mother is still alive, and every time you celebrate your birthday, you’ll know you’re another year closer to the time you finally see her again.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to that wonderful day.”

Nobody yelled, “Cheers.” We all sipped our drinks quietly. Lucy, Angel, and Diana all reached for napkins to dab their eyes.

Big Jim stood up again.

“Dad, you can’t top that one,” Frankie said. “Let’s eat.”

“Relax, I don’t have another toast. All I have is this piece of paper,” he said, pulling it from his pocket. “It’s from Jeremy Tan.”

He waited to see if someone would tell him to sit down. No one said a word. He was the center of attention and loving it.

“Jeremy has agreed to…” He squinted at the paper, put it down on the table, and dug out a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket. “Where was I?” he said, picking up the paper, and milking the moment for all it was worth.

He began reading. “Jeremy Tan has agreed to termination of parental rights.” He looked up and smiled at his audience.

“What does that mean?” I said.

He took off his glasses, which were clearly a prop for his performance. “It means that Angel and I are getting a granddaughter, and that you, Mike Lomax, and your lovely bride-to-be, Diana, are now legally free to adopt that beautiful little girl right there.”

Sophie let out a shriek, scrambled out of her seat, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” I said. “
Legally
free?”

“Well, if you want to get nitpicky about it, you still have to get a judge to sign off on it, but that’s a no-brainer. The important thing is that we have
Jeremy’s
signature,” he said, waving the paper in the air.

“Dad,” I said, “how did this happen?”

“What are you—some kind of detective? My new granddaughter wrote a letter, and Jeremy was so moved by it that he couldn’t say no.”

He passed me the sheet of paper. It was exactly what he said it was. Signed, sealed, and if I know my father, paid for.

I stood up. “Why don’t you all start,” I said. “Diana and I want to thank Big Jim in private.”

I took her by the hand, and the three of us stepped outside.

“Tell us the truth,” I said. “You bought Jeremy off.”

Big Jim shrugged. “Technically it was money I was going to leave to you when I die, so in reality
you
bought him off.”

“That’s unconscionable,” Diana said.

Big Jim looked hurt. “Do you really think I’m so terrible for bribing him?”

“Oh, God, no. I think Jeremy Tan is a total dirtbag for selling his daughter. But you, Big Jim Lomax, are a dream.” She hugged him. “Thank you. Go on inside. Mike and I will catch up in a minute.”

Big Jim didn’t waste any time. He hustled back to the house.

“You’re okay with this?” I said to Diana.

“Am I okay with the fact that you and I are going to be husband and wife and that Sophie is going to be our daughter?” she said. “I’m very okay.”

“I’m talking about Big Jim buying Jeremy off.”

“I don’t care about Jeremy, Mike. And if you do, then you’re focused on the wrong person.”

“What are you talking about? Who am I supposed to focus on?”

“Carly.”

I opened my mouth and nothing came out. She took my hand, walked me toward Angel’s vegetable garden, and the two of us sat down on a stone bench. It gave me time to think, but I still didn’t know what to say.

“Do you understand what Carly did?” Diana said.

I didn’t have an answer.

“She did the same thing Jeremy did. She waived her parental rights.”

“Hold on,” I said. “I’m not a lawyer, but I know this for certain. All Carly did was give us temporary guardianship.”

“That was five months ago. But about two weeks ago she gave up all legal claim to Sophie.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Daniel and Lucy told me the night they got to LA. Carly got wind of the fact that the government might come after her, but Xiaoling was still alive, and Carly refused to leave, even though she knew the risks. So she and the Zhangs went to a lawyer, and she signed a document that paves the way for us to permanently adopt her daughter. Daniel showed it to me.”

“It’s made in China,” I said. “Do you think it’ll hold up in California?”

“Considering the circumstances,” Diana said, rewarding me with the smile I was angling for, “I’m sure a Family Court Judge like Elizabeth Sneed White will honor it here.”

“Why didn’t Daniel show the document to me?”

Diana shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he picked up on the vibe that you weren’t exactly ready to talk about adoption.”

“Point taken.”

“Daniel and Lucy were there when Carly signed the papers. He said she didn’t cry. She knew she was legally relinquishing her rights to her daughter, but she told them, ‘If I go to prison, I can go knowing Sophie is safe. And no matter how long I’m in, when I get out, the paperwork won’t define our relationship. I’ll always be her mother. She’ll always be my daughter.’”

Once again I was at a loss for words. I swallowed hard.

“So please, Mike, forget about Jeremy, and don’t punish your father for doing what he did. If you want a role model for great parenting, think about what Carly did. I only hope that you and I can love Sophie as much as she does.”

“Let’s give it our best shot,” I said.

She took my hand again and we walked back to the house. Inside everyone was eating, drinking, talking, and laughing.

The room exuded joy. The wagons were circled.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

When the movie ends at a Writers Guild screening, it’s proper etiquette for industry professionals to remain in their seats while the credits roll.

But in real life (and by real life, I mean twelve-plexes where I can buy two tickets, a medium popcorn, two bottles of water, and a bag of Twizzlers for just a few bucks more than my first semester’s college tuition), as soon as the credits flash on the screen, the audience bolts.

It’s different with books. A lot of readers find it fascinating to realize how little the author knows, and how dependent he is on others to help him create fiction out of fact.

First and foremost, there are the medical professionals. My friend and personal physician, Dr. Douglas Heller, was there from the beginning and became the role model for the fictional Doug Heller. Dr. Joseph Fetto gave me insights into the dark side of Big Pharma. And the erudite and charismatic Dr. John Froude navigated me through a maze of life-threatening illnesses. This book would not be what it is if it were not for John’s infinite knowledge of the world of diseases, and his unflagging patience with my daily phone calls.

My go-to LA cop, Detective Wendi Berndt, now retired, kept me honest about all things LAPD. However, I did take one liberty. Wendi pointed out that because of a departmental reorg, homicide detectives are no longer housed in the Hollywood station. I ignored the changes and opted to keep Mike and Terry where the three of us are most at home.

And thanks to Detective Sal Catapano, NYPD retired, who is on my speed dial and generously fields all my “what would a cop do if” questions.

Legal expertise came from Chief Civil Administrator John McGovern of the Ulster County NY Sheriff’s Office, and my good friend Gerri Gomperts, whose lifetime of experience in family law was invaluable.

I also turned to my pilot buddy Dan Fennessey, EMS paramedic Gabriel Diamond, technowhiz Chris Bollerer, and my favorite Marine Bob Beatty for their expertise.

Thanks to my design and production team Dennis Woloch, Kathleen Otis, and Bill Harrison for making this book look so good and for profreding evrey wurd.

To my partners at Amazon, especially Jason Kuykendall and Brian Mitchell, thank you for making it so easy to bring this fifth Lomax and Biggs book into the world.

To my longtime partners in crime, my editor Jason Wood and my agent Mel Berger, thank you for being part of the heart and soul of this book and all things Lomax and Biggs.

Thank you also to my friend and coauthor on the NYPD Red series, James Patterson, who taught me how to keep readers turning pages and whose influence can be seen throughout this book.

And a big hug for Sophie Gilbert. I met Sophie when she was seven years old, and she inspired the character of Sophie Tan. The real Sophie is a teenager now, but her delightfully cheeky younger self continues to make me smile as it flows effortlessly onto the page.

To my wife Emily, thank you for putting up with me. To my kids, Adam and Sarah, thank you for helping mom put up with me. And to my grandson Zach, who can almost do no wrong, I can’t wait for you to be old enough to read this book.

If you read the dedication, you know that I’ve already thanked every Lomax and Biggs fan on the planet for keeping after me to write this book, but some things bear repeating. I will always be grateful for your dogged persistence.

And finally, for my father, Ben Karp, who died when I was a young man, but whose dreams did not die with him—I love you Dad, and after all these years, here’s your other two points.

Marshall Karp

—March 14, 2016

THE BIRTH OF LOMAX AND BIGGS

On September 12, 2005, I got the phone call I’d been waiting for all my life. “Marshall,” the voice on the other end said, “we’d like to publish your book.”

I’m pretty sure I said, “Thank you,” and maybe something like, “Wow,” but the one thing I’m positive I said was, “Why?”

My new publisher laughed. He understood writers. We’re so conditioned to being rejected that we have a hard time coping with acceptance.

“The characters,” he said.

“What about the mystery part?” I said, still having difficulty taking “yes” for an answer.

“Oh, I loved the ride,” he said, and then went on to cite three twists he never saw coming. “But after reading the first three chapters, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Mike and Terry. I love them.”

A man after my own heart. When I wrote for TV I learned that most people don’t tune in to their favorite shows just to watch a plot unfold. They keep coming back because they want the
predictable emotional experience
of being with people they know and love (or hate), or who remind them of people they know and love (or hate).

And then the publisher said something I wasn’t ready for. “How soon can you write me another Lomax and Biggs book?”

Another
? The line on my bucket list clearly said,
Write Book
. The line after that said,
Learn to Fly Plane
, not
Write Another Book
. But who was I to argue with the world’s smartest publisher?

Terminal
is the fifth Lomax and Biggs book. I’ve written each one so that it stands on its own, but the arc of the characters spans the series. So if this was your first taste, you can check out sample chapters of the other books at www.karpkills.com.

And if you’re like the man who called to say he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Mike and Terry, the good news is you have four more books to look forward to.

Thank you for supporting my life of crime.

—Marshall Karp