by Joannie Kay
"I am not positive of anything, Mr. Bridges," she answered, determined to pay one Natalie Jamison a visit and confront her.
"We could always ask Michael to investigate the matter," he mused, but wasn't surprised when she shook her head 'no'.
"I can't imagine why anyone would say something like that to you, Mr. Bridges. The last time I was in a restaurant, Michael and I took his parents out... and that was three weeks ago! Most of the time we eat at the O'Keefe house with Michael's family."
"You weren't in Checkers a couple of evenings ago?"
"No, sir. In fact, I've never eaten there before. It's a new place, isn't it?"
"Yes," Drake replied with a thoughtful frown. "If you think of anything at all, I want you to call me right away, Molly. If someone has it in for you and she is telling lies of this sort, it could hurt the firm. I want to help you put a stop to her, understand?"
"Yes, sir," Molly replied.
"Good. Let's get out of here. It's time for a nice relaxing weekend after the busy week we've had."
"I still have one more..."
"Forget it until Monday morning," he said firmly. "Life is about more than work, Molly." He waved her out of his office and started packing his briefcase with documents he needed to review before he went to court Monday morning. Once that was done, Drake picked up the telephone and made a call.
It did not take Molly long to shut down her computer and straighten her desk before she put on her coat and grabbed her handbag. She saw the light that indicated her boss was making a call, but she paid it no mind. It was time to pay her former roommate an unannounced visit.
* * *
Natalie smiled smugly at herself in the mirror. It had taken her almost three months to come up with the perfect plan to get even with that bitch for ruining her life, and it was so simple she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner! It was one of her pet peeves about the redhead... She wouldn't talk about any of the cases she was working on! Never. Even when Natalie knew that Molly's boss was representing someone Natalie knew. It was frustrating to live with someone who possessed all the juicy details and wouldn't share. Molly always had the same excuse, too; client confidentiality; it would mean her job if she talked about the clients with anyone. It seemed perfectly fitting that the bitch would lose her job for something she systematically refused to do. Yes, Natalie smiled at herself in the mirror, it would serve the bitch right! All because of her she'd had to move home with her parents as if she was a child. Her father controlled her finances, and her mom no longer slipped her money when she asked. Worst of all, she wasn't permitted to go out unless her father knew who she was to be with and approved. She also had a curfew! It was demeaning, but her job didn't pay enough for her to live anywhere else, and her father flat out refused to back her like he did before Molly and that Cop of hers tattled on her!
The doorbell interrupted her musing, and Natalie reluctantly got to her feet to go and answer. Her mother purchased a new dining room table and Natalie was to let the delivery men inside the house and sign for delivery. To her shocked surprise Molly was standing on the doorstep. "What do you want?" she demanded.
"We need to talk, Natalie," Molly said firmly.
"No, we do not need to talk. I have nothing to say to a bitch like you." Natalie tried to shut the door in Molly's face, but Molly wasn't having it. She gave the door a shove and pushed Natalie back and then she stepped inside. "Get out!" Natalie yelled at her.
"Not until we have a little talk, Natalie. We can either have this out here and now or I'll file a complaint with the police and they can ask you the questions."
"Police?" Natalie turned pale. She didn't want that damn Cop of hers coming around! If not for him, the bitch would have been blamed for everything and her dad would still be paying her bills while she lived where she wanted. No, she did not want that bitch calling in that damn Cop! "I think you have a lot of nerve coming here and threatening me, Molly Henderson!"
"I think you have a lot of nerve in trying to get me fired from my job," Molly stated flatly. "Don't bother denying it, Natalie. It has you written all over it."
"I don't know what you are talking about, bitch! I didn't make any call to your boss!" When Molly smiled and just stared at her, Natalie realized her mistake too late! "Damn you!" she snarled, and then she drew back her hand and slapped Molly hard across the face.
Molly lost her temper. She didn't allow anyone to abuse her and get away with it, and the fight was on. Natalie was bigger and outweighed her by at least forty pounds, but Molly simply didn't care. She was going to make the blonde regret slapping her, and she was damn well going to make her regret the lie she told Drake Bridges.
"I fucking hate you, bitch!" Natalie took another swing at the petite redhead and found herself knocked flat on her butt on the stone floor of the foyer. To her dismay, the redhead pinned her and she couldn't move!
The front door opened and Natalie heard her father sputtering, "What is the meaning of this?"
Strong hands lifted Molly off of Natalie. "Do not struggle with me, little girl. You are in enough trouble as it is," Michael told her, giving her a shake before putting her on her feet beside him. Ed Jamison was helping his cursing daughter to her feet, and when she tried to lunge at Molly, Michael stepped between them, in spite of Molly's protests that she could take care of herself.
"Natalie Jamison, you settle down right now or I swear I will paddle you in front of these people!" Ed Jamison was furious and the threat was not an idle one.
His daughter promptly burst into tears. "I want her arrested, Daddy! She came in here and attacked me!"
"I did not!" Molly refuted her words. "She slapped me first and I defended myself!"
"I am filing charges and I demand you arrest her immediately, Officer!" the blonde looked at Michael, pure malice in her blue eyes.
Chapter Nine
Natalie was so positive that she was going to have the ultimate revenge on Molly and her Cop that she smiled maliciously, savoring the moment.
"Miss Jamison, Drake Bridges records his calls. When he called me to tell me about the anonymous call he received, he played your message to me. I recognized your voice immediately." Michael watched the color drain from the blonde's face even as her blue eyes filled with hatred. "Molly came here to confront you about this, just as Mr. Bridges feared she would. He did not believe your claims and asked me to investigate."
"That bitch deserves to lose her job for what she did to me! I can't believe Bridges didn't fire her!" She was furious at having her plans for revenge thwarted.
"He didn't fire her because she is innocent of any wrongdoing, while you, on the other hand, told some serious lies with every intention of getting Molly fired." Michael wanted to grab the blonde and shake her! "That is slander."
"She deserves to be fired, and so do you!" Natalie declared, furious with him.
"Is Natalie in legal trouble?" Ed Jamison asked, his expression one of a troubled parent whose natural tendency was to protect his child, no matter what she did.
"Molly could file charges of slander, and with the recording as evidence, it would hold up in a civil court perhaps. She could also file assault and battery charges." There was no denying the livid red handprint on Molly's left cheek. It had to hurt, and Michael wished he could land a few handprints of his own on Natalie's bottom cheeks for striking little Molly.
"What do we need to do to keep this between us?" Ed asked, looking directly at Michael.
"Daddy, she attacked me in my own home!" Natalie screeched. "I want her arrested, and if he won't do it, I'll call and report him and get him fired, too!" she threatened.
"Look at Molly's face, Natalie," Ed told her, clearly exasperated. "You don't have a mark on you, and after you tried to get her fired with false accusations, I can tell you that you would lose. You are bigger than she is. You hit her and she defended herself. Young lady, you have been planning to get even with Molly for months now, and I will, by God, testify to that
in court if I have to!"
"Daddy! How could you?" Natalie promptly burst into tears.
"Because I am your father and ultimately I am responsible for raising you, and it is obvious as can be that I did not do a very good job. You are behaving like a child. Now, I want you to shut up unless you intend to offer an apology to Molly!"
Natalie folded her arms across her chest and declared, "I would die first!"
"What you will do, Miss Jamison, is leave Molly alone. If there are any more incidents such as the one with her boss, I will insist that Molly file charges. Mr. Jamison, with all due respect, I hope you will deal with your daughter in such a fashion that she understands the full measure of her actions." He did not want Molly to file charges of assault and battery because he knew that Natalie would do the same; he didn't want to see Molly have to suffer through an investigation that would be a matter of public record and could cost her her job with the high profile law firm.
"You can count on me, Michael," Ed said with firm resolve, shaking Michael's hand. "Thank you for calling me and making me aware of the situation. Molly, once again I apologize for Natalie's actions. She will be thoroughly punished and made to regret her behavior. If there are any more problems, please come to me and let me deal with them. I promise you that Natalie is done with this revenge nonsense." He leveled his eyes on his daughter and Natalie knew she was in for another painful spanking.
Molly nodded, still too angry to speak. She wanted to resolve things in her own way! She and Natalie gave each other angry looks and Michael ushered her out of the door.
"I expect you to head for my house, young lady. We are going to have a serious talk."
"I do not feel like talking. I am going to go and visit Gram, and then I am going home. If you show up there, I will stay in my room! I mean it, Michael; I do not wish to discuss this with you." She pulled her arm free of his grasp and headed for her shiny red car.
"My house, Molly. Now." His voice was firm. She did not answer, but merely put her key in the ignition, started the car, put on her seatbelt, and then took off, driving a lot faster than she should. He was certain she was doing it to make him angry, and it was working. It was just one more thing he would spank her for, and she was due a good spanking for confronting Natalie on her own. He got into his car, followed the redhead, and shook his head when she defied him and drove straight to the home where her Gram was a resident. He followed her there, but allowed her to go inside without attempting to talk to her. Once she was inside, he followed. He knew that Molly often visited her grandmother, hoping to see some sign of recognition, but it had been months now with nothing she could cling to. Still, Molly went. She loved her grandmother.
"Oh, Molly!" The nurse greeted her with a huge smile when she walked into the wing where Gram was living. "I have been trying to reach you! Isabel is asking for you!"
"What?" Molly exclaimed as her temper with the day evaporated. "Gram is alert?"
"Yes! Go on in, honey... She'll be so happy you are here!" the nurse encouraged her.
Molly felt tears sting her eyes, but she literally ran to get to the room in time, praying it wasn't already too late. Gram's lucid moments did not last long. "Hi, Gram!" she said hopefully.
"Molly, sweetheart!" Gram looked at her and smiled happily. "I've been waiting for you. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Gram. How are you?" Molly blinked away her tears.
"Wonderful. And is this Michael?" Isabel asked as Michael followed Molly into the room, just as if she'd known him all her life.
Molly looked at him, clearly irritated that he was here, but he ignored her in favor of stepping forward and taking one of Gram's frail hands in his. "Yes, ma'am. I am Michael, and I love your granddaughter."
"I can see that. She deserves a wonderful young man. What do you do for a living, dear?"
"I am a police officer," he replied, getting a glimpse of the vibrant woman she once was.
"You did not slap my granddaughter; your hand is bigger than the mark on her face," Isabel observed.
"No, Gram. Michael wouldn't do something like that. It was a small argument with a former roommate, and all settled now. She won't cause any more trouble for me." Molly changed the subject, and talked about Michael's family and Gram listened avidly, expressing her delight that Molly had people who loved and cared so much for her. She also asked Michael more questions and laughed with him when he commented on Molly's temper and agreed that Molly was 'very spirited'.
The visit went well, but it was obvious that Gram was tiring. Her mind slipped into that awful place of not recognizing Molly, and the nurse kindly suggested it was time for them to leave since Gram was tired.
Michael was worried that Molly would be upset with the briefness of the visit, but she was happy for the time with her Gram, and her eyes were shining with tears of happiness. "It's been so long since she recognized me, Michael. I'd given up hope that she would, and it was amazing that she knew you! She hears me when I visit, even if she isn't able to let me know that."
"I was happy to get her approval, honey," he said, giving her a hug right there in the lobby. "I didn't know how important it was for me to have the opportunity to meet her and tell her how much I love you until it actually happened."
Ellen, the nurse who cared for Isabel, came out of the unit and walked over to them. "Are you alright, Molly?" she asked in concern.
"I'm fine. I'm so grateful for just those few minutes with Gram," Molly answered. "Michael was able to see her as she used to be."
"I've seen this happen before, Molly. A moment of clarity... I'm so happy you were here in time to enjoy it."
"Does it mean that Gram is nearing the end?" Molly asked matter-of-factly.
"There are some who would say 'yes', but I can't tell you that is true. We just don't know enough about this terrible disease to give accurate predictions." Ellen smiled at them. "I'm pleased you have someone to share this with, Molly. I hated the thought of you being alone right now."
"Molly will be with me, Ellen. Thank you for all the care you give Gram. We both appreciate it very much."
"Yes, we do," Molly tearfully added. "And thank you for caring about me, too."
"A lot of families put someone like Isabel in our care and never ever come and see them, thinking there is no point in it. You come often, and your Gram's room is cheerful and full of love. You've made her time with us as pleasant as possible, and she is such a sweet lady to care for. I wish all of our residents had family like you." Ellen gave Molly a hug and then said she had to get back to work.
"Are you ready to drive to my house now, honey, or do I need to put you in my car and then bring you back here later to retrieve your car from the parking lot?" Michael asked.
"I'll drive myself," Molly decided, and then added, "But I will tell you right now that you'd better not think for one second you are going to spank me for handling Natalie on my own. It was my business to deal with her."
"And you are my business," he answered, giving her bottom a stinging swat before she got into her car. "My house, Molly, or we'll have our talk wherever you go next, and I won't care who is there, either." She gave him an evil look and he shook a warning finger at her.
Michael was relieved when she led the way to his house, and he smiled when she drove much slower than before. At least her temper was improved from earlier, and he had Gram to thank for that. The little visit was precious to Molly, and he hated the fact that he needed to take her to task, but somehow he knew that Gram would approve. She liked him, and that was a gift to Michael, and he couldn't wait to share that with his parents. He knew they would understand.
Molly pulled into the driveway at Michael's house, and pulled up so that he would also have room to park. She could not imagine why he was upset with her when Natalie was the one who caused all the trouble. Well, he was not going to spank her again... ever. The last time he spanked her she was sore for a long time, and she never wanted to experience that again. She was also going to have
a firm word or two with her boss for calling Michael after she asked him not to involve him in the problem. Braced for a good argument, she got out of the car, grabbed her purse, and turned to face him. "We are going to have words, Michael O'Keefe."
"You can count on it, Molly Henderson," he calmly replied, not one bit intimidated by her manner. "Let's go inside. It's starting to rain, and it's cold."
Molly didn't argue, but linked her arm through his as they walked to the front door. Michael unlocked it, and led her inside and into the kitchen. "You'd better call Ma and tell her you are with me. She's going to start worrying about you and Pop will be upset with you."
"You O'Keefe men are bullies!" she muttered as she took out her cell to make the call while Michael took something from the freezer and put it into the oven for their dinner. Mary answered on the first ring. "Hi, Mary. Michael and I went to visit with Gram, and we are at Michael's house. I won't be there for dinner tonight." Mary replied, and then Molly smiled as her voice softened, "Yes, I did get there in time. Gram was herself, and she met Michael and loved him. It meant so much to both of us. We'll share with you later," she promised. "Yes, I love you, too," she said to Mary and then hung up. "Ellen called the house and told Mary they were trying to find me. Isn't that sweet? When I didn't answer my cell, or my work number, she called your Mom!"
"Ellen is special," Michael agreed. "I am truly thankful we had that time with your Gram, honey, but we have another matter to discuss." He was suddenly all business, all cop, and Molly felt her temper rise to the occasion.
"I cannot see what we possibly have to discuss, Michael O'Keefe. You had no business getting involved. I asked Mr. Bridges to leave you out of it because I wanted to handle the matter myself."
"Natalie is a selfish person, Molly. She is unhappy with her life, and she is blaming you for her own shortcomings. Ed told me that she hates living at home, and when she doesn't realize he is listening, she is complaining about you to anyone who will listen. He blames himself for not stepping in sooner and dealing with her. He feels that she is working with a woman who is a bad influence on Natalie, and has been spending too much time with her. Molly, she slapped you hard enough the mark is just now starting to fade. I'm afraid you're going to have a bruise."