The Puzzle (32 page)

Lifelines And Pools

I knew if she had a choice, she would have done things differently, but fate was finicky and loved to play havoc with her life. On the surface, I hadn’t been aware of all the undercurrents pulling me in different directions and I had become distracted from the obvious. She had spoken in half-truths. I waited patiently, as I mentally waded through her previous tactics and stories.

She finally arrived several minutes behind schedule. “Sorry, I’m late,” she said, apologetically. “You know how it is. The phone kept ringing and I just couldn’t get away.”

“How is your blood pressure?” I asked, antsy to tell her the news, while trying not to smile.

“What do you mean? What kind of question is that?” she asked, laughing.

“I’m merely trying to see how well you can handle some unexpected shocking news.”

“I guess I’m in pretty good health for my age. I also don’t like that look in your eyes. Why do you ask? What are you referring too?” she whispered, now concerned.

Suddenly, I was tongue-tied. How could I tell her? Would she make some demands on the spot? Would she bolt from the booth? Would she become emotional? I nervously looked around us, just to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation. I simply said, “Well, it seems you’re life is about to change dramatically, once again.”

Leaning in close, she barely whispered, “What do you mean …change?”

“You had a male child, didn’t you?” That fact couldn’t be denied. Facts were facts.

“…Yes.” Then, it hit her. “Tell me. …What did you find out?”

“More details in due time,” I said, “but I think I’ve just matched the gene pool.”

Chapter 67

Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt

It was a long, drawn-out day and I was exhausted. Martha had previously departed and I spent the next hour laboring over the books. Apparently, my shop was a success and business was good. Finished and free to go home, I picked up my purse, slung my jacket over my shoulders, and grabbed my keys. I locked the front door and headed toward the rear of the shop.

Once outside, I locked the back entrance and began turning toward my car. A hand suddenly latched onto my arm. “Sam, we need to talk,” Mike whispered softly in my ear.

I stifled a scream, shaking his hand off of me. “Mike! Don’t sneak up on me like that again. You nearly scared me to death!”

He appeared anxious in the dusky light of the parking lot. “I’m sorry, but I really need to have a word with you. Can you spare me some time?”

“Of course I can. What’s this all about? Why didn’t you come over earlier?”

“It was too hectic. I finally got away a little while ago, because I had to wait until everyone left the site. I secured the area, and then hustled over here to see you.”

“Let me unlock the door and we can talk inside. The light out here is fading fast.”

Mike stopped me in mid stride as I turned to go back. “I was going to grab a bite at the diner. We can talk there instead.”

I hesitated, because I was almost as sick of the diner as I was of the market. “But, why can’t we…” I started to object, but then curiosity got the better of me and I shrugged my shoulders. “Sure, why not?” So, I followed him to his truck.

When our sandwiches arrived and the waitress left, he quickly dropped the small talk.

“You’ve been plowing through a lot of emotional debris, Sam, and bringing a lot of unsettled business to the surface. Some people are very apprehensive.”

“I know, but if I drag my feet, Mike, it prevents me from learning the truth. So I push a little, calling the shots as I see them. Sorry if I’ve offended anyone.”

He reached for his sandwich. “I’m only concerned that you’re not going to be happy with the end result when you eventually unravel all this.”

I stopped sipping my soda. “I’ll say this much. What I’ve found out so far regarding some of the others surprised me. Every page I turned, there was another explanation that went with it. I thought it all over, and it finally made perfect sense.”

“So, what was your final conclusion?” he asked, digging into his food.

“Nothing I’m willing to divulge right this minute, but it’s certainly not what I expected. That’s for sure. But I’m close. I know it,” I said, biting into my sandwich.

He stopped eating. “…Are you prepared for the rest of it? What if you don’t like what Stephen may have figured out or dug up and may still be on his laptop? Are you emotionally ready for that? Have you thought about the consequences of your actions in all this, discovering what was buried all those years?” he asked, clearly concerned. “I wouldn’t want you running away from here in anger, like Stephen did.”

“What could possibly be more shocking to me than his death? I now know Stephen was terribly frustrated in not locating his parents. He was chasing an objective that was unrealistic in the first place, and it became a dangerous obsession he clung to with persistence. He probably couldn’t face what he thought was unacceptable results and, knowing him, adamantly refused to budge from what he felt was rightly his.”

I needed Mike to understand the driving force behind my actions. “Mike, when I stop and look back, my life wasn’t always idyllic, but if Stephen had only recognized the importance of our relationship, it might have been a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, he didn’t. He made his choice and I was left to survive the aftermath. Now, I’ve made my choice: the truth, regardless of what the outcome may be.”

“What about when all of this is over? What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’m not going back, and I’m certainly not floundering in any circumstances I have no power to change. I’m solely focusing on future possibilities and any influence I might have over them. That’s the difference between Stephen and me. He lived in the past. I’m concentrating on the future. If I can help a few people along the way, then that’s fine. I’m comfortable with that.”

“But what if your interference has a negative effect and all of it backfires? I just don’t want anything happening that might hurt you.”

“You needn’t be concerned. I’m well aware my mind thinks out of the box, and it sometimes places me in awkward situations. And to be honest, it’s probably a good reason to drop this investigation. But from time to time lately, I’ve gotten lucky and things began falling into place.”

I leaned back, mulling over my strategy. “Mike, I need to be sure of everyone involved, before I reveal anything to anyone. What could be the worst possible scenario? I may never find out, but on the slight chance that I do, I continually ask myself, will I handle the outcome any better than Stephen did?”

Mike stared at me. “Trust me, Sam. You’re different. You might not like what you hear, but in the end, hopefully, you’ll understand. Some puzzles don’t always fit the way they should. This one has a lot of people and gray areas caught in between. I do know one thing for certain. You will probably be confronted with suspicions about some of their motives. Just promise me, you’ll take a step back and think before you jump to conclusions, and try not to be too judgmental. Remember, nobody is perfect.”

“Don’t you think I know that? But I need to know the truth beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

Chapter 68

Flak Jacket

I stood looking up at Jack’s house, wondering what in the world I was doing there. I might be pushing the envelope with this visit. After all, he was a powerful man in town and the county. I shrugged to myself. I wasn’t exactly questioning his truthfulness, just his hot-and-cold fixation with the likelihood of Stephen being his son.

After Stephen died, and after Jack’s emotional breakdown, what made Jack begin looking again? Why did he start all over? What was the motivation that got him going in another direction? Did he know for sure Stephen wasn’t his son after all? If so, how did he know that? What information did he obtain that convinced him otherwise?

I took a deep breath for courage and knocked on the door. There was no answer. I waited and tried again and the door unexpectedly swung open. “Jack? Barbara? Is anybody home?” Not a sound. I called out again, “Jack? Barbara?”

No response. Suddenly concerned, I slowly ventured inside. If they weren’t home, why was their front door ajar? I walked hesitantly down the long front hallway, listening for any sound.

After a few steps, I thought I heard someone crying. It seemed like it was coming from Jack’s study. I approached it cautiously. The door was open and there was Barbara crying, sitting in Jack’s chair, with Jack on one knee holding her hands in his.

Barbara looked down at him. “I’m sorry, Jack.” she said, as he gently patted her hand.

“It’s okay, Barbara. I understand, but what about telling…?”

“That’s what I’m so afraid of,” she said, tearfully.

They both turned, as I stood there transfixed by what I had witnessed. Barbara quickly wiped her eyes, as Jack got up, and then just stared at me silently.

I was painfully embarrassed. “I’m so sorry for the intrusion. The front door was ajar. I knocked, and then called out, and when no one answered, I thought the worst. Please excuse me,” I said, as I back stepped into the hallway.

“No! Wait!” said Jack, standing beside Barbara. Then he stared down at her.

She looked up at him. “I’m truly sorry, Jack. There should have been no secrets between any of us, and now it’s too late.”

“No. We’ll get through this. I promise. I absolutely refuse to criticize his intentions.”

Whose intentions?

I became extremely uncomfortable standing there. “Listen, I’ll just go. Obviously, this is something personal. It can wait for another time.” I looked from one to the other, nervously. “I should have called first. I’m sorry.”

“…You don’t have to go,” Jack ventured. “No…I mean… It’s just that I haven’t had time to adjust to this shocking complication. I don’t know what to say to you right now.”

Barbara started to cry again. “Oh, Jack. Why didn’t Clay say he knew? How terrible! The whole thing is wrong. This is not the way it should have turned out, the accident, everything. He should have told her.”

“What about the accident?” I asked, stunned.

Clay knew?

Jack held Barbara’s hand firmly, and then turned to face me. “Maybe, at this moment, it’s a little premature, Sam. I…I don’t know quite what to say to you. Please forgive me. This is hitting me from all sides at once. I wasn’t prepared for any of it.”

Barbara looked up at Jack. “Maybe Clay knew all along.”

Jack’s eyes pleaded mine. “I’m sorry, Sam. This latest emotional shock has left me speechless.”

Chapter 69

Running Scared

I drove fast, upset and spitting mad. I had the questions and he had the answers. I turned the corner and aimed for Clay’s house. Impending darkness loomed as the sun receded in the western sky, but the hour wasn’t an issue.

My normally rational mind was history, as it relapsed several months back to its old mind-set after Stephen’s death, regressing with each additional mile. I was in an emotionally raw state, with a single target. Get the bastard who was responsible.

Clay had strung me along, knowing exactly what was going on the whole time! How could he have been so callous, so reprehensible, but behave so innocently. I had been reckless to trust him in the first place, letting his charm and persuasiveness dull my senses, while allowing myself to be manipulated and misdirected. How simple-minded and pliable I must have appeared, as I eagerly bought into all his rhetoric and expressions of concern.

I pulled into his drive, jumped out and pounded on his door, looking to draw blood.

His.

He yanked the door open and gravely stared down at me. Obviously, he had been forewarned of my imminent visit. “Come on in,” he greeted, as he stepped back to let me pass. “What took you so long?”

I whipped around, poking my finger into his chest as I yelled, “What was the purpose of stringing me along? Why all the deception?” I raised my hand to slap him.

“Go ahead,” he dared me. “I can play rough too!”

I slowly lowered my hand. “What’s the purpose?” I replied angrily, as I rethought any physical retribution. “Besides, you might get hurt.” I walked over and slumped into a chair by the fireplace. “To say I am disappointed in you is an understatement. I thought we had some type of understanding. Apparently, I was way off-base.”

He sat opposite me in the other chair. “It’s obvious you’re infuriated, and I don’t blame you in the least. I’d be pretty upset if I were in your shoes. You deserved to be treated better than you were. …It wasn’t meant to go this far,” he admitted. “I completely underestimated you.”