Blood Sisters

by Melody Carlson

  “Oh.” Judith sighed. “That just makes the ending seem all the more sad to me.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  “So our little Pearl doesn’t have any living relatives—at least that we know of?”

  “Just the Morrisons.”

  She groaned.

  “That is unless blood sisters count as something...”

  “Do you think?” She felt her hopes rising. “Oh, Adam, do you really think it’s possible? I’d give anything to raise Jasmine’s child for her.” Tears were building in her eyes again. “Oh, what can I do? Who can I talk to? Oh, Adam, honestly, I’d do anything to have that dear child. And, I swear, I would love her as my very own. I really would!” She was crying now. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get all emotional on you again—I suppose I’m just tired.”

  “I’m sure you are. We all are. Tell you what, Judith. You promise me that you’ll lie down and take a nap, and I’ll see if I can get some help on this. I happen to have a good friend who works in children’s services up in Washington state. In fact, she owes me a favor or two. Let me see what I can do.” He paused. “But Judith, don’t get your hopes too high. I mean, we haven’t even found the little girl yet. And, well, you just never know.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know. I just appreciate anything you can do. And I have a lot in my savings, Adam. I’m sure I can cover whatever cost might be involved. I don’t care what it is. And if not, well, I’ll take out a loan. But I want her, Adam! I want her like I’ve never wanted anything in ages. I just really sense this is meant to be.”

  “Yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious. But do as I said, Judith. Get some rest. Stay in my room if you like. I just saw Josh, and he’s on his way home now and pretty zonkered. I told him all about you and your role in this whole business. So don’t worry about him treating you like a traitor anymore.”

  “Thanks, Adam. I’m looking forward to explaining some things to some other folks too.”

  “And don’t worry about Eli. I got to know him better last weekend, and I told him a little about what you were up to. I knew he could be trusted with it.”

  “That explains why he just looked away when he saw me riding in the car with the Morrisons. He didn’t react or anything.”

  “He’s a good guy.”

  “I sure hope he sticks around this crazy town.”

  “I think he’s planning on it.”

  Judith wanted to say she hoped Adam would stick around as well, but it seemed pretty presumptuous on her part. And so she just said, “Good-bye.”

  After a good nap in Adam’s room, she awoke feeling more alive and refreshed than she’d felt in ages. The house was quiet and still, and she suspected both Jack and Josh were catching up on their own rest after their previous sleepless night. She felt slightly uncertain about going next door to Aunt Lenore’s—not sure if she were ready to face Ellen yet. But unfortunately her bags were over there. She knew she had no choice. She wrote Jack a quick thank-you note which she left on the kitchen table, then slipped out the back door and across the yard, praying with each step. She had no intention of hurting Ellen, and yet, she could no longer play the part of adoring friend.

  She tapped lightly on Aunt Lenore’s back door, but when no one answered, she used her own key to quietly let herself in. These women were probably resting too. It seemed everyone had been stretched to the limits by last night’s activities. She walked quietly through the kitchen and then spied her bags in a corner of the living room. She tiptoed over, and just as she bent down to pick them up, heard Ellen’s voice.

  “Is that you, Judith?” She lifted her head to look up from where she was resting on the couch.

  “Yes,” whispered Judith. “I didn’t want to disturb you or Aunt Lenore. I’m sure you’re both exhausted after all that went on last night.”

  Ellen sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her white hair stuck out in tufts, giving her an even more helpless appearance. “Oh my, wasn’t that the most horrifying experience.”

  “Yes. It was pretty bad.” She set her bags back down and turned to face Ellen. “I saw Burt today.”

  “You did? Well now, how is he doing?” her voice sounded artificially bright and cheerful.

  Judith frowned. “You do know that he’s under arrest, don’t you, Ellen?”

  The older woman nodded soberly, but her expression was unclear and hard to read. Was she troubled? Confused? “Yes, I know all about that, dear.”

  Judith went over to the couch and sat down beside her. “And how does that make you feel, Ellen?”

  She looked down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap, then shook her head. “Well, I don’t rightly know.” She turned and peered up at Judith. “How do you feel about that, dear?”

  Judith felt her brows raise with wonder. How did she feel? What an odd question, and why should it matter to Ellen anyway? “Well, to tell you the truth, Ellen, I feel relieved.”

  Ellen slowly nodded, as if trying to take this bit of news in. “Yes, dear, I think that’s how I feel too.”

  “Relieved?”

  Ellen smiled, sort of a sad smile, but a smile all the same. “Yes, dear. You see, it was bound to happen. I always knew it was bound to happen one day.”

  “Are you saying that you knew that Burt would get arrested?”

  “I suppose that’s what I’m saying.”

  Judith stared at Ellen with a fresh sense of horror. Had Ellen known all along? Had she simply pretended ignorance? Was it possible that she had been aware of what had happened to Steven Phillips and James Paxton, and who knew who else? Had she simply sat silently by while her husband and his buddies went out and committed these atrocious hate crimes? And if so, Judith was unsure that she’d be able to keep her opinions to herself. “So, have you always known what Burt’s been doing?” she asked, not bothering to conceal her aggravation.

  Ellen blithely nodded again, and now Judith wanted to shake her and scream and even slap her. But instead she took in a deep breath and simply asked, “Why didn’t you say anything to anyone about this?”

  “Well, I just figured it was his business, and I thought the IRS would catch up with him sooner or later anyway.”

  “The IRS?”

  “Yes, dear.” Ellen patted her hand soothingly. “I know it must sound just horrible to you, but Burt didn’t believe it was constitutionally right to pay taxes. And, whether it was right or wrong, I just kept my mouth shut about the whole thing.”

  “And you think that’s why he was arrested?”

  “Well, of course, dear. I knew that they’d catch up with him one day.”

  Judith wondered how much she should tell her just now. How much could Ellen handle? Maybe it would be best to take it slowly, one step at a time. “Ellen,” she began carefully. “There’s more to Burt’s arrest than tax evasion.”

  “More?” Ellen frowned.

  “Yes. There are some other charges—very serious charges against Burt. Things that relate to racism and hatred. Do you know anything about these things, Ellen?”

  “Well, I know how the boys get all riled up sometimes, and then they have their little meetings, and I know how they talk real big and rough and all. But I don’t think anything really came of it. Not really.”

  “Well, you’re wrong, Ellen. Some very serious crimes have been committed—crimes that are directly linked to

  Burt and some of the other guys from the lake. And that’s why Burt’s been arrested.”

  Ellen looked honestly shocked now. “Oh, my!”

  “And it’s possible that Burt will be locked up for a long, long time.”

  “Oh,dear!’’

  “And, I’m sure they’ll need to question you as well, Ellen. Will you be able to cooperate with them?”

  “Well, of course...” Her chin had begun to quiver. “Certainly, I’ll tell them whatever I can recall. Although it won’t likely amount to much. Burt says I’ve got the memory of a fly.”

  Lucky for Burt, thought Judith. “
Well, I’m sorry for all you’ve been through, Ellen, but I’m afraid it’s not over. And I won’t lie to you. The truth is I’m not sorry that Burt’s been caught. I’m glad. I think he deserves to be punished. And there’s something else I need to tell you—actually there are several things. Do you want to hear them now, Ellen? Or would you rather wait until you’re more rested? I know this is a lot for you to take in right now.”

  She seemed to consider this, then nodded. “Yes, dear, I think I’d like to hear everything there is to hear right now, if you don’t mind.”

  “Well, first of all, I have to confess to you that when I came out to your house, I was looking for evidence in regards to Jasmine’s death. I suspected that Burt had dealt unfairly with her, and because Jasmine and I were close friends at one time, I wanted to find these things out for her sake. So I want you to know that I was acting as something of a spy during my visit with you. But, you see, it was for Jasmine that I did it.”

  Ellen patted her hand again. “I understand, dear.”

  Judith blinked. “And, well, there’s more to tell you. I have discovered some things about Jasmine’s previous life that may be somewhat worrisome to you. But I think you need to know the truth. How you deal with these things is up to you, but I want you to understand.”

  “Certainly, dear. I want to know everything there is to know about my Jasmine.”

  “Well, first of all, Jasmine was married to a brilliant man who was a surgeon—”

  “A surgeon? A doctor? My Jasmine was married to a doctor?”

  “Yes, and it seems they were quite well off and living very happily. They even had a child. A little girl by the name of Pearl.”

  “A little girl? Pearl? I have a granddaughter?” Ellen’s face glowed with happiness. “Oh my, this is the most wonderful news! But where is my granddaughter? Where is this brilliant doctor?” Then her face clouded over. “But I’m confused now. If Jasmine was married to a doctor, how could she have been married to Hal? Oh, dear me, she wasn’t a bigamist, was she?”

  “No, Ellen. She was a widow. You see, her husband was murdered.”

  Ellen’s hand flew to her mouth. “Murdered? Oh, my goodness! Jasmine’s husband was murdered?”

  “Yes.”

  Ellen’s voice broke as she spoke. “But.. .but.. .what about the little girl? Pearl? Oh, dear, was she murdered too?”

  “No, we think Pearl is still alive. In fact, we have people looking for her right now, as we speak.”

  Ellen shook her head in confusion. “Oh my. This is all so bewildering. Jasmine’s husband was murdered? Then why in the world did Jasmine leave her little girl behind and come here to stay with us?”

  “Because Burt forced her.” This time Judith reached over and took Ellen’s hand. Just then she noticed Aunt Lenore slowly shuffling toward them. “Do you want to join us,

  Aunt Lenore?” asked Judith hopefully. “I’m just telling Ellen about Pearl now.”

  Ellen looked up, her jaw dropped in surprise. “You mean Aunt Lenore knows about my granddaughter too?”

  “Yes, dear.” said Aunt Lenore as she carefully lowered herself into the rocker across from them. “I know all about her.”

  “This isn’t going to be easy for you to hear, Ellen,” said Judith. “But we have reason to believe that Burt was involved in the death of Jasmine’s husband. And we also know that he arranged to have Jasmine’s daughter kidnapped from her.”

  “Kidnapped? My Burt?” Ellen looked from Judith to Aunt Lenore then back again. “Oh no, Burt would never do such a dreadful thing...his own granddaughter kidnapped? Why that’s completely ridiculous—”

  “Ellen,” interrupted Judith, “Jasmine’s husband was African American.”

  Ellen’s hand flew up over her mouth and her eyes grew wide. “You mean... are you saying that my daughter married a colored man?”

  “Ellen, from what little I’ve heard, Jasmine’s husband, Steven Phillips, was a successful surgeon. He was respected in his community, and I have reason to believe he was a wonderful husband and father. And if Burt hadn’t interrupted their lives with his hatred and ignorance and who knows what else, well, I’m pretty sure that Jasmine and her little family would still be happy and thriving and alive.”

  Tears now flowed down Ellen’s pale cheeks. “You… you really think my Burt killed that man and kidnapped that child?”

  “What do you think, Ellen?” asked Aunt Lenore sharply. “What do you think Burt Morrison would do if he found out that his very own daughter had married a black man? What do you think?”

  Ellen sobbed uncontrollably now, holding her hands over her face as if to suppress the horror. “I know...I know… I know…” Finally, her hands slipped down and she stared straight ahead with a blank expression. Then in a quiet yet horrified voice she spoke. “I know what Burt would do.”

  Judith put her arm around Ellen’s shoulders. “But it’s not your fault, Ellen.”

  Ellen’s hands clenched into fists, and she turned to face Judith with red-rimmed eyes. “But I should’ve known better,” she seethed. “I should’ve seen this coming. I never should have let things go so far. I should’ve protected my children from him.” She looked down into her lap again. “I was a bad mother. I let Burt push me around too much. I let Burt push us all around. I never stood up to him. Not one single day in my entire life. I never said a word. And look where it’s got us.” She began crying again.

  This time Judith just sat there in silence, simply letting Ellen cry. She glanced uncomfortably over to where Aunt Lenore sat rocking across from her. Judith raised her brows as if to question what she should do, how she should proceed. But Aunt Lenore simply nodded her chin, dipping it down slowly, as if to say, it’s all right, just let her cry. And so she did.

  After several minutes, Ellen blotted her eyes with what was now a very soggy handkerchief and turned to Judith. “Where is my granddaughter?”

  “We’re not really sure, Ellen.”

  “But you said someone is looking for her?”

  “Yes.” Judith wondered how to say this, “And there’s something else you should know, Ellen. You see, Pearl has no living relatives on her father’s side. And I have asked my friend to look into the possibility of me having her—I mean to adopt and to raise her as my own child.”

  “You would do that? You would take her in as your own?”

  Judith’s eyes flashed with anger. “You mean because her skin is of a slightly different hue? Do you actually believe that could stop me from loving her, Ellen? The fact is, it would probably only make me love her more. That combined with the fact that she is Jasmine’s daughter! I know I put on a good show while I was staying out at the lake, but that’s all it was, Ellen. Just a big show!” Her voice grew louder. “The truth is, I’ve got friends of all kinds, different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds. And color doesn’t matter to me in the least. I believe God made us all different because he saw the beauty in it. And I wouldn’t care if Pearl were green or purple or spotted! It just doesn’t matter to me! Do you understand that?”

  Ellen was leaning back now, her eyes widened with stunned silence, and Judith realized that she had actually been yelling. “I’m sorry for shouting,” she said in a quieter voice. “But as you can see, this is something I feel quite passionate about. And if it’s at all possible I will adopt Pearl, and I will raise her as my own daughter. And I will do all I can to help her to remember her mother.”

  “But what about a grandmother?”

  “I’m sure my mother would be honored to be Pearl’s adopted grandmother.”

  “But what about me?” Her voice sounded like a little girl again.

  “Are you saying that you could be a loving grandmother to a child of mixed race?”

  “But she’s my baby’s baby.”

  “Yes, Ellen.” Judith’s voice softened. “She was Jasmine’s beloved Pearl.” She reached over to her nearby bags and lifted up the jewelry box, removing the packet of photos. “Would you li
ke to see her picture?”

  Ellen nodded, eagerly reaching for the photos. One by-one, she examined them all, fresh tears spilling down her face as she did. Finally she slipped them back into the envelope. “She’s a pretty little thing.”

  “But what about her skin color?” asked Judith, closely observing Ellen’s response for any sign of negativity.

  Ellen glanced over to Aunt Lenore and smiled a little smile. “I already told Judith about how our ancestors had a little mixed blood.” Then she giggled. “Well, I think our little Pearl will fit in just fine. Don’t you?”

  “But what about Burt?” asked Aunt Lenore, her head cocked to one side.

  “Well...” Ellen fingered her limp handkerchief. “I don’t ’spect we’ll be seeing much of Burt.”

  “And how does that make you feel?” asked Judith.

  “I’m...I’m not completely sure. But it might be just as well since right now I’m feeling mighty vexed at that man.” She sighed heavily. “It might be just as well that they’ve got him locked up.”

  Just then, the phone rang, and Judith jumped to answer it.

  “Hey, Judith, you’re there,” said Adam, his voice bursting with excitement. “You won’t believe this!”

  “What?”

  “I think we’ve located your lost Pearl.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. And I just gave this woman a call—trying to sound her out, you know, and you’ll never believe it, but she thinks I’m responding to some ad she ran in the paper. It sounds like she was planning on selling Pearl to the highest bidder or something equally moronic.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “No she sounds like a real nut case to me.”

  “When can we leave?”

  “I’ve got a flight booked for 3:50. Can you make it?”

  “Yes. I’m on my way.”

  Judith hung up the phone and scooped up her bags. Halfway to the door, she turned and cried out, “They’ve found Pearl!”

  “Wonderful!” Aunt Lenore clapped her hands together.