Cracks in the Sidewalk(56)

“In fact, you were so angry you decided to get even, didn’t you? You decided to stop Charles McDermott, his wife, and his daughter from ever seeing your children again, isn’t that true?”

“No, it isn’t!” JT shouted.

“I think it is. I believe you used your children as a weapon to inflict pain and heartache on the family that you blamed for all your problems, a family already burdened by their own sadness. You got even by refusing to allow Elizabeth or her parents access to the children. You did it because you were driven by the desire for revenge!”

Despite Noreen repeatedly shouting, “Objection!” JT bolted from his seat.

“You’re friggin’ nuts!” he screamed. “I didn’t want Liz or her parents around because I felt it was better for the kids! That’s all, better for the kids!”

“Mister Caruthers! Sit down and refrain from such outbursts,” Judge Brill warned. “We can take a short recess if you need to compose yourself.”

JT sat down and said nothing.

“Mister Caruthers, do you blame the McDermott family for your problems?” Dudley asked.

“I don’t hold them one-hundred-percent responsible, but it wouldn’t have killed Charles to help me out financially. Maybe then I wouldn’t have lost the store.”

“So you don’t blame them for your problems?” Dudley waited for JT to shake his head.

“Well, then, can you explain why you told Doctor Peter Belleau, the court-appointed psychologist, that the McDermotts were responsible for all of your problems, including the gene that caused Elizabeth’s illness?”

“I didn’t mean it. I suppose I was just venting.”

“Were you? Or was Charles McDermott’s refusal to lend you the money the final and most influential factor in your decision to keep the children away from Elizabeth’s family?”

“I said it had nothing to do with it.”

“It didn’t? You’ve already told the court that you brought the children to see Elizabeth six times at the hospital. After she was released from the hospital and forced to move into her parents’ home, did you ever bring the children to visit her?”

“No, but that’s just a coincidence.”

“Do you honestly expect this court to believe it’s coincidental that you decided it would be harmful for the children to see their mother and their grandparents just days after Charles McDermott refused to give you yet another loan?”

“Believe what you wanna believe, but I’m telling the truth.”

“Then please tell the court exactly what did prompt you to decide it would be harmful for the children to see their mother?”

“Do you not understand dying?” JT said antagonistically. “Liz is dying! She’s gonna be out of their life soon enough, so why would I want the kids to get more attached to her? The more attached they get, the harder it’s gonna be losing her.”

“But aren’t the children already attached to their mother?”

“Less now than when she first went into the hospital. When she was first hospitalized, they cried all the time asking when Mommy was coming home. Now they don’t do that anymore.”

“What about as the children grow older? Isn’t it quite possible that they’ll wonder why they never had a chance to say goodbye to their mother? Don’t you think that even after she’s been removed from their life, they might take comfort in knowing how much she loved them?”

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

“You heard Doctor Rupert’s earlier testimony. He feels that when a parent is taken away from a child without adequate explanation or understanding, the child often experiences a sense of rejection. Have you considered that possibility?”

“I don’t agree with his opinion.”

“But Doctor Rupert is a professional, whereas you’re—”

“I’m their father!” JT cut in sharply.

“Yes, you are,” Dudley answered. “And Elizabeth is their mother. If you have the right to decide what’s best for the children, shouldn’t she be allowed to have her say about seeing them?”

“No. I’m not dying; Liz is. I’m the one who’s gonna have to take care of those kids after she’s gone, so what I say is what counts.”

“You said earlier, and I quote, you ‘need to get on with your life.’ Does getting on with your life include having a lady friend who spends quite a bit of time at your house and with your children?”

“Why? Is there a law against my having a friend?”

“There’s no law against it, but I question whether this woman is a factor in your decision to keep the children away from their mother.”

“No,” JT answered angrily. “She’s not!”

“So you say,” Dudley replied. “What about Charles and Claire McDermott? What’s your reason for not allowing them to see the children?”

“I said it before,” Jeffrey answered. “It’s going to be hard enough to raise three kids on my own without having some busybody in-laws bad-mouthing everything I do or say. The McDermotts don’t like me. They never did like me. They don’t trust me, and I don’t trust them. So the bottom line is I don’t want my kids exposed to that kind of negativity.”