Chapter 25

Ted stood in the doorway of his house and watched his family getting in the car. He glanced at his watch. They still had time.

"Sharon," he called to his wife. "We have one issue we need to take care of before we leave. Come with me to my office."

She nodded in acknowledgement and said something to Allison and Ben. Just then Brad brushed past him without a word and made his way to the car. Ted saw Sharon's eyes widen with surprise at the sight of her oldest son, who didn't even glance back at her. Ted hadn't bothered to tell her that Brad returned home the previous night. Why should he? If what Brad said was true, she hadn't been completely forthcoming with him, either. However, what if Brad was mistaken about how much Sharon knew? Surely, she wouldn't be so deceitful to her own husband? She had more respect for him than that.

Brad was insistent that she knew the affair continued. Ted had dismissed her failure to insure Allison was always attended by one or the other when she wasn't in school. He had already realized that that was going to be challenge, especially given his desire for her to date other young men. It had been a hasty punishment, but it served its purpose of keeping Jack away from Allison until she could emotionally detach herself from him. According to Brad, though, maybe it didn't work as well as he thought.

Brad was very detailed in his description of the sinful act that occurred in the Garner living room on Thursday evening, so either Brad was lying or else Ted's surveillance had broken down. Why would Brad lie? He would gain nothing. In all likelihood, Gimel Juarez had screwed up.

Why hadn't Gimel made Ted aware of the interludes, assuming there was more than one?

Ted made his way back to his office and waited for his wife. She walked in and he motioned for her to sit in the seat across his desk from him. He looked at her. Assuming Brad was right about the interlude, was he also right in his assumption that Sharon knew, hadn't told Ted and had expressed no intention of telling him? Brad admitted that he made some assumptions from his verbal interaction with Sharon on Friday morning, that he couldn't be sure if she knew any more than Ted assumed she knew. She seemed to squirm as Ted scrutinized her.

Juarez was another matter altogether. Ted was pretty sure Brad saw what he said, which meant that Juarez either lied in his weekly report or just plain forgot to tell Ted what happened. Given that Juarez was ignorant and lazy, either one was an option. Ted knew ineptitude was the price he had to pay for using such people. He knew one well worded call should clear up Juarez's intentions.

He put his phone on speaker. After dialing, he waited, never taking his eyes from his wife. Soon a groggy voice answered.

"Yeah?"

Ted put his finger to his lips to admonish his wife to remain silent. "Mr. Juarez. Ted Garner here. I was just going over my notes and I wanted to make sure I got everything you reported this week."

There was a pause. "Uh, yeah. OK."

"Good. Can you tell me again how many days you watched my daughter this week?" Sharon flinched at the question. Ted remained stone-faced. He hadn't bothered to tell Sharon he was having Allison watched.

There was another pause before Juarez answered. "Uh, I think it was four days. That's right. Four days."

"Which days, sir?"

"Uh, Monday through Thursday." Sharon didn't flinch this time, but Ted thought he noticed a slight twitch in her eye.

"Hmmm ... OK. And Friday?"

"Friday is the day I watch your other daughter ... Williams' wife. Remem'er?"

"Aah, that's right. Other than the altercations between Williams and Abigail," Ted continued, watching Sharon react to the word 'altercations' with surprise, "did you see anything else this week? Anything regarding Allison?"

"Uh, no sir." Ted watched Sharon closely. Was that relief on her face?

"I see. Monday through Thursday, is that right? And no interactions between Williams and Allison?"

"Si."

"Thank you, Mr. Juarez. You've clarified things for me just fine."

Ted hung up and barely resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room. He was being played for an idiot. Brad had no reason to lie, which meant that Juarez had lied. In all likelihood the spic never even watched Allison. Probably off getting drunk or some other abhorrent behavior. Damn him.

Ted took a breath, shoved his anger into a tidy compartment in his brain. The wildcard was his wife. Did she know? Her reactions to the phone conversation could be interpreted any number of ways.

She spoke, her voice unsteady. "Ted? What's going on? Who is Mr. Juarez, and why was he watching Allison?"

"Apparently, he wasn't watching Allison," Ted deadpanned. He glanced down at the Bible he kept on his desk and drew his finger along the open page. Isaiah, the Lord's chosen. He was a seer, a prophet. It was as if he could see into the Garner home. He read slowly out loud.

"'None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.'" He looked up at Sharon, deciding at that moment that this woman didn't have the fortitude to be openly disobedient to him. "I talked to Brad last night. He had some very interesting information to share. Seems our youngest daughter has attempted to dupe us."

The ringing pierced the serenity of Jack's sleep. He felt around without pulling his head from under the covers. Finally he found the alarm clock and slapped the snooze button. The ringing didn't stop. He slapped it again. Damn noise, he thought, as he came out of his sleep fog. The telephone. He grunted as he reached over to Abigail's side of the bed and grabbed the phone from the cradle.

"Hello?" he croaked.

"Jack, I think we have problems."

Jack tried to shake the stupor from his mind. Gimel. Oh, shit! Gimel! Jack sat up, he mind suddenly clear and whirring to life. Gimel was calling on a Sunday morning, something unusual in and of itself. But he also said there were problems. Shit.

"What kind of problems, Gimel?"

"I just got a call from dear old daddy-in-law. He practically interrogated me about when and how often I was watching Allison. He said he wanted to make sure he was clear on what I reported."

Jack didn't like the direction this was going. "And why is this cause for alarm?"

"Well, first off, he never calls me to repeat my reports. He calls me if he needs me to do something specific. I call him to report. That's all. He never calls and asks me to repeat myself."

"You think maybe he's trying to catch you in a lie? Looking to see if your reports don't match up with each other?"

"Maybe. Or maybe he's heard something different from someone else."

"It's possible. Or maybe he's just really clarifying your report."

"Maybe." Gimel didn't sound convinced. Both men were silent, wrapped in their own thoughts. Finally, Gimel spoke.

"I know I don't normally ask, and it really isn't any of my business. But would there be a reason why he wanted to clarify which days I watched Allison?"

Jack mentally cursed. "What did he ask specifically?"

"He wanted to make sure my report was accurate, that I watched Allison Monday through Thursday and Abigail on Friday. Then he specifically asked if I noticed anything interesting with Allison."

Jack was silent again. He wanted to punch something. Stupid, he scolded himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I threw caution to the wind and now it will blow up in my face.

"Jack?"

"Sorry, Gimel," Jack sighed. "I screwed up. I was with Allison Thursday night. I didn't even account for that in your false reports."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Shit. Oh, well, what's done is done. Anything else I need to know?"

"Well, yeah. There was what he said. He actually called me 'sir' and even thanked me, but in that arrogant way of his."

"Well, he's always got that condescending voice when he's talking to or about someone he thinks is beneath him."

"Yeah, but it wasn't the way he was talking. It was what he said. He's never called me sir before. And he's never thanked me. It was like he was setting me up, kinda like a lawyer getting ready to trap a witness with his own words or something."

Jack knew that Gimel was a smart guy. He sensed something wrong, and now Jack could feel it, too. "I think we need to move forward like he knows something's up."

"Whatcha gonna do?"

What could he do? If Ted suspected something, he'd likely learn a lot more within the next day or so, considering his resources. Who knows how much he already knew?

"I'm not sure. I think I need to talk to Abigail, and maybe try to get in contact with Allison somehow. We might have to push our timetable up, catch him off balance before he knows too much. I don't think he views us a formidable enough adversary to stay a step ahead of him. Listen, Gimel, will you have access to a phone today?"

"Yeah, either at my house or my wife's parents. Let me get you their number." Jack waited a minute, his mind spinning through all possible courses of action. Gimel came back and gave Jack a phone number.

"Thanks, Gimel. For everything. I may need to call on you today. It depends on what happens."

"No problem, Jack. I'd do anything to drown that fucking bigot."

They said goodbye and hung up. Immediately Jack picked up the phone to call Abigail's hotel room. It rang several times, then kicked to voice mail. Shit, he thought. Where is she? It's not even 7:30 there! She was always an early riser, which means she'd probably gone for a walk or out to get breakfast or something. He needed to act, so he decided to leave a message.

"Abigail, it's about 10:30 my time. I need you to call as soon as you get this message. Something big is happening. Gimel called and we're pretty sure your dad knows something is up. Not sure what he knows, or how, but I think we need to act sooner than later. If he knows something, he may not have regrouped yet. I want to hit him before he has a chance. Call me, call me, call me. I love you."

He hung up and dialed another phone number from memory.

"Hello?" A man's voice.

"Hello. Could I speak with Brianna please? This is Jack Williams, Allison's brother-in-law."

There was a slight pause. "Uh, sure. Just a second."

Jack waited, glancing impatiently at the clock on his bedside table.

"Hey, Jack."

"Brianna, we have a problem, and I need your help."

"What kind of problem?"

"Ted knows. We need to act. Now."

Abigail couldn't believe her luck. Another beautiful sunny day. She'd decided to grab a bite to eat and then take a stroll to enjoy the fresh air of a Sunday morning. As she sat at the table in Chace's, a local pancake house, savoring potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce, she wondered what her hunky husband would be doing to pass the day. If she could help it, she wouldn't step foot in the hotel again until that evening. Well, she might for a moment just to check messages and give Jack a call. But that was it. She wanted to explore the city and the outskirts. As much as she loved the outdoors, she was like a kid in a candy shop.

"How's everything?"

Abigail smiled at her waitress as she was pulled from her thoughts. "Excellent. These pancakes are wonderful."

"Well, they are a big hit," the petite brunette replied as she refilled Abigail's coffee cup. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No. Well, actually, maybe you could give me your advice. I'm visiting from out of town and I'm looking for a nice place to walk and enjoy the morning. Anyplace you recommend?"

The waitress smiled. "That's easy. Mercer Slough Nature Park, and it's just down the street. You can't miss it. Several trails, blueberry farm, wetlands. A very pleasant way to spend the day."

Abigail thanked the woman, finished her meal and headed out into the spring day.

Brianna sat on her bicycle by a tree outside the church waiting for Allison to come out. So far only a few folks had exited, which told Brianna that the service had not quite ended. Brianna's parents weren't much into going to church. They were Christian, and when they attended, usually four or five times a year, they went to the Baptist church on the other side of town. This day was not one of them. Jack's call had interrupted her most important activity of the day—sleep. She was always a late riser on the weekends, similar to Allison, so it took her a few moments to understand what Jack was saying. Basically, for reasons he didn't elaborate, he felt the shit was getting ready to hit the fan. Now, Brianna only needed a short private moment with Allison to pass on the information.

Just then, the church doors swung open, and the congregation bled from its depths. She waited anxiously for several minutes, until she saw Mr. Garner step into the sunlight and shake the pastor's hand. Brianna pushed off with her foot and slowly rolled through the parishioners. She got to the bottom of the steps just as Allison and her brothers came down the steps. Brad was his typical gloomy self. Ben looked bored, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Allison seemed kind of bored herself.

"Allison!" Brianna called as her friend drew closer. The brunette looked up and her face lit up.

"Brianna! What are you doing here?"

"Just out for a ride," she said loud enough for any interested soul to hear. Then when Allison stepped down onto the sidewalk, she said quietly, "I need to talk with for just a second. Jack called me."

Allison's smile flickered briefly as she looked up at her dad, still talking with other folks. "OK. Walk with me to the van."

Brianna hopped off her bike and pushed it beside her as they walked slowly. "Jack said he thinks your dad may know something's going on."

Allison's eyes opened wide. "What? How?"

"He's not sure, but Mr. Juarez called him this morning and said your dad called acting weird and asking weird questions. Jack wants you to feel out your family today and see if you can make out anything funny, and then to call me by 4:00, if you can."

Allison looked scared, which surprised Brianna. She'd always viewed Allison as an emotional rock. Yet, here she was confronted with the possibility of losing the two people she loved more than anything, and she was like a scared little girl. Brianna wanted to wrap her in her arms but figured that might attract unwanted attention.

"OK. I'll do it," Allison finally said. "What's he going to do?"

Brianna glanced at Allison's brothers, who were waiting for their father to arrive and unlock the van. She leaned closer to Allison. "He thinks it might be time to confront your dad," she whispered.

Brianna thought Allison looked scared before, but she went white at her friend's words. "Crap," she barely forced out. "Does he think he's ready? Does he think it will work?"

Before Brianna could reply, Allison's dad began to approach.

"Anyway, I'm heading over to Dana's so we can study," Brianna said with a little too much false happiness in her voice. "I'll see you tomorrow at school!"

Allison forced a smile and patted her friend's arm. "Bye, Bri!"

Brianna climbed on her bike and kicked off, passing the parents as she did. "Goodbye, Mr. Garner, Mrs. Garner."

They each acknowledged her as she pedaled away. Time to get home and begin the dreaded wait.

Allison paid close attention to her family on the short drive home. Her mom was preoccupied, as she often was now. Brad was sullen, but that wasn't all that strange, either. From her position in the rear seat, she could only see the back of his head, but it hung low as he slouched and stared out the window. She couldn't read him.

Brad had always been a moody child. When they were little, he would be happy one minute, then suddenly turn sour or start crying or yelling the next. Maybe he was ... what was the word ... bipolar? Anyway, he was also notorious for making really bad, impulsive decisions. For some reason, however, their father always seemed to overlook or explain away Brad's actions. Any of the other four would have been raked over the coals. Over the last few years, Allison noticed that Brad's mood became more and more somber and depressed to the point that it was rare to see a smile on his face. Just based on what she knew about her older brother, she was sure he was doing drugs.

Allison looked at Ben, who was sitting in the bucket seat next to Brad. He sat up straighter than Brad, but he still stared quietly out the window. If anyone was acting strange, it was him. Normally, he was cheerful and friendly. The last few days, he'd been aloof. Ever since the fight that left his face battered. Maybe there was something there worth pursuing. He'd mentioned the other night that he'd gotten in a fight over her—someone calling her a slut or something. Maybe there was some new information there. But would Ben talk to her? He hadn't been very accommodating to her that night.

Just then they pulled into the driveway. The car had barely stopped when her brothers had their doors open and were moving towards the house. The father had always insisted that Sunday was a family day, so they always spent the day quietly at home, just the family. When they were younger, they did things together—at least the kids and their mother—but as they got older, they began to do their own things.

This day was no different. Allison stepped into the house just in time to see her brothers' bedroom doors close. Interestingly enough, they didn't even acknowledge each other. Now she knew something was up. Brad, especially at his most sullen, never missed a chance to get in any verbal jabs with his little brother. The entire drive home and now into their rooms without a put down or insult? Time to talk to Ben.

She went to her room and put on some shorts and a t shirt, then padded quietly to Ben's room. She glanced down the hall and saw her parents standing in the entry talking quietly. Actually, her dad was talking. Her mom just looked down at her hands. She didn't want to draw attention by knocking and waiting, so she opened Ben's door and stepped in.

The two gasped simultaneously. Ben was standing in his tight briefs with a pair of shorts in his hand. That wasn't the problem. It was obvious by the bulge in his underwear that he was not completely flaccid.

"Dammit, Allie!" he hissed at her, a blush covering his face. "Knock before you come in!"

Allison quickly turned her red face away from him, but not before she got a full look at his ... fullness. "Oh, Ben. I'm sorry! I didn't think..." Her voice trailed away. This is not starting well, she thought.

"OK. You can turn around." She did and he was in his football practice shorts and no shirt. He had his hands on his hips and a defiant look on his face. "What do you want?"

She tried not to let her gaze linger on his body, but she couldn't help it. Gentle Ben had become a certifiable hunk. She decided to lighten the mood. "When did you become so good looking, Ben?"

His reaction was not what she expected. Instead of an embarrassed but pleased response, he just glowered at her. He said nothing. Her surprise quickly turned to resolve. "We need to talk, and I need you to be 100% honest with me."

"No."

His expression was hard. He was also resolved, but Allison was more so. She moved closer to him and assumed a similar stance of defiance. "I need some answers, Ben. It's important. I think you're hiding something that I really need to know about."

His laugh was derisive. "I'm hiding something? Ha!"

He knows something is up, she thought, but I can't give it away yet. "What do you mean by that?"

He hesitated a minute, and his expression softened a little. "You want honesty?"

"Please."

"It goes both ways, then, Allison."

Was she ready to do this? Jack had said it was time for action. So be it. She nodded her head.

Ben took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you get in the fight?"

"I told you."

"So that was all true?" He nodded at her question. She knew he was telling the truth. This was Ben, after all. "Fine. Who'd you fight with?"

Ben hesitated. He was unable to keep his eyes locked with hers, so he turned and sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. Immediately, Allison went and sat beside him. She put her hand on top of his. He flinched, but then turned his hand to hold hers.

She asked her question again. "Who hit you, Ben?"

"Brad."

She was surprised that she wasn't surprised by the answer. It explained a lot. "Tell me."

So he did. He told her what Brad said about her and Jack, how their mother told him to drop it, and then how Brad blew up at her for letting it happen and not telling their father.

"He got in her face, Allison," Ben said, his voice shaky. "He was so mad, like in a rage. It looked like he wanted to hurt her. So I jumped up and got in the way. Then he called me and Mom some names, said our house was a whorehouse and that Jack was probably fucking her, too. I lost it and pushed him. Before I could do anything else, he hit me." He paused to take a breath, and Allison squeezed his hand. "He was coming at me again, but Mom just stepped in front and told him to get out. He said some other stuff and left, and then didn't come home until last night, I guess."

Allison had tears in her eyes. So this is what it's come to? she thought. Physical violence because of me and Jack. No! It's not that. It's because of the intolerance, the self-righteousness. Had her parents taken the time to understand the relationships, this ... this whole mess could have been avoided! She realized Ben had grown quiet, and she knew he expected her to say something.

"Ben, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry this has happened. And thank you for defending me and Mom. That was probably the bravest, kindest thing anyone has ever done for me."

He squeezed her hand, acknowledging her thanks. "Your turn, Allie. Honesty."

She knew what he wanted, so she took a deep breath while deciding where to start.

"First, let me just confirm the rumors, OK? Yes, Jack and I are lovers." She felt him stiffen, so she hurried on. "Abigail knows about us. As a matter of fact..." She hesitated, not sure how to say the next. Best to be straightforward. "As a matter of fact, Abigail and I are lovers, too."

To this revelation he gasped. "No ... fucking ... way..." It wasn't said with contempt or disbelief, more with a sense of awe or wonder. "You ... and Abigail?" She nodded. "Holy shit, Allie! That's ... that's..."

"Lesbianism and incest?" she helped.

"Yeah. Holy shit."

"Actually, it's bisexualism, since apparently we like both genders. But, yeah, I know what you mean. Holy shit."

She looked at him and he was staring at her wide-eyed. He kept staring, which began to make her uncomfortable. "What are you thinking?" she snapped.

He blushed. "Honestly?"

"Honestly, please."

"I just pictured you and Abigail in my head. Together." His blush deepened, and it was her turn to stare at him wide eyed. Without thought, her gaze dropped to his crotch. Scratch that. His tented shorts. He followed her gaze and tried to turn away. "Shit," he muttered.

She started to giggle. She couldn't help it. All the emotion, the stress of the last few weeks—no, months—came pouring out. Her giggle turned to fits of laughter. Through her tears, she could see he looked hurt first. Then a slow smile crept across his face. He started to chuckle, and soon he was laughing uncontrollably, too. He slid to the floor, leaned against the bedside table, pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face. His body shook silently as he laughed. Allison continued to be swept in waves of giggles. Suddenly, Ben's body began to shake differently, and Allison heard a muffled sob. Her giggles disappeared and she fell to her knees in front of him, wrapping him in her arms.

"Ben, oh Ben. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

She held him until he calmed down. After a few minutes he lifted his head, his eyes red and wet. He watched her silently as she leaned back against the side of the bed, pulling her knees up like him.

He sighed. "So, when you say you and Abbie are lovers, do you mean you've, you know..."

She nodded. He blushed again.

"So my sisters are having sex with each other and with the same guy, and instead of being totally wigged out by it, I get a hard on. Are we just fucked up, Allie?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm the one to answer that question."

"How did it happen?" he asked.

So she told him. The whole story. Her first time with Jack, Analise's blackmail and coercion, Abigail's role in rescuing her and how their oldest sister dealt with the whole affair issue. She told about her first time with Abigail. She left out the details of the sex itself, but she noticed him squirm and shift. She told about the day of sledding and the confrontations with her parents, the near rape by Tyson and save by Brianna and Tammy. Finally, she laid out their father's "reformation" plan for her and his plan to get rid of Jack.

When she was done, they both sat silently with their thoughts.

"I have a couple of questions," Ben said.

"OK."

"First, why did you seduce Jack that first time? I mean, surely you knew you would be cheating on Abigail."

"You know, I was blinded by my love and desire to be with Jack. I was selfish in my need to be happy, something I knew he could bring me. He had always treated me as more than just a friend or even a sister. He treated Abigail with so much class and love, and I could see he treated me that way somewhat. I sensed he held back only because of my age and our relationship at the time. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to know if there was more there, like I assumed, or if it was just wishful thinking." She looked at him and he was watching her intently. "Does this make sense, Ben? I think I acted out of selfishness at first, but ultimately wonderful, loving relationships have grown from this."

"Do you regret what you did?"

"Not one bit, baby brother."

"Are you happy?"

"With my relationships with Abbie and Jack, yes I am. With all the other drama surrounding it, no, I'm not."

"What are you gonna do now?"

Allison shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure, but Jack promises he has a plan. I think he plans to do something soon. I'm supposed to call Brianna if I think something is up here at home. I think the whole thing with Brad can be called 'something is up'."

"Do you think he told Dad?"

Allison thought for a moment. Knowing Brad... "I don't know. I wasn't there when he confronted Mom. You said he was mad. What do you think?"

Now Ben thought quietly. After a moment, he nodded. "If he hasn't yet, he will soon. Brad can't stand to be miserable all by himself."

"That's what I think." Allison stood up, and Ben followed. The stood looking at each other. "So, what do you think about all this, now that you know?"

"I think the thing that freaks me out most is that I'm not more upset at the thought of you and Abigail going at it." He smiled, a truly genuine Ben Garner smile. "Hey, Allie. If you are happy, and Abigail and Jack are happy, and no one is getting hurt, it's your business. Go for it, sis."

He opened his arms and Allison stepped into his embrace, putting her cheek against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist. She gladly accepted his affection, the first positive sign she'd received from anyone in her house in months. "Thanks, Ben. You don't know how much that means to me."

She could feel his penis begin to harden against her stomach. She looked up at him with an inquisitive expression. He shrugged as he blushed.

"Hey, all this talk about you and Abigail and Jack has me thinking of you for the first time as a sexual person. Cute girl plus sex plus teenage boy's imagination equals uncontrolled hard on. Get used to it."

"You think I'm cute?"

His blush deepened. "Well, I ... um..."

She smiled at him. "I'm teasing you, goof." She turned her head up towards his and kissed his lips gently and sweetly, a brief expression of love and trust. "I love you, Ben. You've always been one of my best friends."

He smiled warmly at her. "I love you, too, Allie. Thanks."

Jack hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Brianna had just called confirming his worst fears. According to Allison, Ted more than likely knew he and Allison were meeting in secret. Which meant that he knew Gimel was a turncoat. It was time.

Jack looked at the notebook in front of him, pages of scribbled notes that made sense to no one but himself. He looked them over, but didn't read them again. He already had it memorized. Now was time to get in the zone, time to push everything else out of his mind. He turned up his stereo, moved over and sat on the center of the bed, his legs crossed.

Marilyn Manson came thumping through the speakers into his head. Jack let the bass track wash over him, vibrating him into a kind of trance. He wasn't a Manson fan, but he loved this song, and it seemed oh so fitting for the circumstances. Manson's raspy voice followed the bass and guitar, and Jack let the words seep into him.