To Love Twice

by McCoubrey, Heather

  “I don’t know, babe. I don’t know.”

  “She just wants to know why, you know? I don’t think she’ll ever know. I can see how much that part is eating at her. She’s having such a hard time comparing the Brad who saved her with the Brad he’s become.” Georgie shuddered at the memory of Kate in pain. It had been Brad who’d called her. Kate had been in a coma, and when she woke, Kate had asked Brad to call her. Five long days Kate had been alone. No family, no friends – no one, except Brad. The man who’d saved her. He would always hold a special place in Georgie’s heart, because if not for him, Kate may have died.

  “Georgie don’t. Don’t go back there. There was nothing you have done differently.”

  “That’s where you and I disagree, but I’ll let it go for now. She’s calling a divorce lawyer tomorrow. She’s hoping for a quick divorce. She doesn’t think he’ll fight her for Mary. And she’s not going to ask him for anything. I think she’s out of her mind. She should at least make him give her child support.”

  “You think he’d do that? He didn’t help her with Mary before she left, you really think he’s going to start now?”

  “The old Brad would, Tim. You know that. And without him…” Georgie let the thought drift away.

  “Georgie, he’s been a piece of crap for a year now. Shit, I’m more Mary’s father than he is. He doesn’t want them anymore and I’ll bet you he does what he has to to get it over and done with quickly.”

  “I just think he should DO something. But, she should just at least ask for child support.”

  Georgie’s cell phone rang, and she jumped up to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Georgie? I need you to come, now.”

  “What’s going on? Kate, is everything ok?”

  “No, I’m at the police station. I’m being held for breaking and entering.”

  “What?! I’ll be right there,” Georgie hung up, already heading toward the door. She spun around remembering her purse and keys. Not seeing them on the chair, she cursed. “Shit, shit! My keys, where are my damn keys?”

  “Right here,” Tim held them in his hand. “What’s going on? I’ll drive.”

  “The police. She’s at the station. Something about breaking and entering. Oh my God, Tim. What is going on?!”

  “We’ll find out when we get there.”

  The usual twenty minute drive into the city only took ten. Tim had barely put the car in park when Georgie opened her door and ran for the front door. Rushing through the lobby of the police station, Georgie scanned the room looking for someone to speak to. As she continued down a hall, she looked into a big room full of cops and desks. Spying her sister, she rushed over. “I’m here. What’s going on Kate?”

  “Oh Georgie, thank God you’re here!” Kate walked over and put Mary in Georgie’s arms. “They’re holding me on suspicion of breaking and entering. They can’t get a hold of Brad, and until they do, I have to be here.”

  “What? That’s ridiculous. You’re still married. You haven’t even filed for divorce yet. How can they do this?”

  “Do what?” Tim asked as he joined them.

  “Tim, they’re holding her for breaking into Brad’s house today. Can they do that?”

  “I have no idea. But I guess I better get on the phone and find a lawyer.” Tim reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He walked out into the hall to make his call.

  “Georgie, I know you will but I still need to ask. Can you watch Mary until this is sorted out? I don’t want them to call CPS.”

  “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

  “Okay ma’am, your sister is here. We need you to come with us to interview,” the police officer said.

  “Okay, okay. Um, I don’t know what to do,” Kate said. “Let me give her a kiss. I’m sorry, Mary. Auntie Georgie is going to watch you. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you baby.” Kate reached out and grabbed her sister, giving her a hard hug. “Thank you so much.”

  “Don’t panic. Tim is calling a lawyer. We’ll get this sorted out quickly.”

  “Okay. Thank you. See you soon.”

  Georgie watched helplessly as the police officers ushered Kate out of the room and down the hall. She joined Tim in the hall and watched his face trying to read from his expression what kind of luck he was having. He raked his fingers through his hair. Not a good sign. “Right. Thank you anyway. Argh,” Tim snarled as he ended the call. “How is it possible that we know every damn person in this city, and none are lawyers?”

  “Let me try something,” Georgie said. She walked over to the desk and reached into Mary’s diaper bag retrieving Kate’s cell phone. She didn’t know the last name of Kate’s boss, but she knew the first name well enough. She read through all the names and finally found Erin under the M’s. “McNamara, Erin. Kate’s boss. Kate told me that they’ve really hit it off and become good friends. It’s worth a shot.”

  Georgie hit dial and crossed her fingers.

  “Hi Kate, how’s it going?”

  “Hello, is this Erin?”

  “Um, yes. Who am I speaking with?”

  “This is Georgie Knight. I’m Kate’s sister. I’m sorry to bother you, but we’ve got a situation. Kate’s been arrested and unfortunately we’re having some trouble tracking down a lawyer. I know this seems a bit unorthodox, but I’d rather not Google a deadbeat lawyer.”

  “I’m on it. Is she at the police station now?”

  “Yes, they just took her into the interview room.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  Georgie sighed in relief. “Thank you.” She ended the call and turned to Tim. “She said she’d be here in fifteen minutes. Here’s hoping my idea works,” Georgie said as she crossed her fingers. She leaned down and nuzzled Mary’s head.

  Chapter Five

  Kate couldn’t remember ever being so scared in her life. They took her fingerprints, and her picture. She felt like a common criminal. Her hands were shaking and her head felt like it was floating like a balloon over her shoulders.

  The officers put her in a tiny cramped room. There was a metal table in the center of the room, with four chairs surrounding it. One of the officers gestured for Kate to take a seat. Shakily, she pulled out a chair and sank into it. She glanced up and studied the cops who were about to question her.

  The first looked like he should have been playing with the NFL. He was tall, bulky and gave the impression he could knock someone over with his pinky finger. His light blue eyes looked strangely out of place in his wide face. His nose was off center, indicating it had been broken more than once. His mouth was wide, his thin lips pulled tight in a grimace. His face was square and she could see his jaw tensing every couple of seconds.

  The second one was shorter, and very muscular. She figured he was the type who only did four things: Eat, Sleep, Workout, and Work. His face was lean, his cheekbones prominent. His nose was straight and he had dark chocolate brown eyes. In his eyes, Kate could see the uneasiness he felt.

  “Ma’am, I’m Officer Wendle and this is my partner Officer Keegan. We’re going to ask you some questions. Do you have any objection to this?” NFL asked her.

  “I guess not. Will it help to clear up this misunderstanding?”

  “We hope so,” Officer Keegan said.

  “Alright, then question away,” Kate said bravely.

  “Ma’am, did you enter the premises of 145 Willow Lane at approximately eight o’clock this morning?”

  “Yes. My sister and I went there this morning,” Kate answered quickly.

  “Did you attempt to disarm the system?”

  “No. I didn’t know one had been installed.”

  “Were you aware you were being monitored?”

  “No.”

  “Did you remove anything from the house?” NFL asked her.

  “No! There wasn’t anything to remove,” Kate said angrily. “Wouldn’t you or whomever have seen that on the video?”

  N
FL ignored her question. “Did you go there with the intent of removing items from the house?”

  “Yes. Brad and I separated two months ago. I moved into my apartment yesterday and wanted to collect the baby’s items, the rest of my clothes and some of the furniture that belonged to me.”

  “Where have you been living since your separation?”

  “At my sister’s house.” Kate looked off into the corner of the room. She would not cry. She would not lose it in front of these people. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She turned her face back the officers.

  NFL cleared his throat and looked away. Body Builder sat there looking uncomfortable. “Do you have more questions for me?” Kate asked.

  Just then there was a knock at the door. NFL got up to open it. Kate almost fainted when Erin walked in. Her hands became clammy and she could feel beads of sweat sliding down her back. What was her boss doing here? Kate rolled her eyes. She could kiss her job goodbye.

  Kate didn’t even notice the woman who walked in behind her. She was too mortified at seeing her boss. Erin crossed to Kate and sat down quickly next to her. “Are you okay?” Erin whispered to her.

  “Y-Yes,” Kate squeaked out.

  Erin nodded. “Good.”

  “Gentlemen, my name is Clair Forbes. I need a moment to confer with my client,” the woman said. Kate finally looked up and noticed the other person in the room. To say she was tall was an understatement. Kate’s eyes kept traveling up and up until they finally reached her face, and then she blinked. The woman was gorgeous. Swimsuit edition gorgeous. Her green eyes danced in her face. Kate could see a tiny sprinkling of freckles across her nose and under her eyes. Her red hair was long and curly. It looked so incredibly thick that Kate didn’t think this woman would be able to get a hairband around it.

  “Of course,” the officers said. They both got up and raced out of the room.

  Clair turned to Kate. “What did you tell them?”

  “The truth.”

  “Okay, I need to know exactly what they asked you and what you said in return.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s my job. Spill it.”

  Kate looked at Erin, questions in her eyes. Erin nodded toward Clair. “Go ahead, Kate.”

  “They asked me if I went to Brad’s house and they asked me if I removed anything from the house. They asked how I got in and why I didn’t turn the alarm off.”

  “And what did you tell them?”

  Kate rehashed what she’d told the officers, right up to the point when Erin and Clair had interrupted. “That’s all that was said,” Kate finished.

  “Okay, I can work with this.” Clair pulled out her Blackberry and sent some messages. “Okay, what I need now…”

  “I’m sorry,” Kate interrupted. “I appreciate you coming here.” Kate turned toward Erin. “And I appreciate what you’ve done for me, Erin. But I’m scared. What’s next? This is all just a misunderstanding, at least that’s what I keep telling myself.”

  Clair paused and looked like she was collecting her thoughts. “Okay, here’s what I’m hoping will happen. I’m hoping they’ll be able to get a hold of Brad soon. I think once they talk to him, this will be cleared up and you’ll be able to go home. You don’t have a record and since you aren’t officially separated from Brad, it’s still the marital home. I need to get a statement from your sister, and that needs to go into the police file. Once that’s done, I’ll go work some magic.”

  “Brad seems so angry, I don’t know if he’ll let it go when they do reach him.”

  “I’m sure he will. After all, the place is empty,” Clair said. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Kate watched Clair walk out of the room and then whirled in her chair toward her boss. “Erin! I’m so embarrassed. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you fired me. I’m so sorry that you’re involved. Did my sister call you?”

  Erin grinned. “Kate, Kate – calm down! I’ve worked with you for a month and you’ve done nothing to make me think that you aren’t still a good fit for our company.” She reached out and placed her fingers on Kate’s arm. “Screw that, a good fit for me! There is nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  “But I’ve been arrested. That can’t be good for business.”

  Erin laughed. “You’ve been detained and I think that’s different. But whatever. Hell, I’ve been arrested. I was twenty and thought I knew everything. I chained myself to a tree on Harvard’s lawn. It was old and diseased, but I didn’t think they should cut it down. There were six of us, all chained to this diseased, dying tree. What a spectacle. Spent the night in jail, and got community service. It amuses me now, that moment in time. Really, Kate, this is nothing. We’re behind you, one hundred percent. Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”

  “Erin, I don’t have enough money to pay her.” Kate looked down at her lap, embarrassed to admit this. “She looks extremely expensive. And now that Brad has gotten rid of everything, I just don’t see how this is going to work out, financially. Mary doesn’t even have a crib,” Kate’s eyes welled up and she willed them away.

  Erin reached over and held Kate’s hand. “Kate, honestly, don’t worry about anything. Let’s get you out of here and get this mess cleared up and then we’ll worry about the money.”

  “Thank you,” Kate whispered.

  “By the way,” Erin smirked. “She’s the best divorce lawyer in town.”

  Kate looked up and smiled. “Really?”

  “Yes.” Erin’s smirk changed to a full-blown smile. Her eyes twinkling she did her best to reassure her friend. “I’ve got you covered, Kate.”

  “Thank you. Really, thank you so much.” Kate leaned over and gave Erin a hug.

  There was a light knock at the door, and NFL popped his head in. “You ladies want anything to drink? The coffee is as bad as you see on TV, but the sodas are cold.”

  Erin spoke before Kate had a chance. “That would be great, two diets if you have them.”

  “Not a problem.” NFL closed the door.

  “They’ve really been quite decent to me. They both look like they’d rather be anywhere but doing this today.”

  “Yeah, it’s nice when you find some really decent cops. Too bad they all aren’t like that, right?” Erin laughed.

  Laughing, Kate nodded. NFL popped back in the room. “Here you go ladies. You need anything else? Bathroom break?”

  “No, I’m okay. Thank you.” Kate replied.

  NFL nodded his head, and walked out.

  “See what I mean? Decent,” Kate said. “I hope this isn’t keeping you from anything important. Wouldn’t that add icing to this delicious cake.”

  “No, I was just sitting at home catching up on household paperwork. I need an EA for my house stuff too,” Erin laughed.

  “Well, if I get out of here, you could always hire me. That’s how I’ll work off Clair’s fees. Indentured servitude,” Kate cracked a smile.

  Erin laughed. “I’m glad to see you still have your sense of humor. If you get out of here and everything gets worked out, I’ll think about it. You’d have to bring Mary with you though. My kids would get a kick out of having a real life baby to play with.”

  “It’s a deal,” Kate smiled.

  Clair stormed into the room. “Okay, they finally got a hold of Brad. He corroborated your story. He said he didn’t think you’d actually show up at the house, that’s why he didn’t tell you about the alarm system. Your sister and everyone is waiting out in the hall for you. Ready to go?”

  “Is that it?” Kate asked.

  Smiling, Clair answered “Yes.”

  “Thank you, Clair.” Kate looked up, those wretched tears stinging her eyes again. “You’ll help me with my divorce?”

  “Of course. Erin told me that was the main reason I was here. This was just a speed bump.”

  Kate stood up, and reached for Clair. The tears wouldn’t stay at bay, but Kate didn’t care. She was the absolute luckiest woman in the world. Giv
ing Clair a hug, Kate let out a sigh of relief.

  Chapter Six

  “Kate Walker to see Clair Forbes,” Kate told the receptionist. Her palms were sweaty and she felt like she was going to lose the contents of her stomach at any moment.

  “Please have a seat. Ms. Forbes will be right out.” The receptionist gestured toward the chairs lining the wall opposite the reception desk.

  Kate sat down in one of the chairs, concentrating on her breathing. I will not puke, I will not pass out. I will not puke, I will not pass out. The litany ran through Kate’s head over and over.

  Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to see twenty minutes had gone by. She walked over to the receptionist and asked her how much longer the wait would be. “I’m on my lunch break and I don’t have much more time,” Kate explained.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Walker. I’ll call back there again,” the receptionist offered.

  Kate nodded and went back to her chair. A few minutes later, a woman rushed into the lobby.

  “Kate Walker?”

  Kate stood up. “Yes, that’s me,” she said.

  “Hello, I’m Sara, Clair’s assistant. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you back.”

  “Thank you,” Kate said as she followed Sara down the hall.

  “I’m sorry for the delay. I don’t know who she called to let us know you were here, but it wasn’t me! I was just about to call you to see if you were still coming.” Sara rolled her eyes. “The girl up front is a temp. Our normal receptionist, Jenny went home. She’s pure gold but she was scaring the clients away with her cough. Poor thing was sick as a dog and wouldn’t go home until Clair walked out there with the Lysol spray,” Sara chuckled.

  Kate laughed. “I hope she feels better soon.”

  “Us too,” Sara said dramatically.

  She ushered Kate into Clair’s office and Kate’s jaw dropped. The whole wall was glass and the view of the city was breathtaking. Kate walked to the windows before she could stop herself and took in the the view. She could see for miles. Kate could make out the river snaking it’s way through the south end of the city. The skyscrapers were like beautiful sculptures shooting into the sky from the ground. The cars resembled little matchbox cars on the ground and the people were so tiny, Kate could barely make them out. Breathing in, Kate wondered how Clair was able to get anything done during the day.