Truth (72 page)

As the Gucci, strappy, five inch heeled
sandals clicked across the marble floor, the adoration she saw in
his eyes made her cheeks redden.

“
I think it’s true what
they say,” Tony purred.

She raised an eyebrow, “What do they
say?”

“
You are glowing –
absolutely radiant!”

“
Thank you, Mr. Rawlings.”
She took in his toned muscular body, covered exquisitely with his
customary Armani silk suit. “You are rather handsome
yourself.”

They made their way to Tony’s waiting
Mercedes and drove to Davenport. On the way Claire asked about
Eric. Other than picking her up from the airport, she hadn’t seen
him her entire stay.

“
Well, if you recall, I
offered his services this morning for your trip into
town.”

Claire blushed at the memory of her return.
“Perhaps I should have taken you up on that offer?”

His hand caressed her knee, “I believe I’m
very happy with your choices; bold and cheeky is proving to be
another pleasurable lesson.”

“
Why, Anthony,” her faux
southern belle accent purposefully elongated the
yyy
, “who would have
guessed, you could be open to new things?”

Thankfully, she was sitting and seat belted
into the soft leather seat, because Tony’s expression made her
knees weak. And the sound of his deep sensual voice caused her
insides to melt, “I am always open to new things, especially so --
if they involve you.”

Once again she felt the blood rush to her
cheeks as they rose in a genuine smile, causing her emerald eyes to
glisten. Claire turned and watched the passing scenes beyond the
passenger side window. Was she flirting? Was he?

Entering the cathedral, Claire and Tony
blended into the groom’s guests. Claire couldn’t believe she was
actually attending Caleb Simmons’ wedding. It had been a dream of
hers since learning the date in a letter from Courtney while in
prison. Glancing down at her hand resting comfortably in Tony’s,
she thought about how long ago prison seemed. Never in a million
years could she have predicted her current location, watching
Courtney and Brent escorted down the aisle. Courtney looked
beautiful in a mother-of-the-groom sunburst gown. Claire had heard
all about it when Courtney first purchased it. Again, neither woman
ever foresaw Claire seeing it in person.

As the ceremony progressed, Caleb appeared
handsome and confident. Julia’s smile lit the entire cathedral. Her
gown’s train flowed behind her as her father escorted her to the
front of the church. Claire couldn’t help think about her own
wedding. As the memories came, so did the tears. She dabbed her
eyes while Tony gently squeezed her hand. Without thinking she
leaned against his strong shoulder and accepted his unspoken
support.

They sat with Tony’s friends during the
reception. Claire was thankful Tony insisted on getting together
prior to the wedding festivities. It made the reception much more
comfortable. After the meal and cake, the music began. While the
new Mr. and Mrs. Simmons danced, Tony and Claire watched from their
seats. Again he held her hand. She wondered if he was thinking
about their first dance as husband and wife. She remembered feeling
like a princess in his arms. After the couple danced with Julia’s
parents, Claire watched Caleb dance with Courtney and Julia with
Brent. Claire couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Next the dance
floor opened to the guests. When the music slowed Claire accepted
Tony’s invitation and joined him under the soft lights. Perhaps it
was their afternoon activities, but Claire’s body molded
unconsciously to his. He directed their every step gracefully
guiding her across the floor.

“
I know I fought you about
all of this,” she whispered, “but I’m so happy to be here right
now.”

His embrace of her slender
waist tightened, “I couldn’t be happier myself.” He leaned away to
see her face, “And I hope you realize,
this
isn’t a charade.”

Claire pressed her lips together in a
straight line. With all of her might she wanted to argue, but she
couldn’t lie. Shaking her head from side to side, she admitted,
“Right now, I know that.”

Tony pulled her close as the rest of the
guests disappeared. Claire closed her eyes, felt the warmth of his
embrace, and allowed her body to go wherever he led.

*****

It wasn’t difficult to access her laptop. A
few different tries and her password was easily discovered. The
information within was more than he could ever have imagined. Just
recently he’d formed his own ideas about Anthony Rawlings being
Anton Rawls, but now he had it in black and white. She had so much
information about the Rawls family. Years ago he’d tried to do
similar research, but everything came up a dead end. Why wouldn’t
it? By 1990, the Rawls family ceased to exist.

According to Ms. Nichols
fine research, Sharron died first of natural causes. There was very
little information about her, especially during the last three
years of her life. She didn’t even appear in any family photos.
Nathaniel passed away in May of 1989, while incarcerated in a
minimum security prison in New York. Next, yes, he liked this part:
Samuel and Amanda died in a
murder /
suicide
in Santa Monica, California. Why
did Ms. Nichols have a question mark next to the murder / suicide?
Obviously she questioned the accuracy of the assessment.

He often wondered how Anton got the police
investigators to go along with that conclusion. Perhaps, he made
the same bargain with them that he had with him. Ms. Nichols even
had copies of police, ballistic, and autopsy reports. The scanned
copy of the 911 call caught his attention. Apparently, Anton hadn’t
been as thorough as he thought. This must have been how she and
Harrison Baldwin found him. His name appeared on the report.

Smirking, Patrick Chester thought it funny;
he’d actually thought Ms. Nichols was Anton’s daughter. Seeing her
recently all over the internet, she wasn’t Anton’s (aka Anthony
Rawlings) daughter; she was his ex-wife. According to the gossip
people, they were working on reconciling. Patrick wondered if Mr.
Anthony Rawlings had any idea of the wealth of information his
ex-wife had accumulated against him.

Patrick considered the possibility of
blackmailing Claire Nichols, too. But she wasn’t exactly living in
the lap of luxury. Oh, her condominium was nice, in a very high
priced part of town. She even kept affluent company. Amber McCoy,
CEO of SiJo Gaming, was valued at quite a bit. Her brother,
Harrison Baldwin, wasn’t hurting for cash either. Nevertheless, in
comparison to Anthony Rawlings, they were paupers.

Why had Patrick accepted such measly annual
supplements, when Anthony Rawlings could so easily afford more? Of
course, it was because up until Ms. Nichols made an appearance at
his home, he never suspected Anton Rawls of being the great Anthony
Rawlings. The way Patrick saw it; he was due twenty plus years of
back payments.

The missing information on Ms. Nichols
laptop was about Samuel Rawls’ sister. Patrick didn’t even know her
name; he never did. He just remembered Amanda Rawls referring to
the woman as Samuel’s sister. Funny, as he scanned Ms. Nichol’s
research, it didn’t even look like Samuel had a sister. That didn’t
matter. For all the time, Anton – Anthony -- had paid to keep the
information about that woman hidden, she must be someone important.
Patrick wondered if Mr. Rawlings would pay a bonus for keeping this
information away from Claire Nichols. Seriously, what man wants his
wife or ex-wife to learn he’s been paying to keep a secret about
another woman?

Another picture just hit the internet.
Wasn’t today’s technology wonderful? The photo was taken only
minutes ago, via someone’s cellphone -- amazing quality for a
phone. The picture was of Anthony Rawlings and Claire Nichols
dancing. They seemed very dressed up. The caption mentioned a
wedding reception. Patrick Chester smiled. The sinister grin was
truly too large for his face. He knew without a doubt, the real
money was right there, in Mr. Rawlings’ arms. The mega-billionaire
would gladly pay big, no huge, for the safe return of that woman.
And to think he’d had her right on his property. If he’d only known
what a gold mine she was the day she and Mr. Baldwin visited. That
didn’t matter. Patrick knew now.

Searching the laptop he
found her travel itinerary. Ms. Nichols’ flight was due back to San
Francisco at 17:40:00, tomorrow. She had a first class
ticket.
That figures
, Patrick thought.
Well, her
accommodations won’t be as luxurious once I get a hold of
her.

*****

To: Anthony Rawlings

From: Phillip Roach

Date: June 8, 2013

Re: Ms. Nichols

I have confirmed with security at Ms.
Nichol’s condominium, her unit was indeed breached. It was not
until the perpetrator was leaving her unit that security devises
indicated a violation. That means it is safe to assume, since her
room was the only one manhandled, she was indeed the target. Until
Ms. Nichols can confirm, the only item taken was her laptop.

According to the records of my indicators,
the front door to her condo was opened Friday, June 7, at 8:15, the
violation was noted when the door once again opened at 8:27 pm.
Security cameras do not show a clear picture of the person in
question. It appears to be a man who is bald or balding. I will
increase my surveillance and report any suspicious activity.

Please confirm the time and place of her
arrival. I know her reservations have been changed. I look forward
to the new times and places. Thank you.

*****

The guests began to thin,
when Tony suggested they head back to the estate. Claire hated
leaving Courtney, Brent, and her other friends. She didn’t know
when she would see them again. Of course, since she and Tony were
in the midst of
reconciliation
, she couldn’t voice
her concerns. Instead, she smiled politely and warmly offered her
farewells.

Once they were alone in the seclusion of
Tony’s car, Claire settled against the soft seat and thought fondly
about her day. Her mind went from the breakfast on the patio, to
driving Tony’s car, coffee with Sean and Sue, her return to the
estate and their mutual physical admiration, poolside, the wedding,
and finally the reception. Each scene filled her with hope, with
promise of what could be.

These thoughts kept her from talking and
overpowered her consciousness. She was mindlessly lost when Tony
asked, “Have you spoken to anyone from Palo Alto lately?”

Her insides clenched with apprehension. She
didn’t like discussing Harry and Amber with Tony. “I haven’t even
looked at my phone since we left for the wedding. Why? Has
something else happened?”

“
Not to my knowledge.
However, my source tells me the intruder to your unit was not
interrupted. His only intention was to access
your
room and take your
laptop.”

Her world of happiness and
hope evaporated, “Why would anyone want
my
laptop?”

“
What was on
it?”

Claire considered the contents of her hard
drive. “I don’t know, my bank accounts, my travel itinerary,
information about your past, and a rough draft from Meredith about
her bo... articles.”

Tony’s knuckles blanched as he gripped the
stirring wheel. “I thought this stupid Meredith Banks thing was
over?”

“
It is. With the money you
gave me, to give her – she’ll keep it quiet, unless, as you and I
decided, something happens to me or someone I care
about.”

After taking a deep breath Tony asked, “What
do you have regarding my past?”

Claire sat straighter, “Seriously, I’ve
spent so much time on this, it’s hard to condense it into an
elevator pitch.”

With the eerie green of the dashboard, his
black eyes transcended the darkness. “Give it a try. I’m sure you
can do it.”

Claire inhaled, “Fine. I confirmed Nathaniel
and Sharron Rawls had a son named Samuel. He married a woman named
Amanda; they had a son name Anton, born February 12, 1965, the same
day as you. That plus a picture in Newsweek showing your
grandfather’s home confirmed to me that you are indeed Anton.”

“
Well, you know that’s
true. Why are you continuing this research?”

“
I really don’t want to
discuss this... please?”

“
Despite your suspicions,
I had nothing to do with the break-in. I need to know what the
perpetrator now knows.”

“
My computer is password
protected. No one besides me can access it.”

Tony’s ambivalent
expression spoke volumes regarding her
secure
laptop.

Finally she said, “Obviously you disagree.
If someone is able to access my information, there are documents
and reports from your parents’ death.”

For a moment, Claire feared their future.
Tony seemed unable to peer forward although the Mercedes cruised
that direction at unknown speeds. His eyes bore into her soul.
“What possible business of yours is my parents’ death?”

Claire straightened
defiantly, “I suppose before it was morbid curiosity. I wanted to
know if you were truly capable of hurting your own parents. Now –
however --” she hesitated and sat straighter, defiantly, “now it is
very much my business. I need to know about
my
child’s family
history.”