A House Divided (19 page)

P
astor Black,” one of the nurses said. “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” he said, but his tone was groggy and his throat was sore.

“You’re in recovery, but your surgery went well.”

Curtis lay there, thanking God for bringing him through it. He didn’t remember everything, but he did remember those detectives asking him questions. He’d heard every word they’d said, but he’d answered no to every one of them. He’d done so because if he could help it, no one would ever know about Dillon or his mother. Ever since Curtis had received those taunting letters, he’d dreaded the idea that word might get out, but never in his wildest imagination had he counted on Mariah being involved. Even now, he had no idea how she’d found out about Dillon and Sonya, or how Mariah and Dillon had met. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and he was also stunned by Mariah’s new personality. Her behavior was scary, to say the least, and her character was as different as Miami and Little Rock. She was a completely changed woman, and Curtis wondered what had happened to her. He didn’t want to believe that his past treatment of her had anything to do with it, but when she’d slapped him over and over, all she’d talked about was how bad their marriage was. She’d gone on and on about the terrible things he’d done to her, so the more Curtis lay there thinking, he wondered if he
was
the reason she’d turned bitter. Although
bitter
wasn’t the best word to describe her, because the woman he’d seen was vicious. She didn’t seem to care about what she said or did, and it had sounded as if she’d taken a lot of time planning a most brutal attack. Until the day he died, he would never forget those thugs snatching him from his vehicle, beating him unmercifully, tossing him in the back of a van, and then driving him out to some empty house in the country. Then, although he’d screamed out in pain, they’d dragged him by his legs up to the front door. That was when he’d passed out. But when he’d awakened, he’d found that he was sitting in some chair with his arms and legs tied down like a prisoner.

Now, though, as much as that awful incident would forever haunt him, he had to figure out a way to make things right with Dillon. He still wasn’t positively sure that Dillon was his son, but if he was, Curtis would treat him as such. If he was struggling financially, Curtis would help him in that way, too. If he simply wanted Curtis to take responsibility for the malicious way he’d treated Sonya, he would do that as well. Anything, if it would stop Dillon from going public. He also didn’t want to take a chance on Mariah tattling things the way she’d promised in those letters, so he would have to locate her and apologize profusely. He’d been wrong for marrying Mariah, a woman he didn’t love, and then treating her with such total disrespect. And there were no words to describe the horrendous thing he’d done down in Atlanta during his grad years. He’d been very young, but he’d been selfish and had known full well what he was doing. He hadn’t been in love with Sonya, either, but the first night he’d seen her at the strip club, they’d made eye contact and he’d taken her home with him. She’d given him the best sex of his life, and he hadn’t been able to get enough of her. It was true that she wasn’t the kind of woman he would have ever considered marrying, but he hadn’t seen anything wrong with enjoying himself. From the time he’d been a teenager, he’d loved sex, and since Tanya had been set on remaining celibate until they were married, he’d had to find pleasure elsewhere. But then, Sonya had dropped that baby bomb on him and he’d gone ballistic. He’d had such high aspirations, and he wasn’t about to let some unwanted pregnancy, with a stripper no less, ruin his bright future. He just hadn’t seen how he could do that. He’d also blamed Sonya for not taking precautions, but now that he was older, he knew birth control had been just as much his responsibility.

He’d thought denying the baby and cutting her off would be the end of it, but then she’d threatened to tell Tanya, and he’d had to do something. He’d had to go to extreme lengths to stop her once and for all. Now, though, he regretted every bit of it, because Dillon hadn’t deserved to grow up without a father, Sonya hadn’t deserved to be blackmailed into signing papers and forced into a state of depression. Curtis hadn’t wanted to admit it, but in a sense, he
had
indirectly caused her death. He’d read about the accident in the newspaper the day after it had happened, but he’d been so egotistical back then, he’d hardly thought twice about it. For maybe a week, the thought of her dying had tugged at his conscience, but then he’d moved on. He’d forgotten about it as much as he could and focused on the woman he was marrying.

“Pastor Black, it’s Dr. Mason. How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” he said, frowning. “My stomach hurts, though.”

“I’m sure. We’re going to up your pain meds, so you should feel better soon. We had a bit of a scare with your blood pressure right before surgery, but we got your spleen all fixed up, and you’re going to be fine. You’ll stay here for a while longer, and then we’ll get you settled in a room so you can see your family.”

Curtis coughed for a few seconds and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Doctor.”

He coughed more and wondered how he was going to explain this beating incident to Charlotte. Worse, if those detectives questioned him again, God forgive him, he would have to lie the same as he had earlier. He’d already told them that he didn’t know who’d attacked him, that he hadn’t seen any faces, and that no one had threatened him. But he had a feeling those one-word answers he’d given weren’t going to be enough. The job of a detective was to find out as much as he could about any crime, so Curtis knew they would definitely be persistent.

He would be persistent, too. They could ask him a thousand questions if they wanted, yet he would never tell them about Mariah, Dillon, or Sonya. He would never help put his own son in jail. He just wouldn’t.

C
harlotte, Matthew, and Alicia slowly filed into Curtis’s room, and though Charlotte had already seen Curtis before his surgery, she was still stricken by the way he looked. Matthew and Alicia cringed in shock, and to Charlotte, Curtis’s face seemed more swollen. He’d been beaten nearly to death, and for the life of her she couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to do this to him. Curtis wasn’t perfect, and he certainly had enemies from the past, but this was unthinkable. Over the years, people he’d hurt or those who were envious of him had tried to embarrass him publicly with exaggerated statements or lies—the way that Dillon person had done earlier this morning—but for the most part, folks only tried to hurt Curtis financially or reputation wise.

Charlotte moved toward the head of Curtis’s bed on the right side and Alicia did the same on the left. Matthew, however, stood as far away as possible by the door.

Charlotte grabbed Curtis’s hand. “Baby, can you hear me?”

Curtis opened his eyes, forcing a smile onto his face. “Hey.”

Charlotte smiled back at him. “Dr. Mason said your surgery was a success, and that you’re going to be fine.”

“God is good,” he said with a raspy voice.

“Hey, Daddy,” Alicia said.

“Hey, baby girl. I’m glad you came.”

Alicia swallowed hard, and tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. And is it true that you don’t know who did this?”

“Yes. It was dark, and it happened very quickly.”

“And then they just left you there?”

“I guess so.”

Matthew sighed and leaned against the wall, and Charlotte could tell he didn’t want to be there. There was no doubt that seeing his father covered in bruises and lacerations wasn’t easy for him, but Charlotte also knew the whole Dillon interview hadn’t set well with him. Unlike her, Matthew believed Dillon was telling the truth, and he was upset with Curtis.

Curtis looked over at Matthew. “Son, why are you standing over there? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I know this looks bad, but I’m going to be fine. I don’t want you worrying about me, okay?”

Matt stared at him but didn’t respond.

Charlotte and Alicia still weren’t on the best of terms, but they were a lot more cordial than they’d been last year. They were certainly in agreement today, too: they didn’t want Matthew or anyone else telling Curtis about that television interview.

Curtis closed his eyes, seemingly resting them, but then he opened them again. “How’s MJ?” he asked Matthew.

“He’s with Aunt Emma. I’m gonna leave in a few minutes, though, so I can check on him.” His tone was dry, and Charlotte hoped Matthew wouldn’t say anything out of the way.

“You’re such a good father, Matt,” Curtis said, coughing a bit. “Here MJ is only a few weeks old, yet you’re already worrying about his well-being. This is how every father should be, and I’m very proud of you, son.”

Matt shook his head in disgust. “Wow. Well, if that’s true, Dad, then why haven’t you worried about Dillon? Why haven’t you tried to see him?”

Curtis gazed at him, but Charlotte glanced over at the monitor. Curtis’s heart rate shot up noticeably.

“Son, what are you talking about?”

Matthew raised his eyebrows. “So, you’re still gonna deny him? Even after he went on TV this morning?”

Charlotte had to stop him. “Matt, honey…not now.”

Matthew gazed at her, turned around, and walked out.

Alicia stood in silence and Charlotte knew why. Just before walking into Curtis’s room, they’d agreed not to talk about anything that would upset Curtis. Alicia and Charlotte had discussed how it wouldn’t be good for him, given the fact that he’d experienced so much trauma. They had stressed this very thing to Matthew, too, and though he’d seemed okay with it, apparently he wasn’t.

“Baby, what was Matt talking about?” Curtis asked, slightly repositioning his body and frowning in pain.

“Nothing. You just rest.”

Curtis turned to Alicia. “Tell me the truth. What interview?”

“Daddy, this can wait. Right now, we just want you to get better. We don’t want you worrying about anything.”

Curtis’s heart rate climbed higher, and he looked at Charlotte again. “Tell me. Baby, please.”

Charlotte wished he would leave this alone, but it was obvious he wasn’t planning to. She had no choice but tell him what he wanted to know.

“Some guy named Dillon did a live interview with Candy Hernandez. He claims he’s your son, and that you’re the reason his mom died some years ago. No one knows why he’s doing this, but Lisa is working to get to the bottom of it.”

Charlotte waited for his response, but surprisingly, all Curtis did was look toward the ceiling. Tears streamed down both sides of his face and onto his pillow.

“Oh my God,” she said. “Baby, please tell me this isn’t true.”

She waited again for him to say something, but all he did was gaze at her and then shut his eyes, weeping.

Charlotte and Alicia looked at each other in shock. Why hadn’t he told Charlotte about this long-lost child of his? Would he really deny his own son? Not that she wanted this to be true, because she certainly didn’t, but this seemed totally out of character for him. Curtis was the first person to admit that he’d done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of, but the one thing he’d always been was a good father. He loved his children as much as any parent could love a son or daughter, so she didn’t want to believe he’d known about Dillon all along.

What a secret to hide for decades
, she thought. Then for some reason her thinking switched to Neil. Maybe he crossed her mind because earlier Neil had claimed that he’d uncovered the secret
she
was keeping. He’d talk about that whole DCFS investigation and how he knew she was behind it.

Charlotte replayed his words and the look on his face, but then her thoughts fell back on Curtis. She didn’t know which was worse: finding out you had a stepson that your husband had ignored for years, or discovering that the wrong kind of person had the goods on you. Both scenarios were distressing, but for now she would have to focus on the latter. Curtis was her priority, but it was crucial that she determine just how much Neil truly knew. She had to find out so she could fix things.

C
harlotte dragged her body into the house, keyed in the security code to disarm the system, and shut the door. She dropped her handbag on the island and sighed. She’d spent the night at the hospital and had never been more exhausted. Her parents had driven home around midnight, and Janine and some of the others had left before that, but she and Alicia had camped out between Curtis’s room and the family waiting area. Thankfully, he’d slept very well throughout the night and without much pain, so she’d told Alicia she was going home to shower and change. Mostly, though, she’d wanted to check on Matthew and MJ. She had hoped they would be there when she arrived, and she’d been disappointed when she’d seen that Matthew’s car wasn’t in the garage. When Matthew had stormed out of Curtis’s room yesterday afternoon, Charlotte had given him a couple of hours to cool down, and then she’d called him. He’d still not been in the best mood, but she’d tried to explain that everything was going to be all right and that it might be best for him to stay at Aunt Emma’s. But, of course, he’d resisted the idea altogether and had told her he and MJ were going home. She’d then wanted to know if he was taking Curtina with him, too, but he’d responded by saying, “No, she wants to stay with Aunt Emma, so I’ll just let you pick her up.”

Charlotte had listened and gotten nervous all at the same time. She knew the reason he didn’t want to take Curtina was likely because he was heading over to Racquel’s. So, Charlotte had waited another couple of hours and called him again. But this time he hadn’t answered. Finally, though, when she’d left a voice mail, saying how worried she was, he’d called her back. Still, when she’d asked where he and MJ were, he’d said, “Just out and about.” Charlotte had known he was lying, but she hadn’t wanted to argue with him.

Now, it was seven a.m., and she dialed him again.

“Hello,” he said in a rough whisper. Charlotte could tell he’d been asleep.

“Where are you?”

“Racquel’s.”

Charlotte was furious. “Who’s there with you?”

“I don’t know. Dr. Anderson said he had early rounds this morning, but I’m sure Racquel and her mom are here. I’m in the guest room.”

“Uh-huh, and where’s MJ?”

“Mom, what’s with all the questions?”

“Matt, why can’t you see how serious this is? Why can’t you see that DCFS took MJ away so they could protect him?”

Matthew didn’t respond.

“Are you there?”

“Yep.”

“I know you think this is a joke, but what if DCFS finds out MJ is over there?”

“Who’s gonna tell them, Mom? You?”

“Anyone could! And if they find out, they can take him away from all of us.”

“Well, I’ll just take my chances.”

“Matt, please. I know you don’t understand any of this, but you have to think about MJ. You’re trying to keep Racquel and her mother happy, but MJ has to be your focus.”

“He
is
my focus. He’s here with me and his mother where he belongs, and he’s happy. He hasn’t even been crying as much as he used to.”

“I’m really concerned, Matt. DCFS left MJ with me and your dad, and I’m terrified of what might happen.”

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about Dad than MJ?”

“I’m worried about both of them. I’m worried about you, too.”

“Well, don’t. MJ is fine, and nothing’s gonna happen to him.”

He wasn’t hearing anything Charlotte said, so it was time to stop being nice. “I want you to bring him home, Matt. Enough is enough.”

“Mom, I love you, but please don’t try to control me. Please don’t make me say or do something I’ll regret.”

Charlotte could tell he wasn’t playing and had to change her tune. “Okay, look. I’ve had a long night and I just got home, so I’m a little tired. I’m sorry. But can you at least bring him home so I can see him before I head back to the hospital?”

“I’ll bring him when it’s time for me to pack.”

Charlotte wanted to object but realized it was better to simply go along with his crazy thinking. He’d be flying back to Boston in a few hours, anyway. She loved her son and loved having him home, but today she couldn’t wait for him to leave. When he was gone, she’d have total control of MJ again, and she wouldn’t have to deal with Matthew’s immaturity. Although, she wondered what she would do when he came for another visit, because he’d surely want to pack up MJ and whisk him over to the Andersons again. She didn’t want to report Matthew to the caseworker, but if he pushed her she wouldn’t have a choice. She would do what was necessary to keep MJ away from Racquel and Vanessa.

Charlotte went into the family room and plopped down on the leather sofa. She closed her eyes and took deep meditational breaths. Her nerves raced, but she needed to calm herself before making her next call. She dreaded it, but if she didn’t call Neil she wasn’t sure what he might do or who he’d give critical information to. She also knew that now was a good time, since Matthew had told her Neil was at the hospital.

She breathed in and out one more time and dialed his number.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”

“Is this a good time?” she asked.

“Perfect. I just pulled into the parking lot.”

“I was hoping to continue our conversation,” she said. “You really caught me off guard yesterday.”

“I can imagine. I was just as shocked.”

“But that’s just it. I haven’t done anything, so there’s nothing for you to be shocked about.”

“Maybe you still don’t understand. Charlotte, I’m not guessing or wondering—I know for sure that you put this thing together. I have proof, and while I don’t want my daughter to endure any more pain than she has to, I’m willing to work with you on this. I’m willing to give you two days to get the investigation dropped and have MJ returned to her.”

Charlotte wasn’t going to admit anything until she knew more. “You’ve got the wrong person, Neil. I would never do something so foolish.”

“You’re just not going to admit it, are you?”

“No one should admit to something they didn’t do. That would be insane. Especially when your words are based on hearsay.”

“Oh, I see—it’s proof you want. Well, according to my source, you paid four different people to carry out this scheme of yours. It’s also my understanding that with the exception of the caseworker, you never met any of them and you coordinated everything through some friend of yours.”

Charlotte sat quietly but could no longer deny her involvement. Neil knew everything.

“I only did this for my grandson,” she hurried to say, forcing the sound of tears into her voice. “All I wanted was to protect him. I knew Matt and Racquel were too young to take care of MJ. They were too young to be parents.”

“Still, what you did was wrong. But like I told you yesterday, I’m willing to overlook it. What you did would be unforgivable by most people’s standards, but we can handle this quietly and discreetly.”

“I’m not sure what you want me to do.”

“Let me explain something. I love my daughter, and there’s no doubt that I should have told her everything as soon as I found out. But I’m also a man who has certain needs. I’m married, but I haven’t loved Vanessa in years.”

Charlotte already knew what he was hinting at, but she still asked, “Okay…but what does that have to do with me?”

“I want to be with you.”

Charlotte closed her eyes, partly because she didn’t want to betray Curtis and partly because hearing Neil’s voice was stirring the wrong kind of feelings in her.

“I can’t do that,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because I love my husband.”

“I’m sure you do, but I know when a woman wants me.”

“You’re picking up the wrong signal.”

“No, you’re definitely attracted to me, and you can’t control it.”

“I have to go,” Charlotte said, standing up.

“Why don’t you just think about it and call me back?”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Neil.”

“Well, then I guess I should tell you.”

“What?”

“I’m one of the best neurosurgeons in the Midwest and one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet…but I’m also used to getting what I want.”

“And?”

“You know the old saying, ‘If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ If you make love to me, your secret will be safe. I’ll never tell another living soul.”

Charlotte couldn’t believe he was capable of this. “So, you’re going to use your own grandson to try to blackmail me?”

“Let’s not turn this into something ugly. All I’m saying is that we’re in this thing of yours together now.”

“No, we’re not. I’m not sleeping with you, Neil. So, please don’t ask me about this again.”

“I know you have a lot on your mind, so let’s talk again tomorrow.”

He was totally ignoring her, but she couldn’t do this with him and hung up. Still, she knew this wasn’t over and that it would have to be dealt with. Only thing was, she had no clue how she was going to get herself out of this mess.