Chapter 4
Stephanie called Uncle Milford's and asked if they could come over. Bessie was confused but her step-niece told her that Sportacus would explain everything. Promising to be there in fifteen minutes, the two women got off the phone.
Joshua was sleeping when the Mayor and Bessie arrived at the couple's apartment. Quickly, Stephanie took him to his bed and let him continue to sleep. Returning to the living room, she sat down next to her husband.
"Stephanie and I received a disturbing note today from Robbie." Sportacus said handing the note to the other couple. Mayor Meanswell read it and his face returned a grim expression. Bessie didn't look much better.
"Exactly what Stephanie and I thought." Sportacus responded to their looks. "But I have a plan."
Robbie saw the sad look in Amanda's eyes. It was tearing him to pieces to see her upset but he had to try to make her understand that he cared for her enough to never lie to her.
"I haven't been lying to you. I could never do that. You mean too much to me. Those papers were the reconstruction plans for our place. They were in my atrocious handwriting and Helga couldn't tell what they were for. Besides I made some changes to them as I was discussing things with her, to make it more convincing." Robbie told her. At first, Amanda was silent and he couldn't tell if she really believed the truth he told her.
"Robbie, I …" she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Instead she leaned in and kissed him. Relieved, Robbie kissed her back. The two separated and Amanda said,
"I'm sorry about what I said. I just got scared when you started acting like that. Believe it or not you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't want to lose you. The money isn't worth you fighting Sportacus."
"You are worth fighting for. That money could allow us to get out of this place and live in a nice apartment. It would allow us to do so many of the things we dreamed of. I can't let an opportunity like that pass by." Robbie protested.
"I don't need all those things to be happy. Yes, it would be nice to have them but not at that cost. Nothing is worth losing what we have together." Amanda was trying to get him to understand.
Sportacus explained everything in his plan to the Mayor, Bessie, and Stephanie. The hardest part of completing it was to get a note back to Robbie.
"We have to tell him that we understand and are willing to be a part of the charade." The above-average hero said.
"Indeed but how? You don't even know how the message got to you. This cousin Helga can't get a hold of it." Bessie said.
"What if I dropped by Robbie and Amanda's place and pretended to have to talk to him about something important?" The Mayor asked.
"Then Helga would be suspicious why the Mayor would come to her supposedly rotten cousin." Stephanie pointed out. At this, Sportacus had another idea.
"Why don't you call Robbie's house right now?" Stephanie gave him a look.
"Its eleven o'clock. They're probably in bed all ready."
"That might be true but if you're calling for Robbie, Helga will just think that he's cheating on Amanda and you could tell him the whole thing." Her husband told the group.
"Doesn't Robbie have an extra phone? Could his cousin pick it up and listen to the conversation?" Bessie wondered. Everyone was quiet for a few moments. That was a risk that they couldn't take. Finally someone had an idea.
"What if we call his cell phone?" Stephanie asked.
"Good thinking, sweetheart! I'll go make that call." Sportacus gave his wife a kiss and hurried to the phone.
To Be Continued…