The Future of My Past

by Veronica Faye

  I told him about my son Enoch, and that he was here in the area searching for a girl named Treasure. I told him that he was the one who killed David Ban, how Savannah had gone to her death confessing to a crime she did not commit, and how Ruthann had stolen the gun to protect him. He listened as I told him how Nathan had betrayed me and that he was Tabitha Day’s lover, and that I was going to seek my vengeance on him.

  Finally, I told him how much I loved him enough to see that I was not right for him. Nobel was the woman for him and that I hoped that he would marry her and start a family. My emotional scars made it impossible for me to have a healthy relationship, at least for now. I was ready to live my life alone, at least until I felt well enough within myself to share my life with someone.

  He listened, never taking his eyes off me, and when I was finished talking and wiping away the tears that were flowing down my face, he took me in his arms and kissed me. I didn’t resist him because I knew it was that final kiss, the one that would set me free and help me to move forward in life. We were saying goodbye to each other, not as friends, but as two people who fell in love when the timing hadn’t been right. He released me, and I could see the tears in his eyes. He never said a word. He simply turned towards the door and left. He didn’t have to say anything; the tears on his face told me all that I needed to know. He would always love me. I was his first true love and he was mine. It was bittersweet, but we both knew it had to be.

  My therapist came later that day and I talked for over an hour. I felt that I needed more time, that it had been too soon for me to return to work. We agreed that I would talk with Quinn and ask for a little more time. Nobel was ready, and with Quinn they would be able to help Dr. Rodney. I would still help as much as I could. I still had Griff out there searching for the truth, but I needed more ‘me’ time to get things in perspective. I had to deal with things from my past, and at this point I couldn’t practice law and deal with this emotional pain. Besides, I needed to have a talk with my son Enoch. I needed him to explain how he could have let Savannah take the blame for something she did not do, and how he could stand by and let Ruthann remain on the run because she too was trying to protect him. I knew their reasons for what they did, out of love for me and Enoch, but I had to know his reasoning.

  I didn’t relay any of this to my therapist. I knew that privacy existed between therapist and patient, but I felt I had to keep this to myself.

  I called Quinn after my therapist left and explained that I had come back to work too soon, and that I needed to take more time off. He was very understanding but said that he would do all he could to keep the other partners at bay. Especially Donald Webber, who never wanted me to make partner in the first place. He and Nobel would continue to represent Dr. Rodney, and since I had my own special investigation going, if I received any news that would help them to let them know. I hung up and cried. I felt that I had let Quinn down by taking another leave of absence. But I had no choice; I wasn’t ready, and I had to face that.

  chapter nine

  Gemini

  The next week was trying and painful for me; I was seeing my therapist daily, and the new medication that was prescribed for me made me sleep a lot. I stopped taking it after the third day and decided to go back to exercise, meditation, walks and music. I didn’t want to be dependent on medication to get me through. I had to relive the pain of betrayal and the revelation that my son was a murderer again as I talked with my therapist to get to the root of my depression. Gradually, I started to come out of it, although I still needed to talk with my son. I was not ready to face him. My anxiety over not being professionally able to help Dr. Rodney was another source of my pain. I felt that I was disappointing him, and I asked Nobel to tell him how sorry I was that I was not able to visit him. However, things began to look up for me the more I got back into my routine. Things were looking up for Dr. Rodney as well.

  It began with a call from Griff that came as a complete surprise. The police were going to release Dr. Rodney. His source at the police station informed him that they had two leads that they were following. A witness had come forward and told police about a work truck leaving the scene where the body of Barney Austin had been found. They were tracing the partial license plates the witness provided. They had also found traces of a fabric that did not match any of the clothing they retrieved from Dr. Rodney’s home. The strands of fabric were found around the area of Austin’s neck and in his hair. He was told that the prosecutor Dreux would be addressing the press later that morning. I was not to say anything until the press conference was over, except to the firm, of course.

  I telephoned Nobel at the office and relayed to her the information that Griff had given me. She would call the prosecutor and be there when he made the statement and released Dr. Rodney. Two hours later, just as Griff had stated, the Prosecutor Dreux held a press conference and announced that upon further investigation the police were releasing Dr. Earls and following another lead. They were testing fibers found on the body of one of the murder victims and would soon have an idea of what type of clothing the killer was wearing at the time he killed the reporter. They were certain that both First Lady Day and Austin were killed by the same person.

  Antoinette called me to ask how I was doing; she seemed a bit miffed that I hadn’t called to tell her personally that I was taking more time off. I wondered why I hadn’t heard from her for the past few days. I asked her forgiveness and told her that I would make it up to her. Our conversation was interrupted because Nobel asked to speak to me. She said that she wanted to come by for a visit and that there was something she wanted to share with me. She wanted to make sure that Dr. Rodney was released first, then she would stop by. I told her that she could come by for lunch—I would prepare something for us. I was a pretty good cook and she seemed excited.

  This meant a quick trip to the store to purchase groceries. I decided to make a spinach and tomato lasagna, salad, and bread sticks.

  The dogs looked at me as I prepared lunch as if to say, hey we didn’t know you could cook!

  “Yes, fellas, I can burn in the kitchen when I have to,” I said to them. “Sorry you guys haven’t had a chance to sample my cooking. But I have plenty of time for that now. Don’t worry, I’ll have you hating dog food in no time.”

  They wagged their tails as if they understood what I was saying. I may not have a man in my life, but I know that I am loved by two males—one the size of a Barbie doll, and the other the size of a pony.

  I had the kitchen smelling like a restaurant in little Italy, and while I was preparing lunch I decided to put on some music. I popped my Tears for Fears CD in the player and started singing “Shout” at the top of my lungs. I was feeling better and was looking forward to my visit with Nobel.

  She arrived just as I was taking the lasagna out of the oven. The table had been set and the white wine was chilling in the fridge. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was playing, and the dogs started barking when they heard the doorbell. I opened the door for her and saw a familiar smile on her face. I just couldn’t place where I’d seen it before.

  “I bought dessert if you don’t mind,” she said, and handed me a bag which contained a strawberry cheesecake. “I also heard that you have two fellas that would love a gift too,” and she reached into another bag and came out with doggie treats.

  She gave one to Charlie and one to Marley, and they fell instantly in love. From then on, they followed her around the house and sat at her feet during our talk and meal. I asked her about Dr. Rodney, and she said that he was glad to be out and that they had held a short press conference that would be on the evening news. She also told me that Dr. Rodney understood my not being able to be there when he was released, and that he was praying for my recovery. He told her that he would reach out to me soon, but that he wanted to spend time with his wife. I was able to finish the meal while we talked.

  “Everything is ready if you
want to wash your hands,” I said.

  “Gemini, can we talk first? There is something I want to tell you that I think you are ready to hear.”

  She and Bookie are engaged, I thought to myself. She wanted to tell me herself.

  “Okay,” I said, “we can sit on the couch and talk.”

  After we were both seated, she began.

  “First of all, I want you to know that I understand why Phillip fell in love with you. You are an extraordinary woman. I also understand why you were loved by so many others. My cousin, for instance.”

  “Your cousin? I didn’t know that I knew any of your relatives.”

  “That’s because I wanted to wait to tell you, to get to know you, and to understand what my cousin saw in you. I told you that my parents live in Michigan City, but what I didn’t tell you is that I grew up in Kingsford Heights. My mother’s maiden name was Gill. She and Savannah’s father are brother and sister. Savannah was fifteen years older, but I remember her growing up. I never knew what she had gone through. I just remember the whispers from family members whenever she came to family functions.”

  I sat there and stared at her. The tears started to flow, and I cried out. It startled her as I got up and ran to the bathroom for some tissue. I leaned against the wall and cried tears of shock, then tears of joy. She had Savannah’s smiles, her eyes, and her beauty, although they didn’t look exactly alike. That was why I had taken a liking to her. She was the relative of one of the people I loved most in the world.

  I returned to the living room and sat down.

  “Are you okay?” There was fear in her eyes. She wasn’t quite sure how I was taking this news.

  “I’m okay, Nobel. Things are just clearer to me now. Why didn’t you tell me when we first met?”

  “I wanted you to get to know me as a person and not as Savannah’s cousin. And I wanted to get to know you. We like each other, at least I feel we do, and it is because we got to know each other as we really are. Savannah thought the world of you, she told me so when I visited her in the hospital. I wanted to say goodbye to her, and you had just left her room. She was heavily sedated but recognized me and asked me if I’d met her cousin angel. I asked her who was she talking about and she said you. She told me how you kept her spirits up when you two were sent away to have your babies. She said that if it hadn’t been for you and someone name Ruthann, she wouldn’t have made it. That the three of you had looked out for each other and that she and Ruthann would always look out for you. She wished that I’d find a friend like you, her cousin angel; that having someone like you in my life would be a true blessing from God. She passed away a few days later. I remembered what she told me, and since I wanted to be a lawyer, I decided that I would one day find you and get to know you. When I got the chance to work at the firm where you were a partner, I jumped at the chance to get to work with you. And she was right, you are remarkable. I just haven’t heard you say one curse word since I started working at the firm.”

  That made me laugh.

  “My language as a young girl and teenager was crude, because I was angry and that was the only way I could express myself. I really thought that I was crazy and used it to keep people away. Participating in Dr. Rodney’s program helped me to realize and come to terms with my chemical imbalance. My trip to Africa helped me with my anger and the will to accomplish in life. I still do out-of-the-ordinary things, and I have been known to curse someone out when they needed it, but that part of me is part of my past. Phillip is part of my past also. I’m glad that he has found you, and my prayer is that he will marry you and have the family he always wanted.”

  That is when she showed me the ring. It was beautiful, and I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed it before. I took her hand to get a better look. It was emerald cut and looked so big on her small hand. She had hands like Savannah; dainty and childlike.

  I started to cry again, because I remembered what Savannah told me in my dreams—that she would always be with me, and now she was, in human form. I quickly told her why I was crying, that Savannah often visited me in my dreams, and that I always felt at peace when I woke up. By that time, we were both crying and hugging each other.

  The dogs jumped on us as if to say, hey, group hug, and our tears turned to laughter.

  Afterwards, we lunched on my lasagna and salad, drank the whole bottle of wine, ate half of the cheesecake, and enjoyed each other’s company. It was great having her as a friend. It was all part of my road to recovery and healing.

  About an hour after, the phone rang. It was Dr. Rodney wanting to know how I was doing. I told him that I was in therapy again and that I had stopped taking the medicine because it made me drowsy, but that I was doing my meditation exercises, walking, and I was feeling better.

  “Gemini, what is the future of your past, have you had a chance to figure it out?”

  “No, but I can tell you that my past is catching up with me. So much has been revealed to me in the past few weeks, that it caused me to have a setback. But I am on the mend again, just taking my time before I go back to work.”

  “Nobel told me that the police are following another lead, and they feel certain that whoever killed Tabitha also killed Barney Austin. They think that the killer wanted to frame me; I can’t imagine why anyone would do that?”

  “Someone who didn’t want to see you get the land that the city was giving away. Someone who wanted you to fail. Or maybe it was someone who had a grudge against Tabitha and Austin, and the police just assumed it was you.”

  “But Gemini, the killer lured me to the crosswalk, hoping that I would be blamed for Tabitha’s murder. The killer got Barney Austin to make the call; then he was murdered. This took planning on the part of the killer; planning and hatred for me.”

  “The way the two of them were killed, whoever did this hated them also. The killer could have shot them, but Tabitha was thrown from the crosswalk onto the street where she was sure to be run over by a car or, in her case, a truck.”

  “Reminds me of the story in the Bible about Jezebel. She was thrown out of a window by two eunuchs and trampled by a chariot. Not much of her body was found when they went to bury her. I don’t remember anyone in the Bible being strangled, which is how Barney Austin died. They say his tongue was hanging out his mouth when he was found. Almost as if the killer was saying he had a lying tongue.”

  “Dr. Rodney, you missed your calling; you should have been a detective.” He laughed and I said, “No, listen for a minute to my theory; what if the killer meant to kill them in a biblical way? That could mean that the killer was one of the members of the church. Someone who knew what Tabitha Day was doing and wanted to stop her. And maybe they killed Austin because he helped her with her evil plot to get the land. It may have meant embarrassment to the pastor.”

  “But why frame me, Gemini? I, too, didn’t like what Tabitha was doing to get the land, or my reputation. I’m on the side of the killer, so why frame me?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet, but I will. In the meantime, I have my eyes and ears out there and I will find some answers.”

  “Gemini, I want you to concentrate on getting better for you to go back to work. You need to be practicing law. There are a lot of people out there who need your skills as an attorney. That should be your number one priority.”

  “I am getting better, Dr. Rodney, and I won’t return to work until I am ready. Quinn is keeping the partners at bay until I can return. One of them wishes that I would leave the firm, never to return. But I have invested a lot of time there and I have no intentions of leaving.”

  We talked a minute more and when I hung up, I felt good knowing that Dr. Rodney still believed in me. So much had happened to me in the past few weeks, but the worst was yet to come. The meeting with my son and hearing his explanations. After that, I had to decide if I was going to go to the police with what I knew or let sleeping do
gs lie.

  It was time for my revenge. I placed a call to Club Escapades and asked Poo Poo if I could have a private meeting there. I didn’t explain why, but I told her that I wanted her to be there. She called back and said that the owner gave his permission to give us two hours for the meeting. Someone would be there to open the club and return after two hours. I then placed a call to Griff and told him my plan; he agreed to help me and said he’d be there at the appointed time. Finally, I placed a call to Nathan and asked if he would meet me at the club—it was very important, I had given a lot of thought to our relationship and I wanted to discuss our future. I told him the time and that we would be alone, except for Poo Poo, who needed to be there at the request of the owner.

  He arrived about five minutes after I did. He was dressed in a black jogging suit with black sneakers to match. I could see the red shirt underneath the jacket. Red looked good on him. He saw me standing in the doorway and walked towards me. I swear he exaggerated his walk, which made what I was about to do even better.

  “Thank you for coming on such a short notice,” I said to him as he entered the club. “I wouldn’t have asked you if this weren’t important. I would have asked you to come to my house, but I thought we could talk better here.”

  “I’m glad you called. I’ve been thinking about you since our last meeting here, but then I have never stopped thinking about you. I hope you have changed your mind about our friendship.”

  As he was talking, Griff and another man walked into the club. Nathan was oblivious to their presence—he was so wrapped up in the web of lies he was weaving.