19 comments/ 87517 views/ 8 favorites Reconnection By: gymmyt **This is a 100% true story, as told to me by a friend of mine after it happened. The events unfolded the same way, the names have been changed to protect the innocent** Logan Hartlay grew up in Dallas, TX and for the first seven years of his life, he lived with his father and grandparents in Highland Park, a suburb of the city that is known for its money. Highland Park residents are what are known as "Old Money". They have been rich for generations and will be rich for generations to come. Logan's grandparents were no different, living in a veritable mansion, servants, nannies (Logan had 3 growing up!), and they spoiled their only son, Erich, to no end, mostly due to several miscarriages early on in their marriage and doctors from all over the world telling them that a baby was not in their future, so, when Erich came along, as you can imagine, he was the toast of the family. As Erich got older, he developed a pretty wild streak, wasting no opportunity to rebel against his parents, and when he chose a girlfriend, she was no different. Sadie was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. She was from a very poor family, and Erich's parents strongly disapproved of her. Strongly disapproved was an understatement. She did not have the right "blood-lines" they told Erich, and the more that they tried to stop him from seeing her, the more that he would sneak out for trysts with his teenaged lover. For Sadie, Erich was a possible escape from what she thought was Hell. A drunken, jobless father, a mother who blatantly flaunted her infidelity, all living in a trailer on the outskirts of their town, which sat about 15 miles outside of Dallas. Sadie learned early on that she had to use her sexuality in order to get what she wanted, and she certainly did not lack in the sexuality department. When she was just 13 years old, Sadie was a large C cup with a round ass and could get into bars and not get ID'd, she looked well over 21 when she applied make-up and wore her mother's slinkiest dresses, which she did quite often. Fate brought them together during a high school football game, and at halftime of that game, not an hour after they had met, Sadie had Erich's virginity in her back pocket and he wrapped around her finger. Sadie really began to worry Erich's parents as she began to exude very strange tendencies over the several months that they were together. She would call, then just hang up the phone, so much that they changed their phone number twice, she would drive her Dad's beat up old Buick by the house at all hours of the night and just park out front of their house for hours. The police were dispatched by his parents house many, many times in order to shoo her away, but that just made Erich try to be with her more and more. Then, the worst happened. Erich informed his parents that Sadie was pregnant. Erich Hartlay's parents begged and pleaded for Sadie to get an abortion, to no avail. Sadie was 15, and Erich 16, and for their son to have a baby at his age was an affront to their posh lifestyle and haughty circle of friends. The baby, a healthy 7lb, 6oz boy, came in July, and Erich's parents paid for Sadie to have the baby out of town, sequestered in a small town where no one knew who they were. Then, the unthinkable happened. Sadie disappeared. The nurses brought the bouncing baby, whom Erich and Sadie had named Logan, in for his morning feeding, and found an empty hospital bed. A search of the room found that she had taken whatever belongings that she had with her and was gone. Calls to her home found a disconnected phone, her family claimed to have not seen her back at their trailer. Sadie had just disappeared. With the help of his parents, Erich raised Logan to be a fine young man. Erich completed school, graduated college and landed a high paying job with a consulting firm in Dallas. Erich also raised Logan with strong ideals. Rebekkah became Logan's step-mom when he was 7 years old, and he loved her. She was the best thing to ever happen to both Erich and Logan. She filled the role of mother to Logan quite nicely, and when Logan became big brother to Andie when he was nine, Katie a year later and his little brother, Mackenzie (Mack) when he was twelve, Rebekkah never did change her attitude towards him, Logan called her "Mom" and meant it, and she referred to him as her son, and she meant that. Logan got great grades in school and was a four sport letterman. While most of his friends in high school drove expensive imports to school and carried no-limit credit cards, Logan earned his money working at the local grocery store and although Dad provided a car for him, it wasn't a BMW or Mercedes like his buddies' cars, but that never bothered him, he and his Dad were best friends and he never lacked for anything, plus he knew that his Dad was looking out for him. Probably the best and proudest moment of Erich Hartlay's life was when his oldest son accepted a full scholarship to the University of Texas, located in Austin, TX and then went on to graduate SMU School of Law. Logan graduated near the top of his class and there was a bidding war amongst law firms in order to get this hot-shot attorney in their fold. Logan joined a major law firm in Dallas and began practicing his specialty, Divorce. The phone rang late in the evening and Logan got up to answer it. "Hello?" "Hey, buddy," It was Logan's dad, "What are you doing?" "Getting ready to hit the sack," Logan replied, "I've got a soccer game early tomorrow, and I worked far too many hours today!" "Well, your Grammy brought over a letter for you that I think that you really need to see, can you come after your game tomorrow?" "Dad, this is pretty lame attempt at getting me to your house," Logan exclaimed, "I told you that I don't want y'all doing anything special for my birthday tomorrow!" "No, son," The tone in his voice told Logan that he was serious; "There really IS a letter for you, no return address, nothing. You'd think that it is top-secret government documents the way that Grammy is acting!" Logan chuckled into the phone, his grandmother always steered herself to the melodramatic. "Alright, old man," Logan sighed, "I'll be there tomorrow after the game." "Great, Loge, do two things for me." Erich asked. "Sure, Pops, what?" "Your sisters and brother are really excited about your 26th birthday and have something special planned, so act surprised, and two, make sure that you bring over that new girl of yours!" Logan's father added the last bit of his sentence in a lecherous tone. "Freakin' pervert!" Logan exclaimed, then his voice dropped to a whisper, "Dad, I'll make sure that she wears a really, really tight shirt!" Logan hung up the phone to his father's roars of laughter. "Who was that?" A voice from behind him came. Logan turned to the voice. Melinda was the latest in a long line of girls that Logan brought through his loft apartment. The difference, Logan feared, was that he was really starting to like her, maybe even that dreaded "L" word! She and Logan had been together about three months and she practically lived with him, ever since he fell for her when she was hired by the firm in the corporate law department. Melinda also was an attorney, and an SMU Law grad. He loved the way that she looked, Melinda was 5'9" tall, weighed about 120lbs, long, straight blonde hair (the carpet matches the drapes), full, natural 'D's, with the most sensitive pink areolas capped by corn kernel size nipples that would send her into a frenzy just when Logan blew onto them. She was shaved, save for a blonde landing strip, and her frequent work-outs kept her stomach flat, and her body was just the right amount of muscular. Logan whistled lustily as he took her in. Melinda was leaning against the door to the bedroom, wearing her panties and one of Logan's dress shirts, open in the front to expose her round cleavage and flat stomach. Logan felt a twinge in his boxers as his cock leapt to life. "Dad." Logan said. "He was telling me how he wanted to cover you in peanut butter and pretend that he was a cracker and scoop you all up!" Melinda's left hand moved to her breast and she tweaked her exposed nipple while her right hand rubbed her pussy over the top of her panties. "Does Daddy want to play with Me-lin-da?" She said in her most incredibly sexy pouty voice. Logan stripped off his boxers and his thick; nine inch tool nearly hit him in the stomach. Hunter stands 6'2", and weighs in at 195lbs. Hard workouts in the gym five days a week, soccer four days a week and at least 30 miles a week of jogging makes him look like he was carved out of stone as every muscle in his body is clearly defined. Melinda drove Logan crazy and his cock throbbed in anticipation. Melinda dropped the shirt that she was wearing, and slowly pulled her panties down, teasing Logan. "Are you going to..come...here, loverboy?" Melinda cooed as her hands rubbed all over her body and through her hair. She slowly walked to him and gently pushed him down on the couch in the living room. Melinda grabbed Logan's hand and placed it on his own swollen cock. "I love to watch you play with your self!" She whispered in his ear as she controlled the tempo of his masturbation. While Logan was slowly sliding his hand up and down his long shaft, Melinda padded to the stereo and turned it on, putting on a CD that she liked. Melinda turned back to Logan when she was satisfied with her selection and began a slow seductive dance, teasing him. She would grab his free hand and bring it to her breasts, then push it away. Melinda turned her back to him, and showed her fat pussy lips to him, but would scurry out of arms length when he would touch her. All of the while, Logan slowly stroked away at his massive cock. Melinda then knelt between his legs and began to nibble on his thighs, and then lovingly lick his skin as she came closer and closer to his heavy balls. With her hand, Melinda moved his nut sack up and began to lick at his asshole, slowly at first, and then she plunged her tongue into his ass and wildly sucked at his sphincter ring. Melinda's hand replaced Logan's own on his cock and she increased the tempo of her masturbation of him. She leaned up and took his cock head into her mouth and ran her tongue around it. Logan groaned in ecstasy. He had been the recipient of thousands of blow-jobs, but this girl here was the absolute best that he had ever had, noisy, sloppy wet, just perfect. Melinda tickled Logan's balls with her right hand, jacked him off with her left hand while sucking away at his cock with her gorgeous mouth. Not one inch of his cock wasn't dripping with her saliva and soon he began to feel the boiling in his balls. Melinda seemed to feel this herself and got up and straddled him, her back to him, and lowered herself onto him until her pussy engulfed his raging hard-on. Slowly she began to rock up and down, but very soon, she was raising herself until the head of his cock was nearly completely exposed and then she would ram down on his shaft until he was buried to the hilt in her dripping wet honey-hole. Melinda ripped into a monster orgasm as she rode Logan cowboy style. Her shrieks were loud and he could not hold on much longer as Melinda ground down onto his meat-pole and gyrated her hips up and down and in circles. Logan gripped her hips and began thrusting into her in earnest as he felt his own load approaching the point of no return. Melinda timed it perfectly, and as he began to wail in ecstasy, she dismounted his huge penis and turned to him and choked down all but an inch or so of his rigid penis into her hungry mouth. Logan lost control as he watched his girlfriend engulf his cock; slick and dripping with her own love juices, and wildly bob up and down on it. Melinda's eyes met his as he shot a long, thick stream of cum right down her throat. Logan felt like he would not stop coming as he shot jet after jet of hot love juice into her mouth and down her throat. Melinda's eyes never left Logan's as she fought to down every last drop of her man's choad. A stream of cum dribbled down his shaft as he rode the final waves of his monster orgasm. Melinda continued to suck his cock, cleaning his penis of all of her pussy juice and cum that she could not swallow. Finally, she pulled his rod from her mouth with an audible pop, kissed him on the forehead, and told Logan to hurry up and get to bed for round two. Logan grinned as he felt his cock twitch back to life as he watched her walk toward the bedroom, her delicious little hard muscled ass swaying back and forth. Logan pulled his Toyota LandCruiser into his Dad's driveway the next day. Although only mid-morning, it was nearly 90 degrees and sweltering. July in Texas is brutal, and this summer was no different, almost two full weeks of 100+ temps every day. The front door burst open and Rebekkah came out, smiling and waving, ushering them into the house. Rebekkah was Logan's Dad's age, 42, and looked fifteen years younger. She was about 5'5", with curly strawberry blonde hair that hung down to the middle of her back, she and Erich were avidly into fitness and Rebekkah's appearance showed it. She wore a form fitting, pale blue, simple polo shirt with a short tennis skirt that showed off her firm thighs and her feet were bare. Rebekkah had taken a quick liking to Melinda and the two of them already had there heads together, giggling like school girls as they made their way up the walk. Melinda had on her typical summer attire, flip-flops and tiny shorts, with a spaghetti strap tank top that accentuated her big breasts. "LO-OO-GG-AN!!!" A voice shrilly screamed as he walked into the foyer. He turned to the voice just as he saw his oldest sister, Andie, launch herself at him. "OOF!" He gasped as he caught his sister and she wrapped her legs around his waist and covered his cheeks in play kisses. "Whoa!" Logan exclaimed as his other sister, Katie, jumped on his back and began planting wet smooches on his other cheek. After a round of hugs and a handshake from his father, Logan asked what everyone was so excited about. "Happy Birthday!!" Both girls shouted in unison, and they each grabbed one of his hands and led him into the families' dining room. Logan's family had decorated the room with streamers and balloons. Logan's little brother was lighting the last of the candles as he walked into the room, a huge grin on his face. Logan's' grandparents were there, as well as some of the neighbors, and several of his sisters' friends. They all broke into a rather off key, if not enthusiastic rendition of the birthday song. Everyone had a gift for Logan, and he made the rounds to ever person there, thanking them for coming, oohing and aahing at their gift for him. "Come her, boy, and give Grammy a kiss!" Logan's Grammy and Grandpa sat in the great chairs that were arranged around the room. She was still beautiful, and, of course, dressed like the stereotypical Dallas socialite. Hair piled on top of her head, big, dangling earrings, heavy make-up, even heavier perfume, rings on every finger. "Well, don't forget your letter." She whispered to him, "There isn't even a return address!" Grammy sniffed, turning her nose into the air. Logan kissed her on the cheek and gave her a big hug. "Grub's on, pool's wet!" Erich yelled from the patio. "DAD! Where is that letter?" Logan yelled to his father. Erich gestured to the kitchen. Logan grabbed a letter from the counter in the kitchen and examined it closely. It was carefully written in a woman's hand, addressed to him at his grandparents' house, no return address. Logan looked around, feeling antsy, and chastised himself for feeling that way. With trembling hands, he slowly tore open the letter. Logan took a deep breath and looked outside at the pool area. His oldest sister, Andie, who was well on her way to being an absolutely stunning young lady, had invited several of her girlfriends over and they were lying on the pool chairs, sunning themselves. Katie, his mom and Melinda were chatting by the BBQ grill while Dad turned some burgers. Melinda had changed into one of Rebekkah's suits, a hot pink bikini that showed off her golden tan. The top was way too small, as her big tits nearly spilled out of the top and sides, straining the fabric. She definitely was getting attention, all heads were turning as she and Katie took a seat next to Andie and her friends and began to hand out plates of food. Out of the corner of Logan's eye, he saw his mom playfully swat his dad on the arm as he was watching Melinda's nearly naked ass, the material of the swim suit barely covering her buns. Erich grinned and shrugged, giving Logan's mom a kiss on the cheek. Mack, the comedian of the family, was entertaining his grandparents and some of the neighbors with some story. Logan could see them laughing as Mack flailed his arms about. Logan inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly as he concentrated fully on the letter, he was chastising himself for feeling the trepidation that he felt, but he couldn't help it. Inside the envelope was a piece of paper that looked like it had been printed from a color printer. Balloons adorned the top and bottom portion of the paper, framing the middle of the white page. In the center was written: I was never there, but I never missed one of your birthdays! Contact me @ *******@aol.com That was it. Nothing else. Logan knew immediately that it was his real mother, trying to get in touch with him after all of these years. He shoved the letter into his soccer bag and went out to the pool. Grammy waved him over to her side. "What was in the letter?" She asked. "One of my old college buddies," Logan lied, "He just knew my old address and sent me a birthday card, that's all, Gram." Logan made his way to his Dad's side as he put a second burger on a plate and handed it to his son. "You shouldn't fib, Loge." "That obvious, Dad?" Logan asked. "Y'wanna talk about it?" "I am 99% sure that it was her, Dad." Logan told his father the contents of the letter. "The biological?" That was the reference that the two of them used when referring to Logan's real mother. Logan's Dad said this in almost a whisper. Erich had a very difficult time getting over Sadie after she disappeared. Logan knew all of this, and never brought up the subject of his real mother. "What are you going to do?" Erich asked. "Well, I don't want to hurt Mom, and I don't want Grammy to have a heart attack!" Logan sighed. "I don't know, Pops, I guess that I have some thinking to do!" "Daddy!" Andie's voice interrupted any further discussion that they had on the subject. "It's hot; can we all go in and watch some movies?" "Sure, baby," Erich stated, putting an arm around his oldest girl and kissing the top of her head, "In fact, as hot as it is, I think it is a good idea for all of us to do so." "Logan, you can sit by me!" One of Andie's girlfriends piped up. "No, Logan, sit by me!" Another added. "Mr. Hartlay, I'll save you a seat!" The girls giggled and ran off, with little snippets of Andie's friends telling her that her brother and her father were 'sooooo' cute floating on the air. Logan and his father looked at each other and laughed. The letter subject was not brought up again as the Birthday Party spent the rest of the afternoon in the media room, watching movies on the big screen TV, and eating popcorn. Later on that evening, Erich and Rebekkah were picking up the final traces of the birthday bash and cleaning the patio area. "Wow," Rebekkah groaned, lifting her arms over her head and stretching hard. "I am really tired." "Well, I was hoping for a whirl in the hot tub, my sweetie." Erich said, eyeing her lustfully. Reconnection This story is about a young man's homecoming to confront a painfully failed relationship. The events, places and people are nothing more than a product of my imagination. There is no SEAL Team 12. To make my character a part of a real SEAL Team would serve to dishonor these brave men for their sacrifices and their accomplishments. I hope you like my story and accept it for what it is - just a story with a happy ending. * I first met Charlene Thomas the summer between third and fourth grade. Her parents moved next door into Mrs. Williamson's house after she moved to Oregon to live with her daughter. We were not only neighbors, we were best friends. Walking to school every day we talked about all the things that are important to kids that age. We shared everything from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the measles. The elementary school and junior high school years flew by in the blink of an eye. Charlene, actually everyone called her Charlie, was my first date. We went to a dance celebrating the end of junior high school together. My dad drove us and her dad picked us up. It was the night I got my first boyfriend-girlfriend kiss from her. When Charlie entered high school she really blossomed. She changed from the cute little brown haired girl into a beautiful brown haired woman. Oh, by the way, my name is Evan, Evan Douglas and I changed too. Going from a short, pudgy little guy to a tall and lanky one. Charlie played volleyball and was on the school's swimming team. I was on the cross-country and track teams. I never missed a volleyball game or swim meet and she came to all of my cross-country and track meets. We did everything together, movies, dances, picnics, everything. Charlie and I were inseparable right up to last semester of our senior year. It wasn't a matter of 'what' as it was 'who' broke us up. Brent Toney moved into town and moved me out of Charlie's life. He had everything that I didn't, good looks, money, a fancy car and was one of the captains of the football team. There were two things I had that he didn't. Honor and morals. He was not only a liar, he was also a cheat. Word out was he used girls and then discarded them after growing tired of their 'charms'. When he set his sights on Charlie there wasn't much I could do to stop him. I tried to warn her but she wouldn't listen. Ever since we entered high school Charlie and I promised to attend the Senior Prom together. A week before the big event I asked Charlie what she was wearing so I could get a tux and corsage to complement her dress. She looked at me, with a glimmer of sadness in her eyes, and said. "Evan, I'm going to the prom with Brent. Why don't you ask Mary Beth Simmons? I know she doesn't have a date." I didn't ask Mary Beth. I didn't go to the Prom. I didn't march with my graduating class either. Since we crossed the stage in alphabetical order I couldn't stand the thought of watching Charlie with Brent Toney, a step behind her, receive their diplomas. I went to see the principal the morning of the Prom. Since I had completed all the requirements for my diploma I was able to pick it up early. When he asked me why I wasn't going to participate in the ceremony I just said it was for personal reasons. Then I went to the Navy Recruiter's Office and enlisted. Mom and Dad were a little unhappy with my decision to say the least. Dad always wanted me to go to college and then take over the family's business. When they asked me how Charlie felt about all of this I told them what she had done to me. Then they understood. They still weren't happy with my decision, but it was my decision. The morning of my high school graduation I left for Great Lakes Naval Training Center for Basic Training (Boot Camp). I didn't speak to Charlie for six years. Boot camp was an experience I'll not soon forget. I learned that were three ways of doing things. The wrong way, the right way and the Navy way. Keep your ears open, your mouth shut, do as you are told and you'll get along just fine. Mom and Dad drove up to see me graduate. I was named the 'Honor Academic Recruit' for the entire division. They were proud and really happy to be there, having missed my high school graduation ceremony. After a short leave, spent with Mom and Dad wandering around Chicago, I was flown to my 'A' School at the Center for Security Forces in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The time spent there was not as intense as Basic Training. We were given time away from our studies to do what ever we wanted. While there I decided to take some additional college level courses in criminal investigation and continued with them after I left, eventually earning a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice a few years later. While at 'A' School Mom wrote me that Charlie was pregnant. I wrote back and told Mom please not to speak or write to me again about Charlie. I loved Charlie but, clearly, she didn't share my feelings. I did receive another letter some time later from Mom telling me Charlie had lost her baby. I wrote back reminding her not to write or speak to me about Charlie. After finishing 'A' School I was assigned to the Naval Base in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. I spent a full year there before applying for BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal Training) and was selected. BUD/S training is conducted at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California. It was the most physically and mentally challenging twenty-four weeks of my life. I made it through and was assigned to SEAL Team 12 which at the time was stationed in Little Creek, Virginia, so I traveled back across the country once more. While stationed there I met and dated a lot of pretty girls, but no one could compare to Charlie. When my initial four year enlistment was finished I re-upped for an additional two years. During this time I participated in several covert operations. I was wounded only once. Thank God, it was minor but bad enough to earn a Purple Heart. In addition, I was awarded a Bronze and Silver Star for valor. I don't really like to talk about the two operations that earned me the stars. They are still classified so I won't speak about them except to say that a whole bunch of bad guys died and my teammates and I went through Hell. Toward the end of my sixth year in the Navy I was considering reenlisting for an additional two year tour when I received a phone call from my mother. Dad had suffered a heart attack and would be laid up for several months. She asked me to come home to help out with the family business until he could recuperate. I agreed. So I packed all my uniforms, boxed up my commendations and medals and left the Navy with an Honorable Discharge. I made many good friends in the Team and I would miss them. We were truly a 'Band Of Brothers'. It took me two days of hard driving to get back home. Driving into town, late the second night, I observed that things had not changed all that much. Some of the store fronts downtown had received a facelift and new street lighting had been installed and that's about it. My old neighborhood was exactly as I had left it six years ago. Pulling into the driveway of my old home I grabbed a small bag with my belongings, having already shipped most of my gear home. I climbed the familiar steps to Mom and Dad's front door. Glancing at the Thomas's home next door I observed all the lights were off except for the one on the porch. The same one that was always on when I brought Charlie home from one of our dates so long ago. I heaved a huge sigh and when I went up to my front door, it was flung open and my mother grabbed me, hugging and kissing me, as she pulled me inside. She quickly filled me in on dad's condition. The heart attack had been a bad one, caused by too much stress, no serious exercise and poor eating habits. She was determined to change all those bad habits. My dad meant everything to her and she wanted him around for a long time to come. Before I went to bed I asked mom if there was room in the garage for my car. It was special to me. I found it on an on-line auction site a couple of years ago. A 1966 Mustang Fastback. When I bought it the car had a 289 cubic inch engine with 271 horses. I had it bored and stroked out to 302 c.i. which increased the horse power to well over 300. By reworking the heads and valve seats I had it converted to run on unleaded high octane fuel. After removing the louvers and replacing them with Shelby style glass panels, I had it repainted Cobra blue with two wide white stripes running nose to tail. It was a sweet ride and my pride and joy. When I asked if there was room in the garage for my car mom grabbed her car keys and said she would move her's out onto the driveway and I could move mine into her spot in the garage. As we locked up the garage I noticed the porch light next door was turned off. Mom saw me looking and said that she had, inadvertently, told Mrs. Thomas I was coming home tonight. "Evan, I think, maybe, she put it on to welcome you home." She said. The next morning I slept in until 9am, three hours later than my normal wake up time. Stumbling into the kitchen I found Mom and Dad still seated at the breakfast table. Pouring a cup of coffee I sat down with them. We spent the next ninety minutes getting caught up with what had been going on in our lives over the past six years. Truth be told I was glad to be back home. As I tried to assist dad into his home office he said to me. "Evan, don't get all worried about me. The heart attack wasn't as bad as your mother would like you to believe. The doctor told me that with rest, proper exercise and a change in my diet I should make a full recovery." "Wow, that's a big relief, dad. I worry about you almost as much as mom does. We both want you around for a long, long time to come." "Well, now don't get all sentimental on me now." He said. "Come in here and let's talk about what is going on with the business." Dad was in the insurance business; both claims investigation and underwriting. He had an office manager, Agnes, who had worked for him for over twenty years and three agents who wrote the policies. The biggest part of his business was investigation and claims settlement and that is what he did. You wouldn't believe how many people try to rip off the insurance companies. (On second thought, you probably do.) "Let me show you the case I was working on before my attack. You'll be doing this one now Evan." He told me as he passed me a thick file folder. Brent Toney and his wife, Barbara, had filed a claim against their homeowner's insurance for over a half million dollars. They claimed a break-in and several valuable pieces of art work and expensive jewelry had been stolen. Dad was skeptical about the claim. "This is not the first questionable claim he has filed." Dad told me. "About five months after you left he filed a claim for an automobile accident. There have been at least three more claims since then including this current one." "I didn't investigate any of these prior claims and they were settled by the insurance companies. In my opinion they settled too quickly. This last claim is against the policy that my firm wrote and I want you to go over it with a fine tooth comb." "Dad, what about Charlie? Do you think she may have been in on the filing of any of these fraudulent claims?" Chapter Two Dad tells Evan what he knows "To answer your question Evan no, I don't. Let me fill you in what I do know about her life since you left. I know you told your mom not to talk about her to you. However, there are some things of which you should be aware of that are not in that file folder." "You have to be professional about all of what I am about to tell you. Forget your emotions, or at least, put them on the back burner for now. Now have a seat and let me tell you what I know." Dad began by saying. "Bob and Betty Thomas have been our neighbors and close friends for more than fifteen years. The day after the Senior Prom Betty came over to talk with your mom. You had already left to stay with your grandparents, to spend time with them, before leaving for the Navy so you didn't know about it." "She came over to apologize for Charlie's behavior. Mom told her that she didn't need to apologize. What was done, was done, and no matter what had happened between you kids they would remain friends. That evening Bob told me pretty much the same thing when he got home from work. That he was sorry at what had happened between you and his daughter but was glad to hear that our two families would remain friends." I sat and listened as dad continued. "Three months later it became evident that Charlie was pregnant." "One afternoon I was sitting on the front porch when Bob and Betty came running out their front door. Bob yelled to me that Charlie had been in an accident and was taken to the hospital. They jumped into their car and sped away." "Bob later confided in me that Charlie had confronted Brent Toney and he denied being responsible. She had kept after him and finally he agreed to talk about it with her. He drove over, picked Charlie up to go somewhere where they could talk in private." "I went inside the house and told your mother what happened then we both drove to the hospital. Entering the emergency room we saw Betty sitting down crying and Bob pacing up and down the waiting room. Mom went to console Betty and I went over to Bob. He saw me and collapsed into an empty chair and I sat next to him." "He told me that Charlie had been brought in by ambulance. She was cut and bruised and had severe vaginal hemorrhaging. She was in surgery and that's all they knew. Mom brought Betty over and the four of us sat and prayed together." "Evan, it was the longest two hours of my life. Finally, a doctor came out and escorted Bob and Betty into a private office. Ten minutes later they came out hugging each other. Bob told us that they managed to save Charlie, but she lost her baby." After dad finished telling me all this I sat there without speaking for several minutes. Finally, I asked him. "What about Charlie? What happen to her?" "Well, son. After she got back home from the hospital she came over and spoke with your mom and me. She sat in the same chair you are sitting in now and cried her eyes out. She begged us to forgive her for what she had done to you. She wanted to know how to get in touch with you. Your mother told her of your request. I think she understood." "I do know she enrolled in college and got a degree in Early Childhood Education. She teaches in the same elementary school you both attended. Bob tells me she is a fourth grade teacher. He, also, told me that other than school events, she doesn't go out, doesn't date and only goes to dinner with him and Betty on occasion." "Well, Evan that's everything I know about her," he concluded. "You'll have to ask your mother for anything else." Chapter Three Beginning my investigation Getting up from where I was sitting I said. "Thanks for the update, Dad. It gives me something to think about." Holding the file folder he had given me, I said to him, "I'll read over the contents of this and try to make some sense of these claims. I'll get back with you if I run across anything I'm not sure about." "I'll start working on Toney's latest claim sometime next week. First, I need to find an apartment for myself. I know mom said I could stay here but that might make things uncomfortable if I happen to run into Charlie." "OK, son." Dad replied. "You know we would love to have you stay with us." "I know Dad, I know. I think it's best if I find somewhere else to live." Just after lunch I went looking for an apartment. It didn't take me long to find just what I was looking for, two bedrooms, two baths over an enclosed garage for my car. I signed the lease and after paying the first and last month's rent plus a security deposit, I was all set. Next stop was to the local furniture store. I planned on using the second bedroom as an office so I needed a desk, chair and some storage cabinets. Selecting a bed and dresser was easy as was furniture for the living room. The rental unit included all the kitchen appliances, including a microwave. After arranging for delivery, they told me I would have everything later that afternoon. (Small town business are much more accommodating than the big chain stores, don't you think?) Then it was on to Wal-Mart for bed linens, towels and stuff. I got some assorted kitchen utensils, pots and pans as well as stainless cutlery, tableware, glasses, coffee cups and every thing else I needed to set up housekeeping. Cramming it all into the trunk and backseat of my car I went back to my new home. The furniture arrived, as promised, and I began setting everything in its place. Everything was finished to my satisfaction by early evening. I went out for a quick bite to eat before stopping at the grocery store to stock up on some food and drink. I went to bed shortly after I got home and slept like a log. The next morning I went shopping for some business clothes. Sport jacket, slacks, shirts and couple of ties to get started. I also treated myself to two pair of new dress shoes. In just two days my bank account had taken a major hit, but it was worth it. Returning home I made myself a quick lunch and after cleaning up I started reading the file Dad had given me the day before. It made for interesting reading to say the least. Toney had filed four claims. All against different insurance companies. The first was for the accident that totaled his car. That one was with 'Tri-State Insurance'. The second was for a personal injury he suffered slipping and falling in a grocery store. That one was filed against the store's insurance company, 'Perfect Insurance'. The third one was flied by both he and his wife, Barbara, against her OB/GYN doctor's insurance company, 'Doctor's Insurance'. They claimed the physician failed to properly diagnosis and treat a vaginal infection that resulted in permanent sterility for her. The fourth claim was against the company providing homeowner's insurance. This was a policy with 'Homeowners Insurance Incorporated', the company my dad's firm represented. The first three claims had been settled out of court. 'Tri-State' settled it as a simple automobile accident. 'Perfect Insurance' considered it to be a nuisance suit and settled to simply get rid of it. 'Doctor's Insurance' settled to avoid a lengthy court battle that would have cost them three times the amount the Toney's were seeking. It was cheaper to for them to settle. I decided to interview the owner of the grocery store first. Jack's Market was located in a town about five miles from where I now lived. I drove over early the next morning, parked and went inside. Walking in, I found a small office in the front of the store. Knocking on the door I asked to speak with the owner. An older man looked up from his desk and said. "That would be me. I'm Tom Matthews. How may I help you?" I showed him my credentials and explained the reason for my visit. "Back then Jack Martin owned the store," he said. "When Jack retired I bought it from him about a year after the so-called accident. Jack told me all about it. He was furious with the insurance company for settling the claim. He told me that the fall couldn't have happened the way Toney described in his complaint." "Come with me and I'll show you what I mean." Walking to the rear of the market we stopped by a large refrigerated cooler. "This is where the accident happened," he told me. "Mr. Toney claimed that he slipped in a puddle of water that had seeped out from under this cooler into the middle of the aisle." "That couldn't have happened. Watch this." Taking a quart bottle of water he poured the contents on the floor at the bottom of the cooler. The water flowed back under the cooler not to the center of the aisle. Reconnection "No way he could have slipped as he claimed. But he had a witness who swore that it did." "Do you remember this witness's name?" I asked. "Not off the top of my head," Tom replied. "I may still have a copy of the accident report back in the office, though. It should be in that" "Do you mind checking for me?" Returning to the office, Tom opened the bottom drawer of an old beat up filing cabinet. Rummaging through the contents, he withdrew a file folder. "This looks like it." He said, handing it to me. When I read the file the name Barbara Montgomery was listed as the witness. That's interesting I thought to myself. Thanking Mr. Matthews for his help and, before leaving, I asked one more question. "What do you think about this whole thing?" Without a moments hesitation he replied. "It was a scam. Pure and simple. Nothing more than a scam to rip off the insurance company." Just as soon as I left Jack's Market I drove to the county courthouse and went to the Records Division. I asked the clerk to see the record of marriages for the past five years. After spending forty-five minutes I found the marriage license for Brent Toney and his wife Barbara. Just as I suspected she was the former Barbara Montgomery. Now it could have been a coincidence that they actually did meet that day in Jack's Market, but I kinda doubted it. Next on my agenda was to interview Dr. John Reynolds, the OB/GYN sued by Brent and Barbara Toney. Given the HIPPA regulations governing patient privacy I didn't have much hope in garnering any useful information. I would give it a shot anyway. You never know what might turn up. So late the next afternoon I went to Dr. Reynolds's Office. The waiting room was empty so I hoped he had finished with the last of his patients for the day. Showing my credentials to an older woman sitting behind the reception desk, I asked if I might have a few minutes of the doctor's time regarding a malpractice suit of three years ago. Picking up the phone she called back into his office with my request. A few moments later a distinguished older man appeared. I showed him my credentials and repeated the reason for coming to see him. "I'm not sure I'll be able to help you." He said, escorting me to his office. "You are aware HIPPA Regulations prevent me from disclosing any information about a patient without their consent. All I can tell you is it was a very strange claim given the circumstances." "OB/GYN's are probably the most sued people working in the medical field," he told me. "I let my insurance company handle all the particulars of the case." "When the insurance company found out how little money they were asking they were quick to settle. There was no investigation into the validity of the claim. It was cheaper for them to settle it quickly." "That's all I am able to tell you regarding this matter." Standing up, he escorted me to his office door. I thanked him for his time and made my way back to the reception area. As I did a female voice from another office called to me asking if I needed help. Stepping inside I said. "Maybe, I certainly hope so." The woman introduced herself as Alice Brown, Dr. Reynolds's administrative assistant. "Sally, at the front desk, told me why you're here. May I see your credentials?" I handed the leather case with my credentials. She flipped it open and studied them for a minute. I'm afraid I cannot add anything more than what Dr. Reynolds has already told you." Taking a post-it note from her desk she inserted it into my closed credential case and handing it back to me, she said. "I'm truly sorry we couldn't be more helpful." Getting back into my car I retrieved the note and read it. All that was written on it was a phone number and a cryptic note to call after six that evening. Since it was just after five I drove the short distance back to my apartment, showered and changed into more casual clothes. At six-fifteen I dialed the number on the note. The phone rang three times before being answered. After I identified myself she said. "Mr. Douglas. I have something I need to tell you. Can we meet somewhere around seven this evening?" "Sure." I replied. "How about Larry's pub. We can get a booth in the back and have some privacy." She told me that would be fine and would see me then. Larry's was only a few short blocks from my apartment so I elected to walk. I loved Larry's Pub. A long bar ran down the center of the room with more than fifty different beer taps. The hard stuff was kept under the bar. Booths ran along the walls on either side. Almost every inch of the walls were covered with photos or deep sea fishing memorabilia. They served the very best hamburgers in town and the fish and chips were great as well. Arriving ten minutes before seven I secured a booth in the very back of the pub which afforded maximum privacy and waited. Promptly at seven she walked in and saw me as I stood by the booth. Walking over to me she took a seat with her back to the door. She started by saying she could get into a heap of trouble if anyone found out what she had to tell me. After I assured her that anything she told me would be held in the strictest confidence she continued. "It was the strangest examination I've ever been a part of in ten years as Dr. Reynolds's assistant. Mrs. Toney came in complaining of vaginal pain. She was placed in an examination room and Dr. Reynolds call me in to observe, like he aways does, when examining a patient. She told him all she wanted was a pelvic exam. Dr. Reynolds told her that blood work would have to be done to arrive at an accurate diagnosis." "She was told the blood could be drawn and examined right here in our office. Mrs. Toney said no. She preferred to go to her own lab to have the work done." "Dr. Reynolds agreed but warned her that by doing that it would delay his diagnosis and proscribed treatment. She replied to him that she understood, but still wanted to go to her own lab for the work." "Dr. Reynolds complete her pelvic exam and told her that he could see no reason for her pain. However, he would not make any judgement until he saw the results of her blood test." "Three days later we received notification from Mrs. Toney's lab stating that all test results fell within the normal parameters." "Dr. Reynolds had me phone Mrs. Toney to make an appointment with him so that he could discuss the findings with her. She asked what her blood tests showed and I told her that everything appeared to be normal. Then she said that since she was feeling better she would make an appointment for later in the week. Two days later she called, after hours, and left a message with our service canceling her appointment. That's the last we heard from her until Dr. Reynolds was notified of a lawsuit filed by Mr. and Mrs. Toney against him." Alice concluded saying. "When Dr. Reynolds's insurance company saw how small the claim was for they decided to settle as quickly as possible. It would avoid a lengthy and expensive court battle that could have potentially cost them much, much more." "One other thing, as I was filing her records in our archive of patients we no longer see I noticed on her lab report she was listed as having a blood type of AB. All of her other records show her as having an O+ blood type." As I sat there digesting what Alice Brown had told me, I thought to ask one more question of her. "What is your opinion of this whole matter? I asked. She replied almost immediately. "I don't think she actually had anything wrong to begin with. In my opinion, I think it was an elaborate scam to rip off the insurance company." When we were finished talking I offered to buy her dinner. She politely declined saying she needed to get home to her children. I went home to try to make some sense out of what I had learned from Bob Matthews and Alice Brown. In my mind it began to look like insurance fraud was being perpetrated by Brent and Barbara Toney. Now I had put off the inevitable long enough it was time to see Charlie. Chapter Four First Steps Toward Reconnecting When I reread the report filed by the police department that investigated the auto accident it raised a couple of 'red flags'. The investigating officer's report stated that Brent claimed a truck veered into his lane and, when he swerved to avoid him, he lost control and ended up rolling his car over in the ditch along side the road. After examining the roadway the accident investigator wrote he could find no evidence of skid marks other than those made by Toney's car. There were no witnesses other than a passenger, Charlene Thomas, who was severely injured and transported from the scene. When interviewed the next day she couldn't remember any details of the accident. The investigator did note that she was reluctant to talk about what had occurred. The report was marked as closed with no fault assigned. I would have to interview Charlie to get her side of the accident. It was something I was not looking forward to doing. The next morning I noticed that all the kids that lived in my apartment complex were just hanging out. I asked one of them why he wasn't in school and he told me they had the day off. Assuming it was some sort of holiday I drove over to Charlie's house to interview her. Mrs. Thomas answered the door when I rang the bell. She just stood there for a moment, without speaking, with a surprised look on her face. Finally, regaining her composure, she invited me to come inside. "Oh, Evan," she said. "How are you? You look wonderful. I heard that you were back home but I didn't think I would get to see you." We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes and then I asked her if I could speak with Charlie? "She's not here, Evan. It's a teacher's workday and she's at school. She will be home around 4pm. Can you come back then? I know she would love to see you." "It's not really a social call, Mrs. Thomas. I need some information about the accident she was in six years ago. Perhaps, I can catch her at school." Driving over to the school, I parked and went inside. Everything was as I remembered it from so many years ago. I asked the secretary behind the counter if I might speak with the principal. She picked up the phone and spoke a few words. A few moments later a woman appeared from her office. It was Miss Brown, not Ms or Mrs, but Miss Brown. The same woman who was the principal when I attended there fifteen years ago. She was just as I remembered her, small, thin, with gray hair and a big smile on her face. It didn't look as if she had aged a day. "Evan, Evan Douglas," greeting me, as she grabbed my outstretched hand with both of hers. "My, my you certainly have grown. How may I help you?" I told her why I was there and asked if it would be possible to speak with Charlene Thomas. "I don't see why not." She replied. Without letting go of my hand she turned and said, "Edith, call down to Charlene's classroom and tell her someone is here to speak with her." Returning to look at me she whispered. "Be gentle with her Evan." For a moment I was puzzled by what she said but quickly remembered that Miss Brown was a close friend with my mom as well as with Charlene's mother. Most likely she knew the whole story. "She is in room 112 just down the hall to the right," she told me, releasing my hands. "Thank you, Miss Brown. I know that room well. Charlene and I had Mrs. Allen for the fourth grade in that room." Walking down the corridor was like walking back through time. So many happy memories came flooding back. Stopping just out side the open door I saw Charlie pinning student art work up on the bulletin board. I knocked on the door frame, and without turning around, she said to come in. Putting the last picture up she turned and with a startled look saw me. For a moment I thought she might faint but she steadied herself against her desk. "Evan . . ." Was all she managed to get out before she began to cry. After a few moments she composed herself and asked why I had come to see her. I told her I needed to ask some questions about the automobile accident she was involved in six years ago. "Why?" She asked. "I thought the insurance company settled that years ago." "They did. However, I need some answers that weren't in the accident report." I replied. "OK. I'll tell you everything. Just not here. This place has too many happy memories for me. I don't want them ruined by what I have to tell you. Can we meet someplace else after I'm finished here today?" "All right, but it has to be someplace where we won't be interrupted. Any suggestions?" She named a place and I agreed. "What time would be best for you?" I asked her. "How about 5 o'clock?" "Good," I answered. "I'll call ahead and make the arrangements." Charlie had suggest we meet at Saint John's Lutheran Church. It was the church our families attended for many years. I drove back to my apartment and called Pastor Paul Meyer. Everyone called him Pastor Paul at his insistence. I asked him if Charlie and I could use the sanctuary for a private meeting. He readily agreed, assuring me we would not be interrupted and could stay as long as we wanted. I arrived at the church at twenty minutes before five and went in the church office to see Pastor Paul. With sad eyes he told me he had been praying all afternoon asking God that we could find it in our hearts to forgive one another. Thanking him for his prayers, I told him that they had already been answered. I sat and prayed with him for a few minutes before Charlie arrived. When Charlie arrived a few minutes later Pastor Paul walked us to the sanctuary and, after unlocking the doors, he said we could stay as long as we needed. Looking at the two of us, he smiled sadly, and walked back to his office. We sat together in a pew near the altar and Charlie turned to me and said. "Before you start asking me any questions about the accident I need to tell you some things first. Please let me get it all out before you say anything." "All right. I promise not to interrupt you." Chapter Five Charlie apologizes and tells her story "Evan, I'm so sorry for the pain I caused you. I have laid awake every night for the past six years asking myself . . . why? I have no explanation for my behavior toward you. It was cruel, thoughtless and I caused you an immense amount of emotional pain." "Brent Toney had been hitting on me for weeks and weeks. He kept flattering me with all kinds of compliments. I know you warned me about him but he became irresistible. When he asked me to go to the Senior Prom with him, I never gave a thought to the promise we made to go together." "Just as soon as I told you to ask Mary Beth Simmons I realized how big of a mistake I had made. If it is any comfort to you my date with Brent was a Prom Date from Hell. He arrived an hour late to pick me up, didn't get out of his car; just blew the horn for me announcing his arrival. He didn't even get out to open the door of his car for me. I expected a corsage but there wasn't one." "Arriving at the Prom he refused to use the hotel's free valet parking so he parked two blocks away and we walked back. Once inside we found our table and he left me to go and find something to drink. I sat there by myself for a long time before he returned with two cups of punch. When the band began playing, he just sat there until I asked him if he would dance with me. After one dance he brought me back to our table and left me there again." "After about an hour he came back and wanted to leave to take me to a party at a friend's house. I told him I wanted to stay until after the King and Queen were announced. He wasn't too happy with that idea, but we stayed. Finally, Josh Harrison, the Class President, went to the microphone to make the presentation of the Prom Crowns to the King and Queen. Evan, you remember that the class voted on the nominations the week before." "I won the crown for Queen. While I was going to the front of the dance floor to be crowned. Josh said. 'Well, this is awkward. Evan Douglas, who was to be the King, is not here tonight.' I wanted to crawl into a hole when he said that. I removed the crown from my head and ran back to the table, gathered my purse and told Brent we needed to leave." "Walking back to where he had parked his car I told him I wanted to go home. We got in and he told me we were going to the party first. He drove us outside of town to his friend's house. When we arrived there were a ton of cars parked all over the lawn. The music was so loud you could hear it blocks away." "Once inside he grabbed a beer from an ice chest and poured me a glass of white wine. We walked around and he introduced me to his friends. I didn't know any of them. The music was so loud it was giving me a headache and I asked him again to take me home. He told me he would after one more drink and he went off to get them, leaving me standing alone." "When he returned he gave me another glass of wine and I drank it. A few minutes later I began feeling dizzy and disoriented. I told him I felt sick and he replied that I would feel better if I laid down for a while. Then he took me to a back bedroom, closed the door and pushed me onto a bed." "The next thing I knew he had pulled my dress up, pushed my panties aside and shoved his penis inside me. God! He hurt me as he pumped away. I tried to stop him but I didn't have the strength. Thankfully, it was over in less than a minute. He rolled off and told me I was great. Then he got up and left." "I don't remember how long I laid there before I got up and went to find him. I saw him kissing another girl, grabbed him and screamed for him to take me home. He did. When we got to my house he told me to get out and drove away." "Mom must have waited up and saw me stumbling up the front steps. She took one look at me and put me to bed. I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was how badly I needed to see you and apologize." "Later in the morning I saw my mother coming in the front door as I went out the back to go over to your house. I rang the bell and your mother answered. I asked to see you and she told me you weren't home. Before I could turn to leave she hugged me before I left." "Sitting by the window in my room, I watched to see when you returned. When you didn't I fell asleep thinking I would see you in church the next day. I went to both services and you weren't there." "On Monday I went to school for the yearbook signing party and graduation rehearsal I looked all over for you. Nobody I asked had seen you. When I got home that afternoon I went back to your house and found out from your mother that you were gone and wouldn't be coming back." "I asked her if you were coming to graduation and she said 'no' before closing the door. I heard her crying behind the closed door as I left. When I got back to my house I found my mother and told her everything that had happened. She held me as I sat and cried for hours." "At the graduation ceremony I was hoping against hope you would be there. You weren't and neither were your parents. What should have been one of the happiest times of our lives turned out to be one of the saddest." "I don't remember anything about that summer except sitting in my room and crying all the time. Finally mom told me to snap out of it. What was done was done and I needed to move on with my life. I enrolled in the local college with the idea of becoming an elementary school teacher." "After missing my second period I realized something was wrong, went to my doctor and found out I was pregnant. I found Brent and told him. He denied being the father. Called me a slut and tried to walk away. Grabbing his arm I yelled at him that when the baby was born, I would come after him for child support. That stopped him in his tracks and then he told me we should get together and discuss a reasonable solution." Reconnection "The following day Brent met me outside of my last class of the day. He said he wanted to take me to meet his parents so we could all discuss a solution to my pregnancy. We left campus in his car headed toward his parent's home. All of a sudden he turned off onto a backroad and began speeding up. Then he reached over and tried to unfasten my seat belt. As I struggled to make him stop he lost control and we went into the ditch alongside the road." "The last thing I remembered was the airbag crashing into my chest and abdomen. When I woke up I was in the hospital and mom and dad were in my room. A doctor was with them when they told me I had lost my baby." "The next day a police officer came to my hospital room asking me if I remembered anything about the accident. I was still foggy from all the medications and pain killers I had been given and I told him I didn't remember anything." As I told Evan all of this I watched his face and saw the anger in his eyes. As we stood I thanked him for allowing me to get all this out without interruption. "Do you have any questions for me?" I asked him, with tears streaming down my face. "No. Not right now." He replied, holding my hand and pulling me close for a hug. "Maybe later." Chapter Six Questions and Answers As we walked out of the sanctuary I asked Charlie if she felt well enough to drive herself home? She told me that her mom had driven her over and she would call her to pick her back up. "No." I said. "I'll drive you home." After telling Pastor Paul we had finished our talk, we walked to my car. I opened her door so she could get in before walking around to my side of the car. As we started toward her house I said that I did have another question. "Charlie did you receive any money from Brent from his insurance settlement for your medical bills?" "Evan, I never saw a single dollar from him. He didn't even come by to see me after the accident." She answered. Then I told her I needed to stop by my apartment for a minute to pick up my briefcase. When I asked if she wanted to come in for a moment she said she would rather wait in the car. I went in, retrieved my briefcase and we resumed the trip back to her house. Parking in front of her parent's house I grabbed my briefcase, got out and went around to help Charlie out of the car. I walked her to the front door and she asked if I would like to come in for a moment. I think she was real surprised when I said. "Yes, I would very much like to say hello to your mom and dad." Entering the front door Charlie called out. "Mom, Dad I'm home and I brought someone with me." Mrs. Thomas emerged from the kitchen with Mr. Thomas right behind her. The look on their faces was one of relief and hope. "Evan, its really good to see you." Mr. Thomas said. "Come in, sit down and tell us what has been going on in your life." After a brief synopsis of the past few years, I said to them. "Charlie tells me that you were never reimbursed for her medical expenses from the accident." "What about this check?" I asked opening my brief case and withdrawing the 'Tri-State' file. I handed him a photo copy of a cancelled check with his endorsement on it. "I have never seen this before and this is not my signature. I sign all legal and financial documents with my legal name which is Robert. Bob is just a nickname my parents called me when I was little and it stuck over the years." He stated. "This check is for $10,950. That wouldn't even have covered the cost of the emergency room treatment let alone the surgery and extended hospital stay." "Do you recognize this document?" I asked, handing him a form requesting additional medical reimbursement in the amount of $35,455 with his signature affixed to it. "No! Again, this is NOT my signature and it is signed Bob Thomas not Robert Thomas." He emphatically replied. I answered him by handing him a third photocopy of a cancelled check, with his signature, for the amount of $35,455. "What the Hell is going on here, Evan? I have never seen or, let alone, signed any of this." He said angrily. "Are you accusing me of something?" "No, sir." I replied to him. "According to 'Tri-State' records the checks were sent to this address, a house located by the college campus." I handed him a copy of this record. He looked at it and told me. "This is the address of a rental property I own. I rent it to college students while they attend the university." "On the dates of these checks do you recall who was renting your property?" Was my next question. "That was six years ago, Evan. I would have to check my lease records to be able to answer that for you." He answered. "Excuse me for a moment. I'll go and see if I can find the leases in my files." For five very long minutes the three of us sat there, not saying a word, until he returned. Handing me a folder of old leases, he said. "I keep these for tax purposes in case of an IRS audit. Look through them and see if you can find what you're looking for." Thumbing through the leases I quickly found what I wanted. "Perfect, just perfect." I said to him, handing him back the lease I found. "It's signed by a Barbara Montgomery. You'll never guess who she is now?" Answering my own question I told them. "She's Brent Toney's wife." "Mr. Thomas, I am sorry to have had to put you through this grilling. I've known you too long to believe that you were capable of anything of this nature. Please except my heartfelt apology." "What you have provided me is just more evidence of insurance fraud perpetrated by Brent Toney and his wife." "That Son-of-a . . ." He started to say. "Wait until get my hands on him." "Please don't, sir." I requested. "I have a few more things to tie up with him before going to the police." "OK, Evan. I trust you." He said, the anger ebbing from his voice. With that the tension in the room melted away. Charlie and her mother were both visibly relieved. Frankly, so was I. Rising to my feet, I said. "Well, I'll be going now. Again, I am truly sorry to have put all of you through this unpleasantness." Chapter Seven Beginning to Reconnect As I made my way to the front door, Mr. Thomas stopped me by saying. "Evan, please stay and have supper with us. The three of us would really like for you to stay, especially Charlie." "If it's not too much trouble . ." Before I could finish Charlie grabbed my hand and led me into the dining room. "Here. You sit here next to me." She ordered. After setting an extra place for me, she went to help her mom in the kitchen. Mr. Thomas took a seat across from me and leaned across the table and, in a low voice, he asked. "What about you and Charlie? Is there any hope you two can get back together?" I smiled at him but before I could answer Charlie and her mother reappeared with supper. After we ate Mr. Thomas invited me to sit with him on his backyard deck. He picked up a bottle of brandy and a couple of glasses as we made our way outside. "We've got a few minutes while the girls finish cleaning up in kitchen." He said. "Evan, I've not seen Charlie as happy and animated as she was at supper tonight for a long time. Have you thought about what I asked you earlier? Is there any hope you two can get back together?" Taking a sip of brandy, I answered him. "Yeah there might be, over the past few years I've come to the realization that I have missed having her in my life tremendously. Right now I'm still confused and a little conflicted. We are talking with each now and that's a start." Just the then the girls joined us and we spent the next hour enjoying the evening in pleasant conversation. When I was leaving, Charlie walked me out to my car. She told me she was glad I was home; that she worried about me from everything my mom and dad had told her. "Evan," she said. "Your mother told me about the promise she made not to talk about me to you. But, she didn't promise not to talk about you to me. I almost died from worry when I learned that you had been wounded. When she told me that you recovered I was overjoyed." "I know that we may never recapture what we once had, something I threw away. Can we, at least, try to become friends again?" She pleaded. "Charlie, I never stopped thinking of you as my friend." I told her as I got into my car to drive back to my apartment. The next morning I woke up just before six, went for a short three mile run and spent twenty minutes in the apartment complex pool to cool down. When I returned I showered, shaved and dressed for the day. As I was making a pot of coffee the door bell rang. Looking at my watch I wondered who could be there a few minutes before eight. Opening the door there stood Charlie holding up my briefcase. "You left this last night. I thought you might need it today." "Gosh. I completely forgot all about it. Thank you for bringing it by. I was just making coffee. Would you like to come in and have a cup?" I managed to get out all in one breath. I'd like that." She answered. Leading her into the living room, I told her to give me a minute and I would bring it right out. "Cream and two sugars, right?" I called while pouring the coffee. "Yes, you remember after all these years?" She said following me into the kitchen. "Yep. Some things are hard to forget." I replied, handing her a cup. "What gets you up so early on a Saturday morning?" "I didn't sleep too well last night thinking about what you said as you were leaving." She responded. "I meant that Charlie. Even though I was really mad and hurt by what happened I never stopped thinking of you as my friend. I thought I had been replaced in your heart and that's why I took off like I did. It was the immature reaction of an eighteen year old kid. When I learned that you were pregnant, I couldn't bear the thought of hearing anything more about you. That's when I made Mom promise not to speak about you to me." We sat there without saying anything to each other for several moments. I could see tears beginning to start in her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and composed herself. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day." I asked her as she sipped her coffee. "Mom wants me to go shopping with her this morning and then I'll probably work on my lesson plans for the rest of the afternoon." She answered. "What about you?" "I'm going over to see Brent and Barbara Toney later this morning. I need more information from him about his claim." "Well, I need to be going. Mom wanted an early start at the mall." She said, finishing her coffee. As soon as she left I took the Toney file from my brief case. Retrieving the photocopy of the police report of the break-in and theft I went and booted up my computer. Typing in a description of the stolen items I did a search for the sculptures that matched his. Don't you just love the web? I found one of the sculptures that Toney reported as being stolen in less than twenty minutes. It was a bronze by Frederic Remington entitled 'Coming Through the Rye'. Toney claimed it was an original with a value of over eighty-thousand dollars. Only one problem with that. The original is located in the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, New York. Reproductions can be purchased on-line for less than three grand. Some of the descriptions of the stolen jewelry and their value also seemed out of line. I would be asking him for certified copies of the appraisals he had to have before he was able to add the art and jewelry as a rider to his homeowner's policy. Leaving my place just about ten-thirty I arrived at his home fifteen minutes later. Ringing the door bell, I stood and waited a few moments when an attractive blond answered. After introducing myself and showing my credentials she welcomed me into her home. When I asked to speak with Mr. Toney she told me he was called away on business the day before and would be returning on Monday. She asked me. "Is this about the claim with the homeowner's policy for the loss of our art and jewelry?" It seems like we've been waiting forever for our money." "Yes, it is, Mrs. Toney and I apologize for the delay. The adjustor originally assigned to this claim suffered a heart attack shortly after your husband submitted the claim. I was assigned the claim and it has taken me a while to get up to speed. I assure you that it will be processed as soon as I receive a few documents from your husband." "What documents do you need?" She asked, with a worried look. I explained that the insurance company required certified copies of the appraisals establishing the value of each item and proof of ownership of those items cited in the claim before any payout could be made. Once we had those documents everything should then proceed quickly. "My husband keeps all of those kinds of papers in his wall safe. I'm afraid I don't have the combination or I would give them to you today. Can you come back Monday afternoon?" She asked. "Certainly," I replied. "I can come back, say, around 1pm Monday afternoon." "Yes, that would be fine he should be home by then." Just as I was getting up to leave she said. "Oh. I just remembered seeing the business card of the individual who provided us with the appraisals on Brent's desk this morning. Would that help speeding things along?" I nodded my head and she went to find the card. Returning, she handed it to me and I copied the information from it in my note pad. Thanking her, I left. Before going out the door I thought to ask one more question. "Mrs. Toney. Do you and your husband have life insurance policies? Our agency represents several excellent companies. I could have one of our agents stop by with information about the policies we offer." With a smile she proudly replied. "Thank you but that won't be necessary. Brent arranged for policies on both me and himself. Three million dollar double indemnity polices. You know, pays twice the face value if either of us dies from anything but natural causes." "That was very wise of him." I said as I left. Getting into my car I saw that it was a little after noon. Plenty of time to drive over and check out this appraiser. Looking at my note pad I read. 'A. Adams Antiques and More - Expert Appraisals and Insurance Valuations'. The address indicated a location about twenty-five miles away. Driving over I remembered what my dad had once told me. Always be suspicious of someone who represents himself as an expert. So I decided to test out my dad's suspicion. I stopped at a second hand thrift store and went in to look for something. I asked the clerk if they had any inexpensive pieces of jewelry. He looked at me and said. "How cheap?" "Anything under fifty?" Was my answer. "Yeah. I think I might have something. Come on over here." He said leading the way. I found a necklace for ten bucks and told him I'd take it. "If you are trying to impress some broad, I have a fake Tiffany case I'll let you have for another five." "Hey. Why not?" I said handing him a twenty. I got a receipt and fifteen minutes later I was back on the road. It didn't take too much longer before I was parking just down the street from the address I had written down. Leaving my mirrored sun glasses on and putting a ball cap on my head I walked to the antique shop. A sign in the window of the door announced they were open and to ring the bell for admittance. I rang and a really cute women with red hair buzzed me inside. "How may I help you?" She asked. "I'm looking for something that might complement a necklace that was left to me by my grandmother." I lied. "May I see it? Perhaps, I have something in one of the display cases over here." "Sure." I replied, handing her the fake case. "Oh my. This is exquisite. Just absolutely beautiful. You don't see anything as fine as this these days." "Really!" I exclaimed. "I thought it was just some inexpensive costume jewelry." "Oh, no. It's worth a lot of money," was her response. "Wow! How much do you think it is worth?" "I could do an appraisal for you?" She offered. Taking the case, with the necklace in it, over to the counter she picked up a jeweler's loop and examined it. "I would value this as between eight to ten thousand dollars." She told me. "If you like I could write it up so you will have an official valuation. You'll need that if you are planning to insure it." "How much would that cost?" I asked. "I can do it right now for one hundred dollars." She replied. "That would be great. I don't have my checkbook with me. Would cash be acceptable?" "Cash is always acceptable," she giggled. It didn't take but a few minutes when she returned from her little office with the appraisal on the letterhead of her business. It was signed 'A. Adams'. "Who is A. Adams?" I asked with a puzzled look. "That's me. My name is Abigail Adams and, no, I'm not related to the second President of the United States" Taking the appraisal letter and a receipt for my one hundred dollar payment I left the store. (Receipt??? You didn't think I was going to shell out a C-note for a phony appraisal out of my own pocket, did you? It was going on my expense report with the one for the necklace.) Walking back to my car I had a feeling that Ms. Adams wasn't alone in her office while she was printing my appraisal. I decided to sit and wait for a while. Sure enough ten minutes later she and a man emerged from the shop. Damm. I recognized him. It was Brent Toney. They walked down the street away from where I was parked. I grabbed my digital camera and followed them from the opposite side of the street. I got some really good pictures. One, in particular, I'm most proud of was the one of him holding her butt. Two blocks down they went into the parking lot of a small motel. Toney unlocked the door of a car and retrieved a small package. Re-locking the car they both went into room 118. I got another great photo of them in a full lip lock before the door closed. This had been a very productive afternoon. Now it was time to see Dad and fill him in on what I had uncovered. It was almost five when I pulled into the driveway of Mom and Dad's house. Getting out of the car I saw Dad, as well as Bob and Betty Thomas, sitting on the front porch. As I came up the walkway, Mom and Charlie stepped out from the house with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of ice tea along with some munchies. Carrot sticks, celery and other assorted vegetables. Dad just shrugged his shoulders and said something about eating healthy snacks. I sat down in the porch glider and Charlie just snuggled right up next to me. "Just working on becoming friends again." She told everybody. It was close to six o'clock when Bob announced. "Well, Betty and I have tickets for the eight o'clock performance of that new show at the playhouse in Trenton. Then we'll be having a late supper. We better get going. It's an hour's drive from here. Charlie we'll be home late, so don't wait up." As they rose to leave, Charlie got up saying. "Me too. I didn't finish my lesson plans for next week and I really need to get going as well." "Evan, I'll be finished before nine. If you're not doing anything stop by for some cookies and milk." She said, brushing my cheek with a kiss. "I'd like that. I'll see you then." I replied. After Charlie and her parents had left, Dad and I discussed what I had learned from my interviews over the past three days as well as today's discoveries. Dad cautioned me not to try to use the phony appraisal as evidence against Toney's claim. "If you do," he said. "She can say the necklace you had her appraise isn't the one she looked at. It will be a case of he said, she said." Reconnection "I wasn't planning to do that, Dad. I just wanted to see if she was the expert she represented herself to be," I told my father. "I remembered what you said to me a long time ago about people claiming to be experts." "Imagine that? You remembered that from so many years ago. Evan, you're smarter than you look." He said, laughing at me. "What do you make of this relationship between Toney and Adams?" He asked. "I don't know. It seems to tie in with something Barbara Toney told me about their life insurance policies." I replied. "Maybe he's planning to move on from her with a substantial nest egg." "There are only three or four companies in this state writing those double indemnity policies." Dad went on to say. "I'll call a few friends, Monday morning, and see if they can confirm what Mrs. Toney told you. You did good work on this, Evan, real good work. Now how are you planning to handle Monday's meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Toney?" I explained to Dad what I was going to do and he thought it was a good way to go. He told me he would call Monday morning if he learned anything interesting from his contacts. Chapter Eight Cookies, Milk and More At five minutes before nine I walked over next door to Charlie's house. She was on the front porch waiting for me. "Come in Evan." She said, leading me into the kitchen. "Do you remember when we were kids and Mom would baked cookies for us when we got home from school?" "I sure do. The kitchen always smelled so good and the big plate of cookies on the table always made my mouth water." I answered. We sat at the kitchen table with a large plate of freshly baked cookies between us. Two large glasses of milk sat on the table as well. "Boy does this bring back good memories." I said, biting into a chocolate chip cookie. "Did you make these just for me?" "Yes," she answered. "Both chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. I remembered you loved both." We sat there eating and drinking for some time without saying anything to each other. Finally, I reached across the table and grabbed Charlie's hand. "Thank you, Charlie. This evening has brought back all the good memories. You asked me the other night if we could ever become friends, again? I told you that I always thought of you as my friend. Over the past few days I remembered what I have always known; Charlie, I love you. I have always loved you." As we stood, I came around the table and she fell into my arms. I could feel her trembling, as I looked into her tear filled eyes I kissed her. She returned the kiss as she clutched me tightly around my neck. Somehow we managed to go from the kitchen to the living room. Sitting on the sofa, with her on my lap, we continued to explore each other. Sometime later the phone rang and Charlie reluctantly went to answer it. Returning she told me. "That was Mom. When they went to leave the restaurant Daddy's car wouldn't start. They called the automobile club and discovered it's not the battery. They decided to spend the night in a hotel and try to get the car fixed tomorrow." "You don't have to leave anytime soon." She said as she repositioned herself on my lap. I am not going to tell you exactly what we did, frankly it's none of your business. All I'll say is that we got lost in each other for quite awhile. I got back to my apartment that night, or I should say morning, at 4am. I fell into bed and slept until seven, got up, showered, shaved and dressed for church. Picking up Charlie we headed for St John's for the early service. Walking up the steps, hand in hand, we were met by Pastor Paul who was greeting everyone as they entered the church. When he saw us, his face lit up with a big smile. As I shook his hand he raised his eyebrow in question. I simply nodded my head yes and we went in and found seats in a pew near the front. That morning the theme of the sermon was forgiveness. How appropriate was that? When the service concluded Charlie and I started to leave still holding hands. So many people, people who had known us practically our entire lives stopped to greet us. Every one of them had big smiles and kind words for us. When we finally escaped the well wishers and were getting in the car my cell phone rang. It was my father telling me that Bob Thomas had called him looking for Charlie. I told him Charlie was with me and he said for Charlie to call her father right away. I handed my cell to her and repeated what Dad had told me. She took it and, with a worried look on her face, quickly dialed the phone to speak with her dad. "Daddy. What's wrong?" I heard her say. After some moments she continued. "Oh, ok. I'll ask." Without ending the call she turned to me and said. "Daddy can't get his car repaired today. All the garages are closed on Sunday. He wants to know if we can pick them up?" "Sure. No problem. We'll have to use Dad's SUV though. Your mom and dad will never fit in the backseat of my Mustang. Tell him we should be there in about ninety minutes." Charlie relayed my answer to her father. "Daddy, you scared me for a moment. I thought something terrible had happened when Evan's dad called him with your message." After a short pause, while her father said something to her, she continued. "It's all right, Daddy. We'll see you in a little while. I love you." Ending the call she handed me back my cell phone and explained what her father said. "He apologized for scaring me. He was just so exasperated about not being able to get his car fixed. Then, on top of that, not being to get a hold of me, he neglected to tell your dad it wasn't an emergency." I drove to my parent's house, explained what I needed and we left in Dad's new Ford Explorer. We made the trip to the hotel in Trenton in less that eighty minutes and picked up Charlie's mom and dad. On the way back home we stopped for lunch at 'Poke-the-Pig Bar-B-Que'. Charlie and I sat side-by-side in a booth across from Bob and Betty. Looking at her daughter, Mrs. Thomas asked. "So is everything ok between you two now?" Charlie and I both answered together. "More than just ok!" Just then the waitress arrived with our food and, thankfully, we didn't have to go into any details about the previous evening. From the look on both Bob and Betty's faces I think they knew. After dropping them all off at their house, I returned Dad's SUV and, reclaiming my Mustang I went back to my apartment. I needed to prepare for my meeting with the Toney's the following afternoon and it would be a long night of study and preparation. Chapter Nine The beginning of the end for Brent Toney Monday morning and I was out of bed early. Went for a run and then a quick dip in the apartment pool to clear my head. Ten o'clock and no word from Dad yet. As I assembled all the documents and notes I would need today, the thought struck me that if things went as I envisioned I would soon be involving the police. When I still hadn't heard from Dad at noon, I called him. He told me he was waiting for one more of his contacts to return his phone call. Three of his contacts had no information for him. I told him if he didn't have anything for me by one o'clock to hold off calling and I would get back to him after I finished meeting with Brent and Barbara Toney. "One more thing, Evan. Do you think he will recognize you after six years?" He asked. "That might present a problem for you if he does." "I don't think so, Dad. I was pretty much under his radar back then. Besides I've changed a lot physically from that skinny immature kid of six years ago. So even if he does I'll just change my tactics a little. Not to worry." I told him. Sitting in Brent Toney's little home office that afternoon, I began by asking him for certified copies of the appraisal valuation letters. He asked me what I meant by certified copies. I explained that if he would make the photocopy and I saw the original I would be able to certify that it was a true copy. We did that and he seemed more relaxed. Then I requested receipts or cancelled checks for the items he was claiming as stolen. He blustered and stuttered. "Why? The damm appraisal letters should be enough." I told him the appraisal letters documented value not ownership. The insurance company would have to see some proof of ownership before settling any claims. He was not happy with that answer. "If I can't find the receipts or cancelled checks, what happens then?" He asked me. "It will be up to the insurance company. They might accept a sworn affidavit from you attesting to your ownership. I don't know. That's up to them, not me. I'm just here to collect all the documentation you can provide to substantiate your claim." I said, with a smile. I was just loving it. Watching him trying to make some sense with what was happening. How stupid did he think I was? Did he actually believe that I was buying his act? I truly believed that he was emboldened by his ability to scam the previous insurance companies into paying his claims without any argument. Well, it wasn't going to happen now. Then he made a colossal error by telling me all about his previous three other insurance settlements and saying that none of them asked for all this crap I wanted. "Some of these items were purchased at flea markets, some were left to me after my parents died and some Barbara and I purchased from a dealer." He told me. "What happens if I can't produce receipts and they don't accept my sworn statement?" He asked. "Then you don't get paid. You'll have to eat the loss." I answered him. "Why don't you see what you can find? I'll call you in a couple of days or, better yet, you call me if you come up with anything." I said, as I left. As I got in my car to leave I turned my cell phone back on and saw there was a message to call my father ASAP. Placing the call to him, I was told to meet him at his office. Mom was driving him over as he hadn't been cleared to drive by his doctor yet. When I walked into the office, Mom was chatting with Agnes about the latest exploits of her kids, Mom told me to go into Dad's office. Entering I saw Dad with two other men. "Evan, let me introduce you. This is detective Steve Baker," he said nodding toward one of them, "and this is his partner, detective Ron Carter. They are both with the Sheriff's Department." I was informed that these two detectives had been the ones who were assigned to investigate the break-in and theft at the Toney home. I quickly brought them up to speed on what I had discovered. I gave them an in-depth account of what the new owner of Jack's Market had shown me. I also divulged the connection between Toney and his witness, who was now his wife. Without identifying Alice Brown, Doctor Reynolds's personal assistant by name, I recounted the information I received from her. Then I told Detectives Baker and Carter about the phony appraisal from Abigail Adams and subsequent escapade between her and Brent Toney. When I showed them the digital photos, still on my camera's SD card; that really got their attention. Then I recounted the entire conservation between Bob Thomas and myself involving the fraudulent claims made by Brent Toney concerning medical reimbursements for Charlene Thomas under his automobile insurance. "You are telling us that you think that Brent Toney pocketed over forty-six thousand dollars through fraud?" Detective Baker asked. "Yep. This is how I think he did it. Again, there is this connection between him and his wife Barbara Toney, then Barbara Montgomery, who was living in a house rented to her by Mr. Thomas at the time." Finally, I brought out the certified appraisal copies Toney had given me. "Notice that they all come from A. Adams at 'Antiques and More'. Given what she did with my appraisal I wouldn't believe these at all." "You have given us a lot of information today. We'll need a few days to follow up on all of it. Thank you for your hard work on this case. We will be in touch with you later," Detective Carter said, as they stood to leave. Just then Agnes called in to the office. "Mr. Douglas, it's George Wilson from Fidelity on line one." Dad picked up the phone and gestured for the two detectives to wait a moment. After finishing the brief call he turned to us and said. "Well, that double indemnity life insurance policy Barbara Toney was so proud of having is no longer in effect. Hers has been cancelled, but not his." This new bit of information gave us something else to ponder. The two detectives left and Dad and I discussed what to do next. "Dad, unless Toney can come up with some proof of ownership of the items he claims were stolen I see no alternative but to recommend to 'Homeowners' that his claim be denied." I said. Walking out of his office I saw that Mom had left. "Mom is gone." I called back into him. "Do you want me to drive you home?" "Nope. It won't be necessary." She said she would be back for me after going to the store," Dad said. Chapter Ten A surprise ending When I walked out of Dad's office it had begun raining. Noticing that it was about the time Charlie would leave school to walk home, I decided to swing by and see if she needed a lift. Sure enough two blocks from the school I saw her huddled under her umbrella trying to stay dry in the cold rain. Stopping along side of her I shouted. "Get in before you catch your death of cold!" She didn't need to be told twice. She jumped right in. "Thanks, Evan. I like to walk to and from school every day. Just like we did when we were kids. It wasn't raining when I left to come home. I am really glad you came by for me," she said. "Charlie, I'm finished with the investigation on Toney for the time being. What do you say if I came by school every afternoon and picked you up?" "I'd like that, Evan, I really would like that," she replied. So for the rest of the week, I picked her up. I would take her out for supper each day. It gave us an opportunity to talk with each other. I always got her back home early these evenings as she had an early start to her days at work. Besides, keeping up with a room full of fourth graders just wore her out. Twenty-five nine year olds never run out of energy and you have to stay on top of them or chaos results. (If you don't believe me, trying doing it yourself.) Friday evening after dinner she said to me. "I don't have to get up early tomorrow do you think we could stay out a little later this evening?" "How late?" I answered. All she said was, "REAL LATE." It was well past midnight when we got back to her place. The porch light was burning brightly as I walked her up to the door and kissed her goodnight. It was just like old times. That weekend we spent the entire time together. Late Sunday afternoon I did have to take her home early. She had to prepare her weekly lessons for those pesky little fourth graders. After seeing her safely inside I spent the remainder of the evening visiting with my mom and dad. Later that night, after getting back to my place, I received a call from Brent Toney. He had managed to find a few receipts and cancelled checks to substantiate his claim. He wanted to meet me the next day after two in the afternoon. Monday morning I got a call from Detective Baker. I wouldn't be meeting with Brent Toney. He informed that Toney had been killed in an automobile accident just after one-thirty Monday morning. He was with Abigail Adams. He was dead at the scene and she was not expected to survive her injuries. Baker went on to tell me that when the two uniformed officers went to the Toney home Barbara Toney didn't seem all that broken up. "I asked them about the notification before they went off duty. They both said that when Mrs. Toney received the news she didn't display any emotion. She thanked them for telling her and closed the door. They thought that was strange, and so do I," Baker said. "Do you think she had anything to do with the accident? Six million dollars in insurance is a powerful motive, don't you think?" I replied. "I don't know. Right now it looks like a straight forward accident. They were both belted in when found and there was no visible evidence of alcohol or drugs present. Our techs are examining the car right now looking for anything out of the ordinary. We'll have to wait on the toxicology reports for the presence of alcohol or drugs in their blood before listing that as a contributing factor. So for now we wait," he answered me. "Carter and I will be speaking with Mrs. Toney sometime this afternoon," Baker told me. After ending the conservation with Detective Baker I called my dad and relayed what I had been told. "It still doesn't close out the homeowners claim for stolen property." Dad told me. "If she comes up with the receipts and cancelled checks, Toney said he had, she could still get a settlement." "Yeah I know, Dad. Guess we'll have to wait on that, too." I'll keep you posted." I said before hanging up. When I picked Charlie up from school that afternoon I explained to her what had happened to Brent Toney. She didn't say anything right then but I could see that the news had stirred up unpleasant memories. Wednesday afternoon I received a call from Detective Baker. The tech people at the Sheriff Department's Lab had found no signs of tampering with any of the mechanicals of Brent Toney's car. He also informed me the preliminary blood work showed no signs of alcohol in either Toney or Adams. The drug toxicology would take a while longer to complete. He was of the opinion that the fatal accident was just that, an accident. On Friday Baker called me again. "Barbara Toney had called and wanted to meet with him and his partner. She didn't say why but she said to bring you with us." An hour later the three of us arrived at the Toney home in separate cars. We were led by Barbara into Brent Toney's old home office. The first thing she said was she needed to confess some things to us. She went on to provide details on how her husband had defrauded three insurance companies. She described how he went about using her in gaining money for medical reimbursement for the Thomas family. How she helped him stage the slip and fall accident in the grocery store and how he managed to dupe the malpractice insurance company into paying for a false claim. Looking at me she said. "I'm dropping our, I mean my, claim against the homeowners policy. It was nothing more than another of his elaborate schemes to scam an insurance company. It was all like a big game to him. I tried to stop him, but he refused to listen. It was all about winning to him." Turning to the two detectives she said. "I don't know how, but even if I have to sell this house, I am going to pay back every last dime he stole." "I know you have been investigating the accident that killed him. I want you to know I had nothing to do with that. You have to believe me." She pleaded with them. "I loved him but it wasn't enough to get him to change." "I found out about him canceling my life insurance when I received the cancellation letter from Fidelity. We had a big argument about it and he left late Saturday." "Then I found this on his desk after he left." She said, handing over a letter to Detective Baker. It was a letter to Fidelity Insurance signed by Brent Toney. He read the letter and showed it to Detective Carter who looked at it and passed it to me. It was a letter Brent Toney had written to Fidelity changing his beneficiary from Barbara to Abigail Adams. In his haste to leave he forgot to take it with him to mail. "What happens now?" She asked me. "Technically you are still the beneficiary of his life insurance. Fidelity has no knowledge of this change." I said, handing her back the letter. "Do what you want with this letter." Reconnection From the corner of my eye I saw Carter and Baker nod their heads in agreement. "We still have to charge you with conspiracy in committing insurance fraud." Baker said. "But in light of your intention to make full and complete restitution I believe you'll get off with a very light jail sentence. The judge might even agree to suspend your sentence. That would be my recommendation to the State Attorney." Saying that Baker, then placed her under arrest and took her to the Sheriff's Department to be formally charged. *********** Epilogue Barbara Toney went to trial, and as Baker predicted, she received a suspended sentence. She had to make full restitution to all parties concerned with the frauds committed by her late husband and she received two hundred hours of community service. The insurance company paid her the full six million for the accidental death of her husband. She fulfilled all of her obligations and is now a free woman. The supreme irony was the one legitimate insurance settlement made to Brent Toney was the one he had to die to collect. Abigail Adams, against all odds, survived her injuries. She, too, was charged with attempted insurance fraud. The charges were dropped with the provision she get out of the antique and appraisal business. She sold all of her antique inventory to another dealer and opened a baby boutique. I understand it is thriving. Abigail Adams was just another woman who fell for Brent Toney's charm and irresistible manner. She almost paid the ultimate price. Abigail got married some time later to, of all people, Detective Ron Carter. He had interviewed her several times while she was still recovering in the hospital and afterwards at her home. There was a spark between them and, as they say, the rest is history. Charlie and I continued to see each other until we both realized that the connection between us had grown stronger than ever. I gave her an engagement ring and asked her to marry me that Christmas. We were married on a beautiful Spring day in early May. Dad recovered completely from his heart attack and is back to work. Mom watches him and his health like a hawk. I help out with that as well. Dad hired me to do all the investigative work for him. The company was renamed to Douglas and Son Insurance and Claims Adjustment. Charlie continues to teach at the elementary school. She loves her work with little kids. She'll have to take a leave of absence soon. We are expecting our first child in February of next year. Both of our families are thrilled with the news. Reconnection Joanna tugged the hair tie out of her long auburn hair as she sank into the cushions of her couch. It had been a crazy day at the office where she worked in HR. She slipped her feet out of her kitten heels and curled her shapely legs beneath her as she opened her computer to check out Facebook. She didn't have a lot of friends, but she loved to keep tabs on the people she had met over the years. She lived alone, and seeing other people's lives through the screen made her feel a little more connected to real life. One of her favorite features was the memories post that popped up each day. She clicked on the little notification and smiled as she saw all her posts from over the years on her screen. The first post was a picture from Halloween the year before. Joanna loved the way she had looked in her Batgirl costume. A black liquid look crop top with the bat symbol hugged tightly over her large breasts and the matching mini skirt barely covered the curve of her ass. The mask was the perfect touch, emphasizing her giant blue eyes and naturally bee stung lips. She had felt so sexy that night, and she had gone home with a guy dressed like the Joker, which tickled her sense of humor. She scrolled down and a name she wasn't expecting popped up on her screen. Will, an old flame, had written some silly phrase on her wall years before. They hadn't kept in touch, but now she remembered the way he made her laugh and the way he looked at her like he had never seen anything so beautiful. They had only spent a short time together, and, aside from a few kisses, never went any further. "What the hell," Joanna thought, "I wonder what he's been up to." Before she could talk herself out of it, the message was sent. A simple hello. The worst he could do was ignore it, and she would go back to browsing the internet. A few minutes later, when she was just starting to be distracted by something else, she heard a ping. Involuntarily, her heart lept. "Hey." That's all he wrote. But still, it was an opening, and she remembered the way his body had felt pressed up against hers as they kissed. Maybe he still wanted her too. "How have you been," she replied, shifting nervously. "I've been alright, missing you." She couldn't believe that he put it out on the table as quickly as he did. "I've been missing you too," she typed back quickly. "I saw that you were back in town. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime." She was trying hard to stay casual, but just this short conversation was making her feel like she was willing to do anything to see him again. It was a mixture of lust and loneliness that made her type, "How about tonight?" "Okay," he responded. "Your place?" "Yes, I'll see you soon!" She couldn't contain her excitement. She rushed into her bedroom and tugged off her bland office ware and pulled on her sexiest outfit. A tight black sweater dress that was just a little too short and a little too tight to wear out of the house. As she thought of seeing Will again, she felt her nipples harden, and she slipped her hands over her breasts. When her fingers skimmed the buds of her nipples she moaned out loud. She could feel wetness start to coat her thighs. Just then, the doorbell rang, shocking her back into reality. Joanna rushed to the front door and pulled it open. Will stood there, looking even sexier than he had when they first met. The years had chiseled his jawline and broaded his shoulders to fit his six foot frame. He gave her a smouldering look as he took in her sexy dress and flushed skin. The electricity crackled between them and without saying a word he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, their bodies intertwining as he licked and gently nibbled the exposed skin of her neck. They moved backwards into the apartment, never separating, as Joanna unbuttoned his shirt and and he tugged her dress over her head revealing the lacy black bra barely containing her breasts. He backed her on the couch and pulled the fabric of her bra cups down, so her heavy breasts were supported by the underwire. He pinched and pulled at her nipples and continued kissing his way down her stomach until he reached her sex. Her underwear was soaked with her juices and Will looked up into her eyes as he pulled her panties down and tossed them behind him. He teased her, kissing her thighs, her lips, and gently fluttering his tongue just above and below her throbbing clit. Finally, when she felt like she couldn't take it anymore, he wrapped his lips around it, sucking and flicking it with his tongue as she convulsed with pleasure beneath him. "Fuck me, fuck me now," Joanna moaned as her orgasm washed over her. Will stood up, unbuttoning and shoving down his jeans in one fluid motion. His erect cock sprung out and she could hardly believe how big it looked. It was seven or eight inches long, but thick, with a bulbous purple head that was glistening with precum. Will came up to kiss her, and as their lips touched, Joanna felt him push against her wet, sensitive slit. As their tongues tangled, he pushed into her with one motion and she gasped out loud at how full she felt. He pulled back and thrust into her again, roughly. She was so wet from her orgasm that his girth felt comfortable and as he started thrusting into her over and over again she felt another orgasm building. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." she wailed as he pushed into her again and again with his long, thick cock. Her muscles clenched around him, milking him as she came harder than she ever had before, and he moaned out her name as he came with her, pumping rope after rope of semen into her tight pussy. They laid together on the couch for a long time, and when they finally had the energy to move, Will looked into Joanna's eyes, grinned, and said "Want to go again?" Joanna's only answer was a kiss. Reconnection "Just let me go and get my suit, then." "Who said anything about a suit?" Erich gave her a stage whisper. "The kids!" Rebekkah shockingly replied. "Logan and Melinda took them all to a movie and they are spending the night at his apartment. Any more excuses?" She giggled. "Well, you certainly are very horny, aren't you mister?" Rebekkah said, eyeing the bulge in his shorts. Erich got up and put the outdoor audio system on a radio station that played love songs (Rebekkah's favorite), and stripped off his trunks, turning back to the hot tub naked. Erich felt his cock twitch as he looked at his beautiful wife, her back to him, as she seductively doffed her clothing. The side of her breasts peeked at him between her arms as she hooked her thumbs into her bottoms and straight legged, pushed them down her lovely legs. Rebekkah slowly turned towards him, one hand covering her big breasts and the other hand placed in her crotch, hiding the view from her husband. She backed into the hot tub and sat down, beckoning her husband to her. Erich rapidly entered the hot tub, enjoying the heat of the water as it enveloped his body and the steam made him break a light sweat as he reached for her. "Oh, no, buddy," Rebekkah stopped him, "It is my way tonight!" She patted the side of the tub, gesturing for him to sit on the edge, and she took her place between his legs. Rebekkah slowly teased him by running her fingernails up and down Erich's thighs. She would rub his chest and tweak his nipples between her fingers, then reach up and suck his nipples into her mouth, and tease them with her tongue. Erich moaned loudly, his huge hard-on letting her know that he liked what she was doing. Rebekkah slowly slid the length of Erich's eight inch tool into her mouth until her nose bumped his pubic bone, and then slowly reversed herself until his wide, mushroom shaped head popped from her thick, full lips. She ran her tongue down the length of his shaft until she was lapping at his balls, sucking first one, then the other into her hot mouth. Erich let his head roll back as his gorgeous wife gave him the blow job of his life. Erich could feel the explosion boiling up in his nut sack, and Rebekkah must have sensed it also, for she broke away from his cock, a long string of saliva hanging from her lower lip and attached to his cock. "Fuck me, now!" Rebekkah moaned. She turned and leaned over the side of the hot tub, beckoning him to fuck her doggy-style, her favorite position. Erich wasted no time in obliging, as he guiding his throbbing loaf of man meat into her and ground his hips against her as he buried his cock into her to the hilt. Rebekkah ground back against him and began to thrust back into him, controlling the tempo. "Oh--fuck---yeah--!!" Rebekkah moaned, reaching back with both hands and digging her well manicured fingernails into her husbands' rock hard ass. Erich leaned backwards in order to get more leverage and stopped mid-stroke... "You shaved!!" He gasped. Erich had been trying to get her to shave her pussy bald for years and she never would. Rebekkah lifted her right leg onto the tub deck and leaned her torso down, allowing more access to her fat pussy lips. "Don't talk, just fuck!" She hissed. Erich, turned on by his wife's lack of pussy hair and her swearing, began to piston his cock into her harder and harder. "I, I, I'm co-co-comminNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!" Rebekkah screamed and thrashed her head about as the throes of her monster orgasm raged through her body. Erich kept fucking his wife like a battering ram until she stopped him and using her hand, pulled his cum-slick cock from her dripping pussy and positioned it at the entrance to her nether hole. Erich had never fucked his wife's ass before, and as his thick cock slowly penetrated her sphincter, he felt like shooting his load even before he got it all of the way in. Rebekkah hissed and moaned as Erich pushed half of his length into her. She looked back at him and the lusty look that she gave him nearly drove him over the edge. "Fuck my ass!!!" She moaned. Erich began driving his cock into her virgin ass, each stroke driving more of his tool into her. Rebekkah pulled his cock out of her and raised herself onto the lip of hot tub and flipped over, and using her feet, which were wrapped around her husband, guided him closer to her. She reached down and guided his huge cock back into her ass. "Goddamnit, FUCK ME HARD!!" She snarled, and her husband obliged, pounding now the whole length of his eight inches into her tight ass channel. "OOOOhhhhHHHHoooHHHH, here it comes, baby!!" Erich grunted as the first strains of his seed exploded up into her bowels. Rebekkah frantically diddled her clit. "O-O-O-O-O-o, fuck yes, here I come again!" Rebekkah growled animalistically, as her second orgasm ripped through her body. Erich deposited spurt after spurt of his nut-butter directly into his wife's quivering ass. The lovers collapsed onto each other, panting, and together they slid back into the tub, Erich's spent penis slipping gently from her hole. After several moments of cuddling and kissing, Erich looked at her quizzically. "What got into you this evening, my love?" He asked. "You shaved yourself, you were, were CRAZY!" Erich looked down at his wife's crotch, to the little thatch of neatly trimmed hair that hovered directly over her bald pussy lips. While she never let her pubic hair go wild, she just kept it short, but never bald. "After it got shaved, I just got so horny from feeling it; I wanted to screw your brains out in the middle of Logan's party today!" Rebekkah grinned devilishly. "When did you do it?" Erich asked in a hushed tone. "Today, when everyone went in to watch movies, Melinda and I snuck up to the master bath." "M-Melinda?" He stammered. "Yeah, she had talked me into doing it, and I told her that I would, but that I was scared, seeing that I had never done that before, and I didn't really trust myself with a razor down there, and she volunteered to do it for me." Erich felt his cock twitch back to life. "I was a little nervous at first," Rebekkah continued, "Melinda put me at ease, telling me that she and her girlfriends used to shave each other in college, but I think that I was more nervous I was putting my goods on display for my son's girlfriend. I mean, here I was, butt naked from the waist down, with a hot blonde between my legs, with her face just inches from my pussy!" Rebekkah positioned herself closer to Erich, her right breast digging into his side, and almost nonchalantly, she reached down and grabbed his cock with her left hand. She smiled wickedly up at him when she felt that he was rapidly hardening in her hand. She could hear her husband's ragged breathing as she slowly pumped his long cock, alternating between squeezing him hard and masturbating his massive member. "First," Rebekkah added, "Melinda took my trimmer and ran it over me, getting all of the hair to one short length. Then she rinsed me off with hot water, making the hair soft and easier to cut. She lathered me up with cream and rubbed it into my skin thoroughly. The outer part of my vagina was easy to do, and very quickly, I had a little patch of hair and the sides of my lips were bald, just like I had requested. I thought that it was all done, but Melinda told me that we had to get the little short hairs on my pussy lips or it would never feel right to me. Honey, I had had my legs open, completely exposed, and her face was so close to my pussy, I could feel her breath on my lips. I was so hot, and I was embarrassed as I knew that she could see my cunt's wetness. Melinda had to pull my lips out to get all of the hair, and when she tugged on my lips, it felt like a bolt of electricity had ripped through my body! I gave a little yelp and my body jumped. Melinda had an evil little grin on her face as I apologized to her, telling her that I was nervous. She reassured me she had everything under control. We were both prone on the bathroom floor as she finished her shave job. 'You seem to be enjoying this, Bekkah', she said. Honey, I think that she was seducing me! I could feel her fingers probing me, checking for any stray hairs that she may have missed! Oh, my God, Baby, I was soaking wet!" Erich rolled his head back and closed his eyes, imagining the scene that his wife had just described to him. His erection now ached from being so hard. "Right then," Rebekkah continued, "I just knew it was gonna happen. She and I were going to do it, and to be honest with you, I wanted it to. But, Melinda just ran her finger over my asshole and through my pussy lips and declared the job to be over. She got up and left me there, hot and wet; I've wanted to have sex for HOURS!" Erich pulled his wife on top of him, and as he felt himself slide into her, he smiled broadly. "You've been staring at that screen for over an hour, dear." Melinda stated anxiously, walking behind Logan and rubbing his back. "Are you going to send something?" Logan had been sitting in front of his computer at his loft apartment, listening to the sounds of Elm St. below him, the passersby, the sounds of the bars and cars cruising 'Deep Ellum'. He had just told Melinda his family story, something that he had never told anyone ever in his life. She had an amazed look on her face twenty minutes after she read the letter that Logan had received yesterday, probably from trying to absorb all that she had just learned from her lover. With trembling hands, Logan typed in the address from the letter and in the body, wrote only three words...WHO IS THIS. Send. Logan checked his e-mail several times a day without receiving anything, and decided that he would just give up after the third day. That letter was a fucking prank, he thought, but whom? Why? Just before leaving his office for the evening, Logan noticed a message flagged in his e-mail in box. His heart nearly leaped through his chest and the breath caught in his lungs. 'Fuck', he thought, 'You have been acting like a pussy,' Logan chastised himself, 'besides, you get thirty messages a day, you can't act like a fag with every one, read that motherfucker!' Logan clicked on the message and his eyes narrowed as he read. "Holy Shit!" He whispered. Thirty minutes later he was pacing the floor of Melinda's apartment, waving a printout in his flailing hands, gibbering away like a madman. "Re-fuckin-lax!" Melinda yelled at Logan, snatching the paper from his hands and scanning the contents. Logan stood to the side of her, wringing his hands. "You know who I am." Melinda read aloud, "I would like to meet you, but if you don't want to, I understand. I live in Tawakoni, and I will be at Chester's Pub Thursday at 10, sit at the table by the rear exit. S." After a brief pause, she handed the paper back to Logan. "Spelling is horrible." "Should I go?" Logan asked. "I can't answer that for you, sweetheart." Was her response. "The only thing I want to know is how a mother can leave her newborn and just walk away. I would like to get an answer." Logan slumped down onto the sofa and hung his head. "It is about an hour from here, give or take," Melinda told him, "I'll go with you." "That would mean a lot to me." Logan looked up at her, tears welling up in his eyes and grabbed her hand. Melinda sat next to him and took him in her arms, holding him close and stroking his hair as he broke down, sobbing. That night, they made sweet love to each other long into the night. "How much further did you say?" Logan asked "Oh...about five minutes less than when you asked last time, there, baby cakes!" Melinda ribbed him. "Sorry, I am just nervous, that's all." He sheepishly replied. Melinda reached over and patted him on the thigh as she smiled up at him. Logan was very glad that she had come with him; both for moral support and that she looked stunning. Melinda had her bare feet propped up on the dash and they were keeping time to the music on the radio. She wore a pair of faded low-rise jeans that showed off nearly her entire stomach, and a black leather corset top that was sheer in the back and laced up the front, and exposed almost 6 inches of bare, deeply tanned stomach. Her braless breasts jutted from her chest, the top barely containing them. Her long, golden hair flowed down her back as she looked out the window, checking out the countryside. Logan ogled her feet, which, in his opinion, were her best feature. Long, slim toes that were capped by a pale pink polish. Melinda looked back at him and smiled, her pearly white teeth gleaming. "There!" Melinda screamed, pointing across the driver's side off to her left. Logan pulled the black LandCruiser into the large, gravel lot and eased his SUV close to the building that sat off the highway about thirty yards. The gravel lot was surrounded by woods and you could smell the lake water in the air. The building itself looked like an old post office that was painted a two tone cream and red. The side of the building that was towards the two lane highway had 'Chester's' painted in three foot high script. He turned off the car and sat motionless for several moments. Deep breath in...and out. "You ready?" Logan asked. Melinda nodded her head and slipped on her open toed sandals and got out of the truck, meeting her boyfriend on the other side, close to the entrance. They could smell the cigarette smoke in the air and music on the jukebox. "I'll bet that they have never seen anything like you!" Logan smiled and gestured towards the front door. "Or you either, my prince!" Melinda chuckled and squeezed his well muscled ass cheek. "We are a little early, but, what the hell?" Inside the bar was open, and fairly well lit. Much like the parking lot, there was not a whole lot going on. The large, horseshoe shaped bar was off to the right, and had a dozen or so people around it. Scattered around the front of the bar was a half dozen or so tables, which were mostly occupied. To the right of the building were an empty stage and a large dance floor. Melinda squeezed Logan's hand tightly as he led her towards a table that was empty right next to the rear exit. It seemed like every one in there had stopped what they were doing and was staring right at them. Logan and Melinda settled into their chairs and nervously held hands as it seemed like everyone's eyes were boring a hole into them. There were two waitresses on duty and it seemed like they were playing mental 'Paper, Rock,Scissors' to see who would wait on them. The loser, a thin red-headed girl with glasses, sauntered over to the table. "Ah'm Amber, what kin ah gitcha?" She asked, very standoffishly. "Vodka Cranberry for the lady, and I'll have a pitcher of whatever you have on tap." Logan told her, handing her his credit card and telling her to start a tab for them. Amber began to walk away. "Oh, and Amber?" Logan stopped her. She paused looking back at them, eyebrow raised. "Get a round for the house, also!" Grinning, Amber hurriedly made her way back to the bar and leaned across the waitress station, whispering in the bar matron's ear and pointing in their direction. The bar matron, an average shaped lady probably in her late 40's, early 50's, waved the other waitress that was on duty over to her and they all briskly began to get drinks ready for the roughly thirty five to forty people that were in the bar. Amber brought a tray over to their table, and served Melinda her drink, then poured a beer for Logan. "Everyone thanks you for the drink, Mister." Amber smiled at him. "I know that it is your first time here, what brings y'all?" "I am supposed to meet someone here in a little bit." Logan told her. "Who?" "This is going to sound crazy, Amber, but I really don't know." She gave Logan a confused look and smiled, told them that if they needed anything, to give her a shout. People at the bar came by the table and thanked them for the drink, introduced themselves, and in return, bought drinks for the two of them also. When Melinda and Logan came in, they sat at a table in the far end of the building, by themselves and now, over half of the people were surrounding their table, laughing, talking and having a good time. Melinda was having a ball, but Logan kept getting drunker and drunker. Every time that someone came near them, his heart would skip a beat, thinking that it was her, but no avail. They were supposed to meet the "Mystery Person" at 10 p.m., and it was well after 11. Logan was getting shit-faced, and pissed off. Melinda was the center of attention, obviously, Logan thought, she was most likely the hottest girl that any of them had been near. Logan drained the last of his pitcher and slurped down its contents, dribbling beer down his chin and reaching for a fresh, full pitcher of brew that was right in front of him, hitting the side of the glass and spilling some of its contents onto the table. "Here ya go, Hon." A hand came from over the top of his shoulder and began wiping the spill from the table. "Thanksh, Amber!" Logan slurred. "Not Amber, Hon." A lady looking to be in her mid to upper forties settled in the chair next to him and continued to absently wipe at the spill on the table. Logan looked at her. She had long, strawberry blonde hair that curled around her face and settled onto her shoulders. The lady's face looked like that she had lived a hard life, wrinkles around her mouth that tipped off a lifelong smoking habit, and deep crows feet accentuated her liquid green eyes. 'My eye color,' Logan thought. She wore a black tube-top that showed off a set of huge, round tits, and that shirt ended right above her belly button, revealing a flat tummy that led to a pair of painted on 501 jeans, capped off by a set of black Ropers. "Your girlfriend is very pretty," She said, flicking ashes from her cigarette onto the floor. "I guess that I will introduce myself, Sadie Hastings." The lady reached her hand towards Logan. "You're late!" He growled, clasping her dainty hand in his, briefly squeezing before letting go. "I have been watching you from the bar, admiring how well your father has done with you." "By himself, of course!" Logan added in a smart aleck tone. "If you want to battle, Logan, I'll leave." Sadie said through gritted teeth. "If not, I suggest we get away from the party and talk in a corner or something!" Logan stood and caught Melinda's eye. He motioned with his head to Sadie, and her eyes widened with the knowledge of who stood next to her boyfriend. Logan told her with gestures that he was going to the corner with her and Melinda nodded her head. She then pointed to her chest, then to Sadie and mouthed "Wow!" Logan waved her off and followed Sadie. Sadie's ass sashayed back and forth in her skin-tight jeans as she walked, nay, strutted ahead of him, leading him by the hand and sitting him down at a table that was far away from everyone, and mostly hidden from view. "You are a gorgeous man, and so strong!" She cooed, crossing her legs and leaning forward, stroking his biceps. "Thanks," Logan stammered, "This is just so surreal, I've thought of this day for so long...I, I don't know what to say to you. I've practiced speeches and the like, but..." "Shhh, dahlin'" Sadie placed her finger over his mouth, shushing him up. "Let me tell you what happened to me..." For the next twenty minutes or so, Sadie lied to him of how she had a mental breakdown when she gave birth. She said that her home life was so bad that she snapped inside and just took off, fleeing to Wyoming with just the clothes on her back, fleeing an abusive, sometimes sexually, father and a whore mother to start all over again. Sadie informed Logan of his other sister and Sadie's only other child, Charlotte, and how his long lost mother has been married thrice and divorced twice, and most recently widowed. Charlotte was at their home nearby even as they spoke; did Logan want to meet his sister? Reconnection Logan stared at her through double and sometimes triple vision, trying unsuccessfully to steady himself. I need to grab Melinda, he told her, she wants to come. Logan held on to the table before him to keep from falling as he watched Sadie float through the crowd to where Melinda was surrounded by panting, horny rednecks. A tap on the shoulder, a handshake between them and here they came. Melinda took his keys and they both half carried, half dragged Logan towards the parking lot. They tossed him in the back seat of the LandCruiser and made the short drive to Sadie's house. The house was not large, a two bedroom, two baths with a covered carport in the front, and a chain link fence that led into darkness. Melinda could not get a feel for the size of the yard, as the nearest street light was out. It was dark enough that she could not positively identify the color of the house, even. Sadie led them into the house through the screen door on the front porch and dumped Logan onto the sofa. Melinda looked around the room and found it to be somewhat clean, not clean enough for her taste, but clean enough. "Not quite like y'all's fancy digs in Dallas, is it honey?" Sadie asked, dripping with sarcasm. "It's very nice." Melinda stammered. She was quite taken aback by Sadie's sudden change in temperament, and began to feel very nervous. "Uh, he is very drunk, maybe I should get him back home and we can come back tomorrow or something?" Melinda whispered timidly. She had been in courtrooms fighting for cases worth millions and millions of dollars and she had never been this uneasy. "Nonsense, hon." Sadie's smile was back, showing all of her teeth. Melinda thought of the Cheshire Cat. "I just spoke to Charlotte, she will be here in a minute, and she has been dying to see Logan!" "I didn't see you use a phone." Sadie stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Some tea would be great for all of us right now; it might perk up your boyfriend to where he can meet his sister." Sadie quickly heated up some water and began to dunk teabags into three coffee mugs. She removed a bottle from the cabinet above her and quickly dissolved two pills into each of the mugs. Before she put the bottle away, she frowned, cocked her head and dissolved another tablet into one of the mugs. "That is yours, bitch!" She sneered. She loaded them on a tray and carried them into the living room, where it seemed that Logan was coming around. Melinda had him by the arm, whispering ardently into his ear and he appeared to shrug her off, eliciting a scowl from her. "Is everything O.K?" Sadie asked sweetly. "Here, take this Logan, green tea, will clear your head." Logan thanked her and greedily slurped down half the cup. "Melinda, don't be so rude!" He admonished her as she refused the mug of tea. Reluctantly, she took the offered brew and sipped on it. It was very good; soon, Melinda's cup was drained. "Where is Charlotte?" Melinda raised the question. "She'll be here at any moment, my dear, any moment." Sadie lowered her head and smiled a devilish grin. Melinda's head grew heavy and her eyelids drooped. She fought the desire to go to sleep but could not. She looked over at Logan and saw that he was passed out, mouth agape, slumped into the corner of the couch. Her last thought before blackness washed over her was, 'What the fuck was in that tea?' As Melinda drooped back into the couch, Sadie let out a cry and set her mug of tea down. "Charlotte, get your ass out here, now!" Sadie screamed down the hall. She crossed over to where Logan was propped up on the arm of the sofa and with surprising strength, hurriedly got him to his feet. Sadie turned with him, his arm draped across her shoulders; the effort of it was pulling down a side of her tube top, revealing the uppermost part of her globes, flirting with exposing nipple. Charlotte stood in front of her, open mouthed, in awe. Charlotte was taller than Sadie, who stood at just over 5'8"tall, but appeared to be much thinner than her mother. Charlotte's long, curly hair was deep red, her skin a pallid white that was littered with freckles, and underneath that loose flannel shirt that she wore, she took after her mother, sporting a set of DD breasts. Charlotte would have been described as beautiful, nay, stunning if her life had taken another turn. She had lived most of her life in and out of motel rooms, getting home schooled by her mother, when she had the chance, which was rarely if ever. She was born in one of those motel room bathtubs and for better or worse, Charlotte Hastings did not exist. No birth certificate, never been registered in a school, never seen a real doctor. She teetered on the brink between fantasy and reality, and she did not have a firm grip of her surroundings most of the time. She had seen things in her life that no one, man or woman, should have been subjected to, and the niche that she created for herself in her mind kept what little sanity that she had remaining hanging by a thread. Her mother had come out of her drug and sex induced fog long enough to realize that they were out of money. Don't worry, Char, Mama knows where to get money, she reassured her. They left for Texas from Seattle six months ago, and her mother had been searching for him since. "Oh, Mama, is that him?" Charlotte gushed, her eyes lit up with a large smile, "He is so beautiful!" Charlotte had only learned that she had a brother several weeks ago, and she could hardly sleep or eat knowing that she would meet family other than her mother. She never knew her father, and secretly hoped that her new found brother would sweep her up in his arms and take her away from Mama. She hated Mama. KKRRAAAKK!!!! A slap rocked Charlotte's head back and an angry red, hand shaped mark rose up on her cheek. "Don't just stand there, you stupid bitch, help me get him to the bed!" Sadie bellowed. Charlotte's eyes were clouded with tears as she helped her mother with Logan. "Mama, who is that?" Charlotte pointed to Melinda's passed out form. "His fucking cow girlfriend! If I had known that bitch was coming, I would have hired five day laborers to fuck her in the ass while she was passed out!" Sadie spat vehemently as she held her face inches from Melinda's and slapped her. She sure is pretty, Charlotte thought, but was too scared to say as they dragged Logan to her Mama's bedroom and threw him down on the bed. "Take his clothes off." Sadie ordered. "Wh-what?" Charlotte stammered. "Please, baby, help mommy, please?" Sadie stuck her lower lip out and gave her daughter her begging look. Charlotte smiled, but only because she knew that when her mother did that, she wasn't going to hit her. Yet. While Charlotte worked on Logan's clothes, Sadie set up a tripod for her camcorder. Charlotte was working on the last remnants of Logan's clothes, having stripped him of every stitch save for his boxers. She stood at the foot of the bed and reached for the waistband of his boxers and began to tug. "Oh, my god, Mama!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Look at him! I have never seen one this big!" Sadie looked at the now nude form of her long lost son and gazed at his penis. Even limp, it had to have been seven inches long, and it was thick and heavy. This was going to be fun, she thought. "Charlotte, dear," Sadie cooed into her young daughter's ear, "I can't use him like that. You have got to make him big and strong for Mommy!" "I'm sorry?" Charlotte looked at her quizzically. "Charlotte," Sadie stroked her hair, "Do like Mama taught you with your uncles that would come and see us back in Seattle." "Mama, NO!! I hated that! He is my brother, Mommy, please..." Charlotte appealed to her mother. "GODDAMMIT, CHARLOTTE! SUCK HIS FUCKING COCK, MAKE IT HARD, BITCH!" Sadie screamed at the top of her lungs, spittle flying from her mouth and the veins in her neck and forehead popping out. Charlotte winced away from her mother's rage filled scream, and crawled towards Logan's sleeping member, grabbing it in her hand and lifting it towards her mouth. Charlotte let out a great sob and took Logan's soft penis deep into her oral cavity and began to give him head. Sadie had used her body and this very camera that she had just set up to extort money and drugs for twenty years. She cleared her throat and prepared to deliver an opening monologue, one that wouldn't be forgotten. She could see that her little girls' efforts were paying off; Logan's huge cock was now more than semi-erect. Sickeningly, Sadie was filled with pride as she briefly watched her daughter. She pushed record. "How are you, Helen and Richard?" Sadie began, referring to Logan's grandparents. "All of those years ago you paid me to just disappear, to vanish. Well, I want you to know that I found my boy." She panned the camera over to the bed, where Charlotte was sucking wildly on Logan's cock. "I know that you don't know that girl, but it is not Logan's whore girl-friend. It's Logan's sister!" She put the camera onto her face once again. "I think that you will like what you see in this short film. Please enjoy. I will let you know, though, that $150,000 won't cut it this time, I'll be in touch to tell you how much, or, maybe you could tell me. How much will it cost me to not let a copy of this tape find its way onto the internet, to your neighbors, the city council, or eww! Your country club!" Sadie then zoomed in on a tight close up of Logan's face. He seemed to be just closing his eyes and enjoying himself, not drugged out of his senses. "That's it, honey," Sadie whispered into the camcorders microphone, "Suck your brother's big, hard, cock!" She faded the picture out, and grabbed Charlotte by the shoulder, tossing her aside. Charlotte scampered into the corner and curled into the fetal position, trying to spit the taste from her mouth and wiping her tongue urgently on her sleeve. "Get your ass over here and hold this fucking camera!" Sadie demanded of Charlotte. Charlotte could do nothing but obey, or her mother would beat her senseless. The next shot faded in from gray and was a close-up of Sadie's bald pussy positioned right above Logan's stiff organ. Slowly, she impaled herself on the incredible size of her son until he was buried to his ball sac into her pussy and she began riding him. "Remember this, Erich?" Sadie teasingly told the camera. "I bet that our son loves to fuck his Mommy!" Sadie had her unwilling daughter film her from a variety of angles fucking her sons' massive joint until he deflated and slipped from her pussy. The film session was filled with Sadie screaming and moaning over and over again, "Fuck your Mommy!" and "Do you like Mama's pussy?" Sadie got up from the bed and dressed herself, taking the tape from the camera. Charlotte was lovingly putting back on Logan's clothing. "You are pathetic!" Sadie sneered at her daughter, and she snatched her by her hair and yanked her from the room. The sun was high in the sky as Logan's pounding headache woke him. He was briefly panicked as he woke from a deep slumber to not know where he was at. "Melinda?" Logan called out. He heard nothing. "MELINDA!" Logan heard a brief stirring in another room and hustled down a short hallway to find his girlfriend sprawled upon a couch, blearily blinking her eyes and trying to gain her senses. "What the fuck happened?" Logan knelt before her, gently putting his hand behind her head and lifting her to a sitting position. "Your fucking crazy mother happened!! She fucking drugged us!" Melinda bellowed as she knocked the coffee mug onto the carpet. "Where is that bitch?" A very brief search of the house by Logan found no signs of anyone. He returned to the living room to see Melinda squatting by the T.V., holding a VHS tape in her hand. "What is that?" Logan asked, puzzled. She handed him a note: Logan, You were much better than your father; you made me cum a lot! View the tape and realize that I really don't want to send it to your grandparents. If they knew that I was back, it might just kill them! Isn't that funny? Just pay up and I'll send you the original! $50, 000 first installment before the weekend. I'll be in touch, Sadie, Your loving mother! Logan's heart sank as the final seconds of the fifteen minute tape faded to black. He was downtrodden, not only for what happened, but now he knew that his grandparents had went behind his father's back and bribed his mother to disappear. Melinda's jaw was set as she looked at him. "We need to formulate a plan." Melinda's eyes narrowed into a squint as she grabbed Logan's face and kissed him hard on the mouth. "This bitch has made this shit personal!" *To be continued* Reconnections She was running late, and she hated being late for this sort of thing. It had taken too long to get the stockings on and she hated the feel of them. It had been years since she'd worn stockings with a garter belt and she wasn't sure why she was wearing them now. It was just coffee at a Starbucks. The red suede suit with the skirt with the slits up the sides was hanging on the closet door. Too dressy? But she'd dressed in red the times before and it was Christmas. Well, almost Christmas. Thanksgiving was this week. Why did people push the season, she wondered. Barely Thanksgiving, and it already was all about Christmas. She supposed she'd best wear those enamel Christmas tree earrings. She eyed the Louis Vuitton boots. Too flashy for a coffee shop meeting, of course, but it was too cold not to wear boots. He wouldn't notice. Why was she doing Christmas at all this year? Nothing but pain. She should have booked on a cruise to Fiji. Nothing like Christmas down there at this time of the year. She spent a bundle on this "just coffee at Starbucks." The lacy bikini panties and matching bra from Victoria's Secret were apparel that hadn't been in her wardrobe since before she'd married Wade. What? Six years ago now? My how time flies when you're not having fun. Not that Wade wouldn't have been fun without the cancer that overshadowed their lives from even before the wed. She'd been termed a saint. And she'd grown accustomed to the role. It took Margie and Christine at work to propel her to Victoria's Secret after she'd seen Simon at the office Christmas party, gotten all discombobulated at seeing him—and being alone with him for a few minutes and having been asked to meet with him again—and then having it all pulled out of her by her friends. "It's time," Margie had said. "You can't mourn Wade forever," Christine had said, but then, realizing how bald that sounded, she'd tempered it with, "He'd want you to date again and find another man. Lord, you're not even thirty yet. I know he made you promise to do that even before you two were married." "I suppose," Katherine had responded, her eyes still on Simon as he glided around the room, moving comfortably between groups of senior employees at the punch bowl and the Christmas tree. He was chief of the West Coast office now. He'd risen high in the company. He'd married the daughter of the company's chief supplier, and the divorce had come through just as the office was changing chief suppliers. It was like he was a cat—always landing on his feet. And he'd remembered her name. "It's great seeing you here, Kate," He'd said as he approached her at the punchbowl. "It's been so long. Too long." "Yes, it's been a long time," Katherine had said. She felt herself trembling. Had he ever said why he didn't contact her again once he'd been transferred to the West Coast? And, even so, why had she let it go down so easy? Well, perhaps marrying another man dying of cancer on the rebound might not have been exactly letting it go easy. It had been good with Simon those few winter months, hadn't it? Why did everything memorable in her life seem to revolve around the Christmas season? She'd never felt so completed before or since as she had in bed with Simon. But that wasn't really fair to Wade. He'd been as much as his disease had allowed. But Simon. He'd brought her to—and over the brink—repeatedly, as she recalled, leaving her wrung out like a dish rag, but, in the end, purring and anticipating when they could do it again. She shuddered that the remembrance of the feel of his hands moving up her legs, slowly unfastening the snaps to the garter belt—he'd already unhooked her lacy bra and buried his face between her breasts. The feel of his hand then, moving down her legs, one after the other, coaxing the stockings off her legs, and then his hand, strong and big, between her thighs, his meaty fingers finding and working her clitoris, entering her with his fingers, all while she moaned and he sucked on her nipples. The weight of him as he covered her, spreading her thighs with his knees, moving his mouth to hers to take her in a brutal kiss—suddenly his need and insistence blazing hot and the sensation that it was all about him now, that other than a vessel for his need, she wasn't in the picture anymore. That nothing would stop him now. The forceful, thick penetration, her entreaties to go slow, give her time, unheeded, and the wild thrusting. At last carrying her with him, her fingernails clawing at his back, feeling herself reach the heights and burst over the boundaries as he thrust and thrust. In the end, she was ashamed to say, what he gave her was more than enough. He was always bouncing out the bed right after, though, remembering someplace he had to be, something else he had to be doing. But she couldn't say it hadn't been good for her—in the long run. And certainly was more sexual excitement than she'd had at any time since. As she smoothed out the creases in the stockings before putting the red suede skirt on, it dawned on her why she had bought these stockings and dug out the garter belt. It was because she was thinking of Simon and of the "meeting for a cup of coffee" offer he'd made at the early Christmas party and that her girlfriends in the office had nagged her to accept. Because of where that might lead. Because he'd clearly enjoyed taking the stockings off of her all those years ago. She probably shouldn't go. She should call him and give an excuse. God knows he'd never had a problem calling her and giving her an excuse at the eleventh hour. Something had happened to break it up without affecting her too deeply. She should take time to try to dredge up what that was. But she already was late for the meeting. The last thing she did was check her purse to make sure that she was bringing along protection in case Simon wasn't. She was sure it would never get that far—it was just a cup of coffee and a catch-up of the last seven years—but . . . * * * * "I can't believe how good you look, Kate. You're still gorgeous. It's like yesterday rather than four years." Simon had a coffee mug in one hand but the other extended across the table and was cupping Katherine's elbow. His thumb was stroking the silky skin of her arm above the elbow. This was sending chills of pleasure through Katherine's body. He'd always been a charmer—and good with the foreplay up to the point of losing control and becoming "me, me, me" at penetration. "It's been seven years, Simon." Just a month shy of seven years. "Has it? It seems like just yesterday," he repeated. "I don't really know—" "Neither do I," Katherine hastily interrupted. They both knew they were talking about whatever it was that had broken their affair off. Not that Katherine could remember any indication that it was headed anywhere except hotel room trysts, though—and she'd beaten her brain all during the trip over here trying to develop a scenario in which they were starting to make plans. But she just couldn't remember anything of that sort. The breakup was as much a mystery to her as he was saying it was to him. Other than, of course, his promotion and move to the West Coast. But she was sure there was something else, as well. There must have been. "I heard you were promoted right up out of the secretarial pool here I the head office and have a line management position," he was saying. "Yes, though we don't have secretaries anymore—just personal assistants and 'do most of it yourself' computer power now. I'm chief of personnel in the main office now." "Oh, really? Tell me about it." And Katherine did. It only took a few moments, though, for her to realize that his attention had strayed. He was still holding her arm and stroking it, but he was looking over her shoulder. As she turned to look, she, at first, thought he was looking at the Christmas tree being trimmed by a Starbuck's employee in the corner of the room, but then she realized he was looking at two young, very attractive women—a blonde and a red head—at a table beside the tree. As she turned her head around, she viewed someone beyond Simon's shoulder herself who seemed familiar. A man. Distinguished looking, but a few years older than she was. For some reason "Atlanta" and "David" registered in her head, but beyond that, there was no recognition. He turned his head and smiled at her, and, embarrassed, she turned her attention back to Simon. He still wasn't really paying full attention to her, so she wrapped up her "my office life" description and asked him about the West Coast office. Simon answered at length, looking mainly at Katherine now, but now and again letting his attention check out the other women in the room. "And I suppose you know that Claire and I divorced," he said, in conclusion. "She was nothing like you, unfortunately. I always regretted . . . say, you aren't still wearing those luscious stockings—and a garter belt—are you?" Katherine blushed. "Remember how we—?" "Yes, I remember," Katherine said. She felt herself go all warm. She was glad she'd made the effort to wear them today. She wondered how far away his hotel room was—or if, perhaps, he'd already made other arrangements. Perhaps he had anticipated there would be more than coffee. He always was a cocky son of a gun. But he'd satisfied her, in his own way—it could have been better. But it was as good as it had been for the last seven years—well other than that once, when she was on that business trip to Atlanta and had that one-weekend stand with that man at the other conference . . . with David. Oh, my God, she thought, suddenly remembering where she'd seen that man across the room before. The man who wasn't sitting across the room any more, though, she discovered as she looked. Guiltily she looked back into Simon's face, and although he was still talking about the good times they'd had in a husky voice, Katherine realized he was looking past her again—at a striking brunette who had just entered the coffee shop. Now she remembered why they had broken up. It had been his move to the West Coast, of course. But it had been more than that, and although she couldn't break with him—and with the sex—at the time, she remembered now that she'd been relieved he moved a continent away. Simon was a browser—a simultaneous browser. And he hadn't just browsed. She had found that hers wasn't the only field he'd been plowing seven years ago. He had roving eyes and hands and, to her embarrassment, she had ignored the truth too long back then. "My hotel isn't far from here," Simon said, his eyes still roving. "We could—" "Hold that thought, Simon. I'll be back in a few. Ladies room." He didn't even follow her with his eyes, or he'd have seen her heading for the door to the street, not to the back of the coffee shop—and he might have noticed that she took her overcoat with her. "Katie? Katie Wilson, is that you?" "It's Katie Barlow now. David Danfors, isn't it? I'm surprised you remembered me." The man had been waiting for her outside Starbucks. He was wearing an expensive camelhair overcoat that, nonetheless wasn't up to the winds coming off the lake in Chicago. He had been rubbing his hands together and stamping his feet in what had turned out to be a nippy morning. A bucket truck was out on the street, valiantly fighting the wind to put up illuminated snowflakes on the streetlight poles. Katherine grimaced, realizing now why she was bah humbug about pushing the Christmas season. Wade had died last Christmas season. She wasn't prepared to relive the pain of that. "It's been a year. Get back out there. Wade would want you to, you know he would." The nagging of Margie and Christine came back to her. She knew they were right. They had been right too that Wade had said he wouldn't marry her at all unless she promised to get on with her life—which included men—after he died. He'd gotten the diagnosis between the engagement and the wedding. No one clung to false hope that he'd beat it. He'd offered her her freedom too, but she just couldn't desert him. But she had agreed to his demand. The weekend fling with David Danfors had been when she was on the rebound from Simon but hadn't met Wade yet. They were at the same hotel but different conferences in Atlanta. It was after she'd broken out of the secretarial pool and went to the conference to provide backup on personnel. She had gotten in the wrong conference room one day and had stayed for several minutes, mesmerized by the session presenter's command and charisma. David had been a handsome, albeit older than she was, man who had been both glib and witty. There had been an immediate connection between the two from across the room and then a chance meeting in the hotel bar. She was still wearing the stockings and garter belt that Simon liked so much at the time, and David had taken as much time, attention, and pleasure in unhooking the stockings and rolling them off her legs as Simon had. The similarities had ended there, though. David had kissed his way up her naked legs and continued with his kissing to the quick of her, using his tongue, lips, and teeth to pleasure her as she writhed under him, exploding again and again and begging him to be inside her. And when he was inside her, she was ready and ripe for him, and he just glided in and then out and in again, kissing her passionately and watching her reactions closely with his eyes, making sure she was having as much pleasure as he was. They had two nights together—and it should have been a third, but an emergency back in Chicago called her home. She'd frantically scoured the hotel in search of him before having to race to catch her flight, but she hadn't found him. They hadn't exchanged addresses for contact information. They both had been too taken up in the "now" to think about the "after." The next month she'd met Wade Barlow, and the memory of David Danfors had slowly died away. "How could I have forgotten you? We seemed to have lost track, though," David was saying. He was hugging himself and Katherine could tell that he was cold. She had a warm coat on over the suede suit, so she was in better condition. "Or maybe it was too intense for you. If so, I'm sorry. I just fell hard. We were supposed to have another night, but you were gone and I couldn't find you." "I was called back to Chicago. I looked for you before I left too. I didn't lose interest; I lost contact." "I wasn't in the hotel that afternoon. I was at a jewelry store—buying something." "Oh." Katherine couldn't think of anything else to say "Seven years ago, the weekend after Thanksgiving," David piped up, endeavoring to lighten up the conversation. "Yes, I remember," Katherine said, with a laugh. "I moped and pouted right up until Christmas." "And then?" "I met my husband." "Ah," David said. She could hear the disappointment and resignation in his voice. "But he died last Christmas," she said. There was a pause before David took up the conversation again. "I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't marry again myself. I had just been divorced, if you remember. But after that weekend I couldn't marry again—anyone else." "Oh." "Say, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?" Katherine laughed—but it was a nervous laugh. "I just did that and it wasn't the best idea." "You were breaking up with that guy in there? He didn't seem to be giving you his undivided attention. Not a good sign." "That's true. No, we were trying to reconnect, and I think I was trying harder than he was. But we should get inside; it's freezing out here. Coffee still sounds good. There's a Starbucks right here, but I don't really want to—" "Strangely enough, there's another Starbucks just two blocks down. We could . . . or . . . I know this sounds silly, but do you still wear stockings with a garter belt?" Katherine laughed, moved closer to David, and put an arm through his, cuddling up to him to share some of her warmth with him. All of a sudden she was feeling very warm—and very much in the spirit. "I am today. Do you still live in New York?" "Yes." "And you're here in Chicago on business?" "Yes, my hotel is just up the street." "How convenient. Much better than Starbucks, don't you think?" Katherine said, suddenly not a bit afraid of the impending Christmas season.