The Pieces We Keep(120)
“I’m just asking for a few minutes. Then I promise to leave you be.”
She suddenly wondered how he could have known when she’d be returning home. The timing struck her as too much of a coincidence. “Have you been following me?”
“No. Of course not.”
She had come to doubt any words from his mouth. Did he know where she’d been, what she had just done? The liberation of only moments ago instantly receded.
“I’ve been sitting in the parking lot waiting for you. I knew you’d be here to meet Jack before long. I would’ve called first, but didn’t think you’d want to see me.”
“And you would have been right.”
The hurt that flashed in his eyes made her regret the snipe—though not entirely.
She reminded herself what he and Meredith were attempting to steal from her life. “As you said, Jack will be home shortly. I’d rather you not be around then. If you have something to say to either of us, your lawyer can contact mine.”
Leaving it at that, she snagged her purse from the car and shut and locked the door.
“Just listen for second. Audra, please . . .”
She charged toward the apartment, pulling out her cell phone. She was prepared to summon the police if needed.
“Audra!” he called to her. “We’re dropping the case.”
The declaration stopped her cold, spun her around. She had to have misheard him.
He walked over with a gait that now looked weary. Again he settled close by. “Last night, Meredith and I had a long discussion. And we realized we made a big mistake.”
Audra shook her head, too stunned to be relieved. She tried to trace the change of heart and could only imagine one cause. “Is this because of the cemetery? Just because you saw me at Devon’s grave, now I’m worthy of being Jack’s mother?”
“I’m not gonna lie. Seeing you there, the shock of it, that did get us talking. But that’s not why we’re withdrawing the petition.”
“Oh, really? Why, then?” She worked to keep her voice level.
In silence Robert gazed off toward a passing car. Over the past month, the skin under his eyes had drooped and darkened. “You remember hearing of Meredith’s bout with depression? Back when Devon was around six months old.”
Sure, Audra remembered. Robert had referred to them as “the baby blues.” Although she’d long ago surmised that the postpartum affliction had been worse than the family let on, the mention of it now turned her stomach. After all the turmoil the couple had caused, he was resorting to a sympathy plea.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but if you actually think I’m going to feel bad for Meredith—”
“Now you hold on,” he shot back, his eyes like daggers. “I’m gonna say what I came to, then I’ll be on my way for good, if that’s what you want. But there’s something you’ve got to hear first.”
Never had she seen him this stern. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat and nodded begrudgingly.
Robert folded his arms, inhaling a shaky breath. He proceeded in a tight but gentler tone. “For years before Devon was born, Mere taught piano lessons at the house. A few were adults, but most were kids. I used to say we lived in Grand Central, with the way people were always coming and going.”
The piano in Meredith’s music room, stored beneath a canvas, returned to Audra’s thoughts. Not once had she ever heard a single key played.
“There was a little girl in the bunch. Name was Paige. She was a petite thing, cute as a button. Always smiling and laughing and loved giving hugs. But then her mom got remarried, and Mere noticed her attitude started to change. Got real quiet during her lessons, smiled a lot less. Mere assumed the girl was just adjusting to the lifestyle, that maybe her mom was paying her less attention, wrapped up in the excitement of being a newlywed. But then, Mere ... she saw ...”
He broke off when his voice wavered, and he cleared his throat. “She saw bruises on the girl’s wrists. Her sleeves had ridden up while she was playing a song. When Mere asked about them, Paige said she’d been roughhousing with a neighbor boy. Later, Mere noticed the girl was wearing long sleeves and pants every time. She started missing lessons and her piano skills were getting worse.”
“Did Meredith ever bring it up to the girl’s mother?” Audra had to admit, the question was slightly pointed. It was difficult not to feel that such a concern should be reasonably investigated before delivering assumptions to authorities.
“Mere did ask her about the marks,” he replied. “Did it in private right after the spring recital. But the woman claimed Paige was just a tomboy. The mom was such a nice lady, Mere didn’t want to think the worst. She certainly didn’t want to butt her nose in or make accusations that were wrong. Mere was still worried, but days later she went into labor with Devon. She took a break from teaching, being busy with the baby. Then late in the fall, she called around to let her students know she’d be offering lessons again in the new year. And that’s when she learned the news.”