Discovering Normal (26 page)

He walked away and Beth heard his banter with the trick-or-treaters at the door. She sat quiet and still, staring at the jack-o-lantern and trying to decipher the message that her father had most certainly sent her way.

Chapter 27

Six Weeks Later

Beth nibbled her nails and cringed at the bitter taste of the polish she’d brushed on as a precaution. She turned to the window and watched fluffy flakes of snow falling to the ground. Outside cars honked and commuters whizzed by as they tackled the first real storm of the year. Beth had been to Washington D.C. many times before, but always in the spring or summer when cherry blossoms bloomed and the beltway was full of tourists jockeying their way into the city to glimpse the Smithsonian or Lincoln sitting stately and proud in his chair. She’d never seen snow on the dome of the Capitol.

There was a slight rap on the door of the conference room where she waited. “Yes,” she called and turned from the window.

A young woman walked in, looking professional in a forest green skirt and
silk blouse
with a geometric-shaped pin on her lapel. Her auburn hair was twisted in a loose bun and her hand held a brown accordion folder. She extended her slender palm. “Hello, Mrs. Stoddard. I’m Danielle Petty. I’m a congressional aide and I’ll be assisting you today. How was your flight?”

Beth shook the girl’s hand. She looked so perky and alive as if she’d never seen danger or sadness. Beth glanced down at her charcoal wool pants and cranberry sweater and felt so very worldly and so very tired.

Danielle pulled out a chair and gestured for Beth to sit as she turned to pull out her own. “I’m going to cover the components of the proceeding so you’ll know what to expect.”

“Have the others arrived?” Beth asked and surprised herself.

Danielle
tugged out
a stack of stapled documents from her folder. “Yes, Mr. DeJohn and Mr. Bauman arrived together a few minutes ago. They’re being briefed in the other room. We’re just waiting for your husband--or ex-husband I understand.”

“Estranged,” Beth said and felt so foolish.

Danielle fanned the documents across the table. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“The weather was quite bad in Ontario from what we’ve determined. His flight was delayed, but he should be landing right about now,” she said as she glanced at her watch. “We’ll get him here as soon as possible.”

And then Beth felt it--the annoying tug of concern that he’d be okay on an icy runway. Even worse, she felt the more aggressive annoying tug of anticipation for seeing him walk through the door.

They hadn’t been together since Chris had been whisked from the catacomb of the fortress. He’d refused her visit in the hospital and aside from a few brief phone calls arranging Noah and Audrey’s visit over Thanksgiving break, she hadn’t spoken to him. She had offered to drive the kids to Garrity when he’d come home from his stay at the Institute, but he’d refused, arguing that Noah was old enough to guide his sister through a supervised two-hour flight. Beth was hesitant because Noah was only ten she told herself and terrorists loomed and evil was never very far away. Not because she wanted to drive them home; to pull into the driveway and see him standing on the porch with Sundance at his side and the welcoming light of the living room lamp glowing in the window.

They compromised and Francine flew with the kids, stopping in Toronto for a long weekend with her sister. Noah had been thrilled to see his father after three grueling months. He was so sad that night they’d returned to Old Saybrook and had only recently perked up with the vision of the Christmas visit with his father coming into view.

Danielle shuffled her chair closer and handed Beth what looked to be a diagram of the floor and labeled seats. “The four of you
--
Mr. DeJohn, Mr. Bauman, Mr. Stoddard and yourself
--
will be seated here,” she pointed to a conference table. “All of you will be called upon to speak. The exact order I’m not certain since I don’t have the final agenda in front of me, but the best rule of thumb is to be prepared and not at all hesitant. I trust you’ve prepared something?”

Beth nodded and fought the urge to bite her nail.

“All right then. The entire procedure may take several hours since other experts will also be on hand.” Danielle bumped the papers against the wood of the table to straighten them once again. “The floor can be an intimidating place, but I have every confidence in you and your colleagues.” Danielle pushed up and extended her palm once again. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stoddard. Thank you for being part of this and good luck.”

Beth stood too, tall and what she hoped didn’t translate into intimidated. “My pleasure.”

Danielle walked to the door with confidence and held the knob. “Mr. DeJohn and Mr. Bauman should be finishing up as well. Would you like to wait with them?”

“Please,” Beth said because it had to be better than standing here alone, staring at the fluffy snow and thinking.

“Follow me.”

The corridor was alive with suited men holding cappuccinos, talking into cell phones and impeccably dressed women who
zipped
by clutching phones of their own
and designer briefcases
. “Right this way,” Danielle said and then paused before a closed door. “Let me just be sure they’ve finished.

Danielle rapped and peeked inside. Beth waited and wondered what she’d feel when she saw George again. They’d talked several times, but George had just been released from the hospital three days before. She’d told him that she hadn’t visited because she didn’t want to leave Noah and Audrey so soon after the ordeal had ended, but the real reason was she didn’t know what to say when there was just the quiet of the two of them alone in a room. A quick phone call to monitor his progress while her parents sat nearby was one thing. Looking at him--wounded and still in love with her--was another thing all together.

“They’re finished. Go on in,” Danielle said with a lovely smile. “I’ll see you in about forty-five minutes.”

Beth pushed open the door that had never completely closed. Deej and his
wife sat
side by side at a conference table. George, looking thin and a bit pale with a heavy gauze bandage still at his neck, sat on the other. The two men stood, but Beth motioned them down again. “Don’t you dare! Let me come to you.” She gave Deej a tight hug.

“Hi, Roxanne,” Beth said and gave Deej’s plump wife a quick embrace
as well
. “I’m so sorry to have kept your husband from you all that time.”

“I knew he was in good hands,” she said with her always friendly smile.

Beth
moved
to George and squatted before him. “Hello.”

He tilted his head and touched her hair. “Hello to you.”

“You’re looking good and healthy.”

“I’m feeling well. I’
ve
been looking forward to this for weeks.”

Beth covered his hand that was on her cheek with her own. “You’re the only guy I know of who looks forward to speaking before Congress.”

“It needs to be said.”

“It does,” Beth said and slid into the chair beside him.

***

Chris hop
p
ed out of the car and slammed the door, not waiting for the courier who had picked him up at the airport. He bolted toward the side
entrance
of the building. “Chris Stoddard,” he said to the uniform
who
stood guard.

“Expecting you.” The guy glanced at his watch. “You’re late, they’ve already started. The guide inside will take you right to the floor.”

“Weather,” Chris said as he lunged.

“I understand,” he heard the guy say as he hurried through.

The guide escorted him through the echoing corridor. It was the kind of building that you should be in awe of
;
the kind of place that should drum up visions of George Washington and independence. But Chris had been raised in Philly and seen too much of what the world could do to be in awe of much.

“Thanks,” Chris muttered as the guide stopped at the door. “Chris Stoddard,” he said to another
standing watch
.

The bulky guy nodded,
nudged
open the door and pointed Chris to a table. He saw Deej and George.

And then he saw Beth.

He sucked in a breath he’d surely need, adjusted his tie and moved quietly to the seat that was thankfully on the opposite side of the table from hers.
             
“Punctual,” Deej whispered as Chris slid into the chair.

“Damn weather.”

He caught George’s eye and gave a small salute. George responded with a nod-- hard for him since a heavy bandage was still stuck to his neck. Then Chris looked at Beth and his heart did that same damn thing it had done the first day, so long ago now--before they were estranged, before they were parents, before they were lovers, before they were even friends. It did that thing it did when he looked at the only thing he’d ever really wanted. He broke the contact because it was his only choice and reached for the glass of water that he hoped was his.

***

“Thank you,” Beth said and flipped her notes face down.

She’d done it. She’d addressed the United States Congress with authority on a subject she knew far too much about.

Deej had spoken of the need to strengthen the laws that governed cult-like behavior.

George spoke about the rights of those victimized by the twisted thinking.

Beth spoke of the necessity for further study on the subject of why some individuals are more easily swayed into joining the bizarre worlds of false messiahs.

Now it was Chris’ turn.

She’d managed to all but avoid him so far; avoid his glaring good looks and his very presence at the end of the table. There had been a brief recess between George’s speech and hers. Chris stood up, stretched his frame that was thick and healthy again and didn’t look at her once as he chatted with Deej and flashed that smile that was sharper than any knife could ever be.

Maybe it had taken her twelve years to realize it, or maybe it had taken just a little time
for her to be
away from him, but she was certain now that Christopher Stoddard’s smile was her vampire’s garlic or werewolf’s silver bullet.

It was too damned powerful.

She talked with George and tried to really see him as someone who could fill her the way Chris had, make her long the way Chris had, even piss her off the way Chris could. But all she saw was a man who needed more than she could ever give him and it wasn’t fair to make him believe something else.

Beth
sipped her water, cleared her throat and almost fell off of her chair when she noticed that a gold stud was back in Chris’ left earlobe.

Someone announced that the recess had ended and Beth was on. She did her best not to look at him
;
to pull it off and
be convincing and wise and brave
. She did her best to make these men and women sitting before her believe, but all Beth truly wanted was a reverse button in her life--to go back and figure out exactly where the love that had been so powerful had decided to derail.

The most frightening knowledge of all was that right now, in this moment, she no longer was sure that it had.

After her speech ended and she settled back into her chair, George patted her knee and whispered, “Good job.”

Deej nodded with a smile and Roxanne, who sat several rows behind the table, caught Beth’s eye and mouthed, “Well done.”

Chris seemed to intentionally avoid looking at her. He took a swallow of water and then started to speak almost immediately.

It was always surprising to hear the articulation and sheer intelligence come from this guy who looked more like a Marlboro man than a bright and insightful law enforcer. Chris had conviction and used it when he told of his ordeal and admitted his fear before he argued the need for sharper laws and tougher sentences.

“So often we’re guilty of sitting in the comfort of our homes and feigning our surprise and disgust when a horrific story of abuse and greed flashes across the news. We moan and complain and often feel genuine concern for the victims of these heinous crimes; but when you’re in it and feeling it, it’s another thing all together.

“I’ve been on four sides of madness; I too have been the quiet observer, watching from my living room and feeling sorry, but grateful that it wasn’t me or mine this time. I’ve been on the side
which
work
s
to uphold my oath as a law enforcement officer to destroy the threat of harm
; and
I’ve sat and watched someone I care about suffer at the hands of true evil and been helpless to stop it.”