45

“I texted him.” Kelly whispers.

“you shouldn’t have done that.” My voice can barely contain my anger.

We all watch Quinn alight from his car. Andre marches towards him. “what are you doing here Nickel?”

“I came to pick Cara, if you don’t mind.” He glares at him with a dangerous look.

“I do mind.” Andre dares him.

Andre’s mother walks out, her eyes shoot up with surprise when she sees Quinn. A look of disapproval flashes before her eyes, she covers it with a smile. “I am so glad you could join us Quinn.” she says and turns to us. “Ladies, I could use your company at the kitchen.” She requests.

“I will join you in a minute.” I tell Kelly as she follows Andre’s mother.

“can you just man up and make a decision and stop following Cara anyhow.” Andre says to Quinn.

“What are you doing here?” I ask Quinn.

“you just had to defy me. You never learn.” He snaps at me.

“you aren’t my father.”

“if I was we wouldn’t be having this conversation”

“you should go.” I say to him.

“you heard her nickel.” Andre agrees.

“the only way I am leaving here is with you in that damn car.”

Mr. Wayne walks out; he has a cigarette between his lips. He has changed the outfit he wore earlier. I can’t help but get lost staring at him, I still can’t accept that I am related to this man. How? There no single resemblance I bear with him. I look more like my father Cooper. I am a Cooper. Damn it! I wish was my mother was here with me to answer my question and save me from this rabbit hole she created. Who am I if I am not Cara Cooper?

“Are you okay?” Mr. Wayne asks. “you seem lost since you got here and I can see you have a wound.”

At the mention of my wound the pain come back in great magnitude. I guess I have been standing for too long.

I nod and start leaping towards the mansion and leave the men outside. What am I doing here? What do I intent to achieve out of this? I have no clear answer.

I can’t remember how the inside of the mansion looked like. It has a grand foyer with twin staircase, the thing admired about it was the indoor conservatory and the gun room that despite being warned about. Andre and I couldn’t heed that as kids. I find the paintings and the sofas covered seems like they are decorating the house that will explain why Wayne was grilling out there instead of the grilling area. I am surprised when I don’t find a single maid at my service. I remember the house well so it isn’t hard to find the indoor kitchen. I find Kelly and Andre’s mom immersed in some random chit chat. There is a chef that is preparing the meals.

“honey, I am sorry Andre told me earlier about your accident go lay down will call you when everything is set.” She says and I get disgusted by her concern.

I don’t object it is just my luck.

“you can use Andre’s room, the rest still have fresh paint.” She instructs.

And it gets better and better.

She leaves once she ensures I am comfortable in Andre’s bed. It is like I needed the rest, the throb on my leg grows dull. I lock the door behind her and sit for a while as I think of what to do next. His room is neatly organized not a thing out of place. He is not a sedimental person and he hates hoarding anything. i stand and start going through his things, I start with his walk in closet, it is bigger than my half apartment. He has a collection of designer shoes which are enough to fund several kids through college. I carefully move things around to find anything, I am disappointed as it turns to be futile. I move to clothes section, nothing. I return to his bed. I look under it, under the blankets. What am I even looking for? Either way I keep on looking. I walk to where his desktop his, of course it has a password. A note on the top of his desk catches my attention it has the name Catherine Black on it with a phone number and bank details. It is the girl the family sold their identities to us. What is he up to? I hear footsteps and In a hurry I place the note back but accidentally knock the desk and something falls from under it. It is a diary, it has blood stains on it. I bent to pick it, I wince when I feel the pain behind my thighs. The name Lauren black is written on it but the letters have faded. This was my mother’s diary, the same diary Ryan’s mother had. Fuck! Andre killed her.

I can’t be here, I need air. Seems like the room is both spinning and standing still at the same time. What is happening? What did I miss in the beginning? I shove the diary inside my purse, it doesn’t fit well and I don’t care about that.

I get out of the room in a hurry and I bump into something hard. It is Quinn. he is holding a gun, I am not familiar with types of guns, it is looks like a hunting gun.

“why did you come here?” he asks.

My eyes are glued on the gun that is pointed towards me. “If you intend to shoot me, you are aiming wrong.”

He holds the gun pointing the other way and pushes me back to the room.

“you have been critical of all my decisions without offering a solution. So you better make your presence useful.” I snap at him.

“Elope with me, let’s leave all of this behind us.” He says.

My mouth goes wide open. Did I hear him right? Elope?

I move away from him. “is that a joke?” I ask.

“No. I have never been sure in my life as I am now.” He says.

We both panic when we hear the taping of heels. Andre’s mother pushes the door open. She turns red when she sees Quinn and apologizes for intruding.

“The meal is set.” She says and I follow her leaving Quinn behind.

“Affairs with married men never end well, the damaged is passed to their children I hope you don’t make that mistake.” She says to me.

“He wants us to run away.” I say.

She turns to me and sighs, “what do you think?”

“I don’t know what to make of life at this point.”

“if you are not sure of something, do nothing.” She says.

If find the Kelly, Andre and his father seated.

I sit beside Kelly and Quinn joins us immediately he sits beside me.

The meal is served with random chit chat between Wayne and Quinn. for some odd reason I pick that he enjoys his company. However, the peace is quickly disturbed when Quinn speaks, “what is your opinion on late Cooper, the academia’s want to introduce some of his theories in the economic course?”

I immediately stop eating and turn to Quinn with a death glare how dare he?

“it is hogwash. Just because a poor man accumulates little wealth he becomes a legend to be studied. it is no brainer. How about some of us who have had to maintain and keep the family wealth growing for over hundred years.” He sips his drink with a smug on his face.

“did you know the family?” I ask.

He exchanges a nervous look with his wife. “No.”

“i…” I step on Quin when he wants to pursue the matter further. I rather Andre and his mother not know that I discovered the truth.

“But you did help in his conviction?” I ask.

“Excuse me?” he stares at me.

“you helped in court to prove that he was laundering money. This information is public.” I clarify.

“No it is not. Who told you that?” he turns to Andre.

“Cara I need your help in the kitchen.” Andre’s mother stands.

I can feel Andre’s stare burning holes through my skull.

“why would you bring talk up with my husband? You know he doesn’t know what we have been doing?”

“why did you not tell me that you were somehow involved in my father’s case?”

“because we weren’t. the government need my husband’s services to track some of the accounts that the money was going to.”

“why did you not tell me?” I feel angry and tired and worst is that my body is aching. I haven’t taken my medication.

“I am sorry I disregarded how important that information was to you.”

“I trusted you and you took advantage of my naivety as a kid.”

“I protected you otherwise the Nickels and your uncle would have killed you.”

“I am done.”

“what is that supposed to mean?”

“it as simple as I have said.”

“is this because of Quinn?”

I don’t answer.

“honey, they never leave their wives. I know. “she keenly observes me. “it is no secret about the affairs my husband has. They are temporary and I am permanent.”

“is so bad for me to desire a normal life?”

“You have dedicated your life to avenging getting justice for your parents, you can’t just throw away when you so close.”

“At this point I am exactly where I began, even worse.”

“ten years ago you did put away the lawyer that convicted your father. The recent release of the fake audit report is butting the nickels out of business and possibly behind bars.”

“I should have known, my mother tried she failed. I am no better.”

“I have all the evidence you can put to put Nickel away for good.” She suddenly says. “before you say anything, I came across it recently and I was waiting to give it to you.”

“what about my uncle?”

“trust me, when that comes to public it is a matter of time before everyone involved gets caught up.”

This sounds promising. What I want is also to exert my justice on them. The betrayal she has carried all the years. Of course is one thing to hate a product of your husband’s betrayal but it is sick to befriend and pretend to help her. I smile at her wondering what is her end game with me.

She goes picks up the dessert. “promise me you won’t drag my husband into this.”

I nod, “I won’t”

“I will give the evidence as you leave.” She assures.

I spend the rest of the night quiet. Quinn hardly responds enthusiastically to anything Wayne says. I can see the dislike he holds for him. Andre remain oddly quiet and excused herself for a while because of uncomfortable Wayne made her feel. At the end of it Andre hands me over a flash disk and a folder. It is more of a desperate attempt to persuade me not to quit. If only she knows what awaits her.

“