Truth (61 page)

Claire grinned. It wasn’t that long ago she
didn’t know how to work the strange little machine. “No, I’m in
more of an orange juice mood.”

“
Harry told me about your
talk the other night.”

“
Well, it wasn’t much of a
talk.”

“
Do you really think
Anthony is responsible for our problems?”

Claire nodded, her mouth full of banana.
Once she’d swallowed she replied, “I do. I honestly don’t think it
can be proven, unless there is someone working for him, and you can
torture a confession out of them.”

Having Claire’s ravenous hunger appeased and
Amber’s attitude composed created the perfect environment for them
to calmly discuss the gala and recent events. Claire told Amber
about her agreement with Tony. How she needed to appear publically
with him, and how she was worried about telling Harry. Amber
agreed; Harry wouldn’t be pleased.

Although upsetting, the thought didn’t deter
Claire’s appetite. Amber laughed as Claire used her toast to sweep
the remnants of egg from her plate.

“
I only ate lunch
yesterday. I’m trying to catch up.” Claire responded with a
shrug.

Before they finished, the front door opened
and they heard Harry’s footsteps approaching the kitchen.

“
That’s my cue to sneak
back to my room. You two need some privacy,” Amber
whispered.

By the time Harry entered the kitchen his
sister was gone. Claire looked up from her empty plate and
sheepishly said, “Hi, thanks for the flowers.”

*****

Sophia watched Derek as he read the
newspaper and sipped his coffee. Things were perfect after the
gala... she wasn’t ready to mention the possible tour. Then
yesterday, the time never seemed right. Could it be because she
didn’t want to do it? It was a fantastic offer... why wouldn’t she
want to tour the country, all expenses paid. As Sophia watched her
husband, she knew the answer... because she wanted to be with
him!

The ringing of her cell
phone brought Sophia back to reality. The screen said:
Mom
. Sophia frowned.
Derek looked up from the paper, “Who is it? Why do you look
worried?”

“
My Mom, I just talked to
her yesterday.” With that Sophia swiped the screen. “Hi Mom, what’s
up?”

When Sophia disconnected the line she turned
to Derek’s furrowed brow and concerned expression. He’d heard
Sophia’s end of the conversation, and now he wanted to know
more.

“
Is it your dad
again?”

Sophia nodded, “Yes. Mom’s really worried.
She said yesterday he went to the store, someplace he’d been a
million times. He didn’t come home for three hours. She kept trying
to reach him on his cell. Finally when he came home, he didn’t have
the groceries and couldn’t remember why he’d been out or where he’d
been.”

“
She needs to get him some
help.”

“
He’s stubborn,” Sophia
said with a sigh. “I’m worried. I think part of it is financial.
Dad doesn’t want to spend any money on himself.”

“
Then help them. They sure
helped you.”

“
He won’t accept it. But
Mom might. Maybe I should go for a visit?”

Derek kissed Sophia’s forehead. “I need to
leave for that ten day China trip next week. Maybe you could go
then.”

She took a drink of coffee. “I’ve also been
thinking about the studio in Provincetown. You know, since I have
the money from those paintings, I was thinking about hiring someone
to keep that studio open, while we’re out here. I hate for it to
sit closed during peak tourist season.”

Derek agreed. The money changed so many
things, giving Sophia the ability to do things she’d always
wanted.

“
I’ve been meaning to tell
you about an offer I received the other night,” Sophia
said.

Derek looked up again from the newspaper.
“What kind of offer?”

“
Well, that mysterious
buyer, the one who never showed up...”

Derek listened patiently as Sophia described
the tour, the cities, the exposure, and the time apart. He wanted
to tell her no. However, he didn’t want to stop her dream. “That
sounds amazing. What do you think about it?”

“
I think it is amazing and
I’m going to tell Mr. George
no
.”

Derek’s relief was visible. “Why?”

Sophia put her arms around her husband’s
neck. Their eyes met soft brown to light gray. She kissed his
tender lips. “Do you think I should do it?”

“
I want you to do whatever
is best for you.”

“
I want to be with you.
And it’s not just me, it’s
us
. I’m thrilled I’ve sold these
paintings. I love the idea of having studios on each coast. But my
mom needs help, and I want to be with you. There are too many
things going on for me to travel around the country for two
years.”

He pulled her close. “Good, I don’t want to
ever stop your dreams.”

“
You and me,
we
are my dreams. The
rest is just frosting on the cake.”

Derek snickered, “You like frosting.”

“
I do. But too much makes
me sick.”

“
Then by all means, Mrs.
Burke, we don’t want you feeling ill.”

*****

Harry listened again as Claire explained the
gala. This time he didn’t judge. He didn’t interrupt or doubt
Claire’s theories. They talked about her agreement. Finally Harry
asked, “How long is this supposed to go on?”

“
I don’t know for sure. He
gave me dates reaching into July.”

His lips started to move, and then he
pressed them together.

“
The first one is in two
weeks, in Chicago. I’ll have my own accommodations.”

“
Really Claire, what’s the
point?”

“
Appearances -- it is all
about appearances and manipulation.”

“
Do you think it will ever
end?”

“
I don’t know. Maybe if we
learn something about his past. I need something to hold over him.
I’m going to keep talking with Meredith. She’s been in contact with
some publisher. They no longer want to do a series of articles, but
a book.”

“
Why are you still meeting
if this book will never get published?”

“
I still have the
agreement. If anything happens to me or someone I care about, the
book will be published.”

“
So you’re both
threatening each other?”

Claire nodded and shrugged, “Yes, it’s a
great basis for a relationship, don’t you think?”

Harry placed his hand over Claire’s. “No, it
seems pretty messed up to me. I just want a simple honest
relationship.”

Claire sighed, “That would be
wonderful.”

He bent down, their noses nearly touched.
“I’ll accept friends with benefits, for now. Not forever.” His lips
brushed hers.

Claire’s body relaxed and her arms found
their way around his neck. “I’ll find a way out of this, I
will.”

Amber joined them as they talked about SiJo.
“I felt the tension ease; do you mind if I join you two?”

“
Well, I don’t know. It is
your place.” Claire said with a grin. She felt triumphant. Tony
tried to take this comraderie away from her. He failed. It was a
small victory, the saving of a pawn. But each victorious battle, no
matter how small, helped win the war.

“
Oh, did you listen to
that message?” Amber asked Claire.

“
Yes, twice. I have no
idea who it is -- probably a reporter or something.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Harry asked.

Claire told him about the message on the
house phone. He asked if it’d been erased. When Claire told him no;
he listened to the voice mail. Claire noticed his expression cloud
as he replayed the message and wrote down the number.

“
Let me do some checking.
I don’t like people calling this number. It’s unlisted.”

After Harry left, Amber mentioned Claire’s
flowers. “You were quite the popular lady yesterday.”

“
It was very nice of your
brother.”

“
He brought one of the
vases. The other two came in separate deliveries. Neither had a
card, but I did find one thing strange; the delivery guy said one
of the bouquets was for Claire Rawls.”

Claire felt the blood drain from her face,
“Why didn’t you say anything about that before?”

Amber stared at Claire, “I figured it was
some code between you and your ex. I didn’t want to upset Harry,
more.”

“
I don’t think it is – a
code. He doesn’t like that I even know about his past. He isn’t
going to flaunt it in a delivery. I’ll ask. Honestly I’d feel
better if they were from him. Otherwise, it creeps me
out.”

Her iPhone had two missed
calls from Tony, and her work phone had a text message from
Courtney, received an hour earlier:
HE
JUST LEFT. SAID HE WANTS YOU TO BE HIS PLUS 1 AT THE WEDDING! CALL
ME!!!.

If we had no winter, the
spring would not be so pleasant;
if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity
would not be so welcome.
- Anne
Bradstreet

Chapter
40

Late 1988....

Nathaniel held Marie’s hands and looked at
his beautiful young wife. Her resolve was stronger than that of a
woman two or three times her age. At twenty-six she’d experienced
more heartbreak and disappointment than most endure in a
lifetime.

“
I’m doing fine.
Nathaniel, please don’t worry about me. You are going to be out of
this place in only nine more months. Please use your energy taking
care of yourself.”

“
You shouldn’t be tied to
an old man in a prison cell. You should be enjoying everything life
has to offer.”

Marie’s smile took his breath away. Her gray
eyes lit up the dull visitor’s room. Concentrating on her, he could
forget their surroundings. Her vitality sustained him. Nathaniel
didn’t know if he could make it without her weekly visits. Mentally
he’d replay them word for word in his head for days. The way her
hair glistened under the florescent lights, the scent of her
perfume, and the feel of her skin ran a continual loop through his
memory. Then on about Wednesday, two days before her return, his
memories would give way to anticipation. Sometimes he tried to
guess what color she’d wear or how she’d fix her hair. He liked her
dark blonde hair loose and long, hanging down her slender back. But
then again, he liked it up exposing her neck and collar bone.

In so many ways Marie reminded him of
Sharron when they were young. Sharron’s energy and wit continually
enthralled him. Nathaniel knew he was the luckiest man alive to
experience two such wonderful women. He wished Marie knew Sharron
when she was healthier. He believed they would have been friends.
His late wife had a knack for calming him when the world triggered
fury. At this moment Marie was doing the same thing. Her steel eyes
danced with life while her steady voice reassured.

“
You, sir, are not getting
rid of me that easily.” She gently removed one of her hands from
his hold and placed it on top of his. “I love you, and I plan on
spending much more time with you. If the next nine months are in
this room at an hour a week, then so be it. But after that Mr.
Rawls, I get you all to myself.”

“
But Marie, you
deserve...”

She interrupted, “I think you’ve made me
realize I deserve to be loved. And you are the man to do it.”

Nathaniel grinned in spite of himself.
Marie’s radiating beauty left him speechless. It wasn’t just the
external attributes of Catherine Marie Rawls, but her spirit and
kindness. The only time he saw that spirit change was with the
mention of his son. Nevertheless, the subject needed to be
breached. She was his only source of information. Anton visited
occasionally. However, now in graduate school and working, Anton’s
time was limited.

The idea of Anton supporting himself through
graduate school infuriated Nathaniel. This entire mess was
ridiculous. The damn FBI should have better things to do, real
criminals to find, instead of attacking a man for living the
American dream. Truthfully, Nathaniel still had money, a good
amount of money. However, accessing it and bringing it back to the
United States was too risky.

Since the court seized his home, company,
and other assets, he was thankful he’d provided Marie with a
comfortable investment portfolio. If they’d been married when he
was convicted, she would’ve lost that too. But, because they
weren’t, it remained hers.

When he got out of this hell hole, Nathaniel
intended to give Marie a real wedding, maybe somewhere on a beach.
The justice of the peace, in this visitor’s room with Anton as
witness, was legal and memorable. However, it wasn’t the kind of
memory Nathaniel wanted Marie to have of her wedding. If she’d said
yes the first twenty-five times he asked, their wedding would have
been nicer. Then again, she wouldn’t have the financial resolve. It
wasn’t like she had a fortune, but she could live comfortably.

Neither Samuel nor Amanda visited Nathaniel,
ever. After Anton informed Nathaniel of Samuel’s testimony,
Nathaniel honestly didn’t care if he ever laid eyes on his son
again. What upset Nathaniel was his son and daughter-in-law’s
constant intrusion into Marie’s life. Since Samuel was part owner
and a top executive at Rawls Corporation, his assets too were
seized. Despite Samuel’s cooperation, he and Amanda were left with
nothing. Somehow in Samuel’s mind, he felt he deserved what Marie
now claimed as hers.