“But we fell in love,” Perses said. “We were married a year later. We had this amazing wedding. The celebration lasted a week. We honeymooned in Greece and…”
“We were very happy. My father bought a house for us near their home,” Anjelika said. “Perses worked and I made house. Or organized the help. We had so much fun. Megan came then Mikhail.
“It was like a fairytale. I loved being a mother. My mother would come over in the mornings to play with the kids. Perses loves babies. He was home early just to be with the babies. Then one day, Perses left for work one day and…”
“I didn’t come back,” he said. “At least not for a while.”
“A year passed then two. My girlfriends told me he had left me for another woman. My mother told me never ever to give up. My heart told me he would return. But…”
Anjelika sighed and fell silent. Knowing what would come next, Jill held her breath. Steve and Candy stiffened. They would now learn about the man they called ‘Dad.’
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday afternoon – 3:11 P.M.
Smiley Junior High School
Sandy woke when she hit the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw a bevy of pink and purple backpacks flying above her. Teenage girls were yelling and hitting her attacker with their backpacks. A girl kneeled down to her.
“Are you all right, Sandy?” the girl asked.
“Melinda. I forgot you went to school here.” Sandy sat up with the help of her teenage client.
“That guy has done that to other girls. He’s disgusting,” Melinda said. “He did it to our friend and told her he would kill her if she told. So she didn’t. Mom said she would kill me if I didn’t tell.”
Melinda’s girlfriends kneeled down to Sandy.
“This is your hairstylist?” one girl asked. “Is she Nash’s Mom?”
“Yep,” Sandy said. Hearing the police sirens, she said, ”You’d better clear off.”
“Nash is really cute,” one of the girls said.
“So is his friend, Ted,” another girl said. “I’ll stay with you.”
“I’m staying with you,” Melinda said. “Mom would kill me if I didn’t.”
“Let’s see if we can help Nash,” Sandy said.
As police cruisers pulled up to the campus, the kids began to scatter. Police officers ran up to the school. As the bigger boys ran off, Sandy and her group of girls were able to get to Nash and Teddy. She was hugging Nash and Teddy when the Assistant Principal caught up with them.
“Arrest this woman!” the Assistant Principal yelled to the Denver Police. “She started this entire fight.”
“She did not!” Melinda said. “I saw the whole thing! Just like last time!”
“This woman?” A patrol officer pointed to Sandy.
“Yes, that woman is BANNED from our campus. She caused this horrible fight and…” The Assistant Principal’s face turned bright red with rage. “Jakkman? Norsen? You are expelled!”
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday afternoon – 3:35 P.M.
The Castle
“About two years after Perses left, my mother started to fatigue easily. I didn’t think anything of it. She was always so healthy. Just a rock. My rock. One morning, she came over as usual. I left the room to get more coffee and… When I came back, she was dead. Heart attack.
“My father lost his mind with grief. As if they planned it, my step-brothers descended on the business and the finances. My step-brothers exacted their revenge for their mother’s betrayal. I was removed from my home. We lived in a few rooms in my father’s home. My brothers were shipped off to the worst parts of the country. My oldest brother was killed.
“A few months after my mother died, I was told Perses was dead. They tried to force me to marry their bookkeeper. I was lost, so very lost, confused and very stupid but I knew I couldn’t marry within the year of my mother’s death. Wouldn’t look right.
“But once the year was over, I was married. The bookkeeper was your father, Stephen and Candace. I thought I would be happy again. But we couldn’t make it work. I wasn’t what he wanted.”
“When they married, Anjelika didn’t know he was a homosexual,” Perses said. “He was Anjelika’s step-brother’s lover. Anjelika was a front for them.”
“At some point, he realized he needed children to complete the picture,” Anjelika said. “I do love children. I was so happy when I was finally pregnant with Stephen. I was so naive. I was sure things would finally be better. We had a baby on the way!
“My father woke up and realized what was going on. I’m not sure how or why, but suddenly he was aware of everything that had happened. Over the course of six months or so, my step-brothers were removed from the businesses.”
“Killed or literally removed,” Perses said.
“At this time, my father told me I didn’t need to stay married to this… man. He put an end to his son’s relationship with my husband,” Anjelika said. “In return, my husband stole two billion dollars from my father. And then he stole me.”
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday afternoon – 3:45 P.M.
Smiley Junior High School
“What’s going on, Sandy?” the patrol officer asked.
“Hi Arterio,” Sandy said. “Nash came to pick up his homework and was attacked by these bullies. I came to help. Teddy got there first.”
“That’s what we saw too!” Melinda said. Her friends nodded their heads.
“Of course, the lying slut has a connection to the police. Picked her up before?” the Assistant Principal sneered. “She…”
“Why don’t you step over here?” Arterio, the police officer pushed the Assistant Principal away from Sandy.
“Wow, what did I miss?” A slim man with blue eyes and short military cut dark hair said.
“DAD!” Teddy Jakkman threw himself at his father.
“Sandy, your head’s bleeding. Are you all right?” Zack Jakkman asked.
“Hey Zack. I’m okay,” Sandy said. “I thought you were flying spy planes or something.”
“I just got in,” Zack said. “That must have been one hell of a fight. You boys are pretty banged up.”
He nodded toward a police officer. The police officer gave them chemical ice packs. One at a time, Zack shook them up to make them cold. He gave one to Sandy first, then gave the ice packs to Nash and Teddy.
“Paramedics on the way, Sandy,” the police officer said.
“Jeez, Sandy, you know everyone,” Nash said.
“Cop father.” Sandy put the ice pack on the bump on her head.
“Hi Nash,” Melinda said. Her friends giggled.
“Hi Melinda.”
“Melinda and her friends helped me,” Sandy smiled. Nash blushed at the girls’ attention.
“Sandy!” A woman ran up to them. “Oh my God! Are you all right?”
“Thanks to your daughter!” Sandy laughed.
“Sandy, the paramedics are here,” a police officer said. “We need statements from you, the girls, and the boys.”
“Why doesn’t Melinda give her statement while you get looked at?” Melinda’s mother said. She hugged Sandy. “When you said you needed to move my appointment, I didn’t think it was for a junior high brawl!”
Sandy laughed. With her hand on Nash’s shoulder, Sandy led Nash to the paramedics. Teddy and his father followed them to the back of the ambulance. While the boys sat inside, Sandy chatted with Zack.
“Ma’am?” the paramedic asked. “Nash says his sister is at Children’s. We can take him and his friend but if you’re going it will save you some money and hassle.”
“They need the hospital?” Zack asked.
“Nash’s arm is broken. Looks like Teddy separated his shoulder. That must have been some fight,” the paramedic said. “Ma’am, can I check your head?”
Sandy sat down so the paramedic could check. He pressed on her head, looked in her eyes with a light, then bandaged the wound.
“It looks like a simple head wound
,” the paramedic said. “But you should get it checked out. That’s the kind of thing that can get worse fast.”
“I can take the kids, Sandy,” Zack said. “I renewed my Colorado driver’s license and everything! Can I call one of your friends for you?”
“I will,” Sandy said.
They went through the formality of Nash and Teddy giving statements to the police before they were able to leave. She hugged Nash goodbye at Zack’s SUV. After all the chaos and activity, Sandy stood on the quiet sidewalk by herself. She walked back to Aden’s SAAB then drove to St. Joseph’s emergency.
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday afternoon – 3:45 P.M.
The Castle
“The money was stolen through some accounts that were in my name. Of course, it looked like I had stolen it. At that time, I knew nothing about money. Not one thing. To get away with his crime, he became an informant for the CIA in exchange for asylum in the US.
“I didn’t know any of this when we left. I thought we were going on a vacation. My step-brother was behind the entire thing. He wanted me to suffer because I was married to his lover. My father had him killed right before we left. I don’t think my husband ever got over the death of my step-brother. They were together when he was killed.”
“You don’t need to make excuses for him,” Perses said. “The children are here to hear the truth.”
“My father believed I was involved. So much money, I must have been involved. I knew nothing. Not one thing,” Anjelika said. “I was very naïve. Anyway, our names were changed to Roper and Stephen was born. My husband worked for the CIA, mostly, and did some bookkeeping on the side.
“I’m not quite sure why, but my husband started beating me,” Anjelika said. “He hit me a few times when we were home, but I guess fear of my father kept him in check. My father wasn’t in Denver. I’d never been disciplined, never hit, or even yelled at. His behavior was… foreign… to me. I became overwhelmed.”
“Depressed.”
“Yes, depressed,” Anjelika said. “I had just had Candy when things got really bad. I’m not sure why he was so angry that day. He was furious. After he left, I packed everyone up and left for church. I was going to leave you with the Catholic Charities. I planned to kill myself. My Perses was dead. My mother was dead. I wanted to be with them. I was sitting in church with you guys around me when Perses found me.”
“I’d been in Denver for a couple of years, watching, waiting,” he said. “Anjelika’s step-brothers had kept me from her. When they were eliminated, I came to find her. In the church, she was injured. She needed a hospital but she was too afraid. You may remember, Megan? Mikhail? I took you to a cabin in the mountains for a week. We played in the snow while your mother healed from her injuries.”
Megan’s eyes went vague.
“Did we have pizza every night?” Megan asked.
“Not every night but a lot,” Perses said. “It was your favorite. You kids were so traumatized by everything that went on. I just tried to give you what you wanted. The babies, Stephen and Candace, were like little soldiers not children. We had some wild times.”
“We went more than once,” Mike said. “A couple times a year for a while? Is that right?”
“Yes, my husband didn’t really care whether I was gone or not,” Anjelika said. “I told him I was on retreat in the mountains. He either didn’t care or believed me. He enjoyed the time we were away. He would say it was his only chance at peace and quiet.
“Perses and I saw each other every day,” Anjelika said. “And a few years after Candace was born, I was pregnant with Jillian. My husband didn’t care. I think he was relieved he didn’t have to produce a child. He beat me, of course, but otherwise, he didn’t care.”
“We had to stop our mountain retreats when Jillian was born,” Perses said. “Megan and Mikhail were older and… With Jillian in the picture, we were more afraid of being found out.”
“And that’s about it,” Anjelika said. “My husband didn’t know about Perses or that Jill was Perses’ child. I lived in a fantasy world. I assumed we would continue on until you children were grown.”
“Until he booked the trip to Costa Rica,” Perses said.
CHAPTER SEVENTY
…could change everything
Tuesday afternoon – 4:00 P.M.
“We should have realized what he was doing but we underestimated him,” Perses said.
“What was he doing?” Mike asked. “We never took vacations. Not one. Then all of a sudden we’re on the beach in Central America.”
“He planned to sell the bearer bonds and get rid of the family. He had used Anjelika and you children for as long as he needed you,” Perses said. “He was willing to let you live there, on the beach at Costa Rica, but he wouldn’t allow the bastard to live.”
“Me,” Jill said.
“Yes,” Anjelika said. “We left you guys to go to the market. Or I thought we were going to the market. We were a couple of miles from the house when he started yelling… screaming… hitting. He pulled over onto a cliff. While I fought with him, he broke Jill’s leg. He was going to shoot her but I got in the way. He might hit me but he knew if he killed me, Perses would hunt him to the end of the Universe. While we struggled, Jill shot him.”
“I grabbed at the gun and it went off,” Jill said. “I didn’t mean to shoot him. It just happened.”
“He was trying to throw her over the cliff. She grabbed at him and got the gun.” Perses said. “The gun went off while she fell backward. The bullet hit him in the throat.”
“I grabbed for Jill and caught her little hand,” Anjelika said. “I didn’t know Perses was there until he finished my husband.”
“I remember Mama catching my hand,” Jill said. “And… I don’t remember what happened next. The last thing I remember was my hand slipping and…”
“I reached out for her…”
“They both almost went over,” Perses said. “I grabbed Anjelika who had Jill. I pulled them both back.”
“Jill went into shock,” Anjelika said. “Her leg was badly broken and the rest of this was too much for her mind. She just snapped. Perses set up the accident and paid off the police. We were near you the entire time. We hoped to reconnect but…”
“An old friend told us we needed to hide,” Perses said. “The Russian Mob wanted their money and Anjelika. I had to sedate your mother to get her to leave you. She…”
“They would have killed you,” Anjelika said. “My father confirmed this when I saw him again two months ago. If I had returned, you would be dead. The thing that kept you safe was to be dead to you. It nearly killed me.”
“Jillian was in a trance. She didn’t wake up until long after her leg healed,” Perses said. “And I don’t think she really came to herself until she was home in Denver. She draws her strength from you.”
The horrible story told, they all stared at each other. No one knew quite what to say next.
“Do you have questions?” Anjelika asked.
“I… I mean, my father… He was…” Steve’s confused, sad face asked the question his words could not complete.
“I knew your father when he was a young man,” Perses said. “He was fun, funny, joyful. Everyone loved him and everyone knew he was gay. I wish you had known him then. He was everyone’s friend. I barely recognized him when I saw him again.”
“Yesterday you said I was being like my father by running away,” Stephen said. “What did you mean?”
“Your father inflicted his loss and pain on other people,” Perses said. “I was wrong to say that yesterday. You are not your father. I’m sorry.”
“Losing his lover, my step-brother, destroyed him, Stephen. He wasn’t a bad man, just a heartbroken one,” Anjelika said. “He took his anger out on me and you kids. For that, I cannot forgive myself. If I had been stronger, I would have left him but…”
“We don’t blame you, Mama,” Megan said. “We were all… unhappy.”
“Can
you forgive me for all of this?” Anjelika asked. “I am very, very sorry. I have been in hell all these years without you. I…”
Candy got up from the couch to hug Anjelika. Mike and Megan joined. Steve took Jill’s hand as they went to join the hug.
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday afternoon — 4:20 P.M.
Lipson Construction
“That’s what I don’t understand, Jake,” Honey said. “We’re buying stock?”
Jacob looked out over the group of a hundred Lipson employees. The classes on Saturday were a huge success, but they found people had questions. In order to keep everything on track, Jacob set up smaller groups to meet for an hour. Today, he was meeting with a group from Bambi’s team.
“Stock is a piece of paper or an electronic transaction, Honey,” Jacob said. “What you buy is stake in Lipson Construction. Technically, you will be members of the corporation.”
“I’m a member of REI,” Bambi said.
“That’s a good example,” Jacob said. “But you have ownership rights as a member. We could have sold stock but the problem is that the stock must be registered on the stock exchange. Anyone could buy it. Our goal is for the control and profits stay with the people who care about the company – the people who work here.”
“What happens if we leave?” Honey asked.
“You have an option to sell your shares back to the company or to hold onto them,” Jacob said. “The latter is really an option for people who retire.”
“But how will anyone afford to get the stock, Jake?” Honey asked.
“We take the money out of your paycheck, like we already do for your retirement fund. Some people are investing in the company rather than their retirement fund. Some people are doing both. Some people one or the other. It’s up to you and what makes sense to you and your family.”
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