“I wouldn’t do that the second time if I were you,” Vivien told her, as she pushed LaFontain’s pistol in the woman’s back.
“Vivien,” Lili whispered without moving. “I am your mother. You heard that, didn’t you, child?”
“I have a wonderful mother. I don’t really care about another. And if you are indeed my natural parent, I sincerely don’t find any reason to be happy about it. On the contrary, I would say. You bring bad news once again. You’ll never be more than a deranged, hate-fueled woman for me.”
“But Vivien, I gave you life. You can’t take mine.”
“Try me,” Vivien challenged. “Your desire to kill Tee, it’s reason enough for me to pull the trigger. So put the gun on the piano. Slowly.”
Still not turning to face her, Lili spoke again, her timbre mysterious and caustic.
“You see, Vivien, I just had a revelation. I know how I can get my revenge on Timothy. The best way possible. Not to mention that I’ll be with you… forever…”
As she finished her macabre speech, Lili swirled about with her gun aimed at Vivien.
“Veeeee!” Timothy yelled, terrified, as his right leg hit Lili’s legs with desperation’s force, causing her to lose her balance. His hands, just freed, instantly caught her arms and guided them away from Vivien. An inch above his head, a bullet hit the marble pillar and ricocheted above the piano. Lili crumbled to the floor, screaming like a mad woman. The revolver fell from her hand and slid under the piano chair.
A tramping of steps thundered from the stairway.
“This is the police! Nobody moves! We’ve got the house surrounded,” a baritone voice announced eagerly.
Detective Leonard made a stormy entrance. His face was red with fury. Two young police officers followed him closely.
“Miss Hopkins, put the gun down,” he demanded from the doorway.
Vivien obeyed immediately.
“What took you so long, man?” Clark asked, relieved.
“The helicopter wouldn’t fly any faster,” the detective barked the excuse, still tense.
“Take this crazy bitch away from here, Leonard,” Timothy called, pulling his left leg from under Lili. “God, I never needed a shower so badly! She tried to rape me!”
The detective approached them with big strides.
“No one moves until I say so,” he ordered. He knelt by the woman and turned her to face the floor. As he handcuffed her and checked her for guns, he sent Timothy a wicked grin.
“Working late at night, architect?”
“What now? You don’t believe me?” Timothy asked. He stood up, ignoring the detective’s order.
“Oh, I believe you. I read her ‘resume’! But you’re going to have a hard time making others believe that. She’s about half your size. An army of skeptical women will be picketing outside your office tomorrow morning. They’ll ask you to drop the rape charges against her. This lady’s got fans, man! More than Angelina Jolie!”
“I don’t care. The rape law should work both ways.”
Timothy turned quickly to Vivien and gathered her in his arms. She pressed her body on him. He could feel her rapid heartbeat on his naked chest.
“It’s OK my love, the nightmare is over,” he tried to calm her down.
Detective Leonard helped Lili get up. He recited her Miranda’s rights.
“Miss Lauren you’re under arrest,” he began firmly.
Lili was sobbing and crying uncontrollably.
“He killed my girlfriend, my lover. Timothy Leigh killed Nadine. He’s a killer!”
* * *
An hour later, Timothy and Vivien were still on Lili’s vast property. They were waiting for Clark in a police car. An emergency truck was just leaving with Galina and her ailing partner.
“They did have a passion for violence. I guess they’re enjoying their pain now,” Timothy said, amused.
Vivien giggled on his shoulder. She gingerly touched the ugly bruise on his cheek, and then she leaned and put a few feather-like kisses on it.
“Now it’s going to heal faster,” she concluded.
“Hmmm… It still hurts,” he played the ailing patient. “I need more of that treatment.”
“You’ll get a lot more when we get home.” Her blue eyes promised unspoken delights.
“Only the thought makes me feel completely healed,” he told her, already making love to her in his mind.
“I’m so proud of you,” she beamed with admiration. “This is such an exquisite architectural design. I’m humbled by your talent.”
“Well, I like my house better,” Timothy answered with modesty.
“Me too,” Vivien admitted.
“I think the proportion of this mansion is beyond my notion of ‘bon goût’. Moreover, now, when I discovered the true identity of my incognito client, I like it even less.”
“Still, it’s your creation, and it’s beautiful. Tonight, I heard a few people saying that it’s your masterpiece. What do you say about that?”
He smiled, and his eyes and eyebrows performed a quick, devilish dance.
“I say: They ain’t seen nothing yet, baby!”
Their colorful, charismatic laughter enriched the air around them.
At least ten police cars were blocking all exits and entrances on the property. A group of officers from Child Services had arrived earlier. Their boss, a stout woman with a broad and warm smile, approached a young police officer.
“I need to speak to detective Leonard ASAP,” she asked impatiently.
The police officer guided her toward a white Ford where two men watched moved as a teary young woman embraced a little girl.
“Isn’t that senator McLean?” the woman from Child Services inquired in hushed tones.
“Yes, ma’am. He is indeed.”
“And the other man by his side? Who’s that?” she insisted.
“Not sure. An English agent I guess,” the policeman suggested.
The woman walked up to them with confidence.
Nestled under Timothy’s protective arm, Vivien watched her absently.
“Tee, if nobody brings us your Mercedes, we have to go back to my house again. Otherwise, I have no changing clothes tonight,” she complained. “I have absolutely nothing to wear.”
The man lovingly kissed her temple.
“You don’t need clothes, Vee. Naked, you look at your best. Believe me. However, I do have something that you can wear tonight, if you want to of course. That besides my huge T-shirts…”
He thrust his hand into the pocket of his suit coat and produced a small box. He opened it, and a ring featuring a diamond heart glistened in the dim light of the yard and driveway lamps.
“I had planned to give it to you in bed, but I have no more patience left…”
Taken by surprise, Vivien hardly uttered his name.
“Tee… Tee…”
“Do you want to wear it tonight… and forever?” he asked, and his voice trembled with emotion. “When I saw Lili pointing the gun to your chest, for an instant, I thought I lost you. In my entire life, only once I’ve been so scared and desperate before. And that was just a few hours earlier, in my office, when I got the phone call from Lili that mentioned you and a fire. I can’t breathe without you, Vee. I can’t live without you. Be mine, my love! Forever.”
His stirring, passionate words and the gigantic wave of happiness that accompanied them left Vivien speechless. She took the ring and put it on her finger. Then she lifted her teary eyes flooded with love toward him. On Timothy’s cheek, a small teardrop slid timidly. Vivien’s arms flew around his neck, and his strong arms pulled her breathtakingly tight to his chest. Their lips met in a fervent kiss that, for a few wonderful seconds, dissolved the world around them and made them Queen and King of the Universe. A frustrated roar startled them. They broke the kiss with a malcontent moan.
Detective Leonard was fuming with fury.
“How come? What the hell is going on here? Am I missing something?”
/>
“Everything is legal,” the woman from the Child Services insisted. “They have all the necessary papers, and the number of babysitters even exceeds the requirements. All the mothers of these little girls have given up custody of their children and have entrusted them to the care of Miss Lauren. These young ladies have the right to visit their children with Miss Lauren’s consent, and even take the kids home sometimes and spend a few hours or days with them. In accordance with the documents Miss Lauren’s lawyer has provided, Miss Morgan Smith is, in fact, the culpable part in this matter. She is guilty of kidnapping her own daughter. Miss Lauren is disposed to forgive Miss Morgan’s misdeed and give her back the custody of little Tiffany if that’s what she desires. A few of the mothers live here, on the property, and they were shocked at the news of Miss Lauren’s arrest. They call her The Queen, and they have only praises for her. My hands are tied. I can’t have the children moved out of here,” the woman concluded.
“This is bullshit! Plain bullshit, lady!” Detective Leonard swore.
Crestfallen, Clark rushed to inform Timothy and Vivien about the new developments in the case.
“Blimey, the bitch escaped this issue. She has covered her ass quite well,” he muttered disgusted. “But she’s got a hard load of other problems to deal with. So we shouldn’t worry. She’ll be locked up for good, I have no doubt about it,” he said confidently. “My car is behind the gate. Do you want me to take you home? Hope I can find a gas station around. I’m running on empty.”
They strolled between the police cars and reached the exit of the property. Clark localized his Ford placed earlier in a sheltered position under the trees. As he walked closer, he realized that someone had slashed its tires.
“Bloody hell! These female warriors spared nothing!”
A police officer came to their rescue. He addressed Timothy in a respectful tone.
“Sir, your Mercedes is only a few yards further. It’s hidden in the woods. A colleague is there already.”
As he started to give them directions, the Mercedes entered the road, advancing slowly to meet with them. The policeman behind the wheel smiled happily.
“You’re lucky. It seems in perfect condition,” he assured them.
Timothy thanked the police officers, and then he turned to Clark.
“You can drive us to Vee’s house. We take her Lexus, and you can keep this one until you work things out.”
Clark burst out laughing.
“I lived enough to hear that! You give up your dear Mercedes to a rogue like me?”
“You deserve it, man! You saved our lives in there. If you ask me to, I’ll give you anything now. Anything but Vee!” Timothy chuckled.
“If you keep the best, the rest has no appeal to me,” Clark replied in the same joking manner.
“Still, you need a car…”
“You’re right about that, man.”
Clark took the keys and jumped eagerly on the driver’s seat. Timothy and Vivien got in the back. They cuddled happily against each other.
“I’m exhausted,” Vivien admitted yawning. “If you guys don’t mind, I think I’m going to take a nap back here,” she excused herself, settling comfortably into her fiancé’s arms.
Clark reached inside his jacket and revealed two papers.
“These are for you, Vivien.” He struggled to straighten their corners. “I took them from the box underneath your bed. The one from your grandmother. I apologize for the indiscretion, but Laura was ready to take it when I got there. She was also working for Lili. She was the one who put the fire at your house earlier. I wanted to see what she was after.”
“Laura? Oh, God! Who would’ve believed! And that box… I’ve never got the chance to check it more thoroughly. At first sight, there were pictures and all kinds of papers that didn’t seem to have anything to do with me. It’s true, I didn’t give the poor thing more than a couple of minutes,” Vivien recognized embarrassed. “I thought it was one of granny’s charities that she wanted me to continue.”
Clark turned to face her.
“It’s a lot more than that, Vivien. These are your birth certificate and a personal letter from Carol written especially for you. The rest of the box content it’s business indeed, and it was prepared for my arrival in San Francisco. You’ll find the explanation in the letter. Carol was our undercover agent here. Her identity was so damn well kept hidden, that not even I knew anything until tonight.”
Vivien took the documents and became very excited. Her sleepiness gone all of a sudden, she squinted, trying to read the letter immediately.
“I can’t see anything in this poor light,” she said, and her voice trembled with emotion.
“Calm down, Vee. We’ll be home in an hour. Anyway, we can’t change anything now,” Timothy pointed out and kissed her temple comfortingly.
“So… Mademoiselle Lili… Is she truly my biological mother?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Clark answered unenthusiastically.
Vivien sighed deeply.
“Oh, God,” she whispered sadly. “Of all the women in this world… Why she?”
“Hey, love! Look at the bright side of the story: You inherited her talent in music,” Timothy mentioned quickly in an attempt to raise her spirits. It pained him to see her depressed.
“And some of her good looks,” Clark added dreamily. “She’s lost weight, and I think she’s over-exercising lately. Her body is too muscular for my notion of sexy. But she used to be a real knockout. You remind me of her, Vivien, the way she looked in high school when I was so stupid to fall in love with her.” He paused and changed lines on the freeway. “Yep,” he concluded sighing deeply. “She is your mother, Vivien. Unfortunately, we can’t choose our biological parents. I kind of know the feeling.”
Afraid that Clark’s last remark may reopen the Leigh’s family can of worms, Timothy pulled the discussion back to its initial track.
“Clark, how in the world did it get here? I understand that The Amazons and This World of Men are two antagonistic organizations. You people heard about each other, and now you spy on one another and eliminate important adversaries, is that it?”
“Kind of...” Clark admitted reluctantly.
“No, really! That sounds scary,” Timothy revolted. “And stupid! On this earth, man and woman were created to love each other and to procreate. It makes sense. They are equals. One can’t live without the other. The rivalry between sexes is unnatural.”
“I agree with Tee. A war between men and women - even a silent, cold war -shakes the equilibrium of life on this planet. It’s a threat to humanity,” Vivien added.
“You guys are rare birds. You found love. You don’t compete with each other. You rather complete each other perfectly. Life is simple for you two. You’re so damn enviable, even I can hardly stand you two together.”
“Don’t worry, Clark,” Timothy laughed. “That only proves that, after all, you too are willing to love. And if you love, you’re human. If you’re human, you love. That’s the theorem of humanity and its true reciprocal.”
“There are so many couples like us,” Vivien spoke optimistically.
“And so very many unlike you,” Clark contradicted her.
“Clark, you never told us… How did you learn about Lili?” Timothy asked.
“The story is long and complicated.” Clark sighed deeply.
“We have time,” his brother encouraged him.
There was a long moment of silence.
“Father fell into a deep depression after the divorce. He felt useless, without hope and even without the desire to live without mother. His life seemed meaningless. A few meetings with a psychologist well known for his dedication to his work got him back on his feet, and it rehabilitated him miraculously. As father would later recall and tell everyone, that doctor suggested that he engaged in a men’s club, an organization that would promote and praise a man’s moral and physical qualities. He needed to break free from the carapace under which he h
ad hidden himself. He needed to get beyond that state of insect to which the unhealthy relationship with our mother had reduced him. Father did more than just join a men’s club. He brought into existence his own organization. Your grandfather, Vivien, Carol’s husband, was one of its first members. Mr. Hopkins senior was our father’s best friend. Their friendship had started back in college. Through his effort and benevolence, the newly established organization acquired many members in the USA. After his sudden death, Carol took over his work. Given the fact that there were only men in our organization, father kept secret her involvement. We all knew that Mr. Hopkins had been replaced with a very trustworthy person in USA who would continue to provide useful information, funds, and members. But only father knew the true identity of that person.”
“Do you want to tell me that sweet little old granny was a spy? At her age?” Vivien asked incredulously. “It sounds rather like out of a movie or a book.”
“You can imagine my surprise when I learned about it. But yes, she was,” Clark nodded, chuckling amused. “And I can tell you that she did an excellent job. Nobody could’ve done it better. The problem appeared when father started losing the battle with Alzheimer. I was too preoccupied with my own troubles, my own sentimental rubbish and divorce, to observe that in time. One day, his housekeeper called. She asked me to come right away. I found him in a powerful state of anguish. Imbued by paranoia, our old father was burning important documents in the fireplace. I had a very hard time convincing him to stop doing it. And it was already too late. ‘I have everything here’, he was yelling, pocking his head with his finger. ‘Everything is safe in here, in my mind,’ he was saying. But his mind was long gone. Forever. He never remembered the name of our link here in the USA. She continued to sent lists, documents, important dates, etcetera. We didn’t have her name, her address, anything. We couldn’t contact her in any way.”
“So you came to San Francisco this time to meet with this person, your American spy, is that right?” Timothy asked.
“Partially. The main reason I came here was the fact that your name popped up on a certain list from which people had already started to disappear.”
“What you’re trying to say is that Lili has put me on a hit list?”
Broken Serenade Page 23
