: : Summary : : Set just after TM, Rick�s past complicates his future.
Jonathan left Rick and returned to Matthew�s office where he told the story to Evelyn and the Colonel.
Evelyn stood and stepped toward the door. �I want to go see him,� she said.
�No,� said the Colonel. �It�s after eight. Visiting hours are over.�
�After eight!� she said, surprised. �We still have so much to do. We have to see Lana and have her look up Arlen and other members of Rick�s troop for us. We have to find a lawyer that handles American military cases. We have to��
�Have some dinner, go home and get some rest,� Jonathan finished. �It�s late, Evy. There is nothing more we can do tonight.�
�He�s right,� said Matthews. �First thing in the morning, I will look into finding a lawyer for you.�
Jonathan escorted Evelyn out. He practically had to drag her past the door leading to the cells.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Alone in his office, Matthews was contemplative. He had known General Edward Larson fairly well. He had met Daniel Larson a couple of times. The young man had an arrogant quality that Matthews hadn�t liked, but that wasn�t uncommon among young wealthy men who had power handed to them. Didn�t mean that he would do anything untoward. He decided it was time for him to talk to Reese/O�Connell again.
Rick pushed his meal around on his plate. If he did, somehow, get out of this mess, he certainly would never live in England. The food was awful.
�Your friends certainly seem to believe in you.�
Rick looked up at the Colonel.
�Yeah, well. Everyone believes in something,� he said.
�It�s that attitude that�s going to cinch that noose,� Matthews said.
�But it was luck that put it there in the first place,� Rick told him. He held out the metal plate. �I thought condemned men were supposed to get better meals.�
�You�re not condemned yet. Is this story you told about Daniel Larson true?� he asked bluntly.
�It�s true,� Rick said.
�Why didn�t you say anything before?�
�Who would believe it?� asked Rick. �There�s no proof. Only my word against the son of the mighty General Edward Larson.�
�And the word of your friend Holbrook,� the Colonel pointed out.
�I want him left out of it,� Rick said.
�Too late.�
�Too late is right. I�m being shipped out day after tomorrow, remember?� Rick left his plate on the floor and went to lie on his cot.
�Not necessarily. I have the authority to delay your release.�
Rick didn�t look at him. He pretended to get comfortable. �Are you going to use it?� he asked.
�Perhaps,� the Colonel said. �You don�t make it easy for someone to help you.�
Rick laughed. �I guess I�m just not used to anybody ever wanting to.�
�If you�d start behaving as if you were worth it, perhaps more of them would.�
�Perhaps,� said Rick.
�Let me ask you this,� said the Colonel. �Do you believe you�re worth it?�
Rick found himself unable to come up with a smart-assed answer to that. He was silent.
�You did some incredible things these past few weeks, a lot of people are indebted to you for their lives and property. For that, I am willing to put my job on the line and delay your release until we can get to the bottom of this situation.�
�Thank you,� said Rick.
�Are you worth it?� the Colonel asked again. Rick remained silent. �If you don�t believe it, son, no one else will.� He turned and went toward the door, pausing for an answer that never came. He opened the door and walked out.
Rick stared past the bars of his window at the stars and tried to put the question out of his mind.
*~*~*~*~*~*
�Because the window of that cell looks out onto the courtyard where there are four guards, that�s why,� Jonathan said.
Evelyn pouted. �But he hasn�t had a decent meal all day.� She felt guilty sitting in the restaurant having a good meal when Rick was locked in that cell.
�And you want to talk to him,� Jonathan added. �You can do that tomorrow, Evy. You can bring him breakfast while I go talk to Lana��
�Lana hates you,� Evelyn said. �I have to go with you or she�ll give you nothing. Why do so many women hate you, Jonathan?�
�Hard to say, really,� he answered. �Most women are terribly difficult to please.�
�And you work so hard to please them��
�You have no idea,� Jonathan said. �You�ve hardly touched your food.�
�I�m not hungry,� she said. She put her fork down.
Jonathan put it back in her hand. �We are going to have another long day tomorrow, you need to eat so you can keep up.�
Evelyn smiled. She liked it when Jonathan tried to take care of her. Sometimes, he wasn�t bad at it. He had managed pretty well after their parents had died, fought hard in the courts to get declared her guardian so that she wouldn�t have to go to that horrible orphanage�where Rick had to go. How awful it must have been.
�Look, now,� He read her face. �You�re not thinking good thoughts, Evy. You have to think good thoughts. Things are going to work out, I promise. Now finish your meal so we can go to bed. We�ll want to be up early tomorrow.�
*~*~*~*~*~*
Lana was not happy to see Jonathan a second time. She recalled screaming at him that she never wanted to see him again, and now it was two times in as many days. His sister seemed like a good sort, though, so she got the information they asked for. It wasn�t good.
Arlen Holbrook had been killed in France, late September of 1918. His body had been shipped back to Connecticut for burial.