by Martha Carr
“I’m a damn good shot,” she said. “I didn’t miss.”
“I thought you people weren’t allowed to carry weapons,” said Richard.
“I’ve never listened very well. Throw it here or the next one is just a couple of inches to the right.”
“Enough! Enough with you all,” he said and threw the drive at her. “What now, are you going to shoot me?” he yelled. “I’m going to die with that bitch right here in this stairwell?”
“Why, Mr. Bach, you seem to think this is all about you,” said Elizabeth, sweetly. She caught the race car in the air. That’s when Richard noticed her hand.
“It’s you,” he hissed.
“So good to see you again. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Bach. They do have a policy about killing people for being overly annoying. You take your pissy pants and go now and we’ll call it even, seeing as how you took care of the bigger problem for me.”
“This isn’t the life I wanted,” said Richard. “It’s not what I was promised.”
“You’re telling the wrong being, dear.”
He looked down at Robin’s still body. “I’m not sure if I’ll be seen as a hero or a permanent loser for this one.” He looked back up at Elizabeth. “You know, I’d get out if I could figure out something to do.”
“Mr. Bach, that is way too much self pity for any one body. Get out of here and be grateful for the second chance you’ve just been given. If you want to find another way, go home and get on your knees and stay there until you start to think about something other than yourself.”
“That’s all you people can talk about, you know that? And it’s worthless, worthless,” he said, shaking his head. “No God is ever going to answer me.”
“You have it backwards, Mr. Bach. You need to answer Him.”
“You’re crazy. None of your proselytizing has ever changed the world. Management will always be there.” He started to go and turned back. “If any of you ever had the balls to stand up to Management, to beat them at their own game I’d have joined a long time ago,” he sneered.
“It’s amazing how you manage to miss the point. Get going, Mr. Bach. My finger is feeling very itchy.”
Wallis appeared beside Elizabeth and she looked down at what had become of Robin Spingler and Richard Bach.
“You come anywhere near my family again, Richard and you’ll end up paying for this and a few other things,” said Wallis.
“That’s why you’re the Black Widow,” said Richard in a mocking tone. He walked out to his car and could feel the constant anxiety already coming back and settling into his chest. Not even the death of Robin Spingler could take away the unease.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“That wasn’t very nun like,” said Wallis, hugging the older woman tightly around the neck. “You know, now that this adventure is ending I don’t know what I’m supposed to call you. Is it still Mother Elizabeth?” she said, trying to smile.
“How about just Elizabeth? That can be the name we use for now.”
“Okay, then just Elizabeth,” she said, hugging her again. “I believe I will actually miss you.”
“Careful, careful let me get rid of this weapon first. Thank goodness that soul is not a bright one. He couldn’t tell I didn’t know what I was doing. I was really aiming at the wall when I parted his hair,” said Elizabeth with a laugh. “I’m afraid I don’t have very good balance in this hand anymore,” she said, wiggling the fingers she still had left. “Besides, I wasn’t a Mother Superior for long, so there you have it. I’ll hang on to this, if it’s okay with you. I know where it ought to go.” Elizabeth was holding the small race car that so many people had been fighting over.
“Consider it done,” said Wallis. “I am relieved to let go of the burden. I know what’s on it, you know. I have a few questions about some of it but I don’t suppose you’ll answer them.”
“You are correct,” said Elizabeth, “And we’re going to keep that just between you, me and that husband of yours. Let everyone think you didn’t want to know. Safer that way,” she said kissing Wallis’ forehead.
“You’re like the daughter I never had,” said Elizabeth, wiping her eyes.
“Come on, tell me. What is your real name, anyway? If you’re like a mother to me, which is a low bar by the way,” said Wallis as she led the way back to the small dorm room, “then shouldn’t I know?”
Elizabeth laughed until her whole body shook. “Labels don’t matter dear and I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have this one anyway.”
Wallis stopped, worried and was about to say something but Elizabeth held up her hand.
“Not to worry. I’ll make sure we somehow stay connected. But you’re going to have to let things unfold. You’re powerless over it being any other way, my dear.”
“Okay,” said Wallis, as Elizabeth let out another hearty laugh.
Everyone was still huddled behind the mattresses they had pulled up to protect themselves. She saw the frightened look in all of the children’s faces and thought of Ned.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at Jake, feeling a wave of guilt. “Someone ought to call the police,” she said to Mark.
“We will but all of you need to get out of here first. There would be far too much explaining to do. Tragic accident, that one,” said Elizabeth.
“Really?” asked Norman. “They’ll buy that?”
“Robin Spingler was very unpopular with just about everyone. They’ll want to buy it. There will be champagne corks popping all over the Mid-Atlantic region tonight when they hear that someone finally sent that one to her final reward. Now, Mark, you never got much of a nap but I’m afraid you’ll have to be leaving anyway. The Richmond contingent may not be after you and Robert anymore but soon enough, they’ll be replaced by others.”
“It’s you, isn’t it?” asked Robert. He got up from the floor, helping Trey to stand and walked over to Wallis. “I heard what he called you. I wasn’t sure when Elizabeth introduced you before but there was no time to ask you. You’re the Black Widow of Richmond.”
Wallis winced. “Great, I’m apparently famous.”
“You don’t understand,” he said. “You were the reason I came to Richmond. Carol talked about you. You and Norman and your son, Ned. It gave us hope. If you two could somehow live in peace then maybe it’s possible for our children. We loved your nickname,” he said, tears in his eyes, “Carol said it was Management’s sign of respect and said so much about your integrity.”
“Robert, I’m not sure I ever earned that moniker. Besides, it was your wife who worked so hard to change things. I’m so sorry for your loss,” said Wallis.
“She would have liked to have met you,” he said. “Don’t sell yourself short. You remind me of her,” he said. “I’ve wanted to talk about her more but lately it’s been too dangerous.”
“Do you have pictures?” she asked.
“Yes, yes, I do. No one has asked me that since she died,” he said, eagerly, pulling out his wallet.
“I hate to break it up but you all really must be going,” said Elizabeth.
“We understand,” said Norman. “I’m going to miss having you next door. I hope we get the chance to meet again under better circumstances,” he said, extending his hand.
“Oh, after all this time you’re more like family, Norman. Come here,” she said and enveloped him in a hug.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“We have to go see him,” said Tom.
“Says you,” said Norman. “I don’t have to do anything.” He pulled up a stool to the island in his kitchen and sat down, propping himself on his elbows.
“Nothing changes in this family. Look, you have to go see him because he’s our brother, simple as that. Dad would have wanted us to.” Tom was sitting in a wheelchair. The wound to his shoulder had made it impossible to use crutches.
“What he did was unforgivable.”
“No such thing and he’s paying for it. No family, no job, no place to live. The C
ircle’s not going to let him out of their sight forevermore. A very special kind of prison,” said Tom.
“Don’t you think that’s the least he deserves? He should be in a federal prison for the rest of his life,” said Norman, frustrated. “All of those innocent people,” he whispered. “And what if that information had become public? It would have been a slaughter, all over again. He had to have known that,” his voice was rising with every word.
“I don’t think Harry thought any of it out. I don’t think he ever does. That’s why he was in that Circle cell. We were trying to put him somewhere that he could do no harm but he wouldn’t realize he’d been neutered. Harry turned out to be a little more clever than I realized,” said Tom.
“Do you think he ever thought you were the real Keeper?” asked Norman.
“No, I don’t and yes, I think he would have turned me in. He was desperate to find some kind of life and he thought we stood between him and that rosy picture.”
“It’s gone forever,” said Norman. “They’ll kill him before they let him loose.”
“Exactly, little brother. Show some compassion even for someone who is without it for everyone else. Go see him.”
“Now you sound like Father Donald. Very obnoxious.”
“Ah, always throwing my name around in vain,” said Father Donald. “Your wife let me in.”
“Did everyone arrive safely?” asked Norman.
“You might say that,” said Father Donald.
“And what else might you say?”
“That some of the people put a little detour in their plans. I’ll explain in the car. Come on, Norman. We’re going to see Harry.”
“What about Wallis?” asked Norman.
“Nice try,” said Tom. “Even I know the answer to that one. She said no.”
“She said something a little more colorful than that but that was the gist of it,” said Father Donald. “She’s upstairs playing with Ned. Laurel’s up there too.”
“It’s been hard on Ned. He has a lot of questions that I’m not sure how to answer,” said Norman.
“You may not remember but you had a similar reaction,” said the Father. “It all worked out okay.”
“I don’t necessarily believe you. I wasn’t standing next to my mother wondering if she was about to die,” said Norman, choking out the words.
“I’m missing the mark today, aren’t I,” said Father Donald.
“There’s no mark to hit today. I did a terrible job of protecting my son and there’s nothing anyone can say about it,” said Norman, “I can just hope that over time we can help Ned to believe that this was all a bad moment in time and there is a better normal.”
“We’d better get going,” said Tom. “Anyone care to push the wounded vet?”
“I heard Robin Spingler’s funeral was very sparsely attended,” said Norman.
“I heard the ground came up and swallowed her,” said Father Donald, shuddering as he said a prayer.
They drove over to the wealthiest part of Richmond. Harry was being held in a velvet prison. He was locked in a large bedroom in one of the estates along River Road. A well known curmudgeon who was a Circle operative owned the home and had offered up his own bedroom to make sure Harry Weiskopf wasn’t going anywhere. The old man said he had known Harry’s father and felt he at least owed it to his late friend.
There were two Circle guards just inside the large oak door and two more guards at the top of the curving stairs. Alan Vitek sat in the room with Harry, babysitting him.
“Norman, your family doing alright?” asked Alan.
“Yes, thank you Alan. Thank you for all of your service,” said Norman, nodding toward his brother.
Harry was sitting in an antique Morris chair near the window, slouched down against the brown leather. He didn’t move when they came in the room.
“Harry, we came to see how you were getting along,” said Tom. “Come on, the least you can do after I let those burly guards carry me upstairs is turn around and say hello. I’ve come a long way.”
Harry looked over his shoulder and saw who was standing there. “And you, Norman? You interested in how I’m getting along?”
“It’s still all about you, isn’t it?” asked Norman, annoyed. Father Donald put his hand on Norman’s arm but he pulled away. “Enough. He got at least two innocent people killed because of his own selfishness and he was going to let them plot to kill thousands more.”
“It’s so easy for you to pass judgment,” said Harry, quietly, still looking out the window.
“What’s that? What’s that,” yelled Norman, marching over to Harry. “What part of what I just said was incorrect? You know, you’ve never acknowledged what you’ve done. No apology, no inkling of remorse. And now, you get to sit in this mansion until they can figure out what to do with you because no one can trust that you won’t try just one more time to kill thousands of innocent children. Look at me,” he bellowed.
“Norman,” said Tom, “he’s not responsible for all of it. He’s not that powerful. You can’t blame him for everything.”
“Tell me why,” said Norman, clenching his fists. “Why did you risk my family?”
Harry turned his head and looked up at Norman. “That wasn’t supposed to be part of the deal,” he said, tears in his eyes. “They promised that they’d stay away from you or Tom.”
“What about Carol?” asked Norman.
“I didn’t know they’d do that,” stuttered Harry.
“How could you not?” asked Tom, wheeling himself closer. “You know all of the stories just like we do. You know what they’ve done in the past.”
“In the past, that’s all done and gone,” insisted Harry, talking faster. “All of those people who did those things are dead. None of us ever saw someone from Management harm anybody,” he pleaded. He was sitting on the edge of the chair. “They said that all they were going to do was expose what the Circle was doing, whatever it was, and let the public make up their own minds. I was trying to find a way to live my own life, just like you Norman.”
Norman covered his face with his hands for a moment.
“Why didn’t you just ask me for help?” he asked.
“You don’t make it that easy,” said Harry, looking down at his hands. He went back to looking out the window. “It doesn’t matter now, anyway. I went too far, even I can see that. For what it’s worth, I am sorry. I didn’t see any of that happening. I don’t know. You made it look so easy, Norman. You did the impossible. You not only stayed out of the Circle, you married one of Management’s precious descendants and kept them at bay. It looked like it had to be possible for me.”
Norman sat down in the window seat and wept.
“I’m sorry, Harry. I let you down. I was just as selfish. It never occurred to me to try and help you too.”
“There’s enough blame to go around, I’m sure,” said Father Donald, still standing near the door. “But we have to eventually forgive and move on. Tom, do you have any idea of what’s next for Harry?”
“He’s being moved to an estate in Charlottesville where he’ll be kept for the foreseeable future. There will be no prosecution because we can’t risk exposing the truth about the Weiskopfs. The Circle will see to it that the Schaeffer family is kept safe and we’ll somehow find a way to look after the Blazneys and everyone else who was harmed.”
“Because of me,” said Harry, his lip trembling.
Norman took his brother’s hand. “Yes, because of you but also because of us, because of Richard Bach, because of Robin Spingler, because of a lot of people we’ve never even met.”
“Come to visit me?” he asked, softly.
“I will,” said Norman, letting out the breath he’d been holding, “once a week. I’ll make the drive and we’ll sit and talk.”
“Well, say your goodbyes. They’ll be moving him shortly and we need to get going,” said Father Donald.
Harry leaned over and hugged Tom. Norman was still holding his hand t
ightly as he leaned in and embraced his brothers.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mark was surprised when he got the final destination for Robert Schaeffer and his sons. They were driving across the country to Guilford, a small children’s home in Aurora, Illinois. He was even more surprised when Elizabeth said she was going with them.
“It’s my next assignment,” she said, “and I could use the lift.” They all piled into the large white van that was their next transportation.
“I liked the minivan better,” Ruthie whispered to Jake.
“I wouldn’t have fit in one of those puny seats, dear,” said Elizabeth, laughing.
“What exactly do they plan to do with us once we’re there?” asked Robert. “I’m not leaving my sons.”
“No, no one expects that,” said Elizabeth. “But by the time we get there, you’ll all have new identities. Think of it as our version of witness protection. There’s a packet for everyone,” she said, handing brown manila envelopes to Trey and Will. “This one’s yours,” she said to Robert.
“I don’t like it,” said Robert. Mark could see him looking at him in the rear view mirror.
“Look,” said Elizabeth, “it’s a start, a safe start. We’ve done this before and it’s all worked out. Your wife was a beneficiary of this policy, once.”
“Mom? She was in the Circle’s protection?” asked Trey.
“Yes, she was and she was happy. Look at these,” said Elizabeth, pulling out photos from her purse.
“Hey, this is Mom from a long time ago, when she was little,” said Will.
Robert leaned forward from his seat behind his sons and asked, “Where did you get these? I’ve never seen any of them. Who gave them to you?”
“No one had to give them to me,” said Elizabeth. “I was the one who took them,” she said, smiling. “I tend to get around and I’ve been around a very long time.” She turned around and winked at Robert. “Imagine all of the stories I have to tell. Thank goodness it’s a long drive.”
