The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter Thirty
 
 

Sam Bennett didn't know what was going on. But, the worry in Madelaine's voice, combined with the possibility of Julian Crane being involved, is all that Sam needed to know.

If TC WAS going after Julian Crane, he had to get there fast. Anything to do with the Cranes is bad, and if he actually had hurt Julian, it would destroy his best friend's life. He sped his police car blazing with sirens, past the security at the gate and didn't stop until he was at the Crane door. Leaping out  of the car, he banged on the door until it opened.

" Sam!", Ivy said as she opened the door. " What are you doing here?"

" Is Julian here, Ivy?"

" Why?"

" I need to see him. NOW!"

" Ok. I'll try to find him. Since the maids have gone home for the night, I'll have to look myself."

" I'll help you look."

" What is this about, Sam?"

" I need to find Julian."

" Well, this is the first place I would look.", Ivy said, opening the door to the library.

" What the hell?", Julian said, upon observing Ivy and Sam enter the library. " Don't you know how to knock, Dear?"

" Well, Chief Bennett just absolutely had to see you, Darling.", Ivy said with sarcasm.

Sam looked around the room. Everything seemed in order. " Have you had any trouble this evening, Julian?"

" What kind of trouble?"

" Any disturbances?"

" No….why?"

" I guess it was a false report. The one of there being a disturbance at the Crane Estate. But, just to be on the safe side, why don’t you alert your security that they should tighten security for this evening."

" I'm sure that my security team is fine.", Julian said indignantly.

" Fine. But, if there is any trouble, here's my cellphone number. Call immediately."

Sam handed Julian the card and left before Ivy could try and flirt with him. Sam got into his car, and thought about all the places that TC could be. Since Julian was OK, TC hadn't come there, which means maybe things aren't that bad. But, Sam had to find TC. He had to.
 

Chad was sitting in the same chair. He hadn't said a word since all of this began. Madelaine went over to him, and stroked his hair. She bent down and kissed his forehead.

" It's going to be alright, sweetheart. I know it may seem like it won't be, but, it's going to me fine. Grandmere promises that it will be fine. "

Madelaine looks up at Maggie, who is bringing out some tea. Madelaine leaves Chad to go sit on the couch.

" The poor dear, he's devastated.", Maggie says.

" Well, he has just gotten the shock of his life. But, things will work out."

" Miz Madelaine, I don't know how you can be so optimistic. "

" I have to be. My family's at stake."

" You….You aren't angry with Eve for lying?"

Madelaine sighs. " I….I can't be very angry with Eve right now. I saw her reaction as it all came out. She is devastated. This was the last thing she expected. Besides, whatever my feelings are, they are irrelevant. This is about a threat to my family. Eve is Theodore's wife. The mother of my grandchildren. A family that now includes Chad."

" How do you feel about that?"

Madelaine smiles softly. " Chad is a wonderful young man. Everything has to be alright. Has to be. There is no other choice. Families face tests all the time. This is a trial that my family will have to conquer."

" Your faith is inspiring."

" I have to have faith. I can't see my family crumble. All their lives would be ruined, and that can't be allowed.", Madelaine said, with a tone of steel in her voice.
 

Grace is finishing up some sewing on Sam's shirt, when she sees the ball of light, enter the room. She looks up, and sees the Angel Girl there.

" Hello, Grace."

" Hello."

" People need you, Grace. People that you love."

" It's TC and Eve, isn't it?"

" Your friends will need your faith. There will be so much pain and suffering."

" How can I stop it?"

" You can't. But, you have to help them believe. Believe that love can get them through anything."

" What's wrong with them?"

" You will know soon enough. But, you have to be strong, Grace. You have to give your support."

With that, the light went away.

Grace got up from her bed, and knocked on Kay's door, and opened it. She and Simone were in their pajamas, painting their nails. Grace sighed upon the sight. Simone looked so innocent, and it was obvious that her world was about to change. Possibly forever.
 

" Mom, did you want something?", Kay asked.

" Yeah, I was thinking about making some cookies, and wanted to know if you girls would like some. We could watch a movie together. Pop some popcorn too?"

" I thought you and Dad were spending the evening together."

" That was the plan, but, the station called him.", Grace lied.

" Oh." Kay turned to Simone. " Some good DVD's came from Columbia House yesterday. Mom, can we have a Scream Marathon?"

" Horror Movies, Kay?"

" Mom, it'll be great!"

" Yes, Mrs. Bennett, it'll be great. Let's go help your Mom with the cookies, Kay."

" I'll see you girls downstairs in a few minutes."

Grace closed the door, and sent up a silent prayer for the Angels to look out for the Russells.
 

" I hoped I'd find you here.", Sam said, as he tentatively approached TC.

Sam had thought about the many places in Harmony that were special to him, when he remembered this one. A little dock, if you could call it that, at the far edge of the Harmony Harbor. You had to go through abandoned buildings to get here, and across pretty unsafe bridges. The Cranes had announced that they were taking it over and renovating it. But, it was a source of privacy for he and TC when they were teenagers, and they would sit there for hours, fishing, or just talking about their lives.

TC was saying nothing. Just looking out over the water. Sam sat down beside TC. They had to have been there for 20 minutes, in dead silence, when finally, TC spoke.

" Chad is Eve's son."

TC looked over at Sam, who looked like he was in shock. He had nothing to say.

TC took a deep breath, let it out, and sighed.

" His father is Julian Crane."

Sam couldn't even pretend that he was understanding what TC was saying. This was too far out there for it to be true.

" Are you sure?", in a quiet whisper, was all Sam could come up with to respond.

TC nodded. " From my dear lying wife's lips. My whole marriage has been a lie." TC wasn't talking to Sam. He was simply stating a 'fact'.

" A lie…", he muttered once again. TC looked out over the water, and as the moon reflected off of the water, Sam could see the tears coming down TC's face. Sam put his hand on TC's shoulder to try and comfort him, but, he had nothing to say. Sam thought it was best to follow TC's lead.

" I connected with Chad from the first moment we met. I didn't understand why. But now, I guess, I saw his mother in him. How could she, Sam? How could she have THAT man's child? How could she have been with him?"

TC turned to Sam, to see if he could make any sense out of an inconceivable situation. Sam saw that TC was desperate for any kind of explanation. He didn't, but, tried.

" TC, it was years ago. Different time. Different place. You know that I've been dealing with Ivy. I look at her, and I try to see the young girl that I knew and loved. Maybe Julian was a different person back then."

" Julian Crane has always been a sonuvabitch!", TC yells.

" I know….to you, and to me. Maybe, Eve's seen a side to him that we don't know about."

Sam regretted the words as they came out.

" TC…it IS the past. Eve loves YOU. She's married to YOU."

" Sam, you're right. She and I are married, but, in name only. Because, love is built on trust, not LIES. I haven't had a marriage. I've had a lie. Nothing was real."

" TC, you love her."

" I don't even know her.", he responded in a dead voice.