Ch 3
Melanie Zambrano sung to herself as she hung up some clothes in the closet. Just as she went for another shirt the phone rang. She said a quick prayer that it wasn't Jimmy or Bobby and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mel."
"Kim! Hey how are you? Where are you?" Melanie knew her mother knew where Kim was but neither had told her.
"New apartment. I tried calling Mom to check in but I just got the machine so I called you to check in."
Melanie made herself comfortable on her bed. "Yeah? Any special reason?"
"No. Well Mom left some messages on my machine. I figure it was about Jimmy. He got back yesterday right?"
"Yeah and he's visited me and Mom so far. He's really upset Kimmy."
Kim pushed away the little niggling sensation of guilt before she spoke again. "How's my apartment working for you?"
"Not bad." Melanie wisely chose not to make Kim talk about Jimmy. "Bigger closet space anyway. But I think I might invest in a roommate for Joey's room."
"That's probably a good idea." Kim said. "Bobby been by?"
"Yeah. This morning. He woke me up. He is really worried about you."
"What time is it there?"
"Uh it is five after one. Jet lag?"
"Train lag. Mel, I'm gonna call Bobby."
"Good idea. Can I get your phone number? I promise to call once a week and check up on you and Joey."
Kim snorted. "That's my line, but yeah. Got a pen?"
"Uh, one sec." Melanie found a piece of paper and a pen. "Okay shoot."
Kim rattled off a number and then said good-bye.
hr
Bobby looked up when the phone rang. Deciding he didn't feel like playing another round of twenty questions with Jimmy, he let the machine pick up.
I"Hey I'm not home right now. Leave a message./I
Beep!
"Bobby? It's me, Kim. You there?"
Bobby shot across the room and grabbed the phone. "Kim?"
"Hey. Thought I missed you."
"Where are you?"
"Bobby."
"Kim."
"I can't tell you."
"Kim, we're friends. We were partners."
"I know."
"I'm not gonna rat you out to Jimmy if that's what you think."
"Bobby of course not. I just need to do this on my own and the more people that know the better chance Jimmy has of finding out."
"He's worried sick you know. I heard him on the phone with Brooke about putting out an APB on you and Joey. He's gonna charge you with kidnapping."
"He can't."
"What do you mean he can't?" Bobby asked, confused.
"I mean the agreement we have was from when we were separated. It expired about two days after Jimmy left on his honeymoon. I have sole custody now. Jimmy can't make me bring Joey back."
"Oh boy." Bobby rubbed his hand over his face. "Kim, are you sure?"
"I checked it out with a lawyer. Jimmy got a notice sent to him about four days ago. It should be in his mail at his apartment."
Bobby groaned. That piece of news was not going to go over well.
"Bobby, I gotta go."
"Do I get a phone number?"
"No. Sorry. I'll call again soon. Love you."
"You too." Bobby hung up the phone.
hr
Brooke watched her husband sit on the couch with his head in his hands. She shook her head and frowned. She knew Kim still harbored feelings for Jimmy but she didn't think they ran to the extent of wanting him to suffer like this. She continued going through the mail but stopped when she came to an envelope with the return address of Family Court of New York State. It was addressed to Jimmy.
"Jimmy? Did you see this?"
"See what?" He asked lifting his head.
"This." She walked over to him and handed him the envelope.
He took it and tore it open. His eyes devoured the words. "Oh my God."
"Jimmy?" Brooke asked, concerned.
"She certainly covered all the bases." He laughed without humor.
"Who?"
"Kim. This is to inform me that the agreement she and I had concerning Joey is now null and void and that she has sole custody."
"But that means-"
"That I can't do anything to make Kim bring Joey home." Jimmy shut his eyes. "I'm never gonna see him again."
Brooke didn't say anything. She just put her arms around Jimmy.
Melanie Zambrano sung to herself as she hung up some clothes in the closet. Just as she went for another shirt the phone rang. She said a quick prayer that it wasn't Jimmy or Bobby and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Mel."
"Kim! Hey how are you? Where are you?" Melanie knew her mother knew where Kim was but neither had told her.
"New apartment. I tried calling Mom to check in but I just got the machine so I called you to check in."
Melanie made herself comfortable on her bed. "Yeah? Any special reason?"
"No. Well Mom left some messages on my machine. I figure it was about Jimmy. He got back yesterday right?"
"Yeah and he's visited me and Mom so far. He's really upset Kimmy."
Kim pushed away the little niggling sensation of guilt before she spoke again. "How's my apartment working for you?"
"Not bad." Melanie wisely chose not to make Kim talk about Jimmy. "Bigger closet space anyway. But I think I might invest in a roommate for Joey's room."
"That's probably a good idea." Kim said. "Bobby been by?"
"Yeah. This morning. He woke me up. He is really worried about you."
"What time is it there?"
"Uh it is five after one. Jet lag?"
"Train lag. Mel, I'm gonna call Bobby."
"Good idea. Can I get your phone number? I promise to call once a week and check up on you and Joey."
Kim snorted. "That's my line, but yeah. Got a pen?"
"Uh, one sec." Melanie found a piece of paper and a pen. "Okay shoot."
Kim rattled off a number and then said good-bye.
hr
Bobby looked up when the phone rang. Deciding he didn't feel like playing another round of twenty questions with Jimmy, he let the machine pick up.
I"Hey I'm not home right now. Leave a message./I
Beep!
"Bobby? It's me, Kim. You there?"
Bobby shot across the room and grabbed the phone. "Kim?"
"Hey. Thought I missed you."
"Where are you?"
"Bobby."
"Kim."
"I can't tell you."
"Kim, we're friends. We were partners."
"I know."
"I'm not gonna rat you out to Jimmy if that's what you think."
"Bobby of course not. I just need to do this on my own and the more people that know the better chance Jimmy has of finding out."
"He's worried sick you know. I heard him on the phone with Brooke about putting out an APB on you and Joey. He's gonna charge you with kidnapping."
"He can't."
"What do you mean he can't?" Bobby asked, confused.
"I mean the agreement we have was from when we were separated. It expired about two days after Jimmy left on his honeymoon. I have sole custody now. Jimmy can't make me bring Joey back."
"Oh boy." Bobby rubbed his hand over his face. "Kim, are you sure?"
"I checked it out with a lawyer. Jimmy got a notice sent to him about four days ago. It should be in his mail at his apartment."
Bobby groaned. That piece of news was not going to go over well.
"Bobby, I gotta go."
"Do I get a phone number?"
"No. Sorry. I'll call again soon. Love you."
"You too." Bobby hung up the phone.
hr
Brooke watched her husband sit on the couch with his head in his hands. She shook her head and frowned. She knew Kim still harbored feelings for Jimmy but she didn't think they ran to the extent of wanting him to suffer like this. She continued going through the mail but stopped when she came to an envelope with the return address of Family Court of New York State. It was addressed to Jimmy.
"Jimmy? Did you see this?"
"See what?" He asked lifting his head.
"This." She walked over to him and handed him the envelope.
He took it and tore it open. His eyes devoured the words. "Oh my God."
"Jimmy?" Brooke asked, concerned.
"She certainly covered all the bases." He laughed without humor.
"Who?"
"Kim. This is to inform me that the agreement she and I had concerning Joey is now null and void and that she has sole custody."
"But that means-"
"That I can't do anything to make Kim bring Joey home." Jimmy shut his eyes. "I'm never gonna see him again."
Brooke didn't say anything. She just put her arms around Jimmy.