Chapter Three
Lucas tapped on Kate's office door, waiting for her to acknowledge him. He'd called her earlier and she'd mentioned that she'd be at Basic Black for most of Saturday. Determined to find out why Sami was suddenly so strapped for cash, he'd driven to the office to talk to his mom. "Come in." At the sound of her voice Lucas opened the door and stepped inside.
"Lucas darling. How wonderful to see you so early. I thought you'd still be sleeping after your date with Ginny." Kate smiled at her middle son. "So tell me. How did things go? Did you have a good time?"
"It was fine. We have another date tonight." Lucas replied, anxious to move to his choice of subject.
"I knew you two would hit it off. That's wonderful!" Kate exclaimed. "So tell me all about it. What did you do? Where did you take her?"
"Mom, that's not why I came here," Lucas protested irritably. His mother meant well, but he wasn't here to discuss his love life.
"Oh. Well I just assumed—."
"Well you assumed wrong. I'm here to talk about Sami."
"Good lord Lucas! Why must you always bring that woman up? Hasn't she broken your heart enough times already?"
Lucas put his hands up in surrender. "I'm not talking about her in that context." Waiting for Kate to calm a bit, he continued. "Mom, Sami's having trouble paying her rent and from what I gather she can't afford to have her car repaired either. She's taken a second job—."
"She's moonlighting? Well, that goes against Basic Black policy."
"Stop it Mom!" Lucas shouted, desperately trying to avoid another anti-Sami tirade. "I just want to know why she's suddenly having problems."
"Well what did she say?" Kate asked defensively.
"She told me to ask you before she shooed me away. So what's the story? What did you do to her?"
"There is no story Lucas. John and I simply decided that it was time to enforce company policy with her. Sami's attendance record has been atrocious. She missed day after day of work while we continued to pay her. Since she's only an intern she doesn't actually qualify for any benefits, so I had payroll begin to deduct money off of each check to make up for it."
"Both of her parents died!"
"Yes and we generously allowed her a paid week off for each death."
Lucas stared at his mother incredulously. "Mom! She's Will's mother, not to mention John' s stepdaughter and Roman's daughter! How the hell could you do that to her!"
"Lucas you know we don't support nepotism here at Basic Black." Kate replied, in a desperate attempt to keep him calm.
"Are you kidding me? What the hell do you call Belle and Phillip's positions as heads of the Basic Black Charity Foundation?" He screamed, growing angrier by the minute.
"That's different—." Kate argued.
"Different how? Different because they're not Sami?" Lucas sneered, suddenly having a greater understanding and sympathy for what Sami put up with every day. "So tell me Mom, does John know you've done this to her?"
Kate looked away from his deep dark gaze, knowing he could sense her lies. "Of course he knows."
"Oh so then you won't mind if I go and have a chat with him." Lucas snapped back.
Kate paled. "Lucas—."
"Don't Lucas me." He spit out. "You're always going on and on about how evil and cruel Sami is. How could you do this to her? How could you do this to your grandson?"
"I waited until Will was away at camp. This will have no effect on him."
"Are you nuts? Of course it will affect him. Sami's had to drain her meager savings just to make ends meet. And now she's working two jobs, her car's broken and she's forced to walk home along a dangerous road in the middle of the night."
"No one made her take a second job."
"You don't get it do you? You forced her into this!"
"Well honestly Lucas, if something was to happen to Sami I really think it would be for the best. You and Will would finally be free of her."
Lucas felt the blood drain out of his face at the chilled tone of his mother's voice. At that moment he knew without a doubt that his mother would go to any lengths to keep Sami away from him. "You won't be happy 'til she's completely destroyed!"
"Lucas. I'm doing this for you and Will. You'll be much better off without her."
With tears shining in his eyes Lucas started at his mother in disbelief. "How can you say that? I love her. Will loves her. Don't you think that destroying Sami would hurt us?"
"Well I know you'd be in pain at first, but in the long run—."
"Stop." Lucas backed up, shaking his head and holding up his hands. "Just stop Mom."
"Lucas. Darling…" Kate trailed off as she realized that he was steadily retreating from her. "Darling, you know I'm just doing this because you mean everything to me."
"That's it. I didn't want to do this Mom, but you've given me no choice."
"What are you saying?" Kate squeaked as she suddenly found herself nearly voiceless.
"When Sami and I were together I warned you not to make me choose." Lucas growled.
Kate flinched at the implied threat in his tone. "But Lucas, you're not together now. There is no choice to make."
"Don't be too sure about that!" He threatened as he left her office, letting the door slam shut behind him.
"What's with the door slamming?" John asked as he opened the door to his office and spotted Lucas in the reception area. "Lucas!"
"John." Lucas nodded and was about to head for the elevator when he stopped in his tracks. Turning quickly he caught John just as he was returning to his office. "John do you have a minute?"
John nodded and motioned for Lucas to follow. Kate's door opened a second after John's closed on the two men. Seeing the area empty Kate let out a sigh of relief. She'd been expecting John at any minute and the last thing she wanted was for Lucas to run into him.
Sami groaned as the morning light crept through her window. Glancing at her alarm clock she let out a soft expletive. She hadn't meant to sleep so late. She wasn't surprised that she had slept in though. It had taken her forever to fall asleep last night after she'd left Lucas' car. She hadn't even thought to ask him how he knew to pick her up. The truth was, she didn't need to ask. He was always there. Even when she pushed him away, fate had a way of pushing him right back to her. As she stretched across her bed she couldn't help but notice its emptiness. Though she and Lucas had stopped spending time together two months previous she still missed waking up next to him. They'd been physically intimate only on that one night in April, but both before and after that night they'd spent time together in her bed. Usually it was him holding her, comforting her. She hated to admit it, but she'd grown to rely on his presence in her bed, in her life, in her heart. My heart, my stupid heart that always gets me into trouble. Shaking off the memories she climbed out of bed, wincing slightly at the stiffness in her legs and back. "I guess walking to work in those heels really wasn't a good idea." Making a mental note to wear her running shoes and carry her sandals in her backpack when she went to the restaurant today she headed to the shower, hoping that it's hot water would take away some of her pain.
In Chicago a young woman sat in the office of the city's finest private investigation firm. "I know it's early, but did you manage to get any information on them yet?"
The man nodded. "It was easy once you confirmed the addresses. I contacted my counterpart in Salem and it turns out he already had some files on the young lady."
"Probably thanks to Kate Roberts." The woman mumbled, remembering the letters she'd received from various friends in town after she'd moved away from Salem.
"What?"
"Never mind." She replied. "So what did you find out?"
"Well, Samantha Brady works at a company called Basic Black. She also appears to have just started a second job at a new restaurant called Outer Limits. She has a son, William Roberts and she shares custody of him with Lucas Roberts, the boy's father."
"So they finally worked out custody. I'm glad." The woman smiled. That had been her main concern.
"Are they seeing anyone?"
"Well from what I can gather, and keep in mind that we're still investigating, it looks like they were together as a couple until very recently.
"Sami and Lucas were a couple?" Again the news made her smile. "You said until recently. What happened?"
"We haven't figured that out yet. It looks like bad writing."
"Excuse me?" She asked, confused by his comment. "Bad writing?"
"Oh I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I meant to say that the handwriting on this fax from Salem is bad. There is something scribbled there, but I can't quite make it out."
"May I?" She motioned to the paper. The P.I. turned it over to her. "Oh it says Kate." The woman bit her lip thoughtfully. She'd been hoping that Kate and Sami's vendetta against one another was over, but reading Kate's name sent a shiver down her spine. "Thank you so much. You've been a big help."
"You're very welcome. We're still on the case. I'll contact you once we have more information. Speaking of which, where will you be? You mentioned in your initial phone call that you wouldn't be staying in Chicago long."
"Well I'm actually headed back to Salem myself. I'm from there originally." Motioning towards her swollen belly she added. "And I have a very good reason for wanting to return."
"We'll be in touch."
"Thank you again." The woman spoke as she headed out the door into the warm Chicago air.
