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Chapter 141 — A Question of Trust
In the middle of the day Mason appeared at his father's house — he was asked to get documents from the office for CC. He goes into the living room and surprises to see his bored younger brother.
"Is the father returned?" He asked Charlie. "Where he is?"
"I came back alone," the boy grimly replied.
"Are you escaped?" Mason horrified. He can clearly see its consequences.
"No, of course," Charlie snorted. "The father put me on the plane and Rosa was taken me in the airport."
"How you manage to annoy him so hard?" Mason incredulously asked having his heart of a little relieved.
"Oh, there was such a bore!" Charlie grimaced. "I hardly seem him. He's always with his business partners and bankers."
"Well, welcome to the club," the older brother smiled sadly.
"But you were something, he did not ignore you!" Charlie snapped.
"Alas, he did. CC Capwell never acting with other ways. As the profit is at stake as the rest is nothing for him."
Charlie sighed and said nothing. Then he stands up from the wicker chair and headed for the door to the garden.
Mason shakes his head looking after him. He heard a loud splash — Charlie's jumping into the pool.
* * *
Mary was not surprised when in the next day Christy came and asked to spend the night in her old little room above the garage.
"Just not read me morality," she warned.
"I even do not think. But I'm worries about you."
"Honestly?"
"Honestly," Mary smiled but then became sober. "Chris, what is wrong?"
"I heard it again," Christy said after a pause. "The voice."
"Steve is dead. We both saw his body," Mary said.
"I do not believe in ghosts," her younger sister said. "This is one of flesh and blood."
"Or something like an audiotape," Mary said. "There is no other explanation. But who might be wanted to scare you?"
"I have no idea," Christy's face falls. "Maybe someone who wants to inherit after our uncle?"
"And how Steve is connecting with that? Beside no one was trying to scare me though we're both Uncles' heirs."
"OK, it's dropped. But what is we remain?"
"Well..." Mary thought for a moment. "Logically the person must be someone who may hold the recording of Steve's voice. By the way what were words?"
"He calling me," Christy shivered.
"Calling by the name?"
"Yes," Christy nodded.
Mary frowned.
"This changes everything," she murmured.
"Why?"
"Because so it is not a prank. This is purposeful intimidation. Probably a kind of some montage," Mary said. She paused and then added: "Chris, I'll talk to Mason. I guess that we should put the bugs in the house to know sure."
"But then I'll need to go back in the house," Christy sounded like she does not want to do that.
"Not necessarily. We'll work something out. Do you have the talk to Jimmy?"
"About what?"
"About your past."
"No. I'm not going to do."
Mary did not want to quarrel and turned the conversation to another subject. She does not want to think about that time too. But she felt that it can not be avoided till they found out what was happening.
* * *
Mason finally leaned back in his chair and stretched. His drawing up of the contract was almost over. Left just a couple of places to compare. He suddenly remembered Mary's request and made the call about Steve Bassett's case. So the strange story. Why anyone want to hold such games with tape recordings? All know exactly that Bassett is dead. And it serves on right. Mason remembered the Mary's pale face when she had told him about Bassett. At the time he really wanted to strangle Steve with his bare hands.
At this point the secretary looks in the room.
"Mr. Capwell, you have the visitor. Mr. James Johnson."
"Let him in, Lily," Mason folded his papers.
A moment later the Jimmy, Christy's boyfriend comes in.
After the common exchange of greetings the guest settled in the comfortable chair and asked Mason: "Why you want to see me?"
"I want to talk. What is your relationship with Christy?"
Jimmy inclines his head: "I think it is not your business."
"Nope. Mine. This girl is part of my family. And I want to know what your intentions are."
"It's funny. I'll like Chris hear it."
"Why?" Mason raised his eyebrow.
"She's afraid of you to death."
"Do you know why?" Mason looked at him.
"No," Jimmy surprised. "Has she any special reason?"
"How long you're living in Santa Barbara?" Mason asked instead answering.
"About a year."
"I see. So what's about your intentions?"
"I have no idea," Jimmy just becomes angry. "All looked not so bad but then she began to avoid me. She's lying and does not answer when I call her. I thought she got another guy but it seems not. She just stood me up."
"So you're broken up?"
"She asked me to give her some time. But I'm not sure about."
"Do you love her?"
Jimmy does not answer.
"Ready to fight for her?"
"With whom?" he replies bitterly. "I can not fight with Chris. If she does not want me--"
He does not finish.
"I do not know what you feel to Christy," Mason softly starts. "But I am aware of the reasons for her current behaving. It is not connected with her feelings to you."
"Why she does not want to see me?"
"Christy had hard life when she was a child. Its past tragedy echoes to her present."
"Thank you for letting me knows," Jimmy stands up and heads for the door. "I'll talk to her heart to heart."
"Wait," Mason stops him. "It's not so simple."
Jimmy slowly back into his chair.
"What is else?" he asked tensely.
"Christy does not want you be aware about her past. It is unlikely she'll agree to tell you about."
"But you do?" Jimmy asked sounding like Mason was his friend or relative.
"May be. Do you really want to know?"
"I love her," Jimmy managed to get. "I'm already going crazy as out of play."
"Very good. So listen--"
* * *
Mary threw the pencil out in frustration and straightened. She won't make it. The picture was good but it did not reflect that she wanted to express. Maybe it's impossible at all--
"Mom?"
Mary looked up and saw Chip lying in the doorway of the studio.
"What is it, sweetie?"
The boy quickly crept to her and Mary gently patted his head.
"Mom, where Chally?"
"Charlie stays with your grandfather now."
"And when he comes again?"
"May be soon. And you are missing him?"
"Yes. He's good to be a holse. Mom, Aunt Chisty is going to live with us for ever?"
"No, she just is our guest for sometime and then she will leave to her own home."
"And we will go to her home?"
"Surely," Mary tucked his t-shirt down. "Where's Sam?"
"There," the boy waved his hand toward the stairs. "She's playing with the nanny."
"Why you are not?"
"I don't want. It's bored!"
Chip stands up and tamping to the easel.
"What is it?" He looked up Mary.
"The street where I lived when I was like you."
"Like me?" Chip surprised.
"Yes, I was a little girl too."
The boy incredulously looks up her:
"No-o-o! You're not a little, you're my mom!" He looks at the picture again. "And you're not here! Look!" He points his finger to the painted street. "Nope!"
Truth comes out of the mouths of babes and suckling. Yes, indeed the street of her childhood was deserted. And she even not noticed it.
"Mom!" Chip pulls her blouse down. "I'm bored!"
"Okay, let's go," Mary gets up and takes his hand. "Lets look for you something to do."
They're downstairs and soon Chip was satisfied with the metal erector set. Penciling the color book Sam immediately looked up but convincing that his brother is busy with his foolish metal pieces she returns to her book.
Mary pulled Mickey out of the arena and picks up him. Older children stopped their acting and run to her, stuck on both sides trying to climb up to her knees.
"Mom, when he'll get bigger?" Samantha asked for the umpteenth time.
"He'll not get bigger!" Chip revengeful countered. "He will always be like he is now! And then he will become smaller and smaller and disappear at all!"
"It cannot be happen!" Sam slapped his hand. And then got her slap back.
Mickey begins to roar.
"No-o!" the sister and the brother buzzed in unison and dramatically covered their ears by their palms.
"Sam, Chip, that's enough!" Mary is rocking Mickey and the baby gradually calmed down.
"Mom, tell the tale!" Samantha asked and laid her head on mother's knee.
"Yes, tell, tell!" Chip climbed on the sofa on the other side.
Mary sighed: "Okay. Once there was the girl--"
"Her name was Samantha?" Sam interrupted.
"Yes. And she had the brother whose name was... Channing, but they called him Chip."
"No! I asked the tale but not about us..." Samantha snorted irritably.
"The tale is not about you. Listen more."
But they not got enough time to hear the rest of the tale. Christy burst in the house like a swirl.
"Why you told him!"
"What told? What you mean?" Mary stands up with Mickey on her hands.
"To Jimmy! All about me! How you could do it!"
"Mrs. Rold, please, take children in the nursery," Mary ordered and hands her youngest son to the nanny.
She waited until all four disappear upstairs and turned to her sister: "Do not shout. I said nothing Jimmy about you. I even did not see him."
"Then how he would know everything?"
"Why do you think he knows?"
"Because he does! He called and said that he want to see me. I rejected but he said that he knows everything and I had to tell him before. Clear as glass. He knew," Christy grimaced barely holding tears.
"If he called here?"
"No! I'd back home because I had to take something. And he called me there! How he got to know!?"
"Is it important now?" Mary tried to calm her down. "He knows it and he's not turn away from you."
"How you can know?!"
"Chris, think better. If he should call you if he do not want to have something with you?"
"Well... maybe he wants first to face me and then leave alone," Christy suggested in a little calmer voice.
"Do you're really so badly thinks about me?" Jimmy's voice sounded from the doorway.
"Who told you? My sister?" Christy upset asked.
"No. Mason told me," Jimmy calmly replied. "And we really need to talk. Mary, do you excuse us?"
"Of course."
She left them to work out, got in the car and drove to the Capwells. For some reason she felt that Mason was there, not in the office. And she was right.
She found Mason in CC's office. He holds the some thick book in his hands.
"Mary?" He frankly surprised to see her here. "Is something wrong?"
"You could say me. Why do you get into my sister's relationship with her ??soon-be fiance?"
Mason slammed the book and threw it on the table, then walked to Mary and closed the door.
"So Jimmy actually decided to act? The decisive man."
"Why you told him everything? Who asked you to?"
"I found that it would be better," Mason shrugged. "Jimmy is a good guy. I sure they work everything out. They're just needed some push."
"Or they will not and broken up for ever," Mary sits on the chair in frustration.
"Your words have no logic. They'll work out in anyway but the results can either staying together or break up."
"You sound like a lawyer."
"Why like? I'm a lawyer."
"Yes but beside the fact you're still Mason Capwell. My beloved husband and a concerned person. So concerned that doing what you was not asked. WHY?"
"Someone had to do. Do not be worry. Your sister is stronger than she seems."
* * *
When the door was closed after Mary Jimmy some relaxed. But Christy took a couple of steps back as if she's going to show heels. How Mary dare left her alone with him!
"Do not be so nervous," Jimmy suddenly softly said. "I'm not going to attack you. I just want to talk."
"Why? If you already know everything."
"Well, let's say that I do not think about your past as about an obstacle."
"Really?" Christy managed to get ironic smile.
"Chris, it's me, Jimmy. Do you do not trust me?" He cautiously approached her, held out his hand.
She walked slowly toward him, and then stopped.
"Say what you want."
Jimmy takes her hand and leads to the couch.
"Just sit down."
Christy took her seat and looked up under her fringe. The attentive, careful look.
"Mason's story became the big surprise to me," Jimmy admitted and leaned back. "I was not ready for something like that."
Christy tried to pull away but he held her.
"Of course I was not. You do not betray any hint of his secret. Though I can see why now. But it was offensive for me, dammit!"
"What Mason told you?" Christy asked. She finally begins to relax. It's just Jimmy. Steve did not return. He can not return. He's dead and lies in the grave.
"Tell the whole story about you and your step-brother Steve Bassett. What can I say? Just wishes he's not dead. I'll like to make it to him with my own hands."
"No, then you must go to the jail," Christy broken sighs. "I was lucky that it was an accident."
"Yes, it was the end of your nightmare," Jimmy reached out and brushed her fringe away from her forehead.
"So it seemed to me," Christy looked down. "A year later my sister was died. I thought I was alone forever."
"Your sister? I did not know that you had another sister," Jimmy bits his lip.
"No, I had not the other sisters. I mean Mary. She had the accident and we thought that she's died for about a year. And then she came back. Later it turned out that she was saved by our Uncle Larry."
"Wow! And Mary does not look like she was survival of died!"
"Yes, we are very lucky. And she is."
"And what about your mother? You said that you left all alone."
"She was hard drinking. I did not want to see her," Christy hunched.
"Mrs. Duvall?" Jimmy was amazed. "I've never seen her drunk."
"Everything changed after the return of Mary. One day I asked her about it and she said that she did not take a drop in the mouth after Mary was returned. And she really never gets drunk again. She always loved Mary more then me."
"I do not think so. It seems to me that Mrs. Duvall loves you both very much."
"Forget it, okay?" Christy rubbed her palms against her knees. "So what we do now?"
"First tell me why you're trying to escape from me. Mason just hinted that it have some connected with Bassett's case."
After hearing Christy's story about Steve's voice Jimmy deeply thought and then declared: "I'll move in your house and catch this bastard! And until you'll live with her sister. I want to see you in perfectly safe."
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