Chapter Five
Erica looked up as Kendall and Aiden entered her office. "Finally," she turned towards Jackson, her eyes full of irritation. "Now can you finally talk to me," she sniped at him.
Jackson looked over at Aiden, who nodded encouragingly at him.
"Kendall, honey," he came over and put an arm around her, ushering her towards the sofa where Erica was sitting. "Come sit with your mother and me."
As she looked up at Jackson, the confusion and fear that had started in the alley behind the Valley Inn continued to grow. She sat and watched anxiously as Jackson took a seat in the chair facing them. Aiden stayed across the room, standing by the closed door like a sentry.
Jackson began, he eyes down in his lap, "About an hour ago, Aiden and I were at Maggie's apartment." He looked up at Erica and then Kendall. Erica's expression was pure 'so what,' but Kendall's eyes flashed with recognition.
"Is this about Jonathan?" Kendall asked, looking first at Jackson and then back at Aiden.
Jackson nodded slowly, "Yes, honey. It is."
"I knew it! I knew it!" Kendall muttered under her breath. Erica eyed her with confusion.
Jackson turned to Erica, "Greenlee thought Jonathan was the person who was drugging her. She told Kendall." Jackson looked at Kendall for confirmation, and she nodded.
"Greenlee! This is about Greenlee!" Erica rose from the couch dramatically, "Honestly, Jackson," she rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Your daughter is deliberately hurtful to Kendall. Well," she paused for effect, "Maybe not 'deliberately.' I actually think that it's more of a selfish haze she walks around in." Erica smiled, amused by her own rant, but quickly frowned again, "But that doesn't matter. The effect is still the same – to hurt Kendall. And I've had it! I've had it Jackson!"
He began to stand, to try to stop her, but she glared him into silence.
"I've tried. God knows, I've tried. But it isn't any use," Erica's voice rose as she gained momentum, "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Kendall, Jackson. We – me and my girls – we need Greenlee out of our lives. She nothing but a hurtful, destructive force. She has no idea how to behave … no respect … no compassion. You can have her in your life … you should have her in your life. But not us. Greenlee and Ryan and their family, whatever it turns out to be, should leave us alone, and we'll do the same."
When Jackson met Erica's rant with prolonged silence, she finally sat down. "Well, that's how I feel," she declared without apology.
Kendall smiled into her lap. Having Erica stand up for her was something that she never could quite get used to … every time was like an amazing, unbelievable gift.
Jackson continued on in his same careful, controlled voice, as if Erica had never spoken, "Greenlee and Kendall hired Aiden to investigate Jonathan," and his sober tone quieted Erica. "But they weren't the only ones who were worried about Jonathan." Kendall perked up at this. "Bianca and Reggie were worried about Jonathan too. They thought he had hit Maggie."
Erica's eyes grew wide.
"I knew it!" Kendall whispered fiercely. "I knew there was something wrong with him, seriously wrong."
But Jackson continued on before Kendall could launch into her story. "You were right, Kendall" he nodded at her. He paused, gathering himself before continuing, "Did you know that Lily has a crush on Aiden?" he asked Kendall, "That she calls him her boyfriend?"
Kendall frowned at the seeming irrelevance of that fact.
Erica smiled over at Aiden then looked back at Kendall, "They are quite a pair."
"Yes," Jackson said, smiling at Aiden, "Aiden has been wonderful to Lily." He took another deep breath and continued, "The thing is … Lily, she knew that Aiden was investigating Jonathan, and she wanted to help."
"Oh my god!" Erica sprang up, "Is Lily okay? Did that monster hurt Lily?"
Jackson stood and guided Erica back down to the couch. "Lily's fine. She tried to ask Jonthan questions … to be a detective. Jonathan only scared her. Bianca found Lily in the park. She helped Lily and called Aiden."
"We have to tell Ryan," Erica insisted.
"Fat lot of good that's going to do," Kendall huffed. "I told Ryan that Jonathan was trouble, but he doesn't believe me."
"Well, we'll make him believe," Erica insisted, "We can't let him get away with this or let him hurt anyone else."
"That doesn't matter now," Jackson interrupted.
"Yes it does," Kendall chimed in, "I still think Jonathan drugged Greenlee, and now Ryan and Greenlee will have to admit that I'm right."
"And what about Maggie," Erica added, "We can't let him continue to hurt Maggie."
Jackson closed his eyes, composing himself. He opened them only after he had started talking, "There was an altercation," Jackson admitted. He looked at Erica, "Between Maggie and Jonathan. Bianca was there too. It was very bad."
"An altercation," Erica repeated dubiously, "Bianca? Bianca's hurt, isn't she Jackson?"
Jackson nodded, biting his lip to try to stop the tears from coming.
"Bianca," Erica whispered. In a flash, she was off the couch and waving her arms in a panic, "Bianca!" she yelled as she looked around the room at everything and nothing, "What the hell are we doing? Why have we been sitting her for half an hour in my office when Bianca is hurt? That is what you're saying, isn't it Jackson? We have to go. I have to be with her … with Bianca. We have to go right now!"
She got up and rushed past him, but Aiden caught her half way to the door and turned her around. Jackson walked towards her. Kendall followed him in a state of stunned confusion.
"I wanted to tell you here," Jackson began, his voice finally cracking as he looked from Erica to Kendall and then back again. "I wanted to be the one who told you, and I wanted us to be alone … all of us," he motioned to Kendall, "Alone together."
Erica started backing up, as if putting distance between herself and Jackson's words. Her eyes grew wider as her head shook back and forth, an inaudible 'no.' She stopped only when her back hit the closed office door.
Jackson headed towards her, reaching out, "Jonathan shot at Maggie and Bianca. Bianca was hit in the heart. It was very fast. I don't think she felt any pain."
"What are you saying to me, Jackson," Erica's words were slow, careful.
"Bianca is gone, sweetheart," he closed the final few steps between them and gathered her up in his arms, the tears flowing now, "Our girl is gone."
