~ Chapter 60 ~

The grandfather clock in her suite chimed twice. Despite it being practically the middle of the night, Kate found herself wide awake. For what seemed the hundredth time, she glanced at John's suitcase, lying packed and waiting near the door. He'd left to see Marlena hours ago, and Kate had expected him back long before now.

Probably so caught up in his reunion with his perfect wife that he's forgotten all about collecting his things.

The bitterness of loss welled up inside her, and tears of frustration threatened to spill over. This wasn't the outcome she'd envisioned. The scheme she and Jeff had devised was supposed to be foolproof.

Ha! The joke's on you, so who's the fool now?

Her laugh was humourless, as she berated herself once more for having set in motion the chain of events that had led to Marlena's sudden and total recall. So much for the latter's offer of friendship, and her tacit permission to pursue John. Clearly, he must've pulled out all the stops in order to persuade Marlena not to go through with the divorce. Exasperated, Kate rose to pour herself a glass of wine, in what she knew would be a futile attempt to hasten the onset of sleep.

Curling up on the sofa, she picked up the remote and aimed it at the television, channel surfing aimlessly before settling on an old black and white movie she didn't recognize. Staring vacantly at the screen, she wallowed in her misery, only vaguely aware of the sights and sounds around her. It took her a while to realize that her phone, with its volume lowered for the night, was ringing.

Who on earth is calling at this hour? Is one of my children in trouble?

Quickly muting the television, she raised the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Kate Roberts?"

The man's lilting Irish brogue, not remotely familiar to her, caught her by surprise.

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"My name is Frank Kelly. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be dropping John Black off at your suite shortly."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Who are you, and why are you with John? Is he alright?"

"He'll explain everything to you when we arrive. I simply didn't want you to be startled by a knock at your door so late at night, Ms. Roberts."

"Uh... that's very considerate of you, Mr. Kelly."

"It was no trouble. See you soon."

Having disconnected the call, Kate's mind whirled with unanswered questions – the most obvious being, why wasn't John with Marlena? Where had he spent the last several hours, and how was this Frank Kelly involved? Bursting with curiosity, she padded to the window and, reaching for the binoculars, lifted them to her eyes. Training her sights on Marlena's penthouse, she heaved a sigh of disappointment. The apartment was in total darkness. Clearly, she would glean no information from her surveillance.

You were expecting her to be suffering from insomnia, too?

As she started to turn away, a flash of light registered in her peripheral vision, and she raised the binoculars once more. To her surprise, the penthouse door was now open and Alex entered, followed by Marlena. Hand in hand, they walked across the room and appeared to practically collapse on the sofa. Seconds later, Kate's eyes widened, and fresh hope caused her pulse to flutter wildly, as she observed Alex's arm snake around Marlena's shoulder, and the latter snuggle into his embrace. Kate's suspicions were confirmed when she spied the duo sharing a tender kiss.

I was right! They're involved!

The knowledge made her heart sing, and the gloom that had dimmed her spirits all evening vanished. Just as she was returning the binoculars to their customary spot on the sill, she heard a knock. Glimpsing John through the peephole, she opened the door. Wordlessly, he pushed his way past her and, as he had on a prior occasion, headed straight for the bar.

Sensing that John was in no mood to provide her with answers, Kate aimed a quizzical gaze at the tall stranger who stood in front of her.

"Are you the man who called me?"

"Yes. I'm Frank Kelly."

He held out his hand. She shook it, introducing herself as she did so.

"Kate Roberts."

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Roberts."

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"As long as I can make a call first."

"Of course."

Stepping out of earshot, Frank pulled up his contacts, and chose a name from the list.

"Richard?"

"Hey, Frank. What's up?"

"It looks like I'll be here a bit longer. Could you and Ed retrieve my car from Alex's?"

"Sure. No problem."

"I'll text when I'm ready to leave."

Disconnecting the call, he returned to Kate's side. Skipping further pleasantries, she got right to the point.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did John end up with you tonight? I thought he was at Marlena's."

"He was, for a time. Then… well, let's just say he found himself in rather unfortunate circumstances."

"Unfortunate circumstances? What do you mean?"

"To put it bluntly, he was somewhere he shouldn't have been."

"How did you find him?"

"I have my sources."

Kate eyed the white-haired man with suspicion.

"Did you have a hand in his being… wherever he was?"

"Not at all. Mr. Black's ill-advised choices led directly to tonight's turn of events."

"Why should I believe you?"

As he'd done so often, Frank unzipped his jacket, revealing the white collar underneath.

"Honesty is one of the hallmarks of those in my profession, Ms. Roberts."

"You're really a priest?" Her tone was openly skeptical.

"This isn't a costume. It's legitimate, I assure you."

"Then I'm more confused than ever. What were you doing with John?"

"Saving him from himself."

"How so?"

"His desperation drove him to pursue an incredibly foolish course of action – one not without consequences."

"Consequences? Is he in trouble? Is he hurt?"

"Trouble? No. We're planning to keep the incident under wraps. And he's certainly not hurt physically. Emotionally? That's an entirely different matter." Frank paused, and gazed pointedly at Kate. "It's my understanding that you care for him, Ms. Roberts. I'm hoping you can provide him with the comfort he's so very much in need of."

Kate was surprised at the deep sympathy she detected in Frank's voice.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Occupational hazard, I'm afraid. I hate to see decent people suffer and, despite the fact that I no doubt just observed him at his worst, I firmly believe that Mr. Black is one of the good guys."

"He's the best man I know," Kate confessed softly, casting a worried look in John's direction.

"I'm pleased to hear you say that." Frank's smile was genuine. "Be there for him, Ms. Roberts. Not simply tonight, but down the road, as well. He'll be requiring a confidante."

"I'd do anything for him."

"Good."

Glancing at his watch, Frank noted the lateness of the hour.

"I really must be going. But before I do…"

After zipping up his jacket, Frank strode to the sofa. John sat, motionless, a half empty bottle of scotch serving as a grim reminder of his current state of mind. Frank eased himself down beside the younger man, and placed a warm hand on the latter's shoulder.

"Talk to her. It'll help – a lot more than the booze, by the way – and she's eager to listen."

For the first time since he'd entered the suite, John broke his silence, and Kate cringed at the anguish in his voice.

"I don't want to think. I don't want to feel. I just want to numb the pain."

"I get that, son, but oblivion comes with a price, and it solves nothing."

Frank gently pried the tumbler of scotch from John's grasp. At a signal from the priest, Kate picked up the bottle, as well as the glass he handed her, and removed them to a table on the other side of the room.

"You're with a friend, John. Unburden yourself," Frank urged quietly. "She'll understand."

With those final words of encouragement, Frank rose and headed towards the door. Kate trailed behind him. As he reached for the knob, he turned to her once more.

"Don't judge him too harshly once you find out what he's done. He's hurting, and he needs your kindness and compassion. Follow your heart where Mr. Black's concerned, Ms. Roberts. I can guarantee it won't steer you wrong."

"Thank you for seeing him safely home, Father. I'll take care of him from here on in, I promise."

Having ushered Frank out, Kate took a deep breath and, adopting a neutral expression, settled herself in the chair facing him.

"Father Kelly made it sound as if you've got quite the story to tell me. Care to begin?"

In his shame, John couldn't quite meet her gaze.

"I… I… I kidnapped Marlena tonight."