The Surrogate

Joe Brammer’s father stepped forward to introduce himself and offer a perfunctory handshake. Then he a

As did Jamie. She was wearing jeans and a black, sleeveless shirt, with no jewelry, no discernible makeup. Her hair was back to its natural blond but shorter than before.

“You’re looking well, Jamie,” Bentley said. Which was true. She was lovely to look at-like before. But he realized that he was looking at quite a different person than the hopeful young woman who had come to his office almost a year and half ago. This new Jamie would be forever wary, the i

Bentley felt perspiration collecting in his armpits and under his collar. He was a bit nervous, and the air was muggy and still. He would have liked to remove his jacket and loosen his tie but decided it was best to maintain a professional appearance.

He did, however, accept Jamie’s offer of iced tea. He watched while she poured three glasses and seated herself at a glass-topped table. Joe sat by her and Bentley sat across from them.

He took a swallow of the tea, then set down the glass and picked up his briefcase. He pulled out the yellow legal pad on which his notes were written, placed it in front of him, and cleared his throat.

But Jamie spoke first. “I want to thank you for intervening that night. If you hadn’t contacted that judge and convinced her that I was Billy’s mother and his sole legal parent, she would have taken him away from me and put him in foster care until a custody hearing could be held. I would have lost my mind if they had taken him away from me.” She spoke calmly, but Bentley realized that her statement was meant to be taken literally.

He thought of the frantic middle-of-the-night phone call from Lenora. It had taken Bentley a while to comprehend what she was telling him. That someone named Joe Brammer had called her. That Brammer and Jamie Long had been on the run with her baby. That Gus Hartma

The judge he contacted in Dallas had been a law-school classmate of his. “But I thought you worked for the Hartma

Bentley had explained that Jamie Long was the birth mother and that no matter what Amanda Hartma

“It was the least I could do,” he told Jamie then glanced down at his list. “I assume you’ve been in touch with the district attorney’s office in Dallas,” he said by way of inquiry, glancing from one to the other. They made a handsome couple. Both were tan, young, and athletic-looking. Joe’s head was no longer shaved; his dark hair was longish and curled around his ears. Joe had scooted his chair closer to Jamie’s and moved his arm so that it touched hers.

“Yeah,” Joe said. “We were informed that the shooter agreed to a plea bargain but that the information he gave didn’t amount to much. As we understand it, he and the other three men who joined Hartma

Bentley nodded. “The man known as Zubov apparently worked for Gus Hartma

“We were amazed at how little media coverage the shooting garnered,” Jamie said.

“Yes,” Bentley agreed, “even in death, Gus Hartma

“But all those people saw him die,” Joe protested. “Thousands of people. And two television stations were there filming the event, yet it barely got a mention on the morning news-just something about a crazed shooter killing the brother of evangelist Amanda Hartma

“Perhaps it’s just as well,” Jamie said, reaching for Joe’s hand. “I certainly don’t want the notoriety. This way Billy can maybe grow up as just a normal kid.”

“That would be nice, but he is not just a normal kid,” Bentley pointed out. “He will be forever linked to Amanda Hartma

“Not unless Amanda goes public with the unusual circumstances of his conception,” Joe said.

“What about the baby she adopted?” Jamie asked.

“Amanda Hartma

“Stop,” Jamie said, holding up her hands. “All I want from Amanda Hartma

“And if she doesn’t,” Joe said, “we will file charges against her for knowingly entering into an invalid contract, unlawful imprisonment, conspiring to murder Jamie and kidnap her child, and anything else I can think of.”

Bentley sighed. He really had no taste for this at all. “You realize,” he said to Jamie, “that when your son reaches maturity, Amanda will legally be able to contact him.”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Joe said hotly. “You tell that woman that if she attempts to call us or to contact us by mail or have us followed or interfere with our lives in any way whatsoever, I will file those charges.”

“I don’t think you understand what a sheltered life Amanda has lived,” Bentley said. “Gus kept anything distasteful from her. She really had no idea…”

Jamie slapped her hands down on the table and leaned forward, glaring at him. “Don’t you try to tell me that Amanda didn’t realize what was going on. She would caress me and kiss me and tell me how much she and God loved me, all the while knowing that I was to be killed after the baby was born. Her mother isn’t playing with a full deck, and Mary Millicent certainly understood what was going on. And by the way, we contacted the sheriff’s office in Marshall County about Mary Millicent, and they ignored us. So we have contacted the state department of health and the victim services office in the state department of public safety to report the conditions under which Amanda Hartma