The Many and the One

by Donald Wells

  Jenny nearly smiles. “Really? Father I’ll be good, I won’t say anything about…”

  “Of course not, if they knew they would find you disgusting. Can you imagine the looks on their faces if I were to show them one of our little home movies?”

  Jenny looks horrified. “No, please don’t ever show them those, please?”

  “Of course not, and why of course not?”

  “Because I’ll be a good girl,” Jenny says by rote.

  “Yes, you’re going to be a very good girl. You’re going to help me put Jason in his place once and for all. You may even like what I need you to do, you did consider him your boyfriend once, a childhood crush wasn’t it?”

  “They were both very nice to me.” Jenny says.

  “Let me explain what I need you to do.”

  Derek then tells her his plan.

  “But… Jason would never do that.”

  “You underestimate your considerable charms Jenny, but just in case you can’t get him alone, place two of these in each of their drinks to knock them out.” Derek takes out a bottle of pink pills. “I’ve used them before with success.”

  “You want me to drug them? Father, these pictures you want of Jason and me together, I, I’m not sure I can do it, Jason is like a—”

  “You were going to say father, weren’t you dear? You don’t want to seduce him because he’s like a father to you. I find that funny.” Derek says, without laughing, he then stares at Jenny intensely. “I need leverage against them. They have held something over my head long enough. With your help, I can neutralize it. Free of their threat, not even the White House will be out of my reach. Use the pills and take the pictures, that will be enough. If not, I’ll make sure they suffer a similar tragedy to the one they endured when dear Simona died. Do not disappoint me.”

  Jenny says, “Yes father.” and starts toward the door.

  “I didn’t say you could leave.”

  Jenny returns to the couch and Derek pats his lap for her to sit on. She lowers herself onto him slowly and tries to avoid his eyes.

  “Jenny look at father—that’s better. Jenny, father loves you very much and I know all your secrets. I know who and what you are. If Jason and Lindsay knew they would despise you. Just imagine if they knew everything. You would disgust them. But I know everything and I love you, I love you and you love me too, don’t you dear?”

  “Yes father.”

  “Jenny, prove to father that you love him, do it now.” Jenny lowers herself onto her knees between Derek’s legs, as he puts his head back and closes his eyes. “Such a good girl,”

  Years of emotional manipulation, threats, near isolation and rape have turned Jenny into a sexual slave.

  However, on the ceiling of the office there is a camera, a camera that looks like an ordinary smoke detector. The camera is running and it is the property of one Michael McGee.

  * * *

  Marta is busying herself in the kitchen when she hears the sound of a key turning in the backdoor, a moment later McGee steps in.

  “Oh Michael, thank God you’re here, the Senator arrived hours ago.”

  “I know Marta.”

  “What’s wrong, are you ill? You look sick.”

  “I’ll be fine, but Marta, it’s time honey. It’s finally time, we leave tomorrow.”

  Marta goes over to the table and collapses into a chair. “Tomorrow? That’s so soon.”

  “So soon! Marta this ‘so soon’ took me seventeen years.”

  “It’s always seemed like a dream. I can’t believe you’ve done it.”

  “Patience Marta, all it took was a little patience; the kid won’t know what hit him.”

  Marta rises from her seat and kisses McGee. “Oh, we’re finally free.”

  “We’re not just free—we’re rich, and where we’re going nobody will ever find us.”

  “But what about Jenny? She’ll be stuck here with him, and God help her, but I think he may be like Charlotte.”

  McGee lowers his head. “I know. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

  “Your own eyes, how?”

  McGee guides Marta to sit down again as he settles in the seat beside her.

  “If the kid ever found out what I was doing I wanted to know, so I wired the office and tapped the phones. I saw and heard everything.” McGee pauses to swallow his rising bile. “I’ve seen some things in my life, but this, he’s beyond sick. I swear I didn’t know Marta, I swear I didn’t know. We gotta do something to get Jenny away from him, maybe tell Reynolds. I’ll send him the tape and—”

  “—and he’ll kill the Senator and go to prison, no that won’t work, but I have an idea. A woman comes by occasionally, a doctor. She’s trying to help the Reynolds get in touch with Miss Jenny.”

  Marta gets up and rummages through a drawer in one of the kitchen cabinets.

  “Here’s her card, She’s a Dr. Simone Martinez, maybe we should send her the tape?”

  “I know her.” McGee says. “She’s a friend of the Reynolds. Maybe that’s the way to do it, through a friend.”

  Marta grabs McGee and gives him a long kiss. “We’re rich! Oh it’s unbelievable.” She suddenly looks frightened. “Do you think we’ll get caught?”

  “Not a chance honey, I planned this too good, besides, I’ve got a bargaining chip up my sleeve. Well, let me go see his Highness and play McGee the lackey one last time.”

  “One last time,” Marta sighs.

  McGee says, “Sounds good don’t it?” and laughs as he heads out the door.

  41

  “Boomer baby?”

  “Yes my love?”

  “Could you do your lazy wife a favor and run back into the house and get a bag of coffee? I thought I had some here in the cottage but I was wrong.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  “You’re a sweetie Boomer.”

  “Correction, I’m your sweetie.”

  As he makes his way to the cabin, Jason sees a woman sitting on the granite bench. She wears a black and white jacket with the hood turned up against the ocean breeze, and so Jason can’t quite see her face.

  Who is that?

  As he approaches the bench, the hood falls, and it’s Jenny. Jason, happy beyond imagining, runs to her and sweeps her up in his arms.

  “Jennifer you’re back, oh thank God you’ve come back to us.” Jason releases her from his embrace and looks her up and down. “You’ve grown so much I thought you were a woman.”

  “You haven’t changed a bit Jason, and God how I’ve missed you, and Lindsay too.”

  “Lindsay!” Jason grabs Jenny by the hand and heads toward the cottage.

  “Lindsay I didn’t get the coffee but I brought back something better.”

  “Oh Jason, I could really go for a cup, what did you—” Lindsay looks up from her computer and spots Jenny, and for a second it’s as if she can’t believe her eyes. “Little Girl? Oh my God is it really you? And so grown up,” Lindsay begins to cry and rushes to Jenny. They embrace, and Jenny also starts crying.

  “I’ve missed you two so much. I thought about you every day, you don’t know how much I’ve thought about the two of you, oh, and Matt. Where is he? He’s okay isn’t he?”

  “Matt’s fine honey, he’s in school now.” Jason says.

  “Jenny, Jason and I spent the last three years trying to get in touch with you. My God, why didn’t you call us or write, anything? We worried to death about you.”

  “Father wouldn’t let me. Please don’t be mad at me. I just want today to be a happy day.”

  Lindsay hugs Jenny tenderly. “Oh baby, we’re not mad and today couldn’t be anything but a happy day. Our Little Girl’s come home, our daughter.”

  “Can I ask you guys a favor?” Jenny says.

  “Anything Jennifer, anything at all,” Jason says.

  “Can I cook something? I’ve barely cooked in years and I love cooking for you guys.”

  Lindsay smiles, “Little Girl it’s your ki
tchen in your home, don’t ever forget that.”

  Jenny wipes away tears. “I love you guys so much.”

  * * *

  They leave the cottage and enter the house. Jenny looks around.

  “You’ve gotten new furniture.” She says. Next, she notices the pictures on the mantel over the fireplace. “Is this a recent picture of Matt? Jason he looks just like you.” She then sees her own picture as a little girl sitting beside a picture of Simona. “You’ve kept my picture on the mantel?”

  “We keep all our children’s pictures up there.” Jason says.

  “But I wasn’t really yours, only pretend.” Jenny says sadly.

  “Do you think we pretended to love you?” Lindsay asks.

  “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant I’m not as good as your real kids.”

  “Honey don’t ever say that to us again, don’t even think it.” Jason says.

  “Jenny you’re a very special girl and we’ve always loved you—oh honey don’t cry.” Lindsay pleads, but it’s too late.

  Jenny falls onto the sofa, sobbing intensely. They sit on either side of Jenny and hug her until the tears stop.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just so happy to see you guys. I’m a silly teenager huh?”

  Lindsay tells her, “It’s okay.” but she wears a worried frown.

  Jason takes her by the hand. “Jennifer, your kitchen awaits.”

  While entering the kitchen, Jenny exclaims “Wow!”

  Hopeful of her return someday and knowing how much she loves to cook, when it came time to remodel, they went all out.

  The appliances are all restaurant quality and restaurant size, the kitchen is now a chrome paradise.

  “This kitchen is fantastic. I could cook for a hundred in here.”

  “How about something for just the three of us? I’m suddenly hungry.”

  In response, Jenny gives Jason a hug and then walks over and begins looking through the massive refrigerator.

  Lindsay leans into Jason as they watch Jenny. “Our girl’s home,”

  Jason sighs. “Thank you God.”

  * * *

  “A pizza, an honest to God pizza from scratch, m’mm, you haven’t lost your touch Jennifer, this is fantastic.” Jason says.

  “There’s cheese and bits of pepperoni inside the crust. Jenny how did you do that? You say you’ve barely cooked in years, but you never made this before.” Lindsay says.

  “I wasn’t able to cook often, but I thought up new recipes all the time, it was fun.”

  “You’re a child prodigy when it comes to cooking honey, you should do something with this talent besides spoiling the two of us.” Jason says.

  “Little Girl, please tell us you’re home to stay?” Lindsay says.

  Jenny answers, while wiping down the blue marble countertop.

  “Yes… I’m here to stay. But let’s enjoy today, okay? I just want one perfect day being with the two of you, and Matt too.”

  “Is your—is Derek with you?” Jason asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Honey, does he treat you well, does he take care of you?” Lindsay asks.

  “Father loves me.” Jenny says, but doesn’t look Lindsay in the eye.

  “Has he been ill?” Jason says. “I mean, when we’ve seen him on TV he looks so much older than he should, but I know politics can take a toll on a person, I’ve been serving on the town council the last two years and sometimes the petty bickering drives me crazy.”

  “No, he hasn’t been ill, he just works too hard.”

  It’s the drugs and drinking. He’s a drug addict and I’m a whore, a fucking worthless whore.

  Jason walks over and takes Jenny’s hands in his. “It’s so good to see you; you don’t know how good it is.”

  “It’s twice as good for me, because there are two of you.” Jenny says. “Three with Matt,”

  * * *

  Jason leaves to pick-up Matt from school and while he’s gone Lindsay talks to Jenny.

  “Little Girl tell me all about your boyfriend, I want to know everything.”

  “I’ve never had a boyfriend; father thinks I’m too young.”

  “Well I know someone who would love to be your boyfriend.”

  “Who?”

  “Paul Jr., more than once I’ve caught him gazing at your picture on the mantel, he’s grown into quite a handsome boy too, and smart, he even skipped a grade last year.”

  “I’ve thought about him at times, he was always so glad to see me.”

  “I think you two would be a cute pairing.”

  “Maybe someday,” Paul’s sweet, he should be with a normal girl.

  “Simone and Paul ask about you all the time. I left a message on their machine telling them you’ve come home.”

  “I’ve missed them too; they were always like a second family.”

  They hear the front door open. There’s a pounding of little feet and through the doorway comes Matt, followed shortly by Jason.

  Matt looks at Jenny standing by the counter and then looks at his mother seated at the table, he then looks back at Jenny.

  “Are you really my sister, my sister Jenny?”

  “Yes sweetie, I’m Jenny.”

  Matt runs over to Jenny and hugs her around the waist. “I love you Jenny, you’re my big sister.”

  “Yes sweetie and I love you too.” Jenny says through tears.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “Because I’m so happy,”

  “Oh no, my sister’s a girl.”

  “Yeah tiger, that’s how it works.” Jason says.

  “I know daddy. Mommy I’m hungry, can I have a snack?”

  “That’s your sister’s department now, whenever Jenny’s here she’s head chef.”

  “Daddy said you made pizza, can I have some?”

  “Sure sweetie,” Jenny picks Matt up and hugs and kisses him.

  Matt makes a face. “Girls, they always want to kiss you.”

  Everyone laughs and the family talks into the evening.

  * * *

  That night, Lindsay comes back downstairs after checking on Matt as he sleeps. She finds Jason and Jenny in the kitchen; on the table is a tray of cheese and crackers with melon slices.

  “Jennifer prepared a snack honey.” Jason says.

  “Thank you Jenny.” Lindsay spreads cheese on a cracker and takes a bite. “A glass of wine would go great with this. Jason would you like some too?”

  “Yes honey, please.”

  “I’ll get it for you Lindsay.” Jenny says. “Do you still keep the wineglasses in the top left cabinet?”

  Lindsay gives Jenny a smile. “Yes, thank you, you’ve only been back for one day and you’re already spoiling us.”

  Jenny reaches into her pocket and grasps the bottle of pills; in her mind she hears Derek’s voice. “Give them only two each, three at the most, four would probably be fatal.”

  Moments later, Jenny brings them their wine and Jason and Lindsay take their first sips.

  * * *

  They’ve transplanted themselves to the sofa and sit in front of the fireplace.

  Jenny smiles, It’s just like it used to be.

  She’s in her old position on the sofa, lying on her back, her head on Lindsay’s lap, while her legs rest on Jason’s.

  “Little Girl, could you stay the night? I hate to see you leave.”

  “Actually, father said I could stay overnight if I had to—want to.”

  “I didn’t see a bag. Did you bring pajamas?” Lindsay says.

  “I forgot.” I don’t own any. Father makes me sleep in the nude.

  “You look about my size, just a little shorter. I think my PJ’s will fit you. It’s getting late, why don’t you go to bed and we’ll talk more in the morning, okay?”

  “I guess you’re right Lindsay, it’s time I said goodbye.”

  “Not goodbye honey, goodnight, don’t worry we’ll wake you up bright and early to make us breakfast.” Jason says.
r />   Jenny stands. “I would love that.”

  “Boomer I’ll be back soon, I just want to settle Jenny in.”

  “Okay honey, goodnight Jennifer and sleep well.”

  Jenny leans over and grabs Jason and holds him as if she’ll never release him, finally she lets go and kisses him softly on the lips.

  “I love you so much Jason, please always remember that.”

  Jason takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. “I love you too Jennifer, have a good night.”

  Lindsay walks Jenny upstairs and settles her in, afterward; she comes down and snuggles with Jason on the sofa.

  “Did she seem strange to you, overly emotional?”

  Jason nods. “Somewhat, but I think she’s just happy, I know I am.”

  “She hugged me so when saying goodnight, it was like she never wanted to let go.”

  “I guess she really missed us.”

  Lindsay yawns. “I hope that’s all it is.”

  * * *

  Upstairs, Jenny sits at the desk in one of the guest rooms and writes, while weeping.

  When she’s done, she wipes the tears from her note and places it on the table near the bed. She reaches into the pocket of her pajama top and takes out the bottle of pills.

  Jenny opens the bottle and counts the contents. There are twenty pink pills, a full bottle.

  She stares at the tablets in the palm of her hand and then suddenly tosses them into her mouth, swallowing until they’ve all been ingested.

  She lies on the bed, crying intensely, while curling into the fetal position. Through clenched teeth, in a voice filled with loathing, she speaks.

  “I beat you father. You will not hurt my family.”

  After a time, her tears dry, and Jenny fades off into a deadly sleep.

  42

  Derek paces about his office as he waits for Jenny to return. From the hall comes the sound of the doorbell chiming persistently.

  “Marta!” Derek bellows. “Goddamn it, where are you?”

  With no response from Marta, Derek goes to answer the door and finds the Chief.

  “Rollins? What are you doing here?”

  The Chief stares at Derek contemptuously. “I’m here about your daughter.”

  Derek’s eyes flicker down to the gun on Rollins’ right hip and then back to Rollins’ intense brown eyes.

  “Chief, um, let’s talk this over calmly huh?”