A Cops Dream
Chapter 4
Tamara was sitting in the passenger seat of Lucy's car staring at Lucy while she drove. Lucy had been quiet since she had gotten in the car and Tamara was getting really worried. Lucy was focusing on the driving, looking straight ahead out the windshield the entire time but Tamara who knew Lucy really well was able to see the pain, anger and confusion written all over Lucy's face.
Tamara: Lucy, talk to me.
Lucy: I don't even know what to say.
Tamara: That the man you fell in love with, the man you promised to love for the rest of your life, the man you married and then disappeared is now back in your life.
Lucy: Okay, first of all he didn't disappear, I was told he was dead. And second, he's not exactly back in my life.
Tamara: Okay, then what is it?
Lucy: I wish I knew. It just, the thought that this time, after all these years, this man is really Tim, it's really scaring me.
Tamara: Why?
Lucy: Because all this time that I wished for him to come back, to come home to me. I never once believed it would actually happen. That it would be possible for him to come back from the dead.
Tamara: But now?
Lucy: Looking at him, talking to him. It really looked like Tim, sounded like Tim. I just wish that there was a way that I could know for sure that this is my Tim and not some imposter trying to mess with me.
Tamara: Okay, so here we are Lucy, you are about to have a real conversation with this man, who is claiming to be your dead husband I think the first thing we need to figure out is a way to really prove that this is actually Tim.
Lucy: That is much easier said than done Tamara. He has already told me stories from my past that only Tim knew about so I don't know what else he can say or do to make me believe it.
Tamara: Is there anyone else you can ask. Someone you trust that if it came from them you would believe it?
Lucy: Genny
Tamara: Whose Genny?
Lucy: Genny is Tim's sister. We were best friends all through high school. That's actually how I met Tim.
Tamara: Okay, so you want to call her and ask.
Lucy: I can't
Tamara: I don't understand. Why not?
Lucy: I lost her number. Haven't spoken to her since I lost Tim.
Tamara: So maybe ask this Tim if he could call his sister and then take it from there.
Lucy pulled up to her car up to her spot on Mullholland drive and parked. She smiled when she saw that Tim's truck was already there and it warmed her heart knowing that he really did remember where her spot was. Lucy wanted to drive here separately in hopes to see if this man really did know where the spot was without her telling him where to meet her. Lucy so badly wanted to believe that this man was actually her Tim and every little thing he did that only Tim knew about made her believe just a little bit more but she was hoping that after talking to Genny and getting everything out in the open that she would have more clarity on what happened all those years ago.
Tim had driven up in silence. Angela had gotten a phone call as he was leaving so she was going to drive up here as soon as she could and until she got here Tim was on his own. Tim's heart ached at the thought of all the pain Lucy went through. Tim watched as Lucy got out of her car and he was really happy that she had actually shown up. Tim had no idea what the outcome of this conversation would be and if he was being honest with himself, he really didn't know what it was that he wanted from this conversation but he knew that they needed to talk and so here they were.
Lucy and Tamara had walked over the ledge that looked out on the city and sat down. Tim turned off his car and got out, closing the door lightly behind him. Tim took a deep breath and then walked over to where Lucy was sitting with Tamara.
Tamara: Hi, I'm Tamara and I'm guessing you are the man claiming to be Lucy's dead husband Tim Bradford?
Tim: That's me.
Tamara: Okay, well I'm going to be straight with you sir. We are both still having a difficult time believing that you are Tim.
Tim: Lucy, is this true? After everything I have told you, reminded you about. You still don't believe me?
Lucy: How can I? For 11 years I believed you were dead. 11 years I mourned and grieved for the husband I lost. And now out of nowhere you show up alive. How am I supposed to believe that you are the same man I married, the man who promised to love me for the rest of our lives? Tim, that man would not have left me to believe that he was dead for 11 years. So yes, I have having extreme difficulty believing that you are Tim.
Tim: Lucy, I have no idea what happened, or how any of this happened but please. I'm begging you baby, it's really me.
Lucy: The man I married would not have ghosted me for so long
Tim: I didn't ghost you.
Lucy: Really? Because I haven't seen or heard from you since the day we got married. So, what happened? You came home and then what?
Tim: You were gone Lucy. I tried calling you, I even went to your parents' home in hopes that they would tell me where you were but
Lucy: Let me guess they weren't helpful
Tim: Far from it. They told me that you had moved on and so should I.
Lucy: Of course, they did. And you just believed them?
Tim: For three months I tried finding you. I called you every day. I begged you in every letter I wrote to please answer back, let me know that you are alive.
Lucy: You never called.
Tim: Of course, I did. Every day for almost 5 years straight. Every day I left you a voicemail telling you about my day, begging you to call me back and tell me about yours.
Lucy: Now I know that you are not Tim. Tim never called, or left me messages.
Tim: I'm not lying Lucy. I called you every day.
Lucy: Well i never got any phone calls from you.
Tim: I always wondered why you never came to the hangar that day.
Lucy: Excuse me?
Tim: When I got back from Iraq I had sent you my flight information with my letter and I was really hoping that even with the lack of communication from you that you still cared enough to come and welcome me back home. So when you didn't come, answer my phone calls, respond to my letters
Lucy: You really sent me letters?
Tim: Yes, every day. Why didn't you answer my letters?
Lucy: Because I never got any letters. You really tried to contact me?
Tim: You honestly had no idea?
Lucy: No. In the begging I even kept my old number in case you would try to call, but when you didn't and then they came and told me you died and were never coming home, I just had to get rid of everything that reminded me of you. Tim, I so badly want to believe that you really are Tim but I just can't do this, and then find out your not you and then go through the whole process of losing you again. I don't think my
Tim: You don't think your heart could take it?
Lucy: Exactly.
Tim: How has it been doing?
Lucy: I was in and out of the hospital for 3 years after your funeral. The doctors kept telling me that I had to keep the stress down or I would lose my heart again. Eventually the pain and panic died down and now I've been doing much better. But please, I can't end up back there again.
Tim: Okay, how about I call Genny, if she tells you that this is me, that I never died. If she were to tell you how hard I tried to find you, would you believe it's me then?
Tamara: Funny you should ask that, because in the car Lucy was saying that maybe she should call Genny to find out if all of this is true.
Tim: So why didn't you?
Lucy: Because I haven't spoken to her since I yelled at her for missing your funeral.
Tim: Did you ever wonder why she didn't show up?
Lucy: At the time? No. My mom said that Genny told her that she couldn't make it because she was mad at you for leaving her behind with your dad and she would never forgive you for that.
Tim: That definitely sounds like something Genny would say. She hated me for doing that for a really long time, but eventually we found our way past that.
Lucy: But now I am beginning to wonder if maybe she didn't come because she didn't know about the funeral simply because you weren't actually dead. But why wouldn't she tell me that, that you were alive?
Tim: Maybe she didn't realize that you thought she was dead. She never told me what happened between you two, only that it was complicated and she was sorry.
Lucy: So, if she didn't know about the funeral then what did she think I was talking about when I yelled at her for missing it?
Tim: I don't know, would you be okay if we asked her?
Lucy: Guess it doesn't hurt to try.
Tim took out his phone and called Genny who picked up on the first ring.
Genny: Tim, hey. Can I call you back later? I'm busy right now.
Tim: No Genny. We need to talk right now, this is extremely important.
Genny: Okay, give me one second to find a quiet place to talk.
Tim and Lucy wait for a couple minutes on hold. Tamara sits rubbing Lucy's shoulder and no one talks as they wait for Genny to come back on the line. Angela pulled up while they were on the phone and she smiled sadly at Lucy before sitting down next to Tim.
Agnela: Nice to see you again Lucy
Lucy: You too. I didn't know you know him
Angela: I've been working with Tim for almost 9 years now. And I didn't know that you were married to Tim.
Lucy: Guess the topic of your co-workers never came up when we were working, and I didn't like talking about my husband.
Tim: Okay guys Genny's back.
Genny: Sorry I'm at Tyler's game right now. Just got in my car. What's up?
Tim: Okay, I know that this question is coming out of nowhere but here goes. What happened while I was in the army between you and Lucy?
Genny: Excuse me?
Tim: When I got back from Iraq and tried looking for Lucy, all you told me was that you and Lucy got in a fight and you haven't heard from her since. I'm asking you now what happened?
Genny: Tim, I really don't want to talk about this now.
Tim: Then when Genny? Because for 12 years, every time I brought up Lucy's name it was like you couldn't get away from me fast enough and I never pushed you to tell me what happened
Genny: So why are you pushing now?
Lucy: Because it's important Genny
Genny: Lucy? Tim, you didn't tell me you were with Lucy.
Tim: Yeah, we are here now together trying to figure out what happened back then and how we ended up apart for 12 years, so Genny, please can you answer the question.
Genny: Why does my relationship have anything to do with happened between the two of you?
Lucy: Because I stopped talking to you after what I believed you did to me and Tim.
Tim: So, I want to know why you stopped talking to Lucy.
Genny: Tim, I think it's best that we have this conversation in person. Where are you now? I'll come meet you.
Tim: I'll send you the details. See you soon.
Tim hung up the phone more confused than ever, clearly Genny knew something about all of this that neither one of them was aware of.
Tim: You hungry?
Lucy: Yeah. I'm starving. You know what I really want to eat right now?
Tim: Veggie burger and fries, extra pickles?
Lucy: How did you know that?
Tim: Because I know you, Lucy.
Lucy: Yeah. You seem to know me too well.
Tim: Lucy, I know you still wonder if I am some type of imposter but
Just then they saw Genny's car pull up and they both watched as she quickly got out of her car and sit down next to them.
Genny: Lucy, hey. It's been a long time.
Lucy: Yup, 11 years.
Genny: I've missed you.
Lucy: Me too.
Tim: Okay Genny, so what happened?
Genny: What happened when?
Tim: When I came home from the army, why didn't you tell exactly what happened with Lucy.
Genny: I didn't know what to say Tim. When Lucy called me and yelled at me, I felt like instead of doing the right thing and helping you two stay married, that I had screwed up.
Tim: Hold up, how did you know that we got married? I never told you that.
Lucy: Why didn't you tell her that you married me?
Tim: I promised you that we were going to tell her together when I got back from Iraq and I had no intention of breaking that promise to you.
Lucy: So how did you find out? Because the only people who knew we got married were me, Tim, my parents and the pastor.
Genny: When you called me that night, why did you yell at me?
Lucy: What?
Genny: The last time we spoke, you yelled and screamed at me, you said Genny, how could you do this, to me, to Lucy, your best friend? You asked me How could you betray your brother like this, the brother who has done so much for you, who gave up everything to raise you How could you hurt us both like this.
Lucy: I remember.
Genny: What were you talking about?
Lucy took a deep breath as she felt that this was the most important key to figuring out what happened back then.
Lucy: I was mad at you for missing the funeral. I was hurt that after everything Tim had done for you, you were able to disrespect him like this.
Genny: Wait, whose funeral are you talking about?
Lucy: Tim's funeral.
Genny: Come again?
Tim: Lucy, was told that I had died overseas. She somehow went to a funeral where she watched as they buried me.
Lucy: And when my parents told me that you didn't come because you were mad at Tim for leaving you behind, I got angry and called you.
Genny: So, you were talking about me missing his funeral when you yelled at me?
Lucy: Yeah. Genny, I hate to ask now as it seems crazy now, but is this man in front of us actually your brother Tim? Or did Tim die like I was told?
Genny: Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry. If only I had known what you were talking about, I would have told you that Tim was still alive. I actually called him right after because I was so upset that you were so mad at what I had done, but Tim seemed okay with it and I calmed down. And then you never spoke to me or Tim again and I just believed that you really were mad at me and I didn't have the heart to tell Tim what I had done.
Tim: Okay, so let me get this straight. Genny, you did something to me and Lucy that you thought she had every right to be mad at you for.
Genny: Yup
Tim: And when Lucy yelled at you, you thought she was yelling at you for whatever it was that you did.
Genny: Yup
Lucy: Okay, so what exactly did you think I was talking about that night?
Genny: The annulment papers.
Lucy: What annulment papers? Our marriage was never annulled.
Genny: That's because I tore up the document that you had both signed.
Lucy: Excuse me? What are you talking about? I never signed any annulment papers.
Tim: Lucy, while I was in Iraq you sent me annulment papers.
Lucy: No, I didn't. I never sent you anything.
Tim: Lucy, I got annulment papers from you, they had your signature on them, I checked.
Lucy: That can't be possible. My father handed them to me asked me to sign them but I told him that I will not sign them until after you did. That's the last I heard about the annulment.
Tim: So, for all these years you thought that I never wanted our marriage annulled?
Lucy: Wait, you really did want to annul the marriage?
Tim: No! God No! Lucy, that was the last thing I have ever wanted.
Lucy: but for 11 years you believed that I didn't want to be married to you.
Tim: I thought you had made that pretty obvious when I received the annulment papers with your signature on them. And then when I came back and you refused to answer any of my calls, messages I took that to mean that you hated me and wanted nothing to do with me, least of all to be married to me.
Lucy: Tim, I could never hate you. And all I've ever wanted was to be married to you, to spend the rest of our lives together.
Tim: Lucy, you know how long I have been waiting to hear you say those words?
Lucy: 11 years?
Tim smiled at Lucy and then walked over to her, took her face in his hands, looked at her with all the love in the world and kissed her with everything he had. The kiss lasted several minutes, both ignoring the sound of the car driving up towards them. Everyone else was looking at Tim and Lucy and they were so happy for this couple who clearly loved each other so deeply when Angela saw the person who got out of the car.
Angela: Isabel?