“How can you be so willing to help me when I’ve been working against you lately?”
“How can you ask me that? You’re my sister, no matter what. Now get your stuff and let’s go.”
Tamara didn’t resist the help. She packed her bag and went with Don. He’d figure out the next step once she was safe and secure in his condo. Remo certainly wasn’t getting in there.
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The BMW floated along surreally. Tamara always knew Remo would find her, though she hadn’t expected him to find her so soon and to be openly violent in front of Don. Her emotions were jumbled with embarrassment, fear, disgust, and the worst one, an element of helplessness. Here was a guy bent on having her with no regard for Tamara’s desires or security. She searched her memory, trying to recall the time when he was the attentive, unselfish dreamer she fell in love with during her stay in Florence. Countless walks along the Via Roma, painting the future, dipping in and out of museums, shopping for sweaters and leather goods from the local merchants. Every bit of those times was long gone. Even the sweaters and leather were abandoned in her Italian flat when she had to flee the country, after Remo turned from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde the first time. She continued peering out the window until Don broke the silence.
“Don’t worry, Tamara, you’ll be safe with me. Remo isn’t getting in my house. Between me, the security staff, and the police, Mr. Remo won’t show up there.”
“Honestly, I’m not worried about him coming to your place. I’m just afraid of him finding me wherever I go. I am so sick of running!” she bellowed, choking down the swelling cry. Her tears were too stubborn to fall. Her helplessness was converting to determination. She yearned for a permanent solution. “I’m tired,” she told him, letting out her surging rage.
“I’ll figure out what to do. Don’t you worry,” Don said. “Mr. Remo has crossed into the right country to get dealt with.”
Tamara was feeling the safest she had in years. They hadn’t solved the problem with Remo but she was no longer alone in searching for a solution.
Don pulled up to the valet at his building. Inside, he stopped at the security desk. “I need you to make sure no one gets up to my unit without express permission from me, do you understand? No one.”
“We got it, Mr. Mitchell.”
“Particularly this Italian fellow named Remo. What’s his last name?” he asked Tamara.
“Mancini.”
“There you go,” Don said, “Remo Mancini. He’s about this high,” Don told the guards, raising his hand to just below his nose. “Long dark hair, wearing a pair of jeans and a thin red sweater. If he shows up, I need you to call the police right away. He’s dangerous.”
“Is he armed?”
“I don’t know,” Don responded. Tamara hadn’t thought about his being armed, another element to be feared. When would the nightmare end?
Don wrapped up his instructions at the security desk and they got on the elevator. Everything between standing there and being inside his unit was a blur to Tamara. The adrenaline that had pumped through her earlier had put her on an emotional high. Now her body was crashing as fatigue set in. “Don, if you don’t mind, I need to rest.”
“Of course, the guest room is this way,” he told her, walking down the corridor near the rear section of the condo. “Do you want me to wake you at a certain time or what?”
“I doubt if I’m going to be able to fall asleep. Resting is good enough for now.”
“Okay then,” he said as they reached the room. “Tamara, feel free to lock the door if it makes you feel safer. I’m here and you’re going to be fine, but I understand and won’t be offended at all.”
She pursed her lips and gave him a soft nod. Knowing someone was in the struggle with her and understood her pain brought an element of comfort she hadn’t previously experienced. She wasn’t sure, but it felt like a touch of hope.
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Don wasn’t confused about the next step. He had to get extra security in place and put out a private search for Remo. He was going to be the one stalked for a change. Don was infuriated each time he thought about his sister being hunted down by a crazed lunatic without help from her family. Well, that was over. He was involved now and Madeline would be too. He got her on the phone; the time of day was totally discounted. Mama lion would want to know.
“Mother, we have a situation here with Tamara.”
“What now, did she run off with the entire company? Good grief, did she leave you at least the Midwest division? My goodness—”
“Mother,” he interrupted, “this isn’t about DMI. This is about Tamara’s safety.”
“What?”
“Apparently she’s being stalked by this crazy guy named Remo. He barged into her new apartment, and can you believe he tried to grab her with me standing right there?”
“I hope you took care of him.”
“Don’t worry, I protected my sister,” Don said, recalling the punch.
“Who is he?”
“Some guy she dated in Italy. According to her they broke up and he didn’t take it well. All the moving around she’s done in the last couple of years has been to get away from him, but he keeps finding her. She can’t put an order of protection on him without an address to have the papers served.”
“I can’t believe this. I’m on my way home.”
“Mother, wait, let me see what I can do.”
“Now you’re the crazy one if you think I’m going to be eight thousand miles away with a maniac on the loose in Detroit who’s after my child. Save your breath. I’m on my way to the airport to catch the first thing smoking. By plane, train, or rowboat, you will see me in Detroit within twenty-four hours.”
“You think that’s realistic?”
“Believe me when I tell you I’m going to be there. I’ll charter a plane if necessary. Let me get off this phone and get moving. I’ll see you tomorrow, Son. I love you, and let Tamara know I’m on my way. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“I don’t think she’s going to run this time. Where is she going to go?”
“I can’t be bothered by her running. I’m coming home, period. No one other than God will delay me, and He’d even have a fight on his hands with me. See you soon,” she said, and disconnected the call. Don was actually relieved to have Madeline coming home. Relaying information back and forth wouldn’t have worked. Mother needed to be home. They all did.
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Madeline had honored Tamara’s wish and stayed away, but when her children were in danger, all deals were off. Nothing was more urgent than getting home. She had to move quickly. There would be nothing more frustrating than rushing to the airport only to find out the flight she desperately wanted had departed minutes before her arrival. She wasn’t opposed to booking a private flight, but if a commercial flight was a few hours from taxiing down the runway and hitting the air, that would be her preference instead of getting flight itineraries registered, getting a pilot, and so on. Every free moment she had needed to be exclusively dedicated to dealing with this Mr. Remo. He’d picked the wrong daughter to stalk. He just didn’t know the extent of his mistake. She’d make sure he found out.
Madeline tore out of the office after tossing a few items, including her laptop, into her purse. “Naledi, I have to go home. I’ll have Don fill you in,” she shouted, bolting for the door.
“Home for the evening? Then I shall see you tomorrow, yes?” Naledi said.
“No, I mean home to Detroit. Cheers,” Madeline said without breaking her stride. The important business at home was her top priority.
Madeline was about to jump in a cab, then pulled back. She’d order a limousine with a privacy window instead. It might take an extra half hour for him to pick her up but she’d multitask. The privacy was going to be useful for the call she had to make.
The thirty-minute wait turned into forty as the car eased to the front of LTI, where
Madeline was waiting, fuming by now.
“What took so long?” she asked as the driver opened the door for her to get in. “When I’m told thirty minutes, I expect thirty minutes or a call telling me you’re running late, or that you jumped in the ocean, or something,” she told him after getting in.
“Is your luggage inside the building?”
“No luggage, let’s go. I’m in a big hurry.” There was no further discussion on the matter. She was done with it and couldn’t waste any more time with petty issues. The driver was in his seat and pulling off.
“Ma’am, my apologies for the delay. I’ll have you at the airport right away,” the driver said with an Irish-sounding accent.
Madeline had less than zero interest in chitchat. “Excuse me, can you please close the privacy window? Thank you,” she said, eager to make her call. When the window was closed she scrolled through her electronic directory, stopping at the number she was seeking. She dialed and sank into her seat.
“Frank Mitchell here.”
“Frank, it’s Madeline.”
“Madeline, well, hello to you. This is a pleasant surprise. What is this about? Wait, don’t tell me. You’ve finally figured out that you married the wrong Mitchell man?”
Not a chance, she thought. If he lived to be a hundred and fifty, she could never see past his tactics, which were the purpose of her call. Certain business matters required a specialist, and that he was.
“I need your help.”
“Talk to me.”
“Some psycho is terrorizing my daughter, chasing her from country to country. He had the gall to barge into her apartment in Detroit and try to attack her while Don was standing right there.” Retelling the story warmed Madeline’s fury to the boiling point. How dare this Mr. Remo?
“Did Nephew take care of the situation?”
“He protected his sister, of course, but we have to go further. You know what I mean?”
“What did the police say?”
“Said they couldn’t help without an address to serve the protection order.”
“Oh, those don’t work.” Frank chuckled. “Women get killed every day by people under restraining orders.”
“Now you understand why I’m calling.”
“What would you like for me to do? Have someone talk to him?” Frank asked.
“I’m not interested in talking.”
“The kind of talking I’m referring to produces results. Trust me, Tamara will be sleeping safely in her bed in no time, and Remo will be the one running,” Frank said.
“That’s what I want to hear. I don’t want any more details, only results.”
“Absolutely sure you want to pursue this?”
“I wouldn’t have made the call if I didn’t. I’m already prepared to pay your consulting fee or whatever title you’re giving your services these days.”
“‘Consulting’ has a nice ring and today’s your lucky day.”
“How so?” Madeline asked, half afraid to hear the answer. Frank was full of surprises, with the majority of them unpleasant.
“Since you and your children are repeat customers, I’m going to give you a break. Instead of my standard fee, I’ll give you a fifty percent discount. After all, she is my niece.”
“Thanks for the gesture but do what needs to be done. I’m good for the money.”
“I know you are. My brother left you looking good with the money to back it up.”
“I work hard. I’m responsible for Madeline, not Dave.”
“Whatever you say. Are you ready?”
“For what?” Madeline asked.
“The digits to my account in the Cayman Islands.”
“I know the routine, half of the numbers now and the rest later.”
“You got it. I love doing business with you; repeat customers are my favorite. You’ll hear from me when the time is right,” he said, and they ended the call.
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Tamara woke from her nap, wondering if she was in a dream. The confrontation with Remo seemed like a bad one. Now awake, the despicable incident was behind her. She felt better entering the living area. Don was reclining on the sofa reading a newspaper.
“I see that you’re up. How are you feeling?”
“Better, I think. Was I dreaming earlier or did we actually have a fight with Remo?”
“We had a fight.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, sliding down along the couch to the floor. “I’ve created an awful nightmare, haven’t I?”
“The only mistake you made was trying to handle Remo on your own. Tamara, you have chosen to be isolated from the Mitchells but the reality is, we’re family. I keep telling you that when you have a problem, Mother and I have one too. We’re not your enemies.”
“I know you’re not, but I’ve spent so much time avoiding my issues. I figured if I stayed away from the environment, I’d be able to forget about them and move on. Hasn’t worked as well as I wanted, clearly.”
“It’s not too late for us to deal with our challenges and get on about the business of enjoying these lives that God has entrusted to us. I refuse to waste any more time angry at this family member and that one. It’s pointless,” Don told her.
“You’re right,” she said, toying with fibers in the floor rug. “I don’t want to waste any more time either.”
“You might as well know that I called Mother and filled her in on what happened. Before you bite my head off for calling her, I want you to know that I truly believe she deserved the call. She’s been a good mother. I didn’t say ‘perfect,’ but Mother has done the best she could for us. That’s why I can accept her the way she is.”
“You know how demanding she can be.”
“You bet I know, but she means well. So if you’re going to run away, you better get going, because she’ll be here by tomorrow. She wants to see you as soon as she arrives.”
Tamara wasn’t opposed. As a matter of fact, she was relieved to have Madeline coming home. “For so many years I felt like I didn’t need a mother if it had to be bossy Madeline.” Tamara kept picking at the rug fibers, suddenly drawn back to age six. “Sitting here in this position, feeling helpless about Remo, makes me glad to have a mother like Madeline. I know she will fix this.”
“Yes, I can imagine she’s going to get heavily involved, let me put it that way.”
“Normally I’d protest but not after today. If I ever want to walk the streets without having to look over my shoulder for Remo, I need to accept her help.”
“Can’t hurt, or at least I hope not.” Don laughed and so did she.
Maybe it was time to really deal with her mother and form a new relationship—not necessarily rekindle what was tarnished when she was seventeen years old, but establish a new normal she was willing to accept.
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Joel sat at the base of the winding staircase in his parents’ home. His memories were positive; he hadn’t had to endure the same fate as Andre, Sam, Don, and Tamara. Madeline and his father’s divorce was before his time. Yet he’d seen the carnage left in the wake of the divorce. He hadn’t suffered the exact same tragedies as his siblings, but he had wounds. He had to face facts. Divorce was disastrous to those impacted. Prolonging a dysfunctional union didn’t lessen the pain, more like extended it.
Mother took a seat next to him. “What are you so eager to tell me?”
“I’m getting a divorce.”
Sherry gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. “Joel, you can’t. Zarah isn’t strong enough to survive a divorce. It will kill her.”
“There’s no sense waiting. The marriage isn’t going to suddenly improve. We have to end this charade. I have to end this.” He was certain no time was going to be ideal. Now was as good as, if not better than, waiting another two or three years. The contract called for three years of marriage. If no children were born, he could be released from the marriage and have the right to reclaim the West Coast
division at fair market value. Joel didn’t care. He didn’t want to wait.
“You know I want you to do what’s best for you, but I can’t help but think about how overcome with grief Zarah was when she thought you didn’t want to have a child with her. That’s her dream, giving you a child. She’s almost obsessed with the notion.”
“Maybe, but we’re not having a child together, not now, not ever. I want out, period.”
“What can I say when you talk that way? I just ask that you be gentle with her. She’s going to need support.”
“I’ve already spoken with her father’s attorney, Kumar. He oversees the Bengali trust and can help get Zarah back to India. He’s expected to arrive in two days. I will babysit her every minute for the next two days until she’s safely deposited in his hands.”
“Doesn’t she have a say? It sounds like you and Kumar have made the decision. How does she feel about this?”
“I haven’t told her yet. I’m going home right after I leave here. I plan to tell her as soon as I get home.”
“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Then I will support your decision,” she said. “Please let me know what I can do. If it’s sitting with Zarah, I’ll be available. Don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m here for the both of you.”
Joel kissed his mother on the cheek. “I’ll let you know if I need your help. Thank you,” he said, kissing the other cheek.
“For what?”
“For not saying ‘I told you so.’ You and Abigail tried to talk me out of going forward with the marriage. My motivation was clouded, and I didn’t fast-forward far enough to anticipate this outcome. It’s done and I’m wiser having taken this scenic route to contentment.”
“Are you content?”
“Not quite, but I’m headed in the right direction.” He stood from the stairs. “Let me get out of here, Mom. I must talk to Zarah today and get this behind us. Gotta go, love you much.”
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