Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 16 (11 page)

As though she
’
d finished her job of talking, Willow grabbed the blanket, pulled it over her shoulder, curled into a ball around the bucket, and promptly fell asleep.
Chad stood in the doorway, hands stuffed in his jeans and shook his head as she slept.
She was so fragile
-
looking and the words fragile and Willow didn
’
t belong in the same thought.

He went into Kari
’
s old room, looked at the shelf between the closet and bedroom doors, and then glanced around the rest of the room.
They weren
’
t in there.
He checked the spare and craft rooms, the shelf in the living room, and finally found them on the top shelf of the closet in the library.
He pulled the three volumes from the shelf and stared curiously at them.
Three volumes for less than nine months of life.
She
’
d been
—
prolific in recording her thoughts, dreams, and fears.

He set his cell
phone to ring at one-thirty and sank into the couch already dreading the words to come.
As an officer, even the thought of what Kari had endured made him livid.
Why should the wealthy get away with crimes like that?
How could Steven Solari even think his money could salve the pain his son inflicted on a young woman?

October—

I have the check.
I don
’
t know what to do with it.
I took it because I thought I
’
d take it to the
police for proof of who it was,
but I
’
m scared.
It
’
s my word against Steve
’
s.
Mr. Solari can simply say that he didn
’
t want nasty lies spread about their family and paying me off was easier than going through a scandal to prove their innocence.

I could keep it, save it, and if someone else came forward then I could maybe use it to show them that she wasn
’
t the only one.
Maybe that
’
s what I
’
ll do.

I
’
m afraid of him.
Steven Solari isn
’
t like his son.
Steve was just an uncontrolled brute
,
but Mr. Solari is a very controlled and very powerful man.
I wonder why he hasn
’
t just had me killed?
He could easily do that.
I wonder if he
’
s waiting for me to cash the check.

November
–

I took a pregnancy test today.
I was sure the stress of everything was just making me late
,
but I thought I
’
d take it just so I could sleep knowing that one thing in my life was fine.

It
’
s not.
The little test tube and dropper thing was so frustrating.
It warned me not to jostle it and it took forever for the results but if this thing is to be believed, I am pregnant.
I don
’
t know what I
’
ll do now.

November
–

I cashed the check, bought a house, walked out of my apartment and left my car door open in the campus parking lot.
I found a financial guy who set it up so that some kind of corporation bought
the house and has the utilities,
so no one will find me.
I hated leaving without saying goodbye.
I couldn
’
t take anything with me
—
not even my purse.
Mr. Barnes is taking care of everything for me.
He says in a couple of years
,
I can
probably
request a new driver
’
s license and Social Security card
,
and no one will be looking for me anymore.

I added the time and I
’
m six weeks pregnant. The baby will be here in mid-July.
From the books I have, I should be getting sick anytime now.
Lord, I
’
m so scared.

Chad read through December and January but saw nothing but occasional glimpses of nausea and no vomiting.
From the sheer volume of work that Kari seemed to accomplish, he assumed that fatigue wasn
’
t a problem.
Her
journals told much and confirmed nothing.

One passage from January ripped at his heart.
Kari
’
s words echoed in his mind as he stared at the journal.
“
… why did he ask me out?
Why didn
’
t I hide in the bathroom when he got so drunk?
Why didn
’
t I call a cab?
Why am I so stupid?
Why?
”

“
Lass?
You ok?
”

Willow
’
s arms wrapped around his neck as she stood behind the couch and laid her cheek on his head.
“
Yes.
I think it was the milk.
It tasted so funny and my stomach is still sensitive
.”

“
But the milk was fine
.”

“
It didn
’
t taste fine.
Maybe I
’
m just not used to cow
’
s milk or maybe it
’
s the plastic.
I don
’
t know, but it was the milk.
Next time I
’
ll just use Ditto
’
s
.”

“
I think you need that BRAT diet.
I
’
ll call mom and ask what is in it
.”

Before Willow could ask, Chad was on the phone with his mother.
She slowly climbed the stairs and stood before her mirror examining herself from every angle.
She didn
’
t look bigger.
In fact, she looked thinner as though she
’
d lost weight.
Why was he worried about putting her on a diet?
Did she really look that bad?

“
Mom says banana, rice, applesauce, and dry toast
.”

She nodded.
“
I have applesauce and toast
.”

“
What are you doing up here?
”

“
Just looking.
Do I really look that bad?
”

“
You look a little peaked
,
but once your stomach recovers and you can eat normally again, you
’
ll be fine.
Put back on the pounds you lost
.”

The confusion on her face was priceless.
“
You want to put me on a diet so that I can
gain
weight?
”

“
What diet?
”

“
The BRAT one that you had to get from your mom
.”

He took her hand leading her downstairs laughing as he went.
“
No silly, it
’
s a
‘
diet
’
in that it
’
s a prescribed regimen of food.
It
’
s what people eat for a day or two after they
’
ve had a stomach bug to make it easy on their stomach
.”
He handed her a glass of water and opened the front door.
“
Ride to town with me.
It
’
ll be good for you
.”

“
As long as you don
’
t expect me to go in anywhere.
I need a shower
.”

Her stomach rumbled along with the wheels on her way to town.
“
I guess I
’
m hungry
.”