A State of Grace Pt. 03

"Unfortunately, I can prove at least part of what I'm telling you is true," Kevin said. "Although I'm really hoping you'll just accept my word."

Elizabeth smiled but shook her head.

"Kevin, sweetie, it's not a matter of doubting your word!" she said. "You aren't the kind of person to make up stories or lie. I believe you when you say you found all kinds of evil stuff on a computer in the basement. What I just can't lend credence to is the idea that any of it is true. If you want me to believe any of it, you're going to have to prove it to me!"

Kevin closed his eyes and slumped, shaking his head. He looked so helpless in that moment that wanted to go to him and pull him into my arms. But, I knew doing that wouldn't help his case, so I kept my seat and waited. After a few moments, Kevin looked up, his face even sadder than before.

"Alright, Liza, I'll give you the proof you asked for. Tell me, how long did you live in this house before you finally broke with your parents?"

"A little over a year," she replied, taken aback at the apparent nonsequitor. "I was already in my senior year of high school when we moved here. I stayed until a couple months after my 18th birthday. Then I left! I just couldn't take it here anymore."

"And who lived here with you, besides Trent and your mother?"

"No one," she said quickly, and a little defensively.

Fleur and I frowned at that, but neither of us said anything. I knew that Jack, Elizabeth's oldest brother, had lost his job and moved home briefly to get his feet back under himself. I had thought that it was around the time that Trent and Aunt Lily had bought this house.

"Are you sure that there wasn't anyone else living here?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," she said.

Kevin stood up and walked over to the counter to a shopping bag I hadn't noticed earlier. He brought it back to the table and took out a bottle of perfume: Soft Jasmine. It was a nice enough scent, but not a favorite of mine. He gently took Elizabeth's hand and sprayed a tiny amount of the perfume on her wrist.

"What do you think of that perfume, Liza?" he asked.

Elizabeth looked completely and totally confused by the change of subjects, but she went along with it. She took a careful whiff of the perfume on her wrist and then shrugged.

"It smells nice enough, I guess, but it's not something I'd want to wear all the time," she said.

"Yeah," Kevin replied, "Gracie doesn't really like it all that well, either, so I had to go out and buy some instead of borrowing it from her. Smell it again for me, please."

She obediently took another whiff of the scent.

"Smell the lovely colors, my little one!" Kevin said, suddenly. "Smell the lovely colors and tell me what they feel like!"

In an instant, Elizabeth's whole demeanor changed! Right there before our eyes!

"Tell me something, my little one! Who lived here in this house when you first moved here!"

"It was me, Mom, Dad, and Jack," Elizabeth said. Her voice was dull and flat, devoid of emotion. Her eyes were empty and unfocused, her face devoid of expression. She almost looked like a humanoid robot!

"Why didn't you mention Jack before, my little one?" Kevin asked.

"You told me not to," Elizabeth replied, tonelessly. "You told me not to remember that night."

"And you did exactly what I asked you to do, my little one. I'm very proud," Kevin said.

Kevin once more reached across the table and took our cousin's hand in his. He then lifted her wrist to her nose so she could smell the perfume.

"Good Morning, Beauty!" he said.

Just as quickly as her demeanor had changed, it suddenly returned to normal. Elizabeth shook her head, looking dazed. Then she looked around the table at everyone.

"Oh God, what just happened to me?" she asked.

"Mon Dieu!" Fleur cried in shock.

She threw her arms around Elizabeth and pulled the confused woman into a tight hug. I was further shocked to realize that Fleur was crying! Kevin stepped around the table and embraced both women, gently kissing both of them on the tops of their heads as he tried his best to comfort them. I couldn't sit still any longer. I joined them, hugging Elizabeth and Fleur. My own tears spilled down my cheeks.

It took several minutes before we were calm and able to speak again. In the interim, Crystal had brewed a pot of coffee and set it on the table with cups, cream, and sweetener. At long last, Elizabeth looked up at Kevin.

"Well," she said, with gallows humor, "I did ask you for proof, didn't I? Now I have it!"

Kevin was still teary-eyed as he regarded her.

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth!" he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you! But I didn't have any other way to make you believe me, and I-"

"Stop, Kevin!" Elizabeth said firmly. "I asked for it! I should have listened to you and taken you at your word, but I didn't. Besides, dear Kevin, YOU are not the one that did this to me! In fact, you killed the one who did!"

Fleur leaned her head down and tenderly kissed Elizabeth. In spite of the tension in the air, I couldn't help but smile at the loving gesture. They were such a wonderful couple, and their love for each other lit up the room! I reached out and took Kevin's hand. I felt some of the tension leave his body as our fingers intertwined, and he took comfort from my presence.

"The question becomes," Crystal said into the silence, "What do we do now?"

"And that is a difficult question," Kevin admitted.

"Why?" Fleur demanded. "Why not just hand everything you have over to the police?"

"Among the files that I copied are what Trent referred to as his 'insurance papers,'" Kevin replied. "Those files include what looks to be a pretty comprehensive list of persons he was doing business with. There are a lot of prominent local figures mentioned in there, including several detectives, the Chief of the Highland Police Department, and several other 'pillars of the community.'"

"What about the County Sheriff?" I asked.

"He's not in there," Kevin said with a shake of his head. "But his Chief Deputy is. I don't know if going that route would be more or less risky."

"Okay, what about the Feds, then?" Crystal asked. "I have a lot of contacts in the FBI and Homeland Security! I'd be happy to break this!"

"Not so fast, Crystal!" Kevin said. "The files didn't mention anyone at the federal level, but that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any! I'm worried about you exposing yourself - and Kayla! - to some kind of dangerous criminal element."

"Oh yes, because that's never happened to me before!" Crystal snorted, with biting sarcasm.

"Damn it, Crystal, stop and think for a minute!" Kevin snapped at her. "This is serious! These bastards play for keeps, and all of us have something to lose! I couldn't live with myself if something happened to any of you! And the minute we break this to law enforcement, there's going to be an effort to silence us!"

Crystal looked rebellious, but Fleur suddenly looked more thoughtful. Elizabeth was clearly still afraid, but she was also determined. For myself, I was determined too.

"Kevin," I said, quietly. "We need to give this over to the Feds."

"But Grace-"

"No buts, Kevin!" I said, cutting him off. "I want revenge on the ones who contributed to what was done to our family members, yes. I have to admit that's a part of my decision. But there's also this: I want children, Kevin! A family of our own!"

He looked at me, and I saw an echo of the yearning Fleur and Elizabeth had displayed earlier.

"Kevin, I want a career, a house of our own...I want a LIFE! We have a duty to those future children, to make sure that the world they're born into is the best one we can make! I want them to be born into a world that's as safe as it can be! But honey, there are people out there who would cheerfully destroy us for the sake of maintaining their own comfort and power. Hell, they'd probably do it just because they can! And we aren't talking about some tinpot dictator across the ocean, we're talking about people in the same damn town as us!"

I paused to catch my breath before I went on.

"More over, they've hurt people, violated them in the deepest, more horrible way a person can be violated! They mind-raped those people, Kevin! It will take years to heal the kind of damage you're describing - and that's assuming it CAN be healed! We can't - CAN NOT - allow this to happen to anyone else! Not if we can stop it!"

Kevin smiled at me, and in that moment I realized something. He had already reached that decision for himself, but he hadn't let on that he had. Instead, he let me work it all out for myself, trusting me to reach the proper conclusion on my own. He believed in me, in my basic human decency and compassion for others! In that moment, my love for him swelled to even greater heights!

He looked around the table then, individually capturing the eyes of every person sitting there. He stared deeply into Fleur's eyes until she nodded her head. Elizabeth was next. Her nod came more quickly, perhaps because of her personal trauma. Then his gaze fell on Crystal. She looked back at him stonily, but at last, she too nodded her head in agreement.

"Then it's decided," he said at last. "We'll turn over everything we've found to the FBI. Maybe while we're at it, we can help Jack."

"Help Jack? What do you mean, Kevin?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth," Kevin said with the utmost gentleness. "Your brother was sent up the river by your father, Det. William Kowalski, and Judge Walter Marin, among others. It was all a frame job. He tried everything he could to protect you. If he'd had help, he might have succeeded, but he didn't. Jack loved you so much, that he fought for you, even knowing what it might cost him."

"My God," she replied, her eyes huge. "I didn't - I mean, I've never even visited him! I had no idea..."

She broke into tears again, and Fleur comforted her.

"You couldn't have known, Liza," Kevin said. "Trent had methods of making you not remember. You can't blame yourself for what was done to you, or to him! All you - all any of us can do - is try to right the wrongs that have been done! And we ARE going to! Together!"

"TOGETHER!" we all echoed.

*****

Author's Note:

Whew! I never expected such a vehement reaction as the one gathered by the character of Crystal! I was surprised, to say the least. Seeing as how I haven't written a single sex scene involving Crystal, it's a reaction I can't say I understand, but people will react the way they will, I guess.

I do find it a little strange that the majority of the negative comments are coming from 'Anonymous.' Since most people (in my experience, at any rate) do not use their actual names as a screen name, I fail to see why they choose to post comments anonymously. It's something I never do. Does that mean I'm going to start blocking anonymous comments? NO! I just don't understand why anyone wants to do so. BTW, if anyone would like to address the subject, please send me a private message via the feedback feature, because I'm genuinely curious.