Standard FF disclaimers apply

Chapter 11

OoOoO

Rays of sunshine shot through the puffy white clouds to the earth below, creating multiple shafts of sparkling white light. And as spectacular as they were, they went unnoticed. Valerie was on autopilot. She had dropped the girls off at school and was making her way back home. Lisa had fallen asleep in the stroller, it was another typical morning. Except that it wasn't typical at all. She couldn't stop thinking about Albert. Neither one of them had any idea what to expect when he met with his father's attorney today. She only hoped for the best and that Albert would be okay.

For the rest of the morning, Valerie tried to keep herself busy. She followed through on her plans to gather recipes and make menus with more healthy foods. She cleaned the house, did laundry, played with Lisa. Going through the motions, doing it all with Albert on her mind. She had no idea how long this meeting would be, but after several hours, Valerie was getting more and more impatient. He hadn't called. In fact, she suddenly realized that her phone had been suspiciously quiet today. That was when the thought hit her. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed her purse. She searched for her phone, but she couldn't find it. Finally she just poured everything from her purse out onto the table. Sorting through it all until she found the phone, she grabbed it. Her suspicions were confirmed, the battery had died, she had forgotten to charge it last night. Valerie just shook her head, exasperated with herself for not realizing it sooner. She ran to the bedroom and found the cord to plug it in, which she did immediately.

At almost the same moment, her phone started chiming, pulling up one missed call after another, and the front door opened. Valerie threw the phone down and raced into the other room. Albert looked up at her as she entered the room, a smile wanted to spread over his mouth, but he tried to suppress it, he wanted to break the news slowly and carefully. So he held his hand out to Valerie and pulled her over to the couch.

Valerie's throat felt dry, she tried to swallow, but ended up making a strangled, choking sound instead. She was worried, the anxiety that had built up all day was weighing down on her, and she could not read Albert's expression. What had happened at the attorney's office? She was dying to know and yet she was reluctant to ask. After she sat down, she folded her hands in her lap, staring at them, as she waited for Albert to speak. Albert watched her. He was amused; he knew that she was eager to hear what had happened. He saw it in her eyes when he walked in. Yet here she was, waiting for him to break the news to her, whatever that news turned out to be. She was actually looking scared.

With a smile now, he lifted her head to look at her face. Immediately she reacted to his smile. Valerie took a deep breath and she grabbed his hands in hers. "Albert, are you okay?" It wasn't really what she wanted to ask him, and he knew it. But he loved her for putting him first again, before her need to know what had happened today.

Gently he kissed her forehead, her cheek, her lips. "Yes, my love," he whispered. "I'm okay." He looked into her eyes. "In fact, I'm more than okay, no, we are more than okay!" His eyes twinkled with the news he was going to share with her. And he laughed at the look that she gave him now.

"Albert," she pleaded. "Tell me what happened." The suspense was killing her, and as much as she had thought she could wait until he was ready to tell her. Her body language told him that she needed to know what had happened and she needed to hear it now!

Pulling her into his arms, he settled them both back into the couch. He kissed the top of her head. "Valerie," he started. Smiling at the small noise that she made that told him to get on with it. "Val," he started again. "Um, I don't exactly know how to tell you this," he said hesitantly. Now he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. "We have some things to talk about," he finally said. "My father had some surprises for us."

Valerie twisted around in his arms to be able to see his face. He was smiling, that was good wasn't it? she thought to herself. She was holding her breath. With one finger, Albert traced her face, from her temples to her chin.

"Would it be okay with you if we had a net worth of 17.2 million dollars?" he asked quietly. She stared at him. What did he just say? Coherent thoughts had escaped her at the moment. She couldn't have heard the words that she thought he said.

"Would it be okay?' she repeated. "Okay if we… what?" she asked, needing clarification.

The grin on Albert's face spread until his whole face lit up. "Valerie, my father left us an inheritance," he said, watching her closely. And when she started to breathe again he continued. "I never knew, we have only written letters since he left. He never mentioned that he had built up an estate worth over seventeen million dollars." He shrugged at the thought that he had not known so many things about his father. "I think it is fair to say that this changes everything for us."

Now Valerie smiled, her comprehension of what Albert had stated finally connecting with her consciousness. The adrenalin rushed throughout her body, this was certainly not what she had anticipated, not by a long shot to say the least. She didn't know exactly what she had expected, but she did know one thing. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "Oh, no Albert, this doesn't change anything" she said. "As I told you before, nothing about today will change the way I feel about you. I love you, as I have always loved you."

His heart burst with a joy that he had never felt before. He wasn't sure what reaction he had wanted from Valerie. But this surpassed any expectations he could ever have had. Gathering her up in his arms again, he had never been so happy or content. He had everything that he needed right here in his arms. Valerie's words were never more precious, never more welcome to Albert. And they held each other tightly, not speaking a single word. They could talk about their millions of dollars another time.

OoOoO

There was a time at first when Albert deliberately chose to go to the gym and work out when no one else was there. He admitted to himself that he was a little bit intimidated by the fact that he didn't look like any of the other Rangemen, and that he had no idea how to use most of the equipment in the gym. But Hector took care of that. Each day, and each workout at a time, he showed him not only how to use the equipment properly, but how to maximize his efforts to get the best results possible. Albert was a great student. His newfound commitment and intensity impressed the other guys, and they would slap him on the back, showing him their encouragement.

The gym was nearly full this morning and Albert adjusted his routine to use the equipment that was available, so that he could get in a good workout before he got ready for the interview with Tony. Hector watched him from his spot on the treadmill. He was pleased with Albert's progress. Not only was he getting fit physically, but his confidence around the rest of the guys had improved, he even joked back and forth with them now. Hector smiled, Albert was becoming one of them, a Rangeman. Their workouts this morning were timed so that they would give themselves about an hour to spend going over everything they knew before Albert met with Tony.

A small room at the Juvenile Detention home was made available for Albert to use for the interview. He looked around the room as he waited for Tony to be brought in. Albert was surprised to find this room so inviting. Other areas of the home he had seen before looked very institutional, the walls had been uniformly painted a soft grey green, and the floors were covered with grey commercial carpeting, that was designed to withstand lots of wear, but was never intended to be particularly aesthetically pleasing.

In contrast, this room was painted in a soft dove brown color, the white border trim stood out in sharp contrast. Each wall was a visual treat, featuring amateur, but very interesting artwork. All kinds of special items had found a home in this room. As he waited, Albert was drawn to the collection of paintings that had been hung on the wall opposite of the window. The morning light was playing off of the vibrant colors used in the abstract works. Heavy paint had been applied so thick that the shadows cast by the ridges and peaks created by the brushstrokes, added to the texture and interest of each piece.

Suddenly a noise out in the hall alerted Albert that Tony had arrived. He turned around just in time to see the young man enter the room. Dark eyes regarded Albert as Tony was escorted into the room. He entered just far enough to close the door behind him. He was taller that Albert by at least two inches. A fact that Albert noticed immediately, and that caused him to stand just a bit taller. And he noticed that Tony Petrillo did indeed look as Italian as his name. He had thick, dark hair that was probably longer than he usually wore it, and it was curling at his neck. The sharp planes of his face made him appear older than his years. And his muscular body gave the impression that he was not far from adulthood. In fact, he would be eighteen in just a few weeks.

Tony was no doubt sizing up Albert in the same way. Both men were silent for a few minutes until Albert held out his hand and introduced himself. Wordlessly Tony shook Albert's hand and then settled onto the small couch. He looked up expectantly at Albert and waited for the questions to begin.

Albert smiled to himself, he liked this kid. There was just enough social conditioning, by his parents no doubt, that he was polite and courteous. But underlying it all was an attitude that said that he didn't trust anyone and that you would have to earn his respect. Albert nodded at him and took the chair opposite of the couch. His notes stayed in the folder in his briefcase. Albert knew exactly what he needed to hear from Tony. But, instead of firing off questions at him, Albert began talking, filling Tony in on how Nicki was doing. Albert suppressed a knowing smile as he noticed how interested his eyes were, as he tried to seem all nonchalant, sitting back into the couch. He told him that Jake was hoping to see him soon. Something flicked across Tony's expression. Albert continued talking about all the people that Tony had not been able to see since he came here weeks ago. And finally Albert saw the hungry look in Tony's eyes. He missed his family, and his friends. He was ready.

Albert asked a few pointed questions, and let Tony lead the discussion. He had gained his trust and now Tony was willing to share all of the details of the past months that he had spent with the gang. Tony was meticulous and thorough as he described the men who ran the operations for the gang. He listed the names and ages of all of the kids he had met there. And he gave enough information about the upcoming plot to sell counterfeit software that it would be easy for the authorities to add this to the intel from Joe Morelli and thwart the gang's plans. Albert was very pleased by how the meeting was going; everything he spoke of confirmed all the assumptions that Albert and Hector had made during their investigation of the purported crime. Albert was glad that Morelli had stepped in and helped Tony get away from the gang. The kid was sharp; he had a good head on his shoulders, and a compassion for others seldom seen in someone his age. And it was obvious to Albert that he definitely did not belong here.

Albert knew that with the charges being dropped, it had been relatively easy to negotiate Tony's release, but having the opportunity to speak with Tony about the gang's plans prior to his release proved very helpful. The information that was obtained during the interview would be given to the local authorities. Their time was winding down, and Tony seemed reluctant to have the interview end. He may not want to admit it, but he had been very lonely here. He had been advised not to speak to anyone and he had kept his silence. Now he wished more than anything this was all over and that he could leave. Albert could see the emotions just under the surface and he felt compassion for the kid. Knowing that his release had already been arranged, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit a few buttons. Tony watched as Albert set the phone down, his eyes reflecting his curiosity. But before he could ask any questions, there was a light tap on the door.

Albert got up to open the door. Tony stood up, not knowing what to expect. With the door opened just a crack, he got a glimpse of her and he reached out, pulling the door open wide. Nicki started to smile, but before any words were exchanged, Tony pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and melted into him. She had waited so long for this moment. Albert had asked her to come with him, but she wasn't sure exactly why. She had hoped for an opportunity to talk with Tony while she was here. Just seeing him again would have met any and all expectations she'd had for this visit. She would have settled for a smile, but this was better. So much better. Albert quietly left the room. His assumptions were correct. He had arranged for Nicki to come, he knew that Tony needed to spend time with a friend, and following his advice, both Jake and Nicki had agreed that it should be her. And from the looks of it, Tony agreed with that choice.

OoOoO

Red, puffy eyes were just not attractive. Laverne stared at herself in the mirror. With disbelief and even disgust she examined her face closely. She didn't like to lose control; the emotions that had overcome her last night had left her drained, and reminded her why she didn't want to feel anything that had anything to do with that man. There was a reason why she didn't ever let herself cry, it wasn't productive and it left you looking like this, she thought as she scowled at her reflection.

But still, she knew that Albert deserved to know about his father's death. And Laverne tried to figure out a way to break it to him. As she pressed the cold cloth to her eyes to reduce the puffiness, she played, in her mind, all the possible conversations she could have with him. And she had to admit she was enjoying herself. "Well, Albert, the loser of a dad who walked out on you when you were ten years old, is dead now." She shook her head. No that would be too obvious. "Albert, the man who once called himself your father, passed away recently." Better she told herself, but still not right because it was too nice, and he definitely didn't deserve nice for what he had done. Smiling to herself at her cleverness, she continued to think of the ways she could give him this news.

Finally she felt she was ready to address the issue, so she got dressed and was intent on driving over to Albert's house to talk to him. Just as she opened the garage door, she saw the mailman dropping her mail into the mailbox, so she decided to grab her it before she left. Walking back into the house, Laverne sifted through the envelopes. Bills, bills, junk, 'always the same thing's she thought. It was just another stack of boring, predictable mail, until she came upon the crisp white envelope that was addressed to her and bore the logo of 'Horwood, Bloch, Allen, and Fenton, Attorneys at Law.'

Dropping the rest of the mail on the hall table, Laverne held the letter in her hand and sat down on the nearest chair. In her experience, there was never anything good that could come from an attorney. Since the day she was served with the divorce papers, so many years ago, the letters she received from the lawyers only brought more and more bad news. So it was no wonder that her hands were shaking as she attempted to open this envelope. Her frustration grew, as the seal on the envelope was glued thoroughly and was hard to pry open, she got a nasty paper cut as she tried to slip her finger under the flap.

Laverne yanked her finger away from the offending envelope and watched as the cut became bright red with the seam of blood. Instinctively she placed her finger in her mouth and began to suck on the cut to stop the bleeding. She then turned her attention back to the envelope, wondering why it was being so stubborn. This time she was more forceful, nearly ripping the whole envelope in two, but she was finally able to pull out the letter.

Unfolding the paper, she found herself holding her breath as she began reading. At first her brows wrinkled together in a frown. "The estate of Derrick A. Kloughn, the letter began. How ludicrous," she thought. 'The estate of', this had to be a joke at her expense by someone who obviously didn't know Derrick very well. She was not amused as already she was offended by the first paragraph. It was etched in her mind because of her harsh feelings as being so ridiculous. And yet she would come to feel regret for lost opportunities as she would recall these words over and over again.

But at this moment she was neither amused nor impressed at all, she continued reading the letter, and it was then that she opened her mouth in an unspoken word of surprise, then her mouth clamped shut, held in a tight line as her anger grew. Now she was sucking in a huge gulp of air. Her heart pounded uncontrollably inside her chest. And she broke out into a cold sweat. After all of the years that had passed by, she could not imagine anything more vindictive.

"How dare he!" she exclaimed. Crumpling the letter into a ball, she threw it across the room. Laverne stood and paced the room, like a caged animal. The audacity of it all, she thought, as she recalled the wording of the letter. To state that it caught her by surprise was an understatement, but it was the nature of the message and how it was conveyed that angered her the most.

"To alleviate the burden on your only surviving family member, Albert D. Kloughn, an account has been established in his name to cover any and all of the expenses associated with your final burial arrangements." "Notwithstanding the above, the full amount of these expenditures shall not exceed the sum of $12,500.00, so noted and actionable upon your demise." Upon my death Laverne muttered to herself. "This concludes the written instructions that Derrick A. Kloughn has stipulated in his last will and testament pertaining to Laverne A. Kloughn."

Laverne was fuming! Derrick had, no make that the 'estate' of Derrick Kloughn, had left her a pittance, and it was for her 'death and burial expenses.' This was just unacceptable in her eyes. It appeared Derrick finally made some money and he had the audacity to set some aside for her only to be used after she was dead, the insult was deep and it hurt. And to make it worse, the letter stated that she was required to go in to the attorney's office to sign documents to indicate that she would acknowledge and accept these arrangements.

Lavern's gut reaction had been immediate and very selfish. Laverne may not have thought of it in those terms, but the fact remained that she was only thinking about herself and the fact that she thought that she deserved to be given the money directly to use the way she wanted to, and while she was alive, thank you very much. And now she felt offended that she had been told about this money, only to have its sole purpose and intent be designated for her demise. It was one last insult from her ex-husband and she didn't appreciate it.

Finally it dawned on her, slowly and painfully. Although she did not want to admit it, someone had wanted her to receive the aforementioned letter for the purposes of inciting a response from her. Well, it had been successful, she had definitely had a response to this, a decidedly negative response! There was no other reason for her to be contacted in regards to the distribution of these funds; it was intended to be a clear message to her. There was no sense in telling her anything about it, she would never have known had it not been for the letter. After all, this money could have been given directly to her son instead, and he would have had the freedom to use these funds as he chose after she had died.

"Are you happy Derrick?" she yelled at the ceiling. It was the first time in over twenty years that she had spoken his name.

OoOoO