by Dekker, Ted
It took them thirty minutes along the back roads to reach the highway and follow its short jaunt into Lafayette and to the address Zeke had given her. She hated the city, always had. Too many people without a head on their shoulders, walking the wide path straight to hell. More than that, civilization and all of its laws represented the world that had taken Eden from her in the first place. And would again if given half a chance.
Wyatt pulled into a large parking lot next to a shiny, ten-story office complex. He angled the truck into a free spot and killed the engine.
This was it, then. Just in to see the judge, sign the papers, and get out without any hitch.
Kathryn wiped her brow with a handkerchief, and turned around. “You can take it off now, sweetheart. We’re here.”
Eden sat upright and worked the hood off her head.
“Careful not to mess your hair. You want to look your best.”
Kathryn got out of the truck while Wyatt opened Eden’s door, which was locked from the inside with a child safety latch. Eden climbed out of the truck and blinked in the sunlight. She turned slowly, taking in a world that had long been hidden from her. And for good reason.
The less time Eden spent outside, the better.
“We should get inside. We don’t want to keep the judge waiting.”
She put her arm around Eden and led her toward the building, glancing around nervously as they walked. They entered the building, walked across the glass atrium to a bank of elevators, and took the slow ride to the tenth floor.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
Eden nodded as the elevator rose.
“I know this must be hard for you being away from home, but I’ll keep you safe.” She smoothed her daughter’s hair. “Just don’t leave my side. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Kathryn glanced at the business card Zeke had given her—Suite 1003, the office of the Honorable Harlan Cobb, a long-time friend of Zeke’s who would take care of everything. They found the office at the end of a vacant hall.
“Here we go. Wyatt, you stay behind me and keep your mouth shut.”
When they entered they were met by a receptionist who took her name and showed them into the judge’s office where he was already meeting with the attorney Zeke was blackmailing: John McDermott, James’s old snake-skinned lawyer from Nevada. This was the very soulless bastard who’d probably made the arrangements for Eden to be stolen from her eighteen years ago. Served him right—she hoped the dirt Zeke had on him would end up putting the man in a grave.
He sat to the judge’s right, looking the part of an expensive suit from the city. His sun-bleached hair was practically white, as were his eyebrows.
An imposing figure, Kathryn thought, but underneath all that shine likely no better or smarter than Wyatt. It was in an office like this that Eden had been snatched away. And today that curse would become her blessing.
Fitting.
Judge Cobb sat at the end of the long table, examining a short stack of legal documents laid before him. He was a thick man, smartly dressed, with fleshy jowls and thinning hair.
After quick introductions, the judge invited them all to sit. Kathryn took the chair to the judge’s left, with Eden and Wyatt by her side.
The judge cleared his throat, sat back in the leather chair and removed the bifocals perched on the end of his pudgy nose.
“Everything appears to be in order. I’ve got a full docket today so let’s not waste anyone’s time. Mr. McDermott, I presume you have no objections to expediting this matter.”
“No, Your Honor,” he said.
“Wonderful. It’s nice when counsel is agreeable. I’m not one for . . . unexpected surprises.”
“Nor am I.”
The judge turned toward Eden. “First off, congratulations, young lady. Must feel good to be an adult now in the eyes of the law.”
Eden glanced up at Kathryn. Poor girl was as frightened as a mouse.
“Go on. You can answer him.”
“I guess,” Eden said.
“You guess?” He chuckled. “When I turned eighteen, I thought I was the king of the world and could do anything or go anywhere. Looks to me like you’ve got a good head on you.”
Kathryn reached over and squeezed Eden’s hand. “She’s a very special girl. A gift from God.”
“I can see that. And you obviously have a loving mother who’s raised you right,” the judge said. “I’m not sure you need much more than that.”
Eden nodded.
“There are several items to address today, but I’ll cut to the quick. I’m sure you’re ready to get on with this.”
“She is,” Kathryn said. “We all are.”
“And you, Eden?” the judge said.
“I’ll be speaking on Eden’s behalf today, Your Honor.”
His brow arched. “Is that so, Eden?”
“Yes.”
“Very well,” he said. “But if you have any questions, just ask.”
“Of course.”
“As you know, we’re here to execute the final provisions of James Ringwald’s trust. As his sole biological child, Eden is entitled to assets he established for her benefit. Before ownership of the trust can be transferred, there are a few legal requirements to fulfill. As representative of the Ringwald estate, Mr. McDermott’s first responsibility is to confirm that Eden is, in fact, the congressman’s daughter.”
The judge slid the stack of legal documents in front of Kathryn.
So this was it. A few forms—simple bits of paper that would make the world right with a few strokes of a pen.
He tapped the top piece of paper with his finger. “These affidavits are sworn written statements that confirm Eden’s identity as Alice Ringwald, also known as Eden Lowenstein.”
Kathryn scanned each form and passed the affidavits to Eden to be signed. One by one, the judge talked about the significance of each document, but Kathryn hardly heard what he said. She was focused on doing what needed to be done as quickly as possible.
Eden didn’t hesitate either and played her role just as she was expected to, signing where indicated. There were no questions and no problems.
Kathryn gathered the documents and gave them to the judge, who scrawled his signature on each one.
He glanced at the young lady in a gray suit at the opposite end of the table. “Miss Chatwick. We’re ready for you.”
The woman stood and approached Eden.
“Miss Chatwick will administer a simple paternity test. To satisfy the stipulations of the trust, a sample of Eden’s DNA must be compared to the late Congressman Ringwald’s to verify that he’s her father.”
The tall brunette stopped beside Eden, placed a small black kit on the table, then pulled on blue surgical gloves.
“You need her blood?” Kathryn asked.
“No, ma’am. Just some saliva,” she said and carefully pulled a capped plastic tube from the kit.
The woman uncapped it, then slid out a long cotton swab. “This won’t hurt at all, Eden. I just need you to open your mouth so I can run it along the inside of your cheek. A few cells are all I need for my analysis. Okay?”
“Okay.” Eden opened her mouth.
Watching her daughter, a chill prickled Kathryn’s forearms. Eden had her father’s lips. They were full like his, an unmistakable detail she remembered because it was the first thing she had noticed about James long ago.
Miss Chatwick leaned close and carefully scraped the inside of Eden’s mouth with the swab, then returned the swab to the tube and sealed the sample with an orange sticker.
“All done,” she said, and stood. “I’ll have my findings to you by end of day today, Your Honor. And to you as well, Mr. McDermott.”
“Thank you, Miss Chatwick.”
“There’s one final order of business,” the judge said. “I understand that a bank account in Eden’s name has been established, is that right, Kathryn?”
“That’s right.”
“Also that Eden
is electing to sign a durable financial power of attorney to you.”
“She is,” Kathryn said. “I’ll be handling everything.”
The judge nodded and turned to Eden. “Since you’re legally entitled to the assets, I need to be sure you understand what this means. By designating your mother as financial power of attorney, you’re stating that you’re either incapable or unwilling to manage your affairs. You’re surrendering the legal right to access the funds to your mother and she may use them for your benefit as she deems fit. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
“Is that your intention?”
It occurred to Kathryn that with a few simple words here, before the judge, Eden could destroy everything. She wouldn’t, of course—she’d learned the true blessing of obedience, both to God and to those God had placed in authority over her. But for a moment, Kathryn felt a pang of empathy for her. In a way, she was no more than a slave doing the bidding of her master for her master’s gain.
Then again, that’s the way it was with God. They were all his children, for his sake. And when his children were obedient, even unto death if so required, they were blessed. So this was really Eden’s blessing.
She let the empathy pass and smiled at her daughter, who glanced up at her with questioning eyes.
Eden turned back to the judge. “Yes.”
“Very well then.” He gave the power of attorney document to Eden. “Powers of attorney aren’t forever. As long as you are mentally capable, you may revoke it at any time and regain full control of the accounts.”
“I can’t think of a reason she’d change her mind,” Kathryn said. “Can you, Eden?”
Eden hesitated, for just a moment, then answered as Kathryn knew she would. “No.”
“Regardless, it’s a protection for both of you. Do you understand that?”
“I do.”
“Good. Go ahead and sign the form.”
Fact was, Kathryn was sure that as soon as she had legal access to Eden’s trust, Zeke would want her to transfer all the money out. Eden would no longer have access to any of it, ever.
Eden signed the form and then passed it to the judge.
He shuffled the forms together into a neat stack and smiled. “Well, that’s that. Congratulations, Eden. It’s quite an accomplishment to become an adult and a millionaire all in the same day. The good Lord smiles on you.”
“He most certainly does,” Kathryn said.
“Your Honor, may I say something before we adjourn?” McDermott said. “Off the record, of course. I think it’s appropriate considering the absence of my client, Eden’s father.”
The judge nodded.
A knot tightened in Kathryn’s gut. The man had sat silently the entire time. What could he possibly have to say now? Not that it mattered—everything was finished and there was nothing he could do to ever hurt Eden or her again. Not without ruining his own life.
McDermott cocked his head and studied Eden for a moment. “You resemble your father. I didn’t see it at first, but I do now.”
Eden said nothing.
“I realize you never knew him, but he was a good man. Maybe the finest I’ve ever known.”
Kathryn harrumphed. “Good? James Ringwald was as evil as they get.”
“He made plenty of mistakes, but he tried to do what was right. If that wasn’t true, I wouldn’t be here today and neither would you. The trust was his idea, to make sure his daughter would never go without.”
“How dare you? James was a liar and a betrayer! I don’t appreciate you trying to poison my daughter with your filthy lies. If not for him, my daughter wouldn’t have been stolen from me in the first place.”
“Mrs. Lowenstein,” the judge said and gave her a stern look.
“It’s okay, Mother,” Eden said.
Kathryn sat back in her chair, eyes fixed on the wolf across the table.
McDermott smiled at Eden. “You’re strong like him too. I can see it in your eyes. I worked with your father from the early days and saw him climb his way to the top. Tough business, politics. It takes an iron backbone to stand on your own. It’s a lot easier to be a puppet on a string. To let others think for you. That’s what I admired most about him. He thought for himself.”
His gaze shifted to Kathryn and lingered there. “He was his own man, not what others wanted him to be. No one ever had him under their thumb. Ever. He was too strong for that.”
“What are you trying to say?” Kathryn said.
“Mrs. Lowenstein,” the judge said.
“It’s okay, Your Honor.” McDermott said. “I appreciate Mrs. Lowenstein’s vigilance for her daughter. Being the parent of a girl who’s coming of age is a very frightening thing. I understand, but eventually we all have to let go.”
Kathryn glared at him.
He stood, took the documents from the judge and slid them into his steel briefcase. “I’ll have my assistant execute the paperwork first thing tomorrow morning. Per the trust, the assets will be released after a thirty-day cure period that begins tomorrow.”
“Cure?” Kathryn demanded. “What do you mean thirty days?”
“I mean the trust specifically stipulates that thirty days must pass following proof of paternity before any funds can be accessed. A waiting period that ensures proper vigilance. After that, you will have access to the money.”
First she’d heard of it. But Zeke likely knew. Of course he did.
McDermott shook hands with the judge, then nodded toward Wyatt and Kathryn. “It was a pleasure meeting you both. Eden, good luck to you. I wish you only the best.”
“Thank you.”
Kathryn’s pulse hammered in her ears as the man closed the door behind him. It really was over, just as Zeke had said it would be. James was gone and now his dog too. No one would ever come after Eden again.
Wherever James was, she hoped he was burning for his sins, weeping because she had won. All the years that had been stolen from her, God was returning to her sevenfold.
Everything would be different now. She had Eden and there was nothing James could ever do to take her away again. No one could. She and Eden would always be together and no one would ever change that.
No one.
15
BOBBY WAS often with me when I went outside, particularly when I ventured to the woods that butted up against the swamp about seventy-five yards behind the house. Or to the lake, which was less than a minute’s walk, hidden from the house by a bunch of trees that grew on dry ground.
We’d been like glue for years, spending much of our free time together, protecting each other. He kept me safe from the swamp and the dark waters and whatever alligators might take a bite out of me, and I kept him safe from Mother.
I didn’t actually believe that Mother would hurt him, at least not while I was pure. But she reminded us both quite often that Bobby would be lost without me and by that she meant thrown out. In her way of thinking, God had restored all of us through me. If I failed, God would punish all of us.
At least that’s what she said, and I had no reason to doubt her. So I kept close to Bobby, like a guardian angel, if only to assure him at all times that I was there for him. Mother loved Bobby, I think, but her attention to me overshadowed every other concern in her life—I knew that no sacrifice, including Bobby, was too great to keep me pure.
Still, as Bobby and I grew older, we spent more time doing our own thing during my free hour. He might be off catching frogs while I worked on my dolls or helped Wyatt at the still. Now and then, I would find my way to the lake, even knowing that Mother didn’t favor it.
The afternoon after my big day in town, Bobby was messing around in the still with Wyatt and Mother had gone off the property. Unable to turn my mind off, I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before and I was dead tired, but I decided to head down to the lake by myself.
Evidently turning eighteen was a very special thing. Suddenly I was valued for more than my purity. Important lawyers wanted t
o talk to me. I was worth a lot of money, which was a big deal to all of the adults.
For that matter, I was an adult now.
All of it was a bit mind-bending, but that’s not the only reason I wanted to be alone. It was Paul, you see? More to the point, his request that I meet him alone in the field the next afternoon.
The ‘field,’ as we called it, was halfway down the road to his house—a large portion of higher dry ground spotted with trees where Bobby, Paul, and I sometimes hung out when I was allowed. It was the farthest I had ever ventured from the house.
At four o’clock, having dressed properly in rain boots and black slacks with a long-sleeved T-shirt, I grabbed a small blanket, sneaked out of the house, and made my way to the lake. I wasn’t breaking any rules, but just knowing that Mother didn’t like the lake made me nervous. Either way, I felt I could take this liberty after giving such blessing to so many through the trust money now that I was eighteen.
Spreading the blanket on the grassy bank, I settled down and stared out over the crystal-smooth water. I’d always been afraid of water, but the one thing I liked about the lake was the view. I could see all the way across to the far side, so far yet so close. Everywhere else on the property, all you could see were trees. Here, the world looked almost never ending and it gave me some calm.
Mother had ruled out fishing because of the hooks and slimy fish and grime that might harm or defile me. Anyway, I was just as happy to hear Bobby wax eloquent about his skills as he hurled his line out and sometimes reeled in a small catfish with all manner of hoopla.
The water lapped gently on the bank and a hot, late-afternoon stillness hung over the water. It was peaceful, without a soul in sight. All was well.
I ran through the events of the day for a while, thinking about how grateful I should be. I was eighteen now. I was loved and valued. But the more I thought about the last two days, the more unsettled I became.
All should be well, but I didn’t feel well. My stomach was tightening into a knot and my brow was sweaty and I wondered why.
I picked up a stick and toyed with it between my pale, nimble fingers.
Maybe I’d become so used to the task of maintaining my purity through endless daily ritual that even the thought of being more than I always had been made me anxious. That’s what was happening, right?