| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted February 11, 2011 | Chapters: |
...14 15 -15- 16... 
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James spends some time with his Aunt and Uncle
A chapter in the book The Heir Apparent
The Calm Before The Storm
by Sasha
| Background Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, but it has been a wild and hectic week. Only a few minor changes in this chapter. It will still be a couple of chapters before the major changes appear. |
Although Mom and her sister Emily were close, they hadn't seen each other since Grandpa's funeral two years ago. They spoke on the phone at least once a week, but the distance between Miami and Seattle prevented regular visits. Seeing Aunt Em standing in the doorway, I realized for the first time that she was probably the first person Mom called after Dad's arrest. My Aunt and Uncle's visit was a pleasant, but unexpected surprise.
"Good heavens Em, how did you know where to find us?" Mom asked as she hugged both enthusiastically.
Aunt Em laughed. "It took quite a bit of persuasion, but Detective MacKinnon was kind enough to give us the name and telephone number of your attorney. Mr. Hurley wanted to call you, but I insisted I wanted it to be a surprise. So, don't you go getting all pissed off at him. You know I'm a formidable presence when I want to be. Besides, we had to wait for him to check us out before he would tell us anything."
Mom smiled. "No, I'm not mad at him. I'm actually glad to see you. I could use the moral support."
Despite Mom's smile and upbeat tone of voice, her eyes conveyed an uncertainty that worried me.
Although they looked alike, that is where the similarities between them ended. Aunt Em was two-years-older than Mom, but looked at least ten-years younger. Unlike Mom, she was a free spirit, spoke her mind, and possessed a sense of humor that insured a room filled with laughter whenever she was present. Neither she nor Uncle Mark had ever bothered to hide their dislike of Dad and, under the current circumstances, I didn't anticipate they would start now.
Both Aunt Em an Uncle Mark wanted to go with us to the hospital to see Susan but they understood when Mom explained the situation. "Susan is in a very delicate state right now and I think it would be best if we give her more time before overwhelming her with too many visitors."
However, I was not happy when Mom asked me to remain at the hotel with my aunt and uncle. Despite protesting, I lost the argument.
After Mom and Charlie left, I stayed in the room with Aunt Em while Uncle Mark went downstairs to get a room. He returned with a bellhop who helped carry their suitcases down the hall to a room exactly like ours.
Although I wasn't hungry, we went downstairs to have lunch.
I spent the first twenty minutes answering questions about how we were handling the media and Susan's hospitalization. Then, Uncle Mark, never one to dance around an issue, dove right in and asked the big one. "I hear you saw your Dad yesterday. What did the son-of-a-bitch have to say for himself?"
Finally, someone asked about my meeting with Dad.
I stirred my cold coffee for several seconds before responding. "To be honest, he didn't say much."
Uncle Mark shook his head. "Typical."
"You are the first person to ask me about my meeting with Dad. Neither Mom nor Charlie has mentioned it. It's as though they don't want to know."
Aunt Em immediately responded. "Martha has been avoiding reality for so long it has to be hard for her to accept she lived with a man capable of murder. I am not at all surprised she doesn't want to know what you talked about."
Aunt Em sat back in her chair and the expression on her face told me she had something important to say. "James, I am worried about Martha. She is doing her best to put on a strong face, but I am afraid it's only a matter of time before she cracks under all the pressure."
I agreed. "Mom wants to speak to the reporters. I don't think it is a good idea. They are all a bunch of vultures and she is no match for them."
Aunt Em shook her head. "Damn. That is the worst thing she could do."
I agreed again. "Don't worry. I'll be there beside her. I'll make sure they keep their distance."
Uncle Mark grinned. "Good for you. If anyone can set those idiots straight, it's you."
With his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his hands, Uncle Mark smiled. "When your Mom gets back, I want to talk to her about taking you and Charlie up to the cabin for a few days."
I disagreed. "No. That's not a good idea. Mom needs me here with her. I don't want to leave her alone."
"She won't be alone. Em is here and I think it would be good for you guys to take a break from all this crap."
Grandpa had a cabin near Arlington, north of Seattle in Snohomish County that he left to Mom and Aunt Em when he died. It was a few miles from the River Meadows Park, near the Stillaguamish River. Over the years, Dad, Charlie and I spent many weekends there fishing and hiking. When Mom and Dad were married, they spent their honeymoon there. I wasn't sure the peace and quiet Uncle Mark was looking for was going to be found in a place that held so many phony memories for Charlie and me.
I knew Uncle Mark meant well and not wanting to offend him, I just smiled and said, "I'll think about it."
Mom and Charlie returned at three-thirty. Mom told us how pleased she was with Susan's progress but also disappointed that Dr. Perez felt it would be several weeks before she could come home.
"He says she is still traumatized and until she talks about her feelings about Dad, he believes she is a time bomb waiting to go off again."
Mom turned to Aunt Em, and with an anxious look on her face, told her she spoke to Mr. Hurley.
"Mr. Douglas, the prosecutor, has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure it's to announce his decision on whether to accept or deny John's offer. The fact that a plea bargain was even in the works is going to upset a lot of people. No one is going to like the idea of John using those poor dead girls to try to save his neck. Even if Mr. Douglas denies his request, a lot of people are going to be angry."
Aunt Em put her arm around Mom. "If he accepts it, Mr. Douglas will probably be out of a job when it comes time for the next election. It's the old, damned if you do and damned if you don't situation."
Mom looked over at me. "Mr. Hurley has scheduled our press conference for five o'clock today. We need to hurry up and get ready."
Mom suddenly began to shake. "I have never been so terrified in my life. I still don't know what I will say."
I gave Mom a hug. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to talk first."
Mom was about to speak, but when our eyes met, she remained silent. She obviously knew this was another argument she wasn't going to win.
"Good heavens Em, how did you know where to find us?" Mom asked as she hugged both enthusiastically.
Aunt Em laughed. "It took quite a bit of persuasion, but Detective MacKinnon was kind enough to give us the name and telephone number of your attorney. Mr. Hurley wanted to call you, but I insisted I wanted it to be a surprise. So, don't you go getting all pissed off at him. You know I'm a formidable presence when I want to be. Besides, we had to wait for him to check us out before he would tell us anything."
Mom smiled. "No, I'm not mad at him. I'm actually glad to see you. I could use the moral support."
Despite Mom's smile and upbeat tone of voice, her eyes conveyed an uncertainty that worried me.
Although they looked alike, that is where the similarities between them ended. Aunt Em was two-years-older than Mom, but looked at least ten-years younger. Unlike Mom, she was a free spirit, spoke her mind, and possessed a sense of humor that insured a room filled with laughter whenever she was present. Neither she nor Uncle Mark had ever bothered to hide their dislike of Dad and, under the current circumstances, I didn't anticipate they would start now.
Both Aunt Em an Uncle Mark wanted to go with us to the hospital to see Susan but they understood when Mom explained the situation. "Susan is in a very delicate state right now and I think it would be best if we give her more time before overwhelming her with too many visitors."
However, I was not happy when Mom asked me to remain at the hotel with my aunt and uncle. Despite protesting, I lost the argument.
After Mom and Charlie left, I stayed in the room with Aunt Em while Uncle Mark went downstairs to get a room. He returned with a bellhop who helped carry their suitcases down the hall to a room exactly like ours.
Although I wasn't hungry, we went downstairs to have lunch.
I spent the first twenty minutes answering questions about how we were handling the media and Susan's hospitalization. Then, Uncle Mark, never one to dance around an issue, dove right in and asked the big one. "I hear you saw your Dad yesterday. What did the son-of-a-bitch have to say for himself?"
Finally, someone asked about my meeting with Dad.
I stirred my cold coffee for several seconds before responding. "To be honest, he didn't say much."
Uncle Mark shook his head. "Typical."
"You are the first person to ask me about my meeting with Dad. Neither Mom nor Charlie has mentioned it. It's as though they don't want to know."
Aunt Em immediately responded. "Martha has been avoiding reality for so long it has to be hard for her to accept she lived with a man capable of murder. I am not at all surprised she doesn't want to know what you talked about."
Aunt Em sat back in her chair and the expression on her face told me she had something important to say. "James, I am worried about Martha. She is doing her best to put on a strong face, but I am afraid it's only a matter of time before she cracks under all the pressure."
I agreed. "Mom wants to speak to the reporters. I don't think it is a good idea. They are all a bunch of vultures and she is no match for them."
Aunt Em shook her head. "Damn. That is the worst thing she could do."
I agreed again. "Don't worry. I'll be there beside her. I'll make sure they keep their distance."
Uncle Mark grinned. "Good for you. If anyone can set those idiots straight, it's you."
With his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his hands, Uncle Mark smiled. "When your Mom gets back, I want to talk to her about taking you and Charlie up to the cabin for a few days."
I disagreed. "No. That's not a good idea. Mom needs me here with her. I don't want to leave her alone."
"She won't be alone. Em is here and I think it would be good for you guys to take a break from all this crap."
Grandpa had a cabin near Arlington, north of Seattle in Snohomish County that he left to Mom and Aunt Em when he died. It was a few miles from the River Meadows Park, near the Stillaguamish River. Over the years, Dad, Charlie and I spent many weekends there fishing and hiking. When Mom and Dad were married, they spent their honeymoon there. I wasn't sure the peace and quiet Uncle Mark was looking for was going to be found in a place that held so many phony memories for Charlie and me.
I knew Uncle Mark meant well and not wanting to offend him, I just smiled and said, "I'll think about it."
Mom and Charlie returned at three-thirty. Mom told us how pleased she was with Susan's progress but also disappointed that Dr. Perez felt it would be several weeks before she could come home.
"He says she is still traumatized and until she talks about her feelings about Dad, he believes she is a time bomb waiting to go off again."
Mom turned to Aunt Em, and with an anxious look on her face, told her she spoke to Mr. Hurley.
"Mr. Douglas, the prosecutor, has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure it's to announce his decision on whether to accept or deny John's offer. The fact that a plea bargain was even in the works is going to upset a lot of people. No one is going to like the idea of John using those poor dead girls to try to save his neck. Even if Mr. Douglas denies his request, a lot of people are going to be angry."
Aunt Em put her arm around Mom. "If he accepts it, Mr. Douglas will probably be out of a job when it comes time for the next election. It's the old, damned if you do and damned if you don't situation."
Mom looked over at me. "Mr. Hurley has scheduled our press conference for five o'clock today. We need to hurry up and get ready."
Mom suddenly began to shake. "I have never been so terrified in my life. I still don't know what I will say."
I gave Mom a hug. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to talk first."
Mom was about to speak, but when our eyes met, she remained silent. She obviously knew this was another argument she wasn't going to win.
 Recognized |
James Mathews is not your typical eighteen-year-old boy. He has an IQ of 190 that not only makes him smarter than most adults he knows, it makes developing friends his own age next to impossible. His photographic memory has turned him into a walking, talking library. Waking one day to discover his father is the infamous Belltown Killer, turns James's life into a living hell. He reluctantly becomes friends with Mac, the lead Detective on the case. Together, they discover more unsolved murders and James is faced with the choice of continuing his search for the truth, or simply turning a blind eye.
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