Fighting Destiny 9

Chapter 37 Bad Day Beginnings

"

Tara rolled over and looked at the bronze urn. Yesterday while she'd been meeting with Lowen, Jax and Opie had gotten Baby Nate's ashes from the crematorium and put them into the urn. A baby brimming with so much life and laughter's entire life was reduced to a little pile of ashes that fit inside the bunny urn with room to spare. Her eyes filled with tears. Losing her precious son was still almost unbearably painful.

Jax had gotten Abel up and made him breakfast. He was working harder at being a father and doing a good job. It was easier now with only one child. Tears spilled down Tara's face and she let herself cry for awhile since Abel and Jax weren't in the bedroom to see her.

This was going to be a day from hell. She wasn't looking forward to talking to the police. At least Lowen had told the detectives that if they wanted to talk to her they would have to talk to her at her office. She didn't even know that was a possibility.

Once more Donna proved a huge help. She was going to pick up Abel from preschool at the hospital and then he was going to stay overnight with Kenny and Ellie. He thought he was such a big kid getting to do things like that. She smiled at the thought.

He had been so looking forward to teaching Baby Nate all kinds of things so he would be a big kid and not a baby forever. Tara's eyes welled up with fresh tears at the thought of Baby Nate. Will he stay a baby forever or will he grow up? Who will raise him? Does he understand why he can't see Mommy, Daddy and Abel? Her eyes filled with fresh tears again. It took her another twenty minutes for her to quit crying.

She took a cool shower to wake up and stiffen her spine a little. She couldn't show weakness when she met with the detectives.

Tara pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. She wasn't meeting with the detectives until the afternoon, so she was hoping to wrap up the last of the packing before then.

"Did you have a nice breakfast?" Tara asked Abel. He and Jax were sitting at the table eating when she walked into the room.

"Daddy made eggs."

"Wow! Daddy using the stove all by himself."

Abel giggled. Jax smiled at her.

"He let me put the peppers on them," Abel boasted.

"How did he do that?" Tara asked.

"He put them in my hand and then I stood on my foot stool and sprinkled them."

"You are getting to be such a big boy," Tara said with a smile.

"I've got a short deal to wrap up and that will be it," Jax said before wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I should be back by the time you finish your . . . uh . . . appointment."

"Guess where Abel's spending the night?" Tara asked Jax changing the subject.

Abel bounced in his chair with excitement.

"I don't know," Jax said.

"I get to stay with Kenny and Ellie again and we're going to play games," Abel said.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Jax said.

"It's good to be a kid," Tara said a little wistfully.

Jax got up, kissed Abel and walked back into the bedroom to get his cut and gun. Tara knew the drill well. Last time this was going to happen. After today, no more danger for Jax. They would get the hell out of this poisonous town and begin their new lives.

Tara felt fear in the pit of her stomach and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. They were never going to get out of this town because something horrible was going to happen that would stop them.

Jax returned from the bedroom slipping his cut on over his shoulder holster.

"Just routine," Jax said.

"Uh-huh."

"Easy delivery."

Jax reached out to kiss Tara and she turned her head so his lips brushed her cheek. She didn't mean to be so cold but she just didn't know how to make her way back to him yet.

"Stressed about today," Tara said.

Jax took her gently by the shoulders.

"It's going to be OK. Just tell your story. They can't put the cross in your hands or prove you gave it to Otto. Otto is crazy and he has no credibility and you'll have Lowen there to look out for you."

"I know," Tara said. She thought about just refusing to talk to the detectives, but that might make her look guilty. She would talk to them one last time.

Sometimes she thought maybe she should be punished for giving that cross to Otto, but she didn't know that it could be used as a weapon or she wouldn't have given it to him. What good would it do the world if she got locked up? She was going to provide health care to an area that desperately needed doctors. She was going to do good work and try to make up for her part in what happened to that poor nurse.

Jax left. She wiped Abel's face and got him ready for preschool. Tomorrow was going to be his last day of preschool and she was going to bring mini cupcakes from the bakery for all the kids.

She'd been to a birthday party at the preschool and seen first hand the mayhem that happens when little kids are given mini-cupcakes. They end up with cake and frosting all over them, their hair and clothes. It's a mess, but the kids have fun.

She'd ordered chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla icing in Abel's favorite color purple. There were going to be a lot of purple stained kids tomorrow she thought smiling at the idea.

Abel ran in and greeted his friends. Tara put his backpack in his cubbyhole, spoke briefly to the teachers and left.

Tara walked through the house making a list of what was left that needed done. They had sold most of their furniture. All of Abel's furniture would be going with them, some kitchen stuff and the table and chairs and the sofa. They had decided to buy new TVs and new bedroom furniture for their bedroom. This way they could fit all their stuff in a small truck that Jax would drive.

Nothing says fresh start like getting new furniture. Abel needed continuity so they were keeping his room's furniture and would set his room up as much as possible like his room at this house.

Tara returned to work in the kitchen packing up dishes. They would be using paper plates from now on. Despite the packing, the move still didn't feel to real to her.

She forced down a sandwich and a glass of Coke to give her some energy. Her stomach was in knots. She just wanted to get the interview behind her.

She put on her usual minimal make up look, left her hair down and put on a dark navy pair of pants with a watermelon colored sleeveless blouse and a navy blue slouchy blazer.

She got there a few minutes early and Lowen tried to settle her nerves. Tara knew that once the detectives walked in, she would put on her professional face and appear cool and poised no matter her inner turmoil. Her surgical training came in handy in the real world.

Thin Ambrose and big hulking Sprague arrived precisely on time. The four of them sat down at an oval conference table in Lowen's office. After a little polite chitchat, both Allie Lowen and Detective Ambrose took out tape recorders to record the interview.

Tara told them the same story three times. Each time they asked the same questions and each time she gave them the same answers.

"We're not going to do this all afternoon," Lowen said impatiently. "This is the truth and it doesn't change."

"Just making sure. Dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's". You know how that goes," Ambrose said smiling thinly.

"You forgot," Sprague said, "about that new information."

Tara had seen enough TV police shows to know this wasn't going to be good for her. About now, there would be a commericial to build suspense. Her heart hammered hard in her chest and she forced herself to be calm. This was just another police tactic to throw her off balance.

"That's right," Ambrose said nodding his head. He pulled his notebook out of the pocket of his shirt and flipped it open. "We've had a witness come forward who says you had the crucifix that Otto Delaney used to kill the nurse."

Tara felt like someone had just slapped her hard across her face. Someone must have seen her through that damned window. She forced herself to stay cool and in control.

"That's impossible because I didn't give Otto the cross," Tara said keeping her voice calm.

"That's it," Lowen said briskly. "She didn't give Otto the crucifix. This interview is now at an end," Lowen read the time and switched off both tape recorders.

"We'll be in touch," Ambrose said with a toothy grin. "Depending on how this gets charged, you could be looking at a murder charge. Do ten years easy."

Tara was glad she was sitting down because she was sure she would have passed out if she'd been standing up.