bChapter /bb171 /b

b50 /b

As we all took our seats, four waiters entered the room to take our orders. We all ordered drinks, but

iI /ihanded a lunch menu to Ms. Fynch.

“iThis /iiis /ione of ithe /iibest /iirestaurants /iin iNorth /iiBay /iiMs. /iiFynch/i. iIt’d /iibe /ia icrime /iinot /iito /iitry /iitheir /iidining/ii./i”

She took the menu from me, hands slightly shaking. She was scared. Good.

After detailing the menu, she settled on a cuisine chicken dish. I allowed her a few more moments to settle before I began my interrogation.

“Ms. iFynch/i, imy /iiassociate /iihas /iialready /iishown /iime /iithe /iireport /iias /iiwell /iias /iiinformed /iime /iimuch /iiof /iiwhat /iiyou /iitold /ihim. iSo/ii, /iwe idon’t /iihave /iito /iistart /iifrom /iithe /iibeginning/ii. /iiI /iiwanted /iito /iimeet /iiyou /iiface /iito /iiface /iibecause /iiI /iiwanted /iito /iiknow /iithe /iiface /iof ithe /iiperson /iiwilling /iito /iiput /iithemselves /iiat /iirisk /iifor /iimy /iifiancé/i.i” /i

“iObviously /iithere /iiis /iisome /iiskepticism /iion /iimy /iiend/ii, /iiyou /iiare /iithe /iiRochesters/ii‘ /iihead /iimaid /iiafter /iiall/ii. /iSo, iI /iineed /iito /iiknow/i…iwhy /iiare /iiyou /iidoing this/ii?/ibi” /i/b

She smiled lightly at me.

i“/iiMr. /iiChristiansen/ii…/iihave /iiyou /iiever /iiseen /iithe /iilight /iidim /iifrom /iia /iiperson’s /iieyes/i? As iif /iiall /iithe /iipromise /iithose /iieyes /iiheld/ii, /iisuddenly /iifaded /iiinto /iian /iiabyss/ii?/i”

I was confused by her question; but nodded no. She scoffed slightly.

i“/iiWell/ii, /iiI /iihave/i. A itwelve /iiyear /iiold little /iigirl /iiwas /iitold /iishe /iiwould /iibe /iireunited /iiwith /iiher /iilong/i–ilost /iifamily/ii. /iiWhen /iishe /iiarrived/ii, /iiher /iieyes /iiwere filled /iiwith /iilove/i, iexcitement/ii, /iihappiness/i. iPromise/ii. /iiOver /iithe /iiyears /iihowever/i, I iwatched /iithose /iisame /iibeautiful /iieyes /iislowly /iidull/i, isink/ii, /iiand /iidisappear/ii./ii” /i

I didn’t need a crystal ball to know she was speaking of Gracie. That family had damn nearly destroyed her.

i“/iiAnd /iithen/i…ione /iiday /iiI /iisaw /iia /iifire /iiin /iithat /iisame /iigirl’s /iieyes/i. iA fire /iithat /iiscreamed /iithey /iiweren’t /iigoing /iito /iidestroy /iiher/ii! /iiA /iiresolve /ito ifight/ii!/ii” /i

She mmed her hand slightly on the table and took a deep sigh.

“iI /iirecognized /iithat /ilook iMr. /iiChristiansen/i. iI /iirecognized /iiit /iibecause /iiI’d /iihad /iionce /iihad /iithat /isame iresolve/ii…./iiWhen /iimy /iifather /iidecided /iiI /iiwas /ito be ipayment /ifor iHIS /iidebts/i. iI /iirealized /iiit /iiwas /iieither /iifight/ii…/iior /i

idie/ii./ii” /i

We all sat in silence, I couldn’t begin to imagine what this woman experienced in her youth.

i“/iiThe /iiRochesters/i…ithey /iisaved /imei. /iiGave /ime isalvation/ii. /iiI /iicame /iito /iiKingston /iiwith /iinothing/ii. /iiNo /ieducation, ino /imoney, ino /iireal /iiexperience/i. iEvery /iijob /iiI /iiapplied /itoo…ithey /iiall /iiturned /iime /idown. iUntil /iiI /iiapplied /ifor ia /iimaid’s /iiposition /iifor /ione of iNorth /iiBay’s /iimost /iiaffluent /iihouseholds/ii. /iiI /iiknew /iithey /iiwere /iigoing /iito /iitell /iime /ino. iTell /iime /iiI /iihad /iino experience/i. Turn me iaway /iilike /ithe iothers/i. iInstead/ii, /iifor /iireasons /iiI’ll /iinever /iiknow/ii…/iiMrs/i. iRochester /iidecided /iito /iigive /ime a ichance/ii./i”

Her voice was wrapped in guilt as she spoke of her employers. Obvious confliction for her betrayal.

i“/iiI /iiwas /iiloyal /ito them. iFor /iiover /ii25 /iiyears/i…iI /iiwas /iiloyal/ii! /iiI /iiloved /iimy /iiemployers/ii; /iiI /iiloved /iitheir /iichildren/i. iAnd /iieven /iiwith /iitheir /iiimperfections/i….iI /iiloved /iimy /iijob/ii. /iiBecause /iiit /iigave /iime /iimy /iifreedom/i.”

I stared at Zelma Fynch with a puzzled expression. If she felt this way…why was she here.

b50 /b

i“/iMs. iFynch/ii, /iiI /iiappreciate you /iifor /iisharing /iithis /iiwith /iime/ii…/iibut /iiI /iihave /iito /iask. iIf /iiTHIS /iis ihow /iiyou /iifeel/i…iwhy /iiare /iiyou /iiher-/i”

“Because they were going to do to her what my father tried to do to me! Sell her!!” fnb110 N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel/fnb110

She cut me off before I could finish my question, the tears began to stream down her face. I could

see the pain in her eyes.

i“/iiEven /iiafter /iieverything /iithat /iipoor /iichild /iidid/ii. /iiAll /iithe /iihumiliation /iishe /iiendured/ii…/iitrying /iito /iiget /iithat /iifamily /iito /iilove /iiher/ii…/iiit /iistill /iiwasn’t /iienough/ii! /iiThey /iitreated her /iilike /iicattle /iiinstead /iof ia /iidaughter/i. iI’d /iiwatched /iiit /ifor iover /iiseven /iiyears /iiMr. /iiChristiansen/i. iI /iiwatched /iithat /iilight /iidim/i…”

Parys handed her a napkin so that she could wipe her tears.

i“/iiBut /iithen/ii…/iithen /iione /iiday/ii…/iithere /iiwas/ii…/iithat /iishine/ii!!! /iiIt /iiwas /iislowly /iiing /iiback/ii…/iand ithere /iiwas /iijust /iino /iiway /iiI /iicould /iiwatch /iithem /iidestroy /iiit /iiagain/ii. /iiSo/i, iyou /iisee/ii…/iiI /iiHAD /iito /iihelp /iiher!/ii” /i

I nodded my head to her response. I understood. Suddenly, Parys spoke.

i“/iiMs. /iiFynch/ii…/iiI /iidon’t /iidoubt /iiyour /iiwords/ii…/iithey /iiare /iifilled /iiwith /iian /iiemotion /iiI’ve /iinever /iiexperienced/i. iThank /iiyou /ifor ithat/ii. /iiBut /iiI /iihope /iiyou /iiunderstand/ii; /iiGracie /iiis /iiour /iifamily/ii…/iishe /iimeans /iia /iigreat /iideal /iifor /iia /iilot /iiof /iireasons/i. iHow /iido /iiwe /iiknow /iiwe /iican /iitrust /iiyou/ii?/ii” /i

She looked at Parys with a warm expression and smiled.

“iBecause /iiwe /iiall /iiwant the /iisame /iithing/i…for iGrd /iito /iihave /iiJustice/ii./ii” /i

11:13 bThu/b, bSep /b11

:

50

My eyes widen; she was right. Everyone is this room wanted one thing above everything else… Justice

for Gracie.

Chapter Comments

Write Comments

1

SHARE