Collision Course, Chapter Six
 

Eve was at the Boston City Hall Records Department at 8:45 a.m. She was going to be the first one in. She was going to make sure of it. The minutes passed so slow, but, finally 9:00 approached. A nice elderly woman opened the door, and Eve was her first customer.

" May I help you?", she asked Eve.

" Yes. I need a  birth and death certificates."

" For whom?"

" My son."

" Give me the information, and I’ll go look it up."

Eve wrote it out on the sheet of paper, and gave it to the woman. Twenty minutes later, the lady came back with a folder in her hand.

" Here it is. You can pay the cashier down on the end."

Eve went and followed the lady to the cashier, paid her money, and got the envelope.

She barely got outside of the door when she tore it open, and there it was: the birth and death certificates for her son. Same day, same time, right hospital. This proved that her son was dead. All she needed was one more confirmation, and once that was done, then she wouldn’t have to worry about this wild notion of Chad being her son.

Eve hurried to her next appointment.
 

Ethan came down the stairs to the Living Room. His parents were there, ignoring one another over morning coffee. His mother reading the Society Page, while his father was reading the Wall Street Journal.

" Good Morning, Ethan.", Ivy said chirpily.

" Morning, Mother. Father.", Ethan said as he got his own cup of coffee. He sat on the couch beside Ivy.

" I got a present yesterday, from Penny."

With that, Julian put down the paper. " Oh, how is she?"

" She’s fine. She told me to thank you for the chocolates and the book, Father, and wondered where your letters were, Mother."

" My letters?", Ivy stuttered.

" Yes. I know you write wonderful letters. After all, you wrote me all the time while I was in boarding school. Penny shouldn’t be any different, should she?"

Ivy shook her head, " You’re right, Ethan. I’ll write her today. " Wanting to change the subject, " Ethan, Theresa could really use your help with the wedding preparations."

" Mother, I have other things on my mind."

Julian looked up for that one. He wanted to ask ‘ what things’, but, kept his mouth shut. Something was on Ethan’s mind, and he was just going to play it cool, seeing what would happen.

" Well, are we going to Johnathan Hotchkiss’ funeral? I hope you’ll be going, Ethan."

" Yes, Father. I will be."

Just then a maid came into the Living Room with an envelope. " This is for you, Master Ethan."

" Thank you, Sally. "

Ethan opened up the envelope and read the message inside.

    Dear Ethan,
        I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior the other day. I realize now that you were just trying to give me comfort. But, I was in such pain, that I couldn’t accept the help from anyone, not just you. You’ll never know how much your reaching out to me in the darkest time of my life meant to me. Your kindness is much appreciated.

                Love Always,

                Gwen.

Ethan put the note in his pocket, and left the Living Room, leaving both Julian and Ivy curious.
 

Gwen was sitting in her father’s chair in his library, and didn’t even hear the door open, or see the man come in. She didn’t even notice him until he was right in front of her.
He waved his hand in front of Gwen’s eyes.

" Gwenny?"

Gwen snapped out of her daze, and her eyes immediately melted into puddles of tears upon seeing the gentleman. She got up out of the chair and went into his arms, her sobs nearly uncontrollable.

" Bobby, you made it. You made it."

He lifted Gwen’s head off of his shoulder.

" Of course, I made it. John and I may not have seen eye to eye, but, he was still my father, and I loved and respected him immensely."

" He loved and respected you too."

Bobby smiled. " You sure about that?"

" Of course I am. Would he have backed your art studio, if he hadn’t? Daddy never made bad investments, even with family."

Bobby laughed. " That’s surely true. I had to use my best Harvard B-School Buddies to help me with the Business Plan."

" Did David come with you?"

" No. I told him that he could, but, he said he didn’t want to upset Mother. He wanted me to thank you about t hat last stock tip you gave him; it was worth a bundle. "

" Bobby, I miss him so much."

" Know what? So do I. Things had really gotten better between us in the last few years."

" I know."

" Anytime he came to New York, he’d have dinner with Dave and I. He was impressed by my expansion of the gallery with the restaurants."

" That’s because you made money, hand over fist, once you got on your feet. And, if there was anything that Daddy respected, it was a successful businessman."

" Even if it was his queer son."

" Bobby…"

" Gwenny, we know he had problems with it."

" Yes, but, he loved you."

" I do know that. How is Bec taking this?"

" You know, I’ve been so wrapped up in my own pain, t hat I haven’t been able to take care of Mother. How do you think she is?"

" She’s a little too calm. I know she and John hadn’t exactly been close these past few years, but, they always had a ‘connection’, you know? They were always part of one another, and I don’t think it’s hit her yet…exactly what she’s lost. "

" I can’t believe he’s gone."

" I know, Gwenny."

" How long are you staying?"

" For the funeral, the reading of the will, and a little time after that. How are YOU? You never did call me back, or reply to the letters that I sent you after the Ethan debacle."

Gwen sighed and walked from the desk, over to the fireplace. " The Ethan Debacle….has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?"

" You know, I don’t think I’d know how to keep my temper if I ever saw that asshole again."

" Bobby!"

" I’m serious, Gwenny. I didn’t learn all this self-defense for nothing. I’ll open up a can of Tai-Chi on his slimy ass."

" Where DID you learn such language?"

" Living in New York will do that to you. Especially when you’ve had entanglements with gay bashers."

Gwen’s voice filled with concern. " Bobby, have you been hurt?"

" No, Gwenny. That’s due to the self-defense classes. Nobody’s going to take me down without a fight."

" Now you sound just like Daddy. "

" So, how are you and numbskull Crane?"

" Ethan came to see me to offer his condolences."

" I hope you told him to go to hell."

" I did…but…."

Bobby rolled his eyes. " But, what?"

" But, I have to admit that I was still affected by Ethan coming by. I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want it to mean anything to me. But, it did. As pathetic as it sounds, Bobby, I still love him."

" You’re right about that…it DOES sound pathetic. Gwen let this loser go. ANY guy who would throw YOU over for some little hot mama sashaying her Golddiggin’ ass in front of him, and he FALLS for it…he’s not worth the dirt on your shoes."

" What if I think he is?"

" Then you, my brilliant Phi Beta Kappa sister, have lost part of your mind. No more talk about Edumb Crane. We’re going to help Bec through this day, because I know it’s going to be hard for her."

Gwen goes over to her brother and kisses him.

" You’re right. We’ve got to make it through today. After all, we’re Hotchkiss’, and we can do this in our sleep."

" Damn Skippy.", Bobby replied and they leave the Library in search of Rebecca.
 

Eve knocked on the door to the lab.

" Come in."

" Mr. Murdoch?"

" Dr. Russell?"

" Yes."

" Well, what can I do for you?"

" I need confirmation on something. " Eve opened her purse and pulled out the four documents: two birth and two death certificates. " I need validation of these documents."

" Ok. Well, if that’s all you need, let me scan them into my computer, and I’ll get working on it. You can have yourself some coffee.", he pointed in the direction of the hallway, where there was a coffee machine, a place to sit, and some magazines.

Around twenty minutes later, he came out into the hallway.

" Dr. Russell, may I see you?"

Eve walked behind him, and sat down on the stool next to him, in front of his computer.

" Is there something wrong with the documents?"

He shook his head. " No, everything seems to be in order with regards to the documents’ physical presence. "

Eve looked at him. " I hear a ‘But’ coming. What’s wrong."

" I don’t know how to tell you this, Dr. Russell. I ran it through the computer 4 times, in order to check and see if I was doing something wrong."

Eve began to panic. " Just tell me, Mr. Murdoch. Whatever you have to tell me, tell me now!"

" Well, the birth certificates, from the hospital and the City records are a perfect match. The death certificates, from the hospital and the City records are a perfect match."

Eve let out a sigh. " They’re perfect matches. You worried me for a moment there with your hesitation. Now that I know they’re perfect matches, I can be on my way. Let me give you the money for this session."

Eve was opening her purse when the man put his hand on her wrist. " Dr. Russell. You’re not understanding me. I said that the birth certificates match, and the death certificates match. The problem is, Dr. Russell, is that the birth certificates do NOT match the death certificates."

" What are you saying?"

" That whatever child died on that day, under this name, wasn’t the same child born on this day, to this mother. These are two different children."