Thou Shalt Not Kill
He didn’t bring it up until dinner was over
and they were clearing the table. Steve carried a stack of dishes into the
kitchen while his wife was busy loaded the dishwasher. Being somewhat grumpy
already when he came home, the nice quiet evening alone together should have
cheered him up. The sour taste of his unplanned meeting with Elliot hadn’t all
evaporated yet and he still looked disagreeable and disgruntled.
“He must think I
have all this free time to see him whenever he feels like coming in.” The
complaint was reasonable since his workload was heavy that day, but the
underlying irritation was as usual, over abundant where the younger man was
concerned.
Steve narrowly
escaped breaking one of the dishes as he lowered them roughly and loudly in the
sink to soak. Kayla lifted her head at the sound and bit at her lower lip as
she took the remaining dishes and added them with the others.
She her head down,
she added some soap before starting up the machine, then faced her husband. “I
thought the new recruits where taking up a lot of the work?”
“They are, but some
cases Roman wanted us to handle personally.”
“You know… if it
gets too much at the station, you could always go back full time for a while?”
“It’s not that… one
of the cases may actually come in handy with one of the jobs at the PI office.
I think it could be related to all that smuggling stuff Bo and I are working
on.” Folding his arms across his chest, he remained as he was by the sink as
she continued to clean up.
“Isn’t that a
little un-ethical?”
“What?”
“Getting inside
information and using it in your police work.”
“Only if it pans
out. Actually, the client knows we are cops, so any information he gives can be
considered a tip… if you want to get down to it.”
So it’s really
working out for you three?” She had moved to wrapping any leftovers they had
and placing them in the refrigerator. Steve leaned against the counter watching
her as she moved about the room.
“So far, John’s
been in the most… but Bo and I try to catch up on the weekends.”
“Have you seen John
lately? I’ve heard from Marlena that he spends most of his time their instead
of his company.”
“Can’t blame the
man for wanting to get his hands a little dirty now and then… but Bo did
mention he has been there almost every morning this week.”
“I guess he’s
trying to keep busy so he won’t have to think about…”
“You can say it
Sweetness… his son, the one who’s disappeared without a trace. Yeah… I’m pretty
sure that’s the reason.”
“Then it should be
good news that Elliot has offered to see if he could find more information.”
“The answer is if…
he can dig up anything else which I doubt.”
Kayla had returned
to the sink to wash up while Steve reached for a kitchen towel and handed it
over to her. Letting it hand on the rack to dry, she walked out from the
kitchen with her husband following close behind her. “Why be so negative?”
“Who’s negative?
I’m being realistic here.” He told her as she took a seat on the couch and he
sat down beside her. The stack of thank you cards she was reading was only half
done and Kayla told herself she needed to get another five or six done that
night before turning in.
“He could still
find things… maybe his father hid them elsewhere.” She offered then saw him
frown at her.
“So why didn’t he
think of that when we were there?”
“I don’t think he
was thinking clearly at all Steve. His father had just died and we were there
for the funeral.” She reminded him. “Looking for anymore files or discs would
have been the last thing on his mind.”
He looked a little
remorseful then recalling the purpose of the trip and Steve did feel a bit
hasty that all his thoughts were automatically negative where Lansing was
involved. Sighing a little, he acknowledged she had some valid points, but it
still seemed off that the man wanted to return for another look. “You know if
he does find anything else, some of the information could be about me. If he
gets files about things I did, it may make me look…bad.”
She turned to face
him then. Setting aside her list of names and addresses, Kayla saw the worried
look on Steve’s face and wondered if his concern was stemming in part from what
he feared he may have done. Lately, his memories were just trickling in, but if
Elliot could discover more, well it would worry her too if some of it was bad.
“Is that what your
fearful off, that he’s using the excuse of searching for John’s son to get more
dirt on you?”
“I would give that
a resounding… yes.”
But Kayla had seen
enough of the man to know her husband was way off course in that line of
thinking. She wasn’t sure how he would take the idea that she was actually
going to side against him, but Kayla just couldn’t see Elliot being malice and
vindictive. If anything, she was getting the feeling that he was using this
opportunity to get on Steve’s good side. Of late, he didn’t have one where
Lansing was concerned, but miracles could still happen.
“You know… a big reason he could be doing this is to try
and get you to like him. Any information he finds could help you instead.”
“Then he’s wasting
his time.” His jaw grew rigid after that pronouncement and he leaned back in
the couch as Kayla tried to continue with her notes.
It was back to this
again, Kayla thought dejectedly. Stephanie had already asked her for some help
during the baby shower. She knew her father was being unreasonable and was
hoping mom could give him a little push or nudge, or kick in the right
direction. When Kayla thought about the two of them, a small part of her
couldn’t help but notice some similarities between them. Social outcasts during
most of their lives, they both hid a big strong heart that was just yearning to
be seen.
Elliot had been
abandoned nearly in the same way Steve was and grew up alone and confused. Her
husband may not want to admit it, but Elliot may just need the love of a good
woman to turn him around, soften him up so to speak. Where Stephanie was
concerned, Steve was as old fashioned and strict as she never thought possible
considering their own past. He had been an amorous and passionate man with her,
but if any man tried anything close with their girl, he was certain to find
himself pounded to the ground.
She glanced at him
again and seeing his expression was still unchanged she tried a different
tactic. The problem was she really couldn’t understand his dislike of the
younger man. It was bordering on the unrealistic and Kayla wanted him to
explain rather than continually being unpleasant if they were in each other’s
company. Maybe she was correct in thinking Steve saw a lot of himself in Elliot
and that was what scared him. The man hid his emotions behind the hard British
reserve and his feelings were nearly unreadable a majority of the time. It
would do no good to catch him unaware since he was an expert at keeping himself
distant and untouchable.
“He could surprise
you… I bet there lurks a really kind and tender heart underneath those silk
suits. In a way, he reminds me a bit of you… the way you were when we first
met.”
Looking at his
wife, Steve couldn’t keep the look of surprise and outrage at her suggestion.
“Baby? I know your hormones must be acting up otherwise you would even suggest
anything so revolting as that. The man and I have nothing… I repeat nothing
which could remotely be considered similar in this universe or any other.”
Kayla looked back
extremely hurt and Steve felt worse than he had in a long while. The last thing
he wanted to do was hurt his wife’s feelings, especially now when she was bound
to be more emotional. But darn if the man didn’t bring out the worse in him.
“Sorry I said
anything.” She mumbled out and sat quiet beside him.
“No Sweetness, I’m
the one who’s sorry.” He pulled her into his arms as she leaned into his
embrace and pressed her face against his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong
with me. Every time I see Lansing… I just get so riled up and anxious? But
seriously… there’s nothing similar about us. I mean… how could you even think
it?”
Kayla could feel
how tense he instantly became and she wondered too why he would react so
violently. She was starting to wonder if there wasn’t sometimes else they were
missing where Elliot was concerned, but what could there be. He was just a boy
when Steve was held captive so what harm could he have done to her husband.
Steve may not believe, but there was something about him that really reminded
her of Steve. It was a feeling of vulnerability that just called out to her
that Elliot had been very badly hurt at one time and was just as scarred as her
husband was.
“Each time I see
him, I almost feel like, like… I don’t how to explain it, but it’s similar to
the way I felt with you and this.” She raised her hand and softly touched his
patch. “It doesn’t make sense, but it’s there, that he had suffered too and not
just emotionally.”
“I really can’t see
how that’s possible. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the man,
other than being overly confident and smug.”
“Steve!” Kayla
spoke loudly.
“Don’t try to act
so surprised baby… because he is smug.”
“He’s confident…
that’s the way Stephanie describes him.”
“Well he’s got this
chip on his shoulder that I’d like to knock off…”
Kayla sat up then
and gave him a very disgruntled look. It wasn’t like him to be so vicious to a
man who had helped him for months now. “That’s enough Steve Johnson! Are you
forgetting that he is very good friends with our daughter.”
“Forget? How can I
when the two of you keep bring him up?”
“And he’s done
nothing but helped you all this time.”
“Want me to send
him a thank you card too… fine I’ll do that… let me have one of those.” He told
her while reaching for one from her pile of cards.
She slapped his
hand away as she grabbed the stack and moved it out of his reach. “Ouch! Why’d
you do that baby?”
“That’s not funny.”
She said her voice reprimanding him.
“So who’s laughing?
See…” He told her pointing to his face. “… I’m dead serious!”
But Kayla only
shook her head at him as he finally let out a chuckle. She wasn’t liking his
behavior lately and it bothered her. Maybe it was just her imagination, but there
was something else about all this that they needed to uncover because Steve
never acted this way. “Maybe you should talk to Stephanie about him, find out
more about the man?”
“Don’t you mean if…
I want to know more, which I don’t.”
“You know you’re dislike
of him is really strange.”
“I don’t think so.
Aren’t I just being the overprotective papa?”
“No! There’s
something else… I just wish I knew what it was.”
“I’m telling you
Sweetness, it’s just my fatherly instincts kicking in. Got to make up for all
those lost years you know.”
“Maybe?” Kayla eyed
him before taking her pen and twirling it around her fingers. “But I still want
to know have you spoken to Stephanie about him yet.”
“Well… sort of… in
a way.”
“Does that mean you
did?” She pushed and cornered him, but Steve just evaded the question again.
“Look… his name
came up, but we just didn’t go into detail.”
“So I take that as
a no?”
“He’s just not one
of my favorite people, baby?”
Letting out a big
sigh, his wife frowned as Steve twisted his mouth from side to side and looked
around for the newspaper. She went back to her thank you notes though glanced
up from time to time to find him giving her occasional looks too. Kayla started
on her first note and finished quickly while crossing off the next name on her
list. For the next few minutes she continued with another name, working her way
down. She suddenly recalled the incident with the strange man at the hospital
that morning and was just about to tell Steve. There was something familiar
about him, though she couldn’t imagine where she would have seen him before.
But seeing how engrossed he was, she let it drop for now and just finished up
her cards.
**********
The larger of the
two men, upon hearing of Lansing’s plans to return to England, suddenly
motioned to one of his companion. He wasn’t expecting that bit of news and
wondered if the trail would lead them back there. So far, he wasn’t certain
about even following Lansing, but now he was thinking twice about the idea. The
two men had occupied the room for most of the afternoon, while three others
were dispatched back to the office at the river front. The rest were still
holding up in the next city and were just waiting for the signal to make their
move. The object was to draw as least possible attention to themselves so they
had spread out, in a manner of speaking, but all could instantly regroup within
an hour’s notice if needed.
Listening in on the
Johnson’s that evening, the larger of the two kept sat nearly motionless as he
his companion wrote down every word that was spoken that evening. It had been
easy enough to install the devices when all were out early that day. Four days
had been spent trailing Johnson and so far, this was the first bit of
information that even looked promising. The others had grown restless and his
own patience was wearing thin. If nothing more substantial could be discovered
then they would have to make their presence known.
The short blond
hairs on his head stood up in a spiked look and it gave him an even more
menacing appearance. The hard lines on his face could have been mistaken for
tired lines, but on his countenance, it was the result of too many years of
hard physical labor. To survive as long as he did was a testament to his training
and his desire to live. The past few weeks had been difficult enough to be in
hiding and without guidance. All he knew was all could be in jeopardy if he
failed in this mission to retrieve what was theirs.
As he tried to flex
his hand, the tight bandage hindered his movements and he pressed down at it,
feeling a sharp pain surge through him making him smile. He enjoyed the pain,
the feel of his senses at the breaking point. It allowed him to focus and
narrow his attentions as everything around fell to the wayside and he could
deepen the experience. The long years of training worked well in honing such
skills, and of that he had always been proud and boastful. The others may have
been stronger, but he had a single minded determination that bordered past
obsession. When his goals were chosen and his targets marked, nothing short of
death would deter him. He grinned slightly as he heard Johnson cooing at his
wife, enjoying the time they now spent together.
The blond was
stunning, there was no question about that. When he had come across her that
morning, he immediately felt the stirring in his loins as she worked swiftly on
his injury. He had tried once or twice to capture her gaze, but she avoided any
real contact with him. What he had seen was fire in her eyes and he liked that.
Women like her would fight and he always enjoyed a good fight rather than the
ones who willing give up after a small struggle. She reminded him of his last
conquest, of how the woman struggled to the bitter end as he forced himself on
her.
The image of her
long blond hair was still strong in his memory as he relived the moment. The
name she gave him was false and it just gave him another reason to see she
suffered more as he took her. Normal women never approached him and he had to
seek other avenues and came upon those easily bought with pocket change for an
hour or two, if he was so inclined. He was surprised that he remembered that
much detail of his last whore since all their faces blended into one mass
jumble and all he needed to wonder about was would she last through what he
planned.
This time, she
reminded him of Johnson’s wife and it made him feel a need then. Sometime
tonight, he would need to ease his need, but right now, he tried to place Dr.
Johnson’s face over the blond he had last. She had struggled furiously against
him as he pinned her down and took her without mercy. Her longs nails left deep
gashes against his ribs and he repaid her in kind with the sharp blow to her
chin. It mattered not that she was half unconscious as he had his way, pulling
her legs high on his shoulders as the bed creaked and groaned beneath his hard
thrusts. What she felt was pain and nothing much else.
Her body was found
much later that night and the forensics team that examined her could only shake
their heads at how her life ended. It wasn’t a true surprise considering the
nature of life on the streets, but the brutality visited on her was something
more. She was slightly torn leaving none to doubt as to how cruelly she was
used. But the final injustice of her death was unwarranted that some couldn’t
help but pity the life that ended so quickly. Any beauty she possessed was
fleeting now as her death mask forever sealed her youth to her moment of death.
At eighteen, she should have had more to dream about than what she saw in her
last moments. Closing her open eyes, she was covered and taken away, another
nameless name in the books soon to be forgotten.
Most of the women
he chose had been fair but always young. As tempting and attractive as
Johnson’s wife was he had to admit, she was older than he preferred. His daughter on the other hand, had the
essence of youth he was hard pressed to resist. Almost certain she would
struggle and fight him as he tried to envision her in his thoughts he nearly
groaned aloud at the pleasure he could have with her. Pressing his hand between
his legs, he felt how hard he had grown and almost yelled out in protest that
it would be another couple of hours before he could satisfy his need. There
were whores a plenty in this town as in any other. That was one thing every
place could always be depended upon.
While he sat back
in his chair, listening to the small talk, he would let his mind wander to what
he would do that night and hoped he would easily find a young, willing female.
If she was blond, it would be an added bonus, but right now, all he wanted was
one who had fire in her. He sat almost lost in his thoughts of lust when the
other man cleared his throat and tapped at the pad he had been writing. Forcing
his urges down, he looked back at the smaller man and nodded then read the
notes he had taken.
No one had mentioned an exact location, so
they were still left to wait until more concrete news would be given. They were
just as interested in Lansing’s trip, wondering perhaps if the man was hiding
something too. As he contemplated what to do next, he heard Johnson talk about
his daughter again, unknowingly allowing the image of her to come back in full
load. It was strange that the man had not spoken of him at all nor seemed to recall
their time together. Though he didn’t spend as much time with Steve Johnson at
first, later on, he was practically the man’s shadow.
He was never able
to get much out of the man later on. The earlier mistakes were so quickly
rectified that what passed between the last two was one step above tolerance
and one step below hatred. Many liked to put the blame on the one-eyed man, but
none would openly subject him to their views as he was a favorite. But the
problem, which plagued them all, was that Johnson never truly became one of
them. At some point he had to prove his worth, but before that could be
accomplished, he was taken away.
As far as they were
concerned, he never earned the right or the title. Until he could prove his
worth, he was still an outsider. He had the means all along and the potential
and was as strong as any of the others, but the killer instinct was weak. Until
Steve Johnson could kill, he was still a mere foot soldier, no matter how
strongly Greyson Lansing had praised his skill. There had been a time when he
would have been thought to be jealous of the preferential treatment the
one-eyed man got, but seeing how he was Greyson’s pet, it was wise to wait and
hold his tongue. Now it all changed and his superior wasn’t around to hold him back
anymore. The second Gabriel sat listening intently as Steve Johnson mentioned
his daughter once more and smiled to himself at thought of how very beautiful
she was.
**********
Most of the files
were unceremoniously shoved back into the waiting arms of a junior officer who
gave Bo a wide eyed look before shuffling his feet out the door and back to the
file room. It had been pretty busy that morning with a rash of reports
regarding another prostitute murder last night and someone had already jumped the
gun that a serial killer was at work. A press conference was already scheduled
and Roman needed to address the public, calming their fears that the police
were on the case and there was no need to panic.
Bo walked
downstairs along with several other detectives to watch. The newspaper
reporters and media were already set up waiting for the commander to start his
speech before asking questions. Normally a story like this wouldn’t have gotten
as much press coverage, but the brutality visited upon the two victims had been
extreme and cruel. Two homicides within three days gave everyone a cause for
concern as Roman finally arrived to make his brief statement. Bo looked across
the room and saw his brother-in-law arrive and motioned him over.
Bending half an ear
to Roman’s speech and half to Steve, Bo divided his attention between the two
unsuccessfully. The usual opening statement was nothing new. The purpose was
not to alarm the public if they were dealing with a serial killer, but at the
same time, people should be vigilant, keeping their eyes and ears open. Steve
looked perplexed at the mere idea of the danger and instantly thought of Kayla
and Stephanie. Since he had come back home, all his thoughts always centered
around his family and the need to keep them safe.
Bo shifted in his
stance as Roman continued talking, trying to calm everyone’s fears, but panic
was already prevalent and people had a stronger tendency to panic then stay
calm. “Looks like Roman’s got his hands full today.” Steve gave a quick look
around at the lines of reporters and shook his head that it needed a gruesome
death to get them excited.
“Somehow the MO in
this latest victim matched the one from the other night. Someone stared saying
serial and now everyone’s in a panic.” Bo grimaced when he remember viewing the
body of the young girl. Her lower extremities had been badly bruised on top of
everything else that was done to her. “We’ve got an animal running lose, Bro.
Makes me really worried… you know what I mean?’
Steve had seen the reports
and felt his own stomach do flip-flops when he saw how young the victims had
been. “I take it we’re looking at someone who’s recently come into town?”
“You mean a
drifter? Probably… though scum like that usually don’t stay long. So if we’re
going to catch him, we better do it fast.”
“Is there anything
we need to stay alert for? What about clues…our mystery man leave any?”
“So far, he seems
to like them young and blond. I’ve contacted other departments around the area
even as far away as Cincy… but so far, they have no matches. If our boy did
this in other towns, he covered his tracks really well.”
Steve thought for a
moment about how close the deaths were, noting the man killed again within such
a short time span. “He’s had two victims in nearly four days… that’s awfully
short.”
“I know… hence
people are panicking already. If he goes after them that fast, we may see
another victim by tomorrow.”
“You don’t suppose
it’s someone local? Maybe someone finally snapped?”
Bo mentioned the
unlikelihood that was the case, but it wasn’t ruled out entirely. “He’s
targeted prostitutes… pretty much people know one would think twice about if
they disappeared tomorrow. That would leave him to wander in and out without
having to fear anyone would recognize him somewhere should he be turn out to be
a resident.”
Taking a deep
breath, Bo turned to Steve facing him directly as he kept his arms crossed over
his chest, no longer listening to the questions not being fired at his brother.
Roman was answering them with very general responses, deflecting any that cause
further alarm. “Can we talk?” He nodded at him as they made their way around
the crows and walked back upstairs to the detective office.
Entering the squad
room, only one man remained heavily engrossed in a telephone call. The rest
apparently were downstairs listening in. “Something wrong?” Steve asked as they
sat down at Bo’s desk and he pulled a pile from the stack on his desk.
“Roman wanted us to
handle these murders… so I needed to give you the clues we’ve had so far.”
Opening the folder, he scanned down the sheets, mentioning again the similarity
in description for the two victims. “As I said downstairs, the women were
prostitutes, young… looks to be in their late teens, blond, though one was a
dye job.”
“So he preys on the
weak and needy… how unoriginal.” He scowled deeply at the thought of those
children society cast out. Now, apart from all the troubles they had, they were
easy victims for a psycho killer out there. Having spent enough years living along
beside them, Steve knew how invisible they were to the rest of society, that is
until their deaths threatens the comfortable lives on the other side of the
tracks. Then and only then would it warrant attention and resolution
“Well he doesn’t
just prey, he destroys. Forensics says he is extremely brutal as both victims
were… torn.” Bo could hardly get the word out as he sat back in his chair and
looked depressed at the thought of having to deal with such an animal. Steve
swallowed uncomfortably as he asked if there was anything else. The MO’s so far
gave a man between the ages of twenty five to forty, Caucasian, very strong,
and probably inflicted with lots of scratches.
“Tissue samples
were found underneath the nails of both victims, so they scratched him good.
There were also defense bruises all along their arms and hands… so it looks
like they fought… they fought hard… but he still overpowered them.” Bo
continued.
“What about
witnesses?”
“You know the drill
down there…no one ever sees anything and everyone minds their own business.” Bo
told him as he pushed the file over to Steve so he could read for himself.
“I’m so glad fancy
face is off right now…cause I’d hate for her to have to work on something like
this.” He shook his head again and crossed his arms back over his chest.
Steve read the
report and with the added crime scene photos, nearly felt him stomach churn
again before stopping to take a breath. Bo was watching the change of emotion
slash over his face. He had seen it early when one of the rookies read over the
file and immediately had to leave for a quick dash to the washroom. When he
came back the usual ribbing would have followed, but none felt any pleasure in
bringing up the subject.
“Not very pretty…
is it?” Bo asked him as Steve slowly nodded and put the file down. His own
thoughts turned to Kayla and Stephanie again and all he wanted to do was see
them right that minute to make sure they were both fine. He knew he didn’t have
to worry as much since Kayla was at the hospital surrounded by dozens of nurses
and hospital personnel, while Stephanie was with Benjy. His women were safe and
sound and it let a little of the pressure building inside of him ease a little.
“No! It’s not… and
I won’t feel safe about Kayla and Stephanie going out with… him on the loose.”
“I feel the same
with Hope and Ciara. Heck… I’m worried about any woman other there. What if he
decides to move on to someone he meets… at the mall, maybe?”
“I don’t want to
even think that right now Bo! I’ve got enough to worry about with trying to
keep Kayla safe these days.”
“What… what are you
talking about? Something wrong with my sister?”
“No! She’s fine! I
meant in general… you know, trying to make sure she okay… what with her
pregnancy and all?”
“Damn! Don’t scare
me like that! Bo felt his heart pumping fast at the mere mention that Kayla
maybe in some kind of danger. It hadn’t been too long ago that they had Stefano
hanging over their heads and the danger to his sister was high. But that had
passed and the monster was dead. Kayla and Steve remarried and were living a
pretty normal life so all seemed good finally for the two of them. “Maybe you
shouldn’t work on this case. I could tell Roman to get you on something else?”
“No. I can do this.
It’s got nothing to do with this case. I guess I just feel jumpy still.”
“About what? You’ve
got a dream life now bro. It doesn’t get better than this.”
Considering how
awful things may have seemed just last year, it was a complete reversal of
fortune now for Steve. But there were still moments when he feared it could all
be taken from him again. So far, there was still a good deal of his past
missing, but he was learning not to focus on any of it. Whatever came, he dealt
with and moved on. It hadn’t been easy with so much guilt still inside of him,
but he was coping and living with everything.
“That’s just it… I
had a dream life back then too. It was all before me then, a fabulous life with
my wife and child and then… I had nothing.”
His brother-in-law
knew only too well the feeling of loss having experienced it enough times in
his own life. Bo gave him a small smile and commiserated with him and at the
fears that was eating away at his friend. “You know I was scared too, when we
first got Hope back that I would lose her again. For a while it was so good
between us… then there was the news we didn’t have Hope that she was an
imposter? I know what you mean about feeling like it could all be taken away
from you again.”
Steve forced
himself to smile even though he was feeling so uneasy and anxious after reading
the police report. There was something about it that just gnawed at him,
something that seemed familiar which was scaring him. It sparked just the
tiniest recollection in him, that he could hear what the women would have cried
out yelling. It sent a coldness deep in his heart that made him tremble as his
hands suddenly shook and he had to stand and turn away.
He faced his own
desk not too far off and spied one of Kayla pictures. Just the image of his
sweetness and he could feel the calm returning to him, softening the pain that
had formed in his belly and soothed the rapid beating of his heart. He looked
back to find Bo staring intently at him, a wary and cautious look on his face
as Steve smiled back slowly, but remained standing. “Sorry, I just got a mental
image of what those girls must have gone through… I shouldn’t have let it
affect me that way.
Bo still watched a
bit unsure, concerning the swift change in his behavior. But seeing how
distressed Steve had been, he could empathize and agree, it wasn’t something he
would have ever wanted to see. “Don’t sweat it man.”
“Look… I do know
what you’re trying to say about letting your fears control you. I admit… I
still get scared. Not so much for me… but for Kayla and Stephanie and now the
baby. It’s all so good again and every time it gets to this point… something
always happens.”
Tapping his fingers
on Bo’s desk, Steve leaned forward a little, eyeing the now closed folder
before him and a bit of the coldness returned but he forced it down, trying to
focus on something pleasant instead. His greatest fear since coming back home
was how easily he could lose it all again. Then Elliot had to tell him how he
planned to dig for more clues, hopefully uncovering more from Steve’s own past
too. There was just so much still to be uncovered and he wasn’t ready yet to
take it all in. Whatever help the younger man claimed to offer wasn’t what he
needed. Not just yet. All the closed doors of his memory were still shut to him
and he preferred it that way for now.
“Well all I can say
is… if you weren’t worried… then there is really something wrong with you.”
Steve looked
incredulous at him as Bo replaced the file back on top of the others on his
desk. His gaze lingered on it a second longer before he finally looked away.
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“Knowing you… you
won’t feel better unless Kayla was here. “
“You got that right
bro. You got that right.” He said with a slight grin then walked back to his
desk, while Bo snickered at his back.
**********
The lights were all
out as he entered his apartment early that evening. Elliot had expected his
cousin to be at home, but considering the silence that greeted him again, he
only needed one guess to know where the man was spending his time. Taking off
his jacket and draping it over the back of a chair, he took the overseas
packaged that arrived earlier and worked on the sealed binding. Using the
letter opener, he cut at the packaging tape and sliced clean through until the
flaps opened up and he could retrieve the papers inside.
Mr. Mills had been
prompt in sending his the change in ownership papers as soon as they cleared
the court. So legally, he was now the owner of all the Estate, surrounding
properties and his father’s considerable fortune. It all had been accomplished
with such small fanfare that he hardly felt the change in his status. Now he
was officially an Earl and it mattered not one bit to him. The piles of papers
were laid out and he only gave each a cursory glance before placing them to the
side.
His mind kept
wandering to where Benjamin and Stephanie were that evening. At least a good
portion of the day had been wasted as he would pick up his phone to call only
to catch himself from proceeding. Since talking with Steve Johnson, Elliot had
spent a great deal of time at his office, sorting out his work and clearing his
schedule so he could leave in a few days. The idea of going back felt so
uninviting and he was beginning to wonder why he would even bother. Neither John
Black nor Steve Johnson had paid him the smallest courtesy in the past weeks.
The thought that he
should pull up and return home was rapidly becoming an option, but something or
rather someone was prompting him to stay. Considering the fact that Stephanie
was actually living in Europe for now, should have made him more desirous to
move back to London.
Traveling
throughout Europe would be easier of his departure point was the UK rather than
the States. But he was choosing to remain and the reason behind it all came
down to a promise he made to his father. That promise ended with his mother’s
death, and still he had stayed.
Since her death, he
had only ventured once to visit her house. The need to get the music box was
her last request for him and he complied though completely unaware of the
circumstances behind it. During all the summers he spent there, he had wanted
nothing more than to leave at the earliest opportunity and now, he found
himself going there, standing on her front steps, but still not entering.
He found no
pleasure in his trips there, but he felt compelled to visit and it bothered
him. Benjamin had offered on more than one occasion to go inside with him, but
he always turned him down. The actual day he would re-enter, Elliot would rather
go alone than have an audience. He wasn’t fearful, yet he wasn’t eager either.
His feelings were bordering on curiosity as though he expected answers. What
those four walls held for him were sad, lonely memories he could not banish.
Pushing aside such
thought, he tried to concentrate once more on the next group of papers. Mr.
Mills had kindly included a copy of his father’s Will. The structure and format
were all familiar and he barely gave it a secondary thought. As he passed
through each long, drawn out page listing various properties and monies, he
chanced upon a single sheet not attached to the others, but kept separate.
“Codicil,
amendment, dated June 10, 1993.” Elliot frowned at the actual appearance of the
document and wondered why one would even be drawn up in the first place. Who
else would inherit the estate if not him?
Reading further
down, his eyes widened at what the amendment was drawn up for and for the first
time, wondered if something was hidden from him when he was a child.
“This Codicil will
remain valid for the period of time within a one year span from June 10, 1993
to June 10, 1994, at which time it will expire if the following circumstances
are not met or complied with. Should Elliot Lansing fail to live pass his
twelfth year, all monies, properties and personal effects as were previously
mentioned and willed to him upon the death of his father will in turn be
inherited by Benjamin Hawk DiMera upon the death of his uncle Greyson Toller
Lansing. Should events transpire where such changes are not necessary, then
this amendment will cease to be necessary and valid and will expire one year
hence from the date above.”
The first thoughts
that ran through his mind were that Benjamin was also in line to inherit his
father’s fortune. But the pressing matter at hand was the idea that he would
have died at twelve years of age and his father made provisions if such had
happened. The question now was what happened to him when he was twelve? The
memories of his childhood then were always linked to the day he was told that
summers from that time on would be spent at his mother’s home.
Each year he was
shipped off to Salem and spent three months living with the stranger he
politely called mother. There was no warmth between them and he had avoided any
kind of contact with her if he could possibly help it. But the point was he
went there every year, like clockwork until he entered University and stopped
his visits. His first visit was during the summer of his twelfth year and he
would spend the rest of the year trying to forgive what had happened during the
summer.
Elliot sat back in
contemplation that his father possibly feared for his life as he was out of his
reach during those short months. But the idea that he would draw up such a
document and for a one year period was baffling. “Why just that year?” He asked
aloud. Getting to his feet, Elliot paced around the room, in deep concentration
at the strangeness of this discovery. He suddenly reached for his phone,
thinking to call his cousin with the hope he could shed some light on the
matter, but he stopped himself before making such a call.
Benjamin would have
been a child himself and wouldn’t have been acquainted with such unless he
became the sole heir. If not Benjamin then who, his father’s servants perhaps.
He checked the hour then and realized how late it would be in Devon now. The
more he thought on the matter, the more one single name popped up at him. Mr.
Mills, the family solicitor and the man who would have drawn up the amendment
in the first place. With the lateness of the hour Elliot would have hesitated
in contacting anyone else, but the man was known for keeping staying past
normal business hours.
The phone rang just
three times before it was answered on the receiving end. Elliot realized how
awkward his questioning may sound, but this was a matter he couldn’t ignore
though it happened over a dozen years ago.
“Mr. Mills here.”
“Mr. Mills, this is
Elliot Lansing calling.”
“Yes Mr. Lansing.
Good evening.”
“Thank you.” He
answered him politely then took a seat. “I apologize for the late call but I
only now had the opportunity to go through the papers you’ve sent.”
“I quite
understand. I hope everything is in order?”
“Yes, it is and I
thank you again for the speed in which you were able to clear this matter
through.
There was no need
to see the satisfied expression on Lansing’s face to know any extra effort made
solidified his position as the family solicitor for at least another
generation. “Consider it part of the services which we are always ready and
willing to extend to our clients.”
Elliot could sense
the groveling from where he sat hundreds of miles away, but he was quite
familiar with Mills and saw no occasion to call him up on the unnecessary
pretensions. “Let me get to the matter at hand then.” He told him and took hold of the Codicil. “I
found included in my father’s will a Codicil.”
There was a moment
of silence of the line until Mills’ old voice sounded again. “Yes… I expected
you would call about that. I supposed it came as bit of a shock?”
“I wouldn’t say
shock, but I was… am surprised. Perhaps you can explain to me why it was drawn
up in the first place. It seems a bit mysterious in some ways.”
“Actually there is
nothing mysterious about it. You were seriously injured as a child and there
was a strong possibility you would have died. Your father, made the necessary changes
in his Will should that have happened.”
For a moment Elliot
remained silent pondering what the elderly man could have been referring too.
Though he chose to forget a great deal about his childhood, he certainly would
have remembered being injured to the pint of death. Something wasn’t right
here. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage here. I have no recollection
whatsoever of being ill as a child much the less being at death’s door.”
“And you wouldn’t
have remembered, though I had thought perhaps the memories would eventually
come to you.”
“Once again… you have lost me Mr. Mills. What would I have possibly
remembered?”
“That you had a heart transplant.”
The words came rushing at him as Elliot sat perfectly still. In all the
things he imagined the old man to tell him, this was the furthest from his
mind. Unconsciously his hand moved and rubbed at the line of hardened skin on
his chest and a fleeting memory of his mother crying above him filled his
thoughts and as the phone fell from his grasp and landed on his lap.
“Mr. Lansing? Hello? Are you still there? Mr. Lansing?”
Picking up the phone, Elliot found his hand shaking as he placed it back
against his ear. “Yes… I’m still here. I’m sorry but I wasn’t expecting…?
“No… it’s I who should apologize. I shouldn’t have said it like that. I
should have been more careful with my words.”
“I don’t believe there’s any way to say it without causing shock.”
“I just thought… it’s been so many years… I would have believed you
would eventually remember what happened.”
Shaking his head, Elliot gripped the phone tightly and let out a held
breath. He hadn’t even realized he held it in until he was forced to exhale. “I
have no memories.” He told him then realized it wasn’t exactly true. There was
the one of his mother watching him and he saw her crying, the tears streaming
from her face as she told him she would do everything to help him get better.
It was one of the few times he saw the calm expression missing and replaced
with real live emotions.
He envisioned her in his mind and realized he was recalling a moment
from his youth as Portia was still quite young in them. Once again he fingered
the line at his chest, running his finger along the length before pausing and
pulling his fingers away as though burnt by the touch. “Is there anything you
can tell me about what happened? Was I born with a bad heart?”
“No… not that. It was an accident.”
“What type of accident?”
“You were shot… and the one who shot you… he died instead.”