Chapter 22
"That's right, Johnny, just like that," Gerald Bates told his son, as he showed him how to polish the hub caps.
"Is this necessary, Gerald? He's five," Rose Bates said, walking over toward them.
"Yes, the boy needs to learn how to take care of these cars," Gerald answered. John stood up, placed his hands on his hips, and smiled proudly.
"I'm a natural, Dad says," John informed his mother. Gerald stood and ruffled John's hair.
"He is."
"Alright, well let me get a picture of the two of you. Put the polishing stuff to the side." They did as they were told and stood in front of the car. "Great. Smile!"
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John's hand ran along the side of the car and he sighed. He paused, before opening the door. Then he took a seat, breathing in the scent one last time. This is what needed to be done and he knew he wouldn't regret it. But it did make him a little sad to say goodbye.
There wasn't any way he could tell Anna what he was doing. She would refuse and tell him they would figure something else out. What else did they have to offer that man to leave them alone for good?
After he spoke with Mary and Matthew, he learned that Green liked money. He made a decent wage under Tony Gillingham, but not a lot. Most of his power from them came from them paying off the women he attacked and the fancy lawyer to back him up. Gillingham did not pay him a large salary. He had a small home near his work and a beat up car. However, when he went on dates, he enjoyed showing himself off. He would rent a nice car and stay at nice hotels. The persona of being rich was important to him. Knowing that, John knew exactly what he would accept to sign the papers.
Sighing, John opened the compartment on the passenger side and pulled out the scarf. His fingers ran over it and he closed his eyes. For a few minutes, he was back when he was small. His father was driving, his mother laughing, and he singing. While there had been a lot of hard times, there were happy times of the three of them in this car.
Carefully, he folded the scarf and placed it into his front pocket. Just as he was stepping out of the car, another car pulled up next to the garage. An older gentleman got out of his car and gave John a wave.
"Mr. Bates?"
"Yes, Mr. Jones."
The older man walked up to the car and grinned brightly. "It's a beaut. A real beaut. You're really selling it for only 550,000? I bet you could get closer to 600."
"I need to sell it quickly," John replied.
"Well, for that I am glad," Mr. Johns stated. "Here is the check. It won't bounce," he lightly stated. John just nodded and took the check. He knew it wouldn't bounce. Mr. Jones was a wealthy car collector. For years he had been pestering John for the car, offering 500,000 pounds. This time John bumped it up to 550, knowing he could ask for more and the man would say yes, but in the end he just wanted to be sure it could be sold to someone reputable quickly. He didn't have the time to barter back and forth.
"The garage is paid for up to another month. After that, you'll have to move it." The two shook hands and then John walked back into the garage for a quick sweep of the last thing he had in there. It was a photo he had taken of him and Anna on their first visit to the car. He had put it up to have as a reminder of their good times and for them to look back on. Now, it would be coming home with him.
He gave the car a quick pat, before whispering, "Goodbye, old friend. You'll be missed."
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"Anna, are you alright?" Elsie questioned her daughter. Anna was standing in front of the baby girl section in the store and had her hand over her belly, while her eyes stared off in the distance.
"Yes," Anna said, quickly shaking her head. "Sorry, I was off…somewhere. I….I haven't been able to sleep much. I keep thinking he'll show back up."
"Love, what does your therapist say?" Elsie worriedly asked. She knew Anna had been through so much lately and she hated to see her still struggling. Anna's head shook again.
"It…it doesn't matter. She's been helping me through my panic attacks, telling me things I can try. But nothing will really be okay until those papers are signed and I know my baby is safe," Anna stated.
"They will be. I just know he will," Elsie said. "What does he want with a baby?"
"It's his, Mum. Why wouldn't he want to know his daughter?" Anna took in a deep breath. "Even the most evil of people can have a soft spot for things."
"I don't think….."
"It's fine. I….I'll be fine, Mum. And I really should buy the baby some clothes. I haven't gotten her a thing yet. All she has is the onesie you bought her ages ago. I guess I should get her a Moses basket for her to sleep in and nappies? What all does she need? I just…..I don't know where to begin."
"Some onesies are a great start and a place to sleep. Yes to nappies. You don't need a ton to start with."
Anna grabbed a small set of onesies and placed them in her buggy. Then the two of them walked over to look at the Moses baskets. There were so many in so many styles. The baby was going to be here in about 8 weeks and Anna felt so under prepared. With everything, she hadn't put much focus on getting prepared for Carson's arrival. Now she couldn't put that off much longer.
"What about the car? She'll need a seat, right?"
"Oh gracious, yes, how'd I forget?" The two chuckled. And for a few brief moments Anna's body relaxed in the minute.
"It's not as though we've been around babies much, love," Elsie said to Anna. "But we'll figure it all out. I promise."
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John had gone to Mary and Matthew behind Anna's back to ensure he did this in a way that wouldn't get him in trouble for 'buying' a baby. The two helped him to come up with a loophole and so the money wouldn't be for him signing the papers. It just happened to occur on the same day.
Matthew was the one who met with him and Green. Mary didn't want to see the man's face again, but told them to call her if they had any issues. The two were under strict instructions not to tell Anna John's plans.
Alex Green walked into Matthew's office with the same smug look on his face. John wanted to grab him by the lapels and slap him hard across the face so he could never make that expression again.
"What do I owe this pleasure?" Alex Green asked. He sat down on the chair in front of Matthew's desk and then threw his feet up on the desk, crossing one on top of the other. Matthew sighed in disgust, but didn't say a word. John remained in the corner, allowing Matthew to begin.
"Here is some paperwork for you to sign and then we will be done here," Matthew stated. He pushed the paperwork over toward Green. Alex uncrossed his legs and slowly brought them down with a loud thump. He sat up and brought the papers closer to him, reading over the papers. Alex laughed and pushed them away.
"I'm not signing these. There is no way I am signing rights away to my child," Alex told the two of them.
"You told Tony Gillingham that you didn't want a baby and that you just wanted to scare Ms. Smith," Matthew calmly stated. "If you sign these papers, you'll never have to owe child support. Without it, you'll owe Ms. Smith for eighteen years." Alex shrugged.
"And I'll get visitation. Even if I can't have Carlisle, I can find an attorney to help me go after visitation. Why wouldn't a father want to get to know his daughter? Even though it was a one-night stand, I still care to know her."
"It wasn't a one-night stand," John seethed, unable to keep quiet. Again, Alex laughed. He turned to face John and winked.
"It must kill you to know I had her first," Alex said. John had to hold every ounce of willpower and just let the harsh breath out of his nose, while tightening his fist next to him.
"Sign the papers," John told him. "Do the decent thing for once in your life."
"How is it decent for my daughter not to have me?"
"You really think a serial rapist makes for a good dad?" John questioned. Alex chuckled.
"I'm not signing anything."
John walked up to him and placed a check for 300,000 pounds in front of him. It was addressed to Alexander Green. At this, Alex stopped laughing and his mouth dropped.
"You….you can't pay me for my child. That…there's no way that is legal," he murmured, but his eyes remained on the check.
"Who says you're being paid for your child?" Matthew stated. "It's just a little bit of money to help you on your feet."
"Why help me?"
"Oh, Mr. Gillingham doesn't pay you too much and I know you like a lavish lifestyle," John said to him. "The money is in the bank right now. You could have it as soon as you left this office. But sadly, the money will disappear before you can get there if these papers aren't signed as your first child support check," John told Alex. "It's up to you."
"How do I know this isn't a fake check? That I won't get to the bank and they'll laugh me out of there?"
"Well, unlike you, I am a man of my word. But, Matthew has the paperwork to prove it's all real, if you need it."
Alex's eyes went back to the check and he slowly picked up a pen. Then, quickly, he signed the paperwork signing away his rights to Carson.
He stood, folded the check, and placed it into his back pocket. "Good doing business with you both."
As he exited the room, the biggest sigh of relief left his lips.
"And it's done?" John asked Matthew. "He has no rights to the baby?"
Matthew nodded with a large bright grin, "Absolutely. No rights."
"Thank God," John breathed. "We….we have to show Anna! But remember, no word about the money. I don't need her to know about that part."
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Anna twisted her lips, setting out all of the things she had bought along the couch. Now she was wondering if she had gone overboard. She was no longer working and only had so much money in her savings. John had given her his card and told her to get whatever she needed, but she didn't feel comfortable spending his money. They weren't married, not yet.
The door opened. With John came Mary and Matthew. In Mary's hand was a bottle of sparkling cider.
"What's all this?"
John stepped forward and handed Anna the paperwork. Anna glanced over it. Seeing what it said, her eyes filled with tears.
"Is….is this for real?" She asked, unable to believe it for herself.
"Yes," Matthew told her. "I was there. I saw him sign them. It's over, Anna. He has no rights to your child anymore."
A sob passed through her lips and she quickly wrapped her arms around John.
"She's safe. Our baby is safe," she cried against his chest. John brought his arms up around Anna and held her close.
"Yes, she is, my darling."
"Alright, well we are going to let you two enjoy the evening," Mary said, setting the cider on the table.
Anna let go of John and rushed to Mary and Matthew, hugging their necks.
"Thank you. Thank you both so very much. I….I'll never be able to repay you," she said to them. Mary carefully pat her back and then stood, straightening her back.
"Of course. We're so glad it's over. Have a good evening."
The two left and Anna couldn't contain her giddiness. Her daughter was safe. She never had to worry about Alex Green again.
"What's all over the couch?" John asked, his lips curling into a small smile, as he lifted one of the little dresses Anna had bought.
"I know….I went a little overboard," Anna explained. "I'll probably take some of this back."
"No, don't do that," John said, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. "It's all perfect. We should probably make a list of what else she'll need."
"A crib. She'll need a crib. She can sleep by our bed for the first few months in the Moses basket, but she'll eventually need a crib. And well, a room."
John nodded. He thought about telling Anna about his next surprise he had in store for her, but decided to keep it under lock and key. Today had had enough surprises.
To be continued...
And yes, Green is really gone...gone gone...we won't see him again. But the story isn't over, not yet anyway :) Thank you for reading! Thanks in advance for any comments!