Stealing Time

by Nancy Pennick

  “Good afternoon, sir.” Kate played it safe.

  “Kathryn Roberts. Is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “You seem very familiar. Have I met you before?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “And how did you know my dear Lilly?”

  “I didn’t. That’s why I’m here. I was told to leave that message at the front desk. That’s all I know.”

  The old man sat forward in his seat. “Remarkable resemblance.”

  Kate said nothing and folded her hands in her lap, waiting to see what would happen next.

  “You bear a striking resemblance to my sister-in-law, Kathryn Martin. Same first name even. But it’s been a long time. I’m an old man in my nineties. What do I know?” He leaned back, tapping his fingers together. “We only knew her for a short time because my brother died a few months after they married. I immediately bonded with her. She treated me as if I was special even though I was just a small boy. I loved her.” He leaned closer, studying her face. “You look so much like her.” Then he sighed and sat back in his chair.

  “I’m sure she loved you, too.” Kate’s heart raced. It was Freddie. He was still alive. Good thing Drew didn’t come with her. Freddie might have a heart attack right on the spot.

  “Thank you for that. Father never cared for her. Well, he never really cared for most people besides Mother and Andrew. He hunted for Kathryn until the day he died, never forgiving her for taking Andrew away.”

  Kate shivered as more history was revealed. “I’m sure your father loved you, too.”

  “No, not really. He loved the idea of having children, but his firstborn meant the world to him. That’s why Lillian Woods took me under her wing. She could see what was going on in that house and wanted to get me out from under its influence. I think I was eleven when she first suggested we go for walks in Central Park. We sometimes met at museums or had lunch. She treated me like her own son, although she had two. The first one was a jerk.” Freddie pointed around the room. “This was his office at one time. Lillian encouraged me to become a lawyer and join the firm. I now know her plan was for me to take over. She didn’t want this place left in Albert’s hands. The only thing she asked of me was to never change the name. I was supposed to leave it Woods and Associates.”

  If only you knew why! It all made sense. Her grandmother’s words came back to her. “Don’t forget. Go to New York City...Woods and Associates...as soon as possible when you get home.” That’s why Lilly insisted on keeping the same company name so Kate could find the law office and receive her grandmother’s message. Freddie, being the sweet boy he was, obliged. Kate suppressed the urge to run over and hug her little brother-in-law but kept mute, hoping he’d continue with the story.

  “Lillian knew Albert was working for my father and eventually would ruin the company. I resisted any work my father tried to send this way. In the end he gave up pressuring me, and when Albert retired, I was named partner and head of the firm by Lillian. Albert’s two sons weren’t too fond of an outsider taking over, so they left the firm to start their own. They always thought they’d be heirs to the kingdom. Little did they know their grandmother held all the power, not Albert. Her husband, Robert, wasn’t a stupid man. Everything was put in her name before he went to prison. After her husband died, she was in charge. Quite a shock to Albert, but he never told his sons. Led them to believe he was the head of the company till the day he died. Dear Lilly let him keep his dignity and never let on. When she passed, she left everything to me.”

  “You said there was another son. Why didn’t he become the head of Woods and Associates?” Kate was dying to hear what Freddie would say about her father.

  “Not the lawyer type. Jack was a journalist. He moved out west and visited infrequently. I complained to Lillian about her being left alone in the city, but she always insisted she wasn’t. She said his short visits were enough. I wished I could’ve been loved like that.”

  “Sounds like you were...” Kate wanted to console him. “...by Lillian. She must’ve been a wonderful woman. Thank you for telling me about her.”

  “Now, Kathryn...”

  “Please call me Kate.”

  Freddie’s eyes grew wide when she said that. “Sorry, just an old memory.” He smiled at her, and Kate’s heart melted. She saw the eleven-year-old boy in that smile and those eyes. How could she keep up the charade? Freddie had the right to know who she was and that Andrew was still alive and right down the hall.

  “Now, let’s get down to business. Lillian Woods left all the royalties from her son’s books to you. Since her death in the 1970s I’ve managed the account for you, waiting for you to claim it. I was in charge since it was established, overseeing it for years. I’m just a figurehead at the firm these days, but I never relinquished this account. I’ve been in total control of it and prayed you would show up before I was called to meet my Maker. I guess my prayers have been answered. Although...” Freddie hesitated. “I expected you to be much older.” He shook his head and blinked a few times, like he was trying to process the whole situation.

  Kate knew he must be wondering how a girl of eighteen could be included in a will when she wasn’t even born yet. She should be in her fifties for it to make sense.

  “My son, Federico, was instructed to call me if the message about Lillian Woods was ever received. I would be brought in to handle the account. Never thought I’d live to see the day. That’s why you had to wait, dear. My apologies. Had to get presentable and brought to the office.”

  Kate smiled at him. “You look very handsome.” Her head was reeling from all the information. Her father’s books collected royalties over the years, and Lilly left them to her. She owned her father’s books. “So you’re saying I have a little money coming? That I own the rights to her son’s books?”

  “Exactly. Except it’s not a little money. It’s rather a large sum. This much to be exact.” Freddie wrote a figure on a notepad and slid it across the desk.

  Kate gasped. She was a millionaire, in control of her own destiny and not dependent on anyone. Tears filled her eyes. “This is too generous.”

  “I did a good job investing the money, Kate. That’s all.” Freddie sat back in his chair and studied her carefully. “Don’t know why she wanted to give a complete stranger her son’s royalties, but I never questioned her. I have a feeling you’re not telling me something.”

  There was a knock at the door. An older, attractive dark-haired woman came through the door. “I’m sorry, Uncle, but we’ve got a small crisis.”

  “I can wait outside.” Kate stood up, relieved to be saved by the crisis.

  “Thank you, dear. It shouldn’t take long. Teresa, this is Kathryn Roberts.” Freddie turned to Kate. “Teresa is my great-niece and works here at the firm.”

  Kate shook hands with the petite woman, finding something all too familiar about her.

  As she walked out the door, Kate decided to find Drew and tell him everything. Retracing her steps, she found him talking and laughing with Calvin and Curtis, his long lost nephews. “Drew, could I speak to you alone?”

  “Sure, Cal, Curt, see you in a few.” Drew walked across the hall to an empty office which probably belonged to either Calvin or Curtis.

  “Cal? Curt?” Kate was shocked they bonded so quickly.

  “Hey, they’re my nephews. What can I say? Get this, they’re twins!”

  “What was your first clue?” Kate had to tease. “Their copper colored hair or that they look almost identical?”

  “Very funny.” Drew took Kate by the shoulders and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. “Now what did you find out?”

  Kate didn’t know where to begin. First she filled Drew in on the inheritance and then how the person handling her account was actually Freddie. She told the story of how her grandmother befriended him. “After our escape, she realized your brother and sister needed help. She reached out to Freddie, but he never mentioned your sister, althoug
h there’s someone working in the office named Teresa. I have a feeling she’s Maria’s granddaughter. Looks a lot like her. Drew, what do you want to do?”

  “First, calm down.” He placed his hands on her arms. “You’re talking a mile a minute. And second,” he raised both arms in the air and gave a silent scream. “My brother’s alive? I’d love to see him. Can we trust him?”

  “Yes, I’m certain of it, but first I have to get him to believe me. Come back with me and stay in the hall. I’ll think of something.”

  Calvin crossed the hallway. “Father’s ready for you, Ms. Roberts.”

  “Ready?” She looked deeply into Drew’s eyes. “We can do this.” The love she felt for him at that moment was more than she could stand. She felt equal to him, empowered by him and totally loved by him.

  Drew followed her down the hall, heading for a chair in an alcove that looked like a small waiting area. He kissed her on the cheek. “This day’s turning out to be quite special. It’s your call once you’re in there. I support any decision you make.”

  Kate knocked on the door and, hearing Freddie’s voice, slipped back into the room. “I hope everything’s alright.”

  “One crisis after another with her daughter. Teresa’s so level-headed and tries to keep the family running smoothly. Very much like my mother. Her daughter’s more like my sister, her great-grandmother—impulsive, short-sighted and wants instant gratification.” Freddie chuckled as he said it. “I guess it skips a few generations.”

  “Do I need to sign some papers today?” Kate decided to change the subject until she made her decision. Her thoughts went to the inheritance she’d receive. Perhaps she could think bigger, open her own publishing company.

  “Yes.” He opened a folder and pulled out some papers. “Let’s start here.”

  Kate continued to question the contract and sign the paperwork. When they finished, she set the pen down and looked directly at Freddie. What could she say to make him believe her? Then it dawned on her. She knew the perfect thing. “Death to the violin, Freddie.”

  He held his pen in mid-air, mouth opened as if he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. He continued to stare at her for a moment, studying her face as if to be sure. “Kathryn, it really is you.” Freddie sighed like he already knew.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Well, this,” he pointed to all the papers in front of them, “makes sense. You, here,” he pointed at her. “Does not.”

  “Let me explain.”

  “Please do.”

  “First there’s something I need to show you.” Kate got up and hurried to the door, opening it widely. Drew was still seated where she left him, thumbing through a magazine. He looked up when he heard the door open. Kate waved to him. “Come in.”

  Drew stepped into the room to the sound of a gasp. He ran over to the desk to find Freddie, clutching his chest. “Water, get him some water, Kate!”

  Drew loosened his brother’s tie and then patted him on the back. “Breathe, damn it! Breathe!”

  Kate poured the water and handed it to Drew. “Is he going to be alright?”

  “His asthma flares up when he gets excited. He forgets to breathe.” Drew carefully leaned Freddie back in the chair. “You okay now?’

  Freddie nodded as Drew squatted next to the chair.

  “Is it really you, Andrew?” Freddie reached out and took Drew’s chin in his hand. “Brother.” Tears welled up in both men’s eyes, and they silently studied each other. “How? You haven’t aged a day.”

  Drew stood up and motioned to Kate. “I have my wife to thank for my life. And now we’re entrusting our lives to you.”

  Freddie rose from his seat and grabbed onto his brother and began to sob. “Thank God for you, Andrew. Thank God.”

  Kate couldn’t hold back the tears and cried right along with him. “Freddie, you know we always loved you. Drew missed you so much.” It was hard to watch him cry, this old man who was sobbing like a young boy.

  “Freddie, try to calm down. I don’t want you having another attack.” Drew was so patient and kind with his brother. He turned to Kate and said, “I’ve got this.”

  Now it was her turn to wait in the hall, although she couldn’t sit down. Instead she paced back and forth up and down the hallway. Freddie could tell anyone he wanted that Drew was his brother. They might not believe him and think he was losing his mind. It could be bad for everyone if the secret got out. First there was Tyson to deal with and now this. But the situations were quite different. Kate knew Freddie could be trusted. What scared her was the group of people who knew the secrets of the book was growing larger and more unmanageable. Telling a few people a plan or strategy was much easier than a whole network.

  “You can come in now,” Drew’s voice called to her.

  “Kate, I’m sorry for crying like a baby before.” Freddie was back to his corporate self, sitting regally in his chair. “Andrew filled me in on the main details of his new life. Seems like you saved him twice...from the river and from Father.”

  “Not really. He had to make the choice.” Kate wasn’t going to take the credit.

  “Well, fine. I see you can still be stubborn.” Freddie chuckled again. “I’m so happy to find out Lillian was your grandmother. Wonderful woman! It all makes sense now. She knew about Father and made it a point to stay friends with the family.”

  “She wanted to help you, Freddie. Was she able to help Maria?”

  “Sorry to say, no. Maria went off the deep end after Drew’s death. If Father said black, she said white. The two of them butted heads for the rest of their days. I think she blamed him for driving Andrew away, forcing him to flee the city. She felt she had a friend in you, Kate. She lost that, too. Every time she came home from boarding school she was more provocative and daring. She’d slip out to the speakeasies with older men, wear the flapper clothes, which Father hated. She smoked cigarettes against Mother’s wishes. The final straw was when she got pregnant at eighteen. Such a scandal. Maria wanted to marry the baby’s father, but Father wouldn’t hear of it.”

  “Why not?”

  “It was one of his men. You might remember him...Rudy.”

  Kate remembered Rudy well. He helped bring her Uncle Albert into Nicolas’ office for a beat down. Maria was attracted to him? Kate remembered he was young and dark-haired but also kind to her. Such a complex man. “I think so. There were so many to keep track of.”

  Freddie looked at Drew, and the two of them laughed as if it was a private joke between them. “You’re right about that. Well, Maria had a baby girl and named her Kathryn. I think she named her that to spite our father. He said we were never to speak your name again after the two of you disappeared.”

  This time it was Kate’s turn to laugh. “I always knew I liked that girl!”

  “She never married, went back to her partying ways. Mother practically raised Kathryn. I tried to be a father figure to my niece although Rudy never liked that. He did see her on holidays and her birthday.”

  “That’s sad. Did Rudy want to marry Maria?”

  “Yes, he did. They tried to run away together, but Father found them. He wasn’t going to be outsmarted again. Rudy was sent to Chicago for a few years, and when he finally returned Maria had moved on. It wasn’t until Father’s death that Rudy and Maria spent a few years together. Rudy passed away suddenly, tragic all around.”

  “So what happened to Kathryn?” Drew was curious.

  “Sadly she passed away. She was the apple of my eye. She was beautiful, intelligent and never had a harsh word for anyone. Father couldn’t help but love her, although he did his best to hide it. When she married, he threw the biggest wedding New York City ever saw. Maria was there with her latest boyfriend. Father ended up kicking them out of the reception. I admit they were pretty drunk.” He winked at Drew. “But a fun drunk.”

  Kate started piecing the family together. “So Theresa is Kathryn’s daughter?”

  “Yes, so much like her mother and
as I said before, her great-grandmother Ilene.”

  “You’ve been the father and the grandfather in their lives. Freddie, you are so...” Kate was at a loss for words, searching for the perfect choices. “Magnanimous. Kind. Wonderful...everything Lilly would be proud of.”

  “Thank you.” Freddie stared down at his hands as if hiding something.

  “Is there more? Something you want to tell us?” Kate was suddenly concerned. His demeanor had quickly changed.

  “No, no, not really...it’s nothing.”

  Drew clasped his brother’s arm. “Freddie, I want to know everything.”

  “No, you don’t.” His voice was barely a whisper. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Kate wondered who would give in first, Freddie or Drew, when she heard the unspeakable. “I had to protect her from Father. I took the beatings...for all of us.”

  “What?” Drew took a few steps back. He quickly looked at Kate to see if he heard him correctly. Their eyes locked in horror.

  “Father grew angrier by the year. At first it was just words, mental abuse they would call it today. I know he was trying to control me, keep me in line. He didn’t want me leaving the family the way you did, Andrew. When Maria came home from school, she could really push his buttons. The first time he raised his hand to her I stepped in and took the blow.”

  “And Mother?”

  “She never knew...was never around during those encounters. Father was smart about that. In her eyes, he was always this saint,” Freddie laughed sarcastically.

  “How long?” Kate had to know.

  “Well, let me see. After Andrew passed, the house was in mourning for a year. Things were tense during that time. There was an eerie silence throughout the house. Father made the decision I would not be going away to boarding school when I turned twelve. I would stay home and go to a private school in the city. He used the excuse that Mother couldn’t stand having me far away. By then, I was ready to go but understood I was needed. During the year of mourning, the verbal assaults started. I couldn’t do anything right, even cut my meat the correct way. I watched Mother flinch every time he yelled, but she saw him as the head of the household, someone stricken by intense grief and never intervened.”