Past Sins Revisited

by Mary Goldberger

  Edric dialed Calida’s number after he ordered a meal from the menu and he leaned back against the couch as his phone beeped indicating another call which he ignored when he heard Calida’s voice on the other end.

  “Hello,” she said softly.

  “Hi sweetheart,” he said without hesitation. “I’m sorry that I didn’t call you back yesterday, but Sophie showed up out of the blue and I had a meeting around the same time.”

  “Did your meeting go okay,” Calida asked her voice filled with light laughter although there was a hint of sadness in it which Edric heard and although he wanted to ask her about it, he stopped himself.

  “Both my meetings went well,” he said before hesitated briefly. “Calida, I have a question to ask you.”

  There was a second of silence before she said, “Go ahead, Edric, and I will answer you honestly.”

  Edric frowned at her words feeling as if Calida was thinking he was planning to ask something else and he cleared his throat suddenly nervous before asking, “Would you be upset if I did a takeover of Reseda Electronics?”

  There was no hesitation in her voice as Calida asked, “Do you have enough shares to do it? If you need mine now, then just let me know.”

  “You really don’t care if I do it,” Edric said in astonishment although he recalled her saying she had no problem letting him have her shares even without him having to pretend to care for her and his body heated up as he recalled what happened afterwards.

  “I do believe we’ve had this conversation,” Calida told him her own voice husky as she remembered that night too.

  “We did,” Edric agreed his voice rough with passion, “but I just want to make sure that you’re okay with what I plan on doing.”

  Calida was silent which he knew meant he should explain which he did in length and it was almost an hour later before Calida told him her voice brimming with confidence, “Then do it, because I trust you will turn Reseda Electronics around, Edric, and restore it back into the company my father worked hard to build.”

  Edric smiled as he spoke in a low voice, “I’m glad you have confidence in me, sweetheart.”

  Calida laughed lightly as she told him, “Wilma told me that you were a brilliant businessman and although I trust her without question, I’ve learned to trust also what I can see for myself.”

  “Oh, you did some research on me,” Edric said sitting up on the couch a light frown crossing his face.

  “You are a private person which I don’t fault you for but it was your business sense that I was interested in,” Calida informed him. “From what I’ve learned, you have the touch turning around businesses that are about to go bankrupt.”

  Edric, remembering what Mr. Robertson told him, smiled as he heard her phrase because according to what the board members were telling him today no one knew that Reseda Electronics was almost bankrupt from mismanagement.

  “You know how to do your research,” he told her pride reflected in his voice.

  “Thank you,” Calida answered him in a professional voice which was spoiled as she giggled, but Edric loved hearing her giggle although he wished that he could’ve heard it in person so he could see the look on her face at the same time.

  “Mariah is booking me a late evening flight for tomorrow so hopefully I will be home the following day,” Edric told her. He hesitated briefly before he said quietly, “Calida, you and I need to talk before we go any farther.”

  Calida swallowed on the other end of the phone hearing the seriousness in his voice and she said just as softly, “Yes, we do, Edric. You name the time and place, and I will be waiting.”

  “Oh, I already have it planned out but I will tell you more when I see you,” Edric told and she could hear the smile in his voice. “Until then, I miss you sweetheart and I will see you when I get home.”

  “I miss you, too, Edric,” she admitted in a low voice tears coming to her eyes as he told her ‘goodnight’ before hanging up the phone. Although tears filled her hazel eyes, his words lit a feeling of hope in her heart that maybe just maybe, Edric had feelings for her after all.

  Chapter 21

  The next morning, Wilma and the others saw a change in Calida as she walked out of her room. Her eyes were alight with an inner light that was filled with hope even though they were wary and unsure as she said ‘good morning’.

  Calida had no plans so she decided to work in the backyard where a garden was already in its infant phase, and Marti nodded her head.

  “She was on the phone last night when I went past her room,” she whispered to the others as they watched Calida get started on the garden pulling weeds.

  “Maybe,” Wilma said softly not going any farther as she went outside to help Calida who accepted her help with a smile while Marti watched them both eyes lingering on Calida.

  “Maybe our leading man has discovered where his heart lays,” she muttered to herself as she was big fan of day time soaps.

  She went to the kitchen to think up something for dinner while Jake went to work in the garage as Calida and Wilma worked outside. Marti smiled as their laughter floated into the kitchen and she put on the radio to a country station opening the door so they could hear it outside.

  “Calida,” Wilma said as they heard the music.

  “Wilma, I have some hope right now, but that may change especially once I tell him the truth,” Calida told her softly. “But if something should happen before then, there is an envelope in the nightstand next to my bed. Put my engagement ring in it and make sure that Edric gets it if you don’t mind.”

  “Calida, you don’t need to…” Wilma began only to stop when Calida gave her a smile unlike the normal ones she’s been giving lately.

  “I fell in love with him, Wilma, even though I know that he approached me because of who I was related to, and who he was,” Calida admitted her voice catching slightly at the end before she firmed it. “He has the right to know that I was with his sister when she took her last breath. If he wants to hate and blame me for it, then he can because technically I can be considered an accessary as I was there and I didn’t do anything to stop it.”

  “You were scared,” Wilma protested violently staring at her with wide eyes.

  “You and I know that, but how can you convince others that’s what happened,” Calida argued back as she settled on her knees in the grass. “I want him to know the truth even if it turns him against me, but it is the right thing to do. I didn’t have the courage ten years ago to find out about her family although I could’ve and it wouldn’t have taken much to discover it, but I was too cowardly and scared to face them. In the last few months, I’ve faced the man who lost the most important person to him and even met the man that Adella believed to be her other half. I guess it’s time for the truth to finally be out and you know what, I’m not scared anymore. In fact, to be honest, I’m relieved that it is finally going to be out in the open because I think that is what’s been haunting me this last ten years, my cowardice at not being able to face her family and my brother on what happened.”

  Wilma stared at her with a frown wondering if Calida knew something that they didn’t, but she merely went back to pulling weeds and humming to the music and after a few minutes of watching her, Wilma did the same.

  They were settling down to an late lunch when the phone rang and Jake answered it as he came in bringing the phone over to Calida as he said in confusion, “It’s Sophie.”

  Calida’s hand shook slightly as she took the phone from him and she frowned after she said, “hello” to what Sophie was telling her.

  “I will be there in ten minutes,” she said softly before she hung up the phone. She smiled as she got up telling them, “I’m sorry, but there is something that needs my attention. I will be back later.”

  She nodded her head to them and hurried out of the house grabbing a light jacket as she went and Wilma stared after with a worried look on her face.

  “I wonder what Sophie wanted to see her about,” Mar
ti said aloud as Jake took a bite out of his sandwich his own eyes filled with worry and unease as Wilma glanced at him before turning her attention to her own food.

  Sophie swallowed as she stared at Jeffrey his eyes darting around the room as he held the gun in a steady hand at her.

  “You told me that you would give me her address,” he told her coldly as one of his servants wondered in before he snarled at her.

  “Get out!”

  The servant hurried out and Sophie knew from her terrified look, she wouldn’t get any help from her.

  “I changed my mind,” Sophie spoke quietly. “I decided that I would get Ric without getting rid of Calida.”

  Jeffrey laughed his manic eyes staring at her as he snarled, “That confident in yourself, huh, Miss Jenkins?”

  Sophie smiled tossing her hair over her shoulder eyes flashing with smugness and satisfaction, and Jeffrey’s eyes filled with lust.

  “Jeffrey,” Sophie began a flicker of fear going through her.

  He laughed as he waved the gun at her before tossing her the cell. “Call Calida,” he ordered her all laughter gone from his face.

  Sophie swallowed again picking up the phone as she opened it and asked her voice slightly shaking, “Do you know the number?”

  Jeffrey gave it to her his eyes flickering out the window and he listened as Sophie asked for Calida, and when Calida answered the phone what she said.

  He smiled as Sophie hung up and said, “She is on her way.”

  “I may solve both of our problems,” he gloated laugher threaded in his voice, and Sophie allowed her body to relax her eyes shifting to the doorway where she saw the same maid who Jeffrey had yelled at a few minutes ago, but there was frown on her face.

  She darted away from the doorway and Sophie winced while her eyes snapped in anger as Jeffrey remarked thoughtfully, “I guess we should be honest and tell Calida how she is being used by Edric, your lover.”

  The glee in Jeffrey’s eyes told Sophie that he loved the idea of hurting his sister and although Sophie didn’t have any qualms about letting Calida know that Edric didn’t love her, she didn’t think that neither of them would be getting away from the crazy man in front of her.

  A few minutes later there was a knock on the door before it was opened and Calida walked in the house seeing the housekeeper stare at her with wide eyes before she turned and ran into the kitchen.

  Calida knew from the fear in her eyes that something was very wrong even more when she heard Jeffrey call out in a mocking tone, “Calida, my dear sister, we are in the living room.”

  Calida clenched her hands before she started in that direction and her eyes widened briefly as she entered the room seeing the gun Jeffrey held on Sophie as she sat in a chair a short skirt with short-sleeved blouse and heels on her feet.

  She glared at Calida who merely nodded her head before shifting her eyes to Jeffrey.

  “You wanted to see me, Jeffrey,” Calida said her voice indifferent and her eyes were direct.

  Jeffrey laughed as his eyes went over her and said, “Well, well, my little sister has gotten some courage.”

  In the kitchen, the housekeeper picked up the phone with a shaky hand and pulling the card from her pocket she dialed the number on the card.

  “I need…need to speak to Detective Matt Stevens,” the housekeeper said her tone low and shaking. “I am the Reseda housekeeper.”

  Matt looked up as a man called him, “Matt, there is a phone a call for you. She says that she is the Reseda housekeeper.”

  Matt’s eyes narrowed as his partner turned to stare at him while he picked up the phone.

  “This is Detective Matt Stevens,” he said into the phone as his partner hovered near trying to hear what she was saying.

  “Detective, Mr. Jeffrey is here with another woman and Miss Calida,” the woman said her voice trembling. “He has a gun and he is waving it around. Miss Calida just arrived and from what I heard the woman called her using Mr. Jeffrey’s cell. I think he called her Miss Jenkins.”

  Matt was up out of his seat as his partner immediately called for backup informing them of the situation.

  “Ma’am, we are on the way,” Matt told her in a calm voice as his partner hung up the phone and nodded his head. “Go and hide yourself until we get there.”

  Matt was already stepping away from his desk before he hung up the phone and a frown was on his face as his partner muttered, “Instead of going after the witness, he went after his sister?”

  “Because his sister, if I’m not mistaken, is the reason you have that information on him,” the assistant DA said as she stepped into the squad room. “From what I’ve been able to gather, Calida Reseda who legally had her name changed the beginning of last year to Lindley, has been investigating her brother since she left here ten years ago. All that information that you received, Matt, I believe came from her to have her brother convicted.”

  Matt’s eyes were narrowed as he said in a hard voice, “If that’s true, then right now he won’t hesitate to kill her.”

  He and his partner took the elevator down as the assistant DA stared after them before she turned and headed into the precinct going onto her next case.

  Jeffrey yelled out for the housekeeper again as Calida stood there before he swore loudly. “The damn bitch probably called the cops,” he snarled.

  He glanced around and then waved the gun in his hand. “Get up,” he ordered Sophie who did as he said almost stumbling as her heels got caught in the rug. “Let’s get going now.”

  He turned his narrowed eyes to Calida and waved the gun at her a manic look in his eyes as he said, “No funny business, my dear, or I will put a bullet in the head of your fiancé’s lover here.”

  Calida didn’t flinch but her heart shook in her chest as she helped Sophie out of the house while Jeffrey followed the gun steady on their backs, but fear run through Calida has she saw the look in his eyes.

  “Get in,” Jeffrey said waving them into the sedan that was parked in front of the house. “Calida, you drive carefully, as we wouldn’t want an accident like the one your mother suffered.”

  Calida slid in the driver’s seat as Sophie slid in the seat next to her while Jeffrey hurried in the backseat the gun leaving them briefly as he did so but not enough time for Calida, or Sophie, to do anything.

  Calida started the car and drove away from the house as Jeffrey told her, “Just follow my directions.”

  Calida nodded her head as thoughts went running through her head but she didn’t know what to do and her eyes shifted briefly to Sophie who was staring ahead eyes blank although the clenched hands in her lap told her that Sophia was terrified.

  She wouldn’t let it happen, Calida suddenly realized as her hands clenched around the wheel, she wouldn’t let Edric lose another person he loved because of Jeffrey.

  Matt swore as they reached the house and found the housekeeper shaking but Jeffrey had already left and from what the housekeeper said he had a gun trained on both women.

  “His eyes are scary,” the housekeeper mumbled shaking her eyes darting around the room. “The last time I saw his eyes like that, he spent the evening shooting at the house with the servants inside.”

  Matt nodded his head as his partner led the housekeeper away and another officer came over muttering, “He may not wait much longer to kill them.”

  “I know,” Matt said turning his eyes to the window before he turned back to the officer as his partner returned to the room. “I need the list of every building and business that Jeffrey Reseda owns.”

  The officer nodded his head as he hurried out of the room as his partner asked, “Do you think we can find them in time?”

  “I hope so,” Matt murmured walking out of the room with his partner falling into step with him.

  Matt was lifting the phone from his pocket when the officer hurried over to him having got the list and he quickly forgot about the call he was going to make as he took the list.

  Calida
scanned the room that she and Sophie had been locked in when they arrived at the abandoned warehouse.

  “Damn it,” Sophie said as she sunk to the ground and pulled off her shoe with its broken heel.

  Calida merely turned away to continue searching for a way out of this place but either Jeffrey had planned ahead of time or when the warehouse was closed, they had boarded it up very well.

  “I can’t find a way out,” Calida admitted as she walked over and sat down next to Sophie. “Either Jeffrey planned ahead which I seriously doubt, or when the warehouse was closed they did a damn good job of sealing it up.”

  Sophie glared at her before she turned away as Calida pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin in the niche they made as she added, “The housekeeper may have called the police, but I can’t be sure about that as she was scared.”

  “She was terrified,” Sophie growled. “The damn woman probably couldn’t get up enough courage to lift the phone much less call the cops.”

  Calida didn’t comment although she saw the look in the housekeeper’s eyes when Calida arrived so she wasn’t so sure that the woman didn’t call them.

  “We shall see,” Calida muttered and as Sophie turned her head to say something smart at her, she noticed the engagement ring that sat on Calida’s finger which Calida was unconsciously caressing.

  “You know that Ric is using you to get at your brother,” Sophie said making her voice soft and understanding seeing Calida’s eyes flicker although she didn’t say anything. “I tried to tell Ric that getting you involved was wrong, but he has some issues with your brother…”

  Calida turned her head to look at her just as Jeffrey came back into the room the gun in his hand but he wasn’t paying attention to them as he looked through the pictures that was in his hand.

  “Look what I’ve found,” he said his voice loud in the quiet warehouse.

  Calida and Sophie both turned to look at him, and Sophie felt a flicker of satisfaction go through her when she realized what he was looking at.