Tuesday’s Child

Chapter 28

PATTY BUSTLED AROUND IN THE KITCHEN AS SHE PREPARED breakfast. She glanced at the clock; Nick was running late. He should have been there by then. She listened to Sophie’s footsteps overhead as she prepared for the press conference that was to take place at ten o’clock.

She herself had gotten up well over an hour ago. She liked to take an early-morning hour out on her little patio with a cup of coffee as she thought about her day. She’d been surprised the previous evening to get a call from Fox News asking her to represent the network. It was all politics, she knew that. The people at Fox knew she had the inside track with Kala and Sophie, so why not use her. It would be her first job for the network. She knew for a fact because Kala had told her that after the conference, neither she nor Ryan Spenser would be taking questions. That’s where her inside track came in.

Patty turned the bacon in the fry pan. The waffle mix was ready to be poured, and the scrambled eggs were a huge wet lemon color in the bowl just waiting to be poured on the grill. Waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs had always been the favorite meal of Nick, Sophie, and herself.

She looked up to see Nick standing in the doorway. How handsome he looked. He’d really dressed for the occasion in a summer suit, power tie, and sparkling white shirt. His unruly dark hair was slicked back. He looked like the professional he was. She herself was wearing a robe, but she’d applied her makeup earlier after her shower. All she had to do was scoot into the downstairs bathroom and slip into the dress she was wearing to the press conference.

“Hey there! Just in time. I’m making our favorite breakfast. I hope you brought your appetite. You look… wary. What’s wrong?”

Nick sat down gingerly. He shrugged. “You know what they say about expectations? Guess mine weren’t met. Sophie’s different. She was wearing the locket, though.”

“You noticed, huh.” It wasn’t so much a question as a comment. “I think she was just overwhelmed. We didn’t talk or anything after you left. She never came down again, and I just sat down here and watched TV. It wasn’t exactly the reunion I expected, but it’s understandable. Hey, Fox called last night. My first assignment is to cover the press conference. Yeah, I know, it’s all politics, but what the heck. Do you think Sophie will give me an exclusive interview?” She laughed. “Kala and Spenser okayed the exclusive. I heard on the early-morning news that Spenser’s father, Speaker of the House Spenser, is going to be at the conference. Do I hear the words photo op anywhere?” She laughed again.

“We better get moving here. There’s going to be all kinds of traffic this morning.” Patty deftly finished cooking the breakfast and handed a plate to Nick. She looked at her own plate and wondered if she would be able to eat all the food piled on it. Sophie’s plate would stay warm in the oven.

Normally a robust eater, Nick picked at his food while Patty pushed hers around, breaking off little pieces of her waffle, then mashing them into the scrambled eggs until she had a mess on her plate. There was no way she was going to eat any of it. Why, she wondered, had she even bothered to go to all the trouble?

I’m trying to hold on to something that is slipping from my grasp, she thought. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought Nick was thinking the same thing. She knew him so well.

Sophie stood in the kitchen doorway, Sula at her side. Patty was stunned at how beautiful her friend looked. “Good morning, my two favorite people in the whole world,” she gushed as she walked over to the door to let Sula out. “Ah, our favorite breakfast from the old days. I hate to tell you this, Patty, but I don’t eat like that anymore. I think prison ruined my stomach. Then when I was in Hawaii, I had to learn to eat healthy, but I appreciate the thought and effort.

“Nick, how handsome you look,” Sophie said as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. She walked around the table and did the same thing to Patty.

“How-how did you sleep, Sophie?” Nick asked.

“So-so. I kept thinking about all the things I have to cram into five days. I slept soundly toward morning. I’ll just have juice and coffee, Patty,” Sophie said, sitting down at her place setting.

I’ll just have juice and coffee. A devil perched itself on Patty’s shoulder. She pointed to the coffeepot and the fridge. “Help yourself. I just have orange juice.”

“Really! I’m now addicted to pineapple juice. That’s okay. You couldn’t know that, Patty. I’ll just have coffee.”

Well, you’re going to die of thirst if you think I’m going to get up and pour it for you, Patty thought. She did get up and head toward the downstairs bathroom. “I’m going to get dressed and head out. Nick will drive you to the courthouse. Don’t worry about cleaning up, my day lady comes in today.”

“Ooooh, you have come up in the world, haven’t you? A day lady!” Sophie trilled. She made it sound like a day lady was the next thing to the queen’s cleaning Patty’s little house.

Patty wished she could wipe the sappy look off Nick’s face. She shut the bathroom door with a little more force than was necessary. She was seething and didn’t know why.

In the kitchen, when Sophie realized no one was going to pour her a cup of coffee, she got up and did it herself. She touched Nick’s shoulder, and said, “So, Nick, how are things going? I know we spoke on the phone that day, but we were all so wired up all we did was reminisce. Tell me about yourself, because there’s nothing I can tell you about me. I’m like some kind of open freaky book.”

“A rich one,” Nick said.

“That, too. That just boggles my mind. They said on the news that you were going to have your other hip done. Is that true?”

Nick thought she sounded like she cared. “It’s true, but I still have a lot of therapy to go on the one that’s been replaced. My golfing career is over, that’s for sure. Some of my endorsements are sticking with me. Then there’s product out there with my name on it. That stays in place.

“I see you’re still wearing that locket I gave you.”

“It’s my most treasured possession. Linda mailed my meager belongings to me. I put it on right away. It almost makes me feel whole again. Do you have any idea what that means to me?”

Nick nodded. “About Jon,” he said, changing the subject. “Are you okay with that?”

“Good Lord, no. I cried all night. That was one of the reasons I couldn’t sleep. I really don’t want to talk about Jon now. I’ll grieve when I have more time.”

I’ll grieve when I have more time. Nick’s eyes burned the way they always burned when he thought of his lifelong friend. “We probably should be going now,” he said. “If you’re ready,” he said coolly. He was surprised at how calm and collected his voice was. “You can’t bring the dog. You know that, right?”

“No, I didn’t know that, but it’s okay. Sula won’t destroy Patty’s little house. You know, Nick, I used to be in love with you. I dreamed about you all the time. When I was in prison, when all hope was gone of ever seeing you again, the dreams became so intense they actually allowed me to talk to a shrink. It helped a little. Unrequited love is a terrible thing, you know.”

Nick felt his insides start to crumble. He hoped his voice was as light as he wanted, but he knew he failed miserably. “Does that mean you no longer love me?”

“Oh, you silly, you! Of course I love you. Like my brother, like Patty as my sister.”

Thank God she hadn’t asked him what his feelings were. Instead of responding to Sophie’s explanation, Nick walked over to the bathroom door, and said, “We’re leaving now, Patty.”

The door opened, and Patty stepped out. “Whoa!” Nick whistled. “You look… spectacular! First day on the job for Fox, and you are going to be the star.”

Patty laughed as she smoothed down her dress. She did look good in a wholesome next-door kind of way. “Bet you say that to all the girls! Jed loves this dress. He said it’s me. Today, Kala and Spenser are the stars. No pun intended. I’m just going to do the reporting. You guys go ahead. I’m meeting Kala and Spenser before the press conference. Good luck, Sophie!”

“Thanks, Patty. Nick’s right, you look gorgeous! By the way, are we still going to go to the Star mansion today?”

“If you want to.” Patty’s phone took that moment to ring. She reached for it on the counter, clicked on, and said, “Hi.” She listened, her eyebrows almost shooting up to her hairline. “No kidding! And it was there all this time!” She continued to listen, then she frowned. “Gotcha! I’m leaving the house now. So are Nick and Sophie. See ya.”

“What happened?” Nick asked.

“Kala found Audrey Star’s last journal. It was in the mail sack I picked up over a week ago, along with Ben’s mail. She didn’t go through it till last night. She said she called Spenser, and he came over, and they went through it word for word, page by page. Where Audrey Star stopped writing, Adam started to write. I guess he wrote right up until he died. Kala said they were up all night. Listen, I gotta run. I’ll see you at the courthouse. Drive carefully, Nick.”

“Yes, Mother,” Nick drawled.

Patty laughed as she raced out the door.

Nick held the door open for Sophie. “Do you want me to put the top up?”

“That would be nice,” Sophie said, settling herself in the passenger side of the car. “What does all that mean, Nick?”

“You mean about finding the journal?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know. Patty didn’t say. She was excited, though. It takes a lot to get Patty excited. You must remember that about her. I assume it’s all good.”

“I wonder why Kala didn’t call last night to tell me. This is all about me, and I have to find out this way, fourth-hand almost. Don’t you agree, Nick?”

“I don’t know. It can’t be bad, so it has to be good. For you. I’m assuming all the unanswered questions are going to be answered.”

There was an anxiousness in Sophie’s voice Nick hadn’t heard before. “Are you worried?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” Sophie said coolly.

“Actually, no.” Nick took his eyes off the busy highway just long enough to stare at Sophie. She looked… angry? Scared? “By the way, you look really pretty, Sophie. I meant to tell you that back at Patty’s, but then she got that call.”

“I haven’t changed, Nick. I just got a haircut and a suntan. Oh, and a dog.” She laughed, but the laughter sounded forced to Nick. “How long do you think the press conference will be?”

“Those things are usually no more than fifteen minutes, if that. I’m sure Spenser and Kala will be reading from a statement. They aren’t going to take any questions. I guess you’re just going to stand there so all of Atlanta can see you. I really don’t know too much about how these legal things work. I’m speaking from an entertainment/sports perspective. I know that I personally hate them.”

“I thought I was going to be interviewed.”

“You are. Patty has the exclusive. You’re part of the package.”

“Part of the package? Is that what you said?” Sophie hissed.

“Maybe that was a poor choice of words. I wouldn’t worry, Kala has done well by you up until now, and there’s no reason to think she won’t continue to do so.”

“Don’t forget how well paid she is, or the firm,” Sophie hissed again.

“Since when did you become so money driven?”

“That’s not it, Nick, and you know it. I just think I should have been consulted, and I shouldn’t have had to hear all this from you. Not even Patty, who didn’t really say anything except that Kala found Mrs. Star’s journal. Something’s not right,” Sophie sniffed.

Now that what he thought of as his love life was in shambles, Nick was never so glad to park his car and get out. It took him several minutes to work the stiffness out of his hip and legs. Minutes too long for Sophie, who got out of the car and walked around to where Nick was wincing with pain. “Work through it, Nick. Don’t let the pain win. I learned that in prison. It actually works. You have to shift to a neutral zone and work from there.”

“This is physical pain, Sophie, not mental pain. There’s a difference.”

“No, there isn’t. Pain is pain. Mental pain can be ten times worse than physical pain. I’m the living proof.”

Satisfied that he’d worked out the kinks, Nick led the way to the elevator. He pressed the button, then stepped aside for Sophie to enter. She offered up what he thought of as a million-dollar smile. He stretched his own facial muscles into something that resembled a smile. They rode up the elevator in silence.

Standing in the hallway when they exited the elevator were the members of Camp Aulani and Ryan Spenser.

Nick hung back until Patty walked over to him. Inched her way was more like it, he thought. “What the hell is going on here?” he whispered. “I was expecting… not exactly a party atmosphere but something close to it. Why is everyone looking so damn serious? What was in that journal, Patty? By the way, Sophie doesn’t love me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Patty said.

Nick stiffened. “What exactly does that mean, Patty?”

“It means Sophie has kicked us to the curb. We aren’t kids or young adults anymore. Well, you and I are, but Sophie has not joined our two-man admiration club. She’s moved on. Don’t you get it? We’re the past, we’re bad memories now, and Jon is gone. Sophie has a new life now. You tell me where you think either one of us fits in to that new life of hers.”

“She said she’ll grieve for Jon when she has more time,” Nick said in a choked voice.

Patty threw her arms around Nick and whispered in his ear, “Don’t take it so hard. You still have me, Nick, and we both have Jon and all our memories-the good ones and now some that aren’t so good.”

Patty gave Nick an extrahard squeeze until he said “Uncle.” “I have to go now,” she said. “I belong out there with the press. Catch you later.”

“This feels like a funeral procession,” Nick said to no one in particular.

“You can say that again,” Jay said. Linda nodded in agreement.

Then they were all outside in the bright sunshine. Spenser, seeing how large the crowd of media was, knew that there was no room inside that could hold everyone. It had been his decision to move it all outside, and they were running twenty minutes late, not that anyone was complaining, as a small podium had to be erected along with several miles of cable.

Spenser took the lead at Kala’s insistence. Even though the sun was blinding, he removed his sunglasses, as did Kala. Everyone else kept theirs on.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming. Miss Aulani and I have a joint statement to make. We will not be taking any questions, but in several hours we’ll have a press release for you at the Aulani law firm. Or we can fax it to you, it’s your choice. Right now, we’d both like to introduce you to Sophie Lee.” Sophie stepped forward, smiled a little-girl smile, then stepped back to take her place between Spenser and Kala.

“Last night, Mr. Spenser and I found Audrey Star’s last journal,” Kala began. “We spent the entire night going through it. But before I get into that, I want to assure all of you, and all the lawyers out there who tried cases against Mr. Spenser, and still might think there were irregularities in some of those cases. You are wrong. We hired investigators who dissected each and every case. There was no wrongdoing on Mr. Spenser’s part whatsoever. All of you out there vilified this man to sell papers, to get headlines. You ruined his life. A life he dedicated to this city. I say shame on all of you.

“What we learned from Audrey Star’s last journal is this. Audrey and her husband had a suicide pact, but Mr. Star, or Mr. Clements, whatever you prefer to call him, changed his mind. Audrey Star committed suicide. You will all be given copies of the journal once we finish with it.”

It was Spenser’s turn again. “Mr. Star’s confession to killing his wife to free Sophie Lee was something none of us contemplated. He wanted to die without the world knowing his wife committed suicide because she was mentally challenged. In the end, whether Audrey Star committed suicide or her husband killed her, Sophie Lee was wrongly imprisoned. All we hope for now is that Sophie Lee can get on with her life with the assistance the state of Georgia will give her for wrongly imprisoning her. That’s it, ladies and gentlemen.”

Spenser turned aside to let Kala and Sophie go ahead of him. They all ignored the shouted questions from the media.

Inside, they all fled to a room Spenser had had the good sense to prepare before the conference. There was a huge urn of coffee and a plate of pastries sitting in the middle of the table. No one said a word.

“You did well out there, honey,” Ben whispered in her ear. He turned to shake Spenser’s hand. “You were just as good, son.”

“Can I see the journal?” Sophie asked.

“Afraid not, Sophie. It’s evidence,” Kala said.

“Are you certain it’s Mrs. Star’s journal?” she asked.

“We’re positive. We compared the handwriting to all the other journals. There is not one scintilla of doubt.”

“I would have thought you’d want me to authenticate it since I saw it,” Sophie said.

“It wasn’t necessary, Sophie. You are free now to do whatever you want. You don’t have to stay hidden. In a few days, people won’t remember who you are or what happened. Your life will be whatever you want it to be. You just have to do the interview with Patty, and you can be on your way. We’ll say good-bye now. I wish you well. When you finally locate somewhere permanent, advise me, so I can forward all the estate papers you’ll need to sign and go through. We’re making great headway, and should wrap it all up in a few weeks.”

Tears rolled down Sophie’s cheeks. “I don’t know how to thank you, Kala. The words don’t seem to be enough. I wish there was something I could do for you. If there is, just tell me.”

Kala smiled. “I just did my job the way Ryan did his job. It’s over now. I don’t like to dwell in the past. Have a good life, Sophie.”

Everyone hugged, shook hands, or kissed each other. Finally, the only two people left in the room were Patty and Sophie.

“Let’s get to it, Sophie,” Patty said, switching on her recorder.

Back outside in the hallway Kala spotted the Speaker of the House at the same time Spenser did.

“Oh, shit!” Spenser said. “He never misses a photo op. Wait for me, Kala.”

Kala and Ben watched as Spenser walked over to his father. They shook hands. They said a few words, and Spenser was back at their side, a stricken expression on his face.

Suddenly, red-hot rage coursed through Kala. She excused herself and told Spenser and Ben to wait outside for her. She literally ran down the hall, calling out, “Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, can I talk to you for a minute in private?”

“Certainly, Ms. Aulani. Do you have something to say to me?”

“Damn straight I do, Mr. Speaker, and I sure hope to hell you’re man enough to hear me out.”

The Speaker heard her out, his face draining of all color when Kala said, “You don’t deserve a son like Ryan. Didn’t you ever wonder, even once, why he never called you ‘Dad’? Because you don’t deserve that title, that’s why. You have to earn it. I personally don’t give two hoots in hell what you do in Washington, DC. But I do care about what you do here in my home state with my friend Ryan. You are a loser in every sense of the word. That’s all I have to say. Enjoy your trip back to Washington, and I hope this little photo op was all you wanted it to be.”

Kala turned around and hurried to the exit where Ben and Spenser were waiting for her. “What did you want to talk to my father about?” Spenser asked.

“I wanted to tell him he isn’t as photogenic as he thinks he is.”

Spenser laughed as they made their way down the courthouse steps. “Where are we going?” he finally asked.

“Back to my office. There’s one more bottle of champagne we need to drink, then Ben and I are going home. We have a wedding to get ready for.”

“I hope I’m invited,” Spenser said.

“Now that you bring that up, Spenser, I was waiting for just the right moment to ask you if you’d be my best man. Kala and I would like that very much.”

Spenser’s smile rivaled the sun. “I don’t know what to say. Yes, of course. I’m honored, I’m flattered. I can’t wait.”

“I want you to give me away, Spenser. I need to tell you, though, you are my second choice. I asked Jay, and he adamantly refused. He said he wasn’t giving me away to anyone.”

Spenser swallowed hard. “I can do that, too, Kala. I really can. I don’t mind being second choice.”

“Okay, then, let’s go celebrate.”

Two hours later, the minicelebration was over. Spenser was gone, and Ben went to get the car. Kala’s things were packed up once more. This was her final exit from the Aulani law firm.

“So, you’re finally getting out of our hair, eh?” Jay said.

“You finally got something right. And I’m not coming back. You need me, call me at home. Home as in Hawaii. Ben and I are outta here first thing in the morning. Get that damned will probated so I can cut all my ties with the Star estate. And do not, I repeat, do not call me for anything frivolous, like you miss me.”

“It won’t happen. Have a safe trip. See ya at your wedding unless you chicken out.”

“No chance.”

“Well then, this is good-bye.” They hugged, but this time there were no tears. Sadness, yes.

The console on Kala’s desk buzzed. She pressed the button as she waved to Jay.

“Sophie Lee is here, Kala,” Linda said.

“Tell her to come on back.”

“Damn,” was all Kala could mutter under her breath.

“Can’t get enough of this place, is that it?” Kala said by way of a greeting. She watched as Sophie closed the door behind her. “Is something wrong, Sophie?”

“No. I did the interview. Patty said it went well. I left my itinerary here last night. In all the excitement, I guess I just forgot it. The receptionist gave it to me. I guess I wanted to say good-bye one last time.”

“I hope it is the last time, Sophie.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Kala.”

“You killed Audrey Star, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Kala, I killed Audrey Star. When Adam wouldn’t go through with their suicide pact, she begged me to do it. I couldn’t say no. I didn’t tell you because it was only a few years after Dr. Kevorkian had been sentenced to a long prison term for second-degree murder, and I didn’t think Spenser really had enough evidence to convince a jury I was guilty of anything. Turns out I was wrong about his persuasive powers. Or maybe it was just luck.

“Either way, I broke the law to do what I thought was right and what Mrs. Star wanted done. And the law took its pound of flesh, ten years of my life. If what I did makes me a bad person in your eyes, then I’m sorry about that.”

Sophie tucked her itinerary into her purse. “But there’s one thing I’m not sorry about-attorney-client privilege.”

“Sophie?”

“Yes!”

“Have you forgotten something?”

“What’s that, Kala?”

“TODAY IS NOT TUESDAY!

“Okay, people, showtime!” Kala said in a neutral-sounding voice.