Easy Rumba

by Edwards, Anna

  “As you wish.” The police officer moves away.

  Simon continues to give me a shit-eating grin as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. He goes to hand it to Elise, who’s still hidden behind me with Izzy in her arms. I snatch it from him and hand it to Elise. I don’t want him to have the chance to get anywhere near her.

  Elise opens the paper and starts to read. A few seconds later her legs give way, and I have to move like a bolt of lightning to catch her before she hits the floor.

  “What does it say?” I question.

  “He’s taking custody of Izzy.”

  “He can’t do that.”

  “I think you’ll find I can, Mr. Westwood,” Simon taunts.

  I’m very close to smacking him in the face, but I know it will just cause more issues. Izzy screams and clings tightly to her mama as Gabby rushes forward and tries to comfort the little girl.

  “You can’t do this!” Elise shouts. “You know you can’t.”

  “I can. It’s all there in black and white. Due to the nature of your affair with Leo, you’re an unfit mother to our daughter, and a bad example for her. She’s going to be better off in my care. I was granted custody of her this afternoon.”

  “No, you gave her to me.”

  Simon leans forward to Elise.

  Don’t hit him.

  Don’t hit him!

  “And now I’m taking her back.”

  He nods to the police.

  “She’s been served notice. I’d like to get my daughter out of this debauched environment as soon as possible. It’s past ten o’clock. What kind of mother keeps a ten year old up this late? Disgusting behavior.”

  One of the cops steps forward.

  “Miss Landry, Mr. French has full custody of your daughter now. I’m afraid it’s our duty to take her with us.”

  “Please, you can’t. He’s a….” She doesn’t finish her sentence. I know in my heart she was about to tell them about his abuse, but she’s still too terrified, even though she stands to lose Izzy.

  “Please, I don’t believe her father will take good care of her.” I try to plead Elise’s case. “Maybe she could be placed elsewhere until we can sort this mess out?”

  “I’m not having my daughter put in a home,” Simon interrupts. “The courts have given me custody of her, and she’s coming with me.”

  “Maybe I could take her,” Gabby offers, trying to help, but I can see the suggestion only makes Simon furious. His intention has nothing to do with Izzy’s welfare. It’s all part of his control over Elise.

  “No. I’m her father. She’s coming with me.”

  Stepping forward too quickly for anyone to react, he grabs Izzy’s hand and pulls her away from Elise who manages to take her daughter’s other hand at the last minute. For a few moments they have a tug of war with the little girl until the police intervene, and Elise is wrestled away.

  “No!” Elise cries out loudly and tries to run after her daughter but is stopped by the police.

  “Mama! Mama! Mama!” Izzy screams repeatedly as Simon drags her away.

  I have to turn my back on the scene for a few moments and compose myself. If Elise had told them Simon is guilty of domestic abuse, then this wouldn’t be happening. But the man has destroyed her confidence so badly she can’t admit the truth, even to save her own daughter. Everything is a game to him, and he’s upped the stakes to beat Elise.

  Gabby rushes over to Elise to comfort her. The members of the cast and crew who’ve gathered to watch the drama unfold start to dissipate. The police leave when they know Simon is safely away with Izzy. I still can’t find the strength to move my feet toward Elise, though. This has broken me as much as her in some respects. We were starting to feel like a proper family, but there is nothing I can do to protect the little girl I’ve grown so incredibly fond of.

  I have to get out of here.

  Storming away from the devastating scene, I find my bag, and not even changing out of the ridiculous Elton John costume from the eighties I’m wearing, I leave the studio.

  “Leo.” Angelique is hot on my heels. “Wait.”

  “I can’t…I have to get out of here,” I call back to her, but she catches up with me, forcing me to stop and look at her by grabbing my jacket.

  “Leo, talk to me. I know what they’ve been saying on the television isn’t true. It was obvious when you two first met up that you and Elise hadn’t seen each other in years. What’s happening?”

  “I can’t tell you. It’s not my secret.” I slump back against my car.

  “And I’m not letting you go anywhere until you do. Whether it’s your secret or not. What I just witnessed wasn’t right. Elise isn’t an unfit mother. She’s amazing with Izzy, and the kid adores her. I also saw the horror on Izzy’s face when she saw her father.”

  Placing my head in my hands, I mumble into them, “He abused Elise. She left him and signed various contracts.” Eventually I pull my head up and tell Angelique the truth. “He’s playing games with Elise. He broke her during their marriage, and she hasn’t mended, even if she thinks she has. Izzy is in danger with him, and I don’t know what to do.”

  Angelique wraps her arms around me and cradles me close to her. I enjoy the comfort from one of my best friends.

  “God, that’s awful.” She takes a deep breath. “But there’s nothing you can do at the moment. It’s up to Elise to fight this. All you can do is support her. If he did beat her and you fight this battle for her, then it’ll do nothing to help her recover. She has to find a way to get Izzy back of her own accord. It’s the only way she can win.”

  “I know you’re right,” I concede, but admitting what I’ve known since Simon first walked into the studio and threatened Elise and me is the hardest thing ever.

  “Go home and get some rest. I’ll let her know where you are. She has to figure this out for herself, and I’m certain she knows it.”

  I nod and Angelique lets me go. I climb into the car and make my way home without looking back. I can’t. If I do, I’ll turn around and go fight all Elise’s battles for her. I have to let her figure this out for herself. It doesn’t make it any easier, and when I walk in my front door, I let out my frustrations by smashing up my apartment in a furious rage.

  Chapter 21

  Elise

  For most of the night, I sit on my bed paralyzed in thought.

  Simon has taken Izzy.

  He walked straight into the studio and took her, and there was nothing I could do about it. I read the court documents over and over again. They paint a picture of me being an awful mother. It’s all lies, though. Apparently, I never wanted a child and that was proven by the fact I returned to work so quickly after giving birth. The truth is I hadn’t wanted to go back. It was Simon who forced me out of the house. He told me I was fat, and I needed to exercise and lose weight to get my trim figure back, and then he demanded I co-star with him in his latest action movie. It was all because of him, but I am being punished for it.

  After a few hours, the anger sets in. I call my lawyer, even though it’s now his early evening and shout at him. I fire him and then immediately hire him back. He’s as baffled as I am at how Simon has gotten away with this. We both signed contracts stating I wouldn’t reveal the truth at the risk of losing Izzy, and I haven’t told anyone apart from Gabby and more recently Leo and Leah. I’m certain none of them would tell another soul. Is that it? The reason he’s coming after me? Does he believe I’ve told someone? And how did Leo’s father become involved in all of this?

  My lawyer asks me if I want to make public the contracts and the abuse Simon carried out on me—he falls silent when I say no. I leave him with detailed instructions to file papers to get Izzy back first thing in the morning.

  Everything is a mess, and all because I went on a dance show.

  In the morning, I’ll quit.

  I just want Izzy back. Her clothes scattered around me and her favorite teddy clutched in my hand give me l
ittle comfort. Every time my eyes start to droop shut, I’m hit with nightmares of what Simon could be doing to her. His fists flying and her pure little face all black and blue. I have to hold out hope she’ll been fine until I can get her back.

  Get her back…I am going to do it, but there’s only one person who can help me unravel this mess. Now the story of the relationship between my father and Leo’s mother has been revealed, no one will believe Leo and I didn’t have an affair, even with a lie detector test. I can’t get the truth from my father, and when I phoned my mama, it appeared she’s as much in the dark about it all as I am. There’s only one person who can give me the full details, and if she won’t speak to Leo or me on the phone, then I’m going to damn well knock down her door to get answers.

  Using some of my emergency savings—a few million from my films that I have refused to touch in the past. I book a private flight to Spain. I want to be able to stay in contact with the ground and get updates on the custody court case at all times, so it’s the only way.

  I change out of my eighties outfit at some point around two am and put on leggings and a baggy top before scraping my hair back into a messy bun. I fetch my passport, grab my car keys, and head out the door. I’m not going alone to Spain. Leo is coming with me—he just doesn’t know it yet. I’m glad he disappeared after the showdown because it’s given me a chance to work through everything in my head. I can never reveal what Simon did to me, but I’ll prove him to be a liar and get my daughter back.

  It doesn’t take me long to arrive at Leo’s apartment. The lights are on, which doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t expect him to be sleeping after all that’s happened. Tentatively I knock on his front door. It takes a few moments for him to answer. He’s disheveled and looks tired as he leans against the door frame. He’s changed into a pair of loose fitting workout pants and a t-shirt. Looking behind him, I can see his apartment is trashed.

  “Leo.” I reach for his hands when I see blood on his knuckles.

  “I’m sorry, Elise, I couldn’t help you keep Izzy.”

  “Hush.” I place my finger against his lips. “It’s not your fault, not in the slightest. Simon is the villain here, and we’re going to work together to get my daughter back. Do you have your passport?”

  “Passport?” He looks confused. “It’s in the safe, why?”

  “We’re going to Spain. Only your mother can clear this up.”

  “My mamá?” Leo closes his eyes and sighs. “You aren’t going to tell them what he did to you, then?”

  I really don’t want to fight at the moment. I should have expected this.

  “Please, Leo, I told you I can’t.”

  Leo opens his mouth to say something but then closes it again without speaking. I’m not sure I ever want to know what words are in his head right now. I think they could destroy us both.

  “Ok, but I have to protect my mamá as well. She’s fragile. I’m not going to put her in front of the press.”

  “I know. But she’s the only one who can tell us the truth about what happened between her and my father. I have to know. If I can prove your father and Simon are liars, I can prove we didn’t have an affair and change the perception of what has happened. Then I can get Izzy back or at least get joint custody. I can’t leave her with him forever.”

  I’m holding tightly to his bloody knuckles, and it must be hurting. My plan makes complete sense in my head. I know it’s the only way I can get my daughter back. It’ll work—it has to.

  “I’ll grab a suitcase and a few things. Give me a moment.” Leo turns, leaving the door open for me to enter his apartment.

  “There’s not much time. I’ve chartered a private flight to Spain. It’s waiting for us at the airport.”

  Leo stops and turns back to face me.

  “You’ve been doing a lot of planning and organizing.”

  “I want my daughter back,” I tell him adamantly.

  “I want her back as well, but I also want you both safe and free from all this scrutiny.”

  We stand facing each other in silence.

  “It’ll happen, Leo. I’m going to quit the show. When I get Izzy back, I’ll go as quietly as Simon wants. I won’t appear in the limelight ever again. I’ll do whatever he demands.”

  Leo reaches out and strokes down the side of my cheek.

  “You think that’ll work, Elise?”

  “I hope so. It’s all I’ve got.”

  Leo nods and lets me go. He disappears into his bedroom to quickly pack and get his passport. I know he wants me to tell the world about what Simon did to me, but it isn’t the right way to go about this. Leo wasn’t there. He didn’t experience the fists in his face. I can’t stand the thought of making it public. Plus, if I do tell people the truth, I know Simon will come for me and this time probably kill me. I can’t risk leaving Izzy alone. I just can’t. Simon has to win. I see that now. He’s jealous of me, and the only way I can escape him forever is to disappear completely. I just hope Leo will still be with me when that time comes.

  Chapter 22

  Leo

  “Mamá, abre la puerta.”

  I’ve been hammering on my mamá’s door for the last hour, demanding she opens it and lets us in. I arrived in Spain with Elise in the late afternoon, and my internal clock is all over the place. I’ve had very little sleep due to the journey and the constant worrying, but now I am here, I’m more concerned that my mamá isn’t answering. She doesn’t have the best mental health, and I’m worried about her reaction to my father’s interviews. Maybe I should have come sooner.

  “Mamá, es Leo. Por favor.”

  “Do you think we should call the police?” Elise asks.

  She’s standing next to me, nervously nibbling at her fingers. She didn’t sleep the entire flight either. She spent most of it on the phone trying to speak to Izzy and getting updates from the lawyer on how her application for joint custody is going. Simon has everything so twisted up in court procedures and various legal proceedings that it’s becoming obvious he’s bribed someone, somewhere. Elise has asked her lawyer to hire an investigator to look into it. However, that will take time. Eventually, just before landing, we received word from Izzy. Simon has allowed Elise’s lawyer to speak to her. The little girl said she was all right but sad. Elise spent most of the car journey from the airport in tears. That’s changed since we’ve been standing here, trying to get into my mamá’s house, because now panic has taken over.

  Pounding again on the door, I shout once more—this time in English.

  “Mamá, open this fucking door, or I’m going to kick it in.”

  “Vete,” my mamá shouts at me from inside.

  Finally an answer, even if it is telling me to go away.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Mamá. I’ve just flown for over eleven hours to get here. You’re going to open this door now. Please, Mamá. I need to know you’re all right.”

  I rest my head against the heavy oak frame of the villa. I’d have no chance of smashing my way in, but I would try.

  The lock to the door clicks, and I breathe a sigh of relief as the woman, who I’ve worshipped since I was born, opens the door. She looks awful. Her eyes are sunken in—she’s looks exhausted and is obviously not eating. She’s lost weight since I last saw her.

  “Mamá.”

  “I’m sorry, mi hijo.”

  I pull her into my arms and carry her into the villa. The mess inside shocks me. It’s not been cleaned for days, and dust covers the surfaces, blown in by the warm winds on the coast this time of year. Papers and pictures are strewn all over the kitchen table, and after I settle my mamá in her favorite chair, I go over to check them out. Elise is already there, looking through them.

  “My father and you?” Elise’s face has gone paler than I’ve ever seen it. Her lips are moving as if she’s saying something but nothing is coming out. Her world is falling apart with the evidence in front of her. “It’s true then.”

  “No,” my mamá sho
uts at us in her heavy Spanish accent. “It’s not. He’s a liar. It’s all lies. He destroyed me once, and he wants to do it again. I hate him.”

  “Who?” I take a few steps toward my mamá, but I can’t go all the way at the moment. I’m torn between the emotions of the two women in the room. I’m confused…scared even to acknowledge what all this means.

  My mamá waves her hand in the air, signaling for us to sit. I do as instructed. Elise refuses and continues to stare at the photos of her father laid out on the table.

  “Su padre, Leo. Everything your father said in those interviews is a lie. Elise’s father and I didn’t have an affair. We couldn’t. My faith and both our moral compasses forbade it.”

  My mamá wears a cross around her neck. It’s a sign of the Catholic faith she’s always been devoted to, even when she tried to fit in with my father’s beliefs.

  “But you had feelings for each other?” Elise asks as she finally comes to sit with me. She’s holding a picture of her father in her hands.

  My mamá nods.

  “Si, we did. I’m sorry, Elise, Leo. It was wrong. We didn’t consummate the feelings we had for each other, though, despite having them for a long time.”

  “Leo, su padre was my first love, but my love for him died shortly after you were born. He wanted nothing to do with us as a family. His work always came first. I found myself being alone more and more often. Elise’s parents invited me over, and I got to know them both well, but your father in particular. With Leo’s father being away so often, I needed things done in the house. Elise’s father offered, and our feelings developed from there. He was a fantastic man, so kind, helpful, and handsome. There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t miss him. The events of the night he died are still vivid in my mind. I think it’s why I get so lost in there at times.”

  My mamá wraps her arms around her body to give herself comfort as she speaks. Elise freezes at the mention of her father’s death, and reaching out, I take one of her hands and squeeze it to offer her reassurance.