The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter Twenty – Nine
 

" What did you just say?", Chad said meekly.

" I am your mother. That’s my voice on the CD."

Chad had nothing to say. If someone had touched him at that moment, he would have toppled over.

Well, TC had plenty to say, as he came over to Chad and Eve.

" Eve, that’s the most ridiculous thing that I’ve ever heard. You’re not Chad’s mother. You couldn’t possibly be Chad’s mother. Chad’s mother was a blues singer in a seedy nightclub in Boston.  You don’t even like music. There’s no way that you’re his mother."

Eve looked at TC. He was looking to her for reassurance that the bottom wasn’t about to come out of his world. But, she couldn’t do it. The moment of truth was here, and whatever happened, happened. Her tower of lies was crumbling.

" I’m sorry, TC. I was a singer in Boston. I did sing in a nightclub called The Blue Note. I knew Crystal Harris back then. She was my only friend. And, I had a baby. A son. One that I thought was dead."

As Eve was talking to TC, Chad walked, like in a daze, and sat in the corner of the room. He looked frozen, and said nothing. All he could do was listen.

" You had a son? A son you didn’t tell me about? Why? Why would you do this, Eve?"

" Because, by the time I met you, I thought I had put it past me. I thought I had buried it. It was a horrible time, TC, and I barely survived."

" You had a relationship important enough for you to have a baby. I know you, Eve, wait, let me rephrase that, I thought I knew you. You would never have a baby with a man unless you lov…….cared for him. " TC understood what the next conclusions had to be. Yet, he couldn't think about it. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. But, it was there. In the air. Standing between them.  It was all happening so fast. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't think of the possibilities. It was impossible. Unfathomable.

" You had a baby with a Crane?", TC softly and calmly asked.

The moments seemed like hours, as everyone in the room was holding their breath, waiting for the answer.

" Yes.", was the soft and calm reply.

TC, looking like someone stabbed him, had to ask the next question.

" Which one? Alistair or Julian?", he asked, his voice so calm.

" Julian", she blurted out, with a tinge in her voice that it wasn't even a question; that Julian was obviously the better choice, and that he should have known that.

The air was still. There was nothing but silence. No one in the room was moving. Chad still looked paralyzed, Madelaine closed her eyes as if in prayer, and George was truly stunned for one of the few times in his career. Very little had ever thrown him for a loop, but the happenings in this living room wasn't a scenario that he expected.

Finally, TC spoke up. " You had a baby with the one man I hate most on the face of the Earth?"

" TC…"

" You LIED to me everyday of our marriage? To our children? You made a fool of me to him? How many laughs do you think he got after everytime we had confrontation? There was always 'something' there between Julian and I, but, I never got it. I never got that I WAS THE JOKE! Oh, how many times did I catch the two of you together, and you always had an explanation. How many times were you deep in conversation, yet, I naively believed that he was HARRASSING you. How does a man HARRASS his former WHORE?"

" TC, please."

" Was it a joke to you? Did you two have great laughs at my expense? How many more lies did you tell, Eve? What else don't I know about you? Have you been his whore the entire time?"

" TC, NO!! I love you."

" Love me? Love is built on trust and honesty, two things that I realize now we've NEVER had in this marriage. Damn, I gotta get the fuck out of here." TC turns to leave and Eve grabs ahold of his arm. TC yanks his arm away from her, and Eve falls back on the floor.

" Don't Eve. I've never hit a woman in my life, and don't want to start today. But, if you touch me again, I might have to go there. Stay the fuck away from me."

TC goes to the door again, and George tries to stop him, to which TC replies with a punch that lands George on the floor. TC is out the door, and Eve is crying out to him,

" TC, PLEASE! COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK!" Eve is sobbing on the floor, and Madelaine kneels down to try and help her, but, Eve wouldn't take her help. She was hunched over, sobbing wildly, begging TC to come back. Her cries echoed through the room.

Once George was back on his feet, he stepped outside of the Russell House, and made a cellphone call.

" Maggie, it's me. Bring your medical bag over to the Russells. I need a heavy sedative. Baby, just come, I'll explain once you get here."

George hung up the phone and went back inside of the house to the same scene. Eve was on the floor, crying hysterically, and Chad was in the chair, immobile, like a statue. His eyes locked with Madelaine's, and she motioned for him to go to the kitchen. They went into the kitchen. They stood  at the edge, because Madelaine wanted to keep her eye on the living room.

" George, I'm worried about Theodore. We both know about his temper, and his feelings about Julian Crane."

" I know. I called Maggie, she'll be over here soon, and then, I'll go look for TC."

" Thank you."

" What about the girls? They shouldn't "

" Have to walk into this situation.", Madelaine said, finishing his thought. " I'll find them."

They walked back into the living room, and then they heard a knock on the door, and Maggie slowly pushed back the door. She looked at the living room, and George found his way back over to her.

" George, what's going on?"

" I'll explain later. Did you bring the sedative?"

" Yes."

George turned away from her, and back towards Eve, who had stopped, crying and was frozen in the kneeled position. George kneeled down and moved close to Eve.

" Eve?", he gingerly said. She didn't move. " Maggie's here to help. Let us help, Eve." Eve didn't move as he got closer to her. She was totally unresponsive, as he slowly pulled her up off the floor, and scooped her up in his arms, and carried her upstairs, where he put her in the bed. Maggie followed, and once Eve was in the bed, she had rolled up her sleeve, and given her the sedative. Maggie noticed that the tears were running down her cheeks once again.

" Now Eve, this will take affect soon. You get some rest. I'm not leaving. I'll be here."

Eve didn't say anything, and Maggie rushed to join George in the hallway. She closed the door almost all the way, leaving a crack in the door.

She pulled George into Whitney's room and closed the door.

" George, what is going on?"

" Eve is Chad's mother."

Maggie stared at George and shook her head.  " No."

" Yes."

" Shit!"

" Exactly. It all blew up in a matter of minutes. "

" Where is TC?"

" He left. And, you don't know the worst part."

" It gets worse?"

" The father is Julian Crane."

" George, TC hates Julian."

" Exactly. I gotta find him."

" Well, you go. I'll be here. I'll keep a look out for Eve."

" Check on Chad, too. He hasn't moved from that chair."

" Ok. Bye.", Maggie said, kissing him.

George went down the stairs, and nodded to Madelaine as before he left. Madelaine was sitting on the couch, when Maggie came downstairs. She went over to Madelaine.

" How is Eve?", Madelaine asked.

" The sedative was beginning to take effect. How is he?", she said referring to Chad.

" I don't know. He's hasn't moved. I thought it was best if I just stayed here with him."

" I agree. Madelaine - Eve is his mother?"

" That's what she said. Since you are here, I have to go make a couple of phone calls. You'll look after Chad?"

Maggie nodded, and Madelaine left, took the phone and went into the kitchen, closing the door this time. She made a call.

" Hello."

" Grace? This is Madelaine. "

" Hi  Miz Madelaine. Is Samuel there?"

" Yes."

" I need to speak with him."

" Sure."

Next thing Madelaine knows, she hears Sam's voice.

" Miz Madelaine?"

" Samuel, I need for you to find Theodore."

Hearing the distress in her voice, " Miz Madelaine, what's wrong?"

" He's in trouble, Samuel. Big trouble. I'm afraid that he'll do something irrational. He's not in his right mind. Samuel, you have to find him."

" What happened?"

" I can't tell you over the phone. It involves Julian Crane. I'm fearing that he might kill him."

" It's that serious?"

" Yes. Please Samuel, find him. Begin with the Crane Estate. Pleas e find him."

" Ok, Miz Madelaine. I will. I'll find TC."

" May I speak to Grace?"

" Miz Madelaine?", Grace asks.

" Grace, is Simone there?"

" Yes."

" Please keep her over there. She doesn't need to come home."

" Of course, Miz Madelaine. Is there..", and Grace hears a click on the other end. She hangs up the phone and turns to Sam. " She hung up on me."

" She asked me to find TC. Something has happened Grace. I'm going now. I'll begin with the Cranes. She's worried. The only time I've heard her this worried about TC was right after his accident. This is bad, Grace."

" Well, you go and find TC. She asked me to keep Simone here, so, I'm going to tell her that she's spending the night. Be safe.", Grace said, kissing Sam.

Sam left, and Grace went upstairs to tell Simone that she was staying.

Madelaine was on the phone again.

" Hello?", an accented voice responded.

" Pilar, it's Madelaine."

" Miz Madelaine, how are you?"

" Fine. Pilar, there is a situation here at the house. I really need for Whitney to stay over at your house. But, I don't want to alarm her."

" Ok, Miz Madelaine. I'll keep Whitney here. No problem. Is there anything else I can do?"

" Pray.", Madelaine said, before she hung up.

Madelaine took a deep breath before she phoned the next number.

" Hello?"

" Hello, this is Madelaine Russell, I want to speak to Piccola."

" Sure."

The next voice on the phone was a familiar one.

" It's begun, hasn't it?", Piccola asks.

" Yes. I couldn't stop it."

" I told you that you wouldn't. But, this is no time for panic, Madelaine. You have to be strong."

" My family is falling apart at the seams."

" No. It's being tested. It WILL fall apart if YOU don't handle things."

" Theodore is devastated."

" Now he is. But, things will get better. You have to make sure of that."

" I'm not sure it's possible."

" Make it so, Madelaine. This is your family. Nothing is more important. "

And before Madelaine could say another word, she heard a click. Piccola was gone. Madelaine squared her shoulders and went back into the house. She knew that it was going to be a long night.