Stepford USA (Jade Snow International Adventure #1)

by Lada Ray

  “When semen samples, taken from Rebbecca after the rape, were sent to the lab, Nordini let them go. He knew full well what the results of the lab analysis would be: Jason isn't the rapist and Rebbecca was raped by more than one person. He needed to prevent that from coming out. He secretly visited the lab, after which, samples mysteriously disappeared. The lab's sloppiness in reporting the disappearance only confused things further. As a result, Jason went to jail, Rebbecca languished in her inner and outer prison, while the criminals – Chief Nordini, his son Nick, Marc Catcham and Jack Maloof – went free. Until now.”

  “What I don't understand is why Catcham needed to kill Adelaide,” asked Beth. “It just seems so unnecessarily cruel.”

  “Well,” I responded. “Adelaide was asking some very uncomfortable questions. Catcham felt she was getting too close to the truth. And he couldn't afford any problems during his election campaign. Stakes were too high. So, he arranged to come to Adelaide's home with her new will, instead of her visiting him in his office. He motivated it by concern over her health. His idea was that it was much easier to kill her quietly in her own home. He reasoned that when the body was found, it would be blamed on Jason. He chose the day he knew Jason would be out of town.

  “No one, but Catcham and Jason, knew at the time that Adelaide was in the process of changing her will to leave the bulk of her money to charity. Jason, as a result, would lose a substantial inheritance. On the surface, only Jason stood to benefit from Adelaide's death. As soon as that came out, he naturally became the prime suspect. And since Nick had refused to press charges against Jason after the fight, which Marc was hoping he'd do, this also presented a fabulous opportunity to get rid of Jason for years, possibly, forever. No Adelaide, no Jason, no one to sniff around. He could be elected and live his senator's life happily ever after.

  “It was actually a crazy plan, conceived by a desperate man. So many things could've gone wrong. Jason could've come back home or might've had a rock solid alibi, someone could've seen Marc entering Adelaide's house. But everything seemed to go smoothly, except for one thing that went wrong in the very end. And that one thing made all the difference in the world. Marc Catcham was careless enough to lose the onyx from his tie pin. As if that wasn't bad enough, I, with Lily's help, happened to find it. And the rest is history.”

  Chapter 31

  Seven in the morning, three days later.

  I took a sweeping glance around my living room. Princess Lily slept peacefully on her pillow. A soft purr was coming out of her furry little body, which was rising and falling in rhythm. I gave a happy, childlike giggle – this was the effect she'd always had on me.

  The room looked uncharacteristically tidy, almost empty, boxes and suitcases crowding the corner nearest the door. Pretty much everything has been packed, except for a bunch of daisies in a vase, several books on the table and various Lily's items in the kitchen. I did a once over for the whole house and satisfied, sat down, waiting. I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my growing stomach. For the first time in so many days, I felt peace. I lingered in that precious state of equilibrium, listening to the familiar bird songs drifting in from the garden, to Lily's little sounds, to the comforting ticking of the old carriage clock… and at that very moment something inside of me kicked. Kicked! That little, precious someone, whose arrival into the world I've been awaiting so long – finally kicked! My smile became wider, wider, wider. I froze, eyes closed, grinning to myself, listening to the sounds of new life calling out from inside of me. I didn’t know how long I sat like this, oblivious to the external world.

  I only awoke from my trance when a dilapidated truck pulled into the driveway and Jason jumped out of it. Ah, time to go. I put three books I selected in advance into a canvas tote. After a moment's thought, I added the one I was reading - The Book of Zen by Osho - kissed Lily and told her I'd be back soon, picked up a bunch of fresh daisies from the vase and locked the door. Jason helped me into the truck's high seat and we were off to pay respects to Adelaide one last time.

  He produced an enormous bouquet of roses and peonies and placed it on the grave.

  “From Mom's garden,” he explained. “She always loved her flowers...” his voice wavered, “...so much. I brought as many as I could.”

  “I know.” I placed my bunch of daisies next to his huge, overwhelmingly luxurious bouquet. The daisies looked small and delicate, as if they belonged in another, different world.

  “Thank you,” said Jason softly. “Mom would have liked these.”

  He took my hand in his and held it gently. I felt the secure warmth of his rough palm. I didn't know how long we stood in silence in front of Adelaide's last resting place. Then, a large, hot tear fell on my arm and I woke up with a start. Jason went down on his knees and pretended to straighten out the bouquets. The world in front of my eyes was blurry as I looked away, while he discretely wiped his eyes. Then we turned and headed back to the truck.

  “I need to talk to you,” said Jason, as we drove back. “Can you stop by the house?”

  “Of course.”

  I haven't been to Adelaide's place since that night. There was a large “For Sale” sign upfront. The house looked sad, orphaned. The two souls, that were its life and its raison d'etre, deserted it. Adelaide was gone and Lily, well, Lily found a new life, with me. I loved this house and I felt sorry for it. But perhaps, I told myself, it too will find a new life breathed into it by the new owners. Perhaps, some day, the house will again see a happy family and hear children's laughter within its century old walls. Perhaps...

  We entered the living room and my eyes drifted to the spot where the familiar Queen Ann chair used to stand. The rug was shabby and indented where the chair's legs used to be, but the spot was empty. I looked at Jason inquiringly.

  “I... I just couldn't look at that empty chair any more,” he said. “Just couldn't. Antique dealers always wanted her furniture, so...”

  The room indeed looked practically devoid of furniture, but full of boxes. There were boxes marked “charity” and some others, with books, marked “library,” and yet others, marked “sale.” Jason's own possessions were already packed and sat neatly in the corner - a box with books, his carpentry tools and a backpack with a jacket thrown on top.

  “So...” I said, “the house is for sale.”

  “Yes. We already have an offer. Better than expected. I want this done as soon as possible.” He said it apologetically.

  “Of course,” I agreed. “You are right.”

  “Someone will be able to enjoy all this,” he looked around vaguely, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He shook it off quickly.

  “Actually,” he said, “I have something for you.”

  “For me?” I asked, curious and pleasantly surprised at the same time.

  He took out a large golden box with an artistically tied silver bow on top. A small, also silver, card attached to one of its sides had one word “Jade” written in Adelaide's old-fashioned handwriting.

  I opened the box. Inside it was an exquisite baby blanket in pale lavender, hand-knitted in a beautiful daisy lace pattern.

  “Oh, my God!” I gasped, burying my hands in the plush softness of the delicate, but, oh so cozy, cashmere.

  “She was working on this for you for a while,” said Jason, and a rare happy smile parted his lips as he observed my reaction.

  “Oh, this is so beautiful, Jason.” I felt my eyes filling with tears. “I can't believe it. Thank you so much.” I blinked several times, trying not to break down right here and now. I'll come home and cry there, for Adelaide, for Rebbecca, for Jason and for me, for all that was and could have been and for all that is still to come. But now, I had to be strong - for him.

  “I am sorry,” I said. “It's just that it's so gorgeous.”

  “I know,” he said simply, his eyes as soft as the cashmere in my hands.

  “I have something for you, too,” I said, handing him the tote. The books I picked for him in additio
n to The Book of Zen included The Idiot by Dostoevsky, a book of poetry by Rumi, and another one by Thich Nhat Hanh. “This is not much, but these are some of my favorites. I thought they might help you on your...” I searched for the right word “... on your journey.”

  “I love them,” he responded with feeling. “Thank you!”

  I reached into the familiar tea cabinet and pulled out a jar of Adelaide's jasmine green. I made tea for both of us and we went outside to sit in the veranda, under her oak.

  “Jade,” he said, taking a sip from his cup, “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure,” I said, taking a sip from mine.

  “It's about my inheritance. I wanted your advice.”

  “Ah, yes,” I smiled keenly. “Well, I guess, since your mom didn't change her will after all, it's all yours, and the world is your oyster, right?” I gave him a wink.

  “No.” He shook his head vigorously.

  “No?”

  “No,” he repeated resolutely. “I have no right to it. When she told me she wanted to leave most of it to her charities, I agreed right away. As a matter of fact, I... I encouraged her to do it.” Seeing my inquiring look, he explained, “See, I haven't felt that money belonged to me for a while now – actually, ever since...”

  He took a deep breath and continued, “I am a capable man with good health and two strong hands. I can make money for myself. Meanwhile, there are plenty of those for whom that money would make all the difference in the world and perhaps even be a matter of life and death.” He looked at me with his dark eyes, which at that particular moment burned with a fire I've never seen before.

  “That night,” he said, “we talked for a long time. I told Mom that I was planning to leave and find a new life somewhere else. In the end, she convinced me to take fifty thousand, which was supposed to help me get back on my feet. She was also going to leave me another hundred thousand in her will. The rest, all five and a half million of it, plus the proceeds for the house, another million and a half in today's price, she was planning to leave to various animal shelters she supported and to the shelter for battered women.” His hand reached for mine. It was hot. “I want to follow through on her last wish.”

  “Jason,” I said earnestly, “this is very honorable of you.” I felt very proud of him, but also there was another feeling, the one I'd been trying hard to ignore. Yet, I couldn't ignore it any longer, as suddenly, a sensation of gentle warmth enveloped my entire body.

  “So, you see,” he went on, “yet again, I need your help.” A shy smile, that made my heart beat faster, touched his lips. “I don't seem to be able to manage without you.”

  “Sure, anything!” I said.

  “As you know,” he started, “Marc Catcham was Mom's attorney.”

  “Ah, of course. And he is presently indisposed.”

  “That's right, and even if he were...”

  “You wouldn't go to him,” I finished for him.

  “Correct.”

  “Now, the question is,” I said, “who do you want?”

  “Good question. That's where you come in. In order to handle the estate properly and to distribute the money among the charities correctly I want an attorney who is honest, smart and who has an experience with charities.”

  “I know just the person!” I said.

  “I was hoping you'd say that.”

  “Lena Miles. Can't find anyone better! She is an attorney in New York, specializing in Charity Law and she is a pro, as well as honest. Just what you need!”

  “How do you know her?”

  “I've known her since Columbia. She's always been the one for social justice and she had always done lots of volunteering and charity work. Then, she went to law school and opened a practice specializing in Charity Law. Trust me, that's who you want. ”

  “Excellent,” said Jason. “How do I get in touch?”

  “Just a moment. I have her card on me, I think.” After a brief search I found Lena's card in my purse and handed it to him. “I am going to call her today and ask to do everything she can for you. I think you'll really like her. She is very good and her heart is in the right place.”

  Jason looked at the card for a moment and satisfied, tucked it into his pocket.

  “Thank you,” he whispered, standing very close and gazing at me. “What would I do without you?”

  “Oh, that's nothing,” I told him, as the scent of his body tickled my nostrils. He smelled delicious, like warm, freshly baked bread. I swallowed hard, just managing to hide my embarrassment behind a perky smile.

  “Jade...um,” he started awkwardly. “I wanted to tell you how much... um... I... what you did... means so much...” He fell silent, deep color spreading slowly to his cheeks, then rising to his forehead, to the very roots of his dark hair.

  “I know...” I squeezed his hand and gazed into his eyes. Puppy dog eyes, such long suffering, puppy dog eyes.

  “Jason...”

  “Yes, Jade, darling?” His eyes peered back at me with hope and longing, his sensuous lips just a few inches from mine. I felt my knees weaken.

  And at that very moment it occurred to me how much our lives depended on our choices. We were simply doomed to make them, period! Thirteen years ago it was Adelaide's choice to give Jason that ill-fated Mercedes convertible, and it was Jason's choice to take Rebbecca in it to the lake. It was Rebbecca's unfortunate choice to turn left instead of right, when she ran out of Jason's car, and it was Jack's choice to give in to peer pressure and commit rape. It was Nick's choice to stand by and let the crime happen, and it was his father's choice to frame an innocent man. And yes, it was Marc Catcham's choice to live a life of crime and deception...

  Then, there were other choices. It was Peter's choice to finally leave his stifling life behind and start a new, inspiring one. It was Jason's choice to give most of his substantial inheritance to charity.

  But what about my own choices? Well, I did choose to come to Stepford and one fine day, when I was bored and lonely, I did chose to approach the knitting club. If not for those choices, Rebbecca would've still been imprisoned in her terrified silence and Jason would've still been a convicted rapist, Marc Catcham would probably be a senator, and I wouldn't have had this incredible adventure in this very unlikely town.

  Choices, choices, choices... And now, it was time for me to make my choice - again.

  “My dear Jason,” I touched his burning cheek and heard a deep intake of breath. He lowered his eyelids, framed with those incredibly long, almost girlish eyelashes, resting his face in my hand. A very handsome face, perhaps, the most handsome I've ever seen...

  “Dear, dear Jason.” I continued. “Some day, somewhere, there will be love in your life, love and happiness, many, many years of it.”

  He opened his eyes and exhaled. Then, he made a step back as if coming back to his senses. After a pause, he nodded.

  “Thank you,” said Jason, his face set. “Thank you for everything.”

  And just like that, the enchantment was gone and we were simply friends.

  “Where to?” To break the pause, I pointed at his things, sitting in the corner.

  “Anywhere,” he said, chuckling. “The world is my oyster, right?”

  “Right,” I echoed.

  “You?”

  “Me? Well... Paul is picking me up tonight.” I grinned at him. “I guess, all this proved to be too much paradise for me.”

  I made a vague, yet sweeping gesture meant to encompass everything from Adelaide's garden to my recent adventures, from the charming town of Stepford to, well...

  “So,” I went on, “we'll be heading back to New York first. I want the baby to be born with lots of old friends around. I want her to take her first steps in Central Park. I miss all that...”

  “Understandably.”

  “And then,” an enigmatic smile touched my lips, “who knows? It's a big world...”

  Jason spoke again dreamily, as if in response to his own private thoug
hts.

  “I think, I'll be heading east. First, I'll travel some – China... India... Vietnam... Indonesia... Thailand. Somewhere along my travels, I'll settle down and start an agricultural co-op. One hundred fifty thousand Mom left me should be enough to start, I think. I am good with my hands.” He looked at his large, capable hands, dark like the Mother Earth herself. “I want to work with the land, dig into the warm, fertile soil, plant things and see them grow.”

  ******

  Around the bend, somewhere out in the big world, a new business day has officially started. The sound of voices and the noise of traffic could be heard from Stepford's Main Street. The shining disk above moved higher and higher, just barely caressing the treetops. We watched, mesmerized, as the golden streaks peeked through the lush green of the majestic oak in Adelaide's garden, provider of shade, protection and shelter for so many plants and creatures, large and small. Rustling oak leaves, teased by the light breeze, sparkled like precious stones in the warm summer sun. The golden rays filtered into the enchanted garden below, where flowers nodded gently their heads and butterflies fussed around them, where birds sang praise to life and swift squirrels busily stocked up for colder months. It was yet again, the way it had always been in this sheltered little paradise. It was all back to normal.

  “Yeah,” he nodded resolutely, “I'll be heading all the way East. Where the sun rises and the new day begins.”

  “You know what, Jason,” I said. “Good choice!”

  ************

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Born in Russia, Lada Ray always wanted to write cool stories, which she'd been imagining in her head ever since she can remember. Instead, she listened to her well-meaning parents and started her life in a more traditional way (for her, that is).