Chapter 47
Once again, thank you for all the wonderfully kind words and encouragement. Please, keep reading and reviewing! I love hearing from you all!
Sue woke leisurely, stretching only to find she had a guest in her bed. She snuggled against his warm body, kissing him on the ear waking him for which she was rewarded a sloppy wet kiss.
"Good morning Levi." Sue said with a giggle. "What have we talked about? Hmm? You're not going to be able to sleep up on the bed once Jack and I get married." She paused for a moment, a smile began to push up on the side of her mouth. Levi tilted his head to the side as if encouraging her to continue. "Well, we'll see I guess… We'll talk later." She winked at him and got out of bed.
Lucy was making a bagel and cutting up a melon.
"Good morning!" She said.
"Morning." Sue answered back grabbing two mugs for coffee.
"Thanks. How's things? I haven't seen you." Lucy teased.
"Busy." She took a deep breath. So much so that I totally forgot I have an appointment tomorrow with Dr. Kerswell! I've been so caught up in other things that I haven't spent any time on wedding details. We have to get the wedding set… I have to talk to D and upper management. I have to finalize the details of the dresses, cake, flowers…. Uggh!" She started to panic.
"Hey, hey…" Lucy said as she pulled Sue into a hug. "Relax" She said, trying to calm her best friend. She poured her a mug of coffee, and herself one, handed her half of her bagel, and a fork to share in the melon. "Your wedding is just about set. The invitations are done, the favors are done, and the centerpieces are almost finished. You've set the cake and flower orders, dresses are on order, and for the most part, paid for. You and Jack worked out the seating arrangement." She paused. "You did, right?" She asked half-jokingly. Sue nodded. "You'll talk to D tomorrow about the new job, after your appointment. Everything's fine…" Lucy said taking a bite of her bagel. Sue didn't look convinced though.
"So, what's up?" Lucy asked. "If everything's set, what's wrong? Why are you so rattled? Is there something wrong? Why do you have an appointment with Dr. Kerswell tomorrow?"
"Well, it's not actually with her, it's at the x-ray department. I think it's routine- follow up." Sue said absently, taking a bite of cantaloupe. Lucy stared at her for an answer. "It's Anita. This young girl I've become friendly with who first emailed me about the anti-bullying speech I gave. I'm doing research for her…" Sue's voice faded.
"Ahh… and how's Jackson?" Lucy asked coyly, raising an eyebrow, fighting hopelessly to keep from smirking.
"He's fine." Sue said breaking out in a laugh.
"Oh, I'm sure he's fine…" Lucy teased. "I noticed you came home rather late last night… again."
"Luce, are you keeping tabs on me?" Sue asked in a mock anger. Lucy laughed.
"Not at all. Just a friend, who notices these things." Lucy commented.
"It's getting harder to leave." Sue admitted with a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "If you know what I mean."
"Oh, I do… It won't be long before you won't have to worry about leaving his warm embrace to go out into the cold frigid evening air to come back here… you'll just curl up next to him in bed and…" Lucy teased.
"Uh! I don't think we need to go into details." Sue said.
"OK… OK… What do you have planned today? Feel like taking a walk?" Lucy asked.
"Where did you have in mind?" Sue asked as she finished her breakfast.
"Well… I was thinking… we need shoes for the wedding, and I saw this to die for pair down town. Maybe we can stop by after church, then grab some lunch at Willow's?" Lucy suggested.
"Sounds good. Let me grab a shower." Sue said, disappearing around the corner.
XOXOXOX
After church services, the friend walked to the shoe store, finding a pair of four inch heels, pearl white with over lapping leather arrow shaped straps. Sue opted for a simple pair of white three inch heels with a butterfly design in simple clear crystals. They walked chatting about wedding details, and the fact that neither of them knew what was on tap for the honeymoon, until they spied Willows. Neither had to ask, one look and both turned to walk in.
Sue's phone vibrated. It was Tara. Sue answered the phone right away. Tara had some information for Sue.
"I have to go. I've got to meet Tara about Anita. You can come if you want." Sue said as they walked quickly back to the apartment for the car.
"Thanks, but I have a feeling the fewer people who are privy to this the better." Lucy said.
"Probably a good idea. We'll come for lunch next week sometime, ok?" Sue asked smiling as she got in the car and drove away, waving as she pulled away from the curb.
It didn't take long before Sue pulled up to Tara's. She was surprised by how anxious she was to hear what Tara had learned.
"Hi." Tara said as Sue walked in and sat on the couch, followed by Levi.
"Hi. So, what did you find out?" Sue asked as she nodded toward the mountain of papers next to her laptop.
"Come here." Tara said patting the floor across from her. Sue sat, and began to look at the computer screen.
"Well, from what I can tell, Dusty is in jail. He got busted for drug possession, and it's his third strike." She explained.
"So, he's not getting out… what about Jarrod?" Sue asked.
"Jarrod is a little bit different of a story. Seems he got himself in some trouble, spent some time in jail…" Tara began.
"I'm seeing a pattern beginning…" Sue added. Tara raised an eyebrow in agreement.
"His problems were minor on the drug scene, but he was charged with kiddy porn. He served three years, but that was before he met Anita's mother- it was ten years ago. He fell off the radar just about the time he became a father." Tara explained.
"Nothing? At all?" Sue asked.
"Nope. There's been no action on his social security number. No credit cards, no bank accounts, no driver's license renewal, no job… nothing." Tara said.
"Did he die?" Sue asked.
"Doesn't seem like it. There's no record of a death certificate being filed." Tara answered.
"How does someone just fall off the face of the Earth like that?" Sue asked.
"He might have left the country. He could have changed his name, or stole someone's identity. He could be dead and no one knows. He could be homeless." Tara said while she clicked away on the keyboard.
"What about Mitchell Palmer?" Sue asked. "Let me guess, another sleaze ball?"
"Now, he's the one that surprised me… no, shocked me." Tara said handing Sue a file. Sue opened the file slowly, turning the pages, scanning the information.
"Are you sure this is right?" Sue asked. Tara nodded while she chewed on the end of her pen.
"Here." Tara said as a picture printed.
Sue looked at the picture.
"Do I tell them this? Do I let them in on this first or follow this information first?" Sue asked herself more than Tara. "Thanks!" Sue said hugging Tara quickly. "I really appreciate this." Sue started off toward Anita's. First she stopped off at the little church she and Jack would be married at.
She wandered inside and sat in a pew near the front. She put her head in her hands and asked God for help. She needed guidance. She wasn't there ten minutes when her Blackberry buzzed with a message from Jack.
"You got a message from Anita, she needs to talk to you. It sounded important. Let me know if you need me. Love you."
Sue closed the phone, looked up and smiled. "I guess if I was looking for a sign, that's certainly one." Sue said to Levi.
XOXOXOX
A short while later Sue was at Anita's. They sat at the table sharing a cup of coffee, and cookies that Sue was famous for bringing to the young family.
"Vinnie, can you take the kids to the park for a while? I need to talk to Ms. Thomas alone." Anita asked.
"Sure. Come on guys, let's go play in the park. I heard they have a bigger slide, and a merry go round there now!" Vinnie said excitedly.
"Yeah!" The children yelled in unison. "Everyone go to the bathroom, grab a sweatshirt, and get a juice pouch." He instructed. The younger ones scurried around dropping things into a backpack. Vinnie picked up a diaper bag, put the baby in the stroller, and corralled everyone into an organized group to head to the park.
"Can we take the cookies Miss Sue brought?" Lanie asked.
"Sure." Anita answered.
Once everyone was gone, the two women sat at the table.
"No fourteen year old boy should be that good with children. You know that, right?" Sue asked.
"I don't know what I'd do without him." Anita said smiling toward the now closed door.
"What did you call for Anita?" Sue asked, sipping the hot coffee.
"I got a call from the hospital today. They want to verify our insurance. They said the card expired… I-I don't know what to do. It's a state card, does it expire?" Anita asked nervously.
"Calm down. I'll help you out with this. I have a friend who is great with a computer, and can check this out in no time." Sue said.
"I don't like when things get jostled up. People start looking at things, they might see things I don't want them seeing, ya know?" She asked. Sue nodded.
"Don't worry. It might just be that you were supposed to send in a form you didn't know about, it happens." Sue reassured. She sat there, quiet for a long moment.
"Is there something wrong?" Anita asked. Sue stared at her curiously. "You're not usually this quiet. You look like there's a problem.
"No, just a development." Sue said.
"On?"
"My research into what I found in your mother's bedroom." Sue finally said.
"What did you find?" Anita asked nervously.
"Dusty is in jail. He's not getting out. Jarrod, there's no sign of. We can't find anything about him in the last year or so. My friend is going to keep looking, but right now, he's dropped out of sight." Sue said.
"No surprise there, on either of them. Although, I did expect Jarrod to be in the cell next to Dusty. Both of them are sleazes." Anita conceded. She got up and reached high into the cabinet and took down a package of cookies. "Shhh… don't tell the kids. I found $3 in the wash the other day and splurged on these." She laughed, offering Sue a Pin Wheel. Sue took one and a sip of her coffee sharing in the giggle. "These don't get shared with anyone under the age of ten!" They both laughed.
"Anita, what do you know about your father?" Sue asked.
"Not much. His name is Mitchel Palmer. He left when we were little. He has brown hair." She said thinking back.
"There's nothing else you know about him?" Anita shook her head. "Why did he leave? Do you know?" Again she shook her head.
"Why?" She asked. "Do you know what jail he's in? Or is he dead?" She asked.
"Neither. At least I think. We have a lead on him. I'm still checking, but was curious what else you knew about your father." Sue fibbed.
She got up and walked to a wicker box that sat next to the television, taking out a book. She opened it to the only page with a picture of him and her in it. She was about four. They were sitting in an Adirondack chair in the bright sun laughing.
"I remember this day. He was tickling me and mommy took the picture. It's the only good memory I have of him. The other things I remember are fights. Horrible fights. Vicious one. Screaming, throwing things." Anita said sadly.
"OK. I'll let you know what I find out." Sue said smiling. "I've gotta get going." Sue put her cup in the sink. "Go take a nap while everyone's out." Sue said smiling. "I'll check into your insurance card for you, don't worry."
Anita walked Sue to the door, giving her a quick hug as they parted ways. Sue felt guilty for not telling her everything, but somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice was telling her to hold off. She'd learned to listen to that voice.