"You're Kara I presume?"
It was Sunday evening and Dr. Harrington had traveled into the to the country at the insistence of Tony. He had scribbled a cryptic message to her earlier just as she was leaving the corrections facility, and when she opened it in her car there was the instructions to drive to and address in the country and ask for a Mr. Lawrence. She arrived a quaint run down barn around 6:00 pm that evening and treaded through a field of matted grass and mud to reach the rundown looking structure.
"No the names Katherine, my friends call me Kate."
"Hmm," said the old man who greeted her at the front of the barn. "Good to know Katherine. So I guess you are looking for Frank?"
"I am looking for a Mr. Lawrence."
"No you are looking for a Mr. Frank Foster. He isn't here right now, but I guess I can take you to him. He lives not to far off from here in a nice country estate." The old man started walking towards his car. Kara has to run to keep up as he is making big strides.
"I don't understand?"
"You don't understand what Katherine?"
"Is he Mr. Lawrence or Mr. Foster?"
"The names Foster, but his friends call him Lawrence, Alexander Benjamin Lawrence."
"Cheeky aren't you?" said Dr. Harrington
"Hey I try my best. Now hop in and I'll take you right to him."
Dr. Harrington got into the old mans green rusted car and they clunked down the country road until they reached an old country estate about half an hour away from the run down barn. They pasted through steel gates manned by security and Dr. Harrington couldn't help be intrigued by this Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Foster or who ever he was. How did Tony know him? And how did he come by all this money?
"Here you are Miss." The old man stopped in front of the house, which was a Victorian style country home."
"I can just go up to the front door? Is any one going to greet me?"
"The servants will come and fetch you Miss Katherine."
"Well thank you for the ride Mr.?..."
"Mr. Crawford Miss."
"Thank you Mr. Crawford"
"No problem Miss it's my job."
Katherine made her way up the stars to the white door. The house keeper must have seen her approaching as she opened the door right away.
"You must be Katherine Harrington. Mr. Lawrence has been expecting you. This way please." The housekeeper led Dr. Harrington down the hall to big office and knocked on the door, she heard a powerful voice from behind the Mahoney doors.
"Come in"
Dr. Harrington observed a young man in his early thirties with dark brown hair and striking brown eyes. He was spinning a huge globe, a fixture Dr. Harrington noted seemed to be an obligatory item for all men to have in their home offices. He didn't look up at her but continued to spin the globe.
"Pick a country," he said.
"Portugal."
The globe came to a stop and finally the man looked up, "Ghana, not even the same continent."
"What was the purpose of that game?" Dr. Harrington inquired.
"To waste time what else? But you're not here to waste time are you? Gordon sent you. I finally get to see his latest obsession."
"I am not an obsession."
The young man smirked in disbelief like he had heard it all before.
Dr. Harrington was annoyed, "So why the two names?" she sniped.
The young man cocked his head motion her to sit down. He went to pour himself a brandy and pull out a cigar. Her annoyance seemed to amuse him.
"I suppose it makes me all the more mysterious. But never you mind. I have to give you those cassette tapes no don't I."
"I don't know what Tony sent me here for he was rather secretive."
"Hmm", said the young man sitting down across from her from behind his desk. He slunk back in the chair and clasped his hands together, "Don't you think it would be wise to get that sort of information before going on a little journey into the country side. Oh and look you got your nice heels all ruined in the grass field by the barn."
"Yes I did! What is it with that barn and that old gentleman Mr. Crawford? Why not just give an address to your home estate?"
"I told you I like the mystery. No actually I just find it amusing to mess with peoples minds and make them think they are apart of some covert operation. Very entertaining. But enough about me, we should get you those cassette tapes." He leaned forward opening his desk jour and pulled out a tiny box.
"What should I call you?"
"Frank Foster, Tony are told you about me under this name so you might as well continue using it."
"Ok Frank, what is on the Cassettes?"
"Well beautiful," said Frank leaning forward almost leering at her, "That is up to you to find out now isn't it?"
"You don't know do you?" Said Dr. Harrington
"Oh yes I do Kate," he paused and smirked, "I can call you Kate right?"
"No!" Snapped Dr. Harrington, "Only friends can call me that."
"Well Kate," said Frank completely ignoring her, "I feel bad that you have no idea what is on those cassettes. But let me tell you, you're in for the surprise of a lifetime. You think Tony Gordon is some misunderstood soul; perhaps these cassettes will make you think twice about your covert operation. You seem like a sensible woman, but that remains to be seen. Listen at your own risk." Frank slid the box across the table towards her.
"If he is so horrible why are you working with me to help him? Why are you helping me by giving me these cassettes as he requested.
"Simple really, it's not about winning the battle it's about winning the war. At the moment we have a common enemy. I am pretty sure you can gather whom this individual is that has us both in a bit of a tight spot. But that's no matter, regardless of my feelings I need Tony Gordon at the moment I, afterwards he can be the causality of my war."
"Oh you his," shot Dr. Harrington. She couldn't understand how Tony would send her to this man for help in taking down Carla and further she was even more concerned with what she would hear on the videotapes. Frank's eyes became animated at her retort and he looked pleasantly surprised at her guts to take him on. But then his eyes went deadly like a switch almost as bad as Tony's.
"I may will be," he whispered " But chances are it's most likely going to be you Doctor Harrington.
For the first time in a long time Dr. Harrington felt that uncompromising feeling that Frank Foster had managed to plant the seeds of doubt.
"If you were me, would you love you?"
Carla sat across from Maria that Sunday evening around 7:00pm. Between the two were steaming cups of coffee that did nothing to warm the frosty disposition between them. Maria was playing hardball; she didn't exchange any pleasantries she just got down straight to business.
"Why did you invite me here? Are we going to talk or are we going to fight Maria?"
Carla had assumed Maria was finally ready to put all her anger behind her, and that maybe she could be forgiven once and for all. But it wasted no time posing this harsh question Maria posed this harsh question towards her. Carla wanted to reach across the table and hold Maria's hand. She wanted to talk about little Liam and reassure Maria she would always be there for both of them. But it wasn't enough; it would never be enough for Maria so long as she went on hating Carla for the breakdown of her marriage. But what could she say as Maria's puffy red eyes glared at her from across the table. She deserved some of this anger; she deserved to carry some of this pain in her heart. But she needed hope to.
"Can you ever forgive me Maria?"
"That depends, can you answer the question?"
"Is that a question Maria? I was under the impression it was an observation."
"An accurate one at that. But I want to Carla, if you were in my position would you love you? I mean it seems like you expect me to forget the past ever happened. You don't seem to realize all the horrible things you've done."
Carla wondered what exactly she should be seeking forgiveness for. She wasn't sorry for loving Liam, and if Maria was expecting her to be, that would be asking for Carla to deny the happiest part of her existence. It was the only pure thing Carla had known and she would not rebuke it for anyone's sake.
"Maria I know you don't believe it now, but I am sorry for everything. I really am," Carla said. Her eyes were pleading with Maria to understand, to be warm at least. Maria sat for a while fiddling with her coffee cup composing her thoughts.
"What is everything?" Maria finally whispered at last. "I always wanted to know what everything was. I think I want you to tell me everything."
Carla wasn't going to do it. She wasn't going to let Maria torture herself and she wasn't going to give her access to the most intimate secrets of her heart.
"Maria there are some things which take place between two people, which is something only they will ever understand. It's like secrets buried deep in their heart, that only the other person could ever hope to unlock. I can't share these things with you."
"You unimaginable bitch," Maria whispered. Her blue eyes looked deadly as they scanned over Carla's body wishing for her to die. "This isn't about anything more then you just being selfish. You used to love to kiss and tell…"
"Maria I am trying to spare you, please try and understand."
"No what you are doing is just holding one more thing, one more memory about Liam that should be mine!"
"Maria please…"
"You know what I always knew you were full of yourself, but you actually think you have a monopoly over Liam's soul, like you have a right to pick and choose which memories to acknowledge. My marriage lost memories because of you! Because you couldn't just leave it alone, you couldn't just leave it alone the way Liam felt about you. He was married, he was trying to move on with his life and you just couldn't let him."
"Do you hear yourself Maria? You have always been so self-righteous. Liam wasn't a little boy he wasn't your property. He wasn't anyone's to steal away!"
"He was my husband Carla and you ran around Town in your home wrecking boats messing him about every chance you got. You just couldn't leave it alone, could you?"
"I couldn't leave it alone? " Said Carla she felt so angry. "What about him Maria? What about the things he couldn't leave alone. Did you ever ask him about it?"
"I didn't have the opportunity he was too busy screwing you, for me to ask any questions Carla!"
"WELL YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT!"
Maria now stood facing Carla square in the face, "Oh yeah typical Carla, I know nothing about it. So why don't you share with me then? "
"You are perverse Maria, you're crazy."
"Right Carla, change the subject. You know I think I finally get why you won't share all those little lovely moments you had with my husband. You see, you went around in your own little world thinking you and Liam where some epic little love story."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah you had him thinking all his life that you wanted him to be happy. But I know your games and I see you, I know what you are. You never really wanted Liam to be happy, all those times you spoke about letting him go it was all just a game. You knew he was infatuated by you and would never feel such a strong attraction to anyone else. In your mind, he was like your pet you had him on a leash."
"I don't have to listen to this." Carla started heading towards the door, but Maria blocks her passage.
"No Carla you're going to listen to it all. There may have been moments when you pretended to let him go, have him believe he was free. But it was only to fool yourself into thinking you were a self-sacrificing woman. You conditioned yourself and him into thinking you were both some grand love that could never be matched, that anyone else was just a folly. You couldn't stand that Liam met someone who loved every side of him, who made him happy. You had to reel him back in."
Carla stood shocked. If only Maria knew the truth about Liam, if only she knew he was just as in control if not more so than Carla ever was.
"You had to reel him back in"
Carla said nothing. She was certain she would never say another word to Maria ever again. Calm and deliberately she place her hand on Maria and moved her from blocking the doorway. She opened up the door and headed out into night sky, the road was all she saw, she decided she would walk away and never look back. She felt immense hatred forming inside of her.
I am over it. I am over all of. Carla didn't care about recovery anymore. She just wanted to find a good bar and get out of Coronation Street for good.