Mirror – Chapter 14
Randy have been distracted since Rick's visit three days ago. He tried to call Michonne's cell but it was out of service. He was curious about the man that came to see him about Cayla. He also noted that he was very hostile when he asked about Michonne.
He hasn't seen her since he left, even when he served her with divorce papers. He had sent it to her via courier express with his signature already attached. They had argued countless times over the phone before until he moved out.
She had accused him of having a lack of interest in solving their daughter's disappearance and he accused her of being obsessed about it and after everything that was said there was nothing more to discuss. When the papers arrived she signed and sent them back with the courier immediately and that was that.
He wanted to move on with his life and she wanted to be stuck in the past. In his mind Cayla was gone. Even the police have given up and there was nothing that he could do about it. He looked at the clock and painfully counted down the minutes. He decided to pay Michonne a visit. Maybe there was new information on Cayla's case.~*~*~*
Michonne was tending to the flowers at the front of the yard when a taxi pulled up. When the occupant stepped out she clenched her jaws in disbelief. She watched the taxi pull off and focus on the person standing outside of her gate.
"Hi Michonne."
She folded her arm, remaining mum.
"I was in the neighbourhood and thought I could drop by."
She still didn't answer.
"How are you?"
The question irritated her and she felt the need to respond.
"What do you want Randy?"
"No small talk huh? Ok. I had a visitor. He was asking about Cayla and what I had seen the day she was taken."
"Ok. So?"
"His name is Rick."
"And?"
"What's going on Michonne? Who is he and why is he asking about Cayla?"
"Did you remember anything useful?"
"No."
"So I'll ask again. What are you doing here?"
"Has there been some new evidence in the case?"
"You need to check with the precinct for any updates."
Randy shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He had never visited the police station for any updates in four years.
"Ok. Fair enough."
"Is that why you are here? To ask questions about Cayla's case?"
"Who's Rick?"
Before she could think the words came out of her mouth with frightening ease.
"My husband."
The words threw Randy for a loop and his eyes danced with the information. Then there was a flash of jealous across his face. This reaction caused pleasure in the pit of her stomach.
"Wow…you're married."
"Yes."
"So why don't I see a wedding ring?"
Michonne gestured to the back of her.
"I'm attending to the flowers. Besides, the ring is too beautiful for me to just be wearing it in the house where no one can see it. However, I do put it on when we go out for romantic dinners."
Randy swallowed hard and she smiled as if she's thinking about Rick.
"So this Rick…."
"My husband?"
She couldn't resist.
"Yes…"
"What about him?"
"Is he a cop or something?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I want to know what is his interest in my daughter's case?"
"Your daughter?"
The disdain dripped from the words.
"Your daughter? Are you serious?! Cayla hasn't been your daughter since the day she disappeared! Your behaviour through all of it is proof of that and as for Rick? His interest in my daughter's case is that he's my husband and he wants to find Cayla just as badly as I want to even after all these years because it would make me happy. It is a husband's duty to make his wife happy!"
The air was ripe with all kinds of emotions but Michonne only acknowledged her own. How dare he come to her house and question Rick's motives? He is doing more to find Cayla that he ever did.
"So is that what you came here for? To ask questions about someone who's are trying to solve a missing child's case?!"
Just then a dark blue car pulled up and Rick jumped out. He recognised Randy. He was at Michonne's side immediately, hand firmly around her waist. He saw the tension in Randy's shoulders when he saw his hands circle around Michonne. He wanted to add to it so he planted a full blown lip lock on Michonne that took even her by surprise for a split second but she gladly rolled with it.
"Hey babe." He looked lovingly into her eyes.
"Hey. This is Randy."
Rick turned to him.
"Yes. We've met. Is everything okay?"
She turned and pressing her body against Rick's, she placed her hand on his chest and he held it lovingly.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out honey. He just showed up asking a bunch of questions about you and what is your interest in Cayla's case. I told him that's what a husband does for a wife. Try to make her happy."
Michonne batted her eyelashes up at Rick and he read her play perfectly.
"Yes. That is what a husband does for his wife. Your wife has a problem and you move heaven and earth to solve it. She is in pain and you're in pain. That's how a marriage works."
He kissed her again and turned back to Randy.
"Do you remember anything about that day Cayla was taken?"
"No." he answered stiffly.
"Then you have outstayed your welcome."
Randy boiled over.
"This is my house asshole!"
Rick was in Randy's face before Michonne could blink.
"You want to test that theory?!"
"Rick don't!"
She held onto Rick's arms and felt the hot blood coursing through his veins. Cautiously she pulled him back to her side.
"He isn't worth it."
They disappeared up the steps and into the house, closing the door firmly behind them. Before leaving, Randy reached over the fence and snatched a handful of daisies out of the ground. He tore them apart before throwing them into the street. As if that wasn't enough, he kicked the fence several times before walking down the street.~*~*~*
"Is he gone?"
Rick laughed.
"Yeah and he seems pissed."
"Good."
He turned to her.
"Hmmmm. So we are married?"
"I'm sorry. He showed up unexpectedly and was asking me all these questions about you and your connection to Cayla's case."
"And you told him we're married?"
"Yes. I was upset and I wanted to hurt him."
Rick chuckled.
"Well you accomplished that."
"Are you upset?"
"Are you kidding me? I love being your pretend husband. Sticking it to you ex was fun to watch."
"I will admit it felt good. Really good."
"We should keep up the act."
"You would do that for me?"
"I thought that was clear Michonne. I would do anything for you."
She sat on his lap and they kissed. He pulled out an envelope from his pocket.
"I came by to show you this."
Michonne took out the contents. One was the envelope addressed to her and the other was a short hand written note. The 'S' and 'A' were circled on each. She didn't recognised the hand written note.
"What's this?"
Rick took a deep breath.
"I found this note on my porch three months after Carl's accident."
Michonne read it. The offer of one million dollars to forget a loved one taken too soon was beyond vile.
"Ok. I don't understand. What does this have to do with Cayla's case?"
"Look at the letters circle Michonne. Really look at them."
When it dawned on her, she wanted to puke. Her memories flashed back to what she had briefly read about Rick case and the man accused of killing Rick's son. He couldn't be connected to Cayla's abduction.
"Rick this is not possible. You know the man who killed Carl is not physically capable of taking Cayla."
"Hear me out."
He took out another paper from Karen's friend research from his jacket pocket and gave it to her. She read it but still didn't understand. He threw out a question.
"The handwriting is the same Michonne! It's identical! The person who killed Carl has some kind of connection to the person who took Cayla! I'm 99.9999% sure of it. I feel it in my bones."
Michonne looked at the handwriting again. If what Rick is saying is true, this is the first major break in Cayla's abduction in years. It is one massive step forward to her greatest joy or greatest fear. She fell into Rick's arms and cries.~*~*~*
Four years ago…
It was just over the one year anniversary of a tragedy that rocked the Mc Knight's family…his family. For weeks, newspapers and TV stations ran blind stories about the accident that killed three young children and their nanny. The country was outraged and demanded justice from every state agency they could think of.
Shawn, his 28 year old addict son threw the family into turmoil. He is the baby of the family but he literally takes the term to its means as he always create messes that other people has to clean. However, the family has the financial and political means to make such disappointments go away as much as possible.
Phones of eyewitnesses confiscated at the scene of the accident by the police disappeared but making the phones and other CCTV footage in the area vanish doesn't mean that the evidence could be erased from people memories and eventually people talk.
The two officers who ran their mouths at the station were summarily dismissed from their employment for reasons that would normally be overlooked or even ignored. However, their talk broke a damn of information that not even money can block. It was all over the news what Shawn did and everyone wanted blood.
The family's high powered and paid attorney was on the matter but that didn't prevent an enraged father of one of the victim from trying to exact his form of justice. It didn't save his son from his irate clutches. He will never forget that name….Abraham Ford.
He almost killed Shawn but in his opinion, it was better he did die for the state in which Abraham left him was no state worthy of living in. The family's wealth and prayers did nothing. He still has newspaper clipping of every article ever posted about the incident.
His money may not have been able to save Shawn but it was able to play a part in putting Abraham in jail albeit not for the time he had hoped for. Abraham's wife, Sasha was a media darling. They may not have money, but she had the class and charisma most women only dreamed of.
She advocated on behalf of her husband, eliciting the much coveted sympathy Abraham needed. Their attorney argued that Abraham had no right to take matters into his own hands and there was no evidence to suggest that Shawn was responsible for the Dylan's death and they pushed for the maximum sentence.
Sasha, on the other hand, played the grief card…a card that every living human being has experienced at some point in their lives. She had the nation in her corner. People all over the country called the radio stations, wrote several personal pieces for columns in newspapers.
The Mc Knight attorneys and the family was getting hammered on all sides. It was the only reason the trial took so long to come to a conclusion and why he got only three years in jail. Abe's attack on Shawn had to be punished in some sort of way even if Shawn was guilty.
They produced medical records of Shawn's history of substance abuse from since he was 14 years old. They convinced the judge that Shawn needs to be placed in a high security, 24 hours lockdown drug rehab facility to get the help he needs and not in jail.
Unfortunately, the judge agreed and sentenced Shawn to 10 years restrictive probabtion to Hill Valley Crescent Drug Rehabilitation Centre. He was also ordered to wear an ankle bracelet for the first five years of his sentence but which could be taken off after three years on good behaviour.
Victor looked at the calendar on his desk. It was that date and time again. He needed to make a now routine stop at the Melbourne Psychiatric Hospital. He gathered his car keys, wrote a note to the housekeeper and left.~*~*~*
The guards respectfully nodded at him as he walked through the iron gates. His bags weren't checked as other visitors. A nurse greeted him at the end of the hall. He didn't know her. Her uniform was lily white. She had to be new.
"Mr Mc Knight?"
He nodded.
"Hi. I'm Nurse Commie."
"You're new."
She nervously pressed down her uniform with her hands.
"Is it so obvious?"
"Yes…unfortunately."
"I've only been here a week."
He started walking down the corridor and she followed. They turned left, then right, then a second right.
"I know where I'm going. You don't need to follow me."
"I have too. It's the rules. I don't want to get into any trouble."
"Trust me you wouldn't."
They reached large heavy duty metal doors.
"I've never been down here before."
"That's probably for your own protection."
The guard behind the doors recognized him.
"Is it that time again Mr Mc Knight?"
"I'm afraid it is Henry."
Henry buzzed him in and Victor gave the nurse a sharp eye.
"This is as far as you will be going young lady."
The large doors clenched shut behind him and Nurse Commie watched as he disappeared down the corridor.~*~*~*
Victor stopped at the last door on the right hand side. He exhaled and punched in a code and the door opened. He stepped in and the door swung shut hard behind him. He took out the items…a small radio, puzzle books, a pack of cards, nicotine gum and placed them on a table in the corner of the room.
Then he took out the last item…a pack of cigarettes and held them out in front of him. A hand moved out of the dark corner of the room and took the pack. One was lit up almost immediately and a huge puff of smoke blew out.
"Didn't expect to see you here again so soon?"
"Me neither." Victor answered grimly.
The figure stepped into the light.
"Hello dad."
"Hello son."~*~*~*