Chapter Eighteen – All Our Yesterdays

Gemma shivered as the chilly morning air embraced her. She tightened the wool coat around her petite body and donned a pair of red leather gloves before she headed for the entrance of Harrison Industries. She walked resolutely at a brisk pace and reached the lobby within a minute.

A young woman greeted her with a soft smile as she walked up to the desk. "Good morning Mrs. Harrison. Is there something I can do for you?" she asked kindly.

"I'm heading to Kevin's office for a while. I thought I had it sorted out but for some reason I want to take one last look," she reasoned.

"It's understandable," the clerk said. "If you do need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you," Gemma returned and headed for the elevator.

As the good looking woman had disappeared Willie Halpern walked out of the office just inside the receptionist's desk and watched the empty lobby. He turned to Annie, the young woman who'd greeted Mrs. Harrison good morning.

"Don't tell anyone she's here," he cautioned. "I'll take care of it."

OOOOOO

Joseph Patroni took one last look in the mirror and smiled as he adjusted his uniform tie and chipped his hat. This was it, he was off to see the world again. He'd managed to get hold of Captain George Paxton, an old fox and a friend coming from the military who'd flown regularly for the company Joe had worked for earlier as the vice president. He knew Paxton would be flying an empty 747 in transit over the seas after a long overhaul in Washington and he had a few favors to call in.

Captain Paxton, a man in about the same age if not a little older with a lean body and a mop of silver gray hair was inspecting the aircraft visually, feeling on the nose gear as Joe's taxi drove up to the 747, standing outside FWA's hangar at the end of the row of company hangars at Dulles.

Paxton whistled as Joe got out of the cab and adjusted his uniform jacket. "Well, long time no see," he said.

Joe chuckled. "That can mean a multiple of things, George," he replied.

Paxton shook his head and smiled back. "I don't think I've seen you in a commercial flight uniform for ages. How long did you work as Vice President back at Columbia?" he asked curiously. "And what in heaven's name made you take up flying again, Joseph?"

Joe laughed. "Life changed, George. I was prepared to step down, to stay on the ground and spend time with my family. After a year my wife was killed in a car accident and my son decided to study several states away to become a doctor," he said somberly. "Come to think about it I've never really liked being grounded. You know me, always trying to learn something, try something new. Heck, I even worked as a flight engineer for a while after stepping down from the air force. Then I took up flying again and flew some commercial planes. I got bored of shuttling passengers across the ocean and was offered the position as the VP of the company."

"I know I worked there too, remember," George said.

"Yeah, you did. I saw you occasionally. Every time I tried to call you up for a drink you'd left the country."

"Your timing really sucked," Paxton concurred with a wry grin before changing subject. "Was it so boring to be the VP? I'm sure it was a challenge with everyone you had to satisfy and coordinate with."

"After the death of my wife my life temporarily lost meaning and when I got back to work I rushed around like crazy and it felt like I was the errand boy. When I got home after a tiresome day there was no one waiting for me, no one to talk too, it drove me crazy. I heard a rumor that FWA was buying a supersonic aircraft and figured I'd certify for flying it. It was a long time since you and I flew fighter jets, George, and flying a Concorde would be the closest thing I'd get to fly those fast jets again."

"A shame it crashed," Paxton said ruefully.

"It was sabotaged, George," Joe returned darkly. "The Concorde is a technical marvel, one of the greatest aircrafts that's ever been built."

Paxton harrumphed.

"Look, I've never really got a chance to ask, and that is probably my own fault for shutting everyone out after Helen died, but what made you leave Columbia and apply at FWA?" Joe asked curiously.

"Well, let's just say that I didn't see eye to eye with the lovely chief pilot back there," he let on cryptically.

"Allan Murdock, or Captain Blige as some of the younger first officers called him," Joe stated amusedly. "I didn't find him so difficult to deal with. In fact I actually liked the guy. He softened a bit when he finally hooked up with that flight attendant, Nancy."

Paxton snorted.

"He's a cunning, crafty son of a bitch. He did land that ill-fated 747 safely after being winched down to it in mid-air from a helicopter," Joe reasoned. "I'd never even consider attempting such a thing despite the fact that my wife and kid was on that plane."

"You're too fat, you'd get stuck in the hole," George said with a wry grin.

Joe laughed. "Murdock is a good pilot. He might like to get what he wants and demands a bit too much at times but-"

"He is a good pilot," Paxton concurred. "Still, that's not what I was saying. As a chief pilot he didn't leave much room for the rest of us," Paxton implied. "I like this company much better."

Joe smirked. "You're of the same kind. I bet the younger captains at FWA calls you Captain Blige," he said amusedly.

George waved a hand at him with a wry smirk. "Enough of that, Joseph, unless you want me to pick up my scheduled first officer," he said pointedly.

"Nope, I'm going with this aircraft even if I have to sit in the back," Joe said flashing him a toothy grin, slapping him on the back before venturing up the stair and into the aircraft.

When Joe had disappeared into the aircraft, George chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Think you can handle such a modest and sturdy airplane?" he hollered after the other American veteran.

"Keep that up and I'm taking your seat," came the instant reply, the voice light and teasing.

OOOOOO

Gemma cursed as she was unable to break the combination of the safe. She'd tried everything she could think of but it refused to reveal its secrets for her. She'd carefully sorted out his desk and gone through documents that, while interesting to read, revealed nothing about his last thoughts or what drove him to commit suicide.

She froze as there was a soft knock on the door but relaxed as Willie Halpern popped his head through the door.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked kindly.

"Not at all," she said jovially and sighed as she leaned back in her husband's comfortable leather chair.

He smiled hesitantly as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"How's it going with the Buzzard?" she asked curiously, trying to appear casual and relaxed.

Willie sighed. "It looks like the military will be willing to give it another chance," he let on somberly. "Kevin and I have worked so hard with that thing."

"I know you have," Gemma said. "Still I can't understand why it veered off course? I know you. You're a proud yet careful programmer. I've read parts of the report but surely-"

"Everyone makes mistakes," he answered cryptically, his voice cold, like he was defending his own actions. "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Gemma nodded and turned to look at him in the eye. "I'm sure Kevin would have been delighted to hear that," she said. "I suppose I should have seen something was wrong before he left. I could have stopped him from leaving and attend that charity event. Perhaps then he wouldn't have suffered a stroke."

"There is no need to blame yourself, Gemma," Willie said softly, his voice comforting. "We both know that when Kevin has set his mind on something he sticks to it no matter what."

"Yes," she said solemnly, "That's what I was afraid of."

He frowned in confusion at her words.

"Let's stop playing this charade, Willie. I am tired of games," she said coldly, her blue eyes boring into him. "We both know that Kevin committed suicide and that he spent his last night in the arms of Maggie Whelan."

Willie was momentarily taken aback by her harsh and bitter tone but quickly gathered himself. "Gemma, please. I don't know who told you that but it's ridiculous. He would never do something like that. He had too much to live for."

"Stop it Willie," she returned coldly in an even voice devoid of emotions. "I agree I was surprised, downright shocked, when I saw him. It's not like Kevin to give up, something caught up with him."

"You know Kevin as well as I do, Gemma," Willie reasoned.

"You know, I thought I knew him but now I'm not so sure anymore," she replied calmly. "You're a longtime friend of the family, Willie. What really happened?"

"What good would it do if you knew?" he whispered hollowly unconsciously flexing his fingers. "Let it rest, let the past be left in the past."

Gemma snorted. "The past," she drawled. "The past have a tendency to sneak up on you."

Willie slowly walked over to the large window behind Kevin's desk and stared out over the gloomy parking lot.

"What he did was wrong, Willie," she whispered. "I've seen the documents."

He closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "Don't go there, Gemma," he begged her wearily.

"My goodness, all those trips abroad," she said, ignoring his remark. "He sentenced people to death."

Willie said nothing, there was nothing he could say to make it right.

"But it doesn't stop there does it?" she asked bitterly and watched him tense.

He cleared his throat. "Gemma," he began.

"How long have we known each other, Willie?" she asked.

He continued to stare out through the window, unable to face her. "I can't even remember," he whispered.

She followed his gaze and saw the rain starting to pour from the ominous sky. "I wish it could wipe it all away. As in the fairytale my mama used to read me," she said.

"He might have been a bit eccentric at the end," Willie finally managed. "The company was his brainchild."

"He already had a family. He gave me three adorable girls," Gemma returned. "They loved their father but he obviously only cared about money and power. I was a fool who didn't see that."

Willie swallowed as he finally turned to look at her.

She gestured around her. "This company is nothing but a shell, a façade that's cracking in its seams. Just like our marriage apparently was at the end," she finished bitterly.

"He loved you," Willie said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

"Tell me one thing, Willie, and give me a truthful answer," she said. "Was it an accident that the Buzzard veered off course?"

He shook his head. "Has someone told you otherwise?" he said purposely answering her question with a question of his own. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"That's all I wanted to know," Gemma said dejectedly as she read between the lines and felt the hair rise at the back of her neck, suddenly afraid of the man before him and what he could do. She slowly rose from the chair and began to walk toward the door. "Goodbye, Willie."

OOOOOO