And this wasn't any ordinary cocktail party. Amanda asked Brian to make it family friendly — we have children to entertain — so no alcohol. Instead, the pair arranged for an authentic afternoon English tea complete with the usual fare of hot scones, cakes, dainty sandwiches, and of course, plenty of tea. To accompany the afternoon repast, both Amanda and Toi agreed to enthrall the special guests with their respective musical offerings. Amanda Hardy treated the company to her famous presentation of German lieder, explaining to the children between songs that each told a story. She sang the Brahms' "Sacred Lullaby", prefacing the piece with a little talk about a mother's love for her special child. She also explained that song served as a springboard for her upcoming movie. Saying that, and after launching into the song, Amanda began to have strange flashbacks – those same visions that both plagued and intrigued her for more than a year. However, in her mind's eyes, this vision was entirely different, empowering, overwhelming...
°°°°°°
Here we are, all of us, gathered to face this monster
head-on. He stamps his feet, roars loudly, baring his teeth. The female with him
is reluctant to go along with his murderous deeds, but he goads her into action.
I see, we all see, the other female lurking in the background. I ask the animals
if they had seen her before. No one recognizes her, but there is something odd
about her, all the same. She does not join the attack as we feared, but there is
that outside chance. I say, "Now or never. We take him on. Do not run or
scatter, or he'll pick us off. Stick together as one, shout and sing as one.
Show him we are not the timid cowards waiting to become his lunch!"
The
plant-eaters do not totally understand this, as they are programmed by nature to
flee a predator. But my friend, my soul's previous resident, the maiasaurus,
stands with me, beckoning the others to join us. The dinosaurs, dwarfing me by
their sheer size and bulk, surround me as if protecting me. The male spinosaurus
charges across the meadow; we stand at the opposite end. I start to sing, what I
do not remember, bringing my voice to full forte-fortissimo. The animals around
me pick up on this, become engulfed by the aggressive tempo and melody, the
driven lyrics, the sheer volume. They join me in a chorus that drowns out Spiny's roaring. For a moment he stops in his tracks, still menacing, but
temporarily taken aback at this sudden impromptu "Hallelujah Chorus"...I think
we ended up singing just that. The females now emerge from the forest; they
appear on the edge of the meadow and begin to charge. Not at us, but him...And
he has no idea...
°°°°°°
As soon as the song finished, and sensing Amanda's uneasiness, Vi nodded to
Toi and Mignon, who joined the mezzo-soprano for an impromptu "Three Divas"
performance. She then took Tracy aside, asking, "Where is Kip? Wasn't he
supposed to be here?"
Tracy shrugged as she helped herself to more sandwiches
and tea, replying somewhat dejectedly, "He claimed he had a meeting with a
client...A cocktail party no less. He said he'd call this evening, but he is
ruining everything."
She was a little more than perturbed as she continued, "I
decide to pack up the kids and myself, head out here just to surprise Kip, but
he keeps saying he's too busy."
Vi, recalling Amanda's suspicions about her
niece's husband, raised an eyebrow. She pressed for details. "Tracy, where is
Kip staying? What hotel? Surely I can arrange a lunch date. That way you can
surprise your husband, and all would be well."
"I have idea where he's staying,"
Tracy said trying to keep her emotions in check. She set down her teacup then
took her aunt by the hand. They needed somewhere private to talk, she claimed,
so both women excused themselves from the company. Finally, safe within the
confines of the powder room, Tracy made a startling confession.
"Aunt Vi, we're
having trouble. My marriage isn't as solid as I've led on. Kip is gone for weeks
at a time, leaving me alone with the kids. Nick and Emmie keep asking, 'When's
Daddy coming home?'. I can't keep them at bay forever with 'Daddy's a very busy
man'. I've sought out marriage counseling, but Kip won't hear of it. When I
return Monday, I'm making an appointment, and Kip will just have to go with me.
I want to save my marriage, but I get this nagging feeling there is something
wrong. Tell me, Aunt Vi. Does Kip ever call you when he's here on business?"
"No," replied Vi, "I never hear from him at all, not even a phone call. And I'm
sure he knows where I live. Why do you ask?"
Tracy sighed, "I think there is another woman. When he calls, he never tells me what hotel he's staying in, never gives me an alternative phone number in case of an emergency, nothing. I don't even know the nature of his business. When the kids' friends ask 'What does your daddy do?', they can't answer that. So I'm suspecting Kip is having an affair, or, at worst, into something illegal."
Vi, though perturbed that Kip Wells might be carrying on an extramarital affair, thought it over carefully. Could what Amanda told her be the truth? That Kip Wells and Kevin Williams are the same person? She had to ask, "Tracy, you will probably think this is dumb question, but do you by chance have a photo of Kip? Since I've never met him, I'd like to see–"
Tracy laughed, saying as she reached into her purse, "Oh,
that. I have one right here. No, it isn't a silly question." Then, as she opened
her wallet, added, "You know all those pictures I send? There is not one photo
of us as a family. Sure, I have loads of the kids and myself, but none with Kip.
All I have is this candid snapshot I took while he was washing the car.
It's not the best, but he does take a good picture."
Vi took the photo in
hand, raising it to the light for a better look. What she saw nearly took her
breath away. In the midst of hosing down the car, an unsuspecting Kip Wells was
captured on film courtesy his wife. Even Kip had no idea Tracy had this picture
in her possession.
In the photo was a handsome young man in his mid-thirties. He was, according to
Tracy, just shy of six feet tall, of average build, and boasted a wealth of
golden blond hair and sparkling blue eyes.
"And he has this weird sense of
humor," Tracy said, "He makes me laugh, that is, when he's at home."
Vi, trying
hard not to let her emotions get the best of her, asked, "Tracy, may I show this
to Amanda? She so often asks about my family, and I thought she'd like to see
how handsome Kip is."
"Sure," said Tracy, emerging from the bathroom with Vi,
"why not show it to everyone. At least that's the most they'll ever see of him."
°°°°°°
Spiny is still standing there, in the middle of the meadow, still motionless as we sing him down, shout him down. We sing at the top of our lungs, as brilliant and boisterous as we can. I sing with my dinosaurian choir, one song leading into another. "O Fortuna" is what we sing. Well, his fortune is about to change now that his female companions have finally emerged from the forest. They approach from behind; we sure they will attack us. The females lunge forward, their sharp teeth exposed, the very ground quaking from the beasts' impact tremors. A few of my friends begin to revert to instinct; some begin to retreat out of fear. However, we convince them to remain steadfast, because it's Spiny who will end up...Dead meat... Sure enough, the females charge, but it's not us they're after. He is surprised at this sudden change of protocol. Hey, he seems to express via his vicious snarls and roars, I'm not your prey, they are! The female spinosaurs, especially that second, more assertive one, confront their bullying mate. The showdown is on, and we, the peaceful plant-eaters, hang back long enough to witness what could be the most incredible...
°°°°°°
"Take a good look at this," said Vi, after finding Amanda and Brian in a
quiet moment. Amanda, somewhat exhausted from her impromptu 'Three Divas'
performance with Toi and Mignon, shrugged and took the photo from Vi. "Now,
Amanda, don't get too upset, but I've thought about what you said earlier."
She handed Amanda the photo, saying, "That's Tracy's husband, Kip."
Amanda Hardy, whose recent suspicions about her ex-fiancé had been based upon speculation, finally had it confirmed the moment she examined the photograph. Gulping, she handed the picture to Brian, who immediately took Amanda aside, saying, "It's all about to catch up with him, Amanda. He's lied, cheated, deceived so many – you, me, Toi, and Tracy. I really didn't want to expose him this way, out of concern for Tracy and her children, but I had my own suspicions about him. I had my detective check out Kevin, and he found out that Kevin has been leading this double life as Kip Wells."
He glanced over at Tracy who was chatting amicably with Toi and Alice. No, it's time to at least send the kids home. Don't want them to witness their father's embarrassment and downfall...
Amanda, while herself not wanting to see Tracy hurt in public, wanted Kevin
to get his just desserts. She said to Brian, "Here, why not pass that photo
around to our guests. Everyone here has the right to know with what and whom
we're dealing. I take it you've set up Kevin..."
"Oh, yes," said Brian, "Toi knows, so does Alice, now you. If my calculations
are right, Kevin Williams should be en route to a party given by 'Bill Diehl'
who's actually my brother Barry. See, that was Barry's paper Kevin stole back in
college. The 'Bill Diehl' is the name of one of Barry's short story
characters..."
A wicked womanly smile spread across Amanda's face. She said, "For what it's worth, you did what needed to be done." Then, adding, "Kevin is represented as the predator in my visions. Alice is his reluctant partner, and Tracy is the other female out to bring his reign of terror to a close."
°°°°°°
Kevin Williams sauntered up the steps to the front door of the townhouse. He glanced at the handwritten invitation then at the numbers on the post. Yep, this is the right house, and Bill Diehl says he has some juicy dirt for me. Something about Toi Brazzle...Hmm, why not? Take her down just as I'm about to bring down Mr. Oh-so-Virtuous Brian Dale...Then it's back to Ohio to tie up a few loose ends...Just hope Tracy is in a loving mood when I return 'home'...This is easier than I expected...
Smiling with wicked self-satisfaction, Kevin rang the bell as an old disco tune played in his head. Once Bill gives him the lowdown on Toi, Kevin planned to call on Amanda one more time, just to rub it in before he puts 'Plan C' into motion. While he somewhat didn't want to do in the kids, he had to erase all traces of his double life. He had it all worked out: Watch Brian Dale go down in disgrace; ruin Toi; then go back to Ohio to murder...No, it's not murder, it's just removing three little inconveniences...
The door opened, revealing a burly butler who eyed Kevin with haughty
contempt. He merely said, "Good afternoon, Mr.–"
"Kip Wells. Mr. Diehl is expecting me."
The butler's eyebrows shot up as he said in a lofty British accent, "Oh, yes, sir. Mr. Diehl is waiting for you in the drawing room."
Kevin smiled at the servant as the latter showed him in. Into the entry hall
he strode, thoroughly pleased with himself that all this scheming will soon pay
off.
"Wait here, sir," said the butler, "and I will announce you." The butler
disappeared up the stairs as Kevin waited for several minutes. Naturally, Kevin
wasn't perturbed by the long wait; obviously Bill had to do some last minute
preparations, make sure he got the facts on Toi just right. The servant returned
downstairs, saying, "Mr. Diehl will receive you now. This way, sir."
°°°°°°
"What do you think he'll do once he finds out he's been had?"
Toi Brazzle steeled herself for the inevitable. Sure, she wanted Kevin to pay for what he did to several dear friends, but like Amanda and Brian, she hated to see Tracy hurt in such a cruel way. Wow, thought the pop star, imagine Tracy Wells finding out her husband is an imposter, a deceiver, a liar and cheat...Hope she doesn't freak out, not in front of the kids. Oh wow! I never thought of that...What will this do to the children? 'Kip Wells' doesn't exist...That means his marriage to Tracy is a sham...The kids were, technically, born out of wedlock...God, sometimes I wish it hadn't come down to this, but Kevin brought it upon himself.
Amanda herself braced for what would definitely be a major blow for Tracy, for the children. She already knew Kevin had a mean, vindictive streak, but she never suspected he'd go so far as to deceive another innocent woman, even father two kids without blinking an eye. In the corner of her eye, she saw Vi Mingledorff take Tracy aside. Obviously Vi was telling her a few truths about 'Kip', and Mrs. Wells' expression changed dramatically from disbelief to outright rage. The door opened as the butler announced, "Mr. Kip Wells."
In he strode, not noticing the company right away. Smiling he said, "Bill, I'm here. So what's the scoop on Toi?"
In an instant, he heard a familiar voice. "Daddy!"
That was Nick who broke away from Amanda and ran up to his father. Little Emily
was right behind, and both she and her brother, in their enthusiasm, nearly
knocked down 'Daddy'. Nick said, while hugging his father, "Mommy brought us
here to New York so we can surprise you! And we met Amanda. She's pretty, and
she sings nice too. Aren't you surprised, Daddy?"
At once, Kevin Williams blanched, for he knew there was no escape.
To be continued...Go to Chapter 14
Copyright©2004 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.