A Getaway by LynnE
Chapter 36
"Jeez, that’ll wake the kids." He hustled to the door.
Meg and Alice came tearing down the road in response to the racket, which was caused by a tall man. They couldn’t see who it was, he was shrouded in the shadow of the front porch. Meg hesitated, but Alice charged forward.
"What the hell do you mean making that..?" As the stranger turned, she leaped at him.
Just then Tom opened the door. "Hey, what the.." he stopped short.
Extricating himself from Alice’s grip, in a voice that sounded like he was gargling gravel, Bart Williams asked, "well, boy, do I get to come in?"
"First you get this," Tom replied, as he enfolded him in a bear hug. "But Dad, why all the noise? The girls are asleep."
"What? Already? Damn, what time is it?" He checked his pocket watch. "Shoot! I forgot to wind it up." He dropped the watch back in his pocket, still unwound. "Sorry, boy, I was just so damn eager to get here."
Bart Williams was a head taller than his son, broad shouldered, deep-chested and narrow hipped. At sixty, he looked a good fifteen years younger, and felt another fifteen younger than that. He liked bourbon in moderation, baseball and Chopin to excess; he loved his son and his granddaughters; and the only two things he worshipped in life were God Almighty and Alice Frances Williams, and not necessarily in that order.
When his son let go of him, he grabbed his wife, lifted her a foot off the ground and kissed her so long and hard she had to nudge him to let her up for air. "I guess you missed me," she gasped.
"Baby," he rumbled tenderly, "only every damn second of every day."
"Me, too," she replied softly.
Ben and Meg tried to slip away during this reunion, but were noticed.
"Goodness! Where are my manners?" Alice made the introductions.
Bart greeted Meg with old-fashioned courtliness, kissing her hand. He shook Ben’s with a vise-like grip. He turned to his son, "Tom, glad to see you made some friends here."
"They’re both with Liberty Corporation, Pop. Meg is managing the project, and Ben is one of the owners."
Ben spoke up, "We’re also, I think, on our way to becoming friends. At least I hope so. Your son has been invaluable to both of us, personally, as well as in this project."
Alice mouthed the words "I told you so" to an infinitely relieved Meg.
"That right?" The elder Williams seemed genuinely surprised. "Tom doesn’t usually get involved socially with business acquaintances."
"This was special, Dad. It’s a long story, better started another time." He ushered Ben and Meg to the door. "Will you be o.k. on the scooter? It’s been quite a night." He walked out with them and murmured to Ben, "I’ll see you in the morning, at the site. Get a firm of good P.I.s on this right away."
"I will," Ben promised. "Good night, Tom, and thank you."
Meg added her thanks, and love to the girls, before they sped away.
Ben drove back to the Roseden so fast that he almost missed the driveway. He was preoccupied with what he and Tom had discussed. His heart ached over the fact that Benjy wasn’t his child. But more important, what should he do now? How much could he tell Meg, how could he insure her safety? Behind all of those thoughts, however, was the comfort of knowing that he now had a strong and trustworthy ally. They would succeed, because the alternative was unthinkable.
Ben parked the scooter around back as Meg brought the blanket and towels inside.
"Ben, we forgot the picnic basket!"
"I’m afraid it’ll have to wait for tomorrow. I don’t think I’ve got the energy to go back for it," he sighed.
"It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?" She hugged him. "Are you all right?"
"Nothing a month of sleep wouldn’t cure."
They left their blanket and towels in the return basket next to the front desk and trudged upstairs. By unspoken consent, they went to Ben’s room.
"This is very nice," Meg said, inspecting the cedar paneling and the framed maps on the walls. "Definitely a man’s room," she added approvingly.
"Ouch!" Ben was gingerly peeling off his shirt, to reveal a bad sunburn on his shoulders and back. "How did this happen?"
"Didn’t you put on any sunscreen?"
"Yes, I did. Oh, damn. I forgot to reapply after we went swimming. You’d think after all these years living on the beach I’d know better," he castigated himself.
"Well, you were distracted. Lay down and I’ll put some aloe on it. Do you have any aspirin?" It looked pretty bad, and Meg was concerned about Ben developing a fever.
"No, and no aloe either."
"I’ll be right back." She hurried to her room and collected what was needed. When she got back, she found Ben fast asleep, despite the pain. She hated to wake him, but this burn had to be looked after.
With a gentle touch, Meg spread the cooling green gel all over Ben’s back and shoulders. He woke briefly and murmured something she did not catch, then drifted off again. She hated to do it, but Meg forced him awake again, just long enough to give him the aspirin, and for her to undress him the rest of the way.
Meg did all the work. Ben, woozy from sun and the day’s stress, was dead weight. Finally, by dint of a lot of coaxing and pushing, she got him between the cool cotton sheets, face down. Too exhausted to do any more, Meg put on a shirt from his closet, lay down beside him and turned out the lights.
"You poor thing," she murmured, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Good night, sweetie." She took Ben’s hand in both of hers and fell instantly into a profound, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 37Unlike Ben and Meg, Tom Williams took a while to fall asleep. He could hear the bed creaking in his mother’s room, as she and his father got "reacquainted." He grinned at the thought. Thirty-five years of marriage and they’re still going at it. It gave him pause. We would’ve had that.
Images of Jan filled his head. That big smile, the come-hither look she always gave him after the kids fell asleep. The feelings came flooding back, too. Thanks to this business with Meg Cummings, his heart was opening again, and it was uncomfortable in many ways. Tom punched his pillow and turned over.
* * * * * * *
Ben was bathed in sweat from the effort. He knew he couldn’t run fast enough. There were thorns and thick undergrowth and he fought through them as best as he could, but he knew he wouldn’t be in time. Ben could hear them screaming, Maria and Tess, as Derek pushed them off the cliff into the sea. Meg was there, with Benjy in her arms.
Derek dragged her to the edge. She tried to fight him off, using herself as a shield to let Benjy escape, urging him to run. But Derek held them both. Ben came into the clearing just as Derek shoved them over.
"No! Stop!" He fought the bedclothes and sat up, still dreaming.
"Ben, what is it? Wake up!" Meg had him now, her cool hands wiped the sweat from his face. His breath came in frantic gasps. Ben slumped against her.
"Sweetie, are you all right?" She held him close, her cool soft lips touched his forehead. "Well, not much of a temperature."
Meg looked at him with concern. "Ben, you had a nightmare."
"I dreamed Derek threw you and Benjy over the cliff where we fought."
She brought him a glass of water, and checked the clock. Four-ten in the morning, much too early to discuss anything.
"Go back to sleep, Ben. I’m right here and I’m just fine."
He lay down again, his mind full of the danger. I’ve got to keep her here, he thought.
* * * * * * *
When morning came, Ben awoke to the singing of birds and the rustling of the trees. It was a perfect Bermuda day, with no hint of the possible trouble that might lie ahead at home. He experienced a cold qualm of panic when he realized he was alone.
"Meg! Where are you?"
"I’m right here." She came through the door dressed for business. "Do you feel better?"
Meg caressed his forehead, checking for fever. She was satisfied that he had none. "How’s the sunburn?"
"A lot better, thanks. Are you leaving for work already?"
"Not just yet. I ordered breakfast for us; it should be here soon. Why don’t you get showered and dressed?"
Ben did as Meg suggested, and came back to find French toast and strawberries. He and Meg ate their breakfast quietly, preoccupied with thoughts of what had happened last night.
He begged off going with her to the resort site, pleading other business. Meg waited for an explanation, but when Ben didn’t offer one, she decided to leave him to it. Recent months had taught her that snooping would only bring her trouble. She had more than enough of that already. Besides, she wanted to talk to Tom. She still owed him that explanation.
Once Meg was on her way, Ben began making calls. The Sheriff’s Department at Arrowhead confirmed that no trace of Derek’s body had been found. Ben dispatched a team of private investigators to attempt to trace Derek’s life before he arrived in Sunset Beach. He set attorneys to the task of drawing up a divorce and shared custody agreement for himself and Maria. He put other detectives in charge of digging up information on Tess and Maria’s time together in Seattle. When he’d sent as many ratters down as many holes as he could think of, Ben finally left for the resort.
Chapter 38
Meg stopped at the office and caught Tom as he was preparing for a day out at the site. He gave her his biggest grin, "You’re up bright and early! Where’s Evans?"
"He’s joining us later."
"Even better. I wanted a minute to talk to you." Tom escorted her into his office, where his father sat with a huge bouquet in hand, and intoned with mock formality. "My Dad, whose reading has included Amy Vanderbilt and Emily Post, informs me that I am in social error. I am told that it is improper not to acknowledge an important evening with flowers, so…"
He swept the bouquet out of his father’s hands and offered it to Meg. "With my thanks for a memorable evening…."
Bart rumbled, "Better late than never. ‘Thou art the iris,
Fair among the fairest,
Who, armed with golden rod
And winged with the celestial azure,
Bearest the message of some god.’"
He bowed. "That’s Longfellow, you know."
Meg gasped, halfway between tears and laughter, "No, I didn’t know. But thank you both, so much!" She hugged father and son in turn. "These are absolutely lovely!" And they were, a riot of color, blues, pinks, and golds.
"Irises." Father and son spoke together. "Very appropriate," continued Tom slyly, "Marguerite Iris Cummings."
"How did you know?"
"A little research. The bad guys don’t have a monopoly on it."
Meg steeled herself to her task. "That’s why I wanted to talk to you, Tom." Bart excused himself and got up to leave. "You don’t have to go, Mr. Williams."
"Yes, I do. Every now and then it’s a good idea to practice minding your own business. Now’s as good a time as any. I’ll wait for you in the truck, son."
"Thanks, Dad." Tom turned back to Meg. "You don’t have to tell me anything. I got it out of Evans last night. And if you’ll excuse me for saying it, I think it was more honest than what you would tell me, Evans not being able to make any excuses for himself."
"Tom, that’s not fair."
"The hell it’s not!" The flash of anger surprised both of them. After a moment’s hesitation, he went on, "Look, there’s something about you that.." he searched for the right words, "that makes people want to look out for you. To keep you safe, to prevent you from being hurt any more than you have been already. If you won’t look after yourself, I will! Because I care what happens to you, and I want you to be happy."
"Ben will make me happy, Tom."
"I hope to God you’re right."
She embraced him, as Ben opened the door.
Meg made a great show of displaying the flowers to Ben. She went to her office to put them in a vase.
Ben turned to Tom, "Why the flowers, Williams?"
Tom grinned at him, "Consider it a booster shot."
"What?"
"All part of the ongoing effort to inoculate you against overconfidence. Remember the bighorn. Meet you at the site." He left.
* * * * * * *
When Ben and Meg arrived at the construction site, they found Orlando Boca and Tom sitting in the trailer with Bart, listening to the radio. As Ben tried to introduce himself, he was peremptorily shushed. The music was classical, beautiful, and Ben and Meg waited with the others until it came to an end.
"Y’see, it was perfect," Bart Williams pounded his fist on the desk, making his point to a stunned Orlando Boca. "Dead, solid perfect! Handel’s Concerto for Harp and String Quartet in C Sharp Major. Nothing like it! Damn! That was good! Now let’s go look at this resort you’re building." He strode out with Orlando right behind.
Tom chuckled, "You think that was bad? Liszt and Chopin actually make him cry."
A knock at the door was followed by the entrance of Sir James and Lady Handelman. "We’re here to look around at Tom’s kind invitation," Sir James explained. He and his lady acknowledged their introduction to Ben. Husband and wife both looking ridiculous in yellow hardhats, they joined the inspection party. As they walked to the building site, Sir James reported that Peter Hopkins has left to live in Jamaica, ostensibly for his health. "And a jolly good riddance he is, too."
Lady Handelman hung back, "Oh Mr. Evans, might I ask you…?"
When Ben turned politely in response, Lady Handelman looked around him and spoke to the others, "Why don’t you all just go ahead, we’ll catch you up in a little while."
The others went on. "Yes, Lady Handelman, what would you like to know?"
"I’d like to know what you thought you were doing Saturday night, pretending to be a waiter and spying on Meg."
"You saw me." Ben confirmed resignedly.
"Yes, of course I saw you. I saw what you did, and what you didn’t do while Peter Hopkins was cutting that poor girl to ribbons! How could you be so cruel as to put her in such circumstances and then fail to defend her? What were you thinking?"
"I wanted to go to Meg, more than anything," Ben explained, desperately. "But how could I explain my presence?"
"Oh, I see. It was quite all right for her to be mortified, as long as you weren’t put in the awkward position of explaining yourself. You disappoint me, Mr. Evans. Very much indeed." She started off after the others, but turned abruptly and came back to where Ben stood, still in shock at her vehemence.
She looked at Ben pityingly. "In my religion, there’s a liturgical passage listing the many sins for which mankind is required to ask God’s pardon. I was always stumped by one, ‘the sin of a confused heart’. I think I understand it now."
Ben could feel himself reddening in embarrassment. "I love Meg, only Meg!" He objected.
"Then take decisive action on her behalf! Any surgeon will tell you that it’s a lot less painful and dangerous to cut swiftly. While you’ve been playing Hamlet, wavering this way and that, trying to make everything nice for Meg, your wife, the boy, the dustman, whomever, all you’ve managed to achieve is universal suffering. Act, for pity’s sake! Decide and act!
"This is a cruel world, Mr. Evans, and women’s progress not withstanding, the fact remains that a man who is involved in such an affair as this is thought of as having done something dashing and clever. A woman, on the other hand, is thought of as someone indecent and untrustworthy. Harsh opinions can do great damage. If you love Meg, you must look after her reputation as well as her person."
"You’re telling me to send Maria and my son away? to hurt them?" Ben was unsure, she could hear it in his voice.
"You have to, if you want to keep Meg. Don’t take the easy way out, or I can promise you you’ll end up with nothing. There is no happy medium here. Resign yourself to that, Mr. Evans, and stop being a coward about it. For everyone’s sake, decide."
She left him behind and went after the others. Ben sat on the trailer steps, thinking as hard as he ever had in his life.
Chapter 39
Ben caught up to the others after a few moments. Lady Handelman was right. He knew it. Everyone around him was twisting in the wind as he wavered endlessly, like some confused teenager.
The truth was, Ben had been confused. Not about Meg; his love for her was the one thing he was certain of. He was less sure about the rest of it. How do you tell an innocent boy that you are not the father he’s so desperate for, especially when you’ve come to cherish him as your own? If Maria turns out not to be Benjy’s mother, how do you find out who the true mother is, how can you discover what’s behind this charade? If your murderous brother is alive, how do you find him and deliver him to justice?
Meg and Orlando Boca were taking turns describing the environmental safeguards designed into the building process; there were beautiful and sensitive coral reefs just off the beach. Among other innovations, the Bermuda Liberty Resort had designed its own reefs to shield the real ones. It was innovative and expensive, but it would guarantee the natural heritage and beauty of the place for generations to come.
Ben listened with half his attention, absorbing what he needed to know. To him the most important thing was the look of security on Meg’s face. She spoke confidently, without hesitation.
That was it! Why hadn’t he realized it before? Ben knew what to do now.
Meg finished her remarks with a flourish, and bowed laughingly to the applause of the guests. Sir James, much moved, embraced her and turned to Orlando Boca, "I’m very impressed indeed," he told him. "I want to have your advice on a project of mine beginning soon in South Carolina, on the shore. I want my firm to get it right the first time." He turned to Tom, "and your advice, too, Tom. You’ve done a wonderful job."
Sir James offered his hand to Bart Williams. "You must be so very proud," he said with some emotion. Bart gave him a hug that almost knocked him over. "I sure am," he beamed.
Tom interrupted, "Well, if the love fest is finished," he smiled deprecatingly, "let’s check out the gardens and then we can have some lunch."
Meg began to follow the others, until Ben took her arm.
"Look, I’ve got to get back to Sunset Beach. I have a flight in two hours."
"Ben, is everything all right?" She was worried by the serious expression on his face.
"Yes, of course. I just have this business to attend to. I have to start those inquiries we talked about yesterday." He didn’t tell her that that work was already well under way.
"I can come with you. It won’t take me long to pack." She wanted them to face things together.
"No, you have to finish here. I’ll call you as soon as I know something." She started to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss. "I know I’m leaving you in good hands," he said, gesturing in the direction of the others.
"I can look after myself," she protested. Hasn’t he learned anything?
Ben surprised her. "I know that," he replied. "Still, it’s good to have people you can confide in. You know, Meg…" he hesitated, then plunged in, "I’d give anything to have your ability to make friends and be open with people. I really envy you the way you engage people’s hearts; you bring out the best in them. It’s a gift beyond price.
"I’ve always been too suspicious of people’s motives, too closed off and judgmental, and far too easily angered. Thank God one of us has an open heart."
Meg was touched. "Your heart is open, to me anyway. And to Benjy. The rest will come, in time." She hugged him. "Have a little faith," she teased gently.
Ben kissed her hands. "You give me hope." Then he gathered her into his arms, kissed her swiftly and passionately, and was gone.
Meg, a little stunned, rejoined the others. As they paced the winding pathways of a garden that only looked like it had been there forever, she felt a sense of loss already. Tom Williams was with her, and he understood.
"So, he’s gone back to L.A." His voice was low and calm; Meg felt immediately comforted.
"Yes, he has business."
Tom smiled to himself. Yeah, he thought, and the sooner this business is over, the better.
* * * * * * *
The first reports reached Ben in mid-flight. The records from the hospital at Dana Point indicated that Maria had a full physical before her transfer to Cedar Oaks. And no, she had never given birth. Ben frowned. There would be another set of shocks to deal with.
Preliminary reports from the Seattle end of the investigation indicated that Tess had lived in a small, isolated house beyond the city limits, in an unincorporated suburb. Benjy’s birth certificate was filed at a local hospital, but the birth had occurred at home. What was lacking was any evidence that Maria had been with her. If Benjy was Tess’s baby, where did Maria fit in? Were there any photographs of Maria and Tess, aside from the ones he’d already seen? Ben pressed the investigators to find more.
Once he arrived in L.A., Ben did not go home, nor did he call there. Instead, he made a beeline for his office at The Deep, where he left strict orders that not only was he not to be disturbed, but absolutely no one, with the exception of the detectives and Meg, was to know he was there. Ben turned off his cell phone; he needed to concentrate. In a matter of moments, the fax machine was pumping out letters and documents, proof that things were not as Tess had described them.
A search of the records at the Seattle hospitals did not reveal that a Maria Torres or a Maria Rodriguez had seen any of the local ob/gyns, but a Bess Martin, aged 26, had. The detectives had gotten a description from a Dr. Coyle, and his nurse had identified a picture of Tess as "Bess Martin." There were no records of a marriage for Tess Marin or Bess Martin, but the nearest neighbors, a middle aged couple living some half a mile away, identified a picture of Ben, as Bess’ boyfriend. They didn’t know his name, but they’d spoken to him once or twice. He was from England, they thought.
The couple had failed to identify a picture of Maria. Evidently, she did not live with the couple, or at least they had never seen her there. Puzzle piled upon puzzle, as Ben, his lawyers, and his agents worked all day to figure it out. Piece by piece, they fit it all together. Finally, all that was left was to confirm their deductions.
The busy day continued at the Liberty Resort. Once their guests had lunched and gone, Meg and Tom, with Orlando and the other contractors, had resumed the day’s work.
Bart Williams hung around, discussing possible changes in the ventilation system for the indoor pool. At six, they put the plans and charts away. Good nights were said all around and the others departed, leaving Tom and Bart with Meg.
Tom yawned and stretched. Meg could see the muscles of his back moving under his shirt. She studied him for a moment, but when she noticed Bart watching her quickly looked away and began packing up her briefcase. Bart smiled to himself, Alice would be interested to learn that Meg Cummings wasn’t quite as "taken" as she believed.
"Want to come back with us to dinner?" Tom asked, casually. "There’ll be plenty."
"Sure there will," Bart agreed. "And Alice and the girls would love to see you."
Meg didn’t require much persuading. She didn’t want to be alone to worry about Ben. She’d have dinner and call him when she got back to the Roseden.
Dinner turned into a long evening of laughter and games with the children. Meg was delighted to be part of a happy family again. She felt warm and accepted. This little rented house was so much more comfortable than the great marble minefield she tiptoed through every day back in Sunset Beach.
She’d helped put the girls to bed, helped with the dishes, listened to jokes and family stories, told a few of her own, and loved every minute of it. Meg knew she wanted to somehow hold onto these dear good people once this project was done, but how could she do it from so far away? And how could she do it without giving them, especially Tom, the wrong idea?
"Ready to call it a night?" Tom asked.
"That’s what I like most about you," Meg chuckled. "No ceremony, no nonsense."
"What you see is what you get."
"Now, Tom. That’s the first lie you’ve ever told me," she chided. "You are a whole lot more than blue jeans and a tee shirt and we both know it."
"Ah, Flatterer. Come on, let’s get you home." Meg hugged Bart and Alice, and she and Tom left.
At the Roseden, Mrs. Wynters was waiting rather anxiously.
"Miss Cummings, this fax arrived earlier for Mr. Evans, but he’s gone home. Since you, ah, know him, perhaps you should see it. It looks rather important." She handed it over.
Meg studied the three pages. It was from a detective agency, marked urgent. The text described inquiries undertaken in Seattle. But what riveted Meg’s attention was a picture from a local weekly newspaper, very grainy, but recognizable. It showed a group of people watching a small local parade. Two faces in the little crowd were circled. Tess and Derek. Meg felt a cold shiver of panic.
She handed it to Tom. "We’ve got to get hold of Ben. He has to know about this!"
They tried over and over to reach Ben. They called everywhere, except the house. Meg knew that would give them away. They tried Ben’s cell phone, but got no answer. Tom tried the Deep, but the bartender said Ben wasn’t there.
Meg became more and more frantic. "What can we do? Derek is a murderer! We have to find Ben!"
"I think our only option is to get to Sunset Beach and find him ourselves. Unless," he hesitated. "What about the police? Can we trust them? You said Maria’s brother was the lead detective in town. Would he understand this? Could we count on his help?"
"I don’t know. Ricardo’s never really liked Ben. And he thinks Maria walks on water."
Tom picked up the phone. "Dad. We’ve got an emergency. Can you get Charlie Haskell to meet us at the airport? You come too. I’ll explain when I see you."
He grabbed Meg’s hand. "Get what you need together and put on some jeans or something. We’re going to go after Ben ourselves. Hurry."
Tom continued making calls while Meg changed.
Forty minutes later, at the far end of the airport, Bart Williams waited with his old Korean War buddy. Charlie Haskell had been a hot shot flyer, and Bart Williams the best intelligence analyst in the Air Force. Charlie was still a hot shot, and he owned the fastest plane in the air, a Russian MIG.
He flew Meg and Tom across the country in 3 ½ hours.
Before they left, Tom handed his father the unenviable task of calling Sunset Beach and convincing the police that a serious threat to the safety of Ben Evans and his family really existed.
"I’m sorry, Dad. I wish I had more time to explain about this."
Bart Williams enfolded his son in a bone-crushing hug. "Don’t worry about me. Keep your eye on that girl, and watch out for yourself. Good luck, boy."
As the supersonic jet took off, Bart uttered a little prayer, and picked up the phone.
Chapter 40
When night fell, Ben locked the reports he’d received in the office safe and left the Deep. He took a taxi and had the driver stop well up the street from the house. Ben made his way quickly along the strand. Quietly, he walked around to the deck. His luck was holding; the living room was empty. Ben opened the door and silently stepped inside.
Ben heard Maria singing in a soft voice while she puttered around in the kitchen, putting the supper dishes away. There was no sign of Tess. He tiptoed up the stairs. Benjy was asleep in his room. Ben sat down on the bed and turned on the lamp. He shook the boy gently awake. Benjy opened his eyes and smiled widely at the sight of his father. Ben put his finger to his lips, and whispered, "Shhh, you must be very quiet, so we can talk without anyone hearing."
Benjy was excited, "Is it a secret, Daddy?"
Ben’s heart ached, but he saw and took his chance. "Yes. The secret is that I know about the game."
Benjy was at once crestfallen and relieved. "I don’t want to play this game anymore. I don’t like it. I tried to do what Mommy said, but it got harder and harder. Why did she want me to say I hate Meg, Daddy? Why do I have to pretend?"
Ben gathered the boy to him. "I thought you felt that way. You don’t have to pretend anymore, Benjy. It will be all right. I promise you it will." Uncle and nephew clung together.
He opened the door and checked the hallway. There was no-one there. He could no longer hear Maria. In fact, there was no sound from below. Ben closed the door and put a chair against the knob. He turned back to Benjy, and cautioning the boy to speak quietly, resumed the questioning.
"Tess is your real mommy, isn’t she?" Benjy nodded.
"Who is Maria? Where did she come from?"
"I don’t know, Daddy. Mommy said you found her and took her home to help Mommy and me ‘cause you had to go away."
"Benjy, do you remember me from before?"
Benjy shook his head. "I only saw a picture, Daddy. Mommy said you had to go away to get something and that you were supposed to come back, but you didn’t. She said it was all Meg’s fault and that she was going to get even with Meg. She said Meg was a bad lady and I should always tell you to send her away."
The boy sniffed away a tear. "Mommy said I had to pretend that Maria was my mommy. Why, Daddy? Maria is a nice lady, but she doesn’t know how to be a mommy. Meg knows how. Can Meg be my pretend Mommy now?"
Ben thought, with any luck, she can be your real mother, while yours is in prison. He said, "We’ll see, Benjy."
He tucked the boy back under the covers, and leaned over him. "Listen to me, Benjy. This is very important. I have to go and put an end to the game. It might make Mommy angry. So I want you to stay here and not come out until I come to get you. Do you understand? Not for anyone, not even Mommy. O.k?"
Benjy nodded. "I love you, Daddy."
Ben embraced him. "And I love you." He opened the door and slid quietly into the hall.
* * * * * * *
Back in Bermuda, Bart Williams thundered into the telephone. "Torres, I don’t care how wonderful your sister is, the nanny can’t be trusted. This whole thing with the kid is a scam. He’s not your nephew, and we have proof."
He listened in exasperation, to a stream of argument from the other end.
Finally, Bart cut in, holding onto his temper with both hands. "Look. If you don’t want to believe me, fine. Just get yourself over to the house. My son and Meg Cummings will be there soon. Wait for them. Let them show you the fax and the other evidence. Then decide. Do, it Torres, or you’ll wind up regretting it."
"That wasn’t a threat," he said in reply to Ricardo’s rejoinder. "But this is."
His voice lowered to a deadly growl. "If anything happens to Meg Cummings or my son, and I find out you could have prevented it, I promise you, on everything that matters to me in this life and the next, you’ll pay, in ways you can’t even think of. Get over there and protect those people."
He slammed the phone down, and swore. What in hell was he going to tell Alice?
* * * * * * *
Ben made his way down the stairs without a sound. He saw Maria sitting on the sofa, her back to him, and rushed to her side.
Maria looked at him, terrified. She was bound hand and foot, and her mouth taped shut.
"Maria, what..?"
The gun at the back of his head answered all the questions. "Don’t move," Tess commanded.
Ben took a chance and turned around.
"I told you…"
"You won’t shoot me, Tess. There’s no money in that, for you or your son."
"So he told you."
"Of course he told me. He thinks I’m his father. How could you do this to him?" Ben shook his head. "You know, Tess, you could have come to me and told me the truth. Don’t you realize, I would have taken care of Benjy? For pity’s sake, Tess, he’s my nephew! I would have looked after him, and you, gladly, without all the lies."
Tess shifted the gun, "I didn’t know you, except by what Derek said. But I’m not after you, I’m after HER. Where is she?"
"Meg is in Bermuda, Tess. Three thousand miles away, and she is surrounded by people who are looking after her, who love her."
"Oh yeah," Tess responded bitterly. "Everybody loves dear little Meg. Everybody! Even Derek! He came here and he was going to get some of your money and come back and we’d be okay, us and our son. But he didn’t come back! He stayed! He fell in love with Meg and he abandoned us."
Ben studied her, pityingly. "You have to realize by now that Meg did not do anything to encourage Derek. Tess, I’m sorry. This whole thing must have been so painful for you. But did you really think you could fix things by causing more pain, more death? If you want to take revenge on someone, take it on me, I was the one who didn’t save Derek at the cliffs. If you have to hate anyone, it should be me."
Tess pointed the gun at him, it shook in her hand. Ben took a step toward her, but she lifted it toward his head. "Don’t come any closer. I know how to use this.
"I found him, you know. At the bottom of the cliffs, in the brush. He was all broken and bloody. He died in my arms. And what was the last thing he said? ‘Meg, I’m sorry’ That’s what he said. Nothing about me, or our child. Just about Meg, apologizing to Meg! Oh God!"
She gathered herself. "I dragged his body I don’t know how far, it seemed like miles. Until I found a place where I could bury him. I buried him with my hands, scraping away the dirt until it was deep enough, so that the animals wouldn’t get him. I tried to find a prayer to say, but all I heard in my head was his voice, over and over, ‘I’m sorry Meg.’ What about ‘I’m sorry Bess’, huh? What about me?"
"He named our son for you. Because he thought it would make you want to help us. We didn’t have the kind of money it takes to look after a little boy right. He said we could get some money from you and get married and that everything would be alright.
"Then one day he came home with Maria." Tess gestured at her with the gun. "He’d found her somewhere on the streets. He said he knew her, but she couldn’t remember anything. We took her in and she helped us look after Benjy.
"It was weird. The way she stared at Derek all the time. I think he kind of liked it. After he went to see you, she got all crazy and started going out at night, and standing in the rain and doing all kinds of things. She scared me a little, and I was going to tell her to leave, but I didn’t have to. One night she stole my car and disappeared.
Maria slumped on the sofa, stunned. Ben took another step toward Tess. She pulled the gun up again. Ben backed off.
"Look, I’m going to go. I’m going to take my son and go. I’m sorry about this. I don’t want any more trouble, not with anyone. Not even Meg. I guess you’re right, I guess it wasn’t her fault."
Tess shrugged, "Everybody loves Meg. Nobody loves me, or you either," she gestured at Maria.
Ben spoke, "Tess, wait. You need help. Benjy does too. Let’s get someone to help you deal with this."
Tess flared, "I’m not crazy!" She got closer, almost within arm’s reach. "You miserable, sanctimonious bastard! If you really gave a damn about anybody but yourself you would have settled this months ago and never let us in here. But with you it’s always, ‘my son, my wife,’ whichever one that is. You just like to play with other people’s lives. I ought to kill you. You’re the same as Derek. You killed him, you ruined everything." She raved.
Meg and Tom reached the house; they peeped through the window from the deck. They saw Tess, the gun in her hand, threatening Ben. Meg bolted for the front door before Tom could stop her.
Meg rang the bell, then opened the door with her key.
"Tess, what are you doing?" Meg rushed forward, distracting Tess. Tom sneaked in from the deck and grabbed the gun. It went off in the struggle. The report hid the noise at the front door as Ricardo, Ruiz, Spencer and others burst in. They took Tess down, while Tom came away with the gun.
Half an hour later, when all the explanations were given and Tess had been taken away to be booked, Ricardo stood in the living room trying to make sense of it all. Maria, unbound, sipped a cup of tea and tried to cope with the new reality. Meg, having failed to persuade Tom to go to the hospital for treatment, sat with him as he telephoned his family. Ben went up to check on Benjy, and finding him asleep, decided explanations could wait until morning, and came down again.
"Lemme see now, Benjy is Tess’ son by your brother Derek, right?"
Ben sat at his desk. "Right. The medical evidence indicates Maria has never had a baby. Tess wasn’t exactly clear on when Derek found Maria or what the circumstances were, but Maria was the nanny, and Tess, or Bess Martin, that’s her real name, is Benjy’s mother."
"The SBPD will press charges for gun possession and menacing, maybe attempted fraud. What about the kid?"
"He’s my nephew. I’m going to look after him. It would appear that I’m his only relative, anyway." Ben hesitated. "Look Ricardo, can’t we find a way to get Tess some help? Obviously, she’s cracked under the pressure of what happened, and God knows going to jail won’t do her any good."
Ricardo sighed, "You’re probably right about that. I guess a decent lawyer could get the judge to see it that way, too. I won’t fight you on it, that’s for sure. She’ll be arraigned in the morning, first thing." He left.
Maria, exhausted, made her excuses and went up to bed, though she didn’t expect she’d get any sleep. Besides, seeping through the shock was the realization that she needed to find a new way to stay in Ben’s life.
That left Meg, Ben and Tom alone.
Afterword
"It’s okay, Meg. Barely a scratch." He held up his arm. "Look, hardly even bleeding." Tom grinned broadly; enjoying her concern and just as delighted by Ben’s obvious annoyance. He liked having her hold his hand.
"Tom, you could have been killed!"
Tom shrugged. "Hey, no harm, no foul." He spread his arms and was surprised when she rushed into them. Behind her, Ben’s face settled into a stony mask. Tom couldn’t care less. Meg was holding him and it made him giddy, the scent and the feel of her. He felt like he was falling.
They parted, but he didn’t let her go. "Just don’t tell my Mom, okay?"
She laughed a little and hugged him again. The two stood staring at each other.
Ben cleared his throat noisily. The scene broke like a bubble; Meg and Tom parted hastily. They’d forgotten him.
Ben stepped forward and offered his hand. Tom gripped it briefly. "Thank you for everything, Tom. I won’t forget the risk you took." He put his hands on Meg’s shoulders possessively. "If I can ever find a way to repay you, I will."
The two men looked each other squarely in the eye.
Meg retrieved the first aid kit from the kitchen. She used an antiseptic wipe and then bandaged the slight wound on Tom’s arm. She asked, "Tom, shouldn’t you rest? Bleeding or not, this has been hard on you. Go upstairs and lay down, just for a while. For me, please?"
Tom took pity on Ben. "No, thanks, I’m just going to take a walk, y’know, check out the beach, and get a hotel room for tonight. I’m going to pay a call on Mr. Richards and look around tomorrow. I’ve never been to California before," he added.
Tom headed for the deck.
"Wait, I’m going with you!" Meg chased after him. "Ben, call the hotel at the pier and get Tom a room, will you?"
Ben looked at her crossly. Meg came back and whispered, angrily. "Suppose he feels weak when he’s on the beach. I want to walk him to the hotel. Then I’m going to get him a change of clothes." She hissed, "Call and reserve the room!"
"Good night, Evans. See you tomorrow." Tom went out. Meg followed him, but not before she favored Ben with one final glare.
Ben picked up the phone and punched in the number for the hotel. As he made the reservation, he walked out onto the deck and stared at the two diminishing figures, wondering.
The End
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