I hope you all haven't forgotten about this story! It's been awhile I know…Sorry for the delay. I was having a bit of writer's block and today inspiration finally hit me…This is a short one, it's kind of the last of the depressing ones,but if you review, the next one will be what we are all waiting for!
Disclaimer: Still not mine, but excited for the real creators to bring us Season III.
Chapter 11: The Beginning of the End
It was never about Newport.
The dark haired man tossed the day old newspaper aside. His frustration lingered across his face.
"Come on Sandy. You were never this stupid."
Maybe California bleached all the sense out of him.
This was solely about himself and Sandy Cohen. Not Orange County, not his status, not his wife and not his son.
The two of them were unfortunate pawns of the game.
They were what made his hatred of Sandy Cohen so fun. They were easy targets. Although, the ruckus he was causing across a whole county made him all the more content.
An added bonus.
But the Police so far had gotten it completely wrong.
The truth was simple.
This was about how one man's past will always, always catch up with him.
"Kirsten, you have to eat something. Really, it's not your decision anymore." Caleb sternly spoke to his daughter, through her bedroom door.
He had tried to visit her every day since the phone call, but she had refused to see him face to face.
She would call out through the door, telling him she was fine, but Caleb knew her better then she thought he did.
"Dad, I'm fine, really please. You have a lot of work to do."
"Kirsten, now I'm only going to say this once. You mean more to me then the Newport Group, now please talk to me on the same side of the door."
The room got silent, Caleb rolled his eyes.
Good grief.
Women. Even daughter women.
She was as stubborn as he was.
But this time, Kirsten complied. Slowly opening her door, she glided past him.
Caleb took an internal gasp. She had changed so much. There was such a big difference from the days following the attack to now. Let alone how she looked before any of this started.
Kirsten had lost a considerable amount of weight. She had always been a small, healthy looking woman, but now it looked as if she could easily break.
Her hands were shaking, she tried to hide it, but Caleb noticed right away. And as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, he first felt her pull slightly away, but it was the coldness of her body that took him by surprise.
She seemed to be freezing inside out.
Worst of all were her eyes. They were hollow, dead. They no longer sparkled with a hidden delight. Caleb had loved looking into them and seeing his daughter's soul. Now all he could see was nothing, emptiness.
He took it all in and Kirsten watched him do so. She wished she had the strength to have gotten dressed that morning, but all she had on was her nightgown and a thin robe.
"You are just like your mother. She was just as good at communicating between doors as you are."
"Look dad, I'm not really in the mood right now."
"Kiki it's been almost a week. Nothing's happened since then."
He had been right, nothing had happened since the phone calls. Nothing except for sleepless nights, complete loss of appetite and no desire to leave the house.
Oh, and not to forget an unending amount of pure fear.
"Dad, I just. I know. I can't." Kirsten had nothing left to say. She'd made up enough excuses. Leading her father to the couch, she fell into it.
"I'm trying so hard to deal with this. I really am."
Caleb was frustrated, he tried to hide it, but Kirsten knew instantly.
"I'm sorry Dad, I know you're worried. I know all of Orange County is concerned. I know we are all wondering when I plan on bouncing back…But this doesn't just go away. This is here forever."
Sandy had gone out early to surf. He had hoped to be back before Kirsten or the boys awoke, but he also needed time away.
As he sat on the beach, waxing his board, Sandy thought about the last few weeks. He replayed all of the events in his head, hoping one would trigger some sort of clue. Each time, he came up with nothing. Not knowing who was behind it all was beginning to eat away at him.
He was starting to feel useless. Not only as a husband, but as a father, as a protector. His wife was slowly disappearing. His kids were uncharacteristically quiet and sullen. Nobody smiled anymore, nobody laughed.
They were like zombies.
Sandy had always been able to fix things. He prided himself in being able to rationally solve any problem.
"That's why we're a perfect pair Sandy Cohen." He remembered Kirsten saying early on. "You can fix anything. No matter how bad I feel, how low I get, you fix it."
Not anymore, he thought bitterly.
"Damn you!" Sandy yelled to the ocean.
He sat on the sand, gripping it through his hands and watched the waves crash in and out. As one of the only patrons on the beach, he allowed himself to finally cry.
"Mom," Seth inquired as he sat next to Kirsten on the couch. She had yet to move since her conversation with her father ended. He had left soon thereafter and she resigned to taking a quick nap before the family woke up.
"Yeah?" She jumped.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah Seth, I'm fine."
"Do you maybe want me to make you a bagel?"
"No that's okay."
"Coffee?"
"No, really I'm fine."
"An omelet or a toaster strudel?"
"No thank you."
"A poptart?"
"Seth, what is this about?"
He looked over to her, his brown eyes filled with concern. She should have just accepted the bagel.
"Nothing. I just want to offer you my services."
"I'm fine really. Just not hungry."
"Mom, you haven't been hungry in a week."
Kirsten closed her eyes. Her son had an overpowering effect on her. She couldn't say no to him. Ever.
"A bagel sounds great."
"We have an oversize envelope for Mr. Cohen." A UPS man in brown walked over to Sandy.
Sandy had spent an extra hour on the beach. He had come home in just a few minutes prior, and was beginning to wash off his surfboard.
"That would be me." Sandy said as he reached for the clipboard to sign his name. "Have a good day fellows."
Sandy shut the door behind him. He walked towards the kitchen as he ripped the seal open. In the background he could hear Seth and Ryan rambling on. He assumed Kirsten was in their with them.
"Hope she's eating something." He thought to himself.
Out of the envelope fell a number of photos. Some black and white, some colored.
All of Kirsten.
Kirsten with Seth and Ryan entering the house.
Kirsten by his side at a fundraising function.
Kirsten on her own outside of the Gym.
Kirsten in the pool,
with a glass of wine,
speaking on the phone in their bedroom.
One of her on that night. Before the blindfold. The fear so clearly evident on her face.
Sandy took a deep breath as he fumbled through each photo.
The perpetrators were so close, for what seemed to be a long time. Some of the pictures had been taken months ago.
A paperclip held a scrunched note to the back of the bundle, forcing it to be the last item looked at.
"You're family is beautiful Mr. Cohen. I wish mine had the opportunity to flourish the way yours has. Kirsten is magnificent, I have enjoyed getting to know her these past few months. She reminds me of my Angie. My son should have been about Seth's age. My daughter would have turned 21 today.
It took Sandy a few moments to register the note.
Angie.
The name was common, but for some reason he knew there was an underlying meaning.
Angie. Angie. Angie.
The name repeated in his head, over and over again, until he finally made a connection.
He took a sharp breath and dropped the final pictures.
In that very instant, Sandy knew the identity of his worst enemy. He knew the man behind his wife's brutal attacks. He knew the reason, he knew the rhyme.
And for an instant he felt a twinge of sympathy.
But that instant quickly diminished and was filled with an intense need for revenge.
Sandy held the note in his hand and read the last three words over and over again.
"Let's finish this."
Okay, so I have finally figured out who the bad man is! It took forever, but I hope its not too much of a stretch…If you want more please review…I have the next chapter close to being finished (Surprise, I know) and you'll learn quite quickly who the culprit is.