by Kelly Utt
Bea’s mind felt cloudy and her thoughts scattered. This was the last thing she had expected. If John had been there that night, why hadn’t he stepped in to help? More importantly, why hadn’t he mentioned it all these years? “I’m not sure what to say,” Bea replied.
“Then hear me out,” John continued. “I was there that night at Eagle’s Point because I had followed you. I suspected you were seeing someone, and I wanted to know if I was right.”
“John… I…”
He held his hand up to stop Bea. “That’s beside the point right now. I followed you in a colleague’s car so you wouldn’t recognize me. I watched as you and the man I now know to be Travis pushed Max on the swings and looked adoringly at each other. And then I saw... The rest.”
“You mean…? I’m sorry,” Bea said. “This is a lot to take in.” She hated herself for apologizing.
Keep it together.
“I mean, everything,” John continued. “I saw you run frantically to the van and get the baseball bat out of the back. I wasn’t sure what you were doing, but then I saw the man. I didn’t recognize the boy at first until he turned and I realized it was our son.” John looked pained as he said the words.
“I didn’t know what to do,” Bea pleaded “Truly, I did the best I could under the circumstances. There wasn’t much time. I had to act. The risk of not doing anything and allowing Max to be taken away was too great…”
“I know. And I’ve never been prouder of you than I was on that day.”
Bea thought she saw tears forming in John’s eyes. She was floored. “You were proud of me?”
“Yes,” John said. “Very proud. You saved our son. And for that, I will always be grateful.”
“Wow,” Bea said. “I wasn’t expecting this. So you saw the whole thing?”
“I did. When I realized it was Max, I’d gotten out of my car and was on my way to intervene. But then I saw you put Max in his car seat and go back to finish the job. Maybe I panicked, but I returned to my car at that point, just in time to see you heave the man over the edge before I drove away. I would have done the same thing.”
The camaraderie between Bea and John was something she had never dreamed possible. She was incredibly relieved to find out that not only did he know, but he thought she had done the right thing. But she didn’t understand why he’d been so cold to her all these years. He’d acted like he resented her. If he knew what she had done and was proud of her, then what could explain his attitude?
“Thank you for saying that,” Bea said softly. “It means more to me than you know.”
John reached out and put one hand on top of Bea’s. There wasn’t an electricity when they touched like there was between her and Travis, but John’s hand felt familiar and comforting nonetheless. He kept it there and patted Bea’s hand a few times before withdrawing and laying his hands in his own lap. “So now that we’ve cleared the air, we have to figure out what to do.”
“Right,” Bea agreed. “But wait a minute,” she said as she considered the situation further. “If you were there and saw what happened, how do I know you didn’t orchestrate this yourself? How do I know you aren’t the disguised man in the video?”
“Don’t be silly,” John sneered, his voice going back to defensive and adversarial.
“I’m serious, John,” Bea said. “I know you haven’t been happy with me for some time. Maybe you’d like to see me arrested and put behind bars to get me out of the way.”
“Dammit, Beatrice,” John said, slapping his palms on his thighs. “There’s a lot about me that you just don’t understand.”
“Then help me understand,” Bea said. “You scold me almost every day like I’m your child instead of your wife. You rarely show me any affection and I can’t even remember the last time we made love. I thought maybe it was me. I know I’m getting older and my career has stalled. I guess I wouldn’t blame you if you were more interested in one of the young, pretty career women you interact with through your job.”
John leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Bea thought he suddenly looked haggard and frail. He was getting older, too, and signs of aging were happening much quicker for him than they were for her.
“This isn’t the time or place to get into all of that,” John said. “Right now, we need to work together to figure out what to do. We need to figure out who made the video and silence them if we want to hold our lives and our family together.”
Although she would have liked to have known more about her husband’s feelings towards her, she agreed that they had work to do. “Okay, I get it,” Bea said. “I know you love Max. I don’t actually think you would want his mother sent away. And if you did, you could have just told one of your friends on the police force instead of going through all this trouble. Let’s get down to business. What are we going to do?”
24
Bea and John were talking like old friends when Lana returned, balancing two cups of coffee in her hands. John sat up straight in his chair when she entered, his body becoming rigid.
“Relax, John,” Bea said. “Mom knows.”
“You mean, she knows? How… ?”
“I told her a little while ago. Before you got here.”
Now Lana was the one surprised. “Bea, dear, do you mean you told John the same thing you told me?”
“I didn’t have to,” Bea said. “He was there and saw it all with his own eyes. We were just talking about how we should handle our current predicament. Come on in and join us.”
John raised his eyebrows, then quickly tilted his head to one side and nodded his approval. “I don’t suppose there’s any harm in the three of us working on this together now that we’re all aware of what happened. We are family, right?”
“Good,” Bea said, taking the coffee from her mother. “Then it’s settled. Mom, pull up a chair.” But Bea could tell her mom had something else on her mind. “What is it?”
Lana looked hesitant as she sat down and got herself situated. She went ahead anyway. “I was just thinking about, well, the other person who was there that night. Shouldn’t he be involved in this discussion?”
“You’re referring to Travis,” John said.
“Yes,” Lana replied.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” John explained. “And not just because of what happened earlier. By the way, Travis chose not to press charges. My emotions got the better of me. But I realize he’s not a bad guy. That was gracious on his part.”
“Then what?” Bea asked. “I agree with Mom that it’s probably a good idea to get him in on this.”
John hesitated before he spoke more. “I’m not making an accusation here, but let’s stop and think about the possibility that Travis is the one behind the video,” John said. “We know he was there that night. And he has motive.”
“What motive is that?” Bea asked, indignant. “Like you said yourself, John. Travis is not a bad guy. And you’re absolutely right. I’ve known him for a long time. I can’t see him being behind this. No way.”
“Beatrice, his motive is you. Plain and simple.”
Bea didn’t want to hear this. It seemed difficult to trust herself these days, and she didn’t want to doubt Travis. But she had apparently made the wrong call about John. Here she had thought he didn’t care about her, and now she finds out that he was protecting her by not turning her in to the police.
Could that mean I was wrong about Travis, too? Could he be capable of doing something like this?
“I really don’t think he would…” Bea mumbled as she absentmindedly fiddled with another section of her blanket.
“There have been threats directed at me,” John said.
“What kind of threats?” Bea asked, concerned.
Lana wrung her hands as a worried look settled over her face. “I hope this situation won’t lead to any more violence,” she said. “People can get crazy. Mob mentality takes over faster than most of us would imagine.”
“No threats
of violence yet,” John assured. “But I’m being blackmailed. It began with a letter sent by mail and received at my office yesterday morning. That’s why Officer Tatum stopped by the house. He and I have worked together closely in the past, and so he was giving me the courtesy of handling the matter discreetly.”
“What did the letter say?” Bea asked, alarmed now and worried for her family.
“It said I should resign from my office as mayor or else they would take your secret public. I thought they were bluffing. The letter didn’t specify what the secret was, so I assumed it wasn’t a big deal. A hoax, probably. Until yesterday afternoon when I received a call on my private line from someone using a voice changer.”
Bea and Lana looked at each other knowingly. “I got one of those at the house, too,” Bea said. “Yesterday morning. Mom happened to pick up the phone at the same time and overheard on the other end of the line. That’s what prompted me to tell her what happened at Eagle’s Point.”
“Huh,” John muttered.
“Is it safe to assume that’s what put you in such a foul mood last night at the restaurant?” Lana said to John. Her tone surprised Bea.
“I deserve that,” John said. “I guess I cracked under the pressure. Can the two of you ever forgive me?”
“I think an apology would be nice,” Lana added. “Under the circumstances.”
John smirked, but not in a bad way. “Yeah, I’m sorry,” he said.
Lana smiled and nodded, pleased with herself. Bea smiled at her mother’s handiwork. She looked out the window as she ruminated on everything that had been said. The sun was low in the sky and nearly ready to disappear until the morning.
“Look, John,” Bea said once she’d gathered her thoughts. “I don’t mean to make light of this, but I’ve been living with the fear of being found out for an entire decade. Today, I finally got some relief. But I’m exhausted, both physically and mentally. I’m waiting on my doctor to come back in. He said he was checking on a few things in his efforts to figure out whether there’s something wrong with me. And I’d really want to get some rest. Can we talk more about this another time? I don’t think the situation will come to a head immediately. Do you?”
John looked at his wife and Bea thought that for once, he might have really seen her. “The two of us are supposed to be at a press conference in half an hour,” John said. “As a public figure, I’m held to a different standard. You know how it works. The people of Rosemary Run want an explanation. I’m not sure how long I can put them off.”
“Then go,” Bea said. “You can still make it to Town Hall if you leave now. Just tell them your wife isn’t feeling well. I’m not sure if you realized it, but there was a crowd in the school parking lot today when I was taken away in the ambulance. Many were taking pictures or recording video on their smartphones. I’m sure the people of Rosemary Run already know something is going on with me.”
“I agree, but it may look suspicious, like you got sick once you’d been found out.”
“And I trust you can handle the situation,” Bea said. “You’re a gifted politician. You can spin the story in such a way that you come out looking like the good guy, as usual. Just promise me you won’t lie about what I’ve done. Avoid the truth all you want, but I can’t live with any more lies. My heart can’t take it.”
John stood up and took Bea’s hand into both of his. “Okay, I’ll go,” he agreed. “We’ll talk again tomorrow. And in the meantime, please consider what I said about Travis. Maybe he wants me out of the picture, thinking it will clear the way for the two of you to be together. Good men have done plenty worse in the name of love.”
25
Bea dozed on and off for the rest of the evening, her body completely drained from everything she’d been through. Dr. Benjamin and Susana came back to check on her, but when they saw how well she was resting, they opted to let her be, promising to return in the morning to discuss next steps. Several text messages came in from Travis, but Bea was too tired to respond. She opted to leave them ignored while she gained some strength and thought about what John had said.
Max called just before nine o’clock to say goodnight from Gabby’s. He seemed to be in good spirits and was prepared to return to school in time for the first bell tomorrow. Once Bea had spoken to her son, she settled in for a good night’s sleep. By the time she woke up bright and early the next morning, she had come to a decision. She wanted to keep her family together.
“Mom,” she said to Lana, who was next to her on a cot. Susana had apparently brought it in while Bea was asleep. “Mom, wake up.”
“What, dear?” Lana asked, still groggy. “Can’t an old lady get any sleep around here?” They both laughed.
Bea found it odd, but she wasn’t so afraid of being arrested anymore, even when that threat was more real than ever. Now that she realized how John had protected her, she figured he would do anything necessary to do it again. Between the two of them, they would work together to keep their son safe and their family intact.
Bea’s direction was clear. She’d have to cut contact with Travis again. It would be hard. Being around him was so pleasant and the attraction between the two of them so strong. But her decision to stick with John had been the right one. They were in this together. After all, no one would fight for a child like his own parents.
“I want you to know,” Bea began. “I’ve decided to stay with John. After our talk last night, it feels like the right decision.”
“Oh, dear,” Lana said, rising into a sitting position and swinging her legs around the side of the cot. She could reach the shades from where she was sitting, so she turned and opened them, allowing morning light to stream in and flood the room.
“What?” Bea asked. “You don’t think it’s the right decision?”
“I don’t know,” Lana said reluctantly. “It’s not my decision to make. But I’ll support you, no matter what.”
“I appreciate that, Mom. I have a feeling I’ll need your support. There’s more ground to cover before this is all over and settled.”
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Benjamin and Susana came in, both of them looking tired.
“Good morning,” Susana said. Her voice wasn’t as upbeat as before.
“You’re still here?” Bea asked. “Do the two of you ever sleep?”
Dr. Benjamin cracked a slight smile as he rolled a stool next to Bea’s bed and sat down. “We try to sleep now and then,” he said. “We’re heading home to get some sleep soon. But we wanted to talk with you before we left. How are you feeling this morning? You look a lot more relaxed.
“I’m good,” Bea replied. “Much better than yesterday.”
“That’s great to hear,” the doctor replied. He got out his stethoscope and listened to Bea’s heart. “Any chest pain or tightness?”
“No,” she replied.
“How about dizziness? Nausea? Feeling faint?”
“Not since last night.”
“Good,” Susana said as she again changed the bag of saline attached to Bea’s IV. Both Susana and Dr. Benjamin were moving quickly this morning, probably eager to get their rounds done and hand things off to the staff taking the next shift.
Dr. Benjamin stepped back, returning his stethoscope to the pocket of his white lab coat. “I’m going to order those tests we discussed, along with some blood work. If everything looks good, you can go home around noon. I want you to follow up with your primary care doctor and maybe a cardiologist, depending on what we find.”
“Okay,” Bea said. “I can do that.”
“I’ll go ahead and tell you though,” he continued. “I’m fairly certain you have tachycardia.”
“Tachy-what?”
“It sounds complicated, but it’s a condition that makes you have a fast heartbeat. Symptoms can be anxiety related.”
“Oh,” Bea muttered.
“It’s very treatable. There are things you can do, such as avoiding caffeine and nicotine. And meditating or practi
cing relaxation exercises. Of course, lowering your stress level will help.”
“I see.”
“I also want you to make an appointment to talk to someone,” Dr. Benjamin continued “Besides the tachycardia, what you experienced yesterday afternoon was most likely a panic attack. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be very helpful in managing anxiety disorders. Do you know a professional you can make an appointment with? Or would you like a referral?”
The doctor’s slow and gentle bedside manner from last night was now brisk. Bea wondered if he realized the difference.
“I received a name yesterday from the principal at my son’s school,” Bea said. “She recommends Dr. Martin Duffie.”
“Excellent,” Dr. Benjamin confirmed. “I’d like you to call him right away. I’ll follow up and let him know you were under my care here. This is very important, Bea. I want you to get the help you need. You can’t do this alone.”
“I understand,” Bea said. “I got a few things off my chest last night and I feel so much better already. I hope I can continue to improve.”
“Good,” the doctor said. Then he shook Bea’s hand one final time and left the room, Susana doing the same and following closely behind.
The tests were easy and not at all uncomfortable, just like Dr. Benjamin had promised. When they were finished, the dayshift nurse told Bea she could get dressed and go home. They would call her with results as soon as they were ready.
26
The man behind the robotic voice was having a good morning, too. Feeling pleased with the way his initiative was progressing, he treated himself to a large plate of bacon and eggs at Lorraine’s Diner. He sat in one of the booths along the wall farthest from the front door. He liked having a clear view of everyone coming and going.
To his delight, an article about his video had made the front page of the local newspaper. Several other patrons of the diner were reading it, and it gave him a thrill to see that people were paying attention.