After All (35 page)

“
How're you doing, babe?”
Gracie's brow furrowed.

“
I'll live,” Michelle said
in a voice devoid of emotion.

Jason approached them. “Toussaint, come
into my office.”

“
Can it wait? I've got to
finish this by four at least and I'll need to visit the library
again.” Michelle continued tapping her keyboard.

“
Mr. Lockport and Nathan are
waiting for us.”Jason's voice held an ominous, self-satisfied
edge.

Michelle got up to follow him after
exchanging a glance with Gracie.

Gracie caught her hand stopping her for
a moment. “Watch yourself. That little snake is up to something,”
she whispered.

Lockport sat at Jason's desk with his
elbows propped on the blotter as he doodled on note paper. “Have a
seat, Michelle. Terrible thing about your brother. How is he?” He
put the pen down and arranged his face into a expression of
concern.

“
No change. Thanks for
asking.” Michelle nodded back at Nathan as she sat next to
him.

“
The public housing story.”
Lockport rocked back in the chair to gaze at the ceiling. “Tell me
about the information that came from Housing Authority
records.”

Michelle threw a questioning look at
Nathan before answering. He shook his head slightly.

“
There were invoices paid
for work that wasn't done. You saw that in the reports aired,” she
said.

“
And they were authentic?”
Lockport's gaze travelled around the room before resting on
her.

“
Definitely.” Michelle's
eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”

“
It seems that an employee
of the Housing Authority claims those invoices were faked. That you
manufactured them when she told you they had been sent to archives
at the district office. You--”

“
We understand if you were
faced with a difficult decision, Michelle,” Lockport cut him off.
“Ike Batiste almost ruined your father's business.”

Michelle sat forward eyes blazing.”How
dare you suggest I'd fake a story for revenge.” She glowered at all
three men. “I based my report on solid information. Those invoices
are real. They were given to me by a reliable source.”

“
Then you won't mind showing
them to us.” Jason's eyebrows lifted up to his hairline.

“
No problem.” Michelle
marched to the large row of cabinets along the back wall of the
newsroom with them close behind. When she turned her key to unlock
it, the lock turned around without making the familiar clicking
sound. The mechanism was broken.

“
Well? Let's have it,” Jason
said.

“
Something is wrong...”
Michelle examined the cabinet. Deep Scratches on the grey paint
revealed the metal beneath. She yanked the drawer out and searched
frantically through file folders. “It's missing. The invoices and
work orders are gone!”

“
Very convenient.” Jason's
voice dripped with sarcasm.

“
Is something wrong?”
Jennifer joined them.

“
I don't understand this.
All of those photocopies were here with my notes.” Michelle dumped
stacks of papers on the desk.

“
Are you sure that's where
you left them?” Nathan sorted through several sheets in an attempt
to help her.

“
Of course I'm sure. I had
them, Nathan.” Michelle turned to him.

“
Let's discuss this in
Jason's office.” Lockport lowered his voice and took her
arm.

“
They were here! It's
obvious someone, probably paid by Ike Batiste, stole those
documents.” Michelle pointed to the broken lock.

Jason grunted. “A stranger got past the
security guard and, unobserved by all the staff that are constantly
in here day and night, broke into one file drawer. In one of the
busiest rooms in the station? Oh, come on.”

“
Sounds farfetched to me,
too.”J ennifer cocked her head at Lockport.

“
Michelle, if we could just
go--” Lockport tried again to guide them away from dozens of
staring eyes.

“
Nathan, you believe me?”
Michelle pleaded with him.

“
I uh. . .” Nathan rubbed
his cheek as he looked at the file cabinet.

“
This isn't the place for
such a discussion. My office, Ms. Toussaint,” Lockport commanded.
Through playing the role of the empathetic boss, he stalked off
down the hall.

“
Mr. Lockport, I had those
photocopies,” Michelle burst out the minute his door closed behind
them.

“
Then where are they? And
how do you explain the employee's story?”Jason pounced before
Lockport could speak.

“
A man has been murdered, my
brother and his girlfriend attacked. Obviously, he or she is scared
stiff.” Michelle ignored him speaking directly to
Lockport.

“
Under the circumstances,
I'm afraid you have to be suspended. Without proof that you had
unaltered documentation that supported your story, I have no
choice. You've put this station in a precarious legal position.”
Lockport spoke firmly.

“
Nathan, you know I would
never do such a thing.” Michelle's voice trembled.

“
Give us a chance to
straighten this out, Toussaint. Until then, you can take time to be
with your family.” Nathan put out his hand to her.

Michelle drew back. “Thanks for
nothing.”

She left slamming the door behind her.
Michelle walked back to her desk on shaky legs trying to ignore the
speculative stares and whispers as she passed others. Clearly word
had spread.

Gracie sprang up to meet her before she
got to her desk. “That little troll, Jason, makes me want to puke,”
Gracie fumed. “You fight back, honey. With your high profile and us
backing you up, we could--”

“
I'm so tired, Gracie.”
Michelle threw items from within and on top of her desk into a
large book bag. “Honestly, part of me is relieved.”

“
What?” Gracie's mouth flew
open.

Michelle sat down and massaged her
neck. “Performing for Channel Twelve is one less thing to worry
about. I haven't been doing it very well anyway.”

“
Michelle, listen to me,”
Gracie kneeled down and placed a hand on her arm. “You've taken a
couple of hard hits, sure. But don't just lie down. What about your
career? I don't believe for one minute you don't care about that
anymore. Or about LaWanda and the people who live in the projects.
If you go down, so do they.”

“
What good am I to them now?
My credibility is on the line.” Pulling the bag to her, Michelle
started throwing things inside it again.

“
Then defend it,” Gracie
said fiercely squeezing her hand.

“
I know you're right. But I
can't think about anything else right now except Dom and--”
Michelle choked off. Turning away, she drew on her coat.

“
Maybe a short rest would
help. Go on home and think about what I said.” Gracie placed both
hands on her shoulders forcing her to look up. “Call me if you need
anything, okay?”

“
Sure.”Michelle's eyes
filled with tears. “You're a good egg, Gracie O'Hannon.” She gave
her hug then left.

Despite Gracie's advice, Michelle went
straight to the hospital. She walked into the fourth floor family
waiting room to find her father seated alone. His face was tired
and drawn.

“
Hello, Daddy. How long have
you been here?” Michelle perched on the edge of a chair across from
him. She looked at him with new eyes. The man she had thought of as
hard and judgmental seemed to have been her own misguided
invention. What she saw was a man who had suffered a great hurt by
someone he had loved and cherished. Something she now understood
only too well. Michelle felt a twinge of guilt remembering her
sharp criticisms of him.

“
A little over an hour,”
Thomas said in a low voice raspy with fatigue.”Your mother is in
with him now.”

“
You haven't had much rest.
How long did you sleep?”

“
I didn't. I've been at the
office working. Anything to keep busy.”

Michelle sat next to him and put a
protective arm around his shoulders. “You'll collapse if you don't
get some sleep. Try, all right? Go on home for a few hours at
least.”

Thomas shook his head. “Annette was
right. I've pushed Dom since he was a little kid. He's never been
like you or Brian.”He smiled to himself. “A real scamp. Always
pulling pranks and figuring out ways not to work. He could come up
with more wild schemes to make a fast buck. Even when I was angry
at him, I had to laugh.” He hung his head. “I only wanted him to
grow up and make something of himself. Maybe if I'd accepted him
for who he is...”

“
Don't, Daddy. Don't blame
yourself.” Michelle held him tightly.

“
Your mother seems to have
understood him better than I did.” Thomas swallowed
hard.

“
You understood that he
needed firm direction. And you were right. When he got into
trouble, Mama let you be the bad guy. I didn't help by always
criticizing you,” Michelle confessed.

“
Annette has never handled
tough situations well.”

“
You mean she's weak.”
Michelle's voice was harsh.

Thomas frowned at her. “I've never
heard you say a word against your mother. Has something happened
between you two?”

“
I guess I'm still a little
angry about the way she jumped on you the other day,” Michelle
offered weakly.

Thomas cupped her chin with one large
hand and turned her face to his. “How much did you
hear?”

“
Enough. Daddy, I'm so
sorry.”

“
Mr. Toussaint.”A tall man
dressed in a blue scrub suit stood in the door. He still wore a
stethoscope around his neck.

“
Yes.” Thomas stood up, his
eyes wide with alarm. “Dr. Frazier, is anything wrong?”

“
No, in fact we think
there's reason to believe he'll be okay. And we don't think another
blood transfusion is necessary. But he has a long road ahead to
full recovery. Dominic will need extensive rehabilitation therapy.
He's growing more responsive each day though he hasn't spoken yet.
Good thing you were able to give blood. With the AIDS scare, our
plasma supply is low. Especially on rare types like his and yours.
The other donor was completely incompatible.”The doctor scratched
his head looking at Thomas quizzically. “Why did you
think--”

“
My wife panicked,” Thomas
put in quickly. “How much longer will he be in intensive
care?”

“
Another two days at least.
But we'll want to get him started in rehab therapy soon after. Come
by my office on the sixth floor later and we'll go over the
details.” Dr. Frazier shook his hand before leaving.

“
You heard that? Dom is
going to make it.” Thomas's eyes shone bright with joy.

Michelle could manage to only nod she
was so overwhelmed by the good news. Tears coursed down her face as
they embraced. After a time, they sat together again.

“
It's past time Dom and I
really got to know each other. I had to almost lose him to realize
that,” Thomas said. He stared down at his hands. “I've got my son
back, and I don't intend to lose him.”

Michelle pressed her cheek to his
closing her eyes. “Things are going to be just fine,
Daddy.”

Thomas drew in a deep breath composing
himself again. “Toussaint and Son Electrical Contractors. How does
that sound?”

“
Beautiful.”Michelle sat
silent for a few minutes puzzling over something the doctor had
said, or tried to before her father stopped him. “Daddy, what other
donor?”

“
Humm?”

“
The doctor mentioned
another donor. Who was he talking about?”

After several moments, Thomas said,
“Ike Batiste. Your mother called him thinking he could give blood
to Dom.”

“
Because Dom has a rare
blood type. But the doctor said...” Michelle drew a sharp breath as
the significance it her. “That means Ike can't be Dom's father. Did
you know?”

“
I never needed a blood test
to tell me Dom is my son, Michelle. I love all of my children.”
Thomas smiled as he brushed her hair with gentle strokes.
“Fathering a child is more than biology.”

Michelle took his hand and kissed it
softly. “I love you, Daddy.”

Annette had come in so silently, her
voice took them both by surprise. “Thomas, you can go in
now.”

Thomas gave Michelle a little kiss on
the forehead before leaving the waiting room. He walked down the
hall with a new spring in his step.

“
Doctor Frazier says Dominic
is coming along well considering.” Annette spoke in a faltering
voice.

“
Yes, he stopped in here on
his way out.” Michelle turned away from her mother to gaze out of
the window.

“
This has been a terrible
ordeal for us all,” Annette ventured.

“
True.”

“
But now everything will be
better.”