On a limb with Claudia

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CHAPTER NINETY-TWO

Sunday evening — 6:15 P.M.
Denver Art Museum

“When we get home, will you talk to me about what happened between you and Johansen?” Jill whispered into Jacob’s ear. “And how you are about it? And everything?”

They were standing in the middle of the nearly empty art gallery. Most of their close friends and family were looking at one or the other of Mike’s gorgeous paintings. No one had seen his entire collection. When Katy ran off to play with Noelle, Jill took Jacob’s hand and led him to the middle of the room. He held her in his arms.

“I don’t have anything to say,” he whispered in her ear.

“You’ve been avoiding the subject since it happened.”

“I’ve been a little busy with Lipson and trying to keep the Castle from falling down,” he whispered.

She let the conversation lag on his lie. She kissed his neck.

“Please let this drop.” Jacob stepped back to look in her eyes. “I can’t talk about it. I just can’t. Not now. Please.”

She kissed his lips.

“I love you,” he said. “I keep hoping my buddy Mike will paint you naked. Then I remember that my buddy Mike is your big brother. Kinda spoils the whole thing.”

[...]

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Recap of the Beginning and character summary

CHAPTER NINETY-ONE

Sunday — 11:16 A.M.

“Heather!”

Blane yelled as he ran in the house. Slamming the door, he ran toward where he could hear her voice.

“Heather?”

“We’re in here,” she said.

He jogged toward the den off the kitchen. Heather was sitting in a rocking chair with Mack on her shoulder.

“Hi,” she said. “How are you?”

“Missed you guys,” Blane said. “Can I?”

“Sure.”

Standing, Heather held Mack out to him. Impulsively, Blane hugged them both. Heather laughed. He kissed her cheek then took Mack from her. Mack made a happy sound in recognition of Blane. He kissed Mack’s face then settled him on his shoulder.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I’ve been at the hospital with Sam and…. I’m just happy to have you guys.” He smiled at her. “That’s all.”

She hugged him.

“Sorry you missed church,” Blane said.

“Mack and I went with the girls. We just got back,” Heather said. “He was an angel.”

“You fed him before you went?”

“In the car. Like his Mama, he’s happy with a full belly,” Heather laughed. “Can I get you something?”

“No, I’m just home for a shower. I have to help Jake today. Does that work for you?”

“Of course,” Heather said.

“Jake’s has a big mess today. The sites were closed yesterday and the Castle’s falling down and… Oh it doesn’t matter.”

[...]

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Recap of the Beginning and character summary

CHAPTER NINETY
Saturday morning — 1:20 A.M.

Sandy opened the door to her condo apartment and took a deep breath. She’d always loved the smell of her very own home. Even after being closed up for so many weeks, her home still smelled safe. That’s how she had felt first time she’d stepped into the condo – safe and at peace. She sighed. She needed safety and peace this morning.

Tomorrow, her Godfather’s daughter would move into the condo for the summer. Seth hadn’t asked. Instead, his daughter Elizabethe (not Lizzie like she used to be called) had telephoned and begged her for a room in her condo. Now eighteen years old, Seth’s second daughter from his second marriage wanted to see if she could forge a relationship with her father the summer before she started college. Sandy had agreed to let her stay for three hundred dollars a month. Of course, Sandy had set the terms when she thought she had access to Aden’s money to help cover their expenses.

Luckily she liked to work. But not today. At the hospital last night, she’d called all her scheduled clients to cancel their appointments. Today, she would sleep until two, maybe three.

Sandy checked the guest bedroom where Lizzie, no Elizabethe, would stay. She put fresh sheets on the bed and made sure all of the kids’ stuff was out of the closets and cabinets.

Delphie had been to the condo when Sandy was in the hospital after getting shot by her father. Delphie had packed up Sandy’s clothing, cleared out the refrigerator, and got the flat ready for Sandy’s stay at the Castle. She’d even arranged for Rosa and her team to clean the condo top to bottom. Looking around her home, Sandy saw tokens of Delphie’s usual love and care.

Delphie. Beloved Delphie.

[...]

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Recap of the Beginning and character summary

CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE

Friday evening — 6:15 P.M.

Delphie almost collapsed with relief when Johansen released her. In the last few hours, he had been brutal with her. She wasn’t sure if the old man was getting careless or simply didn’t care if he hurt her. At one point, she wondered if he wanted to destroy her psychic capacity. Her mind and body felt battered and bruised.

Jacob’s vortex, the vortex she’d taught him to make just two month’s ago, brought further relief. She was safe! She was finally safe! Like standing behind an opaque crystal, she could only make out the vague, blurry images of Jacob and Johansen fighting.

Then BAM! The explosion in the Chapel rocked the very foundation of the Castle. Her heart pounded with fear. The Chapel had been her spiritual home since Celia bought the Castle for her. Even though Celia assured her that Katy was not inside, Delphie couldn’t calm her racing heart.  Something awful was going to happen. She just knew it.

Watching through the opaque vortex, she made out Johansen and Jacob fighting. She’d never expected Johansen to be so out of control. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand what he wanted.

“That’s because you refused to believe he wants to kill every Marlowe,” Celia said. “You have to believe there’s some good inside him.”

Delphie nodded. She had to believe there was some good inside him. After all, he’d been her protector, the only father she’d had from the time she was six years old until Celia saved her when she was sixteen. In some ways, she loved him. If he was pure evil, what did that make her? Was she evil of her connection to him?

Delphie saw the short blurry person moving carrying the enormous stick move toward Johansen.

[...]

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CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT

Friday evening — 5:45 P.M.

Jacob stepped through the doorway and listened. He could hear Valerie screaming in the kitchen. Valerie’s pain and terror threatened to overwhelm his little brother self. He had to stay focused. He pushed away everything other than his singular focus – Johansen.

Cloaking his mind, he slipped off his boots and jacket. He knew he had only a few minutes before Johansen would be on him. He had to be ready for whatever came in his direction.

Then, as if placed there by some friendly god, he saw Mike’s hockey gear. With his eyes on Johansen, he picked up Mike’s hockey stick. He crawled forward to the bag. When Valerie screamed again, he opened the front pouch of Mike’s bag. He breathed a sigh of relief. Three pucks. With a silent prayer of thanks for Mike’s compulsive nature, he slipped a puck into each of the back pockets of his jeans.

Johansen sniffed.

“SHOW YOURSELF!”

[...]

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CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN

Friday morning — 5:25 A.M.

Dressed in her pajamas, Jill ran down the stairs from the loft. Her bare feet made a tight drumbeat as she pounded past the landing. Slipping around the corner, she almost ran over Honey. Honey had been wheeling at top speed toward the stairs. Jill caught Honey’s chair before they fell over.

“The jury returned!” the women said together.

“Ann just…” Jill started at the same time Honey said, “I got…”

They both gave a nervous laugh.

“You first,” Jill said.

“The jury insisted on staying all night.” Honey’s voice was fast and excited. “The victim’s advocate said they reviewed every bit of evidence, everything. She got the call this morning. The jury has reached a decision. That’s what she said. ‘The jury has reached a decision.’ What did Ann say?”

“Pretty much the same thing. Ann said she was sure they would stay the weekend. After all the befuddling counter testimony and everything else, she and the DA thought the jury was confused and would want the weekend. But…”

“The victim’s advocate said this was good news.”

“Ann said a quick verdict is usually a guilty verdict.”

The women beamed at each other.

“We made it!” Jill exclaimed.

[...]

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CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

Thursday Night — 7:15 P.M
The Castle

“I made dinner.” Sandy rushed around their apartment. “Delphie will be here…”

Sandy ran to answer a knock at the door. Delphie came in and hugged Sandy. Seated at the dining room table, Noelle watched Sandy run through the apartment. Her mouth hung open and her eyes tracked Sandy from room to room.

“Come on Nash,” Sandy yelled down the hall. “You have to get up.”

“NO,” Nash yelled. “I told you before. I’m sleeping. I’m tired. I don’t know what your problem is but I worked and worked and worked and…”

“I’ll get him,” Delphie said.

Sandy nodded to Delphie.

“Sandy?” Noelle asked.

Sandy had run into the bedroom to change into something warmer.

“Sandy?”

Sandy didn’t respond.

“SANDY!”

Dressed in her underwear, Sandy poked her head out of her bedroom. Noelle blushed at Sandy’s puzzled eyes.

“What’s going on?” Sandy pulled a long sleeved T-shirt over her head.

“Where are you going? You haven’t said. You just got of the phone and started running around!” Noelle began to cry. “I don’t know what’s going on and…”

Dressed just in the T-shirt, Sandy pulled the little girl close to her. She held her arm out for Nash when he came into the room. He joined their hug.

“Your father and his friend, Mr. Pete, have been injured. They’ve been airlifted to a trauma hospital in Colorado Springs,” Sandy said.

[...]

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Recap of the Beginning and character summary

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE

Two weeks later
Thursday — 3:25 P.M.

After getting a bite to eat, and checking that Katy and Noelle had snacks, Delphie sat down at a small table in her apartment. She usually took care of the kids after school, but Jill had taken the day off from lingering trial. Jill had offered to take care of the kids. Jill, Katy and Noelle were upstairs playing Barbies. Delphie looked up when she heard Katy’s high pitched squealing giggle. It was nice to have children around again.

She needed to work on her garden plan. Mike would be home this weekend. He and Jacob would make quick work of the early spring bed turn over. Reaching for her companion planting guide, her eyes fell on her Tarot deck. Maybe a few quick family readings would settle her mind.

She started with Jill. She focused her mind on Jill while she shuffled the cards. With her left hand, she split the deck into three piles then put them back together.

She turned over the top card – Lovers. Of course, Jill and Jacob. The figures on the card almost looked like them. Their union was blessed. No matter what happened they would work through it with love.

Turning over the next card, she saw the two of cups. Another card about love. Jill was really happy and in love. Delphie’s mind flashed to Jill and Jacob kissing in the kitchen. They had been cleaning up after dinner. Jacob was handing her dishes. A dish, a kiss. She smiled. They were really cute.

Without thinking, she turned over the next card – The Tower. Delphie gasped. The tower? How could that be true? The tower represented a sudden or catastrophic change. Jill will be blind-sided by a dramatic change.

[...]

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CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR

Friday morning — 8:24 A.M.

Sandy stood inside the doorway to admiring her salon. One wall was painted a burnt orange color similar to a Colorado sunrises. There were four stations set up along the exposed brick side of the studio. A changing room and a bathroom created the barrier between the open space and three sinks in the back. Under the counter in the back, Jacob had set up a front loading washer and dryer. There were even two small offices upstairs and a basement room that ran the length of the small storefront. The space was well laid out, clean and beautiful.

Of course.

Jill had used money from a foundation Celia set up. The foundation’s mission is to help women get started in business. Jill took the reins around the first of the year and Sandy was their first recipient. The foundation also loaned her money at a low interest rate. With the loan, she received a bevy of financial advisors, mostly Lipson Construction employees. Tres Sierra was going to help her set up her finances on QuickBooks. Sam gave her a template for her business plan and would review it when she was ready.

Jacob offered to sell her the storefront but, in her first decision as a business owner, she said she’d rather rent. For now. When the business was successful, she would look at buying the space.  Plus it looked like the Feds were going to hang onto the money from her father’s house. She didn’t want more debt than absolutely had to have. Jacob set up a reasonable rent which she could easily afford.

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Recap of the Beginning and character summary

CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE

Thursday — 1:05 P.M.
Denver County Court Building

Jill moved across the court room to retake her seat in the witness box. She had been on the stand since they showed the horrible videos of Honey’s attack. Jacob and her mom, Anjelika, had been with her all day. She smiled at them after she sat down.

This morning, the Assistant District Attorney had led her through her testimony. Yes, she found the apartment ransacked. Yes, she threw away the dead cat. Yes, that was her police report. Yes, she had a restraining order against Trevor. They had showed the video of Trevor hitting her just before Honey was attacked. She explained that she was coached to behave as if she wanted him. She believed her little act may have saved her life. Without ever mentioning MJ or his team, Jill talked about Trevor and his wife, the defendant, trying to take Katy and Paddie on that horrible night.

She and Jacob had practiced her testimony for days. She’d hoped to be helpful and unemotional. But when she saw the video of Trevor hitting her then taking her Katy, she broke down. The Judge had to ask for a recess so she could get control of her emotions. It had been such a terrible night. To have to relive it here, in a courtroom, for that woman, was torture. She stumbled through the rest of her testimony until the court finally went into lunch recess.

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