In our last chapter, Jessica told Aubrey about a painful memory before running away. Will she come back? And how will Aubrey respond? Read on to find out...
PS: There's a blast from the past. Can anyone guess who it is?
Aubrey watched Jessica disappear behind the front door before it slammed shut. Despair and fear ran through him as he contemplated whether she would ever return to him. She'd bared her soul to him before she'd panicked, and then she'd bolted like a scared rabbit.
He was afraid she would never come back…and then he would be alone again. While in the past he was always mentally prepared to be on his own, this time it was different. No one had ever gotten as close to him as Jessica Warren. He felt the connection when they watched Star Wars together…when they ate lunch at the diner…when they went to movies and comic cons together.
But he never felt it more than when they made love. There was a bond between them that always became stronger as their bodies became one. She wasn't just his lover, but almost like a life force. He didn't think he could breathe without her.
If he lost her this time, there would be no one else. No other woman would ever take Jessica's place in his heart. Last week, he'd ripped a hole into their relationship when he shut her out regarding his father and then treated her like a stress ball. Foolishly, he thought things were okay until Daisy came over to whine about her latest marital crisis. Seeing her go all Jekyll and Hyde had made him more determined to make sure he and Jessica would be different.
But were they? The things they'd said to each other…when one gained the upper hand, the other struck back. Their words were hurtful…but at least they were finally being honest with each other.
Then Jessica took a step forward this morning and exposed her greatest pain…her mother. He hadn't liked Eleanor before today, but now he despised her. How could anyone treat a wonderful person like Jessica as…a way to gain a notch up in society? How could a woman use her child, first by trying to fix her up with a surgeon, then as a piggy bank, using some sob story to get her daughter to pay for Botox injections?
Jessica didn't want to consider it, but he did. It was obvious that Eleanor had offered the plastic surgeon a date with her daughter to get free shit in her face. It was extremely disgusting...immoral…just plain ass wrong.
But he couldn't talk, because his father wasn't above using his family for gain, either. His gain was more financial…but just as devastating. To the outside world before his arrest, the Aubreys had the American Dream. His father was a handsome, successful man, with a beautiful wife, and a darling son. But the gilded cage around their townhouse hid a world of disappointment, lies, cruelty, and humiliation. Phillip Aubrey was a man who was never happy until he had more…and he always wanted what he couldn't have.
When it caught up with him, instead of being the family man he bragged that he was, he skipped town, leaving his long suffering wife and son alone and destitute. His mother's family didn't lift a finger to help them after his father left, only saying 'I told you so's'.
His thoughts were interrupted by his doorbell ringing. Getting on his crutches and moved slowly to the display by his front door. Recognizing the face, he walked away, ignoring the subsequent ringing of the doorbell as he laid back down and got lost in his memories again.
His mother had always said there was a side to Phillip Aubrey that only she saw. Of that, he was certain. It was the side he used to woo her and get her to marry him. Perhaps his father did love his mother at one time, but he loved himself and his own needs more.
Rachael Aubrey had waited years for his father to return to her. She cried when she saw updates on his case on the news. Her birthday in September came with no card or call…as did his 14th birthday a month later. Still, she saw the good in the man, and planned to wait for his return so she could stand by him. She'd only divorced him when she discovered that her son would get more funds for college if she were single.
Still, she had promised that his father would come home someday, proud of how strong she was for him and proud of their only son's many accomplishments. She'd waited, confident that her husband would come back for their son's high school graduation, which he never did. Then she promised that his father would show up for his 18th birthday…his college graduation…his law school graduation…when he passed the New York Bar…and finally when he graduated third in his FBI Academy class.
But Phillip Aubrey never came…and then his mother died…and now he was alone...an orphan.
Determined to make his mother proud so her sacrifices were not in vain, Aubrey pushed himself to be successful in his chosen endeavor. He didn't want to come back to New York, but when he was needed, he didn't hesitate. Knowing how lucky he was to be part of that field office so early in his career, he put all his efforts into moving up in the FBI. He dated here and there, but when a woman got too close to him, he pushed back until they moved on to someone new. For him, the risk of losing himself in someone like his mother did was too great.
Being offered a chance to transfer to DC was a godsend for him. He'd always enjoyed the city, even when his father would drag him there on his trips to visit his friend Frank Kwiakowski. Coming back was emotional, but it was good to get away from the awful memories hidden on every street corner of New York. He was nervous when he came to work in the Homicide division, as Seeley Booth's reputation in the FBI preceded him. He knew what people were saying about the fallen agent, but he didn't believe that a man like that would just murder three agents for no good reason.
Three weeks into his new assignment in mid-August 2014, Lance Sweets asked to meet with him. After exchanging some small talk, the profiler asked his opinion of Booth's case, and Aubrey didn't hold back in expressing his belief that had what happened made no sense.
Sweets became his first friend in DC, telling him about his friends at the Jeffersonian. When they discussed women one night at Founding Fathers, Sweets' talk of his future with Daisy diverged to his fling with an intern named Jessica Warren that previous spring.
"She's a really great person...pretty fantastic...and not just for the sex. If it wasn't for her, Daisy and I may not planning a future together to raise our baby. Heck, she and Daisy are friends now!"
"I'm glad you guys are all friends now after all that shit went down. However, this Jessica sounds a little wild to me, Sweets. Not my type at all."
"Trust me, Aubrey. There's more to Jessica Warren than meets the eye.", Sweets said with a grin before drinking his beer.
Aubrey chuckled as he remembered that conversation. No matter what the profiler said, the girl sounded like a whirlwind…and definitely out of Aubrey's league. Besides, he had plans to take Capitol Hill by storm with his 'Ten Year Plan', which began when he prepared to enter his first year of law school.
Of course, his mother's opinion of that plan differed from his own...and she didn't hesitate to tell him.
'Ambition can drive you, but it's love that will sustain you. Someday the right girl is going to find you, Jamie. when you least expect it. When you get it, hold onto it and treasure it…because all the riches and success in the world don't mean a thing if there's no one there to share it with you…the one that completes you.'
His mother was right…as always. Deep down, he wanted that special person, but he was terrified to go down that road as well. Besides, he was 30 years old and still a bachelor when he arrived in DC. The dream woman his mother had promised him would never come, so instead of dwelling on it, he put his attentions back to his Ten Year Plan.
Over the next several weeks, he got to know Booth and the people from the lab. It was slow, as they were all reeling from Sweets' death and the betrayal Booth faced from the FBI. Eventually, they accepted him into their group, and he became part of a family that he never realized he had missed. He had everything he could ever want.
Then he almost collided with a redhead as he was leaving Angela's office one day. Aubrey could only stare in fascination as Jessica Warren talked a mile a minute about how his video had helped her discover how the victims' injuries came to be, even demonstrating how the vic's wounds occurred in her excitement. Heading back to get the victim's arms from Hodgins, she left as she came…and he was smitten with the cute squintern. When Angela told him who she was, his former thoughts about her being out of his league flew out the window.
They danced around each other for months before their friendship truly began. Deep down, they both knew that their course was moving towards something deeper, but they were both enjoying the pace.
Of course, they had a hiccup when he got spooked by her past. He was torn until her blunt reminder that people grow as they experience life. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes made him realize that his Ten Year Plan wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Between that realization and a very...loud lecture from Booth, he finally got the balls to finally throw his hat in the ring, so to speak. It took a bombing and almost six months of dating before he got the courage to kiss the girl...and it was just as amazing as he thought it would be. Of course, he didn't think it would be on a cold, wet sidewalk after pulling her out of the way of a fast moving car, but cliched and normal was something they never were. As Jessica said that night, what they had was more special than that.
Luckily, it didn't take six months until they were ready to make love. After they passed that final hurdle, he could never get those three words out to Jessica, electing to show her how he felt in their moments alone. Of course, when he finally got the courage to speak up, she freaked out…which caused him to freak out.
Even nineteen years later, his father's abandonment had affected him. He'd hidden parts of himself away…afraid to become broken like his mother had been. But he was already broken…and Jessica was the key to his being put back together.
She wasn't innocent, as she had similar fears. However, she'd taken a big step today when she confessed about a dark moment she'd never shared with anyone else. Once he took it all in, it was obvious how the events surrounding her father's stroke still affected her today.
But then his thoughts went back to Jessica's panic before she ran out his door. Her previous actions warred with Booth's advice to believe in their friendship. It was a constant battle until he realized that he had to trust not just in that friendship, but in her as well.
Looking to his right, he saw several boxes that had been sealed shut for years sitting on a shelf. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled in resolution as he made a decision.
Jessica Warren wouldn't abandon him again. He was not about to let that happen. Yes, they would struggle, but they had to fight together. Earlier, she'd thrown the first punch, but now…he had to end the fight.
Jessica sat on the swing and looked around at the empty playground by Aubrey's house, stumped at the fact that there were no kids around, until she realized that it was Monday morning. Judging by the sun that was starting to come out, it had to be after 8:00...maybe. Time didn't matter right now anyhow.
In the corner of her eye, she saw a white van pull up, but gave it no attention as she pulled out her phone. Swiping across the screen, Jessica looked at her wallpaper, which was the picture of Aubrey and her with Mark Hamill at the Star Wars convention.
That night had changed her life for the better. She and Aubrey had said things that should have been said a long time ago. Both were terrified for the future, but they'd promised to work through them together.
But they hadn't...and they'd fallen back into their old patterns. She'd refused to ask her boyfriend for help when a man sexually harassed her and, until an hour ago, she'd held a part of herself back...a part she showed to no one. She was so scared of being too vulnerable...much like she was when she was younger.
Aubrey wouldn't take advantage of that...because he understood. He understood too well, because he'd held part of himself back, too. He, too, was afraid to be vulnerable. She knew that his father abandoning him had made him wary of trusting anyone, and that his mother's death several years earlier had left him completely alone.
She wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let her. Of course, she wouldn't let him help her, either. Both were guilty, and she knew that if they were to move forward, they had to confront those fears together...and it was time to tell him that. If she could open up, he would do the same, or she would have to walk away...this time for good.
"Excuse me, aren't you James Aubrey's girlfriend? Jessica Warren, right?"
Looking up, she immediately recognized the face. "Hannah Burley...you're on Channel 7."
The older woman smiled softly. "Yes, I'm Hannah Burley. I'm sure you recognize me from my recent story on the historic 2016 Presidential Election-"
"And the work you did in Afghanistan while Agent Booth was there.", Jessica said, suddenly annoyed. Seeing the surprised look in the other woman's eyes, she narrowed her own. "Why do you want to know who I am?"
"Because Booth and Agent Aubrey have been the top news story all week. We've been trying to talk to them, but the hospital is a tightly run ship, it seems, and we were refused access..."
"You know Booth and Dr. B.", Jessica said frostily. "Get a quote from them."
"That...has proven difficult."
"Yeah? There was a reason for that.", the redhead replied. "You still haven't explained why you want to know who I am."
Hannah sat down on the swing next to Jessica, shivering as she felt the cold material. "Wow...still pretty cold...I'm asking because I don't want to talk about Booth. I've been there and done that. I want to talk to Agent Aubrey and do his story."
"There's no story about James.", the redhead said.
"No story?", Hannah said, giving her most charming smile. "James Aubrey has had a fascinating life…"
"Fascinating? That's an interesting choice of words."
Realizing her faux pas, Hannah began her approach another way. "More...eventful. Think about it, Ms. Warren...the son of the man considered to be Madoff's predecessor who later became an FBI agent before getting shot by a suicidal murder suspect last week. The story writes itself."
You can do research. Good for you.", Jessica said in a snarky tone. "Now if you'll excuse me-"
"Wait.", Hannah said, trying to appease the young woman. "I've done more than research. I have plans to do a series on him. So, let's walk back to his house and first I will interview him, then you-"
The redhead pushed back against the reporter's bulldozing. "If you want to interview him, why are you talking to me? Obviously you know where he lives if you followed me here."
"Well...reaching out to him has been difficult. I rang his doorbell, but he never answered. When I saw you walking away from the house, my cameraman and I drove around the area until we saw you here.", Hannah said before getting out her digital voice recorder. "Now tell me, what's the story behind two FBI shootouts in six hours? Senator Winters announced yesterday that she wanted to start a commission to investigate the incident-"
"I'm not the one you need to ask. Talk to the FBI.", Jessica said, feeling a desire to flee. "Now, I'm leaving-"
Hannah stepped in front of the graduate student and stuck the recorder in her face. "Okay, let's talk about Agent Aubrey instead. Now, how is he coping with the fact that his agent, his second in command, shoots a man dead, and then he does the same only a few hours later? What impact will that have on his job? Is it true that he got a tip from his father, convicted felon Phillip Aubrey?"
The redhead pushed the device out of her face. "Ms. Burley, I have no comment. I'm not sure how the press found out that Aubrey was home from the hospital, but I'm going to make damn sure you all stay away from him."
"I'm going to get this story one way or another, Ms. Warren.", Hannah said matter-of-factly. "I'm offering you a chance to give your side."
"No, you want a story but can't get it, so you've resorting to stalking me and my boyfriend for some morsels. Since you didn't seem to understand the first time, let me try it again. You're not getting anything from me...from Aubrey...from anyone. Now, get out of my face."
"Ms. Warren-"
Jessica turned around and walked away. "I'll tell Booth and Dr. B you said hi."
Not looking back, the anthropologist walked back towards her boyfriend's house. She was scared, but her and Aubrey needed to have it out. However, as she began to see his back yard, she could feel her courage ebbing, but she knew she had to do this. Hopefully, they they would come out of it together on the other side.
Going around the garage, she was almost to the front door when she saw multiple news vans parked across the street. Before she knew it, several people got out of them, a man leaving the one labeled FOX 5 leading the pack until they were at the end of the driveway.
"Ms. Warren, how is Agent Aubrey coping after being shot Wednesday?"
Finding Aubrey's key in her back pocket, Jessica raced to the back door, ran in, and locked it. She leaned back in relief, wondering how they knew where Aubrey lived, but it didn't matter right now. Nobody was going to exploit his connection to Phillip Aubrey for a cheap story. They weren't going to touch him.
Aubrey debated back and for several minutes as he alternated between the boxes on the shelf and his thoughts. Taking a breath, he got his courage up and hobbled on his crutches until he stood in front of the shelves. In each were his past…his pain…and his triumphs. He wanted to share them with Jessica…because he was crazy, insanely in love with her, and he wouldn't give her up without a fight…not this time.
He hadn't looked in those cartons since he'd taken them from his mother's house after her death. They had sat in a New Jersey storage unit after that before they went to a DC storage unit when he moved here. He couldn't hide from them now, because he lived in a five bedroom house and there was no excuse to have a storage unit.
For several minutes, he stood in front of the bookshelf and took a deep breath. "Quit being a pussy, Aubrey. They're just pictures and stuff."
Just then, he heard a door slam and what sounded like music to his ears.
"Aubrey?"
'She came back! But that's good…wow, this is scary…quit wussing out, Aubrey. It's now or never.', Aubrey thought before gaining control of his nerves. "In the den, Jess."
He began reaching for the box when he heard his girlfriend yell at him. "Superman! What the hell are you doing?"
"Getting these boxes down, Jess.", Aubrey said, trying to balance the box while holding himself up on his crutches. When he turned, he couldn't balance the box in one hand while holding his walking aid with the other and the box fell to the floor. Pictures and scrapbooks scattered all over. "Fuck me…."
"James Robert Aubrey, sit on the futon right now!"
Seeing her annoyance at the way he was pushing himself, he made his way to the futon and carefully lowered himself down. He watched as she put everything back in the box before carrying it over and setting it between them.
"Now why were you trying to take this box down alone? Why didn't you wait for me to return?"
'Because a part of me was scared you weren't coming back.', Aubrey said to himself, ashamed at his earlier thoughts. "Well…"
Jessica waited, but when she saw Aubrey's face and his reluctance to speak, it hit her like a ton of bricks. 'He wasn't sure if I would return.'
She wanted to yell at him for doubting her, but she knew his fears were legitimate. After all, she did have a history of running when things got too close for comfort, including this morning. However, it was time to stop because things had to be said and then they had to have it out.
"You didn't know if I would return...but I did, James.", Jessica said. "I returned because we're not going to run from each other this time. If we are going to have a future, we have to talk...and be honest."
"I know." He knew Jessica was serious…and right. "You got the courage to tell me things that were painful to you. Takes a lot of guts...something I haven't had, Jessica...but that changes now."
Running his hands along the top of the box, he got choked up, fearful of facing his past. Pushing that aside, he looked into her green eyes. "I didn't know where to start, so...I decided to get this out for you to look at...and we would...talk as we did before...together…"
Aubrey didn't realize he was still on the edge of his seat until she squeezed his hand. Then she said what he needed to hear.
"Okay Aubrey...when you're ready...", Jessica said. "...but we need to put the futon down so you can stretch out. I'm going to get some pillows and I'll be right back."
Aubrey watched her walk out and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. When she returned with several pillows, she put the futon down and helped him get comfortable. When he was sitting up with his leg stretched out, she moved the box in front of him and sat nearby so they could go through the items together. Waiting patiently, she gave the man in front of her time to collect himself.
Taking a breath, Aubrey exhaled before he pulled a photo of him out with his mother. "This was taken when I was ten. It was my 5th grade graduation ceremony at my prep school. My mom made me wear a tie…and I hated it."
Jessica noted who wasn't there. "Where's your father?"
The agent exhaled. "He had a meeting in Oyster Bay that he couldn't miss. Turned out to be the wife of one of his clients. I found out when I overheard my parents arguing after he came home at half past 9:00."
"I'm sorry, Aubrey.", Jessica said before looking into the box. Pulling out a ribbon she read it and smiled. "New York State District Choral Festival, 3rd place."
"All the junior high and middle schools competed in this competition in Elmira.", Aubrey said. "I had a solo in one of my prep school's entries. My mother was scheduled to have an interview that day with an exclusive, snooty club for my parents to join, but she canceled it so she could drive there to hear me sing."
Jessica could see her boyfriend was struggling, so she took his hand and squeezed. Getting courage, he continued.
"My father was on Wall Street all day and couldn't make it. Of course, he got home late…and he was angry.", Aubrey said while facing the wall. "My mother told me to go upstairs so she could talk to my father."
"But you overheard them, didn't you?", Jessica asked quietly.
Aubrey nodded. "He screamed at her…telling her that she fucked up our lives by choosing some silly musical competition over a chance to get into the most exclusive club in town. Membership there was an important status symbol and would help get him more clients. My mother didn't care, saying I was more important. My father disagreed, saying that his son singing in a sissy competition wasn't what real boys do, anyway. He said…a real wife stands by her husband. I heard her apologize…then I heard banging against the wall."
Jessica's eyes got large. "He hit her?"
Aubrey shook his head. "Nooo...my father was a schemer and an asshole, but I can truthfully say that he never hit her...or me."
Jessica made a realization. "Make up sex?"
The agent nodded. "Assuming so…but then he left to go get some paperwork at the office. She came up to tell me good night. Her hair was mussed…she looked happy. She told me not to worry about my father and that he would come around because he loved us."
Jessica dug through until she found a trophy. "1st place Van Cortlandt Park Teen Invitational June 13, 1995."
"Ah…that was a day to remember. I learned to play in gym class and I was pretty good. My father always had a cow about me playing golf as opposed to a sport like hockey or basketball…before he realized the fat cats he wanted to woo played there. I moved a little bit up Phillip Aubrey's food chain, and while my father played the elite, I played with the elite's sons and daughters. Most were spoiled assholes."
Aubrey took a deep breath. "There was a tournament coming up with the prize money of $500.00 to the winner. I wanted a computer so I could play CD-ROM games, and my mother said I could use my prize money to get it and she would contribute the rest. I signed up and practiced out at the golf range. I was ready to kick some major ass. Then, three days before the tournament, my father took me aside."
Jessica noticed how quiet her boyfriend got as he stared at the photograph. "What happened, Aubrey?"
"One of my competitors' father was a real estate developer...and a man whose portfolio had my father drooling. The man was playing hard to get and my father was getting desperate. He said if I beat the man's son, it would make him look bad, so he asked me to throw the match.", Aubrey said while shaking his head. "Nine times out of ten, he barked at me about how much of a disappointment I was as a son, then when there was something I could do better than most people, he wanted me to lose on purpose so some rich prick would give him their money to invest."
"That's crap, Aubrey. If the shit can't play and win, then he needs to practice more. It's not your fault."
"Well, I was torn for a couple of days. Getting my father's approval was so hard, Jess. I do this one thing, I would have it.", Aubrey said. "But it didn't feel right. So I went to my mom and asked…for a friend…what I should do. Looking back now, I have no doubt that my mother knew but didn't want to call me out on it. She told me to do my best….so I did. I won first place and that little shit won 3rd."
"Good for you, Aubrey."
"Yeah…it was…until my father ripped me a new asshole six ways from Sunday because the man refused to give my dad his business because I beat his son. Of course…I was at fault, so by the time we got home, according to my father I was a miserable, sarcastic little shit who didn't know his place."
"Aubrey…that's awful.", Jessica said.
"That's nothing, Jess.", Aubrey said as he brushed invisible fuzz off his pajama pants. "I would always hear it. 'James, quit talking your stupid Star Wars shit'…'James, quit showing off how smart you are…no one likes a show off'…'James, why can't you be more like Marshall's son…he's a football player'…James, you're too skinny…put on some fucking weight…''"
"He treated you this way?", Jessica replied in a choked up voice. "Where was your mother?"
"Defending me when he wasn't tearing her down.", Aubrey replied quietly. "She killed herself daily for that man, doing her makeup just the way he liked it, decorating our house in the style he liked, making sure dinner was on the table by 6:00…of course, he was usually late and didn't call. More than once, he would announce a last minute dinner party so my mother always had to be on call to put together a meal for a group from four to twenty with a couple hours notice."
"Your father is an miserable asshole, James.", Jessica said.
"Yes he is.", Aubrey said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But he wasn't an asshole, though, when he needed to charm someone's money out of their hands…or charm a woman out of her panties if he was so inclined…and he was doing that more often as I got older. By the time I was ten, he didn't bother to hide it. 'Networking' and 'Doing what it took to be the best.' is what he called it. I call it cruelty and adultery."
Jessica took her boyfriend's hand as he continued. "Mom would cry herself to sleep a lot…she loved my father so much…made herself into a damn pretzel to keep him happy…and he repaid her loyalty by screwing around with different women. My mother tried to keep it from me, and I didn't totally understand things when I was younger…I just wanted him to love her...and me…and eventually…he did."
Surprised at what her boyfriend said, Jessica asked what was on her mind. "Superman, what do you mean, 'he eventually did'?"
"Soon after my 12th birthday, I woke up pretty early one Saturday morning, so I got up to get some breakfast. To get to the kitchen you have to pass my father's study, and I heard him grumbling when I made it downstairs. Peeking through the open door, I saw him searching through several manila folders looking for something. Wanting to help, I came in and asked what I could do. Of course, he said nothing. I let him know that if he put everything on a database and used spreadsheets to keep track of his client's money, it would make his job easier. Of course, he told me to scram."
"He could have been nicer about it.", Jessica said softly.
"Well, it was about 4:00 in the afternoon and I was watching 'Lost in Space' when my father came into the living room. Sitting down next to me, he asked me, 'James, were you serious about the computer helping me keep track of stuff better?' I said yes, so he asked me to follow him to his study, where I showed him how to set up a database. He gave me fifty dollars to set it up for him, so I spent all weekend putting in his client's information based on what my father wanted."
Aubrey's lip trembled. "He was so happy…telling me how smart I was and offering to pay me to do more stuff for his business. Of course…I said yes. Anything to make my father happy."
The redhead knew something bad was coming. "Superman, what happened after that?"
"About two weeks later, he asked me to help him again, this time to find a way to figure out to take half of a percent out of each account per week for a 'Christmas Club' his clients were doing. The clients who were doing this didn't want their spouses to know, so I had to keep it to myself. So I wrote a basic formula in a spreadsheet and he would divert that amount for his clients. Soon, he was taking me to DC with him to see Frank Kwiakowski…and he said I was now employed as his assistant."
What her boyfriend said finally dawned on Jessica and she was horrified. "Aubrey…he made you his accomplice…"
Aubrey nodded slightly as Skinner jumped up and head butted his hand. Petting him, the agent turned back to his girlfriend. "Yeah…what a fun father-son bonding activity…ripping people off for millions of dollars."
Jessica debated with herself before deciding to ask what was on her mind. "How did your father get caught?"
"Something seemed off during a trip my dad and I made to Pittsburgh that May before he was arrested. He took me to my first Cubs game at Three Rivers Stadium, although he bitched that they were losers compared to his Yankees. At the game, we met up with Frank, and they kept walking away during the game...a badass one where my Cubbies beat the Pirates 2 - 1. Jess, you should have seen it…."
Seeing the redhead's face, he got back to the topic at hand. "Maybe I'll tell you another time. Like I was saying, he and Frank kept walking away, leaving me to watch the game alone on and off. Finally, he came back and watched the last couple of innings with me. We were on our way out when Dad stopped at the ATM."
"Doesn't sound so weird, Superman."
"It is, because he used the gold card, which was connected to his business. When I asked him about it, he said he was taking money out to pay someone. When we got to the car, Frank was there...smiling. Dad handed over the money he'd just withdrawn and they said their goodbyes. The next day we went back to New York and everything was normal."
Aubrey leaned back onto the futon as he continued. "Three weeks later, I was on summer vacation, so I was home watching TV while Mom was out shopping and while Dad was in his study. The doorbell rang repeatedly, but before I got up, my father answered it. When the person stormed into our foyer I recognized him as one of my father's clients. Remembering my dad's rule about staying away from the clients unless spoken to, I just watched my show and kept out of the conversation. It was hard to ignore them as he accused my father of dodging him for a week. He then demanded ten grand immediately or he would call the SEC. My father apologized for being unable to get back with him and not only wrote him a check, he charmed him into another new investment he was looking into." , Aubrey said. "A couple of hours later, another client dropped by wanting to look at the books for her account."
Jessica nodded. "Sounds reasonable."
"It was, but my father panicked. He gave her a story about it being at the office, but he couldn't leave me by myself since my mom wasn't home. Playing up that angle, he convinced her to make an appointment to come by his office Friday."
The redhead made a confused face at her boyfriend. "But all the records were on the computer…you helped him design it."
"I did, but his customers didn't know that.", Aubrey said. "He holed himself up in his study. When I walked by, I overheard him asking for $1,000,000 and that he needed to pick it up tomorrow. He then said…'Have it ready by 2:00, Peter. Frank has enough stuff on you to bury you.' The next thing he said was 'thank you' before hanging up the phone. Then the phone rang again. Picking up, I don't know what the caller asked for but he apologized for the delay in mailing their check and would have it out in a few days."
"Oh my God…"
"Then he looked up and saw me. His face turned red and he screamed at me to get back in the living room. I ran in there, but he followed me...and he looked...scary. I thought he was going to hit me, Jess…"
The redhead saw the subtle shaking of Aubrey's body as he struggled with his story. "Superman, do you want to take a break…"
"NO!", Aubrey yelled. "I...can't...because I may not...be able to do this again…"
Laying down, Jessica took his hand and waited for him to continue. "Take your time, Aubrey."
He gulped and took a deep breath. "He didn't hit me...but...he walked up to me...he was so close I could feel his breath on my face. He said...I was never to tell anyone what I saw...not my mother...not my friends...no one. He said if I did, it would destroy our lives and he would make sure I would regret it."
The agent wiped a tear away from his face. "The look in his eyes, Jessica...it...I can't even describe it. I totally believed him. He looked me for another minute, then walked away. I was shaking...so, like a baby, I ran upstairs and hid in my room until my mother came home."
Jessica could only watch as her boyfriend, her brave hearted Superman, had absolute fear in his eyes when he continued to speak.
"The next morning, I was home working on a Star Wars Lego model in the den. My dad was at work and my mother was working on something in the living room...I'm not sure what. Suddenly, I heard her yell, 'Oh my God!'. Dropping the Lego in my hand, I ran out to the living room but my mom was okay. She was watching the news, which was reporting that Peter Vincent, wealthy philanthropist, very active in Catholic causes and in helping the homeless, fell 20 stories from the roof of his office building, landing on the sidewalk in front."
"He killed himself?", Jessica said. "But he was Catholic…"
"Yeah. He was also a business associate of my father's. A very nice man...whenever he and his wife would come to dinner, he always asked how I was doing. Once, he told me that he sensed that I would do important things when I was older."
"And you did, Aubrey."
The agent merely nodded. "My mom called my dad, but he was out of the office. She then called Peter's wife, who was obviously devastated. After talking to her, Mom hung up just as my father came into the townhouse, slamming the door and throwing his briefcase across the room knocking an expensive vase on the floor."
"What the hell brought that on?", Jessica said. "Was your dad upset about Mr. Vincent?"
"He was. Before my mother could say anything, he yelled, 'that rat bastard Peter Vincent stood me up...the son of a bitch owed me money, and killed himself like a little chicken shit.' Mom bitched him out, telling him not to speak ill of the dead, but he was ranting and raving. She turned to me and ordered me upstairs in her no nonsense voice, so I went."
Jessica rubbed his fingers. "Did she confront your father?"
Aubrey nodded. "I could hear screaming at him...she said he would not speak another disparaging word about Mr. Vincent now that he was dead, and that there was more to the world than money. His response was, 'Stay out of my fucking business, Rachael.', then I heard the front door slam...my guess, judging by the perfume he reeked of when he came home later that night, he went to one of his more understanding girlfriends who fucked him and gave him sympathy."
"I'm so sorry, Superman."
"I haven't even got to the good stuff yet, Jess.", Aubrey said sarcastically. "Two days later, we went to the funeral home for the viewing, where my father was his charming self...until he was confronted by Mr. Vincent's lawyer. They went to talk alone, and I followed them. I hid behind the door to the room and heard the lawyer interrogate my father about why his client would be trying to liquidate assets in such a hurry. Dad played dumb until the lawyer said he knew that Peter was meeting with him at 2:00 the day he died…"
Jessica's eyes got big as her earlier suspicions were proven correct. "Your father blackmailed his friend?"
"I wasn't sure until Frank was murdered last year, but yes, he did. Mr. Vincent was a family man, but he had a double life with male lovers who were into S & M. My gut tells me that's what my father held over his head to get that million dollars."
"No wonder Mr. Vincent freaked. Something like that would have destroyed his life…"
"Yeah, and my father knew it. I couldn't let it go, Jess. Mr. Vincent was a really nice guy who used his wealth to help people, unlike the butthole that we call our next President. He treated everyone like he wanted to be treated...never looking down on anyone."
"What did you do?"
The agent wiped his eyes as a few more tears came down. When he had his emotions under control, he continued. "I left and stayed with my mother the rest of the time we were there. My father joined us and acted all contrite, of course. Then...the cops arrived."
"At the viewing?", Jessica asked. "Why?"
"The NYPD had questions about Mr. Vincent's state of mind before his death.", Aubrey said. "Quietly, my dad ushered them out. I didn't hear what they said, but my father looked very agitated. I got as close as I could without my mother noticing, and I overheard the detectives ask him about the phone call my father had with him the day before he died. My dad said it was just from one friend to another about business. Next, another guy with the detective said he was from the SEC and he asked about my father dodging them for the last week. Soon I heard about complaints of misappropriation of funds and securities fraud. Of course, my father denied everything before berating them for asking him questions as he honored his late friend...calling them disgusting vultures."
"Did anything else happen?"
"No...but I knew, Jess. My father was dirty...and he'd used me to do the deed. I saw Mrs. Vincent sitting there, devastated with everyone surrounding her, and I knew I had to do something."
"What did you do?"
Aubrey brushed away more imaginary fuzz from his pant leg. "We got home, had a quiet dinner, and then I went to bed, waiting for my father to do the same. Of course, my father said he had to run to the office around 10 PM, so he left instead. My mother went to bed sad, because we both knew what he was really going to do. When my mother finally cried herself to sleep, I sneaked downstairs and checked out my dad's office quickly and quietly."
"You searched his files?"
"I searched his files, and then I figured out his password to get into his computer. I searched all over and found how he was ripping off his clients, diverting funds to the Cayman Islands and Switzerland, naked pictures of other women…some with him in them."
"Oh no…"
"I was hoping I was wrong about my dad...but I wasn't. I turned off the computer and put his room back the way it was because my father was very anal about anyone going through his stuff. I could barely sleep, Jess, and it was hard as hell to have breakfast at the table with the man the next morning, knowing what I knew. I couldn't tell my mother, though...not until I did what I had to do."
Jessica squeezed his hand. "You turned your father in, didn't you, James?"
Aubrey could only nod. "I wrote a letter telling what I knew and where to find it, but didn't sign it. I took the subway to SEC's New York office, gave the letter to the receptionist, and said it was to go to Agent Walker….then I ran out of the building. Throughout the subway ride home, I thought about what I had done...but...I couldn't change my mind."
"That was so brave of you, Aubrey."
"Brave? I don't know about that, Jess, because right as we sat down to dinner that night, the SEC and FBI came to our house with a search warrant for our home, his home office, and his Wall Street offices. They confiscated his computer and mine. Before they finally left, Agent Walker gave me a nod and that's how I knew that he knew who had tipped him off. My father ranted and raved for hours, saying he was going to kill the person who set 'those glorified federal pissants on his ass.' My mother tried to calm him down, to no avail, and he spent the rest of his night in his study.
Aubrey took a moment to collect himself. "Two days later, while we were eating dinner, the feds came back and arrested him. I remember him screaming at my mother to call his lawyer and get ready to post bail, which she did when he was arraigned the next morning. His bail was $500,000, and he had to surrender his passport."
"Did he ever find out it was you that turned him in?"
"I don't know, Jess. I do know that after my mom bailed him out, he did television interviews where he stated that he would be vindicated in the eyes of the law. He came home and he was the model husband and father, assuring us that he would fight these charges and he would be home. Like suckers...we bought it."
Aubrey sniffled as he held back fresh tears and Jessica said nothing, just waiting for her boyfriend to continue.
"One day, about a week before his trial was to start...it was the first week of August...Dad said we were going to go up to our cabin at Finger Lakes that following weekend for a family trip. Three days before we were to leave, he took me with him as we went to some dealer and traded in his Mercedes for a used SUV. It wasn't like a franchise dealer but some one horse guy. When I questioned it, he said he wanted something less conspicuous so the reporters would leave us alone. He intended to give it to my mother as a surprise. We parked it at this storage facility about two miles from our house and pulled it into a unit. Then, we hailed a taxi back to our townhouse."
"But wouldn't have made more sense to drive it home to her?", Jessica asked.
"Yeah, but he said he was going to get it around 5:00 in the morning and give it to her before we were to leave. It made sense...until it didn't."
"What happened, Aubrey?"
"Well, he told my mother that his car was getting fixed over the weekend and would be picking up a rental as he got a few odds and ends Saturday morning before leaving town. Friday night...we all went to bed early so we could be on the road by 7:00 the next morning…"
Jessica dreaded what she was about to hear next, especially when she saw her boyfriend barely holding himself together.
"I woke up about 6:00 along with my mother and got around so we could leave, but my father never came. When we didn't see him by 10:00, she called the police, afraid he was mugged somewhere or hurt in the hospital. The Feds got involved as they suspected he was jumping bail, but Mom refused to believe it. Not my dad...no, he promised that he would be vindicated because he was innocent. However, the SEC and FBI came to the house that evening, telling us that they found the SUV he bought just outside of Clarksburg, West Virginia."
"But how did he get out of the US to go to Croatia?"
"My father wasn't stupid. I'm sure he'd planned for this months, maybe even years in advance. It's why he set up small bank accounts all over the country, all which had balances of less than ten thousand dollars to avoid reporting them. He had money that Frank probably hid for him as well. The last sighting of my father in 1997 was at Baltimore Washington for a flight to Zagreb, Croatia. I have no doubt that he got out of the country with a fake passport, using one of his aliases."
The redhead made a realization. "Aubrey...what about that Frank Kwiakowski? Did he help your father at all?"
"They couldn't prove it, but the Feds thought so...and I've always thought so, too. When Frank was murdered, after Karen told me my dad had hired him again, I looked for any clues in my father's file but found nothing." Aubrey gave a mirthless chuckle. "The son of a bitch not only destroyed other people's lives but our family's as well. The press jumped on us...they camped outside of our townhouse...by my mother's car...everywhere."
Jessica moved the box of items to the floor before moving back up and lying on her side to face her boyfriend. "That must have been hard for you and your mom."
"She kept herself positive, convinced my father was the victim of foul play...but I knew. She couldn't keep her head in the sand for long because the government and creditors came after her for my father's shit. First were our vacation homes in Finger Lakes and Oyster Bay...then the bank came after our townhouse. It seems my father was late with the payments and it got foreclosed on. My mother barely had enough money for us to get a small house which rented for almost 3,000 per month in Queens. She had a degree in accounting, but it was hard for her to find work because of my father. Eventually she did get a job with a small company, but she also had to wait tables at an all night diner a few days a week so we could survive, because the government took everything my father didn't."
"I'm so sorry, Aubrey…"
"Not yet, Jess. The best part was when I had to change schools because she couldn't pay the tuition for my prep school, so I went to George J Ryan Middle School, or MS 216. People knew who my father was, and the kids made sure I knew it. By the time I moved on to high school, things had died down and school was all right for me. However, one kid in particular always harassed me... Andy Simmons."
"What did he do?"
"He was a jock whose father owned a Ford Dealership and thought he was the shit. For some reason he didn't like me and made sure that I knew how much lower I was than him. Luckily I had friends...and girlfriends who knew I was more than Phillip Aubrey's son. Andy didn't like that, though, and finally senior year, he tried to beat the hell out of me...because I was dating Sara Brewer and he couldn't get her to look at him. He was probably surprised him when I hit him back in front of his friends."
"What an asshole."
"Yeah, he was. He mocked my goal of becoming an FBI agent, saying no one would accept me because of my father. Rumor had it that he applied to several schools for football scholarships, including Syracuse, but only got an offer for a football scholarship from Penn State. On the other hand, I'd applied to University of Michigan…"
"Boo! You were almost a Wolverine?", Jessica admonished. "Superman, that would have been a deal breaker."
Aubrey chuckled to himself. "I also applied at Duke, UCLA, and a few other schools, but I knew I had to stay in state because even after my scholarships and loans, my mother couldn't afford the remaining money unless I stayed in New York. Luckily, Syracuse has an excellent law program. Between the dual enrollment, my SAT scores, and my extracurricular activities, along with working part time, I was accepted."
"Of course, they would accept you, Superman. You're really smart."
"Not as smart as you obviously, Jessica.", Aubrey said. "I skipped one grade and graduated high school when I was 17 years old...you graduated right after you turned 15 and went to school in Michigan. That takes guts…"
Hearing the doorbell kept Aubrey from finishing his response. Jessica got up and walked the short distance to the video doorbell. Seeing who it was, she ignored the bell ringing a second time and returned to her boyfriend.
"Another reporter.", Jessica said before getting back on the futon. Laying on her side, she looked at her boyfriend. "Now, what else do we talk about?"
Aubrey debated before finally asking his question. "Why did your parents get a divorce?"