Taking the Long Shot Ch. 03-04

"I did?"

"Apparently so."

"How much?"

"Several million!"

"Dollars?"

"No Pounds."

"Oh."

"Yes, very much oh. And the police thought that it was a very good motive for murder."

"So you're a rich man now!"

"No, quite the reverse. I'm a bankrupt and I exist on what I can screw out of the DHS."

"Oh dear, but how ... Surely you must have had some money when we got married ... And what happened to Cassandra's"

I noted that suddenly Cassandra had said 'we'. She had mentioned herself in the first tense.

"We had a very successful little company Cassandra. You'd just come on board as my partner."

"What happened?"

"People didn't like the idea of doing business with a murderer."

"Oh my god!"

"My sentiments exactly."

"And Cassandra's million's?"

"You weren't around long enough to do the relevant paperwork. And beside I knew nothing about the money until months after you'd disappeared."

"I see. What do you do now?"

"Drink."

"Sorry."

"I'm a professional drunk Cassandra. I've been drinking to try to forget."

"Cassandra?"

"Mostly."

"Oh. Look, Dan; I'm very confused. Surely if I was this Cassandra you all tell me I am, then I'd remember something about her. Her childhood or something."

"How about Sarah Lee. Tell me what do you remember about her childhood?"

A plaintive expression came over Cassandra's face. "Nothing." She said softly.

"Let me guess you remember nothing about Sarah Lee's life before you found yourself on that Cruise ship."

"No."

"Not even the husband she'd just divorced."

"No."

"See your life as Sarah Lee started just a day or so after Cassandra disappeared. No one here is trying to trick you, Cassandra; we are just trying to get you to remember who you really are."

"I think I know that, Dan. But being locked up in this place is driving me insane."

We'd been talking for nearly two hours and Peter Fox must have decided it was time to put in an appearance. He had a guy in a dark suit with him, who I was introduced to as Cassandra and her aunt's solicitor. I took an instant disliking to the guy, for the look of distain he threw my way.

He took an instant disliking to me when I insisted that I read some papers he wanted Cassandra to sign, before she did so. Not that Cassandra was going to sign them anyway, because she was still refusing to accept that she was Cassandra.

I didn't get to read the papers and Cassandra didn't sign them. So I suppose you could say that the encounter ended in a draw.

A little later - whilst Cassandra was resting in her room - I went for a walk in the clinic's grounds and had a long conversation with my brief on my mobile phone. He answered what questions I asked him that he could, and called me back with answers to others after he'd done some research.

Peter Fox and Lillian Skinner sat with Cassandra and I for dinner in the Clinic's dining room that evening.

"Peter, tell me, what's Cassandra's status here?" I asked during the meal

"What do you mean Dan, Cassie's a patient."

"If you please Peter, will you instruct all of your staff not to call Cassandra Cassie. Her name's Cassandra and always has been. No one I know has ever called her Cassie, not even her aunt and uncle. Cassandra", I continued turning to her, "please forgive me for talking about you in as if you're not here, but there are some things that I need to get straightened out in my mind."

Cassandra didn't reply, she just smiled, that wonderful smile that reminded me of why I had pursued and married her in the first place. Then I turned my attention back to Peter Fox.

"Voluntary, or has Cassandra been sectioned?" I asked.

"Um well, we shouldn't really discuss a patient in her presence like this Dan."

"Peter, as her husband, legally I'm Cassandra's next of kin. If she has been placed in your care under a court order, then surely I should know the details. If she's here voluntarily, then it's your duty to advise me of any treatment you proscribe and consult me at all times about her care."

"Cassandra's technically a voluntary patient." Fox finally admitted.

"And how is her treatment being funded, this is a private clinic isn't it?"

"The clinic bills her aunt."

"Via that solicitor, who was here this afternoon?"

"Yes, he settles the account."

"From Cassandra's trust fund, no doubt."

"I'm afraid I have no idea."

"I don't think the old witch is made of this kind of dough Peter. Now you told me yourself that everything you do is supposed to attempt to remind Cassandra of her past."

"That's correct"

"Then why pray tell me, have you been referring to her as Cassie?"

"I believe that's the name her aunt told us she went by."

"Not to my knowledge Peter. Cassandra always insisted on her full name being used. You might say that she had a complex about it."

The doctor lent closer to me and whispered. "Dan, are you insinuating what I think you're insinuating?"

"I'm insinuating nothing yet, Peter. But may I ask, how long was Cassandra in your care before you discovered that she'd been married, and who informed you of the fact."

"Helen Carpenter, Cassandra's aunt was under the impression that you'd had the marriage annulled. She was very surprised to learn that you hadn't."

"Oh, I'll bet the old witch was." I replied, and then I let the subject drop; much to Peter Fox's obvious relief.

That night I stayed in a room at the clinic.

"What was all that about last night." Cassandra asked me as we sat down to breakfast.

"You said you wanted out of here. I'm trying to find out if I can get you out. At least for a few days."

"I don't understand."

"Cassandra. You've been here how long?"

"Three, almost four months."

"And, I assume you were in a clinic of some kind in America."

"I was in a prison hospital over there. Until that doctor had me sent back here."

"Well I'm thinking that being in hospital hasn't helped you remember. Maybe getting out and going places that you used to go to might. Now I suspect that if I try to walk out of here with you there be an almightily stink. Besides that I'm bleeding broke. But if we can get control of your money back into your own hands, then you can do what you like."

"What just like that?"

"Yeah, I can't see any reason that you can't even stay as Sarah Lee if you wish."

"I can?"

"I don't see why not. Legally you'd be Cassandra Elks. Hey, just a minute, that sign on your room door. Did they change that lately?"

"No why."

"Then your aunt booked you in here under your married name. That proves the old witch knew that our marriage hadn't been annulled. Crafty bitch thought you'd be less likely to recall your married name, you'd only had it for a couple of weeks."

"I'm sure you've got the old lady wrong, Dan. She brought me back to the UK surely she wants me to regain my memory. What reason could she have not to?"

"I can think of a few million reasons Cassandra. Your Aunt and Uncle administer your trust fund."

"I've only got an Aunt, Dan."

"The old bugger must have died whilst you've been gone, surely you saw him on the wedding photos."

"No I've never seen any pictures of our wedding. They said that there are very few of Cassandra. And the ones I have seen, well it could be anyone."

"I'll bet you haven't seen the wedding pictures. But your Aunt and Uncle had the same album as we had. Damn I wonder where my ... our copy is? Must be in that damned storage place somewhere. I put as much as I could in storage when I lost the house. Spent the last of my cash paying ten years up front."

"Were you that broke?"

"Absolutely skint, girl. But I had a feeling you'd turn up again sometime. I wanted to keep all your stuff safe."

"Dan, you know. I was convinced that everybody was trying to con me somehow. But you're different, you really do believe that I'm Cassandra don't you?"

"I don't believe you're Cassandra, I know that you are."

"And I think I know that I'm really Cassandra as well now. But I just can't remember ever being her."

"Stop trying to remember Cassandra. Instead think of yourself as Sarah Lee masquerading as Cassandra Elks. Take the turmoil out of your mind and relax. When the time's right the memories will return, I'm sure of it."

"You think."

"Well it's got to be worth a try, hasn't it? Now I've got my legal people looking into getting your money into your hands. Then you can leave here whenever you like, you're a voluntary patient."

"But where will I go?"

"I don't know, a nice hotel or something, near to the clinic here just in case you want to speak to the good doctor."

"And what about you?"

There was more in that question of Cassandra's than first meets the eye.

"I'll be close by somewhere, don't you worry and no I'm not intending to jump your bones." A half-smile came over her face for an instant "I was Cassandra's husband, but I fully understand that I'm not Sarah Lee's husband. Should Sarah Lee ever turn back into Cassandra Elks, then all she's got to do is call. In the mean time, I'll remain Sarah's friend if I may?"

"I think I can understand why Cassandra fell in love with you." She smiled at me.

"Thanks, what do you reckon the odds are on Sarah falling for my charms?"

"We'll see?"

Later that morning I had a long conversation with Peter Fox. I can't say that he was over enamoured with my plan, but he couldn't come up with a better one.

Oh my plan was pretty simple. I intended courting Sarah Lee, I'd take her to all the places Cassandra and I had been to together. Somewhere along the line I was sure the penny would have to drop.

Of course we would need money and I had no choice other than to try to gain access to Cassandra's trust fund, on her behalf of course. I had no intention of any money going into a bank account that I had direct access to. Well not until Cassandra got her memory back at least.

Moving Cassandra to a hotel proved to be no problem. With Peter Fox's connivance we charged the hotel room to the clinic, who then charged Cassandra's trust fund via her aunt. I'm not saying that there wasn't a real hullabaloo over that though.

I stayed in a nearby bed and breakfast, also paid for by the clinic and surreptitiously funded by Cassandra's trust fund as well. Fox lost the cost in his charges.

As I'd half suspected the forms that solicitor had been trying to get Cassandra to sign that day, were powers of attorney. They were a last ditch effort, prompted by my appearance on the scene. And Cassandra's aunt did have another try to have Cassandra declared unfit to handle her own finances, so that she didn't have to hand over Cassandra's trust fund.

When Cassandra's aunt tried this time. Doctor Fox told the court that he was of the opinion that - although Cassandra still could not remember who she really was - she was as capable as anyone of handling her own finances and making sensible and logical judgements about her life. He told the judge that with the support of her husband, he was sure that Cassandra would eventually regain her memory completely.

As I'd also suspected, the old witch - and probably her husband as well when he was alive - had been dipping her fingers quite deeply into the pie since Cassandra had disappeared. But eventually most - if not all — of the capital was recovered. It was considered that — mainly because almost all the money had been replaced - the witch was too old and frail to prosecute. Her solicitor on the other hand was convicted of false accounting.

As soon as the money was handed over to Cassandra's control, she purchased a flat very near the one she'd had when I first met her. It was a three-bedroom affair and the day she moved in, she insisted that I move in there with her; only in a separate bedroom. By that time I was getting some real stick form the DHS.

In the UK, if your wife is a millionaire, it's sort of assumed that she will support you.

Cassandra's excuse for me moving in the flat was that it would be cheaper than paying for my lodgings.

But the move had the disadvantage — for me — of killing what little chance that I had of getting any cash at all from the social. I had to go out and find myself a job, although Cassandra wasn't best pleased when I did that. She could not understand my aversion to taking spending money from her.

I had been spending most of every day with her, but although she'd seen all the pictures and film that I'd had of her, inside she was still Sarah Lee. I think by then, I was beginning to think that I'd never get the real Cassandra back.

Surprisingly for me a marked change did occur after I found a full time job. A week or so after I started, I came home from work one evening to find Cassandra sitting on the sofa with tears running down her face. On her lap was our wedding album.

"I went over, sat beside her and placed my arm around her shoulder.

"I looked so happy that day, why can't I remember it?" She softly wailed.

This might not sound like a break through to some folks, but it was to me. It was the first time Cassandra had expressed a real longing to remember. Before that day I do believe, Cassandra had wanted to remain Sarah Lee.

Later that night she surprised me again, when she crept into my room and climbed into bed with me.

"Cassandra are you all right?" I asked quietly.

"I might not remember the ceremony, but you're my husband." She replied. Then cuddled up close to me.

No, we didn't have sex; she just cuddled up to me. We hadn't even kissed once since she'd reappeared.

The following morning though she kissed me good morning and good-bye when I went off to work. Cassandra must have spent a while moving all my stuff into the master bedroom during the day and from then on we shared that king-size bed every night.

It was three or four days before we made love together, I took things very slowly so's not to spook her. But once I got her started I soon remembered all the right buttons to push, if you understand me.

The weeks rolled into months but still there was no sign of Cassandra's memory returning. She even got to know some of our old friends who somewhat tentatively raised their heads above the parapet.

Their reticence no doubt caused by the fact that most of them had been in the "Dan must have murdered Cassandra" camp.

It often called for some fortitude on my account for me to contain my true feelings at those meetings. However, I had to pretend; anyone of them could have been the key to bringing Cassandra's memory back. Regretfully most of them were more interested in hearing about Sarah Lee's life, in the four years she'd been gone.

We'd been sharing the flat and living together as man and wife for six months when we heard from Dmitar again, via his son. Dmitar was coming to the UK for his son's university graduation ceremony in Bristol. His son told me that Dmitar would like to see Cassandra again whilst he was in the country.

This brought a germ of an idea into my mind that I ran past Peter Fox. He agreed and I spent many hours on the phone to Dmitar's son organising everything.

When we entered that same restaurant that evening, Dmitar and his party were already there. Dmitar keeping his head down so that Cassandra wouldn't see him.

What we were attempting to achieve was to set everything up, as it had been the night Cassandra disappeared. Only this time Peter Fox and Lillian Skinner were hiding in an alcove, just in case things backfired on me.

Dmitar and his son had even tried to get all of the same party at their table. They succeeded in being as noisy as they had been the first time, anyway.

Everything went as it had, Cassandra and I eating the same meals, not that she was aware of the fact. Cassandra didn't even know that it was the restaurant that she'd run off from.

The timing was almost perfect, I was drinking my rum coffee and behind me I could hear the speeches in Serbo-Croat going on. When suddenly I noticed that Cassandra had turned as white as a sheet again. I was ready this time though and asked her what was wrong.

But as I did so the colour came back into Cassandra's face, so much so, that she almost turned crimson. She didn't answer me; she just sat there staring at whoever was speaking on Dmitar's table. I looked at who she was staring at expecting it to be Dmitar, but it wasn't. I assumed that it was one of Dmitar's son's friend's fathers.

How Peter Fox knew what was going on, I don't know. But suddenly he was standing beside Cassandra's chair, crouching down so that he could speak to her quietly.

"Who is he Cassandra?" Peter asked.

"The man who murdered my father!" She whispered in reply.

Suddenly the man realised that Peter Fox, Lillian Skinner, Cassandra and I, who were all now standing and staring at him. Confused, he stopped speaking.

This caught Dmitar's attention and he looked at Cassandra and then at the man who'd been speaking. Dmitar didn't speak; maybe he somehow already suspected what Cassandra had just told us. Dmitar just launched himself at the man.

Bedlam rained for several minutes with a considerable amount of damage being done to the restaurant. Then we were faced with the man lying unconscious on the floor and several others being restrained by other members of the party. Dmitar seemed to be back in charge and he barked orders at several people, who removed the prone man from the restaurant.

As the rest of the party set about helping the staff repair the damage, well at least putting the restaurant back into some semblance of order.

Dmitar looked back towards the four of us. "He will be taken back to our homeland and severely punished for what he did. I am sorry Nada!" Dmitar said in surprisingly good English, for him.

The whole conflagration couldn't have lasted more than five or six minutes and during it all I stood there transfixed in a state of shock. It was only when Cassandra's arm snaked around my waist that I came to my senses.

I looked down at her.

"I wonder what Scotland's like at this time of year Dan, shall we go and see now?" She asked.

I lent down and kissed my wife.

Life goes on.