“Hey, Daniel. You awake?”
“Of course. How could I answer my cellphone if I wasn"t?” Daniel could hear Christine and Bernardo playing in the background, but trying to be quiet about it so as not to disturb their mother.
Sylvia laughed. “You"re silly. Can you talk?”
“Sure.” Daniel slowly walked up the stairs to the bedroom where he was sleeping in Marie"s house without excusing himself with Randy and Carlton, who were watching a football game in the family room downstairs. Tara stealthily followed him a few paces behind. Daniel refused to speak again until he reached the bedroom and shut the door. This way the others could not hear the conversation. “What do you need?” At all other times, Daniel would have expected Sylvia to ask him some legal question. Typically, she would call Daniel ab
