Read Quiet As It's Kept Online
Authors: Monique Miller
Quiet As It's Kept (21 page)
The other men finished the man's statement. “On her inner thigh.” Then they all laughed.
Will's stomach began to feel queasy. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and he felt as if he were frozen solid. He couldn't move. He didn't know how much time had passed before he came out of his trance, hearing Isaiah start to cry in the back seat of Phillip's SUV.
As if a heat wave had melted his frozen state, Will moved quickly to retrieve his baby boy from the back seat. Will figured the baby must have been scared, waking up in the unfamiliar surroundings. He held the baby, who stopped crying in the comfort of his father's arms.
“So you are saying the woman in this picture is Ci Ci?” Phillip asked.
The men looked at Phillip as if he were crazy for asking a question about the woman they had been trying to find.
“Yeah, that's Ci Ci. She's fixed herself up, but I would know that face anywhere,” the shiny rim guy said.
Will listened on, as he was still speechless.
“Cute baby,” the shiny rim guy said. “He looks a little bit like Ci Ci's oldest child.”
Both Will and Phillip did a double take.
“Say what?” Phillip asked.
“That baby looks like Ci Ci's son. The oldest one.”
Phillip and Will now looked at the man blankly.
“Oh, that's right, I guess you all knew her a while back. You probably don't know she has kids. Well, she had kids. The oldest one is being raised by Ci Ci's mom and the state took the other two kids.”
With nervousness, Phillip chuckled. “Wow, you sure do know a lot about Ci Ci.”
“This town ain't but so big. Almost everyone knows everyone else. But Ci Ci is well known around here. You can best believe that.”
All the men looked at each other conspiratorially.
“Does Ci Ci live here?” Phillip asked.
Will still could not bring himself to utter a word and was glad to have his best friend there with him. Phillip was keeping a level head and asking the same questions Will would ask if he had the presence of mindâbut he didn't.
“Nah, I don't know where Ci Ci is now. She moved a few years ago, but I can't say as to where she went,” the shiny rim guy said.
Phillip looked around at all the other men. They shook their heads to indicate that they didn't know where she was either.
“You said her mother still lives here?”
“Yep. Ms. Geraldine lives over on Gum Street.”
“Do you know what number?”
“Nah, but you can't miss it. It's the only purple house on the street.”
“Okay, thanks, man,” Phillip said. “I appreciate your help.”
“No problem,” the shiny rim guy said.
Phillip turned to return to his SUV, and, as if in a trance, Will followed suit. He buckled the baby in the car seat and then sat in the passenger seat. His mind reeled, unable to wrap itself around everything he had just heardâunable to accept what the men had said.
Phillip drove down the road to a gas station out of sight of the Bojangles.
“So what do you want to do now? Head back to Silvermont or go over to Gum Street?”
“Drive over to Gum Street. I have to know. I have to see for myself,” Will said.
Chapter 23
Will's head was spinning as he pulled into his garage at home. He barely missed hitting the garage door before it was fully opened as he pulled the car in. All he wanted to do was get into the house, pack some things up for him and the baby, and get back out before Morgan got home.
He tried to make a mental note of the important items that the domestic violence safety plan listed as things to take when preparing to leave home. Once he was in the house, he pulled Isaiah's playpen out and placed him in it. Isaiah whined a little, wanting to have free range of the den, but Will wanted to make sure he didn't wander off and hurt himself as he packed as much as he could into two of his large duffle bags.
Will walked around the house grabbing things. He grabbed his checkbook, ATM and credit cards, insurance papers, medication, his social security card, his computer flash drive, birth certificates, medical records, his address book, clothes for himself and the baby, and also the baby's favorite blanket and toys.
He'd also thought about packing some baby food, but knew he didn't have but so much room in his bags. But he did grab as many diapers and wipes as he could. Phillip had offered to let him stay at their home while he got things straight with Morgan; things like his leaving her and how they were going to start the legal proceedings.
His thoughts kept returning to the words of the guy with the shiny rims on his truck and the other guys as they spoke.
“I'd know for sure if I saw that heart-shaped birthmark.”
Will used to love that heart-shaped birthmark, but now that he knew that half the population of Warsaw also knew about that birthmark, it repulsed him.
“I'd know for sure if I saw that heart-shaped birthmark.”
Will used to love that heart-shaped birthmark, but now that he knew that half the population of Warsaw also knew about that birthmark, it repulsed him.
He was still reeling from all the information he'd learned while visiting Morganâor Ci Ci'sâhometown. He didn't know what to call her. It was as if the past two years had been part of a complete and total lie. He didn't know who the woman was who he had married.
Will stepped out to the garage and placed both duffle bags into the trunk of the SUV. He looked at his watch. Morgan wouldn't be home for at least another hour, so he went back into the house, pulled out a suitcase, and went from room to room, gathering little mementos he wanted. Since he didn't know who this Ci Ci person was, he didn't know if the woman would try to destroy his things once she found out he was gone.
In some ways he thought he might be a little paranoid, but in other ways he knew he wasn't, because he'd just left a little town in eastern North Carolina that held secrets from Ci Ci's past. Secrets she didn't want him to know about. As far as he was concerned, everything she had ever told him had been a lie.
Inside the house, he remembered that he had not packed any of the baby's formula. He pulled out all ten of the cans of formula that were in the cabinet and put them in grocery bags. He also packed a dozen bottles and a few sippy cups.
Like a man on the mission that he was, Will went from room to room, picking up fraternity memorabilia, his college degrees, the first trophy he got in little league, and he packed it all in a suitcase. By the time he finished finding things and stuffing them into the car, he had just enough room for himself in the driver's seat and the baby in his car seat.
His phone beeped, indicating that he had a text message. He looked at the phone display, seeing that his sister had sent him a text.
Hey, big brother. I am on the Web cam. Where are you?
Will had forgotten that he was supposed to have logged on to the Web cam that afternoon. He tried to text his sister back, but his hands were shaking so hard that he gave up. He figured it would be quicker and easier to log on to the Web cam and talk with her for a moment. There was no way he was going to be able to coherently text anything in his state.
Will took a deep breath before sitting down in front of the computer screen. He tried to compose himself as much as possible to mask the turmoil he was going through. His sister was all smiles when he logged on to the Web cam. But her smiling face was quickly replaced with a frown as soon as she saw her brother's face.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing,” Will lied. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his little sister. If she knew everything that he was going through, she'd no doubt drop everything she was doing and fly back to the East Coast. But in the meantime she'd just about worry herself to death in the process of trying to get to him.
“Don't tell me ânothing.'” She sat back and crossed her arms. “Are you having complications from the car accident?”
He had only talked to his sister a few times since the car accident, and each phone call had only lasted a couple of minutes.
“No, I've recovered pretty well from the car accident.” Remarkably, he had recovered exceptionally well after the accident. His doctor had even told him that he was amazed by the minimal amount of injuries he had received in the accident.
“Well, then, what is it?” Nicole waited for Will to tell her what was going on.
“Nicole, there is something going on but I can't go into it right now,” Will said, trying to offer her something. He hoped it would appease her.
“I've got time.” Nicole continued to sit and wait for more of an explanation.
“Dada, Dada, Dada,” Isaiah said.
“Is that the baby?” Nicole asked.
“Yeah, hold on.”
Will stepped over to the playpen and picked the baby up. Then he returned to his seat in front of the computer.
“There's my little nephew. Hi, Isaiah.” Nicole scrunched her face up and said, “Googey, googey, googey, daba, daba, daba, doo, doo, doo.”
Isaiah giggled hard, then waited for his aunt to say his favorite phrase again. Nicole repeated her baby talk to the baby, making him laugh a few more times.
Looking at the clock on the computer, Will spoke up, interrupting the bonding session Isaiah was having with his aunt. “Hey, Nicole. I am going to have to talk with you a little later. I was in the middle of somethingâ”
“Yeah, you were. You were about to tell me why you are looking like you lost your best friend.”
“That's because in a way I feel like I did.” Will knew that he wasn't going to easily get rid of his sister. He was going to have to tell her something, and he was going to have to tell her at least part of the truthâthe truth about his leaving the house. “I was in the process of packing some things. I am leaving Morgan.”
Nicole's jaw dropped in disbelief. She was quiet for a moment, and then said, “Are you serious?”
“Yes, as a heart attack.”
Will sat Isaiah on the floor next to him.
“Why? What's wrong? Is it that bad?”
“It is that bad, and I can't tell you about it right now. I was just trying to pack a few things when you called. And she'll be home from work pretty soon. I don't want to be here when she gets here. There's no telling what she might try to do to me.”
“Oh, dear Lord. I'm sorry that whatever is going on with you and Morgan is that bad.” Nicole shook her head. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, we'll be fine. With the grace of God, we will be fine.” Will looked at the time again. “I gotta go.”
“Okay, okay.” Nicole shook her head again. “Call me as soon as you get a chance.”
“I will. Isaiah and I are going over to Phillip's house. I'll give you a call later on tonight. I just want to get out of here.”
“Hang in there, big brother.”
“I will, sis. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Nicole said.
Will looked down to see where Isaiah was. The baby was starting to crawl up the steps. Will jumped up and pulled him off the second step. “No, no, little guy. You're not ready to navigate the steps yet.”
As Will talked to Isaiah, the baby seemed to be looking beyond him, as if focused on something else. Then Isaiah said, “Mama, Mama.” Lately, the only time the baby said those words was when Morgan was in his presence. And Will prayed that Morgan wasn't standing behind him. If she was, he was glad the baby had at least given him the warning signal.
Slowly, Will turned around and saw his living nightmare standing right behind him. Somehow, for the very first time, he didn't see the beautiful woman he had married. What he saw was a devil in disguise.
Morgan squinted at him. “Will, what is going on?”
“Morgan.” Will paused. Should he even keep up false pretenses? “I'm leaving.” Will stepped past her and put Isaiah on the floor next to the playpen.
“Leaving? What do you mean, you are leaving?”
“Just what I said, Morgan.”
“But why? I told you we could go to counseling.” Morgan's eyes shot wildly around the den. “What is all this?”
Will hadn't realized how much he had disrupted the house by going through each of the rooms, arbitrarily throwing things into a suitcase. It looked like a small hurricane had gone through there, with things knocked down and out of place.
“As I said, I'm leaving,” Will repeated. “And I'm taking Isaiah with me.”
“What?” Morgan screamed. Her face snarled with rage. “You are not taking my son anywhere.”
Matching her pitch and volume, Will said, “Oh, yes, I am. And don't you even try to stop me.”
“There is no way I am going to let you take my baby. This is totally uncalled for, and if you think you are taking Isaiah out of here, then you are sadly mistaken.” Morgan picked the cordless phone up off of its base. “I'll call the police.” She started punching numbers on the phone.
“Call them, Ci Ci,” Will said.
Morgan abruptly stopped dialing. “What?”
“You heard me, Ci Ci.”
“Why are you calling me that?”
“That is your name, isn't it? Or is Ci Ci short for something else? I didn't find that much out.”
Morgan placed the phone back down. “What on earth are you talking about?” Her eyes darted around the room, looking at almost everything but him.
“You know exactly what I am talking about. I took a little road trip today. And do you know where I went?”
“No, I don't know where you went.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “I just know you are acting strange right now.” Morgan stepped over to the bookshelf and picked up a picture frame that had fallen over, placing it back neatly.
“I went to Warsaw.”
Morgan froze in mid-movement.
“You know where that is, right? It's the little town that it hurts you to talk about because of all your sad memories.”
Morgan continued standing in front of the bookshelf with her back to him, as if frozen.
“You've got memories all right, I'm sure. Memories of all your old friends,” Will said.
She turned back toward him, shaking her head. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” The fury in her voice had deflated, turning it into one of innocence.
Will wasn't buying her act for a second. “So, what, do you have amnesia now? Well, let me give you some smelling salts; maybe they will help wake you, so you will remember your dear little hometown and all of your friends and family.”
Morgan picked up one of Isaiah's toys and placed it in his playpen. “Friends and family? You are just talking crazy now.”
“Yeah, your friends, Morgan. I mean, Ci Ci. Your friends like Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike.”
“What?”
“Okay, I forgot to get the names of all the guys I met who said they knew you. They said they knew all about your birthmark and everything. And from the way they were talking, I am sure you probably slept with a Mike or Bobby sometime in your life.”
“Just stop, Will. That's ridiculous.” Morgan fluffed a pillow on the couch.
“Ridiculous? Are you for real? What about your mother, Morgan? Ms. Geraldine?”
Again, Morgan stopped dead in her tracks.
“Is your living and breathing mother a figment of my imagination? And what about your son?”
Morgan looked over at Isaiah.
“Not Isaiah. I said your son, not our son.”
She picked one of the baby's teething toys up off of the coffee table and looked from Isaiah to Will. “You had no right to do that. To go to Warsaw and see . . .” Her voice trailed off.
Will finished the statement for her. “Your supposedly dead mother and the son you never told me you had?” He didn't say anything about the other two children she'd supposedly lost to the state. He wondered if she would come clean about that part.
He wondered if she would be forthcoming about anything else she was hiding. Everything he had told her so far was information he'd gotten from the guys at the restaurant. Will and Phillip had driven over to the purple house on Gum Street. They'd sat outside for almost a half hour just looking at the house.
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