I Won't Remember You (Aidan & Vicky Book 6)

by Mairsile Leabhair

Vicky sprinkled pepper sauce on her fish as she listened to Aidan and her mother talking. They seemed to her to be very stiff and cautious. She wanted to help ease them into a more casual conversation. “How long are you two able to visit? I’d love to show you around, and Peg, we have a thriving Irish community here in Little Rock. I’m sure they would love to meet you.”

  “Oh, that sounds lovely, but I’m afraid I will have to get back to Dublin in a few days. Perhaps Brigid can stay a bit longer.” Peg looked over at her sister, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. It was too soon for that kind of commitment.

  The uncertainty in Brigid’s face suddenly gave Vicky an idea. “Brigid, we have a wonderful Irish pub here called O’Brien’s Bar and Grill. Its owned by one of your countrymen, and I’m sure he would love to have you sing Friday or Saturday night. What do you think?”

  Brigid couldn’t hide her excitement at a chance to sing in America, but she was still cautious. She was there to make amends with her daughter. Aidan came first and she still wasn’t sure where they stood with each other. “May I give you my answer in the morning?”

  “Absolutely. And if there’s anything else you’d like to do while you’re here, just say the word and Aidan and I will make it happen. Peg, that goes for you also, of course.”

  “I would very much like to visit with some of the folks from your Irish society, if possible?”

  “Of course. The Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas would be more than happy to put together a reception for you. Back in 2011 they had a reception for the Consul General of Ireland.”

  “Yes, he told me what a great time he had. That’s why I’m interested in meeting some of them. But a reception isn’t necessary. Just a casual gathering so I can get to know some of them personally.”

  “That sounds good. I’m not sure who to call, so I’ll ask Yvonne to find out in the morning.”

  “And I would like to tour the Trenton library, if that is permissible?” Brigid asked.

  “No problem,” Aiden said. “Trenton was in town this past weekend, maybe he’s still around and you can meet him.”

  “That would be wonderful, thank you,” Brigid replied.

  “You do know that he was the reason we found each other?” Aidan asked.

  “Yes, and I am so sorry for thinking it was Harold who put you up to it. I’m ashamed.”

  “No, don’t be. I have a better understanding now, after seeing the way Harold reacted to you in court today.”

  “I almost peed my pants when he came after me,” Brigid joked.

  “But you stood your ground and even spat in his face. I almost peed my pants when you did that,” Aidan said cheerfully.

  “I don’t know where that came from,” Brigid laughed.

  Mother and daughter were so involved in reliving that moment that they didn’t notice when Vicky and Peg left. Finally, when there was nothing left to joke about, Brigid became somber and reflective.

  “Aidan, you have to know, I didn’t abandon you. I would never…”

  “Deep down I wanted to believe that,” Aidan stated, “but then, when you pretended to be someone else, I thought you didn’t want me in your life.”

  “Oh, no! No, oh, I’m so sorry, Aidan. It wasn’t that at all,” Brigid cried. “I had to be sure why you were there all of a sudden, with my ring on Vicky’s finger.”

  “Didn’t Aunt Peg tell you why I was there?”

  “Yes, she did, but I didn’t believe her. When it comes to Harold, everything is suspect.”

  Aidan nodded. “I can agree to that one.”

  “Since you were taken from me, I have done nothing but pray for your return, and then to suddenly have you in front of me was just so overwhelming and frightening.”

  Aidan said nothing, but she could understand how that could be for Brigid.

  “Please, say that you forgive me,” Brigid pleaded.

  “I—”

  “No!”

  Aidan heard Vicky scream and she ran out to the foyer, where Vicky and Peg were standing. “What’s wrong?”

  Vicky looked up at her, a piece of paper in her trembling hands. “I’ve been subpoenaed by Harold,” she said.

  “No fucking way!” Aidan snarled. “He can’t do that.”

  Vicky didn’t hear her. She was showing signs of the paralyzing catatonia she had suffered when Harold held her parents hostage. “I don’t… I can’t…”

  “It’s okay, baby,” Aidan grabbed her and held her tight. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Brigid and Peg looked at each other as if they had seen it before, and in fact they had, when Brigid returned home without her baby.

  “Vicky, you can do this,” Brigid said.

  “No, she can’t. I won’t let her,” Aidan argued.

  “Aidan, don’t enable her,” Brigid reprimanded gently.

  “Stay out of this, Brigid,” Aidan cautioned.

  Brigid knew she had just pushed her daughter further away, but she had to speak the truth. The truth that she had paid dearly to learn. “I know the fear she’s feeling, Aidan. I know how it can destroy her life if she doesn’t come to terms with Harold. I know because the only way I could relieve my fear was to drink until I forgot about them.”

  “And she drank a lot, for years,” Peg added.

  “I thought about drinking several times,” Vicky stated, holding Aidan at arm’s length. “Your mother’s right, Aidan, It’s time to come to terms with this.”

  “You know what he’ll do to you on that stand. I can’t watch you go through that again, baby.”

  Vicky shook her head. “Aidan, you said yourself that he’s playing these games just to watch us react, and I’m reacting exactly like he would want me to.” Vicky stood straight and put her hands on her hips. “Well, I’ll be damn if I let him get his rocks off by torturing me again.”

  Aidan hesitated for a moment, and saw the determination in her wife’s eyes. “Okay, kid. But at the first sign of trouble, I’m knocking his rocks into next Tuesday.”

  “I’d pay my last pound to see that,” Brigid joked.

  Aidan had given in to her wife’s wishes, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look for a way to prevent Vicky from testifying in front of Harold. She called Meghan and put her on speaker phone.

  “That son of a bitch,” Meghan exclaimed after Aidan had filled her in. “I purposely left Vicky off of the witness list because I felt that with all the evidence and other witnesses, it wouldn’t be necessary to put her through that. Her memories of her parents abduction, and of the attempted rape, are murky at best, there’s not much she can add that would help the defendant.”

  “That’s not why he’s doing it,” Aidan insisted. “He just wants to keep playing his game. He knows he’s going to jail. He’s known it since before the trial began. He hasn’t put up much of a legal defense, and has even incriminated himself a time or two. He doesn’t care. All he wants is to put us through hell before he goes.”

  “I can trump his play and call Vicky to the stand first thing after Brigid. She can testify while Harold sits in his cell. That will satisfy the subpoena and wrap my case at the same time. By the time Harold comes back to court, I’ll be calling for a verdict.”

  “Let Vicky go first,” Brigid offered. “I’d like some time to watch the solicitors and Judge, so I can get acquainted with your American court.”

  Vicky was relieved. The sooner she got up there and said her piece, the sooner she could sit down again, and hide, as it were. Still, she questioned the offer, feeling guilty that she wanted it so bad. “Are you sure, Brigid?”

  “Oh, yes. With jet lag setting in, I think I would be more alert later in the day.”

  “All right, then. I’ll revise the witness list and get it posted. Get some rest, ladies.”

  “Good night, Meghan. And thank you,” Aidan said.

  “You’re very welcome. Good night everyone.”

  ***

  Aidan and Vicky spent a restless night for differe
nt reasons. Vicky feared that Meghan would ask questions that she did not want to answer in front of her parents. Granted they had already heard the worst from Harold, but that didn’t lessen the trepidation for her. Aidan was restless also, but she wasn’t sure why. The fact that Harold appeared to be in control was part of it, but there was something, just out of reach in the dark recesses of her mind that had her tossing and turning. She finally got up so that she wouldn’t wake Vicky, slipped on a pair of jeans and a shirt, and left the bedroom.

  She went to the fridge and pulled out a beer, than sat down on the couch and turned the television on. She muted it so as not to wake anyone, and flipped channels until she found a basketball game. It was a repeat, and she already knew the score, but that didn’t matter, it was still comforting to have it on. She saw her cellphone on the coffee table and picked it up. Usually Aidan kept the phone with her in case headquarters called, but she was so distracted that she had forgotten all about it. Luckily there were no missed calls, so there couldn’t have been an emergency. There were a couple of emails, so she opened up the app and was almost disappointed when all she saw was spam. Leaning back on the couch and propping her legs up on the coffee table, Aidan took a hit off of her beer and watched the muted game until she fell asleep.

  Sometime during the night, Aidan woke to find Vicky sleeping in her lap. By morning, they were both stretched out on the couch, with Vicky lying half on top of Aidan, her head resting on her shoulder, and Aidan’s arm wrapped around her. Twister was curled up in a ball, sleeping on Aidan’s stomach.

  Brigid woke early, and quietly put on her robe and left her sister still sleeping. It was five in the morning, and she needed coffee and some aspirin. She went into the bathroom first, and found the aspirin in the medicine cabinet, then she walked past the living room on her way to the kitchen. That’s when she saw Aidan and Vicky sleeping on the couch. She stopped for a moment and watched her daughter, marveling at how peaceful and content she looked. Brigid thought they both looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. She realized that it was more than just love between the two of them. There was an invisible connection that was always present, even when they were asleep.

  She left them sleeping and quietly stepped into the kitchen. Though she really wanted coffee, she didn’t want to wake them up, so she got a soda from the fridge and quietly popped the top. Tossing two aspirins in her mouth, she took a long gulp, swallowing the medicine with a satisfied gulp. Then, with soda in hand, she went back to the bathroom to take a hot shower. By the time she was finished, everyone was up and fixing breakfast.

  *

  The third day of trial and there were even more people in the gallery that morning, including the local news media. Word had gotten out about the show Harold had put on the day before, and people were curious as to how the trial could continue without the defendant.

  George sat all alone at the defendant’s table, a micro-cassette recorder in front of him. Harold had insisted that George record the proceedings even though he would be given a transcript from the court reporter.

  The Bailiff walked in and stood in front of the bench. He held a piece of paper in his hand which he read aloud.

  “All rise. Division Eighteen, Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of the state of Arkansas, is now in session. The Honorable Judge Cecilia Williamson, presiding.”

  “Looks like we have a different Bailiff today,” Vicky whispered as she stood up.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Aidan whispered back, staring at the Bailiff. “He must be brand new if he has to read from a script.” And he’s in a different uniform, too. Aidan looked at the two other guards and was surprised to see that they were not the same ones she had seen yesterday. Something doesn’t feel right.

  Judge Williamson walked in and looked curiously at the Bailiff as she sat down.

  Aidan thought that she recognized him from somewhere, but she couldn’t be sure. She scanned the gallery and realized that the spot that had been occupied by the same annoyed man for two days, was now empty. The Bailiff was in the audience this whole time. It wouldn’t be unusual for someone new to the job to sit and watch proceedings. But the Judge’s confusion concerned Aidan. She pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture of the law officer before he moved to the side. She sent it in a text to Jerry to run a check on.

  “Ms. Tisdale, you may call your first witness,” the Judge said.

  Meghan stood up. “The People call Victoria Montgomery-Cassidy to the stand.”

  George jumped up. “Objection, Your Honor. I subpoenaed her on behalf of my client. She is our witness and is supposed to testify tomorrow.”

  The Judge turned to Meghan for an explanation.

  “Your Honor, I added Mrs. Montgomery-Cassidy to the witness list yesterday per her request. She will honor their subpoena of course, but she will be a hostile witness for the defendant. I have called her to testify for the prosecution.”

  The Judge nodded. “Objection overruled.”

  Vicky stood up and smoothed down her blazer, squeezed Aidan’s hand, and then walked up to the witness stand. She waited on the Bailiff to swear her in, but he had not moved.

  “Bailiff, please swear the witness in,” the Judge instructed.

  “Sorry, Your Honor. It’s my first day,” the Bailiff said, as he walked over to Vicky.

  “I understand,” Williamson replied.

  “Raise your right hand.” Vicky raised her hand as he held up his card and read the question. “Do you solemnly affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

  “I do,” Vicky answered.

  “Please be seated,” he said, and walked away.

  Vicky sat down, as Meghan walked up.

  Aidan’s phone vibrated and she looked at the text from Jerry. “Photo recognition confirms that’s him! Sit tight, and I’ll bring the cavalry. ETA fifteen minutes.” Aidan’s knee bounced nervously. She sent a text back asking for background on the fake Bailiff.

  “His name is Fatin al samad Haddad, and Aidan, he’s the brother to Abdul Muham, the bomber you killed at the hospital!

  “Fuck me!” Aidan declared.

  “Order!”

  Aidan looked at the Bailiff, and then over at Vicky. Suddenly she screamed, “NO! I won’t allow it!”

  “Order!” The Judge screamed louder.

  Aidan jumped up, shouting, “No, I won’t, damn it. This is America! I can say what I want.”

  What the hell is she doing? Vicky, Joyce, Leonard, even Meghan, thought to themselves. Brigid was shaking. The similarities to Harold’s outburst yesterday, frightened her. Was Aidan like her father after all?

  “Bailiff, remove that woman!” Williamson demanded.

  Aidan dropped her phone in Leonard’s lap, jumped the rail and ran up to Vicky. She quickly whispered something to her, and then started shouting again. “You can’t make her testify!”

  “Bailiff!” the Judge called, pounding her mallet on her desk.

  The Bailiff and two security officers rushed at Aidan, who kicked and hit at them. She got a solid kick into the Bailiff’s mid-section, and he doubled over. The other two officers took a step back so they wouldn’t be kicked as well.

  Leonard jumped up, not sure what he was going to do, when Aidan shouted at him.

  “Stay back or I’ll kick you too!”

  He froze and looked at her in complete shock, but Aidan nodded at her phone in his hands. Leonard looked down at it, and saw that she had called Jerry. The call was still live, and a text popped up that said, “ETA, five minutes!”

  The Bailiff stood up, drawing his side arm. The other two officers followed suit, just as Aidan ran out the gallery entrance. All three officers followed her out the door, as Vicky jumped up and caught the Judge’s attention. She whispered in the Judge’s ear, and then sat back down, staring at the door, wondering if Aidan was all right.

  “I will have order in this courtroom!” Williamson shouted to quiet the audience. Then
she pointed at the doors Aidan had just run through. “Quick, someone lock the doors.”

  Bob Wilkes, the father of one of Harold’s victims, who had been in the gallery every day, jumped up and locked the main door.

  “Lock all the doors,” the Judge said, pointing at the door she always entered from.

  As someone ran over to that door, the news media were climbing over each other trying to get the judges attention.

  “Order!” Williamson called again. It took a few bangs of her mallet to calm the gallery.

  “Your Honor, what just happened here? Who was that woman?” one of the reporters asked.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I do know that the authorities have it in hand,” the Judge answered.

  There was a knock on the door, but no one moved to open it. They all looked at the judge for direction.

  “Homeland Security, let me in please.”

  The phone in Leonard’s hand vibrated again, and he saw that there was another text, “All clear.” “It’s all right, Your Honor,” he said, holding up the cellphone.

  “Your Honor,” a disembodied voice said on the phone. “We have them in custody. You’re safe now.”

  The Judge nodded at Leonard, who walked over and open the door. Aidan and Jerry walked in, holding their identification in the air. They were followed by Homeland agents escorting the three court security officers, now disarmed and in handcuffs, and behind them, a contingent of police officers.

  Vicky jumped up and ran to Aidan.

  “It’s okay, baby.” Aidan said, holding her tight. “You were so brave.”

  “Me? Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but you were nuts,” Vicky joked.

  Williamson started to pick up her mallet, and saw that the handle had broken off. Holding up the broken pieces, she asked, “Will someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

  “My apologies, Your Honor,” Aidan said, walking up to the bench with her arms still around Vicky. “These men are part of a terrorist cell that we have been trying to catch since they bombed St. Frances Hospital. We knew they were planning another attack, we just didn’t know where.”