by Lori Avocato
Judy leaned over and kissed the babe on the cheek. She would miss these two when they moved out, and she was sure it wouldn’t be long now. Sam had already confided in David that he was going to pop the question. Maybe even tonight. “Do you need a babysitter? I’m sure one of the other girls would be more than glad to sit with Shelly. It would give you a little time by yourself with Sam.”
“Thanks so much, Miss Judy, but Sam wouldn’t like that too much. He hasn’t seen her in a couple of days now and I think he’s looking forward to spending time with her as much as he is with me.” She gave a nervous laugh.
“I know he’s in love with her, too. Well, go on and have a nice time. Tell Sam hello for us.”
“I will, Miss Judy. I should be back before curfew.”
“Okay, sweetie, see you later.” She turned back to the stove. Everything was ready. The green beans were done. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes were in their bowls. All she needed now was for David and Vick to come home. What was taking them so long? The phone rang as she carried dishes into the dining room. She set them down on the counter and reached for the phone. “Hello.”
“Judy, I know it’s time for supper, so I thought I’d give you a head’s up on what’s going down here,” said David.
“Was Vick able to give you some answers?”
“Not many. Don wants to take her on to a safe house this evening. As terrified as she is, he’s afraid someone may get to her, and soon.”
“David, no! Please bring her home tonight.”
“Now Judy, I know─”
“No, you don’t. That’s just it. I need to tell you something and I need for Vick to be here when I do.”
“You’re not making much sense. Tell me now.”
“David...” Judy’s voiced cracked, but she managed to continue. “It’s not something I can go into over the phone. I need to tell you face to face. Please, David. Just one more night. You can take Vick in the morning. Please.”
David tried to mask his exasperation with little success. “All right, all right. I’ll see what I can do. Don isn’t going to like this one bit, but I’ll do all I can. I’ve got to go. See you in a few minutes or I’ll call you if Don doesn’t agree.” He slammed the phone down.
~ * ~
Don didn’t look happy at all. “I don’t like this, Dave. I think we’ve wasted enough time getting her into a safe house.”
“Don, I’ll be home all night. Give Judy a chance to say goodbye. She’s really upset about this.” David hated begging, but he’d do just about anything for his wife. He loved that woman with all his heart, but in times like these he could strangle her.
“One night. That’s it. I’ll be there at eight o’clock sharp in the morning.” Don stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
David left his office and went to the interrogation room to collect Vick. He opened the door to see her sound asleep, her head on her arms at the table. The hours of questioning along with her pregnancy had exhausted her. She was just a child. Man, why in the world would someone want to hurt her?
He gently shook her. “Vick, time to go home.”
“Are we finished here?” she asked as she stretched her arms above her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. David. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Don’t worry about it. We wore you out. Come on, we’re going home and eat some supper.”
“Wonderful. I’m famished,” she said as she preceded him through the door.
~ * ~
Judy watched as Vick ate. For such a tiny girl, she could put away the food. Vick looked up as if she sensed being watched. The dark circles under her eyes belied the smile on her face.“Is something wrong, Miss Judy?”
“Not at all, dear. Just like to see my culinary efforts being enjoyed.” Judy turned her attention to David, who at the moment was in deep thought. He hadn’t been too happy when she’d asked him to wait until after supper to have their talk. Dear God, how was she going to tell him? But more than that, how would he react? Judy pushed the food around on her plate. It wouldn’t be much longer, then both their questions would be answered.
~ * ~
“I told you, the girl is still alive.”
“But Brandon said he took care of them both. Why would he lie about that? Are you sure she’s alive?”
“That brother of yours isn’t worth the powder it would take to blow him up. Of course he would lie. Isn’t he the one who got us into this fiasco in the first place?”
“He should be calling soon. I’ll get him to─”
“No, I don’t want him anywhere around. I’ll take care of this myself. You just better hope your brother stays on the lam. I see him and he’s gone, too.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he stays away. You’ve got my word.”
“To tell you the truth, Scott, your word isn’t worth much to me at the moment.”
Scott shuddered as the receiver went dead. He prayed his brother knew better than to show his face.
~ * ~
“Vick, I’ll be up later. I have a few things I have to talk to you about, okay?”
“Sure, Miss Judy. I’ll leave the door unlocked, just in case I fall asleep,” she said as she left the dining room.
Judy turned to her husband. “Let’s go into the office.” She led the way, with David close on her heels. After closing the door behind him, he walked over to the rocker and sat down. Judy sat behind the desk. She needed the sturdiness of it between them. “I would appreciate your letting me get out all of what I have to say, said, before you interrupt, okay?”
“Sure, if that’s what you want. Go ahead, you have the floor.”
“I never told you about my past, because it was just that, my past.” Judy’s insides quivered. She had to fight down the nausea rising in her throat, but continued. “It wasn’t that I wanted to deceive you or lie to you. I just felt that my past would never have anything to do with our present or future. But unfortunately, now it has.” Judy had been looking at the stapler on the desk, but now risked a glance at her husband. His demeanor hadn’t changed. He just looked confused. She forged on. “When I was fifteen, my stepfather raped me. I got pregnant, and had a baby girl soon after I turned sixteen.”
The words were coming faster and faster. If she stopped now, she’d never finish. “My mother didn’t believe me. Harry, my stepfather convinced her that I seduced him. So she sent me to an unwed mother’s home until the baby was born. Since I was a minor, of course, she had the say if I kept or gave away my baby. I didn’t care how my baby was conceived. I wanted to keep her. I talked to her every day, hoping in my heart, she would always remember my voice.”
She had started to cry, but wiped the tears away and went on. “The night she was born, I slipped up to the nursery just to get a peek at her. The nursery worker wouldn’t let me see her. My heart was broken. I left the home that night and started running. I ran until I hitched a ride to this town. Cheryl Cherié found me at the diner, where my ride had left me. All I had was a dollar bill the kind man gave me before he left me there.”
She looked up and saw raw emotion in David’s eyes. She couldn’t stand the sight, so she bent her head and continued her story. “David, here’s a letter from Vick’s great-grandmother addressed to me. Vick has no idea of its contents.” She passed it across the desk to him and took a deep breath. “I never dreamed anything like this would ever happen, but her great-grandmother was my mother. It turns out Kathleen was my daughter and Vick is my granddaughter. The letter will explain it all.”
She looked back up into David’s eyes. The look of utter disbelief was hard to take. He opened the envelope and removed the letter. After reading it, he stood. She stood also.
He put his hand out. “Don’t! Don’t move. I have to get away from you right now. I can’t believe you’ve kept this from me for over twenty-eight years! My God woman! Did you think this would be of no importance to me? You know my past. You knew I was adopted. Why didn’t you tell me all of this whe
n I told you about my adoptive parents? And I use the word parents loosely.”
“But your parents were abusive.” Judy was crying freely now. “How could I tell you that I did the same thing to my child?”
“So you chose to lie to me. Deceive me. I’ve got to get out of here before I say or do something we’ll both regret.” He bolted out of the chair and headed for the door.
Judy started around the desk. “Please don’t go, David, please.” But it was too late. He was already gone.
~ * ~
David had driven fifteen minutes when he slammed on his brakes and spun into the Minute Market parking lot. How could he forget his duty? Being upset with Judy gave him no excuse for leaving Vick after promising Don he’d protect her. He jumped from the car and jogged to the payphone on the outside wall. He kept his conversation with Don brief, telling him he’d be gone a few hours, then he hung up the phone. There, that was taken care of. Fortunately Don had asked no questions and promised to head immediately to Haven House.
David climbed back into the car and headed to the one place he’d always felt safe and at peace in times of strife. Yes, he’d stay there for a few hours, until he got this figured out in his head. It wasn’t Judy’s past that upset him so. It was a shock all right, but she wasn’t to blame. She’d been a child then and had no say in the matter. Such a shame. She would have made a wonderful mother. She certainly was a wonderful wife. So why hadn’t she trusted him enough to tell him about her baby?
He remembered the day the results came back from his sperm motility test. They’d been trying to have a baby for over five years. At their doctor’s advice, David was tested first. When they found out he was sterile, Judy had held him as he cried like a baby. She never blamed him or made him feel ashamed. She’d stood by him like a rock.
They’d tried adoption. Because of the dangerous occupation he chose, also his fault, they weren’t approved. When Miss Cherié left the apartment house to them, he knew what he wanted to do to the place. Remodeling had been great. Judy was so excited. She looked forward to having babies, even if they weren’t her own, living in her home. He loved that woman with all of his heart. How could she not have trusted him? Did she think he wouldn’t love her anymore?
David almost passed the road. As soon as he’d read the letter from Judy’s mother, he knew what he had to do. He had a surprise of his own he’d been keeping from her. Now the question was, would she forgive him when she found out? Or would she say, how dare he be insulted because I didn’t trust him with my secret, when he didn’t trust me with his?
9
Judy climbed the stairs toward Vick’s room. She was drained, but had to do this now. She had a good idea where David was going. His Aunt Nell had left him a house on Seahorse Lake. After she talked to Vick, they would both go find him. What she and David had together was too precious not to fight for.
After several knocks, a very sleepy Vick opened the door. “I left it unlocked.”
“I know, but I always knock before entering. I find it courteous that way.”
“I’ll be out in a minute. I have to pee.”
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll wait.” Judy lowered herself into the room’s only chair. It was Miss Cherié’s favorite wingback chair and complemented the furnishings in this room.
The bathroom door opened and Vick came back into the room. “This must be pretty important, huh?”
“Yes, it is. Get comfortable.” After Vick sat with her back against the headboard , Judy started. “You remember the letter you gave me?”
“Yes, ma’am. From my grandmother’s keepsake box.”
“You were right. It was for me. I’m the Judith it was addressed to.”
Vick sat forward. “Isn’t that strange? Grandmother must have known we were coming here. But, how?”
“It’s a pretty long story, but because we have to leave soon, I’ll cut it short. “
Vick nodded, so she continued. “I know you’re not going to understand this. Trust me, it’s hard to believe myself. But your great-grandmother was my mother.” At the sharp intake of Vick’s breath, she continued, “You see, when my little girl was born, I was the age you are now. I had no say as to if I could keep her or not. My mother made that decision for me. When I tried to see my daughter in the nursery, the nurse wouldn’t let me. So, I left the home, and never looked back. I assumed my baby would be adopted the next day, as all the babies at the unwed mother’s home were back then. I didn’t know that my mother went to get me and my daughter the next day. She’d had a change of heart.”
Vick’s face changed as she realized the truth. “Does that mean—”
“Your mother was my daughter, and you, dear child, are my granddaughter.”
Vick didn’t waste any time scrambling out of bed and into Judy’s waiting arms. “I’m so glad! You’re my grandmother! It’s hard to believe. But Mom...” She pulled away for a minute and searched Judy’s face. “She’ll never know you aren’t dead. How awful!”
Judy pulled her into her arms once again and hugged her. “I know, Vick. I’ll never get to know her, either. But thank God, I now have you.”
After a few minutes, Judy gently pushed Vick away. “In her letter, your great-grandmother mentioned you and your mom were in grave danger. Your mom also mentioned this when you both came. I need to know what this danger is, Vick.”
“I...I can’t tell you. I want to, but I promised my mom I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Judy leaned forward, gazing directly into Vick’s eyes. “I don’t have the time to argue with you. I need to let David know what he’s facing. I need to know myself. There’s no more time for hesitation. Tell me now.”
Vick swallowed, then seemed to make a decision. “I guess it’s okay now. Everyone I promised is dead.” She blinked the tears away, then started to talk. “Mom worked for Mr. Scott. He’s Senator Sinclair’s lawyer. Anyway, Mr. Scott’s brother Brandon was playing cards with Karla and me—Karla is Mr. Scott’s daughter. We were playing hearts and Mr. Brandon was losing. He acted mad and all about losing, so Karla told him we’d let him win a game. That made him even madder.” Vick’s breathing seemed more difficult and she broke out in a sweat.
“Take your time.”
“Well, Karla got scared and ran out of the room. I started to run out, too, but Mr. Brandon caught my arm. He...he, um, kissed me, then forced me down on the floor.” Vick cried harder now.
Like reliving an old nightmare, Judy could guess the rest, so she stopped her granddaughter from going further. “It’s okay, honey, I understand.”
“No, ma’am. That wasn’t the reason Mom was killed.”
“Okay, go on.”
“Mr. Scott is the campaign manager for Senator Sinclair. The Senator is going to run for president. He’s the one who wants us dead.”
Judy gasped. No wonder Kathleen had been terrified. She had to get this information to David right away. “I hate for us to leave right now, but I have to find David. He never knew about your mother until tonight. I’m afraid I’ve hurt him a lot.”
“Oh! Maybe he’ll want me to leave.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Judy hurried to dispel those thoughts. “No, Vick. He’s upset that I didn’t trust him enough to tell him years ago. He won’t have a problem with you. But, we have to go now. If my instincts are right, he’s about an hour’s drive from here.”
“You’re taking me with you? Please? I can’t stand the thought of being away from you now.”
“Of course you are.” Taking Vick with her would be dangerous, but she couldn’t leave her here. She’d be cautious, and if Vick dressed in a disguise, maybe they could throw off her identity. “Go across the hall and ask Loren to borrow her auburn wig. Have her help you put it on. Then dress warm. It’s getting chilly.”
“Yes, ma’am...I mean, Grandmother. Is it okay if I call you that?” She smiled through her tears as Judy nodded, unable to speak. Vick headed for the bathroom as Judy left her room.
1
0
Don pulled to a stop in front of Haven House. Before he could get the door opened, a red Chevy Malibu tore out of the driveway and onto the road. He was sure it was Judy driving and she had someone with her. It had to be Vick. She wouldn’t leave without taking Vick with her. Not after having David beg for her to stay there tonight. Something was amiss. First Dave calls and has him come over to stay with them until he gets back. Now Judy takes off without calling. He better follow her to see what the heck was going on.
He hung back so not to alert her of his tailing them. After going out Route 44 for over five miles, he was pretty sure where she was headed. Dave had let him stay at his aunt’s house last year. He remembered well how to get there. He pulled over, and decided to give her time to get to her destination. Maybe she and David had decided to hide Vick themselves. Even that didn’t make sense, since Dave had called him to come over. It didn’t matter. He’d give her fifteen minutes. Then he’d follow.
~ * ~
Judy was anxious. When she pulled out of the drive, a car had just parked out front of the house. She noticed after a few minutes, that same car following them. She tried not to let on to Vick that anything was amiss, but she sighed with relief when the car pulled to the curb and parked. Whew! How the mind can trick you into thinking just about anything. Darned if she wasn’t getting as paranoid as her husband.
She settled back into her seat and relaxed. They would be at the cottage in less than an hour. She glanced over at her young passenger. Vick was sound asleep. Good, she needed to think of what to say to her husband when they arrived. God, help me please. I can’t lose David now, nor can I lose my precious granddaughter. Please protect us all from the evil plans of others. Judy concentrated fully on the road ahead. One wreck had already taken a member of her family. She’d do everything in her power to prevent losing anyone else she loved.