Chapter 9

She put the groceries down on the kitchen counter just as the doorbell chimes announced a visitor. Abigail Cord smiled.

She’d been adamant against hiring a full time maid for the house, but had been happy to keep the twice a week cleaning service on the books, and they did do windows.

Answering the door, she was surprised. “Velma!” she said.

“Yes, sorry to just drop by like this,” she said.

“No, no, I’m just expecting the cleaning ladies is all. But, you did surprise me,” she said. “Come in, come in.”

“Thank you, and I do have news,” said Velma Reason.

“Oh my,” said Abigail, as she led her guest into the front room. “Is he all right?”

“I know you and the boss wanted to know as soon as I did about his whereabouts, so I came as soon as I got the info,” she said.

“Okay good, but...”

“All I have been able to find out at this point is that he is alive. He is living here, well, in Arizona, in Tucson actually. And, he’s evidently been home for over a year.

“As for his physical status, I haven’t been able to get that yet. That sort of thing is pretty nearly always reserved for family to enquire about and only the family. But, I can get you the contact info you’ll need to get that part of things yourself,” she said.

“But will they give it to me since I’m no longer married to the man?” she said.

“Yes, because you have children together. Technically, you’re still family,” said Velma.

The woman across from her knitted her brow. Yes, she thought, Sam was still a member of the family no matter what, and he deserved to be treated like he was. But, could she convince Sam of that great truth. That was the question.

“So, do you have an address for our missing family member?” said Abigail.

“I do,” said Velma. She handed an envelope across to Abigail.

“Thank you, Velma,” this is a godsend.

“You’re welcome. Well, I need to be going. I’ll be talking to Owen to hear what the two of you decide in terms of keeping me on the case or what all,” said Velma.

“Yes do. And again thank you for everything, Velma. This is very useful and I hope good news,” said Abigail.

“For sure,” she said.

They hadn’t even shared a cup of coffee, but each of them kinda knew that this was not the time for socializing. Velma especially knew the almost desperate state that the woman across from her was in. Her own, Velma’s, husband had died in Kuwait years earlier and, though there’d been no divorce or other domestic problems between them, the horror of learning that her husband had been killed by a roadside bomb was devastating on every level.

The goodbyes between the two women were formal and sincere.

2005

“Yes, Velma called me,” said Owen. “I told her we’d let her know. So, whaddya wanna do?”

“I’m going to go to him. I’m going to pin his high school ass, and demand that he apologize for hanging his children out to dry like he has. I’m thinking about bringing the kids along too. What do you think?” she said.

“Maybe not this first time. I think you need to get the lay of the land and see where he’s at first. If he’s been here in Arizona for more than a year, the meeting might not be what all you might wish for it to be.

“But really, it’s gotta be your call. I will support whatever you decide,” he said.

“Thank you for that. And okay, I will go it alone this first time. Get the lay of the land as you say. You do make a good case for that,” she said.

She knocked on the door of the three bedroom ranchstyle where her ex-husband had been raised. She’d been in it so many times it almost seemed like home to her as well.

The man opened the door.” Abigail?” said Aaron Bradshaw.

“Hello Aaron,” she said.

“Come in,” he said. “You’ve got news, I’m guessing.”

“I do,” she said.

“Your son is here. Well, in Arizona: Tucson actually. Owen put a PI on it and she was able to track him down. I don’t know any more than that, where he is, but he is alive and I will be going to see him,” she said.

“Abigail, thank you for telling me, not knowing has been a bad thing for me. I have been so worried. But, you intend to see him? I mean under the circumstances...” he said.

“Aaron, yes, I need to. He is the father of our children. He cannot just abandon them. Yes, he’s got reason to be angry with me. I’m guilty as charged. But, he really does need to lighten up even so,” she said. The older man nodded.

“The address, can I have it?” he said. She smiled, reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a folded sheet of paper and passed it across to him.

“Thank you,” he said. “It means a lot. I haven’t been feeling too good. I need to see my son. I’ll be going down to Tucson too. When do you plan on going if I may ask?”

“Tomorrow actually. If you like I will call you after the fact,” she said. He nodded.

“If it’s no trouble,” he said. “I have to say, him not calling me, not letting me know he was here, in state, worries me. I don’t know why, but it does worry me.”

“I could go with you if you think it would be a good idea,” said Owen.

“No, I need to do this one alone. I’m the one who dumped him. This is my punishment; I mean facing the music and dealing with his ire,” said Abigail.

“Okay,” he said. “But I am only a phone call away, and I can fly down in less than an hour if need be.”

“Thank you my husband. I don’t know what I would do without your support,” she said.

“Well, you’ve got it. And, if I need to say it, so does he. Try to convince him of that. Like his dad, I’m worried about him not letting anyone know he’s here too. It’s just too weird for words. I mean his dad, his children at the very least: it’s not normal even in a situation like this one,” he said.

“No it’s not, but I’m tired of trying to guess his motives. Three years and no contact: it’s gotta be record. Yes, I divorced him. But I also let him know in the letter that he is our babies’ daddy and none other. He should have at least given me a chance to prove that I was telling it straight,” she said. “I know that’s why he’s kept himself out of the picture: he doesn’t trust me. And, I don’t deserve his trust, but he was stupid not to at least make a minimum effort. And his dad...”

“Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s not a record, but it is more or less uncommon. And, I agree, he should have at least given you a shot to prove what you told him,” said Owen Cord.

Including her one stop for coffee on the road it took her two and a half hours to reach the target address in Tucson. It was late in the day when she arrived.

The Gloria Arms, the paper read, apartment 104. The GPS system that Owen had specially ordered and had installed in their cars—a fairly recently available invention she loved—took her right to it. She was more than a little concerned about the neighborhood: definitely a place a woman wouldn’t want to be around and about in at night.

The two story apartment building was rundown and clearly made for tenants who needed something on the cheap. At least his apartment was likely to be on the ground floor.

She parked and got out. She could see that the units were numbered from left to right. She was able to spot number 104 almost immediately. She slipped through the entrance way that allowed visitors to enter the walkway that passed along the low concrete wall that separated the units from the parking lot.