Page 98 of Playing With Secrets
“At the time, it was because my mother knew about us dating on and off for so many years. My dad and mom were high school sweethearts, so maybe she thought it would be romantic. Who knows?”
“Are your mom and dad still in touch?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Any clue as to why she used Ava?”
“Because my mother is out of her mind. But in all seriousness, I think it’s because we’re so far into this agreement there isn’t any other option.” I return to my desk.
“Joe, here’s what doesn’t add up. My mother left us when I was ten, but she’s been watching over us all this time. Why? She didn’t want us, so why would it matter what we were up to?”
“Do you know why she left?”
“Kind of.” My chest aches. “I remember the day she left. I held on to her legs, cried, and begged her to stay. She told me she had to go because I didn’t fit into her new life.”
“Her new life? Interesting.”
“We were yesterday’s trash to her, so why does she want Ava to have my baby? And why does it need to happen by the time I’m thirty-five?”
“You said there was more. Continue with that, and we’ll come back to your questions.” He picks up his notepad.
“When Ava went to Europe, I knew she stayed with the Duprees because my father said something about it. I figured she was checking on the boy for whatever reason., but that wasn’t the case.”
“Then why did she go?”
“Ava just disclosed that my mother had her stay with them to make sure Helena would keep Jack's paternity a secret. Ava threatened Helena, saying she would take them out if it ever came out, starting with Jack.”
“Did Ava say how she planned to do that?”
“She told Helena my mother’s husband would see to it. I never knew that part until the other night.”
“So, your firstborn child is to remain a secret. Is that correct?”
“Yes. But if my mother doesn’t want my son with Helena ever to be known, why does she want me to have one with Ava? It doesn’t add up. The other thing is that Ava got mymother to agree to drop the marriage part, but the baby is nonnegotiable.”
My head throbs with a raging headache. “And if all that wasn’t confusing enough, good old mom sent Ava pictures of me and my girlfriend.”
“Why would she do that?”
“As you know, my girlfriend is my employee, and it’s top secret we’re together because she’ll lose her job if anyone on the board finds out.”
“You lost me.”
“Ava’s supposed to take those pictures to them if I don’t start working on having this baby. The pictures are a threat hanging over me, telling me I better do as my mother wishes.”
“Is that the only thing your mom is threatening at this point?” Joe glances up at me.
“So far, yes. If I don’t have Ava pregnant within four and a half months, Ava’s been directed to go to the board with proof of my relationship with Dorothy.” I lean over my desk and rub my temples.
Joe shakes his head and sighs. “But they have all the other stuff if they need it.”
I rest back in my chair. “Not the embezzlement. They don’t know this, but once I started making good money myself, I found a way to pay back everything I took.”
“Good. That can help us.”
“I still don’t want that to be used against me because my father and brother would have a lot of questions that I may not have an answer for. But the books balance in perfect order, and the dummy account was wiped clean by one of the world’s best forensic accountants.”
“Do you know if they can trace the payments to Ava back to you?”
