Past Sins Revisited

by Mary Goldberger

  After saying ‘goodbye’ and hanging up, Edric said to Tomas, “Can we find out about Calida’s mother?”

  Tomas frowned as he said, “It shouldn’t be too hard, but I don’t know how long it will take to get the information.”

  “Right now, there is no rush,” Edric told him as a sound from the door caught his attention and his eyes shifted slightly in that direction which Tomas caught.

  “So is there anything else this evening, Ric?” Tomas asked moving quietly and swiftly to the door, and as Edric said, “No” he pulled the door open to reveal his current bedmate standing there.

  “Oh, Tomas, I was looking for you,” Lida said quickly, and Tomas smiled although his eyes were hard.

  “As you can see, I was working. Is there something you wanted?” He asked, and she giggled as she lifted a hand to his chest.

  “Now that is a stupid question, lover,” she stated running her tongue across her lips.

  Edric watched her actions before he turned his chair around looking out his window as the woman held no appeal to him although he knew she wanted him to take notice in her. His mind flashed to a pair of hazel eyes and brownish-blonde hair that he still didn’t know the length of, and his eyes hardened as his stomach clenched with attraction something he didn’t want to feel especially for a Reseda.

  Chapter 5

  Calida went to bed after her bath and laid there looking up at the ceiling before she climbed out and went over to her dresser kneeling down so she could reach underneath it.

  Pulling out an envelope, she walked back to the bed and opened it pouring out the contents in the middle of the bed. She stared down at the papers and pictures on her bed before she started shifting through the things and organizing as it had been in the envelope. She was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door and she said, “Come in” as she started reading each document making sure that everything was in order.

  Wilma walked in and closed the door behind her watching her for a few minutes before she asked, “Are you sure you want to expose your brother, Calida?”

  Calida sighed as she put down her hands and said quietly, “It’s not that I want to, Wilma, but I can’t live with what I know. That young woman deserves to have some justice for what he did to her, and,” she flinched her eyes closing before she continued, “She wasn’t the first.”

  Wilma stared at her astonishment as Calida opened her eyes and looked at her with hazel eyes filled with sadness and anger. “I learned that there were two more women who suffered the same fate as she did and each time Jeffrey covered it up.”

  Calida held out some pictures to her and Wilma walked over slowly to take them from her sitting down on the bed. As she went through them her face paled and her eyes widened as she saw the resemblance.

  “They resemble your mother,” she whispered looking up from the pictures.

  “I thought so too,” Calida told her. “Wilma, do I look…”

  Wilma shook her head slowly and said, “No, sweetie, you did when you were younger but now, you look more like your father.”

  Calida didn’t say anything to that comment as she glanced down at the other documents before she started pulling them together. “Did you find a cop we can trust?” She asked as she collected the information before putting it back in the folder.

  “Yes,” Wilma told her as she watched a thoughtful look come across Calida’s face.

  “Wilma,” Calida said turning to her, “what if we…”

  Wilma listened and her eyes widened at what Calida was thinking of doing and she nodded her head as Calida continued talking and organizing the work she had been doing for almost ten years.

  The next day, Calida made a few stops before she went to work and entering the bakery she immediately saw the two men who were sitting in the corner. Her eyes hardened for a second before she smiled at Samantha and continued on to the kitchen.

  Before she started her shift she called Jake and told him, “He knows I’m here, Jake.”

  On the other end, Jake froze as a look of fear crossed his face and Wilma looking up from her shopping stilled at it.

  “All right,” Jake said quietly before he hung up the phone.

  “He knows she is here,” Wilma confirmed just reading the look on his face and Jake nodded his head. “We need to be on guard, Jake.”

  Jake nodded again as they continued shopping worried about Calida while she continued working her eyes moving occasionally to the door. It was a long, and for Calida, on edge day as it came to closing time and Simon opened his mouth to her as they started cleaning up.

  “Don’t, Simon, I’m not in the mood for your bullshit tonight,” Calida said without hesitation and the kitchen went quiet at her words.

  She paid no attention to them as one by one everyone finished although Simon, being the first to leave, glared at her as he walked out. Calida glanced over at him betting anything he was the reason her brother knew she was back, but it didn’t matter. She had known it would be sooner or later although she had been hoping for later, but she had already sent the information off. She just hoped that it reached the people she had attended it for and not someone who owed her brother.

  Samantha and her were the last to leave, and Calida said, “I will lock up for you” nodding her head to the car that was waiting for Samantha.

  “Thank you,” Samantha told her and Calida smiled as she closed the door behind her. She locked the doors and pulled the shade before she headed to the kitchen and out the backdoor making sure to put the alarm on locking the door behind her as she closed up.

  She headed for her car the dark making her uncomfortable and as she reached her car, someone grabbed her shoulder.

  “Miss Reseda, your brother wants to see you,” an intimidating voice told her, and Calida didn’t think but reacted as she slammed her free elbow in the man’s midsection throwing him off balance so she could swing away from his hold. She would’ve run if the other man hadn’t grabbed her and smirked before he punched her in the face knocking her out.

  “Your brother didn’t tell us you were feisty,” he said as she slid to the ground unconscious. “I like feisty.”

  He smiled and bent down to her pick her when suddenly he was yanked back and a fist was planted in his face.

  “Hey,” he heard his buddy say as he hit the ground, but the next thing he knew his buddy was lying next to him holding his stomach.

  “Get lost,” another voice growled in a harsh voice and both men shivered at the coldness they heard in the man’s voice.

  They scrambled to their feet and took off as Edric bent down to check on Calida when another car pulled up a few feet away from them.

  Edric went on alert as the door opened and Jake came out running over to them as he asked worriedly, “Is she okay?”

  Edric nodded his head bending to pick Calida up as he commented, “He just knocked her out. She may bruise but I don’t think anything is broken.”

  Jake sighed in relief as Edric stood up smoothly lifting Calida off the ground asking him, “Do you know who they were?”

  Jake opened his mouth but then snapped it closed as he shook his head and rushed ahead of him as Edric started for Jake’s car.

  “I was going to suggest I take her to my home but since you are here,” Edric began as he gently eased Calida in the backseat of the car.

  “She wouldn’t have liked that, sir, no offense,” Jake told him quietly as Edric stepped away from the car so Jake could close the door.

  Edric nodded his head as Jake climbed in the car remarking, “Please have Ms. Wilma call me tomorrow to let me know how she is doing.”

  Jake agreed as he put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot while Edric watched him leave before turning to his own car, he caught a glint of something lying on the ground.

  He frowned bending down to pick it up and noticed that it was a necklace, and he wondered if it had fallen off one of the men during the scuffle. Then he shook his head as he smiled grim
ly noting that it was too girly for those two which meant it was Calida’s necklace.

  “A monkey, huh,” he said with a chuckle dangling the little monkey charm with a heart in the center from his fingers before he swung it up in his palm. With a smile, he shook his head and turned around to his car sliding and starting the engine just as his cell went off and when he noticed the caller id he let it ring hooking the monkey charm necklace around the rearview mirror. He scowled as he realized what he was doing taking his eyes from the charm and forcing his eyes to the road although he left the charm hanging from the mirror as it twisted and swayed.

  Calida woke up slowly her face throbbing and her eyes flickered open landing on the concerned faces of Jake, Wilma and Aunt Marti, and she groaned as she tried to sit up.

  “He had a decent left hook,” she joked unsuccessfully as they glared at her.

  “You should’ve been more careful,” Wilma told her reaching out a hand to touch her forehead. “You should know that your brother doesn’t like it when his orders are not followed.”

  “Last time I checked, Wilma,” Calida said dryly as she removed Wilma’s hand from her forehead, “I didn’t need a guardian especially him.”

  Wilma flinched at the note in her voice and she sighed before she said, “I know, dear, but your brother is set in his way.”

  Calida laughed shortly with no humor before she said coldly, “My brother likes to control people and he does that through fear and intimidation.”

  Jake glanced at Wilma who didn’t look away from Calida’s hazel eyes hard with anger before she said, “So we continue as planned.”

  Calida nodded her head once before she eased off the bed and said, “I’m going to take a shower and Jake,” turning hazel eyes to him, “thank you for helping.”

  Jake looked uncomfortable for a minute and Calida looked at him questioningly and he admitted, “I arrived a few minutes too late. Mr. Walwyn was the one who helped you.”

  Calida’s eyes widened at the news before she nodded her head saying thoughtfully, “Then I owe Mr. Walwyn a thank you.”

  She still had the thoughtful look on her face as she headed out of the room heading for the bathroom as Aunt Marti called out, “I will go make you something to eat.”

  “Okay,” Calida said as she shut the door after entering the bathroom. As she undressed and took a long shower, she thought about how she could repay Edric for his help and decided maybe there was one way.

  After drying off and getting dressed comfortably, she headed to the kitchen where she went to the phone and called Samantha even though it was late.

  “Samantha, I know it’s late but I have a question to ask you,” Calida said as she sat down at the table rubbing her jaw where she had noticed a bruise was already forming. “When Mr. Walwyn comes in the bakery, does he order anything?”

  She listened intently as Wilma sat down a cup of hot tea and Aunt Marti placed a sandwich in front of her, and she nodded her thanks to them.

  “Is that all he orders?” Calida asked taking a bite out of her sandwich as a slight frown came across her face and she looked at Wilma mimicking writing.

  Wilma nodded her head and hurried to do as Calida asked, and when she gave it to her Calida smiled and nodded her head before she immediately started writing.

  After apologizing again, and saying ‘goodnight’, she hung up the phone tapping the pen against the notepad as she muttered, “The man has a sweet tooth yet I detect not an ounce of fat on his body.”

  “Who are we talking about?” Aunt Marti asked as Wilma began to smile.

  “Edric Walwyn,” Wilma told her softly as Calida glared at them and Aunt Marti whistled lowly.

  “A very good looking young man if my old eyes don’t deceive me,” Aunt Marti stated as Calida got up from her seat.

  “They don’t,” Calida said quietly as she began going through the cupboards pulling out things she needed. She nodded her head as she looked down at her list and then she got to work.

  “Calida,” Wilma began as they watched her and Calida glanced over at them. “Is this how you are going to repay him?”

  Calida nodded her head as she turned back to what she was doing and said, “I doubt he will take money and I won’t give myself to just anyone unless I truly have feelings for them so this is the only way I know how to repay him for helping me.”

  She frowned slightly as she recalled her monkey charm necklace her mother had given her on her eighth birthday the same year she passed away and she asked, “Wilma, did you see my necklace?”

  Wilma frowned as she shook her head automatically knowing what necklace Calida was referring because it was the only one she wore. “No, isn’t it in your jewelry box?” She asked and Calida bit her lip as she thought before she sighed.

  “It’s possible. I will check for it later,” Calida admitted as she continued working and Wilma put on the radio getting a smile from Calida as she and Aunt Marti walked away from the kitchen.

  Calida worked through the night so by the next morning she had made a box of pastries for Edric and after boxing those up putting a note inside, she asked Jake, “Can you deliver this for me to his company?”

  “I know where he lives, I can take it there,” Jake offered, but Calida smiled and shook her head.

  “No, I don’t want to it make too personal, Jake,” Calida admitted as she yawned widely covering her mouth.

  “Go get some sleep,” Aunt Marti told her as she walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “We will make sure that Mr. Walwyn will get your gift for his help last night.”

  Calida nodded her head and giving Aunt Marti’s hand a squeeze, she walked out of the kitchen and to her room.

  “Marti, call Mrs. Treston and tell her what happened,” Wilma said her eyes sad as she glanced at them. “Jake, take those desserts to Mr. Walwyn.”

  They both nodded their head as Marti went to the phone and Jake grabbing the box headed out the door, and Wilma took the opportunity to go check on Calida. She was stretched out on the bed her shoes off and sound asleep.

  “I hope he likes your gift, sweetie, especially as you worked all night on them,” Wilma said quietly as she backed out of the room closing the door softly.

  As she went back down stairs, Marti told her, “Mrs. Treston was worried when I called her and told me to tell Calida to take the day off, and to call her later.”

  Wilma nodded her head her aging body sinking in the kitchen chair as she said “Now we have to wait for her brother to call.”

  At Marti’s look of confusion, she explained, “It’s just a feeling I get that he will call soon, or at least, call Calida’s cell as he doesn’t have this number…yet.”

  Marti shook her head sadly before she said, “It’s a shame her parents are not alive to see what she is going through.”

  Wilma laughed before she said mysteriously, “And yet, I think Calida’s parents would be proud of her at what she is doing.”

  Aunt Marti looked at her questioningly but Wilma shook her head as she asked, “So what should we have for lunch?”

  Edric had been in his office for over two hours when his secretary, Mariah, knocked on the door and walked in with her long stride, and he frowned looking at her.

  “You have a visitor by the name of Jake here to see you although I told him that you were busy,” she began only to stop when he got up from his chair and walked out.

  “Hi Jake,” Edric said as he walked in his secretary’s office and she followed him sitting back down at her desk.

  “Calida asked me to bring this to you,” Jake said handing out a box. “It is a thank you for your help yesterday evening.”

  Edric frowned as he accepted the box and opened it to reveal the pastries nicely nestled inside, and he noted the small sheet of paper lying on top.

  He took out the paper and placed the box on his secretary’s desk as she peeked inside and said, “They look delicious.”

  “I can honestly say they are,” Jake confirmed with a
smile.

  Edric wasn’t paying attention to them as he read the note: Edric, thank you for your help yesterday evening. This is a gift for you in appreciation. I hope you enjoy them. Calida.

  He smiled at her words as he folded the note back up and stuck it in his pocket ad he turned to the box catching Mariah taking one.

  “Sorry,” she said catching his eyes on her, “but they look so good that…”

  Jake laughed as Edric chuckled before saying, “You may take a few but the rest are mine.”

  She laughed and nodded her head grabbing a napkin and placing a few on it before she pushed the box away. “Take it before I grab more and gain weight,” she told Edric getting a laugh from him but he reached for the box closing the box up.

  Jake said thoughtfully, “I think she is working on some pastries that are still good but don’t have as many calories although she was talking about needing someone to taste them for her.”

  Edric watched as his secretary’s eyes lit up and she said, “I will be glad to help her out if she needs someone to taste them for her.”

  Jake nodded his head as he said, “I know that at the bakery they will probably be free samples to see what people things about them, but Calida probably would like someone to give her a critique about them so she can either make them better or scratch them all together.”

  “Then I will gladly help,” she said with excitement.

  “I will let her know,” Jake told her. “I will have her call you here at the office if it is all right with your boss sometime later today. She stayed up most of the night to make those,” he indicated with a nod of his head, “although I’m sure she couldn’t sleep anyway.”

  “Why not?” Edric asked his green eyes alert as Jake turned to him.

  “Calida had too much on her mind,” Jake revealed but he didn’t say anything else as he glanced down at his watch. “I have a few other things to do before I head back to the house. It’s a good thing we moved before this happened though.”