The Night's Legacy by P.T. Dilloway Page B

happened.  So I went back to school.  I worked hard.”
    “You kept pushing yourself, like a car driving on a bad wheel.”
    Mom turned around.  “Did Laura say that?”
    “Something along those lines.  She thinks you’re about to break an axle.”
    “I don’t know.  I think my old tires still have some tread on them.”
    “Still, you could use to relax a little more.”
    “I suppose.  Where’s that budget proposal?”  Lois handed a sheaf of papers to her mother, who began to examine them.  “It is good of you to offer to help.  I just hope I’m not keeping you from anything important.  If you want to go out with your friends—”
    “I’m fine.  I didn’t have any plans for tonight.”  They worked in silence for a little while longer.  There was something else Lois wanted to ask about her visit to Dr. Pavelski’s office.  She couldn’t think of how to ask it, though.  Finally she blurted out, “Why didn’t he sign the birth certificate?  Was he dead?  Had he already taken off?”
    Mom looked up from the papers and took off her reading glasses.  “Did she say anything about him?”
    “No, but I saw the birth certificate.  I thought maybe it’d be different.  Was he even there?”
    “No, he wasn’t there.”
    “Was he some kind of deadbeat or something?”
    “He’s not a deadbeat.  He’s a wonderful man.”
    “So wonderful he left you alone to raise a child?”
    Mom Glared at her so hard that Lois thought she’d finally gotten underneath her mother’s skin.  But Mom said, “There were other considerations to take into account.  We had to do what was right for both of us.”
    “Leaving me without a father?  That was right?”
    “You can’t possibly understand.”
    Lois jumped to her feet.  “Then why don’t you tell me?  If he’s so wonderful then why isn’t he around?  Why hasn’t he even sent me a lousy birthday card?”
    Despite that Lois was about to cry, Mom remained damnably calm.  “I’m sorry, sweetheart.  I wish I could tell you, but I can’t.  When the time’s right, he’ll tell you.”
    “So he’s still alive?”
    “Very much so.”
    “And you still see him?  Is that why you’re out all night?”
    “I have seen him, from time to time.”
    “But why can’t I meet him?  Why can’t I even know his name?”
    “I wish you could.  It’s just not possible.”
    “Why the hell not?  Is he some kind of secret agent?  Is he in witness protection?”
    “There’s no point talking about this any further.  He’ll explain it all to you when he’s ready.  Or if something should happen to him, I’ll tell you.”
    “That’s real comforting.”
    Mom still didn’t get riled; she just put her glasses back on and resumed working.  Lois wanted to tear the papers from her mother’s hands and rip them into tiny pieces, but she knew there was no point.  Mom had had sixteen years to tell Lois about her father and she hadn’t done so all during that time.  There was little chance she’d change that now.
    “Fine, don’t tell me.  I’m going to get some air.”
    “Lois—”
    “It’s all right, Mom.  Keep your dirty fucking secrets.”  She didn’t give Mom a chance to lecture her about her language.  Instead, she stomped out of the office and back to the elevator.  A few minutes roaming the main hall would help her to cool down.
    She had just stepped out of the elevator when she heard Stan the security guard’s voice saying, “Sorry, Mr.—”  A sound like a sneeze cut him off.
    Lois sensed right away that something was wrong.  She flattened herself against the wall and then peeked around it.  Right away she saw Stan lying on the floor by the front doors, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.
    * * *
    Her first thought was to get back on the elevator and go up to the fourth floor.  If she did that, whoever had shot Stan might see the elevator going up to the fourth floor.  She and Mom would be sitting ducks then.  The