- From who?
- From Laura, Gregory!
- Why would I do that?
She blinked as if he could not read me.
- Because the woman was pregnant with her son and his grandmother butcher scared the poor woman and threatened to kill him, you imbecile! - Andy chafed - What's your problem? - She was sitting on the edge of the chair, I stopped breathing - The whore of his grandmother ...
- Andy ... - Rick asked.
- Oh, shut up! - Complained, snarling at his friend - The whore of her grandmother! - Continued - He offered money to Laura abort, and when she refused, he ordered the butler behind her to scare her, made her lose jobs and scared enough to make it go out of town, and you ask me "why go after her?" At least to apologize, his spoiled arrogant! - She was standing, Rick tried to calm her. I was slumped in the chair feeling his words cling to my skin - At least such Boe was more decent than you and Laura helped to leave and get away from the crazy old lady and you!
My head was spinning. too high. Too fast.
- The ... What ... - I know what questions I wanted to do. But I had forgotten what words to use.
Andy was still possessed by anger crisis. But Rick was leaning in his chair watching me.
- I think your grandmother did not tell you, was not it? - She whispered carefully. I stared at Andy and our eyes met, I saw understanding flood his eyes.
- She offered money to Laura abort? - I said each word with only half of disgust and disbelief I felt.
- He offered. Thierry heard that direct story of Don, Greg. - He continued - He said Laura was very scared and not knowing what to do. Her grandmother made the indecent proposal Laura called her ... well ...
- From a bitch. - Andy turned and sat back down - Did not you know it?
- So the money that Laura was not only accepted to go? - I ignored the question Andy. They had much more important things now - was to abort?
- Money ... Oh Gregory! - Andy growled indignantly. It was amazing how she remembered Laura - You lost your mind? She did not accept the money.
- You can not, Andy. - My voice was gruff. I knew she was not to blame for my problems or my confusion, but I could not control my voice - If she did not take the money why leave?
- Your grandmother sent Boe scare her. Do you have a hearing problem?
- What do you scare her? - I whispered. My strength was leaving me too fast.
- Andy, please! - Rick reproached and I had the feeling that they were not telling me everything - Your grandmother made some threats. - Turned to me - He sent Boe speak with Don and make others. Laura did not believe. He said you'd be on her side, she would understand. Then her grandmother made her to be fired and ... Thierry said he talked with her and Don seemed determined to tell it all to you. Now ... I do not know what she said to you, but I imagine it has not gone well.
My hands were splayed supported my month and were the only contact I had with reality. The cold surface under my fingers. The rest of my entire body away from me.
I do not want to leave any detail behind. I do not want you to understand anything wrong.
She was trying to tell me?
I was trying to tell me he loved me and I was pregnant with my son.
I was trying to tell me that my grandmother was crazy and that she was afraid.
And what did I do?
Talk and resolve. But leave me out of it.
I had told her to solve alone. I had told her something very similar to what Elizabeth told me when I just needed someone to talk to.
- And that's when she miscarried? - My voice barely went out. There was a bad thing stuck in my throat and my eyes were burning. But that part was important.
It was the most important part.
And I was beginning to die of fear of the way the conversation was taking.
- Thierry said she called to Boe and he picked her up. She took many bags and went to the airport. But Thierry said she was pregnant when she left.
And that was how I was going to die.
Not of sadness, depression or loneliness.
Despair.
I was going to die of despair.
There, in a cheap bar in the middle of an airport.
I wanted for my life that Andy was wrong. Or that Thierry had hallucinated in his last moments of life. I wanted Laura did not love me. I wanted her to have fled for money. I wanted to go back to just hate her. Because the alternative ...
The alternative was that the woman of my life loved me, had gotten pregnant my son and I had left. The fear she must have felt. The loneliness. A single whole pregnancy.
My sun.
Pregnant.
My head was calculating the approximate months after she left.
She called me.
Eight months ... almost ...
She was taking our son?
Oh, no, please.
My vision was impaired and I felt my eyes fogged the fullest despair. Andy got up and came to stand beside me. If my appearance was as bad as I felt it would be an explanation for her nervousness.
But I was not paying attention. I did not care.
Said?
Said. Eleanor told me everything.
She got it wrong.
No, Dom! No ... she did not tell me! She lied.
I called because I missed you.
How many times I replayed that conversation in my head. How many!
She was telling the truth. I was in a hospital, pregnant and alone. We are preparing to have our son. My Dom. Our son.
I wanted to die.
And the baby, Baxter?
She asked me. She asked me and what I said? What had I said?
So will this be? No contact? And what do you want? Remorseless?
I had said that remorse was hers. He had said he did not want any contact. I sent her to die.
I was awful.
What she must have thought?
I had a son. Or a daughter.
My. Somewhere. Growing up with the belief that his father did not want or did not love him.
I deserve to die. Slowly and some very painful way. And whatever it was, it would not hurt as much as this.
Rick was trying to say something, but I did not hear. I was still thinking of something they said.
Eleanor made her were dismissed.
Fired.
Where it would have gone?
She did not accept the money. I had no job.
Where did she go? Where it was with my son?
Were they right? They did needed something?
Does the baby had survived? And if the hospital was bad ... or doctors ...
My forehead was on my hands and my breath came and went in stages. suffered and muffled steps.
One of the richest men in the world, and my family would be starving. I was going to kill me. If Don was not right ... if the baby had not survived ... it would be too much. It would be too much for me, I would not hold. She would not.
Oh, Don, I love you. I love you so much. I loved you all my life.
Please be good. Please. I do not want anything else. Nothing else in life, ever.
I just want you to be well.
I'm going to kill Eleanor.
Chapter 9
She could lie to me.
And even if she told the truth, I do not know if I would be able to believe.
I needed to make sure everything before talking to Eleanor. Or at least sure of many things. I could not give you time to prepare the next lie.
I was in the waiting room of Conaughy when my phone beeped warning that my email to Boe had been answered.
"For when you need it" he had said before leaving. I will was anticipating something? I touched the option to read the message.
"It's all true."
That was the first sentence of his message.
I did not need to read the rest.
I could not read the rest.
- Mr. Baxter? You Conaughy will see you now.
I got feeling he
llfire burning under my skin and I followed the secretary to the door of Andrew Conaughy. It was possible that I committed a murder before the day ends.
- Gregory! - He offered me his hand - A pleasure to see you here. What happened? You had an urgent tone to the phone. A problem with last week's contract?
-. I came not for a personal reason. - I chose the words, gritting his teeth. Taking a deep breath.
Control yourself. Calm.
- Do not say you will divorce. - Joked, indicating me to sit.
I raised an eyebrow. It was possible that I still do that too. Today, however, my goal was another. And as we intended to do with Eleanor, I was not about to give time Conaughy to lie.
- Andrew, you resigned Laura Thoen few years ago? Before you leave town?
- What? - He swallowed hard and offered me a half fake smile of disbelief. - Of course not!
Liar.
- Are you sure?
- If I'm sure? - He straightened his tie and I could see he was thinking very quickly in a way. - Do you remember Laura, Gregory? She was my best lawyer! Why would I resign? Of course I did not. I thought this whole matter had been resolved. What happened? You want to talk? On here! Let me serve you a shot of whiskey.
He got up to serve the doses.
- Sit down, Conaughy. - That was why we were not having this conversation by telephone. If that were true it would be easier to see in his expression. - I do not want to drink. I want you to tell me why the hell fired his best lawyer.
- I did not do this. - sat down.
- Do not lie to me.
- Gregory, you see, I do not dismiss Laura and do not understand what led you to believe that.
- It's all right. - Now it was I who straightened his tie - If you say you do not quit, I believe you.
- Great. - He did not seem very confident when he beat his hands on the chair arms and made to get up.
- I got in touch with a private investigator. One of my trust and have no contact with Eleanor. - He said and he sat back down, watching me fearful - He'll find Laura. When talking to her, I will ask what really happened.
- Great. - He whispered and I felt no conviction in his voice.
- Then it will all be cleared up. - Got up and he walked me still hesitant - Thanks for your time, Andrew. - He shook my hand and I saw in his eyes that his mind should be well away from that room.
It is true. He resigned.
- One more thing before I go. - Added, raising an indicator - If, for any eventuality, Laura disagree with his version of the facts ... If she says that in any way whatsoever, you suggested, indicated or suggested that she would be fired, Conaughy, Baxter Inc . will end our representation agreement. I'm sure you understand, but ... if I ask you a direct question and you lie to me, well ... I'd rather have a lawyer who I can trust.
I made a brief greeting gesture before turning back, even with the eye of the corner I saw him take his forehead hands.
- Hang on. - I was at the door. - Eleanor were instructions, Gregory, you can not blame me. - Completed nervous - I was just following the directions of her.
- What guidelines? - I even turned back to him.
- She indicated that she preferred an office that had not Laura Thoen as an employee. - Expired - Gregory! The account of Baxter Inc. is ...
- No matter what is me, Conaughy. - I will come back to him feeling my lips squeezed symbolizing my fury. - You work for me a few years ago. Not for Eleanor! And it never occurred to clarify that?
- Oh, give me a break! - Complained - Everyone knows that you are the face of the company, but the boss really is it. You wanted me to do what?
I bit my anger and swallowed.
- I wish you had loyalty to not dismiss his best lawyer. Or at least had the decency to have talked to me long ago. And now, Conaughy? Now, I want you to have the intelligence to realize how much is wrong.
- Everyone knows that ...
- Everyone is wrong. - Hissed. I do not know how my voice was getting out of my lips so peacefully when all I felt was a hard hate contain. It was amazing that I was not shivering - Eleanor does not send that company. And not me, by the way. You work for me, Conaughy, and I would like to remember that. I would like to remember that very carefully, today and forever. I need to have a conversation with Eleanor now, Andrew, but make no mistake: when I get there, find that you got that shit that phone and told her what's going on ... if you give it time to develop a more your stupid lies, I quit you so stop talking to her. In the same second. Whether or not believe what she tells me. If you go behind my back today or any other day for the duration of my representation contract with you, I quit you. Can I still do this even if you do not give me any other reason. What I have now is more than enough.
I forced the door handle when I heard.
- Greg ... wait!
I turned back and I could only imagine how much anger and contempt were present in my eyes.
- It's all right. - He folgou tie. I was trying to get out of this fucking situation. But I had only one way out: he had to choose a side. - I'm sorry, okay? I did what I thought it would be better for the firm at that time and did not worry about it again. But drug, Greg. You know your grandmother! I did what I thought I should do. Only that.
- What else she sent you to do? Outside dismiss Laura and lie to me about it?
Andrew bit his lower lip and I knew he was considering.
- She's an old lady, you know? - I decided to help - will be dead in a few years and then the company will be just me. What will you serve your loyalty to her, then?
- Few things. - Confessed - Either file copy. Either withdrawal in an action that she thought it was not worth it. Some agreements that she wanted to keep hidden. Only business decisions. Nothing more.
- I want a detailed list of everything, okay?
- It's all right. I can get it.
- And one more thing: where is she?
- Who?
I wanted to move his neck.
- Laura, Andrew! Who else? Where is she?
- I ... I do not know. - Watched me as if he did not understand me - Why would I know?
- At least because of the reference to the next job of it. The new chief should have called you, do not treat me like an idiot. Where it was when he left here?
He sat down. The stench of bad news was in the air and it was inescapable.
- What happened? - Had something bad in me - You really want to test my patience?
- It was part of the request for Eleanor. - He spoke softly.
- What?
- She wanted me to give a bad reference Laura case a new employer to get in touch.
- Poor reference? Its best lawyer? - I wanted to laugh, but the seriousness in her expression made it clear that there was no joke there. - So, she had to leave town to look for work?
He raised his sore eyes for me.
- From the country? Eleanor did not want you to give good references about it to anyone in the country, is it? - I was disgusted - Forcing her to go far.
- Nowhere. - His voice was barely audible.
- What?
- Any place. - Repeated louder - Eleanor gave me clear instructions not to give any good references from Thoen whatever the job.
I needed to sit down.
Needed to accept that dose of whiskey.
It had been a bad idea to talk about it sober.
- She wanted Laura could no longer use? Wanted Laura unemployed? Forever? Anywhere? - I would be able to commit a murder there.
Where did you go, Dom?
Andrew gestured affirmatively.
- What she said? - Supported a shoulder against the door - Laura. What did she say when you fired?
- I swore. He threatened to sue me.
A half smile took my lips. My little stubborn warrior.
Where it would have gone without a job?
- She knew it was Eleanor? Or you lied to her too?
- You do not remember Thoen, Baxter? She found in two seconds.
I ... asked her not to use us as a reference. I tried to protect her at least that.
- But what a fine gentleman you are. - Spit.
***********
What you want to do, Dom?
Have a chance to get back at that old fucking would be great, of course. But it was dangerous and I do not know how I felt at the idea of risking the welfare of my puppy just to see her in a bad situation.
Handcuffed and humiliated.
It would be beautiful.
I would point and laugh. Take a picture and keep forever.
But this was not the point that had me interested really.
The boy is his son, is not it?
Greg ... I wanted to see him. Really I wanted. Even that far. Even if only for a few seconds.
Not admit it out loud and never to anyone. But I would give anything to see him, even distantly, even if only for a second. When I was a teenager, I listened to the movies and books mention the dangers of falling in love, but I had stated that a neighbor filmed me masturbating and long years to learn how it was true: love is not rational.
He abandoned me. He chose his grandmother. We called our son "thing."
But I heard a reference to his name, saw his photo in a newspaper, remember the sparkle in his eyes when Ty looked at me and my heart warmed in a worrying way. I loved Gregory Holt. Much. Perhaps even loved him.
But he was no more. It was swallowed and eaten by a monster named Gregory Baxter and I would never have my Greg.
I knew it was not going to end and was quite resigned to my situation. No matter if it was a vibrator or a man I took to bed: my mind was always with him. Gregory had my heart in your bloody hands. He was master of my body. My pleasure.
I was all his.
And I hated it.
Of course, I hated.
Maybe it's better this way, Don. You may not do any good meet him in person.
He was married and happy. I had a son almost the age of Ty. And I had to avoid the social pages of any newspaper or website compulsively, or run the risk of finding a high-resolution photo of the man of my life smiling at a woman I hated living a full and happy life, totally oblivious to me , my heart, my body or my pleasure. He was creating his son thousands of kilometers away. And it would be a great father ... always had a way with everything. A touch, a kindness ... knowledge that I had to learn from both cost and that for him were always so natural.
My Life in the End Page 17
