Sacrifices of the Soul, Chapter Nine
 

The clerk at the Harmony Hotel looked up to see Chad standing there, in his full construction worker’s garb, which was dirty.

" May I help you?"

" Yeah. I want to see Eve Russell."

" Is she a guest here?", the clerk said, suspicious.

" Would I ask to see her if she wasn’t?"

" I’ll phone the room.", the clerk used the phone and dialed Eve’s room. " There seems to be no answer."

" Do you know when she will come back?"

" We don’t usually meddle in the personal affairs of our guests, or keep track of them."

" Well, she’s been staying here for MONTHS, so I thought maybe you would know a few of her habits."

" I don’t. "

" Can I leave a message for her?"

" Surely."

Chad stood there, waiting for the pen and paper from the clerk, but, it never came.

" EXCUSE ME. I SAID, CAN I LEAVE A MESSAGE!", Chad said, his anger rising.

Now, the clerk was in full attitude herself. " I’m sure you MAY leave a message..but, are you sure that DOCTOR Russell is expecting a message from you?"

" Look Lady, it’s none  of yo’ DAMN BUSINESS if she’s ‘expecting’ a message from me. Gimme some paper and a pen so I can leave it."

" I don’t think that I like your tone."

" Am I supposed to give a shit that you don’t like ‘my tone?’  Gimme the paper."

" I don’t think so. I think you should leave."

" LEAVE? What the fuck  do you mean, ‘leave’? I came to LEAVE A MESSAGE. Until I do that, I’m not going anywhere."

" Yes, you are."

" No, I ain’t. "

" We’ll see about that.", and the Clerk picks up the phone, and Clicks the button for security. " There, that will take care of it."

" Take care of it? Oh, I see. You called for what…..some backup? Lady, I don’t care if you called out a SWAT team, I’m not going ANYWHERE."

The Manager, who had been in his office, had been hearing this escalating argument, and came out to see what was happening. Upon leaving his office and seeing Chad, he felt ill. While his Clerk was an older woman who thought reading tabloids beneath her, he read them all. And, he recognized Chad immediately. He knew that he had to diffuse this situation, and fast. He was no fool. He knew what a Crane could do to him in Harmony, even an illegitimate Black one. He rushed over to the desk.

" Excuse me, Sir. I’m Mr. Harmon, the Manager. Is there something that I can do for you."

Chad was a little taken off his game. He was expecting hostility. This civility took him by surprise, and he calmed down. The Manager saw the Security Guards approaching, and warned them off with his eyes, and they went away.

" I told her", he motioned to the clerk, " that I’m looking for Dr. Eve Russell."

" Well, Dr. Russell IS a registered guest at the hotel, and she’s paid for a room for 6 months, but, Dr. Russell isn’t presently at the hotel."

" When will she be back?"

" I don’t happen to know. I got a note and a check paying for the room. We keep all mail forwarded to her in a file for her to retrieve when she returns."

" She didn’t leave a forwarding address or how to get in contact with her?"

" No Sir, I’m sorry, she didn’t. "

" Well, I’m going to leave a message for her anyway. Does she call, from time to time?"

" No Sir. No phone calls from Dr. Russell either. " The Manager was already giving Chad the pen and paper that he wanted. Chad wrote a message, and placed it in an envelope.

" Will you make sure that she gets this, WHEN she returns. And, would you make your staff aware, that if Dr. Russell calls, she’s to get in contact with her daughter Simone, immediately. THIS is important."

" Of course it is, Sir. And, I’ll make sure that the staff is informed."

Chad stuck his hand out for the Manager to shake. " Thank you for your help. I appreciate it."

" No problem, Sir. I was glad to help."

Chad turned and walked away. The clerk was standing there, in disbelief, and as soon, as Chad was out of earshot, Harmon motioned for the clerk to join him in his office.
 

" Pilar, did you finish the arrangements with the caterer for the party celebrating Ethan’s ascent to the Presidency of Crane Industries?", Ivy asks while looking over the guestlist.

" Yes, Mrs. Crane. Everything seems to be in order."

" Good. I want this event to be absolutely perfect. It’s not everyday that one’s son assumes the mantle of such power. I want this to be an event that Harmony will never forget. I mean this is THE first event of the kind of Ethan as President, and I want him to be…", Ivy is interrupted by the doorbell.

" I’ll get it, Mrs. Crane." Pilar goes to the door, and opens it up to,

" Chad!"

" Hey, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald. I was wondering if……if…."

" Mr. Crane is in his study. Come in."

Chad stepped over the threshold into the Mansion. He hadn’t been there since ‘that night’, and he didn’t like it here one bit. He followed Pilar, and when they got to the Living Room, Ivy looked up in surprise.

" Chad?! Well, what a surprise."

" Hi Mrs. Crane", he almost mumbles.

" Mrs. Crane sounds too FORMAL…and, after all, we ARE family….aren’t we?", Ivy says smiling and the only thing that Chad can think is, ‘your fangs are showing’.

" So, Chad, you have to call me Ivy. I am your Stepmother, right?"

" Right, Mrs..Cr…..Ivy."

" See! That wasn’t so hard. I assume you’re here to see Julian, right?"

" Yes."

" Ok. Well, I’ll be seeing you. " Chad turns to follow Pilar when Ivy speaks up… " Chad, I was wondering….."

" What is it?"

" We’re going to be throwing a party celebrating Ethan’s promotion to the Presidency of Crane Industries. Don’t you want to come? It’s going to be at the Country Club."

Chad could smell a setup a mile away. " I’ll get back to you."

Ivy smiled and replied, " You do that."

Chad followed Pilar, and when they were out of earshot of Ivy leaned in and said, " Is she SERIOUS?’

" I don’t know, Chad. But, be careful around Mrs. Crane. She doesn’t love anyone more than Ethan, and she won’t take threats against Ethan lightly."

" Threats? What threats against Ethan. I admit that I threatened to kick his A…butt, a couple of times, but, that was over Theresa. " Chad hesitated a moment. " You know my feelings on Ethan and Theresa, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald. I think he did her wrong."

Pilar placed her hand on Chad’s soldier. " I am so happy that Theresita has a friend like you, Chad. You always look out for her best interests, and care for her. I can see that. But, you are a Crane. You may not want to be, but, that’s who you are- - Mr. Crane’s son. And, because of that, Mrs. Crane considers you a threat to Ethan. Remember, she will do ANYTHING to protect Ethan and his position in the Crane Empire."

" Look. I don’t want anything to do with the ‘Crane Empire’. I ain’t here to see him for myself. I don’t want JACK to do with him. "

They arrive at the door to Julian’s study.

" I’m telling you Warren….this company isn’t going to achieve like you think it is."

Julian hears the knock at the door.

" Come in.", he calls. Upon seeing Pilar enter with Chad, " Warren, I’ll have to call you back. I’ll drop by if ever I get to Omaha.", and he hangs up the phone.

" Thank you, Pilar."

Pilar leaves, but, Chad is still standing at the back of the room.

" Do you expect me to yell? I will, though if you intend for this to be a private conversation, it will defeat the point."

Chad walks closer to the desk. Julian offers him a seat. Chad remains standing. After an awkward silence….

" Have you heard from her?"

" Her."

" Has she been in contact with you? I don’t give a damn, but, Simone came to see me. She’s been trying to get in contact with her, but, so far, nothing."

" I see."

" So, do you know how to get in touch with her? I’ve been by her hotel, and the Manager said that the bill was paid, but, she hadn’t been there in awhile."

" Why would you think that I would know how to contact your mother?"

" I dunno. I went down the list of people that I thought she might still be in contact with, and though you were low on the list, I figure you’re still talking to her. Nobody else really is."

" Well, I do not know where you mother is."

Chad shrugs his shoulders. " It was worth a shot. If you hear from her, tell her that her REAL Children thought she gave a shit about them, and that she should check in with Simone. Later." He turns and walks out.

Julian is rubbing his temples when Sheridan comes into the study.

" Julian, was that CHAD that I saw walking down the driveway as I was coming up to the house?"

" Yes."

Sheridan smiled a little. " What was he doing here?"

Julian was beginning to answer when Ivy opened the door and came in.

" Sheridan, I’m glad that you finished those papers, and there’s no need for you to go back and retrieve them. I’ll walk to the cottage with you and pick them up. "

Sheridan looked at Julian with a little confusion, but decided to say nothing.

" Is there something that you wanted, Ivy?"

" Oh, nothing, just to give you the latest guestlist for Ethan’s party, and to see what Chad wanted?"

" Put the list on my desk, and why Chad came is none of your concern, Ivy. I’ve told you that before."

" Yes, you did." Ivy drops the guestlist off on Julian’s desk and leaves.

Julian takes Sheridan’s arm and leads her out of the study and out of the house. They walks back to her cottage, in silence. Once they cross the threshhold, Sheridan speaks.

" I guess you don’t want anyone to know why Chad was there."

" Very astute of you."

Sheridan began to smile a little as she said, " Chad came and told you that he wanted a relationship with you? I know how Ivy is…..Ethan and all, and that’s why you don’t want her to know."

Julian turned around and looked at Sheridan as if she had lost her mind. " No, Sheridan. Chad doesn’t want a relationship. He doesn’t want anything to do with me. He came to ask me if I knew where Eve was."

" Eve?……Oh, Julian, that’s terrific!", Sheridan exclaimed.

Julian looked at her in confusion. Sheridan went on, " Well, if Chad wants to make contact with his mother, then, it will only be a little while before he wants to get to know his father."

" I hate you burst your bubble, Sheridan, but, Chad doesn’t want to make contact with Eve for himself. He came to see me to ask me if I knew where Eve was. Simone Russell came to him, upset because she hadn’t heard from her mother. So, Chad thought that I would know."

" And?"

" I told him that I didn’t know where his mother was."

Julian  got up from the couch, and stood, looking out the window. There was a silence, and then Sheridan, picking up on the clues, said, " But, you weren’t telling him the truth, were you? You know where Eve is, don’t you?"

Julian stood in silence for a few moments, and then turned to Sheridan. " I don’t know if I should trust you."

" You’ll never know unless you try."

Julian looked up at the ceiling and then with an exhale looked Sheridan straight in the eyes.
" Yes, I know where Eve is. She’s the Oak Forest Sanitarium."

Sheridan looked at him in shock.

" Eve had a breakdown."

" WHEN?"

" A few months back. I found her, and I took her to Oak Forest. She’s been there ever since."

" How is she?"

" I don’t know. At first, she was catatonic. Now, she’s just mute."

" Mute?"

" Yes. She will sit in the same place for hours on end, not saying a word to anyone."

" And, nobody knows about this but you?"

" Yes. I thought that she just needed a little time to rest and pick herself up after everything that happened."

" What about TC? Her daughters?"

" I can honestly say that TC was the last thing on my mind. He threw her out and away. If he had forgiven her, she wouldn’t have had a breakdown. Her daughters also threw her away."

" Well, that can’t be true, if Simone is looking for her."

" NOW, Sheridan. NOW, she is. But, back then, she had frozen out Eve like everyone else had. Her family was the last thing on my mind. I was more concerned about what an incident like this getting out would do to her medical career. "

" Her Medical Review Board hearing.", Sheridan muses out loud.

" Yes. Her hearing. Being a doctor isn’t a job for Eve. It’s her life. There are a lot of reasons why being a doctor is important to her. How deep a part of her it actually is."

Sheridan watched Julian as he was explaining this. There was so much passion and expression in his body as he said it. Growing up a Crane, Sheridan knew that very few truths were ever SPOKEN. If you wanted to even think that you were ‘in the know’, observation was the key. Observing Julian now had been very interesting for Sheridan indeed.

" When is the hearing?"

" A matter of weeks. So, all my secrecy may have been for nothing. No matter what kind of strings I’ve pulled, if Eve doesn’t show up for the hearing, her career is over."

" And, the doctors?"

" A bunch of overpaid quacks. They’ve accomplished nothing."

" Have you seen Eve?"

Julian mumbled an answer, but, it was said so low, that Sheridan didn’t hear. " I’m sorry Julian, I didn’t hear."

" I said, everyday."

Sheridan was about to smile, but, caught herself. She had overheard Ivy and Pilar talking about Julian’s latest ‘mistress’. Now, she knew where Julian disappeared to every afternoon.

Julian took Sheridan’s silence as condemnation. " Ok, just say it…I was wrong and evil to not be perfectly honest, and keeping secrets."

" Actually, I was going to say that I thought you did the right thing. You’re right in trying to protect Eve…."

" But."

" But, now, that Simone is looking for her mother, it’s not fair that she be kept in the dark."

" Do you really think that a teenaged girl can deal with her mother having a mental breakdown, with everything else that has gone on?", Julian asked with utter sincerity, trying to find some answers.

Sheridan thought about it for a moment. " No. I don’t think that Simone can really deal with it. Actually, I don’t know. And, neither do you. The person she seems closest to is Chad right now. He’s the one she went to for help. I don’t think it’s your place to tell Simone. But, I think it IS your place to tell Chad."

" CHAD?! Chad hates Eve, and me."

" But, this isn’t about him. This is about Simone, his little sister. And, Chad needs to be aware of what’s going on, so that HE can make an informed decision where she’s concerned. He might tell her the truth about Eve, or maybe he won’t. What does he THINK happened to Eve?"

" He believes that she’s abandoned her ‘REAL’ children also."

" Ouch. You don’t have much of a choice, Julian.  I think you should tell him."

" What if he runs to the Medical Review Board?"

" Then, that’s what happens. You can ask him not to tell…make him aware of the severity of the situation."

" But, what if…"

" Julian. You have to begin building a relationship with him sometime. This can be the opening for the two of you."

Julian looked at Sheridan, not knowing what he will do.
 

Kay was at the kitchen table, slicing vegetables for the lasagna that would be tonight’s dinner, when the door opened, and in came Miguel. He was smiling.

" Hey Kay."

" Hey Miguel. What’s up?"

Miguel took a piece of paper out of back pocket.

" THIS….is what’s we’re going to use to help Simone. The Three Musketeers are together again."

Kay smiled and was curious.
 

Julian was back in his study, thinking about the conversation with Sheridan when he saw Pilar go by.

" Pilar! "

Pilar entered the study.

" Yes, Mr. Crane."

" Close the door."

Pilar did as he asked, and went over to the desk. Julian motioned for Pilar to sit down, and she did.

" Pilar, I am aware that Chad is staying at your house."

" He lives in the apartment above my garage."

" What does Chad owe you?" Julian says, taking out his checkbook.

Pilar motions for him to stop. " I will not take your money, Mr. Crane. Whatever financial matters between Chad and I, will be between us. Chad is an independent young man, Mr. Crane. I will not insult him by either discussing financial matters with you, or accepting anything from you on his behalf. If that is all, Mr. Crane, I have duties."

Pilar got up from the chair, and was walking to leave when Julian spoke up.

" Pilar. I will accept this situation..FOR NOW. But, if I ever learn that Chad NEEDED me, and I was not informed immediately, you can find yourself another job. "

" Goodday, Mr. Crane."
 
 

Charity was coming down the stairs from sorting the laundry, and she had several dish towels to put away. Once she got into the living room, she was stopped by a chill that came over her. She knew what it was….it was another premonition coming over her. She could only stand and wait it out. She felt the images forming, and then, she heard her heart pounding at the image that was playing in her mind. Charity had to sit down on the couch, for her knees weakened at what she just saw……..

Miguel and Kay were at the beach. Kay had loosened her bikini top, and Miguel was putting suntan lotion on her back. Kay turned over and pulled Miguel into a passionate kiss….one in which Miguel was fully responding.

" I love you, Kay.", Miguel said, before moving in for a second kiss.