Breaking the Rules

by Tinthia Clemant

  He stayed sitting and gave her what he’d hoped was a ‘what the fuck’ look. “Why am I…? Why do you keep pushing me away?” He left the chair, walked a few feet away, and then turned to her. “It wasn’t me who kissed you.”

  “Don’t be so immature. I just asked a simple question. You agreed we wouldn’t see each other anymore, and yet, here you are.”

  He didn’t have a response because she was dead right. He’d only wanted to be sure she and Chad were safe, but just as Denise had said, whatever happened was none of his business. He turned and walked away.

  “St. John.” Shannon ran to him. “I’m sorry. Stay.”

  He feigned a frown. He had every intention of staying, but it wouldn’t hurt for her to beg a tiny bit. Hell, he’d begged enough, now it was her turn.

  “Please,” she said. “I want you to stay.”

  Making love to her hadn’t been part of his reason for stopping by, but the thin dress she wore hid none of her curves, especially with the firelight behind her. Before she could stop him, he had her in his arms. The way she trembled under his touch drove his passion, and he couldn’t stop himself from lifting the skirt of her gown. Her body yielded to the pressure of his hands.

  “I can’t,” she said and stepped away. “Chad.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t come over to do this.”

  “Now who’s lying?”

  It wasn’t so much the question but her grin that caught him off guard. He quickly regained his mental footing and responded with a dry, “I don’t lie.”

  “Really? You said you shaved so when we kissed you wouldn’t hurt me—not if we kissed. Face it, St. John, you’re human, just like the rest of us.”

  Her stance, with her arms folded and her right hip thrust out to the side, increased the pressure behind his pants zipper. A night spent with his right hand and the memory of her loomed in his future. “Guilty as charged. Am I about to be banished again?”

  “Oh, I have a more severe punishment in mind,” she said.

  “Such as?”

  “Bring those lips over here and kiss me.”

  He didn’t need her to ask him twice.

  Chapter 28

  “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.”

  F. Scott Fitzgerald

  Even though it was hot in the SUV, Shannon remained. The walk up the incline didn’t appeal to her. She repositioned herself and leaned against the door and closed her eyes. Remaining outside with St. John until the wee hours of the morning had seemed like a good idea at the time.

  St. John had asked why she’d started the blog and one thing had led to another, and she’d found herself explaining about life under Justin’s thumb and her post-partum depression. She should have kept her mouth shut instead of sharing information better left buried. Her blabbing obviously hadn’t added to her sex appeal. At the end of her story, all St. John had said was he needed to get a few hours’ sleep. A quick hug and kiss, and presto change-o, he’d disappeared into the shadows as he crossed the lawn.

  The shrill bell disturbed her thoughts, and she left the car and hurried up the incline. She reached the bench and looked for Chad. Kindergarten and first-grade students dispersed, and a second bell released the next two grades but no Chad.

  She refused to give in to the panic creeping her way. Chad was most likely still in his classroom under the watchful eyes of Miss Brewster…who happened to be walking by.

  “Miss Brewster,” she called, hurrying to intercept the teacher. “Do you know where Chad is? I don’t see him.”

  “He was dismissed,” Miss Brewster said and continued her path to the flagpole.

  Shannon followed. “What do you mean he was dismissed? Who dismissed him?”

  The woman’s loud huff preceded, “Perhaps you should see Mrs. Hogan.”

  Finding herself in the school’s main office, Shannon stood facing the high counter and Rhonda Hogan, the pleasant voice behind all school announcements. “What would you like to know?”

  The dismissal bell for the upper grades startled Shannon, and she hugged her bag to her stomach. The unimaginable was happening, and she was powerless to stop it. “Can you tell me who dismissed Chad?” It was a stupid question; she already knew the answer. “I mean, what time did Justin dismiss Chad?”

  She wanted to also ask why Chad had been dismissed when she’d signed paperwork that very morning barring his removal by anyone other than herself.

  Mrs. Hogan flipped open a black binder. “Chad’s father collected him at seven-thirty-five.”

  “Seven thirty-five?” Justin must have been in the parking lot when she and Chad had arrived at the school, but that still didn’t answer why the fuck they’d let Justin take him.

  It didn’t matter; Chad was gone. Justin had exacted his revenge with the marksmanship of a sniper.

  “May I ask, Mrs. Hudson, if my husband mentioned where he was taking Chad?”

  The elderly woman studied her with a quizzical look. “Your husband didn’t tell me his plans.”

  Shannon offered a nervous laugh as she added an incoherent reason for not knowing the location of her own family. She left the office and, keeping her head down, sped along the walkway, praying no one would speak to her. After she sealed herself in the hot interior of her car, she pulled out her phone. A boy with two missing front teeth grinned back at her. She touched the screen as if the cool, hard glass was a conduit to his actual skin. “Oh, baby, where are you?” Her throat burned, and she swallowed the desire to cry. Tears weren’t going to bring Chad back; she had to keep calm.

  She swiped the phone and spoke to Justin’s voicemail. “Justin, please… I need to know where…” Sobs wracked her chest, making speech difficult. “Please… I’m begging you. Please call m…me.”

  So much for staying in control. She’d provided exactly what he’d wanted—the crying, her tortured pleas; he loved stuff like that. He’d probably jerk off while listening to her message.

  “Hello, Shannon.”

  She glared at the person standing outside the car and lowered the window. “What do you want?” she snapped.

  Leeann stepped back, a startled look on her face. “I saw you crying and—”

  “Wait, don’t tell me. You saw me crying and thought, hmm, what else can I do that will make Shannon’s life suck?”

  “No, I want to help.”

  “Save it. You’ve never done anything for anyone in your whole life.”

  “I admit I haven’t been the nicest to you, so I deserve that, but you’ve been a bitch to me too.”

  “Really? Is this why you stopped by for a visit, so we could have a pissing contest? Well, how about this? Piss off.” Shannon raised the window, sealing Leeann’s voice outside the car.

  Leeann knocked again, and her voice pierced the glass. “I may know where Justin took Chad.”

  “Attorney Decker’s office.”

  Shannon took an unsteady breath. “Um, hi, this is Shannon Baldos. I spoke with Attorney Decker yesterday and have an appointment with him tomorrow, but may I talk to him, please? It’s important.”

  The line switched over to a preprogrammed music link, and she sat in the car and watched the remainder of the school population file by as she listened to a piano rendition of the theme to Phantom of the Opera. By the time the third cycling of the song ended, she’d soiled the remaining tissues in her bag and had started on the napkins in the glove box.

  Martin Decker came on the line, his voice as pleasant as it had been the day before. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Shannon. What can I do for you?”

  “Attorney Decker, my husband…” She tried to conceal the hysteria taking control of her but was failing miserably. “Justin… Chad… Please…” Her voice cracked and silence followed.

  “Slow down and start at the beginning. Has Justin done something to your son?”

  Too bad the lawyer couldn’t see through the phone;
he’d see her nodding, and she wouldn’t have to speak.

  “Shannon? Do you want to come in to the office?”

  Another assault of tears buried her voice. No, she indicated with her head. She wanted to find her son.

  “I’m going to need you to stop crying and tell me what’s going on. Can you do that?”

  Maybe. She squeezed out, “Justin took… Chad’s gone.”

  “Justin took Chad?”

  Yes, her brain screeched. He took Chad. Chad is gone. “He’s gone. I don’t know… Please, help me.”

  “I can’t do anything if you don’t pull yourself together and tell me what happened.”

  “I pretended to call you,” she said. Sniffing back more tears, she explained about the locks and calling the police and finished with Justin dismissing Chad from the school. “Another mother seems to think he’s taken Chad to California.”

  “Why would she think that?”

  “Justin asked her husband about Disney.”

  “That can also mean Florida. Has Justin ever expressed an interest in going to Disney?”

  “No.”

  “Well, just to make sure, I’ll have one of my staff call the airports and inquire about a man traveling with a six-year-old.”

  “His mistress… She might be with them.”

  “Okay, three people, then. Have you tried calling him?”

  “Yes, I left a m…message.”

  “Good. Maybe he’ll call you back. Are you home?”

  “No.” A sudden idea unfolded, and she said, “The police… Should I go to the police?”

  “No need to involve the police more than you have. As for what happened yesterday, I’ll file for a Temporary Protective Order asking for a Stay Away Provision. I’ll try and have it cover the next five days, but I may not be able to do more than three, after which Justin will be allowed back into the house unless we can prove he’s a danger to you or Chad. I do wish you had called me earlier. Does Chad have a passport?”

  “No.”

  “That’s good. That means wherever they are, they’re still in the country. The best thing you can do is go home.”

  What on earth did he expect her to do at home? Bake a pie? “I don’t want to go home. I have to do something to find Chad.”

  “There’s nothing you can do except to wait and let me handle the paperwork.”

  “Shouldn’t I go to Justin’s girlfriend’s apartment? See if he’s there? Or the lodge… He could be at the lodge.”

  “Shannon, I want you to pull yourself together. I’ve dealt with this type of situation more than I care to count. By no means are you to go looking for Justin. Go home and try and relax. He’s just trying to scare you.”

  “It’s working,” she whispered.

  “Go home, Shannon. For all we know, your husband might be there waiting for you. If he is, and you feel threatened, call the police again and then call me. I know it’s not much, but that’s all you can do for the time being. We’ll find your son. Don’t worry.”

  She was afraid if she said the words out loud they might come true, but she had to know. “What if he never brings Chad back?” A knife cut into her chest. She doubled over and let her tears drip onto the steering wheel. She’d only wanted to give Chad and her a chance at a better life, and now she might have lost him forever. “I have to do something.”

  “There’s nothing you can do except wait. If Justin calls, ask to speak with Chad and try and find out exactly where they are. Ask Chad questions that would relate to Disney, such as has he met Mickey or what type of decorations the hotel has. Disney hotels are themed, and we might be able to pinpoint where they’re staying. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Do you happen to know Justin’s attorney’s name?”

  “I don’t know... He’s used Eugene Draper in the past.”

  “I know Gene. I’ll place a call to him and find out what’s what. Would you like to come in earlier than eleven tomorrow? I have a meeting at six and could see you around seven-thirty?”

  “Thank you, I can’t, I have to drop Chad at scho… Never mind. I’ll be there. Thank you.”

  “Why don’t you call someone to stay with you tonight? I wouldn’t suggest you be alone. I’ll see you tomorrow. And, Shannon, call me if anything changes. I’ll text you my cell phone number. You have carte blanche to call any time.”

  “Thank you.”

  She took the lawyer’s advice and left messages for Dee and Peg. Neither answered, so she started the car and faced the rear to back out of the parking spot. She bit into her lower lip when she saw Chad’s empty car seat.

  ******

  “Stop asking. You know I can’t discuss my clients with you.”

  St. John frowned at his long-time friend and lawyer. He’d listened to Marty’s side of the conversation and had the gist of what had happened. Justin had taken Chad, and their whereabouts were unknown. He hadn’t heard what Shannon had said, but he had a pretty good idea of her state of mind.

  “Screw the attorney crap,” he spat back. “I was sitting right here the entire time and heard everything you said, so you might as well fill me in. Who said Justin might be at Disney?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Whether you tell me or not, I’m going to make him pay dearly for what he’s doing to Shannon and Chad.”

  Decker’s chair squeaked as he leaned forward and wrote on a yellow legal pad. “Watch what you’re saying, St. John. Do you happen to know the name of Justin’s mistress?”

  “Dooley. Shelby Dooley. Should I call Tony?”

  “No. I need to pinpoint a location first, and you need to stay out of this. I know Shannon’s an acquaintance, but I’m her lawyer.”

  St. John rubbed his jaw. By remaining silent, he’d just given away the truth.

  “If this wasn’t such a mess, I’d break out the champagne,” Decker said. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “You haven’t seen anything,” St. John grumbled. “Don’t go making assumptions.”

  “If you say so. You do realize you could be named in the divorce? Do you honestly want the good name of St. John dragged through what’s likely going to be a dirty fight?”

  “What good name?” St. John scoffed. “Anyway, I didn’t say I was involved. Shannon made the decision to leave Justin without any influence from me. She’s been thinking of doing this for a while.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You’re involved now. Take my legal advice and step away.”

  “No can do.”

  “It’s your funeral.”

  Decker buzzed one of his paralegals and instructed her to check the flight manifestos.

  On his own, St. John placed a text to Tony Santos, his favorite, and only, private investigator.

  Chapter 29

  “We are healed from suffering only by experiencing it to the full.”

  Marcel Proust

  “You’ve reached Justin Baldos. Leave a message.”

  Shannon cradled the phone against her shoulder and removed the wax seal from around the bourbon’s cap. “Hey, asshole,” she said. “It’s me again. I want to talk to Chad, you fucking idiot. Call me back, you fucking jerk.”

  Decker had told her to call, so she was calling. Granted, he hadn’t said to insult Justin, but since this had been her thirteenth message, why not? Being nice had gotten her zilch.

  She fingered the soft terry fabric of the stuffed clown in her lap. Every night since Chad’s birth, he and Clowny had slept together. What would Chad do when he discovered his constant companion was out of reach?

  She took a long draw from the bottle.

  It had been foolish to go looking for Justin, but after taking her shower, she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. At least she’d learned he and Shelby had left Shelby’s apartment early in the morning, each carrying a suitcase. Praise the gods for nosy tenants.

  A stop at the lodge and the police station had each yielded zilch. The only saving gra
ce had been the young cop on duty. He took down a description of what Chad had been wearing and said he would send out an unofficial bulletin.

  She arched her head and swallowed more of the woodsy liquid and brought forth the words to a spell.

  “Through the piercing black I will find you; sing, my son, like the call of a bird; sing and let your voice be heard; sing my child, my all, my love; sing that I may hear, sing that I might see, and I promise, once again safe with me you will be.”

  She lifted the bottle of bourbon and emptied the remainder into her body and lowered herself to the rug. A lonesome wail erupted from her throat, and she buried her face into the sweet-scented body of the doll. And then she heard the plea. Faint and distant. She shook as the image of Chad materialized in her mind.

  ‘Where are you, Mama?’ he said, his face drenched with tears.

  “No. Please, dear goddess, no.”

  She clawed at his bed, pulling herself to standing, but her legs crumbled under the weight of the alcohol, and she collapsed back to the floor.

  ‘Mama, where are you?’

  “Please, no,” she shouted. “Chad, goddess, help him. He needs me.”

  ‘Mama.’

  “NO.” Her shouts drowned out Chad’s voice, and she no longer heard him calling. “Chad, come back.”

  A man shouted her name. Justin. She had to keep him from finding Chad.

  “JUSTIN, NO, STAY AWAY FROM HIM. CHAD, HIDE. RUN.”

  ******

  Jasper stood barking on the inside of the sliding door, and St. John stared at the second story window from which Shannon’s cries were coming. Justin must have come home. Why else would she be yelling for him to stay away and for Chad to hide?

  St. John ran to the garage door and smashed the glass by the lock. He leaned in, reaching for the latch. Of course there wasn’t one.

  “Fuck this.”

  He stepped back and slammed his foot against the door. A snapping of wood rewarded him for his effort, and he pushed into the garage. At the door that led to the house, he caught his breath. “Please be unlocked.” The doorknob turned freely. Mumbling thanks, he ran to the staircase, Jasper leading the way. Strange, he still only heard Shannon. By now, he should be hearing Justin’s voice, even Chad crying. Something wasn’t right.