Disclaimer: See usual statement on Part I
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Please let me know how you like this story.
Memory Ronin
Part VIII
By Callisto
Law offices of Proust & Latham
New York, NY
Two weeks had finally gone by and Lyle returning from Pennsylvania empty handed and frustrated decided on going directly to the lawyer's office before heading back to the Centre. Lyle lounged casually on the leather couch in the comfortable office. The view was breathtaking and the appointments, which surrounded him, were just short of deserving the label of lavish. The tea he was offered sat cooling on a low walnut table as he waited for the probate lawyer to arrive. Lyle's mind was agreeably engaged on thoughts of the sensuous figure of the Japanese secretary who saw to his needs when the thick, soundproof door opened suddenly. An intense looking young American breezed into the office with a distractedly harassed expression. The second he spotted Lyle on the couch, the lawyer instantly rearranged his features into a remotely pleasing mask.
"Mr. Lyle? I am very sorry to have kept you waiting. My name is Dan Sawyer, I am one of the lawyers who had the privilege of representing your sister," the younger man said soberly holding his hand out to Lyle. As Lyle stood and shook the other's hand the lawyer continued, "Please, let me convey my condolences on behalf of the entire firm, we were all deeply saddened to hear of Miss Parker's passing."
Keeping his features neutral, Lyle nodded solemnly. "Thank you, her death was a deep shock to us all."
"I can only imagine. May I ask, if it isn't an imposition, how did it happen?" Sawyer's face was a mask of concern from which the intelligence he had been gifted with kept peeking through.
"It was an industrial accident. The corporation our family runs has diverse interests which include the development and handling of certain volatile substances for the industrial complex at large. Unfortunately, my sister was at the facility on business when the accident occurred. An unforeseen set of circumstances have left us bereft," Lyle replied with friendly solemnity.
"I see. She will be greatly missed," Sawyer said with a slight hardening of his words. It was clear he was unsatisfied with Lyle's obfuscation but there was little he could do to force the man to be more explicit.
"Yes, she will. Now could we get to the matter at hand? My sister's passing has left a hole in the corporation's hierarchy, which falls on my shoulders to fill. I'm a busy man, Mr. Sawyer," Lyle said curtly.
"I understand, so let's cut to the chase shall we?" Sawyer said punctiliously, as he indicated with his hand for Lyle to resume his seat on the couch. When both men were seated, with Sawyer taking the leather chair opposite Lyle he began, "Your sister left very clear instructions for us to follow. As the executors of her estate you can imagine we take our role quite seriously. Your sister has extensive holdings which require careful handling even after her death." Glancing at the irritated impatience, which was beginning to show on Lyle's features, Sawyer maintained his mask of distant respect and continued, "The bulk of Miss Parker's estate is to be put in an irrevocable trust, however, she did include a provision for you as her twin. She has left you the sum of exactly $30,540.62 along with a letter. Actually the letter was our idea, it is copied verbatim from the codicil she included in her will approximately a year after she discovered your connection with her."
Lyle struggled to control the expression on his face. He knew the significance of the sum she left him, however he was curious as to how she found out what he had done. The sum was the exact amount he allotted for the cleanup, disposal and cremation of May Lin, his mail order bride whom his urges had led him to torture and kill. Mr. Parker had assisted in covering up the incident and together they had erased the trail completely, or so they thought. Tightly clinching his jaw, Lyle tore his gaze from the spectacular view and shifted back to the lawyer who was watching him carefully with an impassive expression.
The men continued to stare at each other silently for a few seconds before Lyle became aware that he was being handed a letter. Rising to his feet, Lyle snatched the letter from the lawyer's hand.
"If this was all you had to tell me, why wasn't this done over the phone and the letter mailed?" he asked tightly.
"It was Miss Parker's wish to have you here to hear the news of your inheritance. In fact, she insisted upon it, something about wanting to insure my safety. However, I'm sure I must have misunderstood her exact meaning. I was supposed to read to you the contents of the codicil but I felt it would be better if you read it in privacy."
"You said the bulk of her estate was in trust, what about our father's estate? We recently lost our father and divided his estate. It was included in his will that if anything happened to either of us the other would inherit the entirety of his holdings," Lyle stated cautiously. It was obvious from this lawyer's prudently maintained mask of impassivity that his sister had thought of just about everything.
"Yes, the amount your sister awarded to you is out of the inheritance she received from your father. Her share was painstakingly liquidated and annexed to her own estate. Your father's will stipulated that the surviving twin would only receive those moneys and holdings of his estate left intact at the time of their death. Nothing of Miss Parker's share of your father's estate has been left intact. Much of it has already been donated to the various charities Miss Parker supported."
"I see, and the trust?" Lyle asked again sensing reluctance on the lawyer's part to reveal the identity of the beneficiary.
"The trust is being held for your younger brother, Mr. Ethan Clauson," Sawyer said slowly.
Lyle's eyes narrowed at this information. Turning to the lawyer once again he asked, "Have you contacted my younger sibling about his latest windfall?"
"Actually, I was reluctant to ask you but since you have brought it up, would you have any idea how we may contact him? Your sister's explicit instructions prohibit me from searching for him," Sawyer asked with deepening interest.
"No, I have no idea. I was hoping you could tell me. I was unaware of Ethan's existence until this past year. I would like to have the opportunity of bringing what is left of my family together once again," Lyle lied smoothly.
Frowning slightly the lawyer looked at Lyle quizzically, "That's strange, Miss Parker indicated that her only surviving family were her two brothers."
"Well, she left out an uncle and our infant brother who was born about a couple years ago," Lyle said staring into the lawyer's mask.
"Please Mr. Lyle, let me again express my personal condolences on the loss of your sister. She was a beautiful, dynamic woman and I personally will miss her," Sawyer said dismissively making it clear he would not divulge anything further to Lyle.
"That's quite a thought, I'll keep that in mind," Lyle said coolly as he left the office.
Jarod's family home
Franconia, NH
When the television Ethan brought for his sister finally arrived, Parker set it up in the now comfortably appointed living room. It was a large 48" projection television with surround sound speakers and a state-of-the-art DVD player thrown in for good measure. At first she was taken aback at the Goliath her youngest brother had brought for her, then she began to laugh affectionately at him when he came in sheepishly smiling. He wasn't sure what her reaction would be but he wanted to get only the best for his older sister.
When she smiled at him fondly he relaxed and enjoyed the warmth which radiated from her. Imagining that their mother was much the same way, Ethan felt fortunate to have her here and hoped he could do more to convince her to extend her stay indefinitely. He had noticed that even Margaret was beginning to become attached to her also. Ethan was cheered by the change and was cautiously hopeful that his sister would continue to fit in with the family at large.
Eventually the whole family filtered in one by one to see how the apartment upstairs from the garage was shaping up. Curiously for Parker, each person brought a little something to make the apartment homier, a beautiful statuette from Margaret, a framed print from Trent and the Major, and a green leafy plant from Emily.
Shortly after the arrival of the television, Jarod showed up one night to check on her and as with the rest of his family, he didn't come empty handed. He wandered into the apartment with a friendly smile and a large box with holes in the lid tied with a bright bow.
"I heard Ethan brought you a huge television. I was hoping we could watch a movie together," he said amicably.
"I was just making myself some dinner, would you like to join me?" she asked invitingly. She had moved back into the kitchen and began to stir something she had sizzling in a wok.
"No thank you, I ate a while ago. Do you need any help? I'm quite handy in the kitchen, even if I do say so myself," he replied with a grin.
Returning his smile she said, "No I think I have it under control but would you mind handing me that bowl sitting over there?"
Jarod reached over picked up a bowl of cubed, cooked chicken and handed it to her. Curious about what she was making, he peeked over her shoulder to see what ingredients she had in the wok. The smell from the concoction was making his mouth water. He had hastily eaten a sandwich for dinner, unwilling to take a break from his constant computer surveillance of Centre activities.
Noticing the hungry look on his face, Parker used the wooden spoon she was stirring her dinner with and scooped up a bit of the cooked vegetables for him to taste. Suspending her hand under the spoon she placed it to his lips. Without hesitation he ate what she offered and moaned in appreciation. She had gotten the mixture of vegetables and seasonings perfect.
She smiled in gentle amusement at his obvious enjoyment of her culinary skills. She returned to stirring the vegetables, swatting at his hand as he tried to reach for more. Wordlessly she pointed to an empty plate just beyond her reach and he handed it to her.
They shared her dinner and talked comfortably for over an hour. After they ate, Parker opened her present to find a small black bunny. Smiling happily, she lifted the soft animal from the box and cuddled it. She rubbed her cheek against its soft fur and gently petted the creature. Carrying it into the kitchen she retrieved several fresh lettuce leaves and returned the animal to its box after supplying it with fresh water. As she was washing up Jarod joined her in the kitchen to dry the dishes. Playfully she scooped up some suds and dabbed them on his nose. She laughed at the result but the intensely longing look he was giving her made her slowly curb her amusement. Surprised and more than a little curious about his scrutiny, Parker returned his stare and immediately understood. He wanted to kiss her again but was reticent about her reaction. A slow gently amusing smile containing equal measures of invitation and daring graced her face as she watched him. After a few seconds of staring at him, she broke the silence asking in a low voice, "you going to try that again?"
Returning her smile he said in a similar tone, "Any objections?"
Holding his gaze in her own, she said with clear amusement in her voice, "I was wondering what would happen this time. Perhaps the roof will collapse or maybe the sky will fall in?"
Jarod's smile faded from his lips as he leaned towards her, and pausing briefly before their lips met, he kissed her. At first the kiss was tentative then quickly became more passionate as the seconds ticked by. They continued kissing until it became clear they both wanted this situation to become more intimate. Leaving the dishes dripping in the sink she allowed herself to be led into her bedroom where their lovemaking continued.
Waking up to Jarod after only a few hours of sleep, Parker was unremittingly happy. She had finally gotten a chance to express to him what he truly meant to her without having to embarrass herself with awkward words which didn't match her prior Centre attitudes or actions. She stared at him from his sleep tosslled hair to his muscular body and felt a longing rise from deep within which she had learned to suppress. Slowly releasing a satisfied breath, she lightly ran her hand down his muscular torso and gently caressed his genitals before rising quickly to change.
Waking up alone, Jarod looked around the room in confusion before realizing where he was and getting up he showered, dressed and headed downstairs for the usual breakfast with his family. After breakfast and Parker's usual absence, Jarod figured she would have returned. Once inside the apartment, he knew she hadn't and he instantly became curious about her whereabouts. Walking into her bedroom he noticed the sheets they had slept on were in the same condition he had left them in and straightening them out he flopped down tiredly on the bed and fell into a light slumber.
Major Charles was looking for Jarod. He wanted his eldest son's opinion on a gift he had his eye on for his wedding anniversary present to his wife. Looking everywhere on the property, the Major shook his head slowly and decided to head over to Miss Parker's apartment. He took the trail that led behind the garage and just as he was about to enter the rear garage door, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Miss Parker was performing a dance of some sort. Her movements were fluid and engaging. The Major had been watching her fascinated for several minutes when she suddenly stopped, picked up a towel and turned in his direction. Already aware the Major had been watching her she had switched from performing her Sensei's secret kata to the alternative kata he had taught her to practice whenever she was being observed.
"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" she said cheerfully.
"Yes, it is. So is that what you do instead of having breakfast with us?" he asked curiously.
"I'm sorry if my presence was missed. I didn't intend to be offensively singular it's just a habit I developed over the years. The kata helps keep me in shape," she said.
"No, we just wondered. It's beautiful you know, the kata that you do; it's like a dance," he said once again his curiosity was stirred by this unusual woman.
Laughing gently at his description, she led the way to her apartment. "When I first saw my teacher performing it I thought the same thing. It's not as easy as it looks but after some practice it becomes in a sense, liberating." Noticing that he was following her upstairs she fell into silence as she entered the apartment.
"Would you like some coffee?" she asked cordially as she scooped some fresh grounds into the coffee maker and turned it on.
"No, thanks. I'm looking for Jarod, have you seen him today?" he asked innocently.
Not falling for his innocent act for an instant, she said evenly, "Yes, earlier today but I haven't seen him since. Excuse me, I need to get a fresh towel," she replied as she walked into her bedroom. There sprawled across her bed was a fully clothed Jarod who had fallen asleep waiting for her.
An attractive smile spread over her face and eyes as she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips, whispering into his ear, "Jarod, wake up. Your father is here." When his only response was a sleepy smile, she kissed his mouth several more times and placing a hand on his chest she shook him and said, "Hey, sleepyhead, wake up." Finally Jarod's long-lashed lids fluttered open and greeted with the sight of his lover smiling affectionately at him, he reached up to touch her when she moved swiftly away from temptation.
"Your father is in the other room, he's been looking for you and guessed you would be here," she stated as she walked into the bathroom and turned the shower spigot on.
Jarod waking slowly heard the water running and the bathroom door close. He was on the verge of following her when her words finally sunk in. Looking towards the bedroom door he found his father staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. Rising to a seated position, Jarod rubbed his hands across his face.
"I was waiting for her to return and fell asleep," he explained lamely.
"I hope you know what you're doing, son," the Major said quietly.
"With her, I'm never quite sure but it certainly feels right," Jarod replied with a happily satisfied note in his voice.
Jarod followed his father out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Pouring himself a mug of coffee he looked up to see a concerned expression on his father's face.
"I can only imagine how this must look to you. It's only fair to admit that I've wanted this to happen with Parker for some time. Now that it has, I feel compelled to see where this is going to lead," Jarod said quietly, answering his father's unspoken question.
"From what you told me on the road from Pennsylvania, I'm not shocked. I take it she's equally curious about how this is going to turn out?"
"I have no idea but I intend on finding out. We haven't exactly discussed this new development yet," he replied slowly, looking smugly happy.
With a wry, conspiratorial grin the Major answered, "I see, you're just enjoying the moment. Let me make one thing clear though, I understand that you're infatuated with Miss Parker—that much is a given. You don't have to worry about any of us interfering but if she harms one hair on your head, she'll have me to answer to and I won't give a damn how many times she's saved my life."
"I appreciate the sentiment but I can take care of myself and her if it's necessary. I sincerely doubt it will come to that. She's different once she's away from the Centre and her strangled loyalty to her father," Jarod said. In the background the sounds of water running in the shower abruptly ended. A bright, almost libidinous smile formed on Jarod's lips as he looked in the direction of the bedroom. Hurriedly he said to his father, "Thanks for your concern. I need to see what she's doing right now. I saw her thoroughly drenched once when we were stuck together in a hurricane in Florida and had to submit myself to too many cold showers afterwards." Giving his father a wide grin, Jarod quickly left the room. The sounds of knuckles rapping on a door and murmured speech were all the Major could hear.
Shaking his head fondly, the Major walked from the apartment with Jarod's words still in his mind. Thinking of his lovesick son the Major laughed gently out loud. 'That woman would look good in sackcloth.'