rays and warm coffee reminded Claire that no matter her
decision, the reality remained, it was her decision.
Suddenly an old question
resurfaced, how did he do it? How did he make her disappear, without anyone
questioning her sudden departure? This information seemed
incredibly important. She needed to be sure, history would not
repeat itself.
Every journey into the past
is complicated by delusions,
false memories, false naming of real events.
- Adrienne Rich
Chapter 8
Claire gripped the phone tighter, “What
texts and emails are you talking about?”
“ It must’ve been in March,
if I remember right. March of the year you left
Atlanta.”
“ That is what I’ve been
saying, Emily. Tony took me away in March, March 17, 2010, and I was at his
house on the 20 th . I never sent emails or
texts.”
“ Yes, you did. You sent
out emails telling about a new job possibility. They said how
excited you were about it.” Although Emily couldn’t see, Claire
shook her head. “Actually you also sent out emails via Facebook. I
remember thinking, you must really be excited.”
“ I never sent those. Did
you respond?”
“ I did and you replied.
Then about a week later you sent a text saying you’d be getting a
new phone number and would call. As you know, you didn’t call for
months, and your old number no longer worked.”
Claire pondered this new information, “I
wonder if messages went out to other people?”
“ I know John received the
same emails and texts – you know, like you did a mass send? And
when we didn’t hear from you again for a while, I called your
apartment complex. They said you’d moved out and paid to break the
lease. They also said something about a new job opportunity but
couldn’t remember any details.”
“ Why didn’t you ever
mention this?”
At first Emily remained silent. When she
spoke it was with a recent reoccurring sharpness to her tone, “And
when do you suppose I should’ve done that? Maybe while your every
word was scrutinized or perhaps while my every word was overheard?”
Those details, about their conversations during Claire’s marriage,
were just recently revealed by Claire. Obviously Emily still found
them upsetting.
“ No, Emily. I’m sorry. I
know you couldn’t have said anything then, but now?”
“ Well, perhaps I’ve been
busy trying to get to know my sister again and oh yeah – my
husband. Details of your disappearance three years ago, when I
thought you just didn’t want me in your life, well, they haven’t
been high on my priority list.”
Claire inhaled deeply and exhaled. Emily’s
anger was justified. “I want you to know I did not, and would not,
just email or text you or John out of my life. If it happens again,
please know it isn’t me.”
Emily’s end of the line went silent. She
finally responded, with distress not resentment, “Why? Are you
seriously afraid it could happen again?”
Claire didn’t hesitate. She no longer wanted
to delude her sister. “Yes.”
“ I promise, if I can’t get
ahold of you, or I get those kinds of messages – I’ll have the
police break down Anthony Rawlings’ door.”
Claire smiled. “Thanks, Sis. Hopefully,
that’ll never be necessary. Right now I’m learning what I can about
how he did it last time.”
The two spoke for a while longer. During her
time in Iowa, her calls were not only monitored but time
restricted. The two sisters relished their new lengthy soul
revealing conversations. Emily informed Claire she’d be going to
New York the first week of April to bring John home. With his
sentence complete, the condition of his probation required regular
interaction with a probationary officer. As long as he did that, he
could travel, or live, anywhere within the continental United
States.
Due to the charges of fraudulent billing,
The New York State Bar Association suspended John’s admission to
the bar, disabling him from practicing law. For any chance
decision, the reality remained, it was her decision.
Suddenly an old question
resurfaced, how did he do it? How did he make her disappear, without anyone
questioning her sudden departure? This information seemed
incredibly important. She needed to be sure, history would not
repeat itself.
Every journey into the past
is complicated by delusions,
false memories, false naming of real events.
- Adrienne Rich
Chapter 8
Claire gripped the phone tighter, “What
texts and emails are you talking about?”
“ It must’ve been in March,
if I remember right. March of the year you left
Atlanta.”
“ That is what I’ve been
saying, Emily. Tony took me away in March, March 17, 2010, and I was at his
house on the 20 th . I never sent emails or
texts.”
“ Yes, you did. You sent
out emails telling about a new job possibility. They said how
excited you were about it.” Although Emily couldn’t see, Claire
shook her head. “Actually you also sent out emails via Facebook. I
remember thinking, you must really be excited.”
“ I never sent those. Did
you respond?”
“ I did and you replied.
Then about a week later you sent a text saying you’d be getting a
new phone number and would call. As you know, you didn’t call for
months, and your old number no longer worked.”
Claire pondered this new information, “I
wonder if messages went out to other people?”
“ I know John received the
same emails and texts – you know, like you did a mass send? And
when we didn’t hear from you again for a while, I called your
apartment complex. They said you’d moved out and paid to break the
lease. They also said something about a new job opportunity but
couldn’t remember any details.”
“ Why didn’t you ever
mention this?”
At first Emily remained silent. When she
spoke it was with a recent reoccurring sharpness to her tone, “And
when do you suppose I should’ve done that? Maybe while your every
word was scrutinized or perhaps while my every word was overheard?”
Those details, about their conversations during Claire’s marriage,
were just recently revealed by Claire. Obviously Emily still found
them upsetting.
“ No, Emily. I’m sorry. I
know you couldn’t have said anything then, but now?”
“ Well, perhaps I’ve been
busy trying to get to know my sister again and oh yeah – my
husband. Details of your disappearance three years ago, when I
thought you just didn’t want me in your life, well, they haven’t
been high on my priority list.”
Claire inhaled deeply and exhaled. Emily’s
anger was justified. “I want you to know I did not, and would not,
just email or text you or John out of my life. If it happens again,
please know it isn’t me.”
Emily’s end of the line went silent. She
finally responded, with distress not resentment, “Why? Are you
seriously afraid it could happen again?”
Claire didn’t hesitate. She no longer wanted
to delude her sister. “Yes.”
“ I promise, if I can’t get
ahold of you, or I get those kinds of messages – I’ll have the
police break down Anthony Rawlings’ door.”
Claire smiled. “Thanks, Sis. Hopefully,
that’ll never be necessary. Right now I’m learning what I can about
how he did it last time.”
The two spoke for a while longer. During her
time in Iowa, her calls were not only monitored but time
restricted. The two sisters relished their new lengthy soul
revealing conversations. Emily informed Claire she’d be going to
New York the first week of April to bring John home. With his
sentence complete, the condition of his probation required regular
interaction with a probationary officer. As long as he did that, he
could travel, or live, anywhere within the continental United
States.
Due to the charges of fraudulent billing,
The New York State Bar Association suspended John’s admission to
the bar, disabling him from practicing law. For any chance
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