BOOK ONE: DECEPTIONS
Chapters One to Twenty Six
Vignettes 1 - 140

BOOK TWO: YESTERDAY ECHOES
Chapters 27 to
Vignettes 141 -

Friday, June 24, 2011

Vignette #221: Total Control

She stepped back inside, clutching the now opened manila envelopes to what little space was left between her belly and her breasts. She leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. She had to get back in control.

Clare knew that was all she had left. She was in a place, a space and a time that she didn’t care to be. She could fix this. She knew she could. Gathering herself, she waddled with fury to her bedroom amazed at just how far going absolutely nowhere really was.

She stopped a moment and peered into the nursery. Two cribs, two mobiles, two of absolutely everything; why wasn’t it enough? She had overheard their conversation, and Ian was right, there was so much anger still and what she held in her hands burned her to the core.

Quietly, she shut to door to her room, locked it and eased herself to sit down on the bed. The envelopes splayed across the expensive spread. She tapped her fingers on the manila.

It was all there. There were a few loose ends, but putting this information along with what she’d found and added could very well end this in less than a couple of hours. She was smart enough to know that it was enough to bring it all to an abrupt conclusion, but just as much would be left dangling in the wind with answers to questions never to be found.

Her cell phone rang. Swinging her legs to the floor she reached to the desktop and grabbed it.

“Unknown. Blocked number.”

Clare took a deep breath. “Timing, Clare. It’s all in the timing.” Before she flipped the lid she murmured to herself, “Let’s get this done.”

“Hello, Bruno.”

“Clare?” He seemed shocked. “How did you know it was me?”

“You’re the only one who ever calls me.”

“Awww and I’m so sorry it’s been such a long since we talked, but I thought you might need a little privacy.”

“Of course.”

“But you know I thought about you every day.”

“That’s sweet.”

“And?” He seemed to wait for her to jump right in. “How are things going?”

“What? Haven’t you heard the news?”

“Well, I did catch a few things on the tube and heard a few tidbits around the office, but you know me, I never believe anything until I hear it from you.”

“It’s twins; boys, two little boys. Due any day now.”

“Good for you.” Clare could almost see the glee on the man’s face she had never seen, and could almost write down word for word what he was going to say next. “With twins, you’ll have absolutely no problem milking that bastard for every penny he’s got and then some.”

“I’m sure…” Clare looked down at the swollen ankles swinging surprisingly relaxed but not quite touching the floor. “Bruno, I should tell you, a few things have changed.”

“Of course.” His voice became very reassuring. “I know you’ve been working hard to make everyone think you’ve made amends, but I know that's all an act. Now, what’s changed, dear, and how can I help?”

She smiled. “Good. I knew you’d be on board. First of all, stop treating me like I’m an idiot.”

“Oh, Clare, the last thing I’ve ever thought was that you were an…”

“Bruno…” She cut him off. “Shut up.”

“Excuse me?”

“Which word didn’t you understand? Shut or up?”

“Now see here young lady...”

“No, Bruno, you see here. Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?” Clare looked to make sure she’d locked the door to her room.

“By all means.” The civil tone had all but drained from his voice.

“I know what you’ve been doing, I know how you’ve been doing it and most important of all I know exactly who you are.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” Clare dumped the contents of all three envelopes on her bed and spread them out. “Let me fill you in for a change.”

“By all means.”

“Do the names Blue, Peyton and Ella mean anything to you?”

Clare heard Bruno suppress a gulp. “No, but I suppose you are going to tell me why they should.”

“Ya screwed up Bruno, or do you want me to use your real name? I know what that is, too. The guys were dumb, but even you should know by now to never ever mess with a woman.”

“I did not…”

“By the way, loved your DVD. I’d never seen a gay sex tape before. Interesting, and you really should have that mole on your butt removed. It looks like the ones that cause cancer.”

“DVD?”

“Oh come on, Bruno. You knew Blue was filming your little sessions, at least eventually. That’s why you killed him and thanks to Balouche they’re still only guessing the bullet that killed him came from your gun and not Kellen’s. Or did Peyton switch guns that night and hide in the bushes? I’m still guessing at that one myself.”

“You little…”

“Ah ah ah…temper. We’re just getting started. I haven’t even told you how you really screwed up yet.”

“I did not screw up.”

“Ella…you should have gotten to her first, Bruno. She’s the one who put it all together. Never mess with a woman. Guess why? She was undercover F.B.I.”

There was dead silence on the phone.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Laughing, the son of a bitch was laughing. “Okay, Clare. I admit that’s news, but Clare dear. I got it all. She’d stuffed it in her purse. I beat her senseless then went back and got it, just before I stomped her brains out. Gee, I wonder whose next…bitch.”

“Got it all, did’ja?” Clare knew this next reminder would wipe the grin right off his face. “Then how did I see your little DVD? Why do I have a handful of various IDs with different names but the same three faces? And just how do I have in my hot little bitch hands a copy of Ella’s hard drive?”

“Hard drive?”

“Recordings of conversations, copies of documents, handwriting samples…oooh she was thorough.”

“How did…?”

“Not sure, but somehow dear sweet stomped to death Ella managed to slip a few things in the mail and get a message to her partner in the F.B.I. that it was coming. Fortunately for you, all he got was the message. I managed to get the mail.”

“I see…and?”

“And?” Clare kicked her feet with nervous glee. “Oh and, did you by any chance see that weird cryptic message she scrawled on the wall in her own blood? Did she do that before or after you got all the evidence she gathered and stomped her brains out?”

“Before, but it doesn’t mean anything.”

“It doesn’t unless you read everything the postman delivered, oh…and a few things I managed to find myself.”

“You found?”

“Bruno, dear, sweet idiot Bruno. I’ve been doing a little digging on my own...during my private time It seems that Elizabeth Elysian has been playing her own games. When she sold Ian this house, it’s fabulous by the way, she also used a codicil, a perfectly legal one, that people use to side step inheritance taxes, and sold Ian everything.”

“Everything?”

“And I mean everything; stocks, bonds, rental properties, businesses. Ian will rake in around a million or so alone this year just off the stocks. It’s the rental properties I’m helping him with. I used to work with my Daddy. He was a banker. I know a little about that stuff. Hell, Bruno, I know a lot about that stuff.”

“Why the hell would she…?”

“Who the hell cares? Anyway, I’m also helping Kellen with his business. He sleeps during the day and misses a lot of phone calls. So I keep things straight for him. Actually I could care less, but it gives me an excuse to be in his house, so I can prowl around and see what kind of info they have…on you.”

“On me?”

“Oh yeah. They’re closing in, Bruno boy. Almost got’cha, lucky for me, maybe even you, that I’m always there when that little fax machine of his spits out cases that may or may not be connected. Imagine my surprise when a couple of names and places made even my jaw drop.” She fingered a few faxes on her bedspread.

“Of course, without those, they’ll never be able to make any kind of connection. Talk about screwing up, but then you were just getting started. You never should have used Ian’s mother’s name and social security number.”

“Lylah?” Clare could hear Bruno sputtering. “I…uh…”

“All this time, we wondered why all this vengeful shit focused on Ian. They have their theory, and it’s a good one but it’s not possible. Then again, they don’t know the real reason, even I’m not sure of that but I know the connection, without a doubt I know the connection.”

“You do, do you?”

“Oh it took me a day or two wondering, how the hell did he get Ian’s mother’s social security number? In fact that’s exactly what I was thinking when that last fax came in, and bingo…you would have to have gotten it at a bank, a bank where she had an account…my Daddy’s bank. You remember my Daddy?”

“No comment.”

Clare laughed quietly. “Already proven guilty. No need to plead the fifth.” She slipped out of the pile a copy she’d made from a yearbook with one finger. “Then I just got Jude in one of his ‘let’s tell stories about Ian’s horrendous childhood’ moods and it all fell into place.”

“It did, did it?” She could almost hear the man’s brain trying to plan a way out.

“You know I never would have recognized you. When the time comes, I need the name of your plastic surgeon. Or are they all dead, too?”

“What do you want Clare?”

She smiled. Now he was talking. “Let me make something very clear, Bruno, right now I’m the only one with any of this information, and no one can get at it but me.”

“What if I don’t believe you?”

“I don’t see that you have much of a choice. Do you?” There was a silent huff on the phone line. “I know this is so bad HRT mystery cliché, but I’ve seen to it that if anything happens to me or my children, or I even think something’s going to happen to me or my children all this info gets put directly into the right hands before you have time to run, and I’m talking the guy sitting in the desk right beside you.”

“And what if something happens to your precious Ian, dear?”

“Anything happens to Ian, I get control of two thirds of everything for at least eighteen years or so. You think I really give a shit any more?”

“Let me repeat myself, what do you want?”

“Six million dollars, for starters. In my bank account by 9 A.M. tomorrow morning.”

“I can’t possibly do that.”

“Yes you can, or…I can do it myself. My Daddy and I were close, real close. He taught me how to do things like that, just like he taught you.”

“You’d have to have account numbers and…” He fell silent.

Clare smiled. She had him. That last part was a lie, but he didn’t know that and she was finally in total control again. “Did I tell you my babies are going to be little boys? I was thinking Howard was a good name. What do you think…bitch?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Six million; 9 sharp and then you disappear, but not too far. I’m sure I’ll need more money before too long. Raising twins is expensive, and so am I.”

“You’re gonna let me just disappear?”

“Oh you can’t disappear from me, Bruno. Remember, my Daddy taught me everything he taught you, and I was his precious little girl. I’m sure I know even more. You can run, but you can’t ever hide…not from me anyway.”

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