The Scandal Ch. 01

"But you know that isn't possible Mrs. Bennington. I have been instructed by Mr. Bennington not to communicate anything from you to him. He told me that you knew that from the CD that I gave you."

"I know what was in the CD Mr. Green but I don't care. You must know that I will not sit idly by and watch my marriage destroyed. I will find him, and if you won't help me, I will find someone who will."

"That's your privilege Mrs. Bennington but I can't help you. I'm very sorry. There is nothing I can do for you."

So far, the meeting had gone pretty much as I expected. I was going to try something else and see if it got me anywhere.

"In that case, I will use the money that Al is giving me and I will hire an attorney to file suit against you as agent for my husband and I will contest the divorce."

I saw that I had Mr. Green's attention now. I watched as he considered what I had threatened to do. He seemed to reach some decision.

"All I can do is let Mr. Bennington know your position. I don't honestly know when I can do that since I don't know where to reach him. He contacts me, not the other way around. If that's not satisfactory, you will have to proceed as you see fit."

I had expected that since it was exactly as Al said in his CD.

"I will wait until you can reach him. When you do reach him, I want you to get this envelope to him. In the meantime, I will accept the conditions, but I will only do this until I hear from you. Do we understand each other?"

Mr. Green rose and took my hand. He assured me that he would let my husband know my position at the first opportunity. He really didn't know when that would be and I believed him. I knew Al well enough to know that he wasn't bluffing.

I went home to my lonely house and proceeded to make some phone calls. I needed to find a job and I needed to do it very soon. Money wasn't necessarily an issue but health insurance benefits were. I contacted three people I knew from the other institutions around town and got two interviews for the next several days. I updated my resume' and prepared to enter the job market again.

Over the next three months, I found and started a new job at a very large loan company as an entry level agent. I didn't mind this as it gave me a lot of free time without any responsibilities, and with the money Al provided I didn't need a lot. I worked with seven other men and women and we got along fine. I made friends with a couple of the women and became very close to Mary, one of the older women and a divorcee just like me. We began to share our life stories as women do and Mary was very sympathetic to my plight. Her situation was much more mundane. She and her husband just grew to dislike each other and since they had no children they agreed to separate. She kept their home in the divorce and she had some money of her own so she was also working only for the benefits. She was happy being single. I offered to introduce her to Woody, but she wasn't ready yet. It was probably for the best, as I hadn't spoken to him since that day when my world ended.

During this time, Clive had continued to work for me but had dropped his intensive search in favor of a very wide spread, but affordable, net as he called it. He had feelers out on all of Al's credit cards, his SS number and several other items of identification that I had given him and he said that sooner or later, if he were in the country, he would get a hit. This didn't cost me much and it kept the search going.

On the second matter, he was more confident. He had inquiries out that he expected to hear from within the next few months. Again, this was within my budget so I was content with that. It was also just about this time that Mr. Green called to say that he had forwarded my envelope to Al but that Al had given no response. He assured me that Al had taken delivery so I thanked him and continued waiting.

Two years went by without much happening. I rose within the institution that I worked for and soon was making enough money to begin to consider using more of my income to intensify my search. I considered hiring another PI, but when I spoke to my guy, he said if money were the issue he would have told me. So, I waited.

Mary and I were very good friends by now and we were often together when not at work. She asked one day if I would consider moving in with her since she still had the house she lived in before the divorce. It was a four-bedroom two story house in a very nice neighborhood. She said she wanted to keep the house but it was so big and lonely with only her. She said I would have my own bedroom with my own bath. I said I'd consider it if she would allow me to pay rent. I thought about it and decided to take her up on her offer. I could then sell my little house and never have to look at it again. I continued to live there after Al left, but the memories that crept up on me at odd times were extremely painful. If it were gone, maybe the memories would go with it.

So it was that I sold the place and I was living with Mary when Clive called to tell me he had some information on my secondary target. He said he had a complete dossier that I could look at before deciding what I wanted him to do next. I drove to his office the following day to get the dossier and to talk briefly with him. He said that he was beginning to get little pieces of information back that he thought indicated Al might be resurfacing. It was Clive's opinion that Al had a source of funds that he wanted to keep secret from the Feds. He thought Al might be buying time. I left his office feeling optimistic for the first time in almost three years.

That evening I told Mary what I had and she left me alone to read the dossier. It was a complete report on my daughter Jennifer who was now almost 30 years old. I hadn't seen or talked with her since she was 18, when she ran away. According to the report, she was living in a small trailer in a town about 3 hours away. She worked on an assembly line in a small industrial plant and lived with a daughter 10 years old. The report indicated her husband was deceased and she had no steady men friends. She had no record according to the police and she had never been in any trouble while she lived there. The report said that she had moved into the trailer 5 years ago and had worked in the plant for the same length of time. Prior to that, she lived in another state but the records indicated no problems there either.

I reread the report several times to be sure but it seemed that Jennifer had settled down and was raising my granddaughter by herself. She seemed to be stable and not in any trouble. I found an address and a phone number as well as the daughter's name: Angelina. When I saw that, my heart leaped. I guess she had thought of us when the baby was born. Al and I never knew we had a granddaughter.

I talked with Mary that evening and she encouraged me to contact Jennifer and try to get to know my granddaughter. I wanted to but I was afraid. I remembered what she was like and I knew that it would break my heart if I saw her and found her to be the same disturbed child that ran away 12 years ago. But, since I was alone now, I had to take the chance. Mary volunteered to go with me and we made plans to drive there Saturday morning. According to the report, she worked day shift Monday to Friday and she was off on the weekends.

The trip went smoothly in spite of my nervousness and we stopped at a gas station just three blocks from her trailer. I went to the pay phone and called her while Mary held my hand. The phone rang twice and a young girl answered.

"Hello? This is Angie."

I was so nervous that I tried several times to say something, but finally got my voice back.

"Hello Angie. Is your mother there?"

"Yes she is. May I ask who's calling?"

"Just tell her it is someone from her past. She probably doesn't remember me."

I heard her yell for her mother while she held her hand over the phone. I waited while my anxiety grew.

"This is Jennie, who's this?"

"Jennifer, it's your mother. I'm here in Temple and I was wondering if I could stop and see you."

There was silence at the other end and my heart rose in my mouth. Maybe she wouldn't want to see me and this trip was for nothing. I thought my heart would break if that were the case. As the seconds drew on, I was sure she wouldn't see me.

"I'm sorry, I was just shocked. Of course, I would love to see you and have you meet Angie. How far away are you? How soon can you get here? Oh, mom, I so want to see you."

My heart leaped into my throat and my stomach flipped over. It was going to be all right.

"I am only a couple of blocks away. I can be there in just a few minutes. Oh, by the way, I have a lady friend with me if that's OK?"

"Bring her of course. It's no problem. Hurry, please."

We drove to her place and it was as wonderful as I had hoped. Jennie was a completely different person, beautiful and intelligent and a wonderful mother to Angie. She had grown into a woman with a sad face and eyes far older than her 30 years. She had long black hair and dark brown eyes, just like her birth father. Angie was almost more than I can describe. She was tall for her age, beautiful like her mother but with green eyes and a full mop of red hair that she must have gotten from her father's side. She was very smart and she was delighted with her newfound grandma. She had always wanted one and now she had her very own. We spent the day with them and they accepted Mary and I without reservation. I was so happy that I found them.

We left that night to return home with promises to see each other again the next weekend, but it was Mary that suggested later that week that we invite Jennie and Angelina to move in with us. I hadn't even thought to suggest it but Mary raised the idea on her own. I asked her what Jennifer would do about her job and Mary insisted that we could find her a job locally without any trouble. We could even bring her into the office where she and I worked since we had several openings. I loved the idea and phoned Jennie the next morning.

Jennie listened to my suggestion but wouldn't commit to anything without talking with Angelina first. She also wondered what to do about a job but I told her that I thought I knew someone who would be willing to give her a start in a good job. She could get out of the factory and she could save some money at first by living with us. The schools were better here for Angie and that was what finally made the difference.

Without going into much detail, Jennifer and Angelina moved in with Mary and I two months later. Jennifer sold her trailer and most of her belongings and Mary and I rented a truck and went to bring my daughter and granddaughter home. We moved them in to the two extra bedrooms and it worked out wonderfully. Mary and Jennie got along quite well and Mary just adored Angie. It seemed the feeling was mutual.

I made a call to Woody, the first time I had talked with him in almost three years. He was delighted to hear from me and I agreed to meet with him for lunch. We caught up on our past and I asked him how he was doing. He was not dating and seemed to be resigned to being a bachelor. I just smiled and told him not to despair. A good looking man like him was bound to fall sooner or later. He said nothing, but I caught his look. I quickly told him about Jennie and asked if he could find her a place. He immediately said he could and I asked if he would take an interest and train her as he had trained me. Again, he agreed and I set up a meeting between them for later in the week. We talked a while longer and I left, feeling good about things.

Woody and Jennifer did meet and she started working for him right away. After the first two weeks, Jennie was delighted with her new job and a phone call from Woody assured me that she was doing well. Now that she had a good job with a future, she could begin to pay her own way. Mary good-naturedly refused any thought of rent but she finally gave in when Jennifer threatened to move out. Life was good for all of us.

It was on one of our shopping trips that Jennie finally asked me about Woody and our relationship. We had taken a break in one of the food courts. She said that he spoke of me often and always with a little sadness. She said it was clear that he was in love with me. I considered it and then finally told her the whole story of Al, Woody and I. I let it all pour out and I felt so much better afterwards. I had still not given up on Al but I was not letting my guilt and sadness control my life any more. After all, my infidelity had brought my daughter and granddaughter back to me. So much good from something so bad.

Jennifer was very quiet as I told her the story. She watched me as I told her of our problems and how Al had spiraled down into despair and how I had stayed with him for all that time but also how I had failed him when he needed me most. I told her of my night with Woody but made it clear to her that Woody was not to blame. He remained a good friend and he had never pressured me or made any overtures once I told him how I felt. She listened to all of it, and when I was finished, she rose and came to sit beside me with her arm around my shoulder. I couldn't help it and cried on her shoulder. I seemed to cry a lot when I remembered my life before.

That day brought Jennie and I closer than we had ever been and we finally became what we never were: mother and daughter. I thanked God for allowing me to find her and Angie again. I never knew what I was missing until I found them again.

Time passed and Jennifer received several promotions to senior account manager. She was now making good money and she was paying her own way with Mary and I. I had decided some time ago to contact Mr. Green again and arrange for him to open a trust fund in Angelina's name. It was funded by the weekly alimony from Al. I had all of it put into that account and I transferred the money I got from the house into it as well. By the time she was ready, she would have the money for college. She would have all I could give her. We never got to give it to Jennifer so it was long overdue. Jennifer had tears in her eyes as I told her of the trust fund.

It had now been just over four years since Al walked out on me. I had made a good life for myself and my daughter and granddaughter. We were all still living with Mary since she had a fit every time we talked of moving into our own place. We stayed with her out of loyalty and gratitude. In turn she gave us unconditional love and friendship. It was a match made in heaven. It probably saved my life and I know it made a better life for Angie and Jen. So it was until one dark, rainy Monday that I will never forget.

"Angie, can you find Jennie so we can all talk?"

Mary had just come back into the kitchen after finishing some work she had to do in the den while Angie and I had finished the dishes from dinner. Jennie was doing some laundry and pressing some clothes for Angie for school.

"Sure. Angie, go find your mother. I think she's in the laundry room."

Angie left while I turned to Mary.

"What's going on? I know that tone of voice. You have some news to tell us and I don't think it's good news."

"No, it's not but I would rather have all of you around me when I tell you. Is that OK?"

"Whatever you do is OK with me. You know that. I love you and I will always love you regardless."

I waited as the two girls came in and took seats around our kitchen table, where we had eaten so many wonderful meals together as friends and family. We all watched as Mary gathered herself to tell us what she had to say.

"I just got the news from my Doctor this morning about a problem I have been having. I never said much because I didn't want to worry any of you but I knew it might be serious so I saw him a week ago. He called this morning. I have cancer of the pancreas. It is already far advanced and he thinks I may only have about 6 months to live."

That was the news. That was the way our wonderful little world was about to end. Jennifer and I looked at each other and we both had tears in our eyes. Angie just jumped up and ran out of the room to cope with her grief as little girls do. She would come back when she had learned how to deal with it. Jennie and I weren't so lucky. We knew the real world and it had come to find us. Our world would be Mary and making her as comfortable and happy as we could. There was no discussion: we knew and we told Mary as much. She tried to protest, but not very hard.

We three talked well into the night, dealing with all of the ramifications of care, medicines, diets and final arrangements. It was not pleasant, but it had to be done and we were going to do it. Mary was the strongest of us three, maybe because she had time to come to terms with it. We had to catch up. Angie went to bed without coming back in but she would be OK.

As time passed, Mary grew more and more incapacitated. Jennifer and I hired a full time nurse to come in during the day when we were at work and Angie was in school. Mary was not able to do much for herself now and she needed someone there all the time. The morphine she was on incapacitated her sometimes to the point where she depended entirely on Jennie and I. We took turns in the evenings and on weekends caring for her. Things progressed until one day Mary asked me to sit with her. She had some things to say.

"I want you to know that I have loved you being here with me. I was happier than I had ever expected to be once Paul and I divorced. You were a godsend to me. And when we found Jennifer and Angelina, I was even happier. To have your daughter and your granddaughter come back to you made me so happy I thanked God every night. Since I had no children of my own, Angie was even more precious."

I said nothing but I held her hand and smiled as she spoke. I felt the same way and I had told her so many times that it didn't need to be said again.

"I have left everything to you in my will. Since Paul is dead, I have no one else and you have become the most important person in my life so it's all yours. You can continue to make this place your home and Jennifer and Angie can stay with you for as long as they want to. I know you don't need anything from me but I want you to have it."

I was so choked with emotion that I couldn't speak but Mary could see it in my eyes. She just squeezed my hand and lay back, exhausted, to close her eyes. I remained with her, holding her hand and wiping her face with a wet cloth to ease her discomfort.

It was just a week later that Mary died. She went in her sleep, peacefully I hoped. I found her the next morning and Jennifer and I held each other as we dealt with our grief. I called work to take the time I needed to make the final arrangements. According to Mary's wishes, she wanted to be buried in the cemetery where her mother and father were buried. I contacted a funeral home and they took care of the details. We planned the service for that Friday and I was pleased with the turnout during the viewing and later for the service and funeral. Mary had many friends, most of whom I knew but some that I had never met. All were sad to lose her as a friend.

Angie took it harder than I had expected. I think it had to do with the love that Mary extended for a little girl that had never known her grandmother or her father. He had died in the service without ever seeing her. She took her in and Angie spent a great deal of time with Mary while she was sick. She hardly left her side in the evenings and she never stayed at play long without coming in to see her 'greatgram'. That's what she called her: her great grandmother.

As the guests left, some running to avoid the rain that continued to fall, I remained behind with Angie and Jennifer. We were all reluctant to leave, believing that it wasn't final as long as we could still reach out and touch her coffin. Finally, Jennifer took Angie by the hand and walked to the coffin for the final goodbye. Angie put a small rose on the coffin and blew a kiss.