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Chapter 145 — No More Tears
The storm broke in Capwell's house in the next day.
In the morning CC Capwell received the order to ensure that Brandon has meetings with his mother at least once a week otherwise CC might lose custody of his son.
CC snorts and already picks up the phone to call his lawyer but suddenly froze. He saw Sophia who walks downstairs and hold the suitcase in her hand.
"What the hell are you doing?" He hangs up and blocks the way to his wife.
"I'm leaving. I no longer can stay with you in the same house."
At this point like adding fuel to the fire the front door is opens and shows Mason and Charlie.
CC looks at youngest son and angrily ordered: "Go up your room and do not leave until you get permission. You're grounded until I find the proper boarding school for you."
Mason involuntarily glanced at his brother who became whiter paper, his lips were gray.
"Father, don't. Charlie had lived in boarding schools since his five," Mason tried to stand on brother's defense and then he noticed Sophia's suitcase. "You're leaving somewhere?"
"I feel stuffy under this roof. Charlie, run up to get your things."
"What?" The boy looked blankly at Sophia and then beamed. He does anything just for not going to the boarding school!
"It's too much!" CC could not resist. "You can go out of my house but do not dare take my son out. He has nothing to do with you!"
"Charlie, go upstairs and pack your things. Now," Mason nudged his youngest brother in his back. Charlie just came out of his stupor and flew up the stairs.
CC did not seem to notice this. His eyes were fixed on his wife.
"You do not," he hissed ominously. "Or I'm... swear to God I'm--"
"I decided, CC. In fact the reason of my leaving is not Charlie but I can not leave this boy at the mercy of the man who does not want to even think about his wellbeing."
"Hardly the judge would find that his father is the worse parent to him then his stepmother."
"Only if the judge will not be Judge Randolph," Mason picked up the crumpled order. "Look, father. I think you got the last warning."
"Get out of here!" CC thundered. "Do you hear me? Get out of my house, get out of the company!"
Mason's face went white for a moment — but just for a moment.
"Just as I expected," he sighed. "Nothing changes, father, huh? As soon as I'd displease you as you are just ready to take revenge."
"Get lost, Mason," CC's face turned to the stone mask.
"Just as soon as I'll be sure that you have not eaten my brother for dinner. By the way, for some reason you really did not use your last dagger. You forgot to disinherit your oldest son," Mason felt that he's crossing the line but he'd ride on the wave. The disappointment was too big.
"Just saved for my dessert," the patriarch responded.
"Stop it!" Sophia could not stand it. "CC, do you just listen to yourself!"
At this point, Charlie ran down the stairs dragging his own backpack, just packed to overflowing.
"Come on," Sophia takes him by the shoulder.
"Stop it!" CC roared so that walls just shook. "Don't dare take my son away!"
But Sophia silently led Charlie out and taken him in the waiting taxi.
A few seconds Mason watches how the car's leaving and then turned to his father. CC's still standing in the atrium... the tall man with proud bearing... tough like a stone.
Mason pursed his lips, then sharply turned away and headed for his car. All his efforts were wasted. The past is dead.
* * *
In the taxi Sophia lost in thought and not once realized Charlie's question: "Did you leave the house because of me?"
"No, of course," she looks up him.
"Then why?"
"It's adult business, Charlie. You're nothing do with it."
"It's OK then," he cheered up a bit. "Where are we going?"
"To the hotel and later we'll think about."
"And if my father wants to take me away?"
"Do you want back to him?"
"To him — maybe. But to the boarding school — no! No way!"
"So you're not going to any boarding school. Do not worry, everything will be fine."
Charlie smiled and turns to looks out of the window.
Sophia suppressed a heavy sigh. She did not lie: the reason for her leaving really was not Charlie. The reason was Pamela. From the moment when Pamela walked in Capwell's house CC subtly changed. She actually felt this but preferred to ignore for some time, hoping that everything will return to normal later. It did not work. CC becomes more and more distanced and now to reach out to him was not easier than to touch down the North Pole. Nothing she could do about it, and she no longer can see the consequences of his destructive. And she did not want.
Most of recent time she somehow did not think about Charlie until she saw his pale face and heard Mason's words about boy's life in the boarding school. Now she just could not give Charlie at the mercy of CC.
She blankly stared at the neck of the taxi driver. The story about the plot against Mason in the Great Valley School is still painful throbbing in her soul. It was the miracle that she had managed to take him away then. And if she would not got there in time? What made her to rush to this terrible school? The despair sounded in Mason's voice? Or own six senses? She could not remember now. But she's too aware that she could — yes, she could as did in other cases — say to herself the words that she heard at every step of her husband: "You nothing to do with it. Mason's not your son."
Not that she was afraid of something like for Charlie. But this case undermined their confidence in boarding schools. Especially because Charlie was so terribly frightened by the idea that he would be sent to one of them.
* * *
Mason visited his office and took out things. He even had not to pack them — they were collected in neat piles on his desk. CC Capwell probably personally ordered to show his eldest son where his place is. On the way back to his car Mason thought that he's offended more then hurt. He was so foolish again when he believed that his father could change his attitude!
Walking by Orient Express Mason wonders he'll feel better if he hit the bar. And he even is up to the appropriate floor. But just one sight of the familiar bar counter suddenly become unbearably nauseous for him. He wanted as soon as possible to reach home. Not to father's house, of course, and to the one where Mary and children are waited him.
"Mr. Capwell, are you all right?" Mason heard the bartender's voice.
"All right, Bill."
"Wish your favorite sort of brandy?"
"Not tonight."
Surely he was not afraid. No, of course. But the sympathetic bartender, the whole bar... all of them belonged to the timeline of his life when it was like infinite process of survival in the twilight zone of his anguish mind. Then he thought that it's just normal life but now he almost puked by just some memory about this.
When Mason returned home his sight immediately said Mary that there had happened something serious.
"Is Charlie okay?" she asked.
Mason relieved collapsing on the sofa in the living room. The house was quiet: the older children were lead by Mrs. Rold to the park, and Mickey was soundly sleeping in the nursery. Nobody were fussing, jumping and screaming.
"Yes. My brother is fine."
"And you are not," Mary looked at him. "What's happened?"
"Well... Sophia and my father are separated. I got fired from the Capwell's family company. Apart from these everything is alright."
"Oh, Mason--"
Mary kept her first impulse to hug him and just watches as he pours some whiskey in his glass.
Mason took a sip of alcohol and then looks into Mary's eyes.
"How did this happen?" she asked.
Mason briefly told her the events of the past hours. Mary was silent, digesting new information.
"Did you aware what's happened between your father and Sophia?" she asked after a pause.
Mason shrugged and shook his head.
"Although she actually surprised me, taking Charlie away along her. But it's for the better. Maybe now the father would see what he is doing. If he loses everybody who he loves." He suddenly grinned as if he surprised at himself. "It seems I caught from you having good hopes about CC Capwell. I need to stop it."
"What are you going to do next?" Mary asked calmly.
"Probably I'll hire back to the law firm where I worked before my working for the father. Unless of course he does not cut my oxygen."
"Who?"
"My father. There were times when he almost kicked me out of town, prohibiting the employment. Capwells run things in Santa Barbara."
"Well, the matter cannot rest here," Mary said.
"You recently said me that you do not want to leave," Mason surprised.
"I still do not. I hated the idea of leaving Santa Barbara," she said honestly. "But if we'll need I'll follow you even to the ends of the earth. Well, or to Los Angeles at the last."
"Are you really ready to do?"
"No. And I never will. But nobody forces us to run aimlessly. We can rent some accommodation in Los Angeles. Or in New York. You're actually being the excellent lawyer, and you will be welcomed in any law firm."
Mason gave his warm stunning smile that always made her feel the strong feeling of tenderness.
"This is the most shameless flattery I've ever heard but when it's you who saying it I almost believe that it's true."
He stands up and strokes her cheek.
"You are my angel."
Mary hugs him and presses her face to his shoulder. They were still like that for a few blissful moments until Mickey give his voice.
Mary's gone upstairs and returned keeping her youngest son on her hands. Mason's stands at the French window and thoughtfully looks out.
"Would you like to be on Charlie's place?" Mary asked, picking up the jar of baby food. Mickey is baby talking and patting the high chair tray. He just loved a peach puree.
"Are you meaning as the staying with Sophia against the staying with my father?" Mason turned. "No, of course. I would consider it as the worst of punishments."
"Mason... But seriously?"
"Seriously, I do not. I was always attached to my father more than anyone. And if my father would give me to his new wife I would have felt that he betrayed me. But lucky for him my youngest brother has very different priorities. You should have seen how he beamed when Sophia said him to go packing."
"Oh, I just forgot!" Mary turned up Mason, looking up from feeding Mickey. "They brought the profile of Steve Bassett for you," she said the name as if this man was a stranger to her. "I carried documents up your study.
Mason quickly upstairs to his study and soon walks down again to the living room keeping the manila folder in his hands. When Mary's finishing to feed Mickey Mason already had buried himself in Steve's profile.
Soon Mrs. Rold, Chip and Sammy came back from the park and the homely life began to buzzing again.
Half an hour later Mary returns to the living room, wiping her hands with the towel and she heard Mason who speaking on the phone.
Ending the call he caught her questioning glance: "I think it's almost solved."
"What? When you did?" Mary stunned.
"I'm often dealing with criminal cases, Mary. Now I'm waiting for the call. If everything will be confirmed I'm sure that your sister and her fiance will be free just before the next morning."
"Just let it be over!" Mary sighs briefly. They really need to get rid of the ominous shadow of Steve Bassett!
* * *
The Californian hot night wrapping Jean Do the mansion as a stifling blanket.
Mary and Christy are sitting in the study of Uncle Larry and tried to play cards. It does have been poorly gaming: both of girls were distracting and jumping at the slightest rustle.
"You do not look what you give me again!" Mary could not stand. "It's five, not two."
"I'm sorry," Christy sounded with weariness. "I'm nervous. For some reason."
"It's all right," Mary hugs her sister and then whispers in her ear: "Not too long now."
Christy said nothing not wanting to disturb the given scheme but she felt better. Time drags unbearably on but they could do nothing. "A jerk can be no earlier than a fish bites", she remembered words of Jimmy who adored to fishing.
Suddenly there was sounded quiet but the distinct creak. Mary and Christy are quite naturally jumped on the spot.
"What is it?" Christy asked.
"I do not know," Mary barred her sister wondering where pop up the same ghost that they are waiting for an hour.
The creak repeated and already much closer then earlier and then everything run very quickly.
Behind the empty fireplace appeared the blurry black figure and start to move toward them. At this moment the top light was turn on. The figure darted back. Mason and Jimmy burst into the room but they were late — there was nobody to catch.
"We lost him!" Christy almost cried.
But Mason shook his head, and then smiled and risen the microphone up his lips.
"The game is over," resounded through the house. "Katie Anne Baxter, we know it's you. Running away is useless. The house is surrounded by police. Come out with your hands up."
There was silence for a few minutes. It seemed that Mason's statement had no effect but then the wall next to the fireplace moved again and the blonde girl in the black suit steps out. She has the black mask in her hand.
"Katie Anne Baxter," Mason drawing.
"Do not shoot me," she warily eyed the gun in Jimmy's hand. Mason gave him a frown, but Jimmy even not bothers to lower the weapon.
"No shooting until you do anything stupid," he said.
Christy looked from behind him. Then she looked up the girl: "Why you did it?" She tried to speak calmly. "Why?"
"Ask him," the former ghost snapped and nodded at Mason. "You do know everything, right?"
"I do," he agreed.
Christy questioningly looks at her sister's husband.
"Let's sit down and talk." Mason nodded to chairs. "It would be better for everyone."
"And then what?" She asked nervously. "You'll turn me to the police?"
Mason ignored her question and looks around.
"I'll start the story and you correct me if I'm inaccurate," he said. "So you're 19 years. You're born in Seattle and lived there until last year. You're the only daughter of the widowed woman named Stacy Baxter. The women who lived with Steve Bassett for last years of his life. You were his stepdaughter who he did hurt in the same way like his stepsister. Correct?"
"No! Stevie did not hurt me! He loved me!"
Hearing the nickname "Stevie" Mary jerked like felt a burn. She feels sick. She looks up Christy who turned white.
"But what I do with it?" Christy's voice sounded miserable bewilderment.
"Steve Bassett was a pedophile," Mason continued. "When I asked for his profile to the police, we found out that it's disappeared. In other words it's destroyed by someone. Then I asked Seattle police to send me all that they had on that person — Bassett graduated from his law school and began his career in Seattle. And finally I got even more information than I expected. In fact the Seattle's profile of Steve Bassett had documents about the child molestation case that was later closed due to withdraw the application."
"But how did you know?" Mary asked puzzled.
"Miss Baxter put up a poor show. I already had enough information to figure out who might be behind these threats. For example, there was the voice of Bassett heard by Christy in her house. The voice repeats her name indistinctly like a drunken man. Or sleepy." He looks at Katie.
She glares: "I even want not listen this nonsense! Stevie adored me. I always knew it. But then he got another one. I thought it's his new girlfriend but then I realized that she was someone from his past. Of course, he denied it. I knew that he often talks in his sleep and once tried to take him by surprise. I waited to hear from him some like "I love you so much, Katie" but he--"
"He began to address to me," Christy winced. Jimmy stroked her hand by his free hand.
"Yes!" Katie spats. "I asked him to call my name but he called yours. Bitch! Whore!"
"Stop it!" Mason warns and Jimmy pointedly shakes his gun. "And then what's happened?"
"He left and never returned. I could not believe. I waited for him so long and then decided to search. I had no idea where he can be. All he talked about himself were lies. But finally I'd able to hit him off. But it's too late. That bitch killed him!"
The girl rushed to Christy aiming with her sharp nails but Mason deftly caught her and pushed into the chair.
"So you decided to take revenge," he concluded grimly.
"Yes! Because this bit... she did not suffer. She got much money and happily lived ever after."
"How did you find the secret passage?" Mary asked. This question nagged her from the beginning of the story.
"In the city library, of course. The house is famous; there were more then one books about. And the one had the detailed plan of the house with all secret passages. So I decided to scare Stevie's killer."
"Just to scare?" Mason loomed over her. "So why you brought here sulfuric acid?"
"To do this!" Katie headlong rushes to Christy and splashes her with some liquid. Christy screamed and Katie laughed hysterically. "You got some!"
"Are you all right?" Mary concerned looks at her sister.
"Absolutely," Christy spats darkly. "Really you could find something else and do not spoil my clothes, Mason?"
"What's wrong?" Mason surprised. "Do you not like a lemon flavor?"
"I hate it!" Christy grimaced. "Never bring it out now. It's my favorite shirt!"
"What is it?" Katie finally realized that Christy does not yell of pain and terror.
"Well do you really think that you would be allowed to carry here sulfuric acid?" Mason asked gravely. "As soon as I heard your name I contacted to the police. You had been shadowed all of the time. And, of course, acid was substituted harmless flavored water even before you came in the house."
"If you knew all why you needed have all these conversations?"
"I adore being the theatrics," Mason grinned and raised the microphone up his lips. "Mitch, all was recorded?"
"Every word."
The door swung open and three policemen immediately burst into the room.
"Come on, lady. We have the warrant for your arrest. You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?"
When the police taken yelling and spitting Miss Baxter away Christy silently leaned her head to Jimmy.
"It's over," he pulls her closer and hugs. "Now she never bothers us."
"And if she'll be released?" Christy's eyes were filled with fear. "She's just crazy."
"No," Mason shakes his head. "Not anymore. That's why I started this idea. I needed her to risk it all and make ??something enough bad so she'll surely go behind bars for long time."
"But how did you know that she'll bring an acid here? And how you came to the idea that it's she?" Mary asked. She's shudders now too.
"I added two and two. I already knew her name because her mother's statement and I'd aware why she did it. Bassett was a typical maniac pedophile. Together with the loss of the police profile I had just to check if the person hired on some secretary position to the police department of Santa Barbara."
"Was it the call that you waited today?" Mary guessed.
"Right. And then there was just a matter of technology. Fortunately the police make it with lightning speed. She was found and shadowed. And just in time when she was in the process of the producing sulfuric acid in her garage. You know the rest. Acid was substituted, every room was bugged and police was waited. I just need to use my acting skills."
"No harm, no foul," Jimmy summed up.
And Mary offers: "Chris, you're really tired. Do you want to spend tonight together us?"
"No, I don't," her sister first smiling now. "I'd rather stay here. Of course if Jimmy will remain with me," she looked at him slyly.
Jimmy hugs her: "Of course, I'll be here. I really need to get to use to your house."
"Our house," Christy pointedly muttered.
Mason pulls Mary toward to the door.
"Now they'll manage without us," he said in the hallway.
"I'm not sure," Mary pursed her lips but then laughed. "Christy will kill me if we do not get out of here as fast as can."
Mason smiles and hugs by her shoulders.
"Come on."
They almost reach the car when Mary suddenly thought: "But if this crazy Miss still planted something even more dangerous in the house?"
"I asked the police to inspect the house thoroughly. Do not worry. Your sister is safe now."
"Thank you," Mary pressed her mouth to his lips. "You're the true hero."
"Well, I'm glad that just one person can see it," he mutters, kissing her. "Mm-m... may be we'll not go home at all?"
Mary playfully pushes him and looks up the house. It's not made ??her shiver anymore. Just the old mansion and his dark garden. Maybe someday children of her sister will play here?
"I guess that Jimmy would not hold back on the wedding," Mason said as if he answers to her thoughts.
Mary looked at him with sparkling eyes. "I love you so much"," he thought. "Just to trill."
Mary silently smiles at him.
"I love you," Mason whispers.
A sudden breeze pierced him to the bone causing to look around. But there was nobody. They are stand alone on the empty street near his car.
Mason met Mary's eyes and she brushed the hair back from his forehead.
"Let go home," she said, hugging his neck.
"Go home," Mason echoed.
He felt like the happiest man on earth.
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