Broken Cheaters (22 page)

“
M
om
! We’re home!” I called out.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing those words.” My mother came out to greet us and squeezed me tightly before picking Trevor up into her arms. “Happy belated birthday, pumpkin.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

“There’s a special present for you out on the patio, and I hear that George is baking something special for later on.”

“It’s a dinosaur cake! George promised me a dinosaur cake.”

“Go see how much he’s done. I’m pretty sure there’s a bowl or two in the kitchen ready to be licked clean.”

Trevor ran off and my mother took me under her arm. “How are you feeling? Your nose has healed. How’s work?”

“Work is good. I’ve officially moved into Axel’s house.” I looked back to see the smile on his face as he overheard us chatting.

“So, you two are serious?”

“Yes, very much so.”

“Come, let’s eat lunch and chat. George made your favorite tuna salad.”

At the mention of tuna, I felt my stomach swirl. My breakfast came up so fast that I barely made it to the bathroom. When I returned, Axel was sitting in the kitchen, sipping on a coffee with my mom.

“I’m so happy you’re back so quickly,” my mother chirped. “But if you could just have given us a day’s more notice then Don could have rearranged his appointments and been here for the entire day.”

I’d made the decision to visit them at the last minute, and since Axel needed a weekend away from work, it was perfect timing. Under the pretense that we’d tell my parents about the pregnancy, I came back home. Except I had other plans for this weekend that Axel wasn’t aware of, and although I felt guilty, it was the only way we could put the nightmare that was Jack Powers behind us.

“Mom, it’s okay. We weren’t really planning to come this weekend, but, well, there’s something we really wanted to tell you. Maybe we should wait until dad gets home?”

“Is everything okay? Are you feeling well? Is it your heart?”

“No, Mom. Nothing like that. It’s good news.” I reached for Axel’s hand and squeezed it. My Mom’s gaze drifted from our grip to our faces, and she went pale.

“You’re pregnant?” she asked.

“Just over ten weeks.”

“Oh, my God! George! We’re going to have a baby!” she screamed.

From then on, there were lots of tears, hugs, and more tears, right up until the moment my father came home and it started all over again. Once we settled in for the weekend, Axel used my father’s office to work from, and I fooled around the pool with Trevor and my father. While Axel didn’t want to admit that he was still worried about Jack, I could read his face better than anyone, and I couldn’t stand by another day watching him deteriorate because of that man.

“Mom? Would you guys mind watching Trevor while I go out? I don’t want to interrupt Axel.”

“Yes, of course. Can I ask where you’re heading?”

“I’m actually going to meet with Mr. Powers.”

“Oh, honey. Do you think that’s a good idea?” my mother asked.

“If there’s anyone who can help me, it’s Jack’s father. He’s a good man.”

“I can actually attest to that,” my father confirmed. “And I can come with you if you’d like.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I won’t be long, I promise. We’re meeting at the Sweet and Sour, and I’ll call you when I get there and when I leave.”

“And if you see anything suspicious, you’ll call the police?”

“I promise.”

I went to change, kissed Trevor goodbye, and left without interrupting Axel. Just after one o’clock, I was sitting across from Jack’s father. Our chit chat was amicable and exactly what I expected from the honest Congressman.

“Patricia, I’m very happy for you and Axel. That’s wonderful news.”

“Thank you. We’re very excited, except I won’t be able to rest, and neither will Axel, until Jack’s found.”

“I’ve known your family for a very long time, and I wish I could help you more.”

“Mr. Powers, I know Jack is your son, but he tried to kill me. He must have access to some money and funds to survive, and I think you’re the one who knows him best.”

“Pat, I already told the police everything I know. And I would tell you as well if I knew anything at all. There’s no way I would ever help a fugitive, even though he’s my son. I did everything Chloe asked, and I’ll do everything you ask as well.”

“Why?”

“Because deep inside I feel like it’s my fault – what has become of my son. Somewhere down the line, I made a mistake, and if I could take it back I would. I wish I knew where we’d gone wrong. Was it the lack of appreciation for hard work? I don’t know. I closed the doors for Jack to get into office. I wanted to help him, and told him to keep a low profile if he wanted to have any kind of life, but obviously he didn’t listen.”

Couldn’t his son have been more like him? A genuine human being with a heart? What had happened in Jack’s life to turn him against humanity?

“I’m sure you did everything you could. I’m just trying to find answers.”

“As you should.” He paused for a moment before lifting his gaze and shaking his head. “I saw the tape, Pat. I saw what he did to her and what the other men did as well. She didn’t deserve to go through that pain. She deserved better than Jack. Much better. And believe me, those other men have paid for their sins already. I made sure of that. Once Jack is found, he’ll finally pay as well.”

I narrowed my brows. “Why didn’t he before?”

Mr. Powers sighed. “He’s been blackmailing me for years. Nothing big, but enough to ruin my career. All three of my daughters work for me. They would be without jobs and without the means to support their families. I was protecting my family from my own son. I thought keeping Jack out of office would be enough, that he would settle down and realize his mistakes, but obviously I was wrong.”

“We all underestimated him.”

He reached over the table for my hand, saying, “Your sister was a smart woman, and I’m truly sorry for what happened to her in college and then to both of you that night when Jack hit your car and fled the scene.”

“Now that I know the truth, I don’t think that he wanted us just to have an accident. I think he wanted us dead.”

Mr. Powers nodded, sadness filling his eyes.

“I believe you’re right, Pat. Now that I think about all the times he’s mentioned you, I think he’s been fixated on finding you after Chloe died.”

“Can you tell me everything he’s said?”

“Just that you would ruin him, the way your sister tried to ruin him. I’m sorry if this is painful, but he said that he was glad Chloe drowned.”

“How did he know that she drowned?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. Police reports? Hospital reports?”

“Those were only available to the immediate family. My father made sure they were not made public.”

“Jack has a lot of influence. Or at least he used to.”

I didn’t doubt that, but when my chest squeezed tighter, I knew that my sister was trying to tell me something. What was it?

“I’m sorry. This can’t be easy on you.”

“It’s not. But I have three beautiful daughters, and as a father and a man, let me give you some advice: be careful until he’s found. Please. Do not underestimate Jack again.”

“Thank you. I will. And thank you for helping Chloe as well.”

“It was the least I could do, Pat. I must get going.”

“Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Stay well and take care of yourself. If I hear anything at all about Jack, I’ll get in touch.”

We parted ways and I got back in my mother’s car, but I didn’t start the ignition for a while. I just sat there, thinking; though I couldn’t quite remember what I was thinking about. The time I spent in the car felt more like listening. I was listening to the beating of my heart as it changed its pulses.

“What is it, Chloe?” I asked.

I knew she wanted to tell me something, but I didn’t know what or why. I didn’t understand her urgency until I started driving home and ended up on the same uphill road as the night we’d had the accident. I pulled over at the site where we’d rolled off the hill and parked near the bridge that crossed the main road. The day was bright and after standing by the rail, looking down into the valley where the river flowed at its summer depth, I felt the sun’s rays tinge my shoulders, rousing me from my thoughts.

I walked further up the road where a trail had been cleared by the bridge and crossed over the railing. The valley here was steep, and I edged down to the river with caution. Once there, I removed my shoes, sat on a rock underneath a lone tree near the bank, and soaked my feet. If the river had been that shallow the night of the accident, my sister wouldn’t have drowned.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, but it must have been a while because my stomach growled in hunger. As I put my shoes back on, my heart began beating more quickly.

“What is it that you want me to see, Chloe?” I was beginning to be frustrated with her, or maybe it was the anger that was trying to come from within. “Why did you want me to come here?”

At this point I wasn’t sure if I was going crazy, or if it was in fact my sister who had guided me back to the scene of the accident, but I wanted it to be all over. I wanted the nightmare with Jack to be over so that I could enjoy my first pregnancy. I wanted to let Chloe rest in peace and be proud that I’d found her murderer. I wanted to live the life that she meant for me to have by giving me her heart.

As I stood up, I heard rocks turn underneath someone’s feet, and I whipped my body around. There he was, no more than a few steps away, grinning with that sly smirk that was so easy to despise. I stood no chance of outrunning him, and there was no one else here to help. Even if I screamed, no one would hear me.

“Jack? Is that you?”

“Who the fuck else do you think it is?”

His beard had grown to a bushman’s length. White patches of his t-shirt’s original color stuck out here and there; the remaining fabric was stained with dirt and yellow sweat. The jeans were torn, and if I recalled correctly, were the same ones he’d been wearing the night I escaped with Trevor from the motel. He was also holding a gun at his side.

“I… I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

“Of course you didn’t. But I knew that you’d show up here sooner or later.”

“How?”

“She won’t let me eat, drink or sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, she’s there, staring at me. What the hell does she want form me?” he screamed out, and the sound was carried down the bottom of the valley where it echoed off the steep cliffs a moment later. “I see her eyes as she draws her last breath, and I can feel my chest shrinking as the water fills her lungs.”

“Maybe it’s your guilt, Jack.”

Has Chloe been haunting him?

“Maybe I should get you to talk to her?” he asked, taking a step closer.

I took a step back, which put me right on the edge of the river’s shore. “Jack—”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, Trish. You’re the only one who can stop her. And when you see her, tell Chloe to fuck off.”

It sounded like my sister had found a way to pull a fast one on Jack from beyond the grave – where I had a feeling I would soon be joining her if I didn’t get away. As he approached, I stepped back into the water. It was cool against my hot body, but not too cold. After all, the summer had just begun.

“Jack, you can still make things right.”

“She’s been haunting me enough. I want her gone.”

He was a madman. His eyes were empty and confused. His jaw kept twitching, and his gaze ran back and forth between me and further down the stream, closer to where my car had come to rest that night. I wondered whether Chloe was really there; if she was, I hoped she’d find a way to help me.

“I can help you, Jack. I can talk to Chloe. She’ll listen to me.”

“Oh, I know she’ll listen.”

“Jack, just come with me, please.” As much as I didn’t want to, I extended my hand to him, but he didn’t seem to see it.

“I’m a dead man one way or another, Trish. So really, I don’t give a flying fuck what you think I should do. I know what I have to do. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

By this time I was knee deep in the water and about a quarter of the way into the river. I didn’t think it got much deeper than this, but I also knew that you didn’t need a lot of water to drown. Jack rushed toward me. I spun on my heel and headed further in. If I had to, I’d swim like a fish if it meant I could escape. But I was too slow.

Jack grabbed me by my hair and pulled me back. I lost my footing and slipped, submerging. When I got back to the surface, Jack had a tight hold on me. That look in his eyes was a death sentence, and I took a deep breath in just before he pushed me underneath the water.

“I just want her to leave me alone!” I heard from above. The sound was muffled as my lungs strained. I thrashed around, trying to loosen the grip on my hair, but nothing worked. He finally pulled me back up, lowered himself down, and whispered. “Don’t hold your breath. It will be faster. Chloe held her breath and suffered. Don’t suffer, Trish.”

Despite his warning, I took another deep breath before he dunked me. This time, as I waited for him to pull me back up, I knew my hope was for nothing. I kept my eyes closed while I reached for him, desperate to find his feet so that I could jostle his footing, but I couldn’t. And that’s when I saw her – I saw Chloe in the water, smiling at me. Her hair was floating around her in angelic waves. She pressed her finger to her lips, asking me to be quiet. She then rubbed her belly and looked to mine with pride and happiness before lifting her hand up to her chest. She then extended her hand to me as if giving me her heart all over again as the water in front of me slowly turned from clear to red.

And then it all stopped. The vision was gone, replaced with darkness.

“Come on, damn it! Breathe!” someone demanded. The voice was familiar, but my ears were ringing as I strained to hear it again. My lungs were ready to burst, but instead of giving up, they pushed the water out. It fountained out of my mouth.

My vision was blurry at first. I was no longer drowning in the river, but instead lying down on my side on the bank.