Chapter 29 — Reconsidering a Relationship

_January 1, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

{psc} "Did it work?" Jack asked when I arrived home.

"If you mean did I achieve my goal of peace and quiet without feeling smothered, then yes, it did."

"This probably sounds like a broken record, but all of us care about you."

"I know, and I really do appreciate that, but in the same way Keiko occasionally sent me away from the hospital, I need to send everyone away. The thing is, I can't do that because you all live here, and I want you to continue to live here. That meant for today, I simply had to escape, and Violet's house was the perfect refuge because I could sit alone in her front room and read."

"We could probably move out sooner," Jack offered.

I shook my head, "That's not my point at all. I just need to spend some time by myself because, on Tuesday, I have to hit the ground running. One of the last things Keiko said to me was not to let mourning overwhelm me and change who I am. She also asked me to promise to be the successful man she knew me to be. So, as sad as I am, I won't disappoint her, even if the odds are she'll have no way of knowing."

"That sounds as if you think there's some possibility."

"What did I teach you about the difference between possible and probable?"

"Just because something is possible doesn't mean it's probable or that it will ever occur. It's possible to win the lottery, but not probable."

"Exactly. Is it possible that existence continues somehow? Yes. But I haven't seen any evidence, and those who assert it as a certainty haven't provided a shred. At best, it's a subtle shift to allow for the possibility Anala is right, but I'm not changing anything I do based on it."

"That makes sense. While you were out, your mom called. She asked for you to call. You also had calls from Jeri and Shelly, as well as Tony from Spurgeon. Tony said there's no need to call unless you don't plan to be in on Tuesday. The others asked for you to call them back."

"Thanks. I'm going up to my room to call my mom. I'll come back down after, so please head off the posse if they start looking for me."

"The _posse_ or the _pussy_?" Jack smirked.

I laughed, "Same thing in this house, present company excepted."

"It's good to see you laugh."

"Just give me a few days, OK?"

"Yes."

I went upstairs to my room, changed into sweats, then called my mom.

"I just wanted to check on you," she said.

'You and half the planet', I wanted to say, but I couldn't say that to my mom.

"I understand. I was at Violet's so I could have some time to myself."

"Be careful, Jonathan."

"Of all the people on the planet of whom I might need to be careful, Violet is not one of them. She gave me space, and her history is such that there is basically no chance we'll ever be anything but close friends. Not to mention, I am absolutely not in a state of mind to go on a date, let alone do what you're implying."

"Our family behavior in that regard is not always rational, as we both well know!"

"Three for three on out-of-wedlock pregnancies?" I asked. "Your father will lose his mind when he finds out about Bianca. Not that I'm going to tell him, but at some point, something will be said, likely by Aunt Wendy."

"True. Anyway, I won't keep you. You know you're welcome here if you need to get away."

"I think staying three hundred miles away from Jim Newton is wise."

"Julie told me they know where she is."

"Chicago," I replied.

"She implied they know an address."

"I suppose it's possible at this point. I take it from what you said they don't know Glen is here?"

"I certainly haven't told them, and I would expect Julie to say something if they knew that was the case."

"Probably. I'll call next weekend, OK?"

"Or if you need anything."

"Or if I need anything," I agreed.

We said 'goodbye' and I contemplated if I should call Jeri or Shelly, and decided to call Shelly. We had a brief conversation, and she invited me to join them for dinner. I promised I would, but that it would need to be in a few weeks. She didn't push back, which I appreciated, then we promised to keep in touch and ended the call.

I debated calling Jeri, but, in the end, I was managing her money, and she had the right to know I was thinking clearly and in a proper frame of mind to continue that management. Karl answered the phone and let Jeri know I was calling.

"Hi," Jeri said.

"Hi," I replied. "I'll be ready to go back to work on Tuesday," I said. "I promise your money is in good hands."

"OK, I might be a mercenary bitch at times, but I do actually care! You know if you need anything, all you have to do is call, right?"

"I do. And I appreciate it."

"Why don't you come for dinner one night?"

"Let's just stick to our planned dinner on the 17th, please. As I've said to my housemates and others, I just need some time."

"OK. The offer is there. Just call anytime."

"Thanks," I replied.

After we said 'goodbye', I hung up and went downstairs. I wasn't particularly interested in doing anything, so I picked up my book, which I'd left on the kitchen counter, and went to the Japanese room to read. I wasn't surprised when both CeCi and Deanna came in, but they said nothing and simply sat down with books to read. I didn't mind them being in the same room, and I was happy they simply read quietly.

I read for about an hour, then let Deanna and CeCi know I was going to bed. As I left the Japanese room, Bianca came over to me and offered me a hug, which I accepted. We both said 'good night', and I went up to my room.

_January 3, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

I was happy to return to work on Tuesday, having divided my time on Monday between Violet's house and my house. The only downside of going to the office was that every person I spoke to offered condolences and asked how I was doing. I hoped that would taper off, as I wanted to focus on work when I was in the office. When I sat down at my desk, I picked up a small sheaf of pink telephone message slips.

There was nothing pressing, so I picked up a folder that was in my 'IN' box and saw that Brandon Littleton's trust account had been approved and the wire transfer had occurred on December 30th. That was good news, and I made a note to call and speak to him. I also made a note to speak with Kendall Roy about the meal I'd offered for them to get that done despite the holidays.

Before I began working on my portion of the morning analyst report, I read over the ones Tony had created in my absence. I was pleased with the quality and analysis and made a few notes for further research. Once I'd done that, I began my usual review of the news, as well as the closing prices for currencies and precious metals from the previous trading session.

I completed the report, copied it to the proper storage location on the computer so the secretaries could access it, then took Violet's résumé to Mrs. Peterson in Personnel.

"She's a friend of yours?" Mrs. Peterson asked.

"Yes. I've known her for just over two years."

"OK. I'll have her come in for an interview, then check her references. If there are no problems, you can extend the offer right away. I believe I provided the salary information."

"Yes. The only question I have is bonuses for assistants."

"There are no target amounts the way there are for other positions. Basically, all secretaries receive equal amounts. Heads of desks often compensate them as well."

I heard 'for services rendered' even though Mrs. Peterson didn't say that.

"But that's not via Spurgeon, right?"

"Correct. It's similar to the car Murray Matheson comped you."

"Thanks."

"Call Janet and make an appointment to see Noel Spurgeon to discuss your compensation for this year, please."

"I'll do that right away. Is he in today?"

"Not until Thursday. He's reachable, of course, if you need something urgently."

"No, it was just a question of when the meeting might be."

When I returned to my office, I immediately placed a call to Janet and set up my meeting with Noel Spurgeon for Thursday afternoon at 2:00pm. That accomplished, I set about returning calls, one of which was to Stan Jakes, the reporter from the _Trib_.

"I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine," he said. "Len Walter."

"The business reporter from WBBM?"

"Yes. He'd be a good contact for you to have, and you'd be a good source for him."

That was, in my mind, a no-brainer, as Len Walter was _the_ business reporter in Chicago who broadcast from the Midwest Stock Exchange.

"I'd be happy to have the introduction," I said. "If you pick a day next week, I'll buy lunch at any place you can name."

Stan laughed, "Someday, I'll take you up on that in a serious way, but I think we'll shoot for Venice Café. The tables in the back are out of the way, and with the dim lighting, we won't attract any attention. How about Thursday, January 12th at 11:30am to beat the lunch rush?"

"I'll put it on my calendar," I said. "See you then."

After we said 'goodbye', I returned a call from Brandon Littleton. He wasn't in the office, but his secretary relayed the message that he had called to thank me for expediting the transfer of his trust. I expressed my gratitude, and she promised he'd call by the end of the day once he was out of court.

The rest of the morning was busy, and I calculated my actual return on the first dollars in, and it was 39.7%, though given much of the money had come in later in the year, and Littleton's literally on the last day, that lowered the overall annual gains. That was why what Mr. Matheson called the 'league table' would show returns on the first dollar in, as that would better reflect my performance.

Of course, the 'twenty' was calculated on the total return for the fund, and that meant zero from Littleton's money, though we'd collect the management fee today. Ultimately, the numbers didn't mean much with regard to my income, as I had been salaried for all of 1983.

That said, I did have carried interest in excess of a million dollars, though about half of that would go to Uncle Sam and Governor Thompson when I withdrew it. That in and of itself was enough reason to let it ride so as to benefit from the compounding effects. My thought process was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Research, Kane."

"Jonathan Kane?"

"Yes."

"This is Sargent Matt Callahan of the Clermont County, Ohio, Sherrif's Department. I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I might."

"Concerning?"

"Miss Beverly Newton."

I had an immediate sinking feeling, but I really had no choice but to answer his questions.

"What did you want to know?"

"How long have you known her?"

"Since we were toddlers."

"And your relationship was romantic?"

"It depends on what you mean. She was my best friend, in fact, my only close friend. We never really discussed our relationship in those terms. If you're asking if we had sex, yes, we did."

"Is the child yours?"

"No. There were no blood tests or anything because she became pregnant long after I moved to Chicago, and I wasn't in Ohio again until she was several months pregnant."

"But you were with her during the delivery of the child?"

"Yes."

"Did she reveal to you the name of the baby's father?"

"Not at that time."

"But later?"

"Yes."

"Who is the baby's father?"

"I'm sorry, Sargent, but you'll need to ask Bev that question. I can give you her phone number if you'd like."

"I could have the County Prosecutor subpoena you."

"Yes, you could. And then you'll need to serve it in Illinois, which will require you to go to court here to enforce the subpoena, which I'll oppose. I've been down this road before, so I know how it works. Call Bev. Ask her."

"I tried to speak to Miss Newton, but she refused to speak to me."

"There's something you're not telling me, Sergeant. If you put your cards on the table, I'd be more inclined to answer further questions."

"Do you know a former teacher at Goshen High School, Glen Rodgers?"

The sinking feeling turned to dread, and I suddenly wondered if there was some aspect of Ohio law that made Glen having sex with Bev illegal.

"He arrived in the Fall of 1981 after I graduated. He dated my mom for a time."

"And are you aware of his current whereabouts?"

Given Glen had an Illinois teaching license, and would certainly have had to give an address, there was no doubt in my mind that Sergeant Callahan knew where Glen and Bev were living. Denying I knew he was in Illinois was a nasty trap because, in the end, he'd find both of them in government records.

"Yes," I replied warily. "He's in Illinois, teaching in Oak Park, just outside the Chicago city limits."

"Does Miss Newton reside at 1840 West Morse Avenue in Chicago?"

"No," I replied. "That's my house, and it's where she has her car registered."

"Where does she live?"

"734 South Dearborn Street in Chicago."

"That's the same address I have for Glen Rodgers."

"Yes."

"Is he the baby's father?"

"You'll need to ask Bev or Glen that question," I replied.

"I'm going take that as a 'yes', because if it weren't true, I believe you would deny it."

"Whatever you want to assume is OK by me," I replied. "But I do want to point out Bev was seventeen when she became pregnant, and I'm positive Ohio's age of consent is sixteen."

"There is an allegation of another relationship," Sargent Callahan said.

I suppressed a groan because the implication was that Glen had slept with _another_ student and one who was underage.

"I'd have absolutely no knowledge of that," I said.

"No rumors?"

"None. There were rumors about another teacher, Mr. Kingman, but never about Mr. Rodgers."

"What were those rumors?"

"That he and his wife had been together while she was still a student and he was a teacher, but those were only rumors. They married not long after she graduated in 1978. May I ask a question?"

"What?"

"How did you get Bev's phone number? It's not listed in her name."

"I called the phone number that was on the teaching certificate application filed by Mr. Rodgers, and Miss Newton answered."

And that was, as they say, that.

"Are you aware she's estranged from her parents and does not want them to know where she is?"

"Yes. We had that information from the FBI and the police in St. Louis. We're also aware you drove her from Overland Park, Kansas, to Chicago."

"I did."

"Jonathan, if I may call you that…"

"You may."

"Jonathan, it's obvious to me what the answer to my question is, and you know for a fact I'm going to find out."

He was right, and, in the end, I couldn't prevent what was going to happen.

"Yes, Heather is Glen's child."

"So, putting two and two together, they had an affair while she was his student."

"Technically, that's not correct. She was _a_ student at Goshen High, but she wasn't in his class when Heather was conceived."

"You speak like an attorney."

"I'm a securities analyst. Precision is just as important for me as it is for a lawyer or a doctor, for that matter."

"That's all I have for you," Sergeant Callahan said. "You may hear from someone in the County Prosecutor's office. Thank you for your assistance."

"You're welcome."

We ended the call, and I contemplated who I should call first. I debated with myself and decided to call my mom.

"Goshen High School; Linda Kane speaking."

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Jonathan! Is everything OK?"

"I'd say things are pretty far from OK, and I'm not talking about Keiko."

"What happened?"

"I just had an interesting conversation with Sergeant Matt Callahan of the Clermont County Sheriff's Department. He asked me about Bev and Glen and implied that he was investigating Glen for having sex with an underage girl."

"Bev was seventeen when she got pregnant."

"Yes…"

"Oh, my! Does Bev know?"

"I'm going to surmise she knows something, but what she knows, I can't say for sure. Sergeant Callahan tracked her down more or less by accident. He was looking for Glen, called the number on Glen's application for an Illinois teaching license, and Bev answered."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. I think I have to call Bev and talk to her."

"Do you know if Jim and Julie discovered where she's living?"

"I'm got to guess the answer is 'no', given I'm positive Sergeant Callahan called them, in addition to speaking to the McGills and likely the police in Overland Park, Kansas."

"At this point, I almost feel as if I have to tell them."

"That thought crossed my mind, but Bev will run if they try to contact her, so I'd hold off on that, at least for now."

"This is an unholy mess."

"I know," I said. "Of course, the allegation could be false."

"But you don't think so, do you?" Mom asked.

"No. For some reason, it rings true. And the way Bev is behaving makes me suspicious. The question is, do I call Bev and tell her, or just wait for the chips to fall."

"A this point, I think I'd let the chips fall. I hate to say this, but with her erratic behavior, you can't trust her."

"No," I agreed. "I don't think I can."

"I know you're probably tired of this question," Mom said, "but how are you doing?"

"Better now that I'm back at work. Obviously, I was prepared for what was coming, which also helps."

"I'll let you get back to work then. Speak to you soon."

We said 'goodbye', and I hung up. I considered calling Bev but decided that it couldn't possibly do any good, and there was no way I wanted to be involved in whatever mess was brewing. I was concerned about Heather, though, and wondered if there was anything I could do. Given the circumstances and given what I felt was likely to happen, there was one thing I could do, even though I had just said I would hold off. I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Newton residence."

"Mrs. Newton, it's Jonathan."

"Hi, Jonathan. Your mom told us what happened. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. Do you have a pencil and paper?"

"Yes, of course; you know we keep the pad by the phone."

"Bev is living at 734 South Dearborn Street in Chicago. Her phone number is 312-555-0672. She's living with Glen Rodgers."

"WHAT?!" Mrs. Newton gasped. "The teacher?"

"Yes."

"Is he…"

"Yes, he's Heather's biological father."

"Oh my Lord!"

"I'm at work," I said. "So I need to keep this brief. I'd appreciate you not telling Bev I gave you that information."

"I'm not sure what Jim will say about that."

"I understand, and that's why I didn't ask for a promise before I gave you the information."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Does your mom know?"

There would be recriminations no matter which way the Newtons found out, so I felt it was best to just rip the Band-Aid off completely in one swift motion.

"He confessed to her before he moved to Chicago," I said. "That's why they broke up."

"Jim is going to be livid."

"That won't surprise me. Now, I do need to go."

After we said 'goodbye', I hung up and contemplated the complete sundering of my relationship with Bev. That didn't make me happy, but I simply could no longer deal with the drama. I went back to work and, about ninety minutes later, joined Bianca for lunch in the break room.

"I called Bev's mom and gave her Bev's address and phone number," I said.

"WHOA!" Bianca exclaimed. "What possessed you to do that?"

"A call from the Clermont County Sherrif's department looking for information on Glen. Between what they said and what they inferred, they're investigating Glen for having sex with an underage student. Not Bev."

"Holy shit!" Bianca exclaimed but kept her voice low.

"Yeah. And putting all the pieces together in my mind, Bev knows about whatever it is. If the allegation is accurate, all hell is going to break loose, and I can't be part of the drama. That's why I called Julie Newton after I discussed everything with my mom."

"Jesus," Bianca breathed. "You broke your word to Bev?"

"I did, and I did it consciously. Her behavior has been so erratic since she became pregnant, and she's hidden so many things from me at various times that I can no longer trust her. I decided my sole concern was Heather's well-being, and that meant telling the Newtons where Bev was living. If things go the way I think they will, I'm not sure Bev will be in any condition to care for Heather, and this time, I can't rescue her. I did that once, but given everything that's happened, I won't do it again."

"Are you sure you're not reacting emotionally because of Keiko?"

"No, I'm not sure, but tell me, please, what I can do for Bev if she won't help herself? And what will happen once Glen discovers he's suspected of statutory rape?"

"Nothing good, that's for sure."

"Exactly. And I can't be part of that mess."

"And the surefire way of ensuring Bev didn't try to involve you was to do the one thing you knew would destroy the relationship for good."

"Sadly, I saw no other option because I really do care about Heather, even if she's not my daughter."

"Being with Bev when Heather was delivered had a profound effect on you."

"It did. She was never mine, but I felt as if she was, if that makes sense."

"In Jonathan-land, it does!"

"It also means there was some truth to Anna's analysis, and I was in denial. The phone call from the Sheriff's Department following the events of the last week finally snapped me out of it."

"Do you think you made a mistake going to Kansas?"

"No. It was the right thing to do, both for Bev and Heather. But I also laid a trap for myself. I think Anna took it a bit too far, but not as far as I had thought. I had to break the cycle, and it had to stop before the shit hit the fan, so to speak."

"I don't disagree. I know you hate this question, but are you OK?"

"My feelings at the moment are severely muddled, and the one thing I couldn't do was have any extra drama in my life. I know it's going to take time to come to terms with everything, but I also know it's changed me in some ways, though I don't think I can articulate what that means right now."

"I think that actually makes sense. What happened with Keiko hurt me, but nowhere near as much as it hurt you. What happened with Bev hurt you as well, but the difference between the two is Keiko never, ever betrayed you or took advantage of you."

"And Bev did both," I admitted.

"I don't think anyone who betrays you in any way could ever hope to continue a relationship beyond basic cordiality. If there's one overriding feature of your personality, it's integrity. In your case, that means honesty over everything, along with consistent adherence to your ethical code."

"With the understanding that some situations call for deviation, yes."

"You're talking about keeping your word, right?"

"Yes."

"But isn't that at least somewhat contingent on the other person keeping their word and their commitments? If an investor broke their commitment, wouldn't that free you to modify the relationship, including terminating it?"

"Yes, so long as I was consistent with the contractual agreement and the regulations."

"So in Bev's case, when she violated your trust and pushed you away, your obligations to her changed, right?"

"Yes," I admitted.

"So, in the end, you were consistent and kept your word until Bev acted in a way that provided just cause to go back on it. In other words, you were faithful until she wasn't. And I'm not talking about sex because your idea of fidelity is based on your agreement with your partner, not on the opinion of society.

"You didn't have a problem with Bev being with other men because you had no agreement. Your concern about Noel Spurgeon is reputational risk, along with legal risk, not that he and Valerie appear to tolerate each other having lovers. And you certainly never cared about who else any of the girls were sleeping with, so long as nobody was cheating."

"All true."

"So, what happens now?"

"With Bev?"

"In general."

"I don't know. The most important thing right now is staying on an even keel and not making any major decisions until my emotions are less muddled."

"That makes a lot of sense."

We finished our lunch, then headed to the gym to work out. I pushed harder than usual, as I hadn't exercised in several weeks, while Bianca did light resistance work due to her rapidly growing belly. Our baby was due in about three months, and it was something to which I was really looking forward.

Later that afternoon, Brandon Littleton called and thanked me for expediting his account setup and promised to refer others to me. I thanked him, hung up, and went back to work.

_January 4, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

"You bastard!" Bev growled when I answered the phone at home on Wednesday evening.

"Literally true," I replied. "My parents were not married when I was born."

"Don't be an even bigger jerk, Jonathan!"

Bev calling me by my proper name, rather than 'Jonny', conveyed that our close relationship was completely sundered. Even at the lowest points, she'd never called me anything other than 'Jonny' except when referring to me or, in those rare instances, she had to give my name to someone. I considered how to proceed and decided to simply cut to the chase.

"What do you know about Glen Rodgers having a relationship with another student?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

She had hesitated just enough that I knew she knew, despite her words implying otherwise.

"I believe you know what I'm talking about, but I'll say it directly — Glen had an affair with an underage student at some point. How do I know that? Because Sergeant Matt Callahan of the Clermont County Sheriff's Department called me yesterday. Among other things, he said he spoke to you when he called the number Glen put on his application for his teaching certificate. When I pointed out you were seventeen when Heather was born, he said there was another allegation about an underage girl."

I heard a click as the call disconnected without another word from Bev. That confirmed for me that the allegation was true AND that Bev knew about it. In my mind, it also meant the two of them were likely to flee and try to disappear. I almost laughed when my mind went directly to Bonnie and Clyde, though I couldn't see either Bev or Glen using a machine gun.

The question was what I should do next, and the clear answer was 'nothing'. Calling DCFS or local law enforcement wouldn't help, given so far as I was aware, no charges had been filed against Glen, and Bev had a job, a place to live, and could properly support herself and Heather. I was positive I'd receive a visit from some law enforcement in the not-too-distant future when the Clermont County Sheriff's Department brought charges against Glen, which I felt had to be imminent.

What I didn't expect, but in hindsight probably should have, was Jim Newton appearing on my doorstep forty minutes later.

"Hi, Jonathan," he said. "Can I come in?"

I could feel the tension and decided a small joke was the best way to reduce it.

"So long as you don't have a gun," I replied. "Handguns are illegal in Chicago!"

He laughed, which was what I had hoped would happen.

"Shotguns are usually the father's choice of firearms," he said. "I'm not carrying."

I invited him in, and we went to the Japanese room.

"My condolences on your loss," he said.

"Thanks. Have a seat on the couch. Can I get you something to drink?"

"You wouldn't have a beer, would you?"

"Old Style in bottles and cans of Bud."

"Old Style?"

"A Chicago mainstay. It's not bad for an inexpensive lager."

"I'll try one of those."

I went to the kitchen, got a bottle of Old Style for Jim Newton and an Orange Crush for me, and returned to the Japanese room. I handed him the bottle of beer, then sat down in one of the Papasan chairs.

"Did you come to Chicago alone?" I asked.

"No. Julie is at the hotel. We tried to see Bev, but she refused to open the door."

"She called about an hour ago, called me a bastard, and when I tried to talk to her about the situation, she hung up on me."

"You steadfastly refused to tell us where she was, but yesterday, you called Julie and gave her the address and phone number. Why?"

"Did you receive a call from someone at the Clermont County Sheriff's Department?"

"No. Why would I? The last thing I heard from them was that they wouldn't give me Bev's location. Was she here?"

"No, she was in St. Louis and, later, in Overland Park, Kansas. I brought Bev and Heather from Kansas to Chicago, and helped her find a place to live and to get a job."

"When did you find out Glen Rodgers was Heather's father?"

"Bev told me right before she left for St. Louis. I asked — no, actually, I begged — her to come here instead, and she refused. I don't know if it was embarrassment or fear or what Mr. Chojnicki called 'postpartum depression', which people refer to as the 'baby blues'. When you sent the investigators to find her, she fled from St. Louis to Overland Park, Kansas.

"In Overland Park, she had a confrontation with some police officers who were checking on her because the motel clerk was worried about her erratic behavior. A detective from the Overland Park Police Department called me because he found my name and number in Bev's purse. A friend and I went to Kansas to help her, and using a bit of subterfuge, I prevented Heather from going into temporary foster care."

"Subterfuge?"

"I said Heather was mine, and because my blood type matched and because of other things they found in Bev's purse, they believed me. They let me and my friend take Heather while Bev stayed in the hospital. The next day, Bev was released, and we drove back to Chicago. She stayed with a friend of mine while I helped her with a place to live and a job. At that point, my mom knew about Glen and Bev because Glen confessed.

"Because of that, I finally convinced Bev to accept child support from Glen, which I facilitated through Mr. Chojnicki. Once that was arranged, Bev agreed, at my urging, to get in contact with Glen. I pushed her to do that because I felt Heather needed to know who her dad was, irrespective of the circumstances of her conception. Glen came to visit, he and Bev reconciled, and that's when he moved here.

"Your investigator couldn't find her because she used this address and I refused to say anything, and I was careful not to lead him to Bev. When the Sheriff's Department started looking for Glen, they found the phone number and address on his application for an Illinois teaching certificate. They called, and Bev answered. She wouldn't speak to them, so they called me."

"Why?"

"They're investigating Glen for violating age of consent laws."

"OK, as much as I want to do the whole shotgun thing with Glen right now, unless you and Bev lied to me, which I don't believe, she first had sex on her sixteenth birthday."

"We didn't lie," I replied. "The allegations aren't about him and Bev."

"Wait! You mean he's done this before?"

"That is the inference I drew from what Detective Callahan said. He didn't come right out and say it, but I'm positive Glen had an affair with a student who hadn't turned sixteen."

"Son of a bitch!"

"I'm also reasonably certain Bev knows about the allegation and might have known for some time. It would help explain her behavior."

"I should go see the police," Jim Newton said.

"If you mean here in Chicago, I don't think they could do anything. Bev is over eighteen, and has been since before she moved here. Anything that happened between her and Glen before she turned eighteen happened in Ohio. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure I remember from American Government class that Illinois can't prosecute a crime committed in Ohio by two Ohio residents."

"Who was the Deputy who called you again?"

"Sergeant Matt Callahan."

"I think I'll call him tomorrow. I'm unhappy with you, Jonathan. You did the right thing, eventually, but you should have told us immediately what you knew when you knew it."

"I was keeping faith with Bev," I replied. "My faith was probably misplaced, but given our history, I had to do that."

"What do you think she'll do?"

"If history is any indicator, she'll run and, this time, try to disappear for good. I suspect Glen will go with her, but I have no idea. And I doubt she'll talk to me now that she knows I gave you her address and phone number. That was the problem all along — had I done that before, she'd have disappeared, and none of us would ever have heard from her unless someone tracked us down because she was hurt or dead."

"I take it this room is in honor of your wife?"

"Yes, though we began working on it before we were engaged."

"Your mom says you've been very successful, and I think this house demonstrates that. I respect that, though I have to say I'm not pleased with your behavior over the past two and a half years."

"I only ever did what I felt was right and what I felt was in Bev's and Heather's best interests. And, in the end, it's because of Heather that I called your wife yesterday."

"If Bev does disappear again and contacts you, will you call us?"

"I suspect her hanging up on me was the very end of our relationship. The chances she'll call me for help are pretty much zero at this point."

"But if she does, will you?"

"Yes."

He downed the rest of his beer and stood up.

"I should be going. I do appreciate you calling yesterday, and I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks."

I walked him to the door and wasn't surprised when he didn't extend his hand to shake. Once he was down the steps, I shut the door and went back to the Japanese room to collect the empty bottles.

"Mind if I ask who that was?" Bianca inquired.

"Bev's dad. They drove up today to try to see Bev and Heather. My phone call before was from Bev, who called me names, then hung up on me when I asked her about Glen."

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah," I sighed.