Breach of Duty (9780061739637) by Judith A. Jance Read Free Book Online Page A

next week, mind you, when it’s spring break and the kids could go without missing any school. No, it has to be this week or nothing. He wants to take them out of class for three whole days—Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
    â€œMy first reaction was to take a page from the J. P. Beaumont lexicon and tell him to go piss up a rope—that he can see the kids if and when he sends me some of that back child support. But of course, he didn’t leave me that option. The underhanded rat called the boys while I was still at work. The first I heard about it, the kids were already so excited they could barely stand it. Not only about seeing their dad again, but also about going on the trip. Believe me, without any child support, it’s all I can do to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. I sure as hell can’t afford to take them on an outing like that. The best I’ve ever done is a weekend in somebody’s borrowed condo over at Ocean Shores.”
    My own daughter, Kelly, dropped out of school prior to high school graduation, although she’s doing fine now. She picked up her GED and she’s even started taking classes at Southern Oregon University down in Ashland. My son, Scott, just graduated from Stanford with a degree in electrical engineering. Personally, I’ve always been a big believer in education.
    â€œMissing school doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, either,” I told Sue. “It’s not good for the kids and the school district isn’t going to approve. Did you try asking your ex to reschedule for spring break? Maybe he just didn’t realize…”
    â€œOf course, I told him. But rules that govern other people don’t necessarily apply to Richie Danielson. He says it’s this week or nothing. The problem is, if I pull the plug on the trip for whatever reason, it’ll hurt the kids that much more.”
    It was easy to see that Sue was in a bind. If she nixed the trip at this stage, she would be cast as the villain of the piece—at least in the eyes of her two children.
    â€œWhen did all this trip stuff come about?” I asked.
    â€œLast week,” Sue answered. “After you left town for Lake Chelan, I guess.”
    â€œWell,” I said. “If your ex can afford to take trips to Disneyland, he should be able to afford child-support payments, too. Have you ever thought about taking him back to court?”
    â€œI tried it once. Didn’t do any good. On paper, Richie claims he doesn’t make a dime.”
    â€œHow does he support himself then?”
    â€œHe’s into some kind of bartering business,” Sue explained. “Once he stopped being a church…”
    â€œA church?” I interrupted. “When was he ever a church?”
    â€œThe year we got a divorce. He declared himself a church and didn’t pay any income taxes. Two years later the IRS came after me for $2,500 in back taxes on money he earned while we were still married. I asked the lady from the IRS how come she was coming after me instead of him. I’ll never forget what she said. ‘Honey, you have a job.’”
    â€œAnd you had to pay?”
    â€œDamned straight. Every dime plus interest. It took me two years to pay the whole thing off. That’s when I found out he’s in the bartering business. No cash ever changes hands. Richie says he put together a mattress deal with some hotel chain. Instead of getting money, he got this prepaid Disneyland package. I’m sure he underreports his income to the IRS. Since he doesn’t have a bank account and earns no wages, there’s nothing for the court to attach for back child support. Meantime, Chris and Tared think he’s the greatest thing going.”
    With a burst of diesel exhaust, the eighteen-wheeler ahead of us inched forward. I switched on the ignition in our Caprice and put it back in gear. “If you ask me,” I told her,