Andrea's Secret

by John Kelly

It was twenty minutes or so later. Lunch at the Steedman's was well underway, when Robert's taxi pulled up at the front, outside the wrought iron gates, setting off the internal electronic alarm buzzer. Inside, the lunchtime discussion had been dominated by Brad's story of his meeting with Rosie Fitzgibbon in Cairns, two days earlier. Susan sat there dumbfounded. Jenny was supportive of all that Brad had said. Warwick was calm, relaxed, but nevertheless insistent that he had never been to Cairns in the recent past, or that he had ever met any Rosie Fitzgibbon, or Julie Macleod. When the buzzer sounded, he looked out through the front window. "That must be mother," he said. "Bugger, I didn't expect her so soon." As the gates opened and the taxi cruised toward the house, Warwick could see someone else in the back seat. "Funny, looks like she's got someone with her," he added. Warwick re-activated the gates and they began to close. He then returned to the table.

  "Now let me get this straight," he said. "This Rosie Fitzgibbon says that I came to Cairns last week and threatened her. She says I told her to keep her mouth shut about Mary Therese?" he asked. Brad nodded. "I can't see why she would say that if it weren't true," Brad replied. "She has nothing to gain by coming forward," he added. Susan shook her head. "That can't be right. Warwick had an overnight trip to Sydney last week. I know that because I rang his hotel that night, from here. He couldn't have been in Cairns," she insisted.

  Warwick left the table and looked out the glass window adjacent to the front door. "Oh Christ," he moaned. "It's Robert. He's brought mother and someone else."

  "Who is it?" Susan called out.

  "I don't know, I can't see. Mother is helping someone out of the back seat. It must be a friend or someone," he said. At that moment he realized who that someone was, and let out another more painful groan. "Oh, Jeeesus. Not him, please! What on earth do you think you are doing mother?" he said quietly.

  "Who is it?" Susan asked. Warwick was silent for several seconds before he answered.

  "It's Richard," he answered, with a resigned expression. "Robert and Richard! Oh, Jeeesus!" he said.

  Brad and Jenny were taken by surprise. Brad's efforts to clarify the situation surrounding Mary Therese had deepened the mystery. While he might have questioned Warwick's explanation, it was difficult to reconcile Susan's claim that she had spoken to Warwick on the phone, on the only occasion he had been away recently, and that she had initiated the call. As Warwick and Susan made their way toward the front door, Brad looked at Jenny, and said, "Perhaps we should leave for the time being, and take this up later. They look like they will be entertaining their family. I don't want to pursue this while other members of the family are here." Jenny nodded in agreement. "I was hoping to go shopping with Susan tomorrow," she said. "Perhaps, I can suggest I call for her in the morning and you and Warwick can work through this thing privately," she said.

  At that point, the electronic alarm buzzer sounded again, as yet another car appeared at the front gates. "Who the hell is this?" Warwick said, as he opened the front door and strained his eyes toward the front gates.

  "Hello mother," he said as he walked out to greet her. "Looks like we have some more company," he added, indicating toward the front gates. Elsie turned around and said, "Oh that's probably Maria Stewart. You remember her I'm sure. I suggested she come. She has something she needs to talk to you about."

  "Oh, really?" Warwick answered, not at all enthused by the uninvited appearance of Maria. He turned to Susan who was standing at the front door. "Better let them in then," he said as he walked out. The wrought iron gates opened once more and the second car entered the driveway and made its way to the front portico. As Susan stood at the door, she was joined by Jenny and Brad. "I think we might get out of your hair for the moment Susan," Jenny said. "It looks as if you are going to be busy this afternoon. Susan was dismayed. "Oh, no, please don't leave. They won't stay long. They never do. It's probably just a quick visit," she said.

  As Robert got out and quickly joined his mother helping Richard, he noticed Brad and Jenny at the front door with Susan. "That's them," he said softly to Elsie. "That's who?" she asked. "The two people I picked up at the airport, that's them at the front door."

  Richard began to survey his surroundings. "B-i-g h-o-u-s-e," he said. "Yes isn't it," Elsie said. "This is where Warwick lives," she added. "W-a-r-w-i-c-k," Richard said. Warwick greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek. "I didn't expect you so soon," he said. "Well, well, well, who have we here?' he said looking at Richard, trying to be humorous. "Hello Richard, how are you?" he said, and added, "haven't seen you since Christmas." There were a few moments of awkward silence, as Richard looked at Warwick appearing to study him intently. "W-a-r-w-i-c-k!" he answered, and added, "G-o-o-d!" Warwick then set his eyes upon Robert, and the cordial greeting for his mother and Richard evaporated instantly. The two men stared at each other, grimly, both tense and wary. Warwick held his stare, determined not to look away. He would not give his brother the opportunity to relax. He stared until Robert relented, cowered, and dropped his eyes to the ground. Neither man spoke. At least for the moment, Warwick felt he was in control. "Come inside mother," Warwick said as he brushed past Robert and took Richard's other arm. "Come in Richard," he said. Susan came to the car to greet Elsie, leaving the Murphys stranded at the front door.

  "Hello Elsie, hello Richard," she said. Avoiding eye contact with Robert with whom she never felt comfortable, she forced a greeting. "Good afternoon, Robert," she said in a very formal voice. "Hello Susan," Robert replied, coldly. The feeling was mutual.

  The second car had now arrived at the portico, and the occupants climbed out. Julian began to feel uncomfortable, and wondered if he had chosen a bad moment to raise the matter of the letter Warwick had sent him. Myra too, had woken up, and seeing the palatial nature of the surroundings, felt somewhat overwhelmed. "Oh dear, I'm not sure I feel well enough at the moment," she said. Maria cautioned them both. "Let me do the talking to start with. They won't know why you have come. Let's take it quietly," she said. Julian climbed out and retrieved Myra's walking frame from the boot of the car, and the three made their way toward the front door. "That's my taxi there," Julian said as he noticed the number on the door of the cab in front of him. He then saw Robert, who turned and noticed him. "Hello, are you just dropping off are you?" he asked. Robert looked surprised that Julian was there. "Yeah, sort of," he replied. "This is my brother's house. We've come for a short visit. What are you doing here?" he asked. "We're just here for a short visit too." Julian replied. "Better shut the meter off," he added, noticing the dome light was still on, "unless it's a wait and return job." Robert suddenly realized that Elsie had not paid him. "Shit!" he said as he remembered and stopped the meter.

  Warwick, Susan, Elsie and Richard arrived at the front door where the Murphys were standing. "These are some old friends of ours just down from Brisbane for the weekend," Susan said to Elsie who nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you," she said cordially. "My son Robert says he picked you up from the airport earlier today," she added.

  "Oh, really," Jenny said looking a little confused.

  "Him!" Elsie said bluntly, pointing to Robert.

  Susan and Brad stared at Robert. "Oh, yes, he does look familiar," Jenny said, feeling somewhat embarrassed and desperately trying to remember what she and Brad had been discussing in the taxi on the way to the motel.

  "He says you know something about my grand-daughter Michelle, or is it Mary Therese?" Elsie added.

  "Well, er, yes we do. That's why we are here," Jenny said nervously. "Well, you had better come in and tell me all about it then. It's time we got to the bottom of this!" Elsie said. With that one commanding and authoritative statement, Elsie had effectively assumed control of the afternoon's discussion, depriving Warwick and anyone else the opportunity. As Elsie made her way inside with Richard, Myra Applewood decided not to wait for any formal introduction. Even though her heart began pumping a little harder, she decided to throw caution to the wind, and made her way to the
front door in time to catch Warwick on the back foot.

  Mr. Steedman," she said, "might I have a word with you please?"

  In the initial confusion of having two cars in his driveway, Warwick had not noticed Myra in the second car, and looked understandably confused. "Er yes, you are the lady from the retirement village aren't you?" he answered, wondering what on earth she was doing here.

  "I'd like to discuss a letter you sent to me?" Myra said politely but very nervously. Warwick scratched his head, and at the same time his eyes locked onto Julian, whom he also failed to notice earlier.

  "Er excuse me, can I help you?" he asked, directing his attention to Julian.

  "Yes, I'm here about a letter you sent me," he said. Warwick was now even more confused. "I didn't send you any letter. I hardly even know you. What are you talking about?' he said.

  "Yes you did. You sent this letter to me demanding I pay you ten thousand dollars," he said, handing the letter to Warwick.

  "Excuse me," Myra said to Warwick, "I would like to talk to you."

  Warwick didn't even hear Myra and reacted only to Julian.

  "Rubbish," he replied, now showing signs of being annoyed. He snatched the letter from Julian and read it. As he did, he realised the letter was genuine and recalled dictating it to Jill Toogoods. He then took a long intimidating look at Julian.

  "Are you Julian Knowles?' he asked. "Julian Knowles, the taxi driver? The idiot who nearly killed me two weeks ago? You?"

  "Don't call him an idiot, Mr. Steedman. It was an accident and you have no right to send him a letter of demand like that," Myra said, as her pulse rate climbed steadily.

  "What have you got to do with this?' Warwick asked Myra briskly.

  "Don't speak to me in that tone of voice," Myra said forcefully, her years no impediment to a good, solid, verbal exchange. "If that's your attitude, you can stick your offer you made me on behalf of the gas company, and I will happily take the matter to the newspapers and those current affairs people on television," Myra threatened. "They will pay me more than one month's worth of electricity for this story," she added, with spirit.

  Voices were now raised and audible to those who had moved inside. Robert was still at the front door, and lent his ear to the animated discussion under the portico.

  "Frankly madam, I don't give a rat's hiss, what you do," Warwick replied to Myra. "That man," he said pointing to Julian, "is a maniac. I could be dead now thanks to him. My wife could be dead too," he said angrily. Myra gasped. No one had ever spoken to her like that before.

  "Yeah, like that would really bother you, wouldn't it?" Robert fired from behind. Warwick swung round and glared at Robert.

  Don't press me, you little twerp," he snapped. "Just a minute Warwick," a voice called out. It was Maria. "I think you are overstating the situation a bit. You were not injured. I was also in that accident and I was in a far more serious condition than you. I'm not blaming Julian. It was an accident."

  "I don't care if you?" Warwick began, when his attention was distracted by yet another car at the front gates and the buzzer activating once again. "Christ almighty what is this?" he yelled, now losing control. The sound of the raised voices outside and the buzzer, brought Elsie and Susan outside, followed by Brad and Jenny. Only Richard remained inside. Susan opened the gates. "That will be Margaret," Elsie said. "I suggested she come. She has some news for everyone. Warwick what is going on here? Why are you yelling?"

  "I'm not yelling," Warwick yelled.

  Robert was delighted seeing his brother cracking under the pressure

  "Now before we go any further," Elsie said, as Margaret's car made its way along the driveway, "I guess there's no easy way to say this, so with apologies to the two visitors from Queensland, and anyone else who's not connected, I have some news for you. Margaret has left George and has moved into a flat with a new partner."

  "What?" Warwick said. Julian pricked up his ears, and swallowed involuntarily.

  "You heard me Warwick. I'm not going to repeat myself. The thing is, we have two choices here. We can make it as awkward for her as we can, or we can accept that she has made a major decision in her life, and give her the proper support," she said.

  "Tell them the rest of it," Robert said, without any attempt to hide the huge grin on his face, and clearly enjoying the moment as Margaret's car arrived and stopped behind Julian's car.

  "What do you mean, 'the rest of it'?" Warwick spluttered.

  "Her new partner is?" Elsie began, as Margaret and Annette climbed out of the car, "a woman!"

  As Elsie spoke the entire gathering turned around and stared at the two women behind them. Julian stood shocked, his mouth wide open as he locked eyes with his wife. "Her name is Annette," Elsie continued.

  Meanwhile inside the house, Richard, left on his own, was staring out through the rear glass wall spellbound by the lush green landscaping of the rear garden. He gradually turned his eyes and saw the sparkling light reflecting off the water in the swimming pool to the right of the house.

  Of the eight people out the front, standing and staring at the two new arrivals, it was Myra who seemed to recover first. She was unimpressed and frankly, couldn't care less about Margaret or what she had done. "Well Mr. Smarty pants, did you hear what I said?" Myra was speaking to Warwick, but his attention was focussed on Margaret and Annette. "Isn't she Julian's wife?" he asked as he recognised the lady he met the night Pastor Doug shot himself. "Didn't I meet her last Thursday at the hall?"

  Julian stood there with his mouth wide open. Annette and Margaret did not hear Elsie's mind-blowing revelation and walked towards the group. "Hello everybody," Margaret said. "I'd like you all to meet Annette," As she spoke, she suddenly noticed Julian standing there alongside Maria.

  "Oh bloody hell," she said.

  Inside the house, Richard was mesmerised by the shimmering, glistening sight of the swimming pool. Eager to investigate, he struggled to his feet and stumbled out through the double sliding glass doors, toward the protective fence, and the open gate.

  Maria immediately moved closer to Julian, and took his hand. "Is that really your wife?" she asked quietly. "Did you know about this?" she whispered. Julian found it hard to speak, but stepped forward toward Annette, and rather than discuss her unexpected appearance in front of the others, escorted her away from Margaret. A bumbling, awkward moment overtook the gathering. Brad and Jenny Murphy felt decidedly out of place. Margaret stood there, temporarily speechless, watching Julian and Annette walk away to talk in private.

  "Okay, that takes care of that for the moment," Elsie said breaking the silence with a thud. "Warwick, why were you yelling and who is this lady?" she asked looking at Myra.

  My name is Myra Applewood," Myra replied firmly, "Who are you?" she fired back.

  "I'm the poor unfortunate mother of four of these people," she answered and then noticing that Richard was not there, said, "Where's Richard?"

  "He's inside," Robert said, "probably peeing on the carpet," he joked. Susan stared hard at Robert, utterly unimpressed. "You are uncouth," she said to him. "At least I don't cheat on my wife," he hissed. Susan barely heard the comment, but Warwick did, and was about to swing around and confront Robert, when Myra Applewood pressed him once again. "Well, what are you going to do, Mr. Steedman?" she asked. "Do about what?" Warwick said angrily.

  "What are you going to do about the letter you sent Julian?" she asked. Robert's constant niggling, had unsettled Warwick who struggled to remember what the letter to Julian was about.

  "What letter? Oh that! Forget it," he said. "Just go away will you. Leave my place please," he said raising his voice in the hope that Julian would hear him. Julian and Annette were still in deep discussion, much to the consternation of Margaret, who stood alone, feeling isolated and anxious.

  Despite the interruptions, Elsie was determined to pursue the issue of her missing grand-daughter. She turned to Brad and said, "Will you please tell me where my grand-daughter is?"
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  Once again, feeling the pressure of another dominant female, Brad said, "Well, my enquiries on behalf of Warwick here, suggest that she's in Sydney, living with her father," he said tentatively.

  Warwick recovered from his earlier moment of utter frustration and intervened. "Mother you told me, she was here in Melbourne. Who told you that?" he asked.

  "I did," Maria chipped in. Warwick stared at Maria. "What the hell do you know about this?"

  Maria, took a deep breath. "Don't talk to me that way, Andrea was my sister!" she exclaimed, also feeling the frustration of the moment. "I know only what Andrea told me. She told me that Michelle was her daughter," she said, "and that is why Michelle came to stay with me."

  "Oh dear, I'm not feeling very well," Myra said.

  "Well, how did she discover that, may I ask?" Warwick fired back, ignoring Myra.

  "A solicitor friend found her," she answered.

  "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't Andrea tell me? Why isn't Mary Therese or Michelle or whoever here with us now?" Elsie muttered to herself.

  "Because she ran away," Maria said, now feeling the pressure.

  "Why did she run away?' Elsie asked.

  "Because she's not really Andrea's daughter!" Maria replied.

  "She's not Andrea's daughter?" Elsie asked. "Maria, you're not making much sense."

  "I think I'd better sit down," Myra said, feeling decidedly unwell.

  "I know, I'm sorry," Maria replied, "it's all a bit confusing for me too. I only learned this today. There's this solicitor in Baldargo who was blackmailing her," she said. Elsie was now more confused than anybody. "Blackmailing who? Andrea or Michelle?"

  "Michelle," Maria replied, nearing exhaustion.

  "A solicitor in Baldargo was blackmailing Michelle," Elsie began summing up. She decided for the moment to give up on Maria.

  "Okay, I think I understand that," she said. "Now," this time turning to Brad, "what can you offer this bizarre conversation?" she asked.

  "I don't know anything about Michelle," he began with a quiver in his voice, "but I have spoken with the adoptive grand-mother of Mary Therese, and I feel I can say with some degree of certainty that she is in Sydney," he said.

  "Who?"

  "Mary Therese of course."

  "And what makes you think that?' Elsie queried.

  "Because her adoptive grand-mother told me things that could not have been invented, and which corroborated information I had gained from other sources," Brad answered. "Perhaps Warwick can add something to that," he added. Elsie then turned her eyes on Warwick. "Well, you started this whole charade, by asking your friend here to do some investigating. On the day Andrea died, you were at the hospital before we arrived. Just what did Andrea tell you?' she asked.

  "I think I'll go back to the car," Myra said.

  Warwick looked around at everybody present. With the exception of Julian and Annette, everyone was now staring at him, waiting for a response. As he stood there, gathering his thoughts, Julian turned to Margaret and called to her. "Margaret, can we talk with you please?" he asked. Margaret, looking both relieved to be noticed and apprehensive over the coming discussion, joined Annette and Julian, and the three walked away from the group, seeking a private moment to sort out their embarrassing dilemma.

  At the rear of the house, Richard had reached the pool and leaned over to see his reflection in the water. Stumbling briefly, he regained his balance and sat down at the edge of the pool, and dangled his legs over the side. His shoes and socks, and the lower part of his trousers, became saturated with water.

  As Warwick began to relate the final discussion he had with Andrea, at the hospital, Robert could not resist the opportunity for one more snide remark. "This will be interesting I'm sure," he said sarcastically. Warwick felt an over whelming urge to blast Robert, right where he stood, but resisted, preferring to address the group. "She was high on morphine," he began nervously. "She didn't speak with any great coherence, but she asked me to listen carefully. She asked me if I remembered back twenty two years ago, when she left home to go to Brisbane. I said I did. She then said that the job transfer was a smoke screen. She told me she went to Brisbane because she was going to have a baby. She said she named the baby, Mary Therese and that she adopted her out a few months later. She asked me if I would find her. She gave me some details including the name of the agency that handled the adoption, and the name of another person involved, and an address. She said she had included Mary Therese in her will, and that she had appointed me an executor. She wanted me to make sure Mary Therese received what she was entitled to. I promised I would look for her. I said that I would find her. That's it," Warwick said.

  "That's it? That was all you talked about?" Elsie asked incredulously. Warwick nodded, but did not speak.

  "That still doesn't explain why she didn't tell me," Elsie said, tears welling up in her eyes.

  "It doesn't explain something else either," Maria said.

  "What's that," Warwick asked.

  "Andrea believed that she had found Mary Therese. She asked a solicitor friend, Frank Martin from Baldargo to find her years ago. He presented Michelle to her. Andrea believed that Michelle was her daughter. Why would she ask you to find her, if she thought she already had found her? It doesn't make sense," Maria pressed.

  As Brad listened intently to Maria, the penny dropped. "Did you say she asked this Frank Martin, to find Mary Therese some years ago? He asked. Maria nodded. "Yes, she told me that herself."

  "Then I think I may have part of the answer," he said. Suddenly the focus of everyone's attention turned to Brad.

  "I was in Cairns two days ago," he began, "where I met a lady named Rosie Fitzgibbon. She told me she was Mary Therese's grandmother, her adoptive grandmother," Brad added quickly. "She told me a number of things, but most interesting of all was that several years ago she was contacted by someone representing Andrea, demanding that Andrea be allowed to see her daughter. This person had apparently discovered that the adoption of Mary Therese was illegal, and threatened to expose the matter if Rosie and the adoptive parents didn't agree."

  "Who was this person?" Elsie asked.

  "I'll get to that in a moment," Brad replied. "There's more. Rosie was sufficiently frightened by this person to agree to his demands, and the meeting took place when Mary Therese was about ten years old." However, the more interesting part of what Rosie told me was that, just two weeks ago, this same person, contacted her again and gave her another warning not to cause any trouble, threatening to expose Mary Therese's adoptive father and have him charged by the police for being a party to an illegal adoption."

  "You sound like you've been very busy Mr. Murphy. Would you mind telling us who this person is?" Elsie asked again.

  "Rosie Fitzgibbon told me that the name of the person who came to see her was," he hesitated a moment, taking a side look at Warwick and Susan. "Yes, who?" Elsie pleaded. "She said his name was Warwick Steedman."

  There was a gasp, a pant, an intake of breath, and a puff from the gathering. Robert could not resist making the first comment. "I knew it. I knew he was up to something," he said. Warwick stood there, shaking his head. Brad however, quickly regained control. "Now hang on a minute. I'm not finished," he said. "There's more." All eyes, except Robert's, turned back to Brad. "I came down here today to confront Warwick with these allegations, and both he and Susan have insisted that he wasn't in Cairns two weeks ago, that it could not have been him. He says he doesn't even know Rosie. I've been listening to what's being said here this afternoon, and as soon as this lady," he said, gesturing toward Maria, "mentioned that Andrea asked this Frank Martin fellow to help find Mary Therese years ago, it suddenly dawned on me."

  "What dawned on you?" Warwick asked.

  "Don't you see?" Brad replied. "This Frank Martin must be the one who went to see Rosie Fitzgibbon. He must have pretended he was Warwick to frighten her into agreeing to let Andrea see Mary Therese." A silence descended upon the gatheri
ng. It was Maria who spoke first. "?Then he arranged for Michelle to pretend that she was Mary Therese, so he could cash in on her will," she said slowly.

  "Either way, it won't be too hard to prove," Brad said. "I can call Rosie on my mobile phone now and ask her to give me a description of the man she thinks is Warwick Steedman."

  Unable to come to terms with this apparent vindication of his elder brother, Robert could not stay quiet. "I don't believe it. Warwick is mixed up in this somehow," he said.

  "Right! That's it!" Warwick said.

  Robert never saw the blow coming. Warwick swung around so quickly, and planted his right fist squarely onto Robert's jaw with such speed and precision, it literally lifted Robert off his feet and sent him crashing into the variegated pittosporum, on the other side of the portico. Not content with that, and clutching what he suspected was his broken hand, Warwick lunged at Robert, who was now sprawled out on the lawn, behind the row of shrubs. He crunched his left fist into Robert's nose, as Robert gasped for air, releasing a mouthful of blood and two teeth in the effort. Elsie screamed. "Warwick! Get off him! Leave him alone!" Brad rushed forward, to try and separate the two men. 'What a weekend,' he thought to himself, 'what a story!' He tugged vigorously at Warwick's shirt collar, trying to drag him off Robert.

  Then came an almighty, chilling scream from Susan, standing at the front door.

  " Richard!" Elsie swung around to see her pointing to the rear of the house, in the direction of the swimming pool.

  40.