Amanda didn’t sound convinced when she answered. “He says he’s going to kill me.”
“If he threatens you again, we’ll get a restraining order next week. And then if he comes near you, we can have him arrested.”
“Thank you,” she said, sounding slightly relieved, but not enough. “I’m so sorry to bother you on Christmas Eve.”
“You’re not bothering us. That’s what we’re here for. Call again if you need to.”
“I’m okay. I feel better now. Just talking to you helps me,” she said, sounding grateful, and Liz’s heart went out to her. It was a hell of a way to spend Christmas.
“I feel so sorry for her,” Liz said to Jack when she walked into their bedroom afterwards. She’d been talking to Amanda on the phone in the hallway. “She’s just not equipped to deal with that bastard.”
“That’s why she has us to defend her.” He had taken off his shoes and was wandering around their bedroom in stocking feet, silently chortling to himself about the gift he had bought her. But when he glanced at Liz, he saw that she was looking genuinely worried.
“Do you think he’d really dare hurt her at this point?” she asked him. Phillip Parker had hurt his wife a long time before, but they had been separated for quite a while.
“No, I don’t. I think he’s just trying to intimidate her. What does he want now? For us to reverse today’s order?” Liz nodded. It was exactly what Jack had expected, and didn’t surprise either of them. “He can sing the blues on that all he wants, we’re not reversing anything, and he knows it.”
“Poor Amanda. This is so hard for her.”
“She just has to tough it out and get through this. We’ll do fine for her, and he’ll get over it. He has more than enough to give her a decent settlement, and support for her and the kids. He can cut back a little on one of his girlfriends if he has to.”
“Maybe that’s what he’s afraid of.” Liz smiled, and looked admiringly at her husband. He was taking his shirt off, and as always, he looked incredibly handsome to her. At forty-four, he still had a strong, athletic-looking body, and in spite of the white hair, he looked years younger than he was.
“What are you smiling at?” he teased her, as he took off his trousers.
“I was thinking about how cute you are. I think you’re even better looking and sexier than when we got married.”
“You’re going blind, my love, but I’m grateful for it. You look pretty good too.” At forty-one, no one would have guessed that she had had five children. He walked back across the room and kissed her, and they both put Amanda Parker and her problems out of mind. As much as they liked her and felt sorry for her, she was still part of their work life, and something they needed to forget now, in order to put their work behind them and enjoy Christmas with each other and their kids.
They sat in bed and watched TV for a while, the girls came in to say good night before they went to bed, and Liz heard Peter come in on the stroke of eleven. He was always conscientious about his curfews. And after they watched the news, she and Jack turned off the light and slid into bed, with an arm around each other. She loved cuddling with him, and when he whispered to her, she giggled, and tiptoed across the room to lock the door of their bedroom. You never knew when one of the children would come in, particularly Jamie, who often woke up at night and came in to ask her to help him get a drink of water, and tuck him back into bed. But once the door was locked, the room was theirs, and as Jack slipped off her nightgown and kissed her, she moaned softly as they found each other. It was the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve.
Chapter 2
On Christmas morning, Jamie climbed into bed with them at six-thirty in the morning. Liz had her nightgown back on by then, and they had unlocked the door before they went to sleep. Jack was still sound asleep in his pajama bottoms as Jamie settled in next to Liz. She and Jack had cuddled close to each other all night, and everyone else in the house was still asleep when Jamie asked her if it was time to go downstairs yet.
“Not yet, sweetheart,” she whispered to him. “Why don’t you sleep with us for a while. It’s still nighttime.”
“When will it be time to go downstairs?” he whispered softly.
“Not for another couple of hours.” She was hoping to stall him for as long as possible. At least till eight, if she was lucky. The others were old enough not to want to get up at the crack of dawn anymore. But Jamie was overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation. Eventually, she tiptoed back to his room with him, and gave him a kiss and a bucket of Legos to play with. “I’ll come and get you when it’s time,” she promised as he started building something with the Lego blocks, and she went back to cuddle up to Jack for another hour. He was warm and cozy, and she smiled to herself as she tucked herself in right behind him.
It was after eight when Jack finally stirred, and Jamie walked back into their bedroom. He said he’d used up all his Legos. Liz kissed her husband and smiled at him, as he grinned sleepily at her, remembering the pleasures of the night before, and she sent Jamie to wake the others.
“How long have you been up?” Jack asked, casting a lazy arm around her, and pulling her closer.
“Jamie came in at six-thirty. He’s been very patient, but I don’t think he’ll hold out for much longer.” Five minutes later, he was back in their bedroom, with the others straggling behind him. The girls looked half asleep, and Peter had an arm around Jamie. He had helped put the bike together for him the night before, and was smiling, thinking of how much Jamie was going to like it.
“Come on, get up, Dad,” Peter said with a grin, pulling the covers off his father, as Jack groaned and rolled over, trying to put a pillow over his head, but just watching him do it brought out a spirit of mischief in his daughters, and before he could defend himself, Annie and Rachel jumped on top of him, and Megan tickled him, as Jamie squealed in delighted excitement. Liz got up and put her robe on as she watched them. They were suddenly a tangle of arms and legs, all acting like little kids again, as their father retaliated and tickled them, and pulled Jamie into bed with him. They were one big pretzel of giggling kids and bodies as Liz laughed and finally rescued Jack, and told them all it was time to go downstairs and see what Santa had left them. Jamie was the first off the bed as soon as she said it, and rushed headlong toward the doorway, and the others followed suit, still laughing, as Peter and Jack walked behind them. Jamie was already halfway down the stairs as the others left their parents’ bedroom.
He couldn’t quite see his presents yet, he had to round a turn in the stairs, but as he did he saw it, bright and shiny and red and beautiful, and as Liz watched his face, she felt tears spring to her eyes. The look on Jamie’s face was the magic of Christmas, as he saw the bike, and then dove down the stairs to it, and the others all watched him with pride and pleasure. Liz held the bike for him as he got onto it, and Peter took the handlebars and led him around the living room, trying not to run over the others’ presents. But Jamie was so excited he was barely coherent.
“I got it! I got it! Santa gave me the bike!” he shouted to everyone, as Jack put on a CD of Christmas carols. And suddenly, the whole house seemed filled with the Christmas spirit. The girls settled down to open their presents then too, and Peter eventually convinced Jamie to get off the bike for a while, so they could both open their presents. Jack had opened the set of Chaucer by then, and a cashmere jacket Liz had bought for him at Neiman Marcus. And Liz was thrilled when she opened the gold bracelet Jack had bought her the day before, it was perfect for her, and she loved it, as he hoped she would.
They spent half an hour opening gifts, and exclaiming over what they got, and then Jamie got back on the bike again, and Peter helped him balance it, as Liz went to cook their breakfast. She was going to make them all waffles and sausages and bacon, their standard Christmas breakfast. And as she made the waffles and hummed Christmas carols to herself, Jack wandered into the kitchen to keep her company, and she told him again how much she loved her bracelet.
“I love you, Liz,” he said, looking tenderly at her. “Do you ever think about how lucky we are?” He glanced toward the happy sounds coming from the living room as he said it.
“Oh, about a hundred times a day, sometimes more than that.” She came over to put her arms around him and kiss him, and he hugged her tight.
“Thank you for everything you do for me.… I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but whatever it is, I’m just glad we have each other.” He said it very gently as he held her in his arms.
“Me too,” she said, and then hurried back to the stove to turn the sausages and bacon. He made coffee and poured orange juice while she did the waffles and finished the sausages and bacon, and they all sat down to breakfast shortly after, chattering about their gifts, and laughing and teasing each other. Jamie lay the bike down on the kitchen floor next to him. If they’d have let him, he’d have sat on it while he ate breakfast.
“What’s everyone going to do today?” Jack asked as he poured himself a second cup of coffee, and the others groaned over how much they’d eaten and how full they were.
“I have to get the turkey started pretty soon,” Liz said, glancing at the clock. She’d bought a twenty pounder, and it would take most of the day to cook. And Jack had to make his famous stuffing.
The girls said they wanted to try on their gifts and call their friends. Peter wanted to drop in at Jessica’s again, and Jamie made him promise to come back soon so he could help him ride his new bike, and Jack said he was going to drop by the office for a little while.
“On Christmas Day?” Liz looked at him in surprise.
“Just for a few minutes.” He told her he had forgotten one of the files he wanted to work on over the weekend.
“Why don’t you forget about it till tomorrow? You don’t need it today,” she chided him. He was beginning to sound like a workaholic. After all, it was Christmas Day.
“I’ll feel better if I know it’s here, then I can just get up tomorrow and do it,” Jack said, looking apologetically at his wife.
“What was that you were telling me about learning to leave my work at the office? Practice what you preach, Counselor.”
“I’ll be gone five minutes, and then I’ll come home and do the stuffing. I’ll be back before you know it.” He smiled at her, and kissed her after the children left, and then he helped her clear the table.
She stayed in the kitchen to start getting the turkey ready, and half an hour later he came downstairs, in khaki pants and a red sweater, freshly shaved.
“Do you need anything?” he asked before he left, and she shook her head and smiled at him.
“Just you. Unlike some people I know, I’m not planning to work this weekend. On holidays, I take the day off.”
She was still wearing her bathrobe, and her red hair looked straight and smooth as it hung below her shoulders, and the big green eyes looked lovingly at him. To him, she didn’t look a minute older than when they had married. “I love you, Liz,” he said gently, and kissed her, and then he headed out the door with a smile.
He thought about her all the way to the office, and pulled into his usual parking space outside their building. He let himself in with his keys, and left the door open behind him. He unset the alarm, and walked into their office. He knew exactly where the file was, and knew it would take him less than a minute to get it. And he was already on his way back to reset the alarm, when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He knew there was no one else there, and wondered if Liz had followed him, but that didn’t make sense, and he stuck his head out the doorway to see who, if anyone, had come in after he did.
“Hello?” Jack called out, and there was no answer, but he heard a rustling sound, and then a strange metallic click, and as he turned a corner, he found himself suddenly looking straight at Phillip Parker, Amanda’s husband. He had an ugly look on his face, and he looked disheveled and dirty and hungover. And then, Jack looked down and saw that Phillip was holding a gun aimed at him, and he felt strangely calm as he spoke to their client’s husband. “You don’t need that here, Phil. Put the gun down.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, you son of a bitch. You thought you could fuck with me, didn’t you? Thought you could scare me. Well, you don’t scare me, you piss me off. You twisted her around, got her to do everything you wanted, you think you’re doing her such a big favor, well, you want to know what you did for her?” Jack saw that he was crying then, and that Parker had a long smear of blood on one sleeve, and he looked like he’d gone crazy. Jack had the feeling that the man holding the gun had either been drugging or drinking. He seemed completely irrational, and hysterical as he rambled. “I told her I’d kill her if you didn’t back off…. I’m not going to let you do that to me … you can’t freeze everything I own and fuck with me like that.… I told her I’d do it … I told her … she has no right … you have no right.…”
“It’s just for a month, Phil, until you give us the information we asked for. We can undo it anytime. Monday, if you want. Just take it easy.” Jack’s voice was deep and calm and soothing, but his heart was racing.
“No, you take it easy. Don’t tell me what to do. It’s too late anyway. It doesn’t matter anymore. You ruined everything. You made me do it.”
“Made you do what, Phil?” But Jack knew instinctively, even before Phil Parker said it. Liz had been right, they had driven him over the edge, and as Jack watched him, he was suddenly panicked for Amanda. What had Parker done to her, or the children?
“I killed her,” Phil said flatly, and began to sob as soon as he said it. “It’s your fault. I didn’t want to do it. But I had to. She wanted to take everything I had … she wanted all of it, didn’t she? The little tramp … you had no right … what was I supposed to do while you froze everything? Starve?” Jack knew it was pointless to answer him, all he could do now was pray that what Phil said wasn’t true.
“How did you know I’d be here, Phil?” Jack asked calmly.
“I followed you. I’ve been outside your house all morning.”
“Where’s Amanda?”
“I told you … she’s dead….” He wiped his nose on his sleeve and the blood on his jacket smeared across his face as he did it.
“Where are the kids?”
“They’re with her. I left them there,” he said, crying softly.
“Did you kill them too?” Phil shook his head and pointed the gun at Jack’s head.
“I locked them in her bedroom with her.” Jack felt his stomach turn over as Phil said it. “And now I have to kill you. It’s only fair. This is all your fault. You made her do it. She was a nice girl until you came along. It’s all your fault, you bastard.”
“I know it is. It’s not Amanda’s fault, Phil. Now put the gun down and let’s talk about it.”
“You son of a bitch, don’t tell me what to do or I’ll kill you too.” He went from grief to rage in the fraction of an instant, and his eyes were lasers as they bore through Jack’s, and Jack suddenly realized that he meant everything he was saying, and was capable of delivering on it.
“Put the gun down, Phil.” Jack’s voice was calm and powerful as he slowly took a step toward Phillip Parker. “Put it down, Phil.”
“Fuck you, you bastard,” he said, but lowered the gun slowly down from his aim at Jack’s forehead, and Jack realized that he was slowly winning. Phil was wavering, and in a minute, Jack was going to make a move and take the gun. He never took his eyes from Phil’s and continued to advance slowly toward him, and then as he had almost reached him, there was the sound of an explosion in the room, and Jack stared at him in amazement. The gun was aimed at his chest, and for a long moment, Jack felt absolutely nothing, and was sure he had missed him, but the bullet had gone into him so cleanly he barely felt it. He stood where he was and watched, unable to move or raise his arms, as Phil Parker then put the gun in his own mouth, squeezed the trigger, and blew the back of his head off, and as his blood and brains splattered all over th
e wall behind him, Jack felt a cannonball hit him in the chest, and he dropped to his knees, trying to understand what had happened. It had all happened so quickly. He knew he had to call someone before he lost consciousness, and he could see a phone on the desk as he fell slowly against it. He could just barely reach it, as he grabbed the receiver and pulled it toward him, and dialed 911. He could hear the voice in his ear as he fell toward the floor, but he could barely breathe now.
“Police emergency.”
“I’ve been shot….” He managed to squeeze the words out, and he could see red oozing from his sweater onto the carpet where he was lying.
They repeated his phone number and address back to him, as Jack gasped into the phone and confirmed it and told them the door was open. “Call my wife,” he said hoarsely, and could feel his eyes closing as he gave them her number.
“An ambulance is on its way. They’ll be there in less than three minutes,” the voice said, and he had trouble understanding what they were saying. Why an ambulance? Why were they sending an ambulance? He couldn’t remember. All he wanted was Liz. And as he closed his eyes and lay on the floor, he felt cold and wet, and he could hear a siren in the distance. He wondered if it was Liz, and why she was making so much noise. And then suddenly, he could hear voices all around him, and someone was moving him. They put something on his face, and they were tearing at him and pulling him, and the voices were shouting. He couldn’t remember why they were there or what had happened. And where was Liz? What had they done with her? He could feel himself sliding into blackness but someone kept calling him, and all he wanted was Liz now, not all these people, shouting at him. Who were they? And where were his wife and children?
The House on Hope Street Page 3
