Replacement Baby (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Marching up to
the front door of the regal red brick Douglass house with determination, Rose could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Lifting her hand high, she knocked on the large wooden door.

After a minute, Lionel flung the door open. His face was filled with shock, but he smiled at her.

“You’re here… I can’t believe it,” he said, stunned.

“It’s good to be back,” Rose replied, trying to sound cheerful. Inside, she was still worried.

“Well, uh… come in!” Lionel said, opening the door wide. “Here, let me get your bag. Are you okay? I mean, you aren’t hurt, are you?”

Rose shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m okay. I need to talk to you. I need to talk to your parents and Julie, too. If they want to talk to me, of course.”

“Of course they do,” Lionel assured her. “Here, let me get them.”

He hurried away, his bag still in her hand. Rose waited in the large foyer as Lionel ran upstairs.

A door shut somewhere upstairs and Rose heard excited talking. Within thirty seconds, Julie practically ran down the stairs.

“Rose! Rose!” Julie cried out.

Rose looked at Julie’s face and noticed tears streaming down it. She wrapped Rose in a warm embrace and began crying.

“I’ve been so worried about you!” Julie spoke through her sobs. “I’ve missed you so much, Rose. You are like the sister I’ve always wanted, but never had. I realized that after you disappeared. Where were you? Please tell me you’re okay.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Julie,” Rose whispered. To her great surprise and dismay, Rose began crying. Her tears made a puddle on Julie’s polyester sleeve.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Rose apologized. She wiped her tears on her sleeve and shook her head.

“Rose!” cried Mrs. Douglass. Rose looked up to see her trotting down the stairs toward where she and Julie stood. “Where have you been? Are you okay? Are you hurt? We’ve been so worried for you. The police have been looking for you.”

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Douglass” Rose said, beginning to cry again. “And Julie, I’m so sorry, too. It’s a long story, but if you’re ready to hear it I’ll tell you everything. It was crazy, but I also made some really bad decisions. I trusted the wrong person. I shouldn’t have left like I did. I shouldn’t have left without telling you.”

Lionel reappeared and handed Rose a tissue. She quickly dried her tears. Mr. Douglass joined them and they all went into the sitting room.

“Please tell,” Julie begged, once they were seated. “We’re ready to listen.”

“Okay,” Rose responded, taking a deep breath. “Mr. and Mrs. Douglass, first of all, I’m sorry. I’m sorry to all four of you, really. I’m going to tell you what happened and where I went. But in advance, I beg for your forgiveness.”

Rose told her story, from beginning to end. The Douglass family knew of some of the details of her past, but not the extent of Mother’s abuse and manipulation. Lionel and Julie both seemed as intrigued when Rose got to the part where she overheard Mother and Rodney talking. Mrs. Douglass opened her eyes wide in horror and Mr. Douglass listened intently, his mouth hanging open.

Julie’s eyes grew even wider when Rose explained that Mother and Rodney were dating. Her mouth dropped open and a look of sheer shocked filled her face, as did Lionel’s face. Julie shrieked.

“That might be the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Julie finally said. “Isn’t that lady really
old
? That’s really disgusting. He was dating his girlfriend’s daughter! That is so, so gross!”

“I know, it’s awful,” Rose said, still feeling both hurt and angry about the whole situation.

“It sure is,” Lionel chimed in. “That guy really is insane.”

“What an awful thing,” Mrs. Douglass said sympathetically. “I’m so sorry that all of this happened to you, Rose.”

Rose continued with her story. She told them about how badly she felt about leaving. She apologized again.

“No apology necessary, Rose,” Lionel told her. “You didn’t have bad intentions. We are just happy you’re okay.” Lionel began shaking his head. “What a disgusting, horrible woman,” Lionel said when Rose finished talking.

“Of course we forgive you, Rose,” Mrs. Douglass cooed gently. “You trusted an evil man.”

Rose nodded. She agreed, but she was still in too much shock to say anymore. What she had learned that day had changed her entire world.

“I’m a bit concerned about these people,” Mr. Douglass told Rose. “There is obviously something criminal going on. They are afraid of the authorities. And what was that about the jewelry? It’s all very strange. If you are fine with giving a statement tonight, I’m going to have a policeman come here and take a report.”

“That’s fine,” Rose agreed.

“Good,” Mr. Douglass said. “Then tomorrow we can go to the police station and speak to an investigator. Now, for all three of you.” He turned to face Rose, Julie, and Lionel. “Be careful. Be aware. These people know where we live, and they might want to harm Rose. Just let me know if you see anything suspicious.”

“Yes, of course, dad,” Lionel agreed. Rose and Julie also nodded their heads in agreement.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglass left the room and Lionel took a seat on the sofa beside Rose. Julie began telling Rose all that had happened when she was gone.

“Oh, gosh, Rose,” Julie breathed dramatically. “I was
so
worried when you were gone. When you didn’t come back that first night, I started worry eating. Have you ever done worry eating?”

Rose shook her head.

Julie continued with eagerness. “Okay, worry eating is kind of like stress eating. My mom had some extra desserts leftover from the party. The first night, I ate four slices of chocolate cake. Then I ate three cherry tarts. I felt like I was going to throw up, but I just kept eating. The next day, I finished off the chocolate cake and ate five slices of pound cake. I also ate two pints of ice cream. It was horrible.”

Rose glanced back at Lionel, who was shaking his head, as if in disbelief. She had to hide her smile as Julie continued her story.

“Anyway, after two days of you being gone, I gained five pounds. Five pounds!” Julie’s eyes grew wide. “So now I’m on a vegetables only diet. That means I only eat vegetables. It’s kind of boring, but I need to keep it up. I’m only like one pound away from my normal weight. The weight I was at before you disappeared, I mean.”

“Wow, good for you,” Rose told her friend, trying to sound encouraging.

“Thanks!” Julie exclaimed. “I bought a juicing machine, too. I make fresh carrot juice every day. It’s really healthy. Yesterday I made carrot and beet juice, which wasn’t as good. I’m going to try adding spinach tomorrow to my juice. Maybe even brussel sprouts. I only have one more pound to go. When I lose it, then we can go out for ice cream. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great.” Rose paused. “Julie, are you sure it’s healthy to eat only vegetables for a week?”

“Well, maybe not, but I’m fine,” Julie reassured her.

“’Fine’ is not the word I’d use,” Lionel interjected. “She’s so weak that she always has to sit down. Like, every five minutes.”

“Oh, shut up, Lionel,” Julie chided. “I’m fine.”

Mrs. Douglass called them to dinner soon, and everyone went downstairs. Mrs. Douglass had asked their cook to prepare a special dinner to celebrate Rose’s return. The cook made prime rib, roasted potatoes, and asparagus.

“I can’t eat the prime rib or the potatoes,” Julie reminded her father as he passed her the platters.

“Julie
, really
,” Mr. Douglass scolded.

“Julie, dear, you have to eat
something
,” Mrs. Douglass said gently. She reached over to cover Julie’s hand.

“I’ll eat the asparagus,” Julie reassured her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglass glanced at each other, but said nothing. Lionel covered his mouth, and Rose believed that he was laughing.

“That Mr. Fontaine sounds dangerous,” Mrs. Douglass commented as they discussed Rose’s story further.

“Yes, he does,” Mr. Douglass added casually before taking a bite of his steak. “We need to ask the police if they have any records of a man named Fontaine.

After dinner, a young police officer came over to the house to interview Rose. He asked her various questions about where Rodney lived and what Mother looked like. She painfully gave the man all the details.

Later that night, Julie followed Rose into her room and babbled about how wonderful it was to have her friend back. They sat on the bed together and Julie talked faster than Rose’s tired mind could follow. Trying to pay attention, Rose smiled and nodded, adding a word or two to the conversation.

“I feel like I have my sister back,” Julie said with excitement. “I was worried every single day that you were gone. I even cried a couple times. Lionel was so worried that he looked sick.”

“Really?” Rose asked, surprised.

“He would stare out the front window for like an hour,” Julie told her. “Literally for a hour! I would walk into the sitting room and he’d be standing on the other side of the curtain, with his face almost pressed up against the window. I could see his shadow through the sheers whenever I’d peek into the room. He always looked upset and he hardly talked and hardly ate anything sometimes at mealtime. Isn’t that crazy?”

Rose nodded. “Crazy,” she mumbled. She stared off into the distance as Julie continued to talk.

Hardly talked? Hardly ate? Stared out the window? How could someone care that much about
me
? And meanwhile, I thought he was some stupid, evil guy. For a week, I cursed his name and wished that I had never even met him. I was hating him, and meanwhile he was longing for me to return. I’ve been so wrong about him. I’m ashamed to think of all the horrible feelings and thoughts I had.

Several minutes after Julie had gone to bed, Rose tiptoed down the hallway to say good-night to Lionel. She softly knocked on his bedroom door. After about ten seconds, he opened it slowly.

“Oh, Rose!” he said happily, his face lighting up and a smile filling it. “Come on in!” He opened the door wide and Rose stepped inside onto the navy blue carpet. The room was simple, with tall grey walls, white crown molding, and a few framed photographs on the walls. All of the furniture was a deep walnut color, and included a desk and chair, a tall dresser, and a tall four poster bed. A dark blue sofa was at the end of the bed, and that was where Rose sat down.

“I’ve missed you,” Lionel blurted out. He sat down beside her.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Rose replied.

“I hope you won’t leave again. You are like a part of this family.” Lionel smiled and moved closer next to her.

“I won’t leave,” Rose promised. “It feels really amazing to be cared about like this. It truly does.”

“You are irreplaceable,” Lionel told her, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m so glad to have you back,” he whispered.

Rose realized that she was hugging him back. And to her surprise, she liked the way it felt.

Chapter Twenty-Six

After breakfast the
next morning, Mr. Douglass, Lionel, and Rose took a cab to the police headquarters. They spoke to a detective, Mr. Hamilton, who listened intently at his desk while Rose told her story. He tapped his lips with a green pen.

“Now, that is
curious
,” he said when Rose reached to the part in her recollections about Rodney and Mother discussing the jewelry. “And you said this Rodney fellow worked at Herald’s Jewelry? The one that was robbed?”

“Yes, sir, he did,” Rose replied.

“And this is the first time you are reporting this adopted mother of yours?” The detective asked for clarification.

“Well, no,” Rose told him. “You should have a report from a week and a half ago, on a Thursday. Rodney, the guy I seeing, reported what happened when she grabbed me in the alleyway.”

The investigator raised his eyebrows. “Did he really report it?”

Rose realized at once how foolish what she said sounded. She blushed. “Well, I guess maybe he didn’t. He wouldn’t want the authorities to know. He probably lied to me about that, too.”

The investigator buzzed a secretary. “Hello, Miss Paul? Will you please look up a police report for an incident involving Rose Porter or Lisa Porter?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the female voice on the line.

“Finish telling me everything, and then I will need to make a couple phone calls,” the detective told Rose.

She finished telling him the rest of the conversation she had overheard. Then the phone on Detective Hamilton’s desk rang. He picked it up, listened for a moment, and then hung up.

“No, there is no such police report,” the detective told her. “That Rodney fellow lied to you about that, as well.”

Rose nodded, accepting the difficult truth. Lionel and Mr. Douglass sat silently on either side of her.

Detective Hamilton excused himself and left the room. Through the large glass window, Rose could see him talking on the telephone. His face was serious.

After five minutes, he entered the small room again. Rose, Mr. Douglass, and Lionel listened as the detective spoke. “It is just as I suspected,” he said. “A fellow named Rodney Martin did manage the Herald’s store. He is currently listed as person of interest. He quit his job there not long before the robbery. When the store manager and an investigator attempted to contact Mr. Martin, they found that he had given a false address and telephone number. The police are looking for him, so we are very thankful for the information you gave us regarding his whereabouts.”

“Do you think the woman who kidnapped me is also involved in the jewel robbery?” Rose asked.

“It would appear so,” Detective Hamilton replied. “She obviously has a criminal background because of the kidnapping. So it seems, based on what you told us, that they could be working together.”

“I believe that these criminals sound dangerous,” Mr. Douglass said to Detective Hamilton.

“Yes, I would agree,” he said. “Do you secure all your doors at night? I am a bit concerned for the safety of Miss Porter here. I also found out that this Mr. Fontaine they mentioned is the leader of a ring of well-known jewel thieves. They mostly rob high end jewelry shops in England and other large cities in Western Europe. These thieves have been known to be violent.”

“Yes, we do lock our doors,” Mr. Douglass replied. “I do know something of this ring of thieves you speak of. I read the newspaper often. Is there anything else we should be doing?”

“Well, because this Rodney Martin fellow knows where you live, I would be cautious,” Detective Hamilton told them. “Miss Porter, I wouldn’t go anywhere unaccompanied, if I were you. They may target you.”

Rose nodded.

Detective Hamilton continued. “I will see if I can get an officer to patrol your street at night.”

“Thank you, Detective Hamilton,” Mr. Douglass said. “My wife and I need to make a trip to Scotland for a week due to embassy business, but Rose, Lionel, and my daughter will go stay in London while we’re away. So I’m grateful.”

“A nightly patrol will certainly be for the best, then,” Detective Hamilton replied.

“I’m going to sleep with my gun beside me at night,” Lionel announced after they left.

“You have a gun?” Rose whispered.

“Yes,” Lionel replied. “Just a small one. A little pistol.”

“I’m going to tell all the hired help to be alert and on their guard,” Mr. Douglass told them. “I would cancel the trip to Scotland if we could, but it’s important. Lionel?”

“Yes, dad?”

“I’m going to leave the car for you to drive,” Mr. Douglass told him. “The less time you three spend walking and on the trains, the better. Just make sure you lock it up in the garage at night.”

“Yes, sir.” Lionel smiled. “Thanks! I like driving the car.”

“I know you do.” Mr. Douglass patted his son on the shoulder. “How about we eat lunch?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Lionel told him. “Mom is out shopping and only Julie’s at home. She already told me she’s having spinach and carrot juice for lunch, with a bowl of Brussel sprouts.”

“In that case, I’m glad I asked, too.” Mr. Douglass laughed.

“I hope I can convince her to get off that crazy diet soon,” Rose told them. “Carrot juice, ugh.”

They went to a small pub. Mr. Douglass and Lionel ordered fish and chips, while Rose got Scotch eggs with stone ground mustard.

Over their lunch, Mr. Douglass went over all the precautions they should take while he and his wife were away.

“Lionel, I’m putting you in charge of checking the locks at night,” he told his son. “Check all the windows, as well. Don’t leave any downstairs windows open. Rose, would you be able to help Lionel check the windows?”

“Of course,” Rose told him.

“Okay, thank you. Now, please try to avoid going out after dark. And please, don’t go anywhere alone. You should all have at least one other person when you go out.”

“Absolutely,” Lionel agreed.

“Okay, I think you three should be just fine,” Mr. Douglass told Rose and Lionel. “You’re smart and I know you’ll be cautious.”

“We will, dad,” Lionel told him. “Just have a good time on your trip.”

“We’ll call you often,” Mr. Douglass promised.

“We’ll be fine.” Lionel put his arm around Rose.