Star Bright (17 page)

Dave picked it up and
went through it again. It was a medical report from Jacksonville
County hospital, listing all the injuries she had been treated for.
The treatments for sickness were on another piece of paper, but the
one he had in his hand was exclusive to body injuries. The doctor’s
comments were general, from falling down the staircase, to getting
hit by a car, but Dave knew better and he was sure the doctor did
too.

“
Why didn’t
anyone help her, she was just a kid?” He placed the report down and
picked up the file, again looking through more details of her
life.

“
How old is
she?”

“
She’ll turn
twenty-three next February, Michael’s fifth birthday is in a couple
of weeks.”

“
That guy
broke close to every bone in her body, like he was reconstructing
her, according to that, she should have more scars on her body than
Frankenstein.” Carol commented lowering herself into the
seat.

“
I haven’t
seen any, but she has different shades on her skin. I knew there
was something wrong immediately, I saw how scared she was with
Michael. There was something about her that didn’t feel
right.”

“
You don’t
miss a thing do you? Either way, she has perfect skin or she
wouldn’t have healed so well. I hope you find that monster and put
him behind bars, better yet, have one of your friends in low places
deal with him.”

Dave sat down, his lips
pulled up at the corner and dropped the file on his desk, “I don’t
have to, he’s dead. The sheriff suspects he was burnt to death in a
fire.”

Carol leaned forward, “He
is? Then why is she running?”

“
Probably
because she set the fire, but it was ruled as an accident.” Dave
was glad he was dead, but he could still feel there was a piece of
the puzzle missing, he just couldn’t see what it was.

Carol stood up and
straightened her blue pencil skirt, “Dave, something else is going
on and you need to find out what.”

Dave smiled up at her,
“You have picked up a lot from me.”

Maria put the kids in the
back of Dave’s Prado before she went back to lock the house door.
She had stopped working at the cafe full time and became a part
time nanny for Dave. At the rate he was working, Izzy was going to
be neglected, she couldn’t stay in day care because he would only
be distracted, worrying himself. Dave was very pleased that she
quit and he felt more relaxed with this arrangement. It was her way
of paying him for Michael’s tuition, it wasn’t much, but a
start.

It was a very different
experience for her the last couple of weeks, with her new extended
family. Her mother thought it fate that she had finally landed a
proper man and a functional family, unlike what they had. Maria
however didn’t see it that way, to her it was a further
complication in her already screwed up life. She had been a woman
on the run with her child, now she was technically a mother of two
children, taking care of a home and making sure Dave didn’t forget
to eat and had a change of clothes when he didn’t stumble into the
house in the middle of the night completely exhausted.

Maria got into the car
laughing, remembering the first time he came home at two in the
morning. She almost knocked him out with his own baseball bat, he
gave her a tired smile before he leaned against her half asleep,
she had to drag him up to his room and tuck him in bed, then a few
hours later he was gone and back at work.

“
Mama, what’s
so funny?” Michael asked from the back seat.

“
Nothing
honey. So, are you ready for school?”

“
Yes, but....
mama can Dave take me?” Michael begged.

Maria looked at him
through the rear view mirror. She had gotten use to him asking for
Dave, but it still made her very uncomfortable, “He can’t, he has
work, but we’ll see him after and you can tell him about your first
day.”

“
Da!” Izzy
yelled, waving her doll around.

Michael pulled the doll
out of her hand, turning her attention to him, “It’s dad, say dad
or daddy.”

Maria kept her eyes on
him, she’d never heard him say that, at least not like that. When
Ricky forced him to say it, it was empty and very resentful, but
when he said it referring to Dave it was heavy with emotion, she
knew what emotion, but she wasn’t going to admit it to
herself.

Maria started backing out
of the driveway, stopping just in time. A red Covet was parked
behind the car and she almost ran into it, “Stay in the car.” She
told Michael as she got out. She walked to the blond leaning
against the Covet. She was in a very short, black skirt with an
exposing slit over her thigh and a white blouse that showed too
much cleavage, leaving very little to the imagination. Her red high
heels, which looked like a potential threat to her neck, matched
her blood-red lips and the Covet.

Maria understood that she
came from a small town and things were very different in New York,
but this woman’s dress screamed desperate and very willing. Edna
would never let her out of the house dressed like that and Ricky
would most definitely use it as an excuse to beat her unconscious,
not that he needed an excuse, but he would say it was her fault and
she had provoked him.

“
Hi, can I
help you?”

She looked Maria over,
sizing her up with the coldest stare, “No.”

“
Okay then,
please move your car, I need to leave.” Maria returned in the same
tone. She turned to leave, already irritated by the
woman.

“
You must be
Dave’s new toy?” She barked, standing upright.

Maria turned around, her
eyes slit harshly, “Excuse you?”

“
He’s letting
you play with his old toy,” she pointed to the Prado, “that means
he must be playing with you.” Her lips rose in a malicious
smile.

Maria moved closer to
her, her patience slowly wearing off, “Who are you?”

“
Amy, his
wife.” She responded with a wider smile.

Maria laughed,
acknowledging the hostility, “You are the
ex-wife
?” She looked Amy over, “I’ve
got to say, Dave is pretty good with descriptions, and I should
have recognized you immediately.”

Amy hiked her knee to
pull the slit higher up her thigh, “I know, I’m a knock
out.”

“
Aha, you are
close, but what he really said is that he’d like to knock you
out.”

“
It’s called
sexual tension. He’s still in love with me.”

“
No it’s
called belligerence and hate. And not even you believe that, he
choose Izzy remember?”

“
Izzy
” she said with disgust,
“It’s
Elizabeth,
I’m sure where you come from they can pronounce
that.”

“
Just as well
as we pronounce
la
Diabla
,” Maria answered back. Amy’s
condescending manner was getting to her and she was close to
knocking her out herself.

“
Where is my
daughter?” Amy asked harshly.

“
Do you even
know what that word means?”

“
I didn’t come
here for English lessons, where is Elizabeth?”

“
She’s in the
car, but you aren’t going anywhere near her.” Maria pressed the
lock button on the car remote, all the doors locked with a beeping
sound.

“
You have no
right...” She stepped closer to Maria, her hands fisted at her
sides.

Maria took a
step towards her, closing the gap between them, “Yes I do, Dave has
full custody and she’s under my care.” She felt good standing up to
Amy, not giving her a chance to belittle her again. Standing at the
top of the side walk did put her at a height advantage in her
sneakers, but the courage inside her made her feel tall enough.
“Don’t you have little boys to chase after?” Amy’s eyes widened and
her lips parted in a gasp, “Move your car before I crush it
with
my toy
.”

Maria turned around and
got into the car. She moved the car forward and waited for Amy to
move hers. Amy moved the car back, completely blocking Maria in.
Maria looked at her in the rear view mirror and smiled, she could
see how petty Amy was being and the best way to reciprocate was by
being pettier. Maria revved the car as a warning, but Amy didn’t
move, then she backed it up fast and stopped inches away from Amy.
Amy was frightened and even more enraged, but she didn’t
move.

“
Okay, if
that’s the way you want it.” Maria said moving the car
forward.

“
Mama, what
are you doing?” Michael asked quietly, then turned to look out the
back window.

“
Keep your
eyes forward honey.” she revved the car and reversed it fast. Amy
pushed her car forward, but she didn’t make it in time. Maria
scratched her back bumper before she drove off, leaving a screaming
Amy on the road alone.

Michael laughed, sitting
properly on his seat, “Mama, don’t ever call me childish
again.”

Carol opened Dave’s door
laughing, drawing Dave back to reality, “Your wife’s lawyer is on
the phone. She says your girlfriend tried to run Amy
over.”

“
What?”

“
I knew I
liked Maria a lot, I bet the witch tried to take Izzy, she didn’t
bet on mama bear.”

“
Mama bear?”
Dave picked up the receiver, smiling at the thought of Maria
running Amy over, but he hoped she hadn’t, because she had enough
problems on her plate.

She turned to leave,
“Maria is very protective of Izzy and Miguel, I mean
Michael.”

“
Carol.”

“
Don’t worry,
my lips are sealed.” She closed the door behind her.

“
What is it?”
Dave asked directly into the receiver, his professional voice
on.

Maria walked into the
firm behind Michael and Izzy, carrying their lunch in her hands.
She had grown accustomed to the stares and the stares had reduced
since she became a constant visitor. She got to Carol’s desk and
placed a chocolate cake on it, “For the best secretary
ever.”

Carol smiled, “Thanks,
you spoil me.” She looked at Maria differently, with a new found
respect. After all she had been through, it was a miracle she
gathered the courage to set foot out of her home every day, if it
was her she would be locked in, hiding in a corner.

“
You deserve
it.” she pulled Michael and Izzy back before they ran into his
office, “Wait a minute, he might be busy.”

“
Actually,
he’s talking to Amy’s lawyer. Good job by the way.” Carol stood up
and hugged her. The congratulation on her victory over Amy was an
excuse to give her a comforting hug, which she really wanted to
give her.

Maria felt uneasy, the
pleasure of putting Amy in her place all gone. She didn’t want any
legal problems, she would be a sitting duck if she were to end up
in jail for it, “That was a really bad move.”

Carol pulled away, her
face lit with excitement, “You really did run her over?”

“
I didn’t run
her over, I nicked her car.” Maria defended herself, “How bad is
it?” “Don’t worry, Dave is taking care of it. Go in.” Izzy and
Michael ran in, but Maria took her time. She was sure Dave was
furious, she had damaged his and Amy’s car. She hated his temper
and she hoped he wouldn’t be very mad at her, either way, she would
take it, hopefully without cowering away. She was learning to get
used to his temper, since it was never directed to her or the kids,
but it was difficult and all she could think about was the day that
it would be directed to her.

“
What was she
doing there in the first place?” Dave’s hard voice filled the room.
Maria heard the door close behind her and she felt trapped, already
hearing the anger in Dave’s voice. She thought of sneaking out
since he had his back to her, he wouldn’t notice. “Do I have to
file a restraining order?” he bellowed louder. Maria moved to the
table and placed the food on it before her shaky hands dropped
it.

“
She’s lucky,
if it was me I would have run her and that stupid car over.” he
turned and his harsh face eased into a grin when he spotted Michael
and Izzy playing in the corner, “she was trespassing!” his voice
gentler. Maria relaxed, taking the change as a good sign. He turned
to her and his grin widened, then picked up a few papers and a file
and stuck them in a drawer.

Maria had gotten used to
seeing him do that, she knew his job required privacy and she tried
to always avoid reading his papers when she cleaned up at home, she
was still getting used to calling his house her home. He beckoned
the kids to him, they ran to him, Michael getting there first. He
picked him up with one hand and hugged him tight, then set him down
and did the same with Izzy. Maria watched them, she loved seeing
that, it was picture perfect.

And the urge to go to him
and have him hold her, filled her every essence. She hated being
touched, that was an undisputed fact, but she craved his touch, his
protective comforting touch.

“
Ask your
client to read the terms of the divorce again and make it clear to
her.” he
signaled
for Maria to come to him, she moved slowly towards
him, her hands dug in her back pockets. He’d seen how tense she was
and he wanted to reassure her, “She is no longer my wife and who I
live with or buy a car for is none of her business.” He draped a
hand over Maria’s shoulders and chuckled at the stunned look she
gave him, “The insurance will cover it.” he tucked a few loose
strands of her hair behind her ear, when he did, it exposed a long
scar on the side of her head, something he’d never seen before. He
pulled his eyes away fast before she noticed, holding her tighter
against him, “We both know your client so what does she really
want?”