The Letter - Chapter 55

I hit the snooze button on the alarm clock.  Just ten more minutes.  I lay in bed half asleep, not wanting to get up for school.  Then I sensed the presence of someone in my room.  I heard a faint rustling, then a hand reached under my pillow.  I sat bolt upright, ready to scream.

“Shhh!”  Minerva stuck her head inside the canopy curtains.  “There’s a surprise under your pillow.  You didn’t see me.”  She hustled out of the room and gently closed the door.

I reached under the pillow.  My phone!  I smiled broadly.  This is going to be a good day.  I felt something else.  The charger.  Thank you, Elizabeth Henderson.  You are the best!  She must have gotten the charger from Dad.  I carried my phone into the bathroom.  I turned on the shower and flushed the toilet to cloak any unexpected noises when I turned the phone on.  I put it on silent mode and quick texted Dad and Liz to let them know that I now had my phone.  Then I turned it off and stuck it under my bed’s mattress.  I can’t take this to school, but it will be here when I get home.  I showered and dressed, and then I went down to breakfast.  Mom was nowhere to be seen.  Mrs. Tomlinson had fixed me a breakfast of fresh fruit and eggs Benedict.  If I’m going to be here for very long, I’m going to put on ten or fifteen pounds.

School was relatively uneventful.  We played soccer in gym and continued reading The Sun Also Rises in English class.  Diana was absent.  I sort of kept to myself.  I think a lot of the other students knew I might not be there for long, so why make an effort to get to know me?

Henry drove me back to the mansion after school.  I knew something was different as soon as I walked in the front door.  Mr. Hughes seemed a little less friendly.

“Dinner is at six, young Miss,” Mr. Hughes greeted me.  “Mr. Zingerman has returned and will be dining with you and your mother.”

“I thought he wasn’t coming back until the weekend.”

“Apparently, he changed his plans.  Six o’clock.  Please be prompt.”

I went up to my room and changed out of my school uniform.  I wondered if I should dress up for dinner like they do on Downton Abbey.  I decided to put on one of the nicer outfits that Mother had purchased for me.  I got my phone and turned it on.  I had several messages from Dad, a few from Liz and two from Jeff.  I checked Jeff’s first.

Hey Jen.  Liz texted me that you have your phone.  We took it to your friend Diana’s restaurant last night.  Her father insisted on making us dinner.  Delicious!  We had baklava for dessert.  Anyway, we’re worried about you and hope you’re back home soon.

The second one read, Jen, would your mother let me take you out for coffee or a movie?

I laughed, and then tapped out a reply.  Thanks for bringing my phone.  Sorry, but they won’t let me out unsupervised.  I’m hoping Dad can find a way to get me back home soon.  Then maybe we can go out for delicious Syrian food if your parents will let you drive to Coraopolis again. 

Next I opened the text from Liz.  So good to hear from you.  I’ve been so worried.  Jeff was nice to drive me way out to Coraopolis.  My parents would never let me drive that far.  Don’t worry.  There’s nothing between us. LOL.  But it did make Mikey jealous when I told him I spent the evening with Jeff.

I texted Liz back to let her know how much I missed her.  Dad’s text message said he had met with his lawyer that morning.  It was possible I might be sent home soon.  I texted back:   I hope you can make that happen - the sooner the better!

I looked at the clock.  It was 5:15.  Still a little time to do some snooping.  I listened at my heating vent, but couldn’t hear anything.  I poked my head out of my bedroom door.  The coast was clear.  What would Nancy Drew do?  She’d probably check out the second floor before going downstairs. 

There were two other “normal” bedrooms besides mine, plus the master suite and another bedroom suite not quite as spacious as the master.  Plus, the smaller of the two libraries was on this floor.  My mother used it as her office.  I figured I better stay out of the master suite, but I had time do a quick run through the other bedrooms and the library before heading downstairs.

I found nothing of interest in the other two bedrooms or the suite, which contained a full-sized bedroom, a workout room and a small office.  They were all spotless as well as clueless.  Minerva kept things neat as a pin.  Now, on to the library. 

This room wasn’t as neat as the others had been.  Perhaps Minerva had been told to stay out.  I noticed the wastebasket was full, and papers were scattered about the desk.  A laptop computer was open on the desk, but the screen was dark.  I walked over to the desk to examine the papers.  It looked like bills and a few magazines.  Nothing very interesting.  I touched the computer and the screen was locked.  I could try a few guesses for her password, but decided I didn’t have the time to try to figure that out right now. As I stood there, I heard faint voices that sounded like they were in the middle of an argument.  I noticed a heating vent in the wall behind me and got down on my hands and knees to see if I could hear anything interesting.  It was hard to make out anything, so I thought I’d try my EarSpy app.  Bingo!  I could hear the conversation quite well.  A male and female.  The female was Mom.  I assumed the male was Richard.

“Well, I thought you just came back home early because you missed me,” said Mom.

 “Melissa, I was in the middle of preparing for a very important trial.  Luckily, I have a team I can trust, but I have to get back there Friday.  I came back because of your crazy decision to kidnap your daughter.  Luckily, no one has gone to the press about this, or my campaign for Congress would be over before it’s had a chance to get started.”

“This custody case is just taking too damned long.  I don ‘t know what your friend Lutz is doing, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“Sidney is the best damned domestic relations lawyer in the city.  But by bringing Jennifer here without George’s consent, you just screwed up his case royally.”

I crawled over to the wastebasket to get a scrap of paper to make some notes.  I opened her top desk drawer to see if it might contain a pen. Oh, my God!  The purple envelope!  I closed the drawer and crawled back to the vent.  I need to check out that letter, but first I need to hear this conversation.

“Come on, Richard.  We talked about self-help if my ex was abusing his daughter.”

“Melissa, you’re being ridiculous.  I told you we had to have incontrovertible proof.  You spoke to your daughter about it and told me she nearly bit your head off for even suggesting it.”

“Maybe if we had her hypnotized.  Hypnotism can help bring out repressed memories.  Maybe she’s in denial.”

“Melissa.  First of all, we can’t force her to undergo hypnosis.  Second, even if she did consent to be hypnotized, it’s unlikely that we’d be able to get that kind of evidence before the court.  It’s considered highly unreliable.”

“You’re unreliable!” my mother snapped.  “God!  What do you want me to do?”

Richard paused for a moment.  “First of all, I want you to be very pleasant to your daughter at dinner.  If she’s not on our side, at least we don’t want her antagonistic to the idea of living with you.   Next, we should let her know that Henry will be taking her back to her father’s home.”

“When?” my mother sounded like she was ready to start crying.

“I think it should be tomorrow.  Melissa, I promise we will push this along to get a quick decision by the court.”

“As long as it’s the right decision.  I’m sorry, Richard.  I guess I made a mess of this.  I thought Jennifer might actually enjoy being here – that I’d be able to bond with her and that might persuade her to say she really would like to live here.”

“Do you feel like you made any progress in that vein, Melissa?”

“I took her to the gun club, thinking it would be a fun girl’s night out.  But that actually didn’t go very well.”

“I’ve heard that her father is the new voice of the anti-gun movement – at least for the moment.” 

I heard the doorknob turn.  For a split second, I considered hiding under the desk.  But it was a modern desk with nowhere to hide.  I stood up, and tried to look nonchalant as I discretely pocketed my phone.  It was Hughes.

“Miss Jennifer.  I didn’t know you were in here.  May I help you with something?”

“Uh, thank you Mr. Hughes.  I was just looking for a book.  We’re reading The Sun Also Rises in English class, and I left my copy in my locker at school.  I hoped I might find a copy here.”

“I don’t think that’s likely.  Why not ask your mother and Mr. Zingerman at dinner.  I suspect there may be a copy in Mr. Zingerman’s office.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hughes.  I will do that.  What time is it?”

He glanced at his pocket watch.  It is precisely 5:53 PM, Miss.”

“Thank you.  I have to stop by my room before I go down for dinner.  By the way, am I dressed properly for dinner, Mr. Hughes?”

“You look quite lovely, Miss.”

“Thank you.  I’d better go now.”

“As should I, if I am to serve your dinner at six o’clock.” 

He held the door as I hustled back to my room.  I don’t think he suspected anything, and if what I heard is correct, I may be getting out of this joint soon.  I closed the door of my room and did a happy dance.  Then I hid my phone, put on my game face, and walked down to dinner to finally meet Richard.