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Chapter 142 — Happiness Exists!
"No way!" Christy grabbed Jimmy's arm. "Are you crazy? He'll kill you!"
"Chris, this bastard is dead," Jimmy looks into her eyes.
"When I hear his voice I almost believe that it's a dream when I shot him," Christy whispered.
Jimmy puts his hand on her neck.
"He's dead. Do you hear me? He's dead. It's over long time ago."
"How you can know that I'm thinking about?"
"Just guess," Jimmy sighed. "Sometime I have nightmares too."
"I thought you had the serene life really."
"If I had."
"Tell me, Jim."
He said nothing.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I see."
"Do you remember my younger brother Kevin?" Jimmy asked after a pause.
"Sure."
Christy has been visited at Johnson's place. It was large and noisy family so different from the laconic steady Jimmy. She saw Kevin for many times: he was cheerful shaggy teenager.
"At the age of three he was lost. Mom entrust him to me, and I just want to see my friends and... He slipped away from me. He was gone for five days."
"Five days?" Christy was horrified. "How did he manage to survive? He was just a little boy."
Jimmy lowered his head.
"He's small guy, yes, but he was still Johnson, and we are strong guys... All of police looking for him but it was useless. I wandered around the town and stared at passers to hurting my eyes. Rushed to every kid in Kev's age--"
"Yes, of course," Christy takes his hand and laced her fingers with his. "And how he was found?"
"By great luck. I just heard that our neighbors had visited by their distant relatives from a remote ranch. I thought that Kev could get into someone else's car. One of the officers agreed to check my version and took me there. We almost left out empty-handed! Ranch's owners did not see any unfamiliar children. But I could not accept defeat and went to look for him as myself."
"And you found him?" Christy squints at him.
"Yes, I did. As barely alive in some deserted barn. God knows what he's doing there... And at first I even thought he's dead when I saw his little body on the floor--"
"Jim, Kevin is alive and well," Christy patted him on the back already regretting that she started the topic. "It's in the past."
"Yes. Like Bassett," Jimmy turned around and looked into her eyes. "A few months after the incident I had the same dream for every night: I'm looking for Kevin and I can not find. Often these searching were fruitless and sometimes from afar I can see his body and aware that he is dead."
"But he's alive!"
"I repeated it to myself for every night when I wake up. And eventually I'd coped. But even now sometimes I feel like a rip off gear and I caught myself on the searching for the baby Kevin among a crowd."
"Well, you're lucky that he can not hear you now. He's likely hates when he's called baby Kevin," Christy forced smiling.
"Yeah. And he's got off easier then all of us. And he even does not remember that his dreadful trip... Chris, I'm very well can see how the past seemed to be becoming a reality again. Sometimes I'm reminding to myself that it happened for long time ago."
"I'm afraid. Jim, I'm so scared!"
"Do not be afraid. You're safe as long as you're with me."
* * *
"Still you should not have to intervene," Mary repeated.
"You'll see when we get home they're sort everything out and make peace," Mason said and pulls her close to him. "Do not worry, we'll catch one who makes miserable your sister's life.
"Do you have a plan?" Mary raised her head and looked at his face.
Mason smiled.
"Yes, but not yet fully worked out."
"Did you ask for Steve's file?"
"Yes, but not yet received it. Mary, let's go for a walk."
"I thought that you have some work?" She pointed looks at the impressively thick legal volumes.
"These can wait. Come on."
They go out and walked slowly along the path into deep of the garden. They walk in silence then Mason stops and pulls Mary into their arms.
"Are you happy?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"Yes," Mary said without hesitation and smiles. "Especially when you're around."
"Our life really is not a fairy tale," Mason sighed.
"I never expect this. In addition the tales have come to an end but we're going to live for long time."
"It's good that you can see the good in anything."
"Mason... is something wrong?" Mary looked up him anxiously. "We'll expect some kind of trouble?"
"No," he shook his head. "Anyway I do not know about."
"So you may afraid again that I'll go away," Mary turned away. "You do not trust me."
"But I will," Mason turned her face to his and thoughtfully kissed her. "I'm sorry."
"Forgiven," Mary gasped a few minutes later.
Mason smiles.
"That's fine."
"Can I ask you the same question? Are you happy?"
"What is happiness, Mary?" he asked slightly drawing his words. "When you wake up next to your beloved woman and feel the fragrance of her hair? When you see her smile and seemed you can soar into the heavens? When you hold your son and can see her eyes? If these are so then I'm definitely happy."
Mary embraces him, pressing to his chest. Then he stepped back and gives the shining look.
"We'll always together," she said. "Even when Samantha will make us grandparents."
"Who knows maybe Chip'll be first."
"Maybe. Or maybe Mike makes a surprise for all of us."
"I think not. I think he will be the serious young man," Mason said.
"One does not interfere. Oh how you were serious in childhood--"
"Me? Who uttered about me such nonsense?" Mason's face is darkened.
"Sophia. She keep said that you were very serious boy, much more then your sisters and brother."
"That's because I was doing my best not to insult her before the father."
"Why do you say that?" Mary seems surprised.
"You know I've been in complicated relationship with her," Mason chuckled knocking down intensity of the conversation. "But in fact I do not remember myself be too serious at any age. I've always been a palace jester."
Mary shook her head as if to show that she has doubts.
"Well if you prefer to believe Sophia..." Mason shrugged.
"I believe both of you," Mary softens said. "Do not be angry."
"I never thought to be angry," he leaned forward and pressed his lips against her hair. "I know that you're always on my side. And you alone."
"Previously you did not think so."
"I thought but I was afraid to say aloud," Mason raised his hand and sadly looks at his watch. "I need to make a phone call."
"Let's go," Mary took his hand, and they go back home.
"You've still got a lot of work?" Mary asked; her voice's tinged with sadness when they returned to Capwell's house.
"No, not really. And you know what? I'll take it along. I can finish these at home. Wait for me here."
"Sure," Mary looks after Mason who quickly walks to his father's study.
At that moment the phone rang and Mary answers.
Five minutes later Mason returns carrying his briefcase with documents. He just looks at Mary's face to realize that she got the bad news.
"What's happened?"
"Cruz's call. Mark was killed while trying to escape during the arrest."
"Let is go hang," Mason did not even try to hide his feelings. "He that liveth wickedly can hardly die honestly."
Mary stared at him, her face expressionless.
"Do not tell me that you're sorry for him!"
"I... I do not know," she finally said. "But why he would have been arrested? Do you know anything about?"
"No," Mason shook his head and thought about his mother's words that she take care of this. But she could not... No, of course it was an accident. "Perhaps Cruz can make some clear."
"I asked him but he did not answer."
"I guess he could not. The husband of my mother quite frankly is in conflict with the law. Perhaps it was a secret service operation. But my mother is alright after all, is she?"
"Cruz did not mention it," Mary tried to distance with the news. "Did you find your documents?"
"Yes. Let's go home."
And two of them headed for the door.
Already getting into the car Mason involuntarily glanced at Capwell's house. Once it was his only home. He sought at all costs to stay here. But now... it was just his father's house.
He suddenly warmed by the idea that he has his own house where he will never be a guest.
"Do you miss this home?" Mary misread his face.
"No. Not anymore," Mason said and started his car's engine.
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