“Exactly, and the allergic reaction to the peanuts left Daniel in the hospital last night. Jeanne, you should have seen what he did to my son. I still can’t believe he falsified the tests. But to dare him to eat the candy when Danny knew better, thinking he knew best.”
“He should have known better. You’re allergic. It would stand to reason your son might be.” There was a long pause before she continued. “James, it was out of my hands, you do understand. If I could have done anything to change the situation, I would have.”
“I understand to a point, but I have to take some of the responsibility myself. If I’d of talked with Joey, or had the test redone, if I hadn’t left her alone in that room with the vultures descending…”
“Oh my, you are in a bad place. Are JoAnna and Daniel all right?”
“Yes, they’re wonderful, thanks to Joey. She’s raised him to be an amazing kid.”
“I’m sure some of it was genetics.” A light laugh cleared the air.
“I’m going to be honest because I don’t see lying making this any easier. I’m locked out of Benjamin’s computer. Certain closed files are sealed, and I can’t get into them, even with my security override.”
Another long pause extended before Jeanne spoke. “Are you looking for current information or the history? Not everything is in the computer, at least the one in Ben’s office. He had a second set up at home. I don’t know if it’s joined with the office’s. I doubt it. That was his personal financial world.”
“So if I’m looking for older records, say going back to my father’s death and my mother being committed…”
“You’re not going to like what you find. You’re different from Benjamin. I suppose he wanted you under his wing before your mother had time to distract you.”
“She wasn’t sick and she didn’t leave me behind, did she?”
“James, you were what, sixteen at the time? It was a very different world then. There were limited options open to her.”
James wanted to question her remark but held back.
“She did spend some time in a sanitarium upstate, to rest. But she didn’t need to be there. Ben wanted everyone to think your father’s death caused her to break. He always said she was too fragile to live in the real world.”
“Where did she go after the sanitarium?”
“Are you sure you want to know. Have you really thought through this or are you just angry at Ben?”
“Yes, to both. He took my son from my life for six years, years I can’t get back. And if what I suspect is right happened, he’s held my mother away from me for fourteen years.”
“He always justified his decisions by saying they’d work out in the long run. I suppose they have now, only not the way he once dreamed.” Quiet breathing passed through the phone lines before Jeanne continued with a very carefully worded statement. “Private papers were always kept at home.”
“So the two safes in his apartment are my best bet?”
“I’d think so.”
“What about combinations?”
“Think of who you’re dealing with, then you’ll know the combinations.”
“My mind is fried, Jeanne, help me please.”
“There was only one woman your grandfather ever loved. She hurt him by leaving him when he put the business before her. She left Benjamin because she had no choice. Since then, he can only see women as extraneous.”
“Jeez, I always thought she left him for another man.”
“No, Elizabeth never married again, never dated that I knew of. She moved to the cape and sequestered herself for the rest of her days.”
“Did my father know this?”
“I don’t think so. He would have tried to find her. When your mother came along, Ben decided she was another woman to be used and dealt with. Just like JoAnna was. You were just out of law school and in love with JoAnna. Benjamin wanted you to experience life more. Those were his words, not mine. When Daniel came into the picture and you decided to marry her…it didn’t fit his plans, James. So he made it fit.”
“How did you manage to keep all this to yourself all these years?”
“It wasn’t my place to speak out. Benjamin Montgomery was a wonderful man in some ways and obnoxious in others. I was paid to be his confident. And nobody was talking about these situations. Everyone knew never to mention Beverly. JoAnna became the same thing, never spoken of, therefore they didn’t exist.” There was a long pause before she added, “If you had asked me outright at any time in the past, I would have told you the truth. You never asked, never even hinted. It wasn’t my place.”
“Do you know where my mother is? Is she all right or is she still in a sanitarium?”
“No. She managed to get herself released a few years later. But she got nothing from Ben. By committing her, he became your guardian and the executor of your father’s will. She never got any of the money your father left her, the house or insurance. After she was released, she seemed to just slip away. That was the way Ben liked it.”
“He’s had a private investigator on Joey and Danny all these years, do you know who and did he keep someone on my mother?”
“I can’t help you there. It’s anybody’s guess how his mind works these days.”
“He doesn’t understand what taking Daniel yesterday did to Joey and to me, to the whole town who started searching for him. He took my son, and it entered my mind he’d keep him. He’s already put in petitions for grandparent’s rights and threatened to take him away from Joey.”
“Those sound like acts of a man who’s not thinking rationally. You don’t petition the court then kidnap the child.”
“I’ve got him in lock up until Monday morning. It was the best the officials could do for JoAnna to get this settled. Come Monday, he’s free again.” They laughed together at the image of Benjamin Montgomery sitting in a jail cell waiting for a bail hearing.
“His apartment is where you should look. Only remember, James, you won’t like what you find. Beyond the files on your mother and JoAnna, there may be other information that you shouldn’t become aware of. When you do, it will change you as a man.”
“It’s about time I grew up and took responsibility for myself and my family. Is there any chance you’d want to move back to Hunter Mountain and take a job with me for a few years?”
She laughed good naturedly. “Not me. I’m retired. I’m taking classes in pottery and Latin dancing lessons. I spent my whole life being careful, and I survived to make the most of it. Sorry. You’ll work out your secretarial problems.”
“How about just visiting as a close friend of the family? I’d love you to meet Daniel and Joey. God, Jeanne, she’s just…”
“Wonderful! You two were so in love, so meant for each other. If you can salvage a part of that, keep it special. You and she should have had a different history.”
“One I’m embarking on right now.”
“Then check all three safes,” Jeanne said.
“One behind the painting in the study and one over the mantle in his bedroom.”
“And one in the inner depths of his closet.”
“It’s Elizabeth’s birth date or anniversary?”
“It might have been at one time. Let me know how things work out. If you decide to marry JoAnna, it might be worth a trip back east, but only in the warmer weather.”
“I can’t ever thank you.”
“Clearing my conscience is thank you enough. I waited for you to come to me. It was the only way I could have spoken to you like this.”
“I was young and naive. And I wasn’t thinking through my own mind, rather Grandfather’s vision.”
“Welcome to the real world. Make the most of it, James.”
He closed the computer after erasing his use, wondering if there was another way Ben could know, something even Fred didn’t know. In the end it didn’t matter. He closed down both offices and went home to his apartment for a long hot shower and a call to Joey. Daniel was relaxing tod
ay, hung over from the medications. James explained what was happening and where he was going next.
“Be careful,” she whispered. Maybe it’s not a good idea to find out about your mother. Who am I to challenge what you’ve accepted for so long?”
“Joey, I have to know and it’s not your fault. I should have done this years ago, should have asked Ben outright. Even then I wasn’t ready for the answers. I’ll call you later tonight with an update.”
Benjamin Montgomery’s Manhattan apartment was a sight, perfect in every detail, including the view. The designer rooms all flowed with gilt and satins, making a mix of masculine and classic design. James looked at the living room and realized his was almost the same. The furniture was placed similarly, even the colors were identical. He checked the safe in the study, knowing he wouldn’t find anything there. It opened with his father’s birth date as always. He found a few bonds and some cash as expected. There were several IOUs from prominent people in Benjamin’s social circle. He closed it with a shake of his head.
The master bedroom was navy blue and lighter blue, a dark space with large mahogany furniture. He swung the Picasso from the mantle wall and opened the safe with his own birth date. Again, nothing important, bonds and cash, a few watches Ben never wore any more, diamond cufflinks.
James noticed several other boxes in the back and pulled them forward. One was empty. The other was a black velvet case. Inside lay a perfectly matched strand of pearls, matching earrings anchored in the center. There was a small card, now a brittle shade of beige. It simply read, “With my love, B.” It had been handled many times, the paper worn smooth in places. Replacing everything as best as he could, he closed the safe and moved to Ben’s closet. Behind one of the cedar walls was a small release. If James hadn’t been running his hand along the wall searching for something, he’d have never found it. The panel swung open to reveal a large, fireproof filing cabinet style safe.
James felt nauseated as he used Elizabeth’s birthday to open the first drawer. In it was all the paperwork pertaining to his grandmother’s betrayal and the awful divorce that took place. There were transcripts of the custody hearings and the divorce itself. Shaking himself, he realized how long he’d been reading the documents.
In a shrewd moment, he took one of his grandfather’s Louis Vuitton suitcases and started filling it. He didn’t take everything, just the transcripts and some of the photos. And he took the reports from the investigator that proved his grandmother hadn’t cheated on her beloved husband, rather wanted his attentions alone.
The second drawer he used his father’s birth date and found all the records pertaining to his father’s death, his mother being committed and his taking control of James’ inheritance. Even with a quick glace, he could see his mother never was paid any of the insurance or benefits. From James’ quick look, it seemed when she was finally released she simply disappeared. Several reports from investigators said she couldn’t be found. Arranging the papers to maximize the usage of the suitcase, he took all that was filed in the drawer.
The third drawer he used his own birth date. There before him lay his entire life, laid out in simple reports of what he did, where he did it and with whom. From early on, he’d been watched. So had his mother. It seemed the investigators couldn’t catch her in any outrageous behavior either.
Ben hated her simply because she was a woman his son loved. Her commitment papers and paid bills were all carefully filed. James filled a second suitcase, taking the entire contents. The fourth drawer didn’t open with any of the birthdates. He tried Ben’s and finally Daniel’s.
There in the fourth drawer was Daniel’s life in reports and pictures. So the old man had been keeping an eye on them. The investigators followed just about every dime JoAnna spent, and all of it came from her parents’ estate. She hadn’t taken money from Ben. There were several other files in the back of the drawer, and he took them too.
Back in his apartment, he called down to have his car brought around and packed an overnight case. By nine that night, he was safely seated at Joey’s rarely used dining room table, papers and files spread before them. There was a treasure trove of information. He knew he had to accept what it proved, but didn’t want to think ahead to what he was going to do with all the information.
JoAnna pulled the cards and letters she’d written to James from the stack, fingering the envelopes, remembering how angry she was at him and Benjamin at the time. She still carried the hurt that was left when she tried to build a life for her and her son. Only now she was confused. She’d loved James so much, trusted him with her life and her baby’s, and this is where they all wound up. Many times she’d decided in her mind this was how it was meant to be for her. She had Daniel and he was a blessing. The rest just wasn’t in the planned future. Instead, she’d forced herself forward. In that very moment she felt James was watching her.
“How much do you hate me this very minute, Joey?”
Pausing before she answered, she handed him the items. “I don’t hate you with my entire soul any more,” she started, then laughed at his outraged look. “But I don’t trust you a hell of a lot right now, although more now in the last weeks realizing how much of this mess your Grandfather engineered. That makes me furious with him and considering he’s a pathological liar doesn’t make the situation better. You, I just don’t know anymore.” Joey shook her head and walked toward him. “Maybe we better try an experiment and see what happens.”
Her arms slid around his neck, and she dropped her bottom onto his lap. His strong arms came to clasp her to him. “I’m so mad some times I just want to spit, and then I look at you, here in our home and wonder what might have been. I’ve decided to look toward the future because I can’t change the past. But I can be alert and not trust anyone at face value.” Her right hand moved to his chin, tilting his face down to look at her. “Tell me who you are now, James. Show me.” JoAnna struggled off his lap and held out her hand. For several long seconds he stared at her then dropped his gaze lower, watching how her nipples had budded from being close.
“Here on the table, Joey?” Moving quickly, he stood and lifted her, her legs automatically wrapping around his center. “Or the living room floor?” His mouth reached toward hers and for long minutes they relearned each other.
“The bedroom. Daniel might wake up.” It was a sobering sentence, and James let her legs slowly down until she was supporting her own weight.
“James?” Joey was looking at him like he had several heads. She’d just offered to take him to bed, and he was refusing. She couldn’t believe he actually stopped. “What’s wrong, what did I do wrong?”
“Not you. But when we’re together, I don’t want any of this garbage in our minds any more. What happened between us when Daniel was away only makes me more aware of how much I want you and still love you. And I do want us to be a family, Joey, the three of us. We’ll work it all out, but the next time I come inside you, I want our future settled. I know you think I’m crazy for refusing your offer, but in all good conscience, I need you to be sure you want me too. Because if you do give me a second chance, I don’t want to blow it over all…this.” His hand swept above the table, covered with files and papers.
The two of them stood quietly for a few moments before JoAnna went to put up a fresh pot of coffee, telling him it was going to be a long night.
She’d been right. Well after three James pushed back in his seat, standing to stretch. He couldn’t believe how well documented Benjamin had kept the files, only knowing his personality, it all made sense. Nobody was supposed to find out until Ben was ready, probably when he died and couldn’t be retaliated against.
“Joey, forget it. I’m mind boggled. The print is just a blur. Let’s get some rest. Danny will be up early.”
She put up her hand and hushed him, ignoring him completely.
James wasn’t used to Joey ignoring him, let along shushing him.
He moved down the hallway toward the bathroom
, using the cool water on his face to revive him. Stopping in the hallway outside Daniel’s room, he just stood and watched his child sleep. Joey came around the corner and almost collided with him, her body against his. James let his arm drop over her shoulder and pulled her close. “I’m so sorry, for everything.”
“I accept your apology because I think you finally see I wasn’t the shrew the old man would have you believe. I forgive you for being an ass. In reality, I could have pushed to see you harder, only my pride was already pretty dented.”
“What are we going to do, JoAnna?”
Her smile made him tired, made him relax against her body. “Actually, I have an answer for that. Does Montgomery Industries still have a plane on call?”
“Yeah, what do you have in mind?”
“I want you to go to Florida tonight, or early tomorrow. If you leave as soon as the plane’s ready, you can sleep on the flight and be somewhat refreshed when you see your mother in the morning.”
His jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe her words.
“We found her, James. At least up until four months ago. Come and see what I unearthed.”
In reality, she’d found his mother. Ben had kept looking for her, and four years ago he’d come up with her realtor’s license from Port Charlotte, Florida. His mother was living on the west coast of the state and selling homes to make a living. With little flair, he called who he needed and knew the driver would pick him up in an hour and take him to the plane. If things went on schedule, he should be able to make it to his mother’s for breakfast. If she was home, if she was still living and working there, if she wanted to see him. Joey thought he should call her and give her warning he was coming to see her. He wanted to find her as she was, without notice.
Deceptions Revealed (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 15
