Chapter 90
Jonathan’s POV
Car – A minute later
After disconnecting Vance’s call, I began to drive again as I had to head back home.
For today, I had no intentions of opening the store as my mind was preoccupied with what Raymond said, and didn’t say, and what Vance told me.
A woman, who I never knew existed, now was the center of my thoughts…Lori.
I couldn’t get over the fact that Lori was protecting a frightened pregnant woman back then.
Probably that was the reason Lori was targeted p>
After all, it was Fredrick who filed the case against Lori for stealing Imelda’s money, jewelry, gold bars, and Harmon Designs confidential papers.
Even so things didn’t add up p>
The more I thought, the lesser things made sense.
If Lori was protecting the pregnant woman,
Then why was she imprisoned for life?
Why did Lori or her husband make a house with a basement and what’s hidden down there?
Why keep silent for fifteen years protecting a basement?
Then there’s Charles Freeway.
Why is he so afraid of me meeting with Raymond p>
Is he connected to the basement, or is there another reason?
Or maybe p>
Lori wasn’t protecting the pregnant woman p>
Maybe she was protecting something else and that might be down there in that basement.
One-Room Set – A few minutes later
I was laying in my bed thinking how Veronica and the kids were doing p>
My phone buzzed.
“Vance,” I said on seeing his name on my phone’s screen.
“Hey,” I said online.
“Jonathan,” Vance said. “I’ve located some old employment records p>
“Employment records?” I was confused.
“Vance?” I said, confused. “Aren’t you investigating Lori p>
“Yes,” he said. “It’s about Lori. I found Lori’s old employment records. After her arrest, the doctor vanished and the hospital was shut down p>
“The town never had a hospital again,” Vance continued. “After that, Charles took over or adopted the town and has a health check-up every six months, and brings the needy ones to the city. If someone needs medical help, they tell the sheriff p>
“What position did she hold?” I asked.
“Nurse p>
“Nurse?” I repeated after him.
“Yes,” he said. “She worked as a nurse back then p>
“And the speciality of the hospital was the doctor, he was a fertility specialist p>
“It’s said his aim was to bring a fertility center to the couples who couldn’t go to the city.” Vance continued.
“The people from the neighboring town also used to come there for treatments p>
“Overall, there’s nothing unusual on paper p>
But most of the hospital records disappeared after Lori’s arrest.
“Vance?” I said. “Could the missing records be related to the basement p>
“Possible,” Vance said. “At the moment, I won’t deny anything p>
“Looks like I have to pay another visit,” I said.
“You’re right on that,” Vance said. “Okay, then I’ll call back again, and Veronica and the kids are fine p>
“Thanks p>
As I disconnected the call, I smiled as though I had met Vance only a few months back, but over these months, our bond has tightened and our understanding of each other as well.
Seeing the time was noon, I decided to rest a bit and head over to Raymond’s in the evening.
I woke up to the phone’s alarm.
I got up, got ready and prepared some tea for myself.
After finishing, I came out to get into my car.
I stopped by the door and looked around.
No Ada.
I was relieved that she was not around, but at the same time I was worried as for me she was a red flag, I can’t deny.
Seeing no one was around, I got into the car and drove off.
Again I managed to reach the corn fields without and gazes.
I crossed the fields and stopped right in front of Raymond’s door.
This time Raymond welcomed me with a smile.
Raymond’s Border home
“Jonathan,” he said, smiling. “Please come in p>
“Thanks,” I said as I took a seat.
“I should thank you,” he said. “After all, after mom’s death, you’re the first person I can speak to without restraint p>
“Raymond,” I said. “I want you to know, I’m on your side p>
I paused for a brief moment.
“I found out your mother, Lori, worked at a clinic that was here once p>
I saw Raymond stiffened immediately.
For the first time since I met him p>
I could see fear, genuine fear in his eyes.
That’s when I realized this was a fact that probably he thought no one would ever know.
And now the person who knows, is sitting right in front of him.
“When mom was arrested p>
He trailed off a bit.
Then a pause.
“The police and…some people…they came looking for things p>
“I was at the town home at the time p>
“They said they had gotten their hands on the money, and gold bars, but there was still more,” he continued.
“Some boxes p>
“Some documents p>
“Some records of some company p>
“They came and searched the home over and over again for weeks p>
“And as always p>
“Left empty-handed p>
On hearing Raymond say that, my mind immediately thought of the basement.
Could that place be p>
“Mom Raymond trailed off a bit.
“After dad passed away, she began to work as a nurse at the local hospital,” Raymond said.
“She said it keeps her mind busy p>
“Mom would come back and tell me what happened p>
“She told, the doctor was kind-hearted p>
“He used to organize blood donation camps p>
“Would always offer community health programs p>
“Charity screenings, free medicines p>
“Over all, everything was legit and health-related p>
But after a few months, I noticed mom would often come back and make records of things p>
“She wouldn’t talk much about the doctor, instead told me to stop attending the blood donation camps p>
“Soon she had boxes full of records p>
“Records?” I asked.
“Actually, mom found out something that the doctor was really doing p>
“The blood donation camps for us young boys, was only his cover for something more sinister p>
I exhaled as I finally understood.
Lori was not protecting any wealthy client,
Nor any pregnant woman,
She was protecting the boys.
The boys who fell in the doctor’s trap.
From Raymond’s words, I think the young men didn’t even know what happened to them under the cover of blood donations.
Lori feared the boys would become targets, the day this fact surfaced.
“That’s why she kept records of them,” I said.
“That’s why she refused to talk to anyone p>
“Mom said, they were victims as they didn’t know about this,” Raymond said.
“The least she could do was protect that fact and keep it from the world p>
I leaned over.
“If Lori copied those records, and those records are still safe p>
“Over time if people were to find out, they would search for them p>
“Then the basement is the likely place to keep them, and no one knows it’s p>
I trailed off a bit.
“For now everyone thinks the basement is a rumor,” Raymond said.
“But it’s a fact that holds evidence of what that doctor did p>
“Even if he disappeared, his deeds still lay beneath in the basement p>
“I don’t know why,” I said in my mind. ” But I feel I might find the answer I’m looking for in those records p>
“And,” I asked in a little hesitant voice.
“Why is Charles keeping an eye on you p>
“Is it related to the hospital or doctor p>
“No,” Raymond said in a frank voice.
He laughed bitterly, making me realize the basement wasn’t his only problem.
“Fifteen years back, I was a young boy,” Raymond said.
“I loved fishing in the waters here,” he said looking at the window that was near the water-way.
“At the time Charles was using the river routes and had accumulated a lot of wealth p>
“To cover his tracks, he adopted the town p>
“Then mom got arrested and I moved here p>
“Charles soon found out, I knew about his river business p>
“Whenever anyone contacted me, he’d make sure they never came back p>
“He was afraid I’d tell about his matter p>
“That was fifteen years back,” he said.
“After that, you’re the first person who’s actually speaking to me, and I don’t understand how Charles p>
“Don’t worry about him,” I said. “He knows who I am, and I’m the last person he’d want to cross paths with p>
As I said that, I understood, Charles needs Raymond to remain isolated and ignored.
And the reason behind him adopting the town,
Isn’t for the benefit of the town p>
But for himself.
“A friend of mine worked as a clerk for Charles,” Raymond said.
“He told me about the shipments p>
“The paperwork, the accounts and the manifests of his business p>
“One day he told me things don’t match,” Raymond continued. “He told the paperwork and accounts don’t tally p>
“A week later he died in a car accident p>
“I never believed his death was an accident, though.” I could see the sadness in his eyes.
After that, I never trusted Charles, or his motive of adopting the town.
I realized I had to protect Raymond as he was dangerous for many people, and I already had a hunch Lori’s death was related to Imelda p>
I couldn’t let Raymond be a sacrifice for Imelda’s manipulations.
I was hesitant, but I had to ask.
“Raymond,” I asked in a cautious voice.
“Do you know anything about a woman named Imelda p>
“Imelda Harmon?” Raymond said with fury in his eyes.
“How could I not?” he said.
“She came here with a man, supposedly her husband, who left her and later she became pregnant,” he said.
My heart skipped a beat as I finally was coming to the fact, the reason I came here.
“After he left, she had no support, so mom felt sorry for her and took care of her,” Raymond said.
“Mom helped her during her pregnancy, and even got her a job as a teacher at the local school after she gave birth p>
“Gave birth?” I said, shocked.
“Yes, Imelda gave birth to a boy, and stayed here until mom’s arrest p>
Then suddenly his expression darkened.
“You know the irony of all this?” Raymond said.
“Mom never hated Imelda, even after what she did p>
“Mom always pitied her, and treated her like family p>
“She would often tell me to take care of her like a sister,” he continued.
“When her husband left, she thought Imelda didn’t have a family p>
“She trusted her so much p>
Silence fell as he trailed off a bit.
“Then overnight…everything changed p>
A long pause followed.
“After mom’s arrest, I found out it was her father who filed the case.
“He said mom stole Imelda’s jewelry, gold bars, money and some confidential business papers p>
“I didn’t believe it at the time,” Raymond said.
“Until one day,” he continued. “Imelda came to me and offered to pay a million to keep her ever being here a secret p>
“I rejected the money, and told her I’d prefer I forget she ever came here myself p>
“After all, she was the end of my mom p>
“The woman my mom protected,” Raymond said with an emotional voice, “Was the one behind her fall p>
“The one who sent her to jail p>
I sat in stunned silence as Raymond spoke.
I realized this was no longer a matter of fraud,
It was a matter of betrayal.
Raymond looked at a photo of his townhouse hung on the wall,
“If mom had known Imelda was a fraud p>
He trailed off a bit.
“She would have never helped her p>
I took my leave from Raymond.
As I was driving back, I passed by Lori’s old home, as one thought kept on tugging in at me.
If that basement contained proof of what that doctor did to those boys p>
Then maybe Adrian’s father isn’t the only one waiting for justice.
Maybe there are others as well.