“Mr. Rawlings is a man of his word. The problem was, he made two different promises and he felt honored to keep them both. He hoped that by fulfilling one, in a different than expected way, he may have the chance to rectify the other.” Catherine squeezed Claire’s hand. “That’s up to you. Please give him the chance.”
“Why are you so loyal to him?”
“He is like my family. I have seen what life has done to him and how he has triumphed on so many levels. He has been loyal to me, also.”
“But, if I’m to interpret the box correctly, he’s done some terrible things.”
“Ms. – I mean, Claire, we have all done some terrible things. That doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of good. You’ve shown me that, too.”
As Claire was about to respond, they both heard the approaching footsteps. Coming from the house, Tony advanced carrying a large satchel. His concerned expression mellowed when his dark eyes met Claire’s. Abruptly, Catherine stood.
“Catherine.” His one word greeting could easily be interpreted as a reprimand.
“Tony,” Claire reached for him. “What do you have?”
Slowly, his piercing gaze left Catherine and turned toward Claire. She watched the light overtake the dark and a smile emerge. “I see you’re wearing the hiking boots.”
“Well, yes, you promised a walk,” Claire responded.
“I have our lunch. Shall we picnic at your lake?”
Catherine said, “I will leave you two to your afternoon.” Her eyes pleaded at Claire before she nodded and turned away.
“I hope I remember the way.” Claire said as they began walking toward the trees.
“Did I interrupt something?” he asked.
“Girl talk. I’ve missed Catherine terribly.” With a tightening in her stomach brought on by concern for the woman she held dear, Claire hoped Tony’s lack of response meant this conversation was done.
She did remember the way. With each step the directions came back to her. When the trees opened to her meadow, Claire sighed with relief. Everything was just as she’d remembered. The shadowed fringes contained remnants of morning glories the color of the Iowa sky. Daisies and mustard plants added yellow and golden highlights to the otherwise green clearing. Although Tony and Claire talked during their hike, they also enjoyed the quiet serenity of nature.
The buzz of the occasional insect and the rustle of the leaves above, brought on by the gentle wind, filled their ears. As they neared the lake, Claire noticed the fresh aroma of the water penetrating her lungs with each breath.
The new boots she’d found in the well-stocked closet stood upon the pebbles of the lake’s edge while the waves lapped the shore. Out over the water, the sun shone in sparkling prisms like colored flashes above the rippled lake. Tony squeezed her hand and whispered, “It’s as beautiful as I remember.”
“Have you been here – recently?”
“No, I’d be lost without you.” Claire wondered if he meant he’d be lost in the woods or if the statement held deeper meaning.
They laid the blanket upon the shore and unpacked the lunch. She made no attempt to hide her ravenous hunger. Claire blamed her appetite on the exercise.
Later in the afternoon as the warmth continued to build, Claire took off her shoes and socks and ventured into the water. The soft underwater terrain squished beneath her toes. The warm sun on her skin and the cool water on her feet created the perfect balance.
“We could swim?” Tony offered.
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“Me either,” he managed with a sultry grin. Claire laughed and declined his offer. Instead, they lounged on the blanket in their shorts. As the sun’s rays intensified, Tony removed his shirt. Claire found the view from the blanket very enjoyable.
No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.
Chapter 45
September 1989
Anton eased his rental car in the parking space at the Royal Hotel on Century Boulevard. Thankfully the low watt overhead lights did little to brighten the shabby cracked asphalt lot. Even if he tried, he couldn’t ignore the beat-up old automobiles filling many of the available spaces. With the demise of his family’s fortune, Anton had fallen. He was extremely thankful he hadn’t fallen this far. And under normal circumstances he’d never step into the likes of this flea infested hotel.
It was a place where whores and junkies rented rooms by the hour. For some it was a living, for others – their death. It was the last place in Santa Monica anyone would expect a Rawls to stay. For that reason and that reason alone, it is where Anton safely stowed his step-grandmother.
Technically, Marie wasn’t his step-grandmother any longer. Nathaniel suffered a massive heart attack four months ago. His death came two months before the completion of his sentence. The news sent shock waves through Anton’s family like a 7.0 earthquake.
Prior to Nathaniel’s passing, Samuel Rawls sought legal declaration voiding his father’s marriage to Catherine Marie London. While few states allowed third party challenges to marriage, New York had a unique rule allowing the ability to annul a marriage and defeat the property consequences of said marriage. Both Nathaniel and Marie fought Samuel’s efforts. Despite Nathaniel’s incarceration, his power managed to keep Samuel’s allegations out of court.
Although Samuel never visited his father in the minimum security prison, the moment he learned of Nathaniel’s passing, his attorney successfully filed the necessary paperwork. Because Samuel had begun the annulment prior to his father’s death, the legal action survived.
In order to void a marriage, one of the following situations must be proven: fraud, duress, mental incompetence (either permanent or temporary), undue influence, sham, jest, and underage (voidable in a majority of jurisdictions). Samuel’s suit claimed mental incompetence and undue influence.
It wasn’t property from the marriage Samuel sought. Most of the family assets were gone, seized by the federal government. Rawls Corporation was sold. It no longer existed as a whole but parted out to many different procurers. The contents of the large home in upstate New Jersey were auctioned to the highest bidders, and the estate now belonged to a prominent sports star. The resulting proceeds sat in trusts, waiting to be funneled to those wronged investors. Of course, the attorneys would take their share first. What was left would eventually make its way to the people taking part in the claims and various class action suits.
Thankfully, Samuel wasn’t aware of Nathaniel’s overseas money. Samuel’s main objective was Marie’s name. His case was only to strip Rawls from her title. Vindictive, yes, but Samuel Rawls learned from the best. In one bold move, he punished Marie for replacing his mother and Nathaniel for wronging their family.
Anton tried to act as mediator. His father was not receptive. It didn’t matter to Samuel that Marie loved his father, that she had sat through every minute of his trial, and that she visited Nathaniel every week for twenty-two months.
Nathaniel had always been gruff and commanding, but there were times a softer side emerged. In Anton’s memory those instances usually involved his grandmother or Marie. Anton remembered one of his last visits with his grandfather. They were in the dingy pale green visitor’s room, and Nathaniel was giving Anton business advice.
“Boy, when I’m out of here we’re going to start new.”
“Yes, Sir, I told you about the project I’m working on with a friend.”
Nathaniel answered, “Yes, something about computers and getting information fast.”