Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 44
That evening…
They were gathered in the kitchen of the Black penthouse. Marlena, John, and Craig were seated at the table while Brady chose to remain standing, apart from the others. He leaned stiffly against the counter with his arms crossed. His face was an unreadable mask, unreadable to all except John. John saw the heartbreak in his son's eyes, the anger in his stance. He felt his own sadness at the thought of what his son was going through.
Brady saw the sympathy in his father's eyes and tensed, throwing up a defensive wall around his emotions. He didn't need sympathy right now. He needed answers. That's why they were all here.
There were stacks of papers in front of Marlena. She had finally gotten Chloe's file from the orphanage. She had been over it many times and every time she grew angrier and sadder. She was now finally ready to disclose the contents of the file, so she had called Craig. Marlena hoped that by learning exactly what had happened that they would know better how to help Chloe.
Marlena turned to Craig, sympathy shining in her luminous eyes. "How is Chloe, Craig?" Brady listened intently to Craig's answer.
Craig sighed deeply, "She finally fell asleep an hour ago. Nancy and I have checked on her a few times. She's absolutely exhausted. She cried non-stop all afternoon." Craig shut his eyes against the memory. Her sobs had filled the entire house. It was the most heartbreaking sound he'd ever heard. And every time Chloe cried, Nancy cried. Craig had spent most of the afternoon just holding Nancy, trying to comfort her.
Marlena nodded empathetically. She knew just what Craig was feeling, for she had been there with her own daughter Sami. Sami was raped when she was sixteen by her boyfriend Alan. Marlena's eyes darkened, remembering her own anguish at her daughter's pain. She inhaled deeply and let it out, shaking off the past. She buried her emotions deep, for the moment, and let the clinical therapist take over.
"First of all Craig, I wanted you to know that both Belle and Shawn know what happened. They overheard Brady and John talking about it. They, of course, aren't going to say anything about it." Belle and Shawn were at the Horton's helping decorate their Christmas tree. Shawn had invited Belle along, hoping it would take her mind off Chloe. They both were still unable to process the information, and wondered how they would be able to help Chloe.
Craig replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's probably just as well. Chloe's going to need all her friends to get through this, when she's ready to talk, that is."
John spoke up. "Craig, I talked with Bo today, regarding Chloe's stalker. He's still putting together the list of possible suspects from the website records, but he did find out about the mask. It came from a costume shop downtown. Unfortunately, the shop had reported the mask as stolen, so we have no leads there. But we are still working on the case. Bo said that they've already begun patrolling the area and Bo himself has driven by the neighborhood a few times today."
Craig laughed bitterly. "That's the one good thing about all this, Chloe has apparently forgotten all about her stalker. She's too deeply buried in the past to think about recent events." He said, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Which means we'll have to be extra careful. This guy is still out there, somewhere. And with the state of mind Chloe's in, she could wind up walking blindly into his grasp. You'll need to keep a close eye on her, and make sure she doesn't go anywhere by herself." John said softly.
Craig replied caustically, "I don't think that's going to be a problem. I don't think Chloe's planning on leaving her room again, ever."
Marlena reached and took his hand in hers. "Give her time, Craig. She will eventually come back to herself." An awkward silence followed, each lost in their thoughts and concern for Chloe. Finally Marlena cleared her throat. "Anyway we are here because I know you have a lot of questions."
"Yeah," Brady spoke up, for the first time that evening, a hard set to his jaw. "Like, who was this bastard, and where is he now?"
Marlena hesitated a moment before replying. "His name is Dr. Aaron Moore. He is, was, a licensed psychiatrist. His practice specialized in troubled girls like Chloe." She said disgustedly, bile rising in her throat.
"I wonder how many of them he raped." John added softly.
"There is no telling. The few charges that were brought against him were eventually dropped. Due to the mental state of his victims, they were unable to testify clearly what he had done to them. So the cases were all dropped. However, his license was revoked for 'improper conduct with a patient'." Marlena replied angrily.
"How did he get guardianship of Chloe in the first place? Shouldn't somebody have checked his record?" Craig asked in disbelief. This bastard had done this to countless girls in the past and still they put Chloe in his care?
Marlena replied sarcastically. "I assume we are talking about the same orphanage that doesn't even have a fax machine? When Chloe was there, they were overrun with kids, with little staff or resources to properly care for them all. So when a well known and respected member of the community, a doctor at the local hospital, comes in with his lovely wife of ten years and offers to take one of their most difficult cases off of their hands; of course they accepted his offer."
"Wait, did he specifically ask for Chloe?" John asked.
Marlena pulled a paper out of one of the stacks and glanced at it for reference. "According to Mrs. Spenser's personal notes, Dr. Moore and his wife came in to interview with her. They told her that they were interested in hosting a child in a foster capacity with the intention of eventually adopting. Dr. Moore added that as a therapist, he was especially sympathetic to young troubled girls. He said he wanted to take one and help her, give her a good home and a second chance at life. So Mrs. Spenser immediately thought of Chloe.
Chloe had already been in and out of ten homes, and been physically and emotionally abused. Everyday she withdrew further and further into herself. The staff at the orphanage had no clue how to help her. Mrs. Spenser genuinely believed that she was doing the best thing for her." Marlena finished.
"What about his wife? I find it hard to believe that she was in the house while Chloe was being attacked." Craig said.
Marlena sighed. "Unfortunately, it does happen. Women will often turn a blind eye to abuse, even when it involves their own children. They just don't want to believe that their husbands are capable of it. However, in this case, two months after Chloe went to live with them, Mrs. Moore was checked into a mental facility, upon her husband's recommendations."
"What was wrong with her?" John asked.
Marlena replied with a small mirthless laugh. "A mild depression, made worse by the medication the good Dr. had kept her on. In any case, it was nothing so severe that it required hospitalization."
Craig exhaled softly. "So he had his own wife committed, just to keep her out of the way." He swore softly. This guy just got more and more detestable.
Marlena nodded in agreement. "And that's when the rape began. According to the file, though, before that time he had been preparing Chloe. He wanted to make sure that she would not resist or tell anyone. So he manipulated her, playing upon her worst fears and biggest desires. Such as, her fear of abandonment, her desire to be loved and have a family. He also knew that she had been especially close to her adoptive father and that she connected more with the father figures in her life."
"So he had her call him 'father'." Craig interjected thoughtfully.
"Exactly. He built her up with promises of adoption and his love for her. She was so screwed up that when the rapes occurred she wasn't able to fight him, or to tell anyone. And this continued for the next four months." Marlena added sadly.
"Four months? I suppose we should be happy she didn't get pregnant." Craig commented bitterly.
"Well, that's actually how he was found out." Marlena replied.
Everyone's heart stopped. Chloe had gotten pregnant? Please, God no. Craig cradled his head in his hands.
Marlena quickly spoke up. "No, she didn't get pregnant. Dr. Moore had been having prescriptions for birth control filled out for her under his wife's name. Eventually, a close friend of Mrs. Moore became aware of it and questioned it. You see, Mrs. Moore had had a hysterectomy years earlier and was unable to have children. It was actually the reason for her depression.
So finally, someone asked questions about his past and discovered the earlier accusations. Chloe was removed from his care and managed to testify against him at the trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail. After the trial, though, Chloe collapsed into a catatonic state, and had to be placed in a mental ward. Six weeks later, she came back to herself, with no memories of what had happened in the last seven months. They told her that she had been in a coma and moved her back to the orphanage. Shortly after, they contacted Nancy and you know the rest."
They were silent for some time, letting the information soak in. The knowledge that the bastard was in jail did not appease Brady one bit. He was consumed by an overwhelming fury at what this maniacal, twisted man had done to Chloe.
The discussion soon broke up and Craig went home. Marlena and John talked softly together on the balcony, trying to comfort each other. Brady stood in the kitchen for a moment, restless with excess energy and rage. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
People left him alone at the gym. He pounded ruthlessly into the heavy punching bag, fury radiating off of him in forceful waves. His aura screamed, "Leave me alone!" So they did. Some wise-ass remarked, "Must be girl problems." The guy was lucky Brady didn't hear him.
Brady stayed there for hours, brutally punishing his body and the gym equipment, giving vent to his anger, his murderous fury.
Finally, hours later, he collapsed on his bed, thoroughly exhausted. His last thought before sleep overtook him was of Chloe.
Chapter 44
That evening…
They were gathered in the kitchen of the Black penthouse. Marlena, John, and Craig were seated at the table while Brady chose to remain standing, apart from the others. He leaned stiffly against the counter with his arms crossed. His face was an unreadable mask, unreadable to all except John. John saw the heartbreak in his son's eyes, the anger in his stance. He felt his own sadness at the thought of what his son was going through.
Brady saw the sympathy in his father's eyes and tensed, throwing up a defensive wall around his emotions. He didn't need sympathy right now. He needed answers. That's why they were all here.
There were stacks of papers in front of Marlena. She had finally gotten Chloe's file from the orphanage. She had been over it many times and every time she grew angrier and sadder. She was now finally ready to disclose the contents of the file, so she had called Craig. Marlena hoped that by learning exactly what had happened that they would know better how to help Chloe.
Marlena turned to Craig, sympathy shining in her luminous eyes. "How is Chloe, Craig?" Brady listened intently to Craig's answer.
Craig sighed deeply, "She finally fell asleep an hour ago. Nancy and I have checked on her a few times. She's absolutely exhausted. She cried non-stop all afternoon." Craig shut his eyes against the memory. Her sobs had filled the entire house. It was the most heartbreaking sound he'd ever heard. And every time Chloe cried, Nancy cried. Craig had spent most of the afternoon just holding Nancy, trying to comfort her.
Marlena nodded empathetically. She knew just what Craig was feeling, for she had been there with her own daughter Sami. Sami was raped when she was sixteen by her boyfriend Alan. Marlena's eyes darkened, remembering her own anguish at her daughter's pain. She inhaled deeply and let it out, shaking off the past. She buried her emotions deep, for the moment, and let the clinical therapist take over.
"First of all Craig, I wanted you to know that both Belle and Shawn know what happened. They overheard Brady and John talking about it. They, of course, aren't going to say anything about it." Belle and Shawn were at the Horton's helping decorate their Christmas tree. Shawn had invited Belle along, hoping it would take her mind off Chloe. They both were still unable to process the information, and wondered how they would be able to help Chloe.
Craig replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's probably just as well. Chloe's going to need all her friends to get through this, when she's ready to talk, that is."
John spoke up. "Craig, I talked with Bo today, regarding Chloe's stalker. He's still putting together the list of possible suspects from the website records, but he did find out about the mask. It came from a costume shop downtown. Unfortunately, the shop had reported the mask as stolen, so we have no leads there. But we are still working on the case. Bo said that they've already begun patrolling the area and Bo himself has driven by the neighborhood a few times today."
Craig laughed bitterly. "That's the one good thing about all this, Chloe has apparently forgotten all about her stalker. She's too deeply buried in the past to think about recent events." He said, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Which means we'll have to be extra careful. This guy is still out there, somewhere. And with the state of mind Chloe's in, she could wind up walking blindly into his grasp. You'll need to keep a close eye on her, and make sure she doesn't go anywhere by herself." John said softly.
Craig replied caustically, "I don't think that's going to be a problem. I don't think Chloe's planning on leaving her room again, ever."
Marlena reached and took his hand in hers. "Give her time, Craig. She will eventually come back to herself." An awkward silence followed, each lost in their thoughts and concern for Chloe. Finally Marlena cleared her throat. "Anyway we are here because I know you have a lot of questions."
"Yeah," Brady spoke up, for the first time that evening, a hard set to his jaw. "Like, who was this bastard, and where is he now?"
Marlena hesitated a moment before replying. "His name is Dr. Aaron Moore. He is, was, a licensed psychiatrist. His practice specialized in troubled girls like Chloe." She said disgustedly, bile rising in her throat.
"I wonder how many of them he raped." John added softly.
"There is no telling. The few charges that were brought against him were eventually dropped. Due to the mental state of his victims, they were unable to testify clearly what he had done to them. So the cases were all dropped. However, his license was revoked for 'improper conduct with a patient'." Marlena replied angrily.
"How did he get guardianship of Chloe in the first place? Shouldn't somebody have checked his record?" Craig asked in disbelief. This bastard had done this to countless girls in the past and still they put Chloe in his care?
Marlena replied sarcastically. "I assume we are talking about the same orphanage that doesn't even have a fax machine? When Chloe was there, they were overrun with kids, with little staff or resources to properly care for them all. So when a well known and respected member of the community, a doctor at the local hospital, comes in with his lovely wife of ten years and offers to take one of their most difficult cases off of their hands; of course they accepted his offer."
"Wait, did he specifically ask for Chloe?" John asked.
Marlena pulled a paper out of one of the stacks and glanced at it for reference. "According to Mrs. Spenser's personal notes, Dr. Moore and his wife came in to interview with her. They told her that they were interested in hosting a child in a foster capacity with the intention of eventually adopting. Dr. Moore added that as a therapist, he was especially sympathetic to young troubled girls. He said he wanted to take one and help her, give her a good home and a second chance at life. So Mrs. Spenser immediately thought of Chloe.
Chloe had already been in and out of ten homes, and been physically and emotionally abused. Everyday she withdrew further and further into herself. The staff at the orphanage had no clue how to help her. Mrs. Spenser genuinely believed that she was doing the best thing for her." Marlena finished.
"What about his wife? I find it hard to believe that she was in the house while Chloe was being attacked." Craig said.
Marlena sighed. "Unfortunately, it does happen. Women will often turn a blind eye to abuse, even when it involves their own children. They just don't want to believe that their husbands are capable of it. However, in this case, two months after Chloe went to live with them, Mrs. Moore was checked into a mental facility, upon her husband's recommendations."
"What was wrong with her?" John asked.
Marlena replied with a small mirthless laugh. "A mild depression, made worse by the medication the good Dr. had kept her on. In any case, it was nothing so severe that it required hospitalization."
Craig exhaled softly. "So he had his own wife committed, just to keep her out of the way." He swore softly. This guy just got more and more detestable.
Marlena nodded in agreement. "And that's when the rape began. According to the file, though, before that time he had been preparing Chloe. He wanted to make sure that she would not resist or tell anyone. So he manipulated her, playing upon her worst fears and biggest desires. Such as, her fear of abandonment, her desire to be loved and have a family. He also knew that she had been especially close to her adoptive father and that she connected more with the father figures in her life."
"So he had her call him 'father'." Craig interjected thoughtfully.
"Exactly. He built her up with promises of adoption and his love for her. She was so screwed up that when the rapes occurred she wasn't able to fight him, or to tell anyone. And this continued for the next four months." Marlena added sadly.
"Four months? I suppose we should be happy she didn't get pregnant." Craig commented bitterly.
"Well, that's actually how he was found out." Marlena replied.
Everyone's heart stopped. Chloe had gotten pregnant? Please, God no. Craig cradled his head in his hands.
Marlena quickly spoke up. "No, she didn't get pregnant. Dr. Moore had been having prescriptions for birth control filled out for her under his wife's name. Eventually, a close friend of Mrs. Moore became aware of it and questioned it. You see, Mrs. Moore had had a hysterectomy years earlier and was unable to have children. It was actually the reason for her depression.
So finally, someone asked questions about his past and discovered the earlier accusations. Chloe was removed from his care and managed to testify against him at the trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail. After the trial, though, Chloe collapsed into a catatonic state, and had to be placed in a mental ward. Six weeks later, she came back to herself, with no memories of what had happened in the last seven months. They told her that she had been in a coma and moved her back to the orphanage. Shortly after, they contacted Nancy and you know the rest."
They were silent for some time, letting the information soak in. The knowledge that the bastard was in jail did not appease Brady one bit. He was consumed by an overwhelming fury at what this maniacal, twisted man had done to Chloe.
The discussion soon broke up and Craig went home. Marlena and John talked softly together on the balcony, trying to comfort each other. Brady stood in the kitchen for a moment, restless with excess energy and rage. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
People left him alone at the gym. He pounded ruthlessly into the heavy punching bag, fury radiating off of him in forceful waves. His aura screamed, "Leave me alone!" So they did. Some wise-ass remarked, "Must be girl problems." The guy was lucky Brady didn't hear him.
Brady stayed there for hours, brutally punishing his body and the gym equipment, giving vent to his anger, his murderous fury.
Finally, hours later, he collapsed on his bed, thoroughly exhausted. His last thought before sleep overtook him was of Chloe.