A Fishy End

Chapter 59

"Mrs. Hillcrest, good to see you again," the lawyer, Mr. Rungren, said. "And you are?"

"Danielle, Danielle Smith, Ryan's husband," Danielle replied, taking the proffered hand. "A friend. Maggie's been staying with us."

"Yes, perhaps you'd be more—" Mr. Rungren began.

"She knows it all anyway," Maggie interrupted. "She can stay."

"As you wish."

They seated themselves, Mr. Rungren behind his desk, Maggie and Danielle opposite him. "Well, you're paying me by the hour, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?" he said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, let's," Danielle prompted. Maggie nodded.

"As we discussed last time, Iowa is a no-fault state, so you don't have to prove any wrongdoing. You both simply have to want to get divorced."

"I don't want to get divorced," Maggie snarled. "I have no choice." She banged her fist on the desk for emphasis. "He made me do this."

Danielle put one arm around her. "It's okay, we know."

"Yes, yes," Mr. Rungren said. "And I've spoken with his lawyer. There is some good news and some bad news."

"Good news?" Danielle asked. Maggie had retreated into a mopey shell.

"Ryan is quite willing to help support his kids. He's even offered a generous alimony payment."

"How generous?" Danielle was carrying the conversation, but if she didn't . . . The lawyer was right, they were paying by the hour. Maggie could ill afford to spend precious time muttering and moping.

"He's offered to rent a house. One has come available less than a block away. He'll pay rent and utilities, plus three hundred cash. Quite generous."

Maggie made a noncommittal noise. Then, "What's the bad news?"

"He was far less receptive to the idea of signing away his custody. In fact, he is rather insistent on visitation, as soon as possible."

"It's not possible," Maggie barked. "He's a sinner. He's going to lead them to hell, he will. I won't have it!" She banged on the desk again.

Mr. Rungren gave Danielle a look, as if she were supposed to somehow control Maggie.

"Maggie?" she began.

"No! I won't let him indoctrinate them into whatever devil's-spawn cult he and that Rick are in. I won't. I will fight till the last breath in my body."

"Custody is one thing, Mrs. Hillcrest," Mr. Rungren cautioned, "but to get the courts to agree to full custody and no visitation will be hard. Hard. Without any tangible proof of harm to the children."

"So she is supposed to wait until something happens to the kids?" Danielle asked.

Mr. Rungren shrugged. "So far she hasn't been able to offer any evidence that he means to harm the children."

"Their immortal souls!" Maggie shrieked. "That's not harm enough? That Rick is a heathen. Don't you understand that?"

"If . . . no, when we get to court, Mrs. Hillcrest, you are going to have to keep these outbursts to yourself. This will not endear you to a judge."

"Can a judge save my babies' souls?" Maggie demanded, her eyes bugging out. Danielle wondered suddenly if she and Justin should have ever introduced her to their lawyer.

"A judge can award custody to your husband," Mr. Rungren warned, his voice stern.

Maggie settled back into a sullen simmer.

"Ritvik Harrish is one slippery customer, I must say," Mr. Rungren said.

"Who?"

"Rick. Some really interesting things came up in the initial discovery."

"What sort of things?" Danielle prompted, curious.

"Ryan's been working for him for the last several months, working for a club that Rick created. The thing is, he's paying Ryan good, really good. But all the money seems to come from member dues, and there aren't that many members. Plus, it looks like the others are also working for Rick. At first I thought it was some sort of pyramid scheme, but there aren't enough members for that." He shook his head.

"I'm not following," Danielle admitted. Maggie looked equally confused.

"They're all paying dues, right?" he explained. "And they're getting paid out of those dues. But it's just a big circle of money. Money in and money out. If you just look at one side of it, it looks pretty legit. But where did the money come from in the first place?"

"You think they're doing something illegal?" Danielle asked.

"I'd bet my license on it, except . . . I can't see what. And the paperwork's sound. Like I say, Rick's a slippery fish. I went as far as calling friend over in the DA's office. He looked at it too, and privately he agreed, but he said there wasn't anything that would hold up in court."

Danielle pursed her lips as she looked to Maggie. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. The old saying seemed appropriate here. Maggie was being offered a free house and cash to boot. It wasn't that Danielle minded having her or the kids stay with them, but her house was so small. Surely Maggie and the kids be happier in their own place. Let Ryan have his visitation. She shook her head. Maggie wasn't one to think that way.