David looks down into the eyes of his beloved and feels the world go right again. June looks up into his smiling face and knows that once again she has reunited with her other half.
“Oh David you’ve come back, oh thank God you’ve come back.”
“June I love you and I have missed you so much.”
“Where were you? Why didn’t you come back sooner?”
“C’mon honey, let’s sit down, it’s a long story.”
He leads June over to sit in the loveseat. David turns to his right to begin speaking to June and finds that all he wants to do is simply hold June.
They embrace with eyes closed tight and hug in sweet gratitude. A long, lingering kiss as they separate and David begins his story. He holds June’s hand as he begins telling his tale.
“The night I left here and went to the apartment there was a man there waiting for me named Mr. Parker. He was a hit man June, a hired killer. He’s the one that killed Blake and he’s also the one who shot me.”
“Oh my God, you were shot? Where David? How bad was it?”
“The wound wasn’t too bad, but the bullet gouged its way across the side of my head. It bled a great deal I’m told; Mr. Parker shot me in the head.”
June starts weeping. “Oh David, what happened next?”
“Before Parker fired the shot that hit me he fired a shot that missed. I had the closet door open, the one with the full-length mirror. I think Parker mistook my reflection in that mirror for me. His first shot shattered the mirror, which allowed me time to throw that glass paperweight I keep on the desk. I threw it as he took his second shot and that’s the last thing I remember until about four weeks later.”
“But what happened after you were shot? What did Mr. Parker do then?”
“Parker was dead. I was told that the paperweight was found lying next to him and that he had a crushed skull.”
“Your throw killed him?”
“Yes honey, I killed a man.”
“Good!” June says, and David glimpses a look of retribution on her innocent face that he could have gone a lifetime without ever seeing.
“When the bullet struck, it sent me tumbling backward over the desk. I had broken my right leg in the fall. When they found me I wasn’t breathing. Whether it was from blood loss, some effect from the head wound, or simply a combination of it and my leg trauma I don’t know, but I wasn’t breathing June. They brought me back to life.”
“Who are ‘they’ David? Who found you?”
David dreads her reaction, but the story must be told.
“It was Alison, Alison found me.”
At the sound of Alison’s name, David feels June grip his hand tighter.
“You said ‘they’, who else was there?”
“A friend of Alison’s, his name is Frank Brooks. He’s the one that got my heart started again and saved my life.”
“What happened next?” June asks in a very matter of fact way, and David knows by the tone that June fears the worst.
“Alison and Frank carried Parker and I out of the apartment. Frank found a set of keys in Parker’s jacket and located the car that they matched. Alison went home to wait for the police to contact her, knowing that, with my disappearance, Carol would point them in her direction. Frank drove me to a farm that Alison owns in Pennsylvania. He tells me that I mumbled your name all the way out to the farm.
“At that time, I was aware of nothing. I would spend the next few weeks being fed through a tube down my nose and lying nearly comatose in bed. The following weeks after that I have vague memories of finding a cast on my leg and of being spoon-fed and bathed, but little else. In many ways those weeks were similar to what you describe being like while a child locked in that basement.”
“Who was bathing you?”
“Alison, she quit her play and spent the next several weeks nursing me back to health.”
“Because she loves you.”
“Yes June, she did it out of love.”
“Go on with your story.” June says flatly.
“I awoke one evening screaming, my heart filled with sheer terror. Why? I don’t know. What I do know is that I had broken free of my stupor and could talk and communicate with Alison and Frank. It was then that we realized I had amnesia.”
“Amnesia? That means that you couldn’t remember anything, not even me?”
“No honey, but I would see your beautiful face in my dreams every night.”
“What did Alison and this man Frank tell you?”
“Alison told me my name that first night before I fell back to sleep. When I awoke, Frank was gone.”
“Why did Frank leave?”
“He was Jealous. Frank loves Alison and knew that Alison loved me. Frank asked her to choose between the two of us, and when she chose me, he drove off.”
“Which left the two of you alone.”
“…Yes, Frank had just removed the cast off my leg. After being bedridden for so long I had to learn to walk again.”
“Alison didn’t tell you about us, did she? She wanted to keep you for herself.”
“Yes June, that was her plan in the beginning.”
“Are you saying she changed her mind?”
“Alison had a change of heart.”
“Why would she let you go?”
“Alison loves Frank, and when he left it broke her heart. The next few weeks I spent healing and strengthening my leg, Alison spent those weeks trying to convince herself that she didn’t love Frank. One morning Frank left supplies for us while we were sleeping. He never came to the door, he just left the supplies. It was his way of telling Alison that he still loved her. Alison was now torn between her need for me and her love of Frank. In the end, she did the right thing and told me all she knew about you and I. From that point on my memory grew by leaps, until now I’m pretty sure I remember nearly everything.”
“David…when you were alone again with Alison…with no memory of me…did you, did you fall in love with her?” June says, and David can tell it cost her something to ask that question.
“I’ve thought about it a great deal and what I believe is this…Yes, I felt love for her. But…it was love spent in a vacuum, with just the two of us in that farmhouse. At any time had you walked through that door Alison and I would have ended, merely hearing about you ended it.”
“What ended? You two were in love. People in love…make love.”
“We didn’t, we both avoided it. Alison, because deep down she really loves Frank, and I, I out of some instinct and intuition of you.”
“You’re saying you never made love to her?”
David lowers his head and closes his eyes. God how I so want to lie to her, but I can’t. “The morning we found the supplies Frank left, Alison and I began making love. It didn’t go very far before her conscience got the better of her and she confessed to me that she was lying, and that I had you.”
“Alison stopped it? She let you go?”
“Yes honey, Alison sent me back to you. She’s a good person June, she can be very irritating sometimes, but she’s a good person.”
“Do you still love her?”
“Yes June, but I am only and forever in love with you—do you understand the difference honey?”
June smiles. “Yes, the difference is that you’re here holding my hand, that makes all the difference in the world.”
“I love you June Davenport, and on this our anniversary, I pledge my life to you forever.”
“And I love you David Manning, and I will love you until the end of time.”
They embrace for long, quiet moments. At last, they separate and David opens his mouth to tell her the sad fate of her sisters. June silences him by placing two fingers to his lips.
“Shhh, no more bad news, I know that something horrible has happened, it’s what woke me up. All I want right now is to make love to you. There will be time for pain and sorrow later. This time now is ours.”
David smiles at his beloved and the
y rise and move over to the bed. David removes the Mr. Parker clothes as June removes her own. June lies naked upon the bed and David gazes down at her oh so beautiful body, and for a moment he thinks of all those men who sought to possess this loveliness twice in the forms of April and May.
Double or nothing? David muses. No. It was double and nothing.
For as lovely as her form is, June’s true beauty lies within. It flows from her soul as light from a candle.
David lies beside the beautiful woman who now truly possesses a one of a kind beauty and once more thanks God for this blessing.
“I love you June, my Miss Mouse.”
June smiles that perfect smile. The most beautiful smile in the world, and David knows that his soul has truly found its home, its other half, its mate.
39
The Saw Mill River Parkway, 6:47 p.m.
David drives along lost in thought. At his side in the passenger seat, Simon leans against the door and stares pensively out at the late summer night. The two of them have just come from performing the unenviable task of identifying the bodies of April and May.
Police divers found the two young women in the submerged limousine. They were found to be clutching each other in a death grip, each one’s arms around the other’s waist. They died as they had lived, together.
Dr. Rowlands was found near shore, he was still alive but expired on the way to the hospital.
David was going alone to identify them but Simon insisted on accompanying him. He said it was his duty.
Upon viewing April and May, Simon collapsed to his knees in grief on the cold tile floor and David nodded quickly to the morgue attendant that yes, that was them. David felt like dropping to his knees himself.
The two women looked exactly like June and seeing that body dead twice was like having a double preview of a nightmare. David helped his friend up and the two men left the morgue.
June had taken the deaths of her sisters hard, but David thought it was more sadness at the waste of their lives than at the loss of two loved ones. June informed David of April’s plan to kill her. David suddenly felt less pity for the two girls. It was one thing to ask Mr. Parker to do it, quite another to plan on doing the deed yourself.
Still, their deaths were an enormous waste.
Simon turns from the window and stares at David. David feels Simon’s eyes upon him and knows what’s coming next.
“Al explained as we were leaving the estate that you were actually Mr. Parker.”
“That’s right Simon, the magic of make-up.”
“He also informed us that you were wearing a microphone and camera in order to trap the girls.”
“Yes.”
“I suppose I shall be arrested soon then. I don’t care really, now that June’s safe. I would like you to know however that my killing of Angeline was accidental.”
“I assumed as much. I imagine it happened while you were protecting April and May.”
Simon nods his head emphatically. “Yes, that’s what happened.”
“You’re not going to be arrested. I made sure the bug experienced technical difficulties while April was telling Parker about Angeline. You and I are the only ones who know about that now.”
“Why would you turn the recording equipment off at that time?”
“April said you had done something that Mr. Parker would appreciate, whatever came after that couldn’t be good.”
“…Are you going to tell June?”
“No, or anyone else for that matter. Angeline is dead and buried. Blake is dead and buried and soon April and May will be buried. Let the past die with them.”
“Thank you David, June really did find herself an exceptional man. I have one more secret to tell you, June knows this already. I am the real father of the girls. Angeline and I were lovers when I was very young.”
David is quiet for long moments, but then says. “You’re full of surprises today Simon.”
“That is the last of them. I just wanted you to know.”
“That news makes me happy, it means that June still has family.”
“I love her David.”
“I know, and she loves you too.” As David turns into Carol’s steep driveway he notices that Jack’s car is parked at the curb. “Looks like we have company.”
As they enter the house, June runs to David and the two kiss.
“I’m so glad you’re home. Jack and Kelly are here and they’ve brought Cathy along. David she’s so precious.”
David and Simon go into the living room and say their greetings. Cathy is indeed precious and seems to be the apple of Jack’s eye.
“Davey,” Carol says. “Kelly, Cathy and I are going into the dining room and set the table. Jack and his family are staying for dinner.”
David grins at her. “That’s great sis.”
Carol grabs him and hugs him tightly around the neck. “I’m still so damn happy to see you. I thought you were dead. I love you Davey.”
“I love you too and I’m so sorry you had such a scare. You must have thought Al was crazy when he told you to leave June and go.”
“I don’t know what I thought, but I trust Al and I knew if he were asking me to leave that things would be all right.”
“He nearly took my head off out in that hallway. If I hadn’t ducked in time, he would have torn the Mr. Parker face right off of me.”
“He chuckled all the way home thinking about you in that mask.”
“Where is Al? He’s here isn’t he?”
“No. He went to see his uncle. Gino found out that Marco tried to have Al killed and is taking it very hard.”
David grins at Carol again. “It’s good to be home sis.”
“Go see to Jack while I show Kelly where we keep the good china.”
David sits and June snuggles against him while Simon goes to help Carol.
“I want to thank you once again for saving my life Jack.”
Jack smiles. “Consider it payback for finding Cathy.”
“Why do I have the feeling that this is not solely a social call?”
Jack nods. “You’re right. I wanted to let you know what’s going to happen now, legally speaking.” He then takes a long swallow from the bottle of beer he’s holding.
“Go ahead, I’m listening.” David says.
“Well, for starters, all charges against you have been dropped and your name cleared.”
“What about Alison and Frank?”
“Frank showed Morgan the spot where he buried Parker’s body, so he lived up to his end of the deal, the two of them won’t be facing any charges. Frank also led Morgan to the car that Mr. Parker was using that night.”
“Alison could have gone to jail for helping you?” June asks.
“Sure honey, tampering with a crime scene is a definite no-no, also they disposed of Parker’s body and harbored me for months. They could have gone to prison.”
“I didn’t realize that.” June says.
“They’re in the clear.” Jack says. “When they took a sample of Parker’s DNA and put it into the computer it spat out fourteen matches to unsolved murders going back over nine years.”
David whistles. “Mr. Parker had been a very naughty man. How the hell did April and May ever get together with this guy, through Marco?”
“No, a man by the name of Robert ‘Carlo’ Anderson went missing on the same night that Blake Davenport was killed. His remains were found last month by some hikers. Anderson worked as a pool boy at the country club. We now believe that Anderson was the go between and got killed for his trouble, in fact, it was his car that Parker was using, however Morgan and I are keeping that to ourselves.”
“Why would you do that Jack?”
“Anderson still lived at home with his mother, he had an apartment in her basement. She’s the one who reported him missing. When the police went to the house they found a load of stolen computers. Tomorrow, Morgan intends to discover that Anderson wasn’t selling those stolen computers, tha
t he had actually bought them on the streets for his own use.”
David cocks his head. “I don’t think I get you.”
Jack grins. “David, the reason Anderson bought stolen computers on the street was so that there would be no trace of a sale to him when he acted as Mr. Smith. Now do you understand?”
“You want me to put my crimes as Smith onto a dead man? Jack I can’t do that!”
“You said you’re retired as Smith, that’s fine. The Bureau doesn’t know that though, they’ll keep looking at you and keep wasting time looking for Smith. Why not give him to them? Don’t forget, you’ll also be giving Anderson the credit for finding all those abducted children.”
David sighs and stretches his right leg, the chase after the car and the activity on the wall earlier have caused it to emit a dull ache. While massaging his thigh, he asks Jack. “Will the Bureau really buy Anderson as Mr. Smith?”
“He fits the F.B.I.’s profile of Smith in seven points out of ten, that’s only one less than you do. His name also came up as a ‘person of interest’ last year during an investigation into a day-trading scandal, some sort of Internet stock fraud. My old boss Lindstrom may have his doubts, but he’ll love closing the file on Mr. Smith.”
“Where are you going to find your proof?”
Jack hesitates, then says. “Morgan and I were hoping that you would provide that for us.”
“Yeah, I guess I could. I’ll write you a disk with some of my own decryption software, the programs I developed while working as Mr. Smith.”
“I hope you’re not concerned that this is some intricate trap.”
David gives Jack a smile. “I consider you and Kelly to be friends, and as the saying goes, if I can’t trust my friends then who can I trust?”
“This plan was actually Kelly’s idea. She’s got quite an inventive mind.”
“Lucky you,”
“Yes.” Jack says, smiling.
“David what happens now?” June asks. “I mean, what should we do with father’s house?”
“You two should live in it as Blake intended.” Says Simon as he enters the room. “June, that house is yours, you and David should go back there and make it your own.”
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