Book 1: Chapter 7
Present
The fire caught more quickly once it reached the gas–soaked grass. The flames ran along the line of gas that had flowed a little bit down past the tree where my car was resting. The dry grass surrounding me, the tree, the car and the gas–soaked grass could no longer resist the flames and caught fire as well.
People now started to notice the smoke and flames licking up the embankment. Emergency services were called, but there was another accident further up, and another small brush fire about a mile beyond that. Emergency services would eventually make it to me, but by then, well, it was already too late for me anyway. However, by the time emergency services did make it to the site of my accident, anything that could have easily identified me would be gone.
Meanwhile, while I was laying in the grass and as the flames began making their way closer to my body, Matthew was pulling into his office and had decided that whatever I was mad about, he’d buy me something and make it up to me when he got home.
“Good morning, Mr. Davenport, his secretary, Alice, smiled as he came in. She handed him his morning coffee – his second of the day – and his mail and phone messages. “You’re later than I’d expected. Which is fine. The shareholder’s meeting has been moved until one o’clock and your father is in your office.”
Matthew frowned, wondering why his retired father was waiting for him in his office.
“Thank you, Alice, he said.
“Is everything alright?” she asked. She had been working for Matthew long enough to know when he was distracted by something.
“Nothing major. Amelia is upset about something and I haven’t been able to get in touch with her. If she calls today at any time, put it through to me. Okay?”
“Sure, Alice frowned. He rarely accepted calls from me during the day and Alice was well–versed in denying my calls.
“Dad,” Matthew said, as he breezed into his office. His father was sitting on the sofa already nursing a scotch.
“It’s not even noon yet, Dad,” Matthew frowned, looking at the glass in his father’s hand.
“I’m retired and I’m 67,” my father–in–law said to him with a slight smile. “And I have a driver. I could drink your entire stock and still not put myself in any danger.”
“Except from cirrhosis,” Matthew smirked at him. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of an unexpected visit…”
Matthew checked his watch. I bought him a brand new Rolex for our anniversary last month.
“At ten thirty in the morning?”
“I’m not allowed to come visit my son, the CEO of the company I built? I’m not allowed to check in on my investments?”
“Dad,” Matthew shook his head at his father. “I really don’t have time for games.”
“Why are you rolling in at ten thirty, anyway?” his father frowned at him. “When I ran the place, I was one of the first ones in. Any time between seven thirty and nine.”
“I am well aware of the hours you put in here, Dad,” Matthew countered. He spent very few mornings with his father as a child. “And I usually am here much earlier. But Amelia and I had a bit of a spat last night and she stayed out somewhere. I haven’t been able to get in touch with her this morning.”
“Did you check the apartment?” his father asked.
“Of course. That was the first place I went. She wasn’t there. Then I tried the Farino. She didn’t stay there either. And she didn’t stay with any of our friends, either.”
“Did you check your credit card? Did she check in somewhere else?” David asked.
“Not on our credit card. I suppose she could have paid cash, or used a different card, but she’s also not answering her phone,” he said. “It’s going straight to voicemail now.”
“That’s not like Amelia, my father–in–law said.
“No, I know. I mean, we’ve had our spats, but she’s never stayed out overnight afterwards,” Matthew said.
“You know the saying ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone‘?” David asked, looking pointedly at his son.
“I do,” Matthew said. “What has that to do with anything?”
He took a sip of his coffee and looked at his father.
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Book 1: Chapter 7
7 wonder if you know what you have with your wife,” he said to his son. “And I wonder if you appreciate everything she does for you and your family‘
“Of course I do,” Matthew said in defense. “Did she go to your place last night? Is she staying there? Is that why you’re here this morning?”
“I can say with complete honesty that no, she did not come to our house last night. With the way your mother treats her, I would be shocked if we would even be a thought in her mind for refuge of any type. Have you called her brother or her sister?”
“No. I didn’t even think of them,” Matthew rolled his eyes. Of course! My siblings! Why hadn’t he thought of calling them? We had always been close,
but we had grown much closer over the past four years since Mom died. “I’ll call them, and get them to have her call me.”
“Don’t be surprised if they are protecting her. Your little stunt of leaving before she got home may have been one of the last straws,” David said.
“What are you talking about?” Matthew asked his father.
“You truly are blind, son. And I am disappointed that you seem to be intent on keeping those blinders on when it comes to your wife. When I called to talk to the twins for their birthday, they mentioned you were at the fireworks and that their mother wasn’t there because she hadn’t bothered to come home from some ridiculous errand, so you all left without her. Not something a loving family does to their matriarch, now is it?”
“She forgot the drink the twins like,” Matthew said. “It’s not like she has a lot to do. It’s her responsibility to get things ready for us while I’m here at work.”
“Your adult children were incapable of getting their own drink at any time during the day?” David asked. “And she’s responsible for everything? When did she become responsible for everything? When did you and the kids stop taking on any responsibilities?”
“The kids are on their summer break. Their job is to rest and relax. It’s not like Amelia works or has anything to do otherwise,” Matthew said.
“And why is that? Why doesn’t Amelia work? I mean, I remember when you two got married and she was the shining star of one of the top law firms in the city. Now she spends her days doing what, exactly?” David asked.
I looked at Matthew to see and hear his response. Oh, Matthew. If only you could see me looking at you. If only you knew I was hearing everything you were saying.
“She keeps herself busy. She’s got the Ladies‘ Auxiliary at the golf club, she’s on the board for the kids‘ high school, she keeps the apartment in the city clean. She helps out wherever she’s needed,” Matthew said, defensively.
“You think that’s fulfilling for her?” David asked his son. Yeah, Matthew. Do you think all this busy work is fulfilling for me?
“She agreed to stay home with the kids. She’s dedicated to them. She’s always made sure that they are well taken care of,” Matthew said.
“And how do you repay her sacrifice?” David asked.
“What do you mean? She’s a wife and a mother. What sacrifice?” Matthew frowned. David looked at his son and shook his head. He stood up and put the empty scotch glass on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“One day you’ll regret not appreciating what you have. You can’t have it all, Matthew. Just remember that the mother of your children is just as important – no more important – than any other person who could come into your life at any point. I just hope you’re not too late to show the type of appreciation your wife deserves,” David said, and left the office.
Just then, before Matthew could call out and ask his father what he meant, his phone rang. It was a call from the house that Alice had put through. He assumed it was me, coming back home when I knew he’d be gone.
It wasn’t.
“Amelia?” He asked, picking up the extension.
“Sorry, no Dad. It’s me, Alex said. “Mom’s not home and today is Mrs. Watkins and Ms. Tomlinson’s days off. There’s no breakfast for us.”
“Alex, you’re twenty years old. Tell me you’re not incapable of making yourself something to eat,” Matthew sighed.
“I can, I just wanted to know if you know where Mom is? Her car isn’t here, and she’s not in your room or her study. Or outside. Did she stay at the apartment?” Alex asked.
“Nope. I haven’t heard from your mother, either,” Matthew said.
Alex sighed.
“Is she still having a tantrum because we didn’t wait for her last night?” he asked.
“I honestly don’t know. But don’t worry,” Matthew said. “I’m willing to bet she’ll be home to apologize to us tonight.”
“Oh, hey, did you take the highway downtown this morning?” Alex asked, distractedly.
“I did. Why?” Matthew asked.
“You probably won’t be able to come home. There’s a huge brush fire on the bend before the Almeda exit,” Alex said. “It’s on the news now. No one. knows how it started, but it just flared up this morning, apparently. It’s been burning for over an hour now, and they said it flared up really fast.”
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1 was just by there around nine fifteen, Matthew mused. “I didn’t see any smoke or anything.”
“Probably some idiot setting fires because people are dumb and they like to destroy things. Be careful coming home, Alex said to his father.
Will do. Do me a favor? Call me if you do hear from your mom today? Anna too, okay?” Matthew said.
Alex sighed.
“Fine,” he said. “Oh, Aunt Seline asked if we could go visit this weekend. Can we? Daryl is supposed to be home from school now.”
Probably, Matthew said. “Let me double check on a few things. If I can’t make it with you, you and Anna can go up together if you want.”
“Okay, cool. I’ll call you later. And if I hear from Mom, Alex said and hung up.
Matthew sat down at his desk finally, and looked over the emails he’d received, did a little research into something to get his petulant wife who he didn’t even realize was standing right next to him, watching everything he was doing.
He was on the Tiffany & Co. website and found a bracelet he thought I might like.
‘I don’t have much use for that now, I said to him. He didn’t hear me. Unsurprisingly. He barely heard me when I was alive. Why would he hear me now that I was gone?
Throughout the day, Matthew kept the news on in the background on the TV in his office. He saw the news clip about the fire on the highway raging out of control. It had gotten much bigger much faster than had been thought when it was first called in. The winds coming up from the ocean and the dryness of the brush in the area had caused the fire to jump the highway and start spreading up the hill from the twisted metal of the broken barrier where my car had punched through. The highway was closed, of course, while fire crews worked to try and contain and put out the raging inferno.
Matthew left the office at four thirty to account for the extra time that driving through the city was going to add to his commute, and for the stop at Tiffany’s that he wanted to make to pick up the bracelet he’d ordered for me.
I shook my head as I sat beside him in his car. He didn’t even know I was there.
I looked at the Tiffany’s bag on the seat and shook my head. Such waste. I wondered if Seline would like the bracelet when Matthew realized he
couldn’t give it to me. That I couldn’t accept that gift.
It was six thirty when he pulled into the driveway and opened his garage. He drove in and frowned when he saw my Miata was still not in its spot, but my Range Rover was. He sighed, and tried my phone again. Voicemail, of course. By now my phone was a melted and charred ruin sitting just feet from the remains of a tree and on the banks of a small, but dried, stream bed.
“Anyone home?” Matthew called as he came through from the garage.
“Hey, Dad,” Alex called from the den where he was engaged in fighting aliens. Anna breezed in from the pool, wearing a bikini.
“Hi, Daddy,” she smiled as she went upstairs to shower and get dressed.
“Hi, Princess,” Matthew smiled at his daughter. “Your mom didn’t call, did she?”
Anna shrugged and shook her head.
“She didn’t call me,” Anna said. “And I don’t think she called Alex, either. She’s not still mad, is she?”
Anna looked at the teal bag in Matthew’s hand.
“She is still mad, isn’t she?”
“I don’t know,” Matthew frowned. “I haven’t been able to reach her at all today.”
“She’ll get over it. She always does. I’m sure whatever you’ve got there will make her happy. Did Alex tell you about Aunt Seline and Daryl?” Anna asked
her father.
“He did. We’ll talk about it over dinner. I don’t see it being a problem, but you two might have to go up alone. I have a lot going on at work, Matthew
said.
“You’re going to pass up a weekend at Aunt Seline’s?” Anna raised her eyebrow.
“He’s probably thinking of ways to apologize to Mom for whatever her problem is now,” Alex smirked from the den doorway. Anna rolled her eyes.
“Not an image I needed to entertain, thank you, Alex,” she cringed. Alex laughed at his sister.
“If your mom isn’t home, I’m guessing no one made dinner?” Matthew said. Both kids shrugged. They wouldn’t have thought to start dinner.
“I’ll order something. What do you guys want?” he asked them.
“Whatever, they said. “Pizza or chinese are fine.”
Matthew went into the study to see if there was anything there that might give him a clue about where I might be, and to call the restaurant to order
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