Claire Biebe: The Story Continues
The direct continuation of Jacky and Maxi
By Atonia Walpole
(Picture creations also by Atonia)
Part 1: The Front
Sam Dalton took Claire Biebe into Miami. He established a bank account for her, got her a credit card and a cell phone, all in her name. Then they began to search for an apartment for her, something sensible that she could afford.
“Sam, I don’t want to know where this money is coming from but my father is going to want to know. I didn’t come down here with this kind of money.”
“You have a trust fund, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I’ve never taken anything from it.”
“Maybe you should make a draw on it. That way it’s legit. It’s your money, right? You have access to it?”
“Yes, but my account book is at home in Portland.”
“Banks can do anything where money is concerned, especially if it’s a sizeable amount. Get it transferred to a bank here.”
Claire looked at him but didn’t say anything.
“I know what you’re thinking, Claire…can I trust him, will he take my trust fund? The answer is, no, I will not take your trust fund. You have to trust me, Claire. There are some things I will not do. I would never touch anything that’s yours except your body and that I enjoy touching.”
Claire smiled, “I enjoy your enjoyment. I hope the next place will work out. I’ve looked at so many apartments they’re all beginning to run together in my mind.”
“Number two is still an option, a little pricey, but I don’t know what you’re used to.”
“I just didn’t feel comfortable there. Everything was solid white. I need color, a little earthiness.”
“I’ll tell you what, we’ll flip a coin. If the next one is not it, we’ll give it up for today, but I’m betting it’s the one.”
“Deal,” she grinned.
It was in a high rise but the condo was smaller than the others. It came furnished and she liked the splashes of color.
Sam watched as she went from room to room, not many, only three and a nook, but she seemed to like it. He thought it suited her. “What do you think?”
“This is it. I could live here. There’s even a bit of green outside, a tree top, so I’m not sitting up in the sky like the other places.”
“Okay, sign the lease and it’s yours.”
Claire took a breath, signed the lease and wrote out a check for the first two month's rent plus the deposit. “Well, I’ve done it.”
“See what you can do on your own.”
“With your help.”
“No, I just came along for the ride. Now you can call your Daddy. You’ve got an address. I can wait downstairs if you’d like.”
“I would like. I’m not sure how this is going to go.” He kissed her for fortification and left with the real estate lady.
Claire turned the key over in her hand then lay it on the table. This was not going to be easy for her and she walked around the room with her phone in her hand several times before punching in his cell phone number.
“Biebe.”
“Daddy.”
“Claire…are you okay? Where are you?”
“Um, I’m fine, Daddy. I just did something totally different for me. I got on a plane and, well, I’m in Miami.”
“Miami…Florida? Claire, why didn’t you call and let me know? I’ve had the whole damn state of Maine looking for you. Portland found your car at the airport. I was just getting ready to go down there. You’ve had me worried sick here.”
“I’m sorry.” She bit her lip.
“When are you coming home?”
“Well, I’m…not. I’ve, uh, got myself an apartment here now. I’m going to relocate to…Miami. I’m going to transfer here and finish my education and find myself a job here. You know it’s time I stood on my own two feet. I can’t keep...I have to do this.” Her words came out in a rush.
“You’re not making any sense at all. You left here two days ago going to Portland, going to your apartment. What the hell happened between here and the airport, Claire?”
“Daddy…I got drunk on Monday.”
“What the…?” He closed his eyes. “Have you sobered up yet?”
“No, I think I’m about as sober as I’m going to be. I’m on my own now. I know you’re there and you’re welcome to come here and see where I’m living and everything. I don’t want you to worry about me.
“Right, like that’s going to happen. I’m not going to sit up here and worry about you at the other end of the country. Are you by yourself or…are you…nobody forced you or anything, I mean…?” He couldn’t put it in words.
“No, I’m here because I want to be.”
“You say you’ve got an apartment there. What’s the address?”
Claire ran over to the table, picked up the lease and read it off to him.
“How are you paying for all this? Is it going to show up on the credit card?”
“Oh, um, no. I’ve dipped into my trust fund allowances.”
“Claire, for God’s sake! That was to tide you over until you got your practice going.”
“I know. I’m not spending all of it. My gosh, it’s tremendous! Daddy, I’ve finally flown the nest. Just let me keep flying.”
“Oh, Princess, you weren’t ready. You still had two years of school left. How do you know you’re not going to lose credits...or something? This is all happening too fast. When are you coming back up here?”
“I don’t know. I mean there are things in my apartment that I want to keep but I don’t know when I’ll be back up there for sure. I can’t give you a date right now. I’ve got to get organized here.”
“This is going to tear your mother apart, Claire.”
“No, it won’t. I couldn’t do it any more, Daddy. I needed a change and this is it. I just wanted you to know I’m okay. I’m sorry to have worried you. I know how you are but I needed some space, some time to think about what I want to do.”
“This is so not you, Claire, you know. I think you’re moving too fast. I understand your wanting to spread your wings and do something different but this is too far out. Why Miami? It’s so far away.”
“Well, that’s where the plane was going. Um, you need to save this number. I’ve got a new cell phone. I love you, Daddy, and I’ll keep in touch with you. What’s the weather like up there?”
“It’s raining. Has been since you left. Claire, I feel like my heart’s been jerked out of me. Please think about this some more. You know tomorrow you might think differently and it’s okay. You can come back.”
“Daddy, I don’t want you to go on thinking that. I’m happy here. I’m going to be all right here. I love you and I’ll be calling you…soon.”
Claire ended the conversation and wiped her eyes. It dawned on her just how hard it was going to be to talk to her father. It sat in her chest, a great lump of secret, something that had never been there before. She’d never lied to him, omissions of truth now and again, but never a flat out lie. She had to get her trust fund transferred so that she could access it. She was thinking about that when the door opened and Sam entered.
“I got worried. Have you settled with your father?”
“I’m not sure it’s settled for him but I’m hoping he’ll get used to the idea.” She put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’ve been Daddy’s girl all my life. I’ve never had to worry about anything. He was always there looking out for me.”
Sam kissed the top of her head. “You’re my girl and I’m taking care of you.” He lifted her chin. “I’m your Daddy now.”
Part 2 Revelations
Sam spent two days with her in the apartment while she went about the business of establishing residency. She shopped for clothes and food and linens and green living plants, tossing out the artificial rubber tree in the living room. He advised her about how to deal with the bank and suggested she set up several accounts in different banks. The problem arose when she went in to talk to the manager of a bank about transferring her trust fund. Her Uncle Max was the administrator of her account and she had to have his signature in order to do anything with it other than collect the allowance that had been going into her account in Portland. Frustrated, she transferred the Portland account, no small amount, that had been accumulating for two years. She was unaware that any activity related to her trust fund sent a red flag to her Uncle Max.
Sam blew off the problems with the trust fund but his curiosity was up. Casually he asked her how much was in the fund.
“It’s up to 3.5 million now.”
Sam went totally quiet.
He went out later to take care of some business he said, and she spent the rest of the day organizing her apartment. It was livable now but she missed her own personal items in Portland, her books, photos and little things she’d collected. She was thinking she might make a quick trip up there and pack up her things and have them shipped down. She could do it quietly without letting anyone know because she didn’t want to have to look her father in the eye.
Feeling very domestic, she cooked dinner and popped a CD in the player and waited for Sam to come back.
“I’m impressed,” he said when he sat down at the table. “I didn’t know you cooked.”
“I can. I just never got the opportunity to at home and when I lived in Portland it seemed like a waste to just cook for myself. I’ve never had anyone to cook for. I’m glad you like it,” she smiled.
“I can’t remember having a home cooked meal, one cooked for me, anyway.”
“Your mother didn’t cook?”
“I don’t know if she did or not. She left when I was six years old.”
“Left? What happened? She just left home?”
“That’s about it.”
“Who looked after you?”
“My grandmother came for awhile until she got sick and then it was just me and the old man until I was eight.” He took a drink from his iced tea glass. “After that there were several people who came and went or I was taken to their homes.”
“Where was your father?”
“He was in prison. Got out when I was twelve and he found me in a foster home. Thus began my education and training. He said I was a natural. We worked together for awhile until he was caught again and he died in prison when I was sixteen.”
“Oh, Sam, how awful for you.”
“It wasn’t so bad. It was all I knew. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d never loved anybody before. I never loved him and my mother was forgotten by the time I was nine. I’ve been on my own since I was fourteen.”
“What about school?”
“I left school at twelve when I went on the road with the old man. I’ve never held a paying job, don’t have a social security card and have never paid anything but sales tax in my life. I started calling myself Dalton after he went to prison the second time. If you look for me, I don’t exist.”
“What is your real last name?”
“It doesn’t matter any more. It never did. Now you know more about me than any living soul.”
“Sam….”
“Finish your dinner. It’s too good to waste.”
Later that night she lay in his arms after another earth moving experience between them.
“It scares me, Claire, and nothing has ever scared me before. What I feel for you is beyond reckoning. I can’t explain it.”
“I think love must be like that, like stepping off a ledge into the darkness. It scares me, too, because of what you are.”
“I’ll always come back to you, always. I have a reason to care now.” He kissed her deeply.
It was early morning in Provence. Max took his cup of coffee into his study and turned on his computer to check the stock market. He had a flashing message from his London bank. Someone in Miami claiming to be Claire Biebe had attempted to access a trust fund. His first thought was that it was fraud and should be reported as such but he looked at his watch and decided to wait until Maine woke up and call John. Meanwhile as his day unfolded, Maxi arrived, driving his Aston Martin without permission all the way from London. He had to be dealt with. Later it was Rose all in a dither about going to Paris with Maxi, whom he’d let off the hook, temporarily. By the time he got back to it, the business day in London was over but he thought John might still be in the midst of it. He called him.
“Hello, John. How are you?”
“Max, I’m not good at all, brother, not good at all. What’s up?”
“I’m not sure. I had a message from my bank this morning telling me someone had tried to access Claire’s trust fund, someone in Miami, and before I reported it I thought I’d better check with you.”
“Oh, fuck all! Max, Claire’s run off to Miami. I don’t know what in the world got into her. I had a call yesterday from her, says she’s got an apartment and is going to stay there, left here with one piece of luggage and an overnight case. Now you know Claire. This ain’t her.”
“Bollocks, John.”
“Yeah, so I guess it was her trying to get some money. She’s rented an apartment.”
“This wasn’t her allowance fund, John. It was the whole shebang. She’s already moved the allowance fund down there. That happened yesterday. I have no control over that and there was about $200,000 dollars in it. No, it was the 3.5 million she was trying to access and that requires my permission.”
“Shit! Don’t give it. You know something about this just don’t seem right. I spent half the night last night going over what she said and none of it makes any sense. I can understand her wanting to test her wings, you know, but she left here going to Portland and ended up in Miami. I’m thinking something happened and I don’t’ know what.”
“Maybe you should go down there and find out.”
“I would but right now I’m up to my eyeballs. The sheriff is sick with the flu and all hell’s broke loose around here over that cruise ship business and the fucking mayor’s son’s car was stolen in Bar Harbor and ended up outside of Belfast in my patch so I can’t leave. I barely get home to eat.”
“Sorry, John. I’ll sit tight on the trust fund. If there is anything I can do for you let me know.”
“I will when I get a minute to think about it. Maybe one of the boys could go down there and check on her.”
“I know Maxi’s going to Paris this weekend with Rose and Jacky’s still recovering from his gunshot wound.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Terry called me and told me about that. He was a lucky son of a bitch. I’ll get back with you, Max. Thanks for looking out for her. You know I’m worried sick about her.”
“I can imagine, John. I’ll talk to Maxi about going on Monday.”
John ran his hand over his face. Of all times for things to start popping around here. People ought to know better than to take expensive jewelry and cash on trips. That’s why they make fakes and traveler's checks. Like finding a damn needle in a haystack. Who knows where the culprit is now. Samuel Donnelly could be anywhere.
Sam Dalton was wrapped in Claire’s arms, asleep. They’d spent the day at the apartment and the afternoon was being spent in bed. Tonight they would be going back to the key for awhile. Claire touched his hair and kissed it lightly. Never had she felt more alive than when she was in his arms. He brought out all her natural instincts to love and comfort. Imagine never being loved in your life. He was now.
Part 3
Claire locked her door and said goodbye to her little apartment for awhile and goodbye to the air conditioning. Miami in July was an oven. Sam told her she would become acclimated to it after awhile. It wasn’t so bad on the key. Even with the humidity there was a breeze from the ocean and you could, if you wanted to, sit in the water and cool down. There was also the fact that clothes were optional. She’d never been so free in her life and it felt good.
Sam relaxed completely when on the key. He was learning to laugh with Claire, learning to live with her and her orderliness as opposed to his 'does it matter' attitude about most things. He was learning some things in life do matter…Claire mattered. He was very careful in Miami especially of surveillance cameras. He had a sixth sense about them and tried to appear as much as possible not to be with her when they were shopping. He never stepped into a bank and never entered the apartment building with her. To his credit he’d never worked in Miami or the keys or any part of Florida. He kept a low profile, paid in cash, and only gave a last name if he had to. He had several he used depending on the circumstances. He owned several passports prepared for him by a man he knew who did such things and a handful of drivers licenses from different states. The picture on both were near enough the same, close enough to be him. He kept these items along with a stash of money in a fireproof, waterproof safe bolted to the floor of his bedroom.
“You know, Sam, I’ve never just done…nothing for days on end.”
“Are you enjoying it?” He sliced another piece of peach and slipped it in her mouth.
“Um, yes, but sometimes I feel completely wasted, like I should be doing something, going somewhere.”
“Time for that is coming but not now, not this moment.” He leaned over and caught the juice from the peach with his tongue. “You taste like a peach.”
“I love you.”
“I know and that’s sweeter than all the peaches in the world.” He lay the knife and peach pit between the lounge chairs and kissed her. “Your nipples are getting burnt.” He gently suckled each one then reached for the sunblock and began to rub it over her breasts.
“I’ve gone native, completely wild.” She watched his green eyes as they moved over her, applying the sunblock.
“It looks good on you.”
They had four days of uninterrupted bliss and then he told her. “I’ll take you back to Miami on Wednesday. I’ll be gone for a while.”
“Sam…no.” She stopped under the palm at the base of the patio. They’d been to watch the sunset.
“I’m sorry, baby. Business calls.”
Claire looked at him for a moment. “What am I going to do without you?”
“You have things to do, get yourself enrolled in college. You might even find a part time job or something.”
“No…no. I want to be with you. I could go with you.”
“Not this time. Not this time, honey.” He held her close and kissed her forehead. “When I get back I’ll take you to Switzerland for a while. That’s a promise.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’m never sure. A few weeks.”
She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as if she could keep him there.
Early Wednesday morning they crossed into Miami and he drove her to the apartment building. She got out on the passenger side and ran around to his window for one last long, lingering kiss, completely unaware she was being watched from a bench on the property by two young men casually dressed in shorts and sunglasses, one with a baseball cap and one with a straw Panama hat.
“That’s her,” Jacky said. “Now who’s the bloke?”
“I’ve got the tag number.” Maxi took a picture with his phone.
Jacky stared at the vehicle as it passed close by them heading for the exi, but the tinted windows didn’t allow him a look at the driver.
Claire got off the elevator and ran to her door and unlocked it. Now she could cry and she did, leaning against the back of her door. She was still there when her doorbell rang and she turned and jerked the door open.
“Sam…!” Her eyes widened.
“Nope, it’s your favorite cousins come to visit.” Jacky went past her into the apartment.
“Bonjour.” Maxi kissed her cheek and came into the room.
Claire wiped her eyes and quickly pulled herself together. “What are you two doing here?”
“We got an SOS from your Dad, who is too busy chasing bad guys to come down here himself.”
“Who is Sam?” Maxi asked.
“Nobody. I don’t understand why you’re here.”
Jacky looked her over, noticing the tan she’d acquired. “Don’t you?”
“Daddy sent you down here to make sure I’m okay. I told him I was fine.”
“I think he didn’t believe you, Claire. I’m fine doesn’t explain what you did. He’s worried and maybe he should be. Who is Sam?”
“Maxi, he’s a friend.”
“A very good friend. You kissed him for a long time.”
“Oh, for…! You were spying on me?”
“We got in last night and came by. There was nobody home so we came back this morning and saw you dropped off. Makes me think you spent the night with him.” Jacky, noticing an ashtray, lit a cigarette.
“So, what, I can’t have a sex life?”
“We’re not interested in your sex life, Claire, just why you set off for Portland and ended up Miami. Your story doesn’t wash in Belfast.”
“Jacky, do you remember what you said to me at the House of Four Seasons? You asked me if I ever did anything like take off and drive to Canada or get drunk on Monday? That’s what I’ve done.”
“You could have told Uncle John before you boarded the plane. Why didn’t you?”
“Because he wouldn’t have understood. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Maxi came back from the bathroom where he’d been through the cabinets and drawers and bummed a cigarette off Jacky. “This Sam, he stays with you?”
“No, I haven’t known him long.”
“You met him here?”
“Yes, I did.” She swallowed. “I don’t have to answer your questions.”
“No, your Dad can come down and you can answer his,” Jacky said.
“Why were you crying when we came in?” Maxi asked.
“I was sad. Just leave me alone.” She walked away from them and went over to test the soil in her plants for dampness.
“This Sam, he makes you cry?”
“No. I’m not going to discuss him with you.”
Jacky went over to the sofa and sat down, moving a pillow. “Well, Maxi, we come all the way from London to see our sweet little cousin and she doesn’t even ask us to sit down, like a cup of tea, how are ya, glad to see ya…nothing.”
“I think she’s not glad to see us. I think she wishes we’d go away and leave her alone so maybe Sam will come back.”
“Yeah, Sam drives a five year old Ford Explorer, license plate number?” Jacky snapped his fingers at Maxi.
“Got it right here.” Maxi read off the number. “Now we could give this number to Uncle John, who I’m sure would be interested to know who is dropping off his daughter at 8:30 in the morning.”
“Take him no time to run a make on the owner of the vehicle. He’s got pull. He could do it.”
“Why are you doing this to me.”
“Why were you trying to access your trust fund the second day you’re down here?”
“Because I’m relocating. I wanted to be able to draw on it if I needed to. How did you know?”
“Dad has to give permission for you to access that account and I will tell you right now that is not going to happen today. He says you have $200,000 at your disposal right now, you have an apartment already, and yet no checks have come through the bank.”
“I don’t believe this! I have no privacy at all. It’s none of your business what I do. Nobody ran after you to California to see what you were doing.”
“Why are you not glad to see us, Claire?” Jacky asked.
Part 4: A Little Truth
Claire filled a pitcher with water and went over to water her plants. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Oh, we would have called first except the old phone number we had is no longer in service”
“I have a new phone.”
“New phone, new apartment…new Sam. Where did you meet him, Claire?” Maxi asked.
“I’m not going to talk about him so give up.”
“Did you meet him on the way to Portland?”
“I said give up. It’s none of your business who I meet or where.”
“She’s been on the beach. Look at that tan.”
“Yes, I noticed. I also notice she has a love bite on her neck. I’m thinking this Sam is pretty important to her, pretty special. Do you get that feeling, Jacky?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You might as well tell us what’s going on with you, Claire. If it is something you don’t want your father to know we might be persuaded to keep quiet, otherwise I’ll have to e-mail this tag number to him and then….”
“You are horrible, Maxi.”
“Ouch! I think that hurt.”
“Look, Claire, we really don’t care about your private affairs. What we do care about is that you haven’t hooked up with some guy who’s about to take advantage of you. Trying to access your trust fund was a red flag. It made Uncle Max wonder and your Dad’s already wondering . He doesn’t buy your story of getting drunk on Monday. You’ve done something so totally out of character that even Maxi and I were surprised. We just want to make sure you aren’t in any trouble and that you’ve not gotten into something over your head.”
“I’m not in any trouble.” She looked Jacky in the eye.
Jacky looked back a moment, trying to open that channel between them but she was shut down tight. “Okay, I accept that. What are you into? Is it the guy? It’s okay if it is as long as he’s not…you know.”
Claire sat down and looked up at Jacky. “I’m in love with him. It happened very fast but it happened. He’s mine now. You know what I mean. He’s very different from anyone I’ve ever known and I know Dad would not approve of him and I don’t want him to know about it. I’m not going to tell you anything about him so please don’t ask me. I know what I’m doing.”
“Where is he? Can we meet him?” Maxi asked.
“No, he’s out of town for a while on business. I don’t know exactly what his business is. He said he was a trader and that’s all I know.”
“What about the trust fund?”
“Jacky, I made a mistake. I thought it was like an account, a bank account. I was trying to establish myself here and I managed to get my allowance account transferred so I can write checks and support myself. I’m going to transfer to the university here and complete my college degree. I’m sorry I was rude. I was upset because he was leaving”
“How old is this guy?”
“He’s thirty-three.”
“That’s a little old for you.”
“Wait, Jacky…wait until you hear about what Rose has done. Ten years is nothing.”
“What’s Rose done?” Claire asked.
“Ah, you know that pirate she has been obsessed with? She has met him and she has flooded him. Now we wait and see.”
“Did she really? Wow!” Claire smiled.
“Back to you. If we leave here are you going to be all right? I mean in every way, Claire. You know Maxi and I will do what we can with Uncle John.”
“Thank you. I’m going to be fine. This is just the first time we’ve been separated. It’s not easy. I want Daddy to know that this has nothing to do with him or what we discovered at the House. This is about me and my future. I know it’s hard for him to let go but he has to because I’m not coming back to live there. I’ll come and visit but my life is here now.”
“Well, Jacky has Pam, Rose has Johnny, you have your mystery man and I have nothing.” Maxi drummed his hands on the arm of his chair.
“Jacky, who is Pam?”
“Oh, tell her the story. This is great, Claire, and he was shot, too.”
“What?”
Jacky smiled and sat back, telling her the story of his trip to Africa. “And so she moved in Saturday and here I am in fucking Miami when I could be home with her tonight.”
“I’m sorry you both had to come.”
“That’s okay. Maxi was wanting a trip anyway. I guess this is it. You’ve got my curiosity up about this guy. He’s not an illegal alien or something, is he, hiding out down here?”
“No, he’s not. He’s an American, like me.”
“He’s not a crook, is he?”
“No.”
“I don’t see the problem, then. Why can’t you take him home with you?”
“Jacky, please don’t ask me any more questions. I’ve told you all I can. I love him with all my heart. You should understand how that happens now that you’ve found Pam.”
“I can.…” Jacky looked at Maxi, who shrugged. He raised a brow and asked him mentally should we leave it alone?
For now, Maxi answered him and touched the blackberry in his shirt pocket.
“All Right, Claire. We’re going to be around for a couple of days. Might as well hit the beaches and the bars while we’re here. Where’s a good beach to go to?”
“Miami Beach is good.”
“Is that where you got that great tan?”
Claire looked at Jacky but didn’t answer him right away. “Um, there’s a pool here.”
“Right. We’re at the Hyatt. Give us a call if you want to go out or something.”
“I might do that…drunk on Wednesday.” She bit her lip.
Jacky went over and hugged her. “We love you, Claire. Take good care of yourself and if you ever need somebody, you know where to find me.”
“Yes.” She kissed him and hugged him back.
“Don’t be angry with me.” Maxi tilted his head and Claire hugged and kissed him.
“Who could be angry with you?” She touched his nose.
They left her and went down the elevator and across the street where Jacky had parked their rental car.
“What do you make of that, Jacky?”
“ I dunno. Either he’s got three heads or he’s on the lam.”
“So we investigate quietly and see what we find and if we find and if it’s bad enough then we make a decision…how am I doing so far?”
“You nailed it, Maxi.”
ON TO CLAIRE BIEBE: THE SHADOW MAN
BACK TO JACKY AND MAXI
BACK TO CLAIRE BIEBE, PART 1
BACK TO INDEX OF ALL THE HOUSE STORIES
BACK TO LIBRISCROWE