Chapter 10

"Mr. Trask," Richard's voice softened. "I know this is hard for you. Please, I understand what you mean. If the circumstances were different, I would absolutely agree with you, and Paul Stoddard would never see the light of day again. I'd have him rotting inside the darkest prison cell this state has. Things are different now, Detective, and the situation has changed. Paul Stoddard is dead. Miss Hanscombe's death has been avenged. If you bring this to light, you will bring suffering and struggle to hundreds of families for generations to come. Parents will be unable to work and their children will suffer the consequences. I am trying to do what is right for my client and for this town. Causing the suffering and plight of hundreds of innocent families, their children, and their children's children because of one girl whose death has been recompensed is not morally or ethically right, don't you agree?" Richard's eyes met Trask's. "Do you have children of your own, Mr. Trask?"

Trask looked away and turned his back. His eyes began to sting with tears forming as he struggled to keep his composure. "Anthony...my son. His mother and I couldn't get along, and she remarried. Her husband works down on the docks for the Collins family."

Lowering his head in shame, Trask fell victim to the guilt trap that Garner was placing on him. There was no question that his son's stepfather would lose his job, and little Tony would have to suffer indirectly because of it.

Richard placed his hand on Trask's shoulder, but it was quickly shrugged off. "You understand what I'm talking about now, don't you, Mr. Trask? We must work together to do what is right. Not only for the town, their children or yours, but also for Miss Hanscombe's child as she would be summoned back here and placed in a local foster system. Elizabeth would also lose her custody of her daughter, Carolyn. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

Trask nodded. "Yeah, I know. I grew up that way myself. My Aunt Charity couldn't take care o' me, so...I know what it's like."

Richard nodded. "Alright then. The time has come for you to choose where your loyalty lies, Detective. Is it with your family and the families of this town, or is it with this girl whom you can't bring back? Now, come with me inside the drawing room. There are some things we need to discuss."

For the next half hour, Detective Trask sat quietly in the drawing room listening to the two attorneys asking Elizabeth questions and discovering the details. Elizabeth held tightly to the diary while plans were being made to control the damage that was done. As for the body of Paul Stoddard, an old friend of his, Jason McGuire, happened to be staying there at the time. Jason told Elizabeth that he had taken the body down to the deepest corridor underneath the house and buried it under the floor of an old storage room that hadn't been used in decades. Elizabeth took the key to this room and placed it on a necklace, where it would remain for what she said would be "the rest of her life."

Jason had already left the house before the attorneys had arrived, however, after Elizabeth handed over a large sum of cash for his silence and promise to never return. All that needed to be taken care of was the evidence of Betty Hanscombe's body, her diary, and Detective Trask's oath of silence.

Elizabeth handed the black book to Detective Trask. "Take this, please. I can't have her diary lying around here."

Frowning as he reluctantly took it back in his hands, Trask slipped it back into his coat. He stared sullenly into Mrs. Stoddard's eyes. "None of you are worthy to have this. As far as I'm concerned, Betty Hanscombe was the last good person to ever walk these hallways."

A sudden phone ring came from across the room.

"Don't answer it; let us handle this," Thomas explained as he and Richard ushered Elizabeth and Detective Trask out of the room into the foyer before closing the doors behind them.

Elizabeth placed her hand on the detective's shoulder and whispered, "Mr. Trask, I have to speak quickly." She opened her purse and held it toward him. "Give me the diary back. I can't expect you to trust me, but I want to keep it for myself and away from them. I'm going to find out where the child is and help her. We have many sub-companies that I can make anonymous donations through to whatever home the child is staying to see that she has the best of care. I promise you, she will be very well-cared for. I will see to it myself. I can't undo what I've done or what my husband has done, and I know I should reject the child because of him, but I can't let this child suffer because of Paul's sins with her mother. If you allow me to do this, then that poor girl will not have died in vain. You can help her by allowing me to support her child. I can't make things right or possibly ease my conscience by doing this, but it is the least that I can—"

She was interrupted by the sound of the receiver being placed back on the phone. Elizabeth turned and held her purse behind her back. Although he had no reason to trust her, Trask decided to honor Betty's last wish and give the book to her. He slipped the book inside her purse just before the attorneys emerged, looking at both Elizabeth and Trask indifferently.

"That was Matthew. He arrived at my office just now, and I gave him instructions on how we're going to handle this situation," Richard spoke, pausing when he saw Trask's lips beginning to purse. "Respectfully, of course."

This was not enough to convince Trask, but his guilty conscience maintained his silence. feeling that he had lost all right to make any decisions. Shaking his head, he walked toward the door to leave the mansion.

"Detective?" Thomas Garner called out. "Where do you think you're going? We're not finished here."

Trask turned and stared both attorneys down as he walked slowly towards them. "I'm finished here. I will never forgive myself or you for this. I didn't go through everything I did tonight to let some sleazy slime still win, even in his death. I know what I have to do, but...I don't know how long I can go through with it."

Richard Garner opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but he was interrupted by Elizabeth's stern tone.. "I think the two of you have said enough. Now give me a moment alone with Mr. Trask. You can wait for me in the drawing room. I'll only be a moment."

As the two attorneys looked at each other and nodded, they turned and stepped inside the drawing room, Elizabeth walked over to where Trask was standing by the entrance door, placing her hand on his shoulder. She pleaded with him, "Mr. Trask, please, look at me."

The detective, feeling the layers of his own stubborn will peeling away, turned and met her eyes.

Elizabeth's eyes locked deeply with his as she spoke, "I know this is difficult for you. We were both victims of Paul's, and now we have to suffer the punishment for his sins. What we're doing is horrible. We have to remember, though, going to jail means nothing to me. If that were the only consequence, I wouldn't care. Our children are involved now, and so are countless others and their families. We're suffering, yes, but we're doing what we can to protect anyone else from being hurt. Which would you be able to live with, Detective? Knowing that her death has been avenged and leaving her to rest in peace, or knowing that you have put more innocent people through unbearable hardships by destroying their lives and hopes for their generations to come? No matter what you do, it won't bring her back. What you can do is to help her child, Detective. She is still here, and she is still alive."

Unable to hold it back any longer, a tear rolled down Trask's right cheek.

"All I can do is plead with you," Elizabeth continued. "Not as a scornful wife or business woman, but as a mother—please help me to help this baby, and please don't hurt my daughter Carolyn by going to the police. She's all I have now. Please don't take her away from me. The choice is all up to you, and I can't ask you for anything other than to do what's right, Mr. Trask."

The loud roar of another vehicle approaching filled the foyer, causing them both to look toward the door as both attorneys made their way back into the foyer.

Richard was first to speak. "I have arranged for the car to take you to Augusta tonight, Mr. Trask, and you must leave right away. You'll be put in a safe house until this blows over."

"Wait a minute, what about my son?" Trask's angry voice boomed throughout the foyer. "You can't keep me from saying goodbye to him and seeing him before I go!"

"Detective, you can't. You'll see him very soon, and you may write as many letters to him as you want once you get there. Right now, though, we can't take any chances on you being seen or this may blow the whole cover. It's only temporary." Thomas assured him. "You have my word."

Trask huffed and rolled his eyes at that statement. "That makes me feel so much better."

"Mr. Trask?" Elizabeth called as she watched the detective making his way toward the door. "Thank you."

Without saying a word or looking back at her, Trask walked forward and shut the door behind him.

(DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Dark Shadows. This story is a creation of my own within the universe of Dark Shadows with the sole intention of entertaining the reader. I do not profit or receive any royalties from the owners of the property, Dan Curtis Productions)