Second to Cry (8 page)

‘Deena, this is my wife, Isla.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ Isla said politely. Deena gave a thin, unconvincing smile in response.

‘Popcorn!’ Davis cried out suddenly when he noticed Meegan delving into her new pot. She briefly paused to glance down at him and stick her tongue out. He returned the gesture.

‘Yes, we’ll get your popcorn now,’ Deena told her son.

‘Mom, can I get a hotdog?’ Jude asked, glancing warily at Aiden.

‘Yes, we’ll get them now.’ Grasping her sons’ hands, she began to pull them towards the hot dog stand and away from Aiden. Though she turned briefly, as though forgetting something.

‘Enjoy your evening, Mr Connelly,’ she told Aiden, her harsh exterior remaining, her voice cold as though she’d only said it to be polite.

‘Yes, you too, Mrs Fern.’

The glamorous figure of Deena Fern was absorbed by the crowd and quickly gone from sight.

Isla waited until they were seated once more to ask her barrage of questions.

‘Who was that?’ she asked before she’d barely been seated for a second.

‘Deena Fern.’

‘And she is?’

‘A wife of a client.’ Aiden explained.

‘Oh,’ Isla nodded. Then, after a moment, ‘Oh, the paternity case?’ Aiden nodded, not wanting to discuss the case in such a crowded area where anyone could be listening in.

‘Keep your voice down,’ he warned his wife.

‘She’s very glamorous.’ Isla noted.

‘I guess.’ Aiden answered casually.

‘She’s very beautiful. Do you think she’s beautiful?’

‘I think she looks too artificial,’ Aiden told her honestly.

‘She’s definitely had a lot of work done,’ Isla agreed. ‘I thought she was pretty rude to you.’

‘Wouldn’t you be, given the circumstances?’

‘I suppose so.’

The announcer told the fans that the game was about to resume and Meegan, unable to control her excitement, stood up on her father’s lap and accidently scattered her new batch of popcorn on to the floor.

She stared down at the now lost kernels with a look of heart-breaking disappointment. Aiden braced himself for another tantrum but, luckily, the players came running on to the field which distracted her.

‘Football!’ she cooed excitedly.

‘I really need to take her to a ballet class,’ Isla sighed.

The game concluded with a win for the home team and the fans dispersed, returning to their homes to continue with their celebrations.

Win or lose, Meegan always left the game exhausted. She was fast asleep on Aiden’s shoulder as they walked out to the car.

‘If only they had games every day, she’d sleep like a rock each night,’ Isla commented, linking arms with Aiden.

As he settled a sleeping Meegan into her car seat, Aiden spotted an impressive black SUV close by and saw the familiar figure of Deena Fern loading her sons into the car. Jude obediently got in but Davis, now tired, resisted. He kicked and screamed at his mother, ignoring her demands for him to stop.

Isla also looked over, the fracas catching her attention.

Deena Fern maintained her dignity and, after trying to reason with Davis, simply picked him up and placed him in his car seat. He fought against her the whole time, lashing out with his little arms, even biting her at one point.

Even when the car door was slammed shut, you could still hear Davis’ high-pitched screams of rage. It was a painful scene to watch unfold.

‘Poor woman,’ Isla said as Aiden climbed into the driver’s seat beside her. ‘I can’t imagine how tough it would be to be a single mother, especially to two young ones.’

Aiden had to admit that he also pitied Deena Fern. Whilst she had wealth and beauty, it was sad to see her so alone. Yet she’d risk the outbursts and the struggles with her sons rather than deny them the opportunity to see the game.

It didn’t seem fair that Samuel Fern had turned on her quite as maliciously as he had, especially when he had nothing to go on other than the fact that his two sons didn’t look similar.

‘I’m grateful I have you,’ Isla yawned.

‘You are?’

‘Course I am!’

‘Well you don’t seem it sometimes. When you’re moaning about what a hell-hole this place is,’ Aiden said as he drove out of the parking lot. ‘Is it really that bad?’ he asked her. ‘Have we not just had an amazing night out together as a family?’

‘Okay, okay,’ Isla raised her hands in defeat. ‘Tonight has been nice. Avalon can be, at times, not all the time, but sometimes, okay.’

‘Okay?’

‘Yes, it can be okay. That’s all I can stretch to right now.’

‘Can I have that in writing? Isla Connelly thinks Avalon is okay. Then the next time you have a fashion-related breakdown I can show it to you!’ Aiden joked.

‘Do you ever stop thinking like a lawyer?’ Isla said, playfully punching him in the arm. ‘Thank you for convincing me to come tonight,’ she told her husband sincerely.

‘I’m glad you had fun,’ Aiden smiled.

*

‘Good game last night, wasn’t it?’ Edmond asked from across the room at his desk.

‘Yeah, it was a decent win,’ Aiden agreed.

Edmond approved of his young colleague’s developing enthusiasm for the local team and did his best to nurture his interest.

‘They’ve had a good season so far.’

‘Yeah, definitely.’ Aiden nodded.

‘I’ve always enjoyed high school football,’ Edmond continued. ‘Not that I’ve ever played myself.’ He chuckled to himself at this.

‘Sometimes being a spectator is just as much fun.’

‘Yes, yes.’

‘Although my wife is worried that our daughter is getting a little bit too much into football. I think she fears that she is going to grow up wanting to play on the field rather than cheer at the side of it.’ Aiden admitted to Edmond.

‘It’s not ladylike to play ball,’ the older man told him gravely. ‘Just keep her enjoyment of the sport on the side lines.’

Aiden was a bit bemused by Edmond’s response. But then it was very forward thinking to let women play football and Avalon wasn’t exactly modern in its mind set. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to Aiden which pinched at his brain like a mean-spirited bug – what if Avalon would actually stifle Meegan rather than enhance her life as he’d hoped? What if she grew up with dreams of playing football but due to social pressures only ever cheered the team on when really she dreamt of joining them? Had he set his daughter up for a lifetime of disappointment?

He told himself he was being overly dramatic. Meegan was still very young, there was no telling what she wanted to do with her life and by the time she did know, Avalon may well have caught up with the modern world or they may not even be in Avalon. Life, Aiden knew too well, was anything but predictable.

‘It’s good that she enjoys the game though,’ Edmond added, worried by Aiden’s prolonged silence. ‘A bit of team spirit never hurt anyone.’

‘Exactly.’ Aiden smiled, though he was still lost in his own concerns.

‘What are your plans for today?’ Edmond asked, deciding it best to change the subject of their conversation.

‘Today? I’m catching up on some paperwork so will just be in the office.’

‘Good, good.’ Edmond nodded. ‘Paperwork is a pain but important. Glad you’re staying on top of it all.’

‘What about you?’

‘I’m due in court this afternoon,’ Edmond sighed. ‘Another DUI for one of the Lambeth boys.’

‘You don’t think it will go well for him?’

‘Not this time, no.’ Edmond shook his head sadly. ‘He was extremely careless after a night out and his passenger broke both hips. They will make an example of him, I reckon. I just won’t savour being there when his family self-implodes, as they always do.’

‘Sounds like a tough afternoon,’ Aiden sympathized.

‘But on the bright side, tomorrow is Friday,’ Edmond grinned. ‘And after Friday comes the weekend and I severely need to work on my handicap.’

Aiden almost missed the golf reference, but caught it just as he was about to question what Edmond meant.

‘You should really think about joining me,’ Edmond added. He was always trying to get Aiden to join him on the golf course.

‘I’m not much of a golfer.’

‘But it’s a great networking opportunity.’

‘I will come at some point,’ Aiden conceded and, satisfied with his answer, Edmond checked his watch and began to gather together his belongings.

‘I’d best be off,’ he told his colleague. ‘Whilst the Lambeths don’t adhere to driving laws, they are sticklers for timekeeping!’

‘Good luck.’

‘I’ll need it!’ Edmond waved as he hurried out the door.

Alone in the office, Aiden endeavoured to plough through his mounting pile of paperwork. With Edmond gone, he should be able to power through it relatively quickly.

Barely a half hour had passed when Betty’s voice came crackling into the office through the intercom.

‘Mr Connelly?’

Aiden groaned to himself. He didn’t need a coffee; he just needed some peace to get his work done. Betty was always well intentioned though, so he tried to quell his annoyance at being disturbed.

‘Yes, Betty?’

‘I’m sorry to disturb you, but there is a lady here to see you.’

A lady? Aiden assumed it was Isla, but wouldn’t Betty just say it was his wife? Betty could be odd at the best of times.

‘Send her in.’

Moments later and the door to the office opened. Aiden looked up, expecting to see his wife either dropping something off or wanting some money, and was shocked to see the statuesque figure of Deena Fern standing in the doorway.

She wore a long turquoise maxi dress which just skimmed the floor, with her hair partly tied back so there were still some blonde ringlets cascading down her back. Her aviators were perched on her head and her blue eyes regarded Aiden nervously as she hovered by the door.

The cold, self-assured woman he had encountered at the game had been replaced by a much more anxious version of herself.

‘Come in,’ Aiden gestured once he’d remembered his manners, having gotten over the initial shock of her being there.

Deena came in, still looking uneasy.

‘Can I get you a coffee?’ he offered kindly.

‘No, thank you. I don’t plan on staying long,’ Deena told him.

They were unaccustomed to receiving visitors in the office on a regular basis, so Aiden had to hurriedly wheel round Edmond’s office chair for Deena to sit in.

She elegantly lowered herself into the chair, her hands clasped in her lap.

‘What can I do for you, Mrs Fern?’ he asked, having no idea why she’d be there.

‘I know why my husband hired you,’ she said, her voice resuming its usual coolness.

‘Why has he hired me?’ Aiden asked her, not sure if she was bluffing.

Deena cleared her throat and took a moment to answer, as though she were psyching herself up.

‘He doesn’t believe that Davis is his son,’ she told Aiden simply, giving him a long, hard, confident look. Her previous nerves now seemed to have completely disappeared.

‘A simple blood test will silence any doubts from either party,’ Aiden said as diplomatically as he could, hoping that Deena had come in to give her consent for the paternity test which would save him a great deal of headaches over the matter.

‘I have no doubts!’ Deena answered sharply.

‘Silence your husband’s then,’ Aiden offered. ‘Look, I shouldn’t even be discussing this with you as it’s your husband who hired me but to allay your fears, it’s a very straightforward test. Davis won’t feel a thing and we can have the results back in under forty-eight hours.’

Aiden had seen the way Deena put herself out for her boys at the game. Surely she’d do this one simple thing to appease her husband and secure the family’s future?

‘Mr Connelly, let me make myself perfectly clear,’ Deena began, sitting up straight in her chair, her blue eyes locking on him with frightening intensity.

‘There will be no paternity test. There will be no further investigation in to myself or my son because it is insulting to have to weather these accusations as a mother and I’m sickened that you’d entertain it for my husband, even for a second!’ her words came out angry and fierce.

‘Mrs Fern—’ Aiden wanted to explain himself but she denied him the chance.

‘Drop the case, Mr Connelly!’ she shouted at him, standing up from the chair and preparing to leave as she smoothed creases in her dress.

‘But your husband has employed my services.’

‘Then lie to him. Do what you have to but, I advise you, seriously, to drop this case.’

‘Are you threatening me?’ Aiden asked, shocked.

‘Should I be?’ Deena countered.

‘Look, Mrs Fern—’

‘Just drop the case, please!’ Deena said, her voice losing its harshness. ‘Leave me and my family alone. We’re happy; this is just a rocky patch. Samuel and I will get through it.’

‘I’m sure you will.’

‘Then drop the case!’ she pleaded again, her blue eyes misting over. ‘I need you to promise me that you won’t pursue this any further?’

‘I can’t promise that.’

Deena pursed her lips together as she thought hard. Aiden sensed that she had expected him to back down about the case, no questions asked.

‘Please, won’t you drop it, for me?’ she tried a different tactic, tossing her hair and batting her eyelashes at him. Aiden rolled his own eyes in response.

‘No.’

‘Really? Because word around town is you’ll do anything for a pretty blonde!’ she retorted spitefully.

Aiden recoiled inwardly from the viciousness of such rumours but didn’t let it show.

‘Word around town is wrong,’ he told her coolly.

‘Mr Connelly, please,’ she lowered herself back into her chair so that they were at eye level.

‘Please, I am begging you. This test will tear my family apart.’

‘Your husband hired me to—’

‘It’s not normal, is it, to question who fathered your two-year-old son?’ Deena interrupted. ‘Samuel is sick and he’s delusional but I refuse to let my children suffer because he is losing his grip on reality.’

‘Are you saying he has dementia?’ Aiden queried gently, confused by the whole scenario which was unfolding in his office.

‘It’s a terrible affliction,’ Deena stated, her hard exterior returning. ‘Samuel is forgetting things and lashing out at me and the boys. You saw that for yourself when you came to our home.’