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After we drive around and eat our burgers at White Castle, Brandon’s favorite place, I say, “Take me to New Jersey.” I observe Brandon’s eyes looking at me in the mirror. Studying his face for a moment, his forehead furrows, and he tilts his head to the right confused.
“What part of New Jersey?” Brandon questions in a cheerful voice. He enjoys driving my cars as much or more than his motorcycle. He likes his job, and the black suits I’ve bought him to make him look conservative. He has made me promise that he wouldn’t have to wear the hat that Max has suggested he wear.
Brandon has admitted that working for me is interesting and fun. But working for me can be risky, and he will soon discover that, especially since Jonas is involved.
This is his first time meeting Jonas. He smiles and nods as he had done with Max. I can tell he is impressed with Jonas. Jonas smiles and nods back, showing that he trusts him.
Max has liked Brandon right off, even if he is close to my age. Max is secure in our marriage and relationship. That’s probably why Robert has got under his radar.
Brandon has a way about him that people seem to take to him. He has a warm smile for everyone. He’s not threatening. Brandon doesn’t come off as dark and brooding like Max. But then Max has Jonas to take care of. That alone should account for Max’s bleak disposition.
“Do you remember telling me about a piece of land you wish you could sell because you needed money to pay your tuition for your final year in law school?”
A smile breaks out on Brandon’s face. “Yeah. Sure.” Jonas touches my knee. He realizes that I have found a way to dispose of the poor girl in the suitcase in the trunk of my car, and we aren’t just taking a scenic ride to New Jersey. With that move, I have made Brandon an unwilling accomplice to what? We don’t know if it is murder, suicide, or a sexual act gone wrong.
In Jonas’s desperation and panic to cover up a terrible problem, he has added one more unsuspecting person whose life will probably be changed by this.
“Well, I’m going to buy your land and home from you tonight,” I say to Brandon. I lean forward. “I want it for Jonas to store some of his possessions.” I tell him only enough that he isn’t implicated in case something goes wrong. And from my dealings with Jonas, something always goes wrong.
Brandon doesn’t ask any questions. He heads for the tunnel with a muddled look in his eyes. Giving him an opportunity to sell his property sight unseen is good enough for him. That’s why I like Brandon. He never asks any questions. He just wants to help me. Why, I don’t know. Maybe he sees the desperation of an uneasy life on my face, and he feels a kinship with me like I feel with Jonas.
That is the reason I’m willing to put my marriage, myself, my whole life in jeopardy to help Jonas. I know it’s crazy and people do crazy things, but Jonas is wearing a mask of helplessness I’ve seen on my face, before I met Max.
“It would be great for storing things.” Brandon agrees with me. “There’s a small house on the land and a detached garage in the back. You have money to fix it up. I could only afford to keep up with the taxes. Maybe I can buy it back later.” Brandon is happy. I write him a check and I hand it to him. He looks down as he’s driving and he has the widest smile like a little boy who has just got his favorite toy.
“Keep your eyes on the road. Is that enough?” I ask him.
“It’s more than enough, Mrs. B.”
“Call me Alex.”
Jonas tightens his hand over mine and raises my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles one at a time. He has a genuine sweetness about him.
“Thank you, Alex. If you need me for anything just ask,” Jonas says as I gaze into his green eyes and remember Max. The only thing I needed Jonas for is to stop pulling me into his life. I can’t straighten out my own life.
I turn to a composed Jonas. His hands are composed, and the shaking is at a minimum. He hasn’t lit up a cigarette. When he’s nervous he lights one after the other. “We’re not out of this yet,” I lean over and whisper in his ear.
After a half an hour of driving, we pull into a driveway on the outskirts of Westwood. There is a small pre-war house surrounded by more homes of the same type. This place was once farm land. But you can’t tell because there’s a vibrant downtown area and homes being built. It’s perfect.
“The place is perfect, Brandon. Just what Jonas needs.” It’s set off from the other homes. I look at Jonas and I know what he’s thinking. It’s a great place to hide. He wants to forget everything and everybody and just stay here.
“I guess so, Mrs. B. It all depends on what you want to do with it. I come out every so often and try to keep the place clean. I stay here some weekends when I want peace and quiet.” He parks the car and we all get out.
“Come show me the place.” I look around and eye Jonas. He knows what to do. I keep Brandon distracted while he takes the suitcase out of the car. Brandon hands me the key to the door from his key chain, but first he opens the door, and flicks on the light.
“See, it has all the comforts of home,” Brandon says, walking with me through the house. I look around at the sofas covered with white sheets and the antique light fixtures. The mirror on the wall is mildewed and faded. I can’t see my reflection. I really don’t want to see myself. I probably won’t like what I see.
A cabinet full of blue and white dishes stands against a wall in the dining room across from a wooden table with six chairs. I’m walking slowly to the kitchen as if I’m interested in the house. Brandon is smiling, thinking I love the house as much as he does, but I’m trying to give Jonas time.
It’s a small house that has been taken care of in the midst of chaos. All the furniture in the rooms have sheets thrown over them as if that will prevent the furniture from rot. The house has only two bedrooms and one bath. Brandon walks into one room with bunk beds. I follow after him.
“This is my room. I mean, our room, my brother and me.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother?” I haven’t asked him anything about his family before. Even when he is talking about his house, I have something on my mind. It is only when I need him for this that my memory kicks in. It has been like that lately. It’s a selfish way to live, but until I handle my own crazy stuff, I can’t find room for anyone else.
“We’re twins,” Brandon looks at me smiling, as if he’s remembering him fondly. “Not like your husband and Mr. Jonas. They are mirror twins. We’re fraternal twins. We look nothing like each other. You could pass him on the street, and it never would occur to you that we were even related.”
“That could be a good thing,” I murmur, thinking about Jonas and Max.
“Not really...” Before I can explain, Jonas shows up in the doorway and he has a sad look on his face. I don’t ask him where he’s put the girl, but I know, and he knows that he has to get her out of that suitcase, and he has to do it soon.
“Let’s go, Brandon. I’ve seen enough,” Jonas says turning away. Taking Jonas’s hand, I lead him to the door. He doesn’t appear to be able to think. He’s still toying with the notion of turning himself in, but it’s too late for that now. We are both in it. Way above our heads, and we will drown without a lifeline, and there is no one around, or able to throw one to us.
If all else fails we can go on the run together. I will leave my children for Max to raise, and Jonas and I will be fugitives. I have enough money for us to live comfortably in Europe, where there’s no extradition treaty.
Have I lost my mind? There is no way I would leave my children and Max willingly. He will go crazy, and my children would be floundering with nannies. Those thoughts are just what they are, something to keep my mind busy, where I can figure a way out of this.
The first problem is to find out if Miranda did this on her own, or if Robert had a hand in her death. I hope not. I can’t imagine being attracted to a man who would hurt an innocent girl. But I wouldn’t be the first woman and not the last.
We drive back to Manhattan in silence. Every so often Brandon would look into the mirror at us, sitting together like the world has caved in, and in reality it has.
Jonas and I are a miserable sight. We have everything in the world to be happy about, and everything in the world to be sad about.
Since Jonas came to New York and got involved with Robert, he has been the poster boy of gloom and doom. I think about myself and Max, and the only common denominator is Robert. Jonas is happy with Crystal and a child, Max is trying to sell his properties, and get us back to Montana, and I have been having a great sex life with Max until I met Robert.
But it is Jonas who involves everyone in his disastrous life. Everything he touches, he has left a wake of destruction and turmoil.
My limo pulls up and angles to the curb and stops. Brandon jumps out and opens the car door.
“Will that be all tonight, Mrs. B...? Alex?” Brandon had commenced referring to me as Mrs. B. I don’t know when it began. Maybe he has been doing that all along and I’ve just noticed.
“That will be all,” I say to Brandon, looking into his eyes.
“If you need someone to drive you to my home... I mean your property, just call me anytime. I want to see what you’ve done to the old place.”
“Mr. Blackstone may need to go there,” I say referring to Jonas. “I don’t think I will be going there anytime soon.”
“I’ll park the car and take my motorcycle home,” Brandon says as Jonas treks up and down the sidewalk with anxious anxiety.
Jonas glances at me, “Alex, I need to go for a walk. I have to clear my head. I’ll be back shortly. I think I’ll get a drink at that French bistro I spotted on our way here.”
“You can get a drink here. Are you sure you should be alone tonight drinking?”
“I won’t be alone. I’ll be surrounded by people laughing and drinking. If I come in now, I’ll just pull you down. I think you’ve had enough of that lately.”
“I thought you had stopped drinking, Jonas.” I didn’t understand at the time that when I offered him a drink it would start him on that cycle again. I am as much a danger to him as he is to me.
“I had, but tonight is different. I can control it. But not tonight.” He shakes his head staring at me. I don’t try to stop him. He kissed me on the forehead and walked out into the cool night with his hands tucked into his jeans wearing a black leather jacket, looking handsome and youthful, but far from that in reality.
Glancing at him walking with his head up trying to erase his insecure feelings, I watched Jonas as he crossed the street, and until he disappeared into a restaurant. It had gotten even colder than before we left, but he didn’t seem to be affected by the wind and chill in the air.
Turning and heading for the elevator, I put my key in, and when the door opens, standing there is Robert.
“What are you doing in my private elevator?”
“Don’t you know that your husband gave me access to it? He wanted me to check on you.” Robert has a mischievous sexy smooth smile on his appealing face.
“Where have you been, Mrs. Blackstone? I promised your husband that I would keep an eye on you.” His stride is sexy and confident as he moves closer to me. My heart is beating loud and there’s heat flowing through me. He notices my blush. What is it about him that does this to me?
I look up at the security cameras. I want to call it to Robert’s attention that we are being filmed and there are people watching. He must know this better than me. Then it occurs to me he doesn’t care. The elevator stops at his floor. He turns away from me as if he’s exiting the elevator, then faces me.
“Mrs. Blackstone. There’s something I want you to see.” His voice is soft and seductive. His dark blue eyes glow with enjoyment. I want to go with him. I can see how women follow him to his apartment. He gazes, he speaks, he smiles, and they all follow.
Then it hits me. There are two women dead because of this seductive perplexing man.
“What could I possibly want to see in your apartment?” My eyes are cold, his eyes are warm, inviting, and gentle. I smile just in case Max has cause to go through the footage. I need to give the impression that we are just acquaintances. Hiding my anxious face is hard. I try to keep smiling but my lips tremble and Robert sees through my façade.
“It has something to do with Jonas and that girl. You know the girl I’m talking about. Are you interested now?” My eyes shift back and forward now I’m nervous and that’s a tell-tale sign on my part.
“Give me a chance to change what I’m wearing, and I need to check on my children. I’ll be there shortly.” He glances at me. I squeeze out a small closed smile.
“I hope you’re a woman of your word.”
“I am.”
The door closes and I can still see Robert gazing at me like a lion eyeing a gazelle.
When the elevator door closes, I back myself to the wall, and when it opens, I hurry out of that small space into the safety of my enormous apartment. I glance up at the clock and the children are already asleep. I’m going to stay with my children. I don’t want to go to Robert’s apartment. I won’t go.
“To hell with Robert and my word,” I murmur, and I climb the stairs to my bedroom.