No Way Out Read online

  “OK, Dad, but I might have to have two scoops. With sprinkles!”

  Mitchel chuckled for the first time in a while. His son was having a good time. Mitchel couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had had a day together. They went into the theater, and Mitchel let Jackson pick out their seats. Of course, it was all the way down in front, but Mitchel didn’t mind this time.

  * * *

  Vivian was furious. She didn’t care about the outlet stores. She just had to get away from the situation. Everything was unraveling. If Mitchel was cheating on Colleen with that, that woman, Lord knows what else or who else he was up to. And the drinking. She pulled over to the side of the road and burst into tears. Not since her husband had died had she felt like her calm and well-controlled life was slipping out of her grasp.

  She must have been sitting there for several minutes because a patrol car pulled up behind her. “Oh Lord, now what?”

  The officer walked up to her window. “You all right, ma’am?”

  “Oh, yes, thank you. I just got a little weepy thinking about my late husband and thought it best to pull over.” Vivian could be a good liar when necessary. Well, it was partly true.

  “You OK to drive? Do you want me to call anyone for you?” the patrolman asked.

  “No, I’m fine. Really. I have to pick up my son and grandson at the theater in an hour. I might do a little shopping before I go. Retail therapy I think is what they call it.” She smiled at the officer.

  He smiled back. “Sorry for your loss, ma’am. Try to enjoy the rest of the day.”

  Vivian started her engine and headed toward the outlet shops. She failed to mention that her husband had been dead for twenty-six years.

  Vivian stopped at the Cheesecake Factory and bought some cookies and cupcakes. She didn’t know why, but it seemed like a good idea. Then she spotted a shop that sold scarves and gloves and went inside. She picked a pink floral print and wrapped it around her neck. It brightened her face. The price tag said $35. She looked around for something less expensive and found one for $18. Glancing around the shop, she noticed that the two clerks were engaged in conversation. The price tags were secured with a simple gold safety pin, so she switched the price tags, taking the one she wanted to the cash register. If they spotted the incorrect price, she could fake it. How was she to know the tags were on the wrong items? Neither clerk noticed, and she handed them cash and walked out the door. Not only did the scarf brighten her face, it brightened her mood. She had given up on the Lord twenty-six years ago, and after what she had witnessed at the restaurant, she decided it was no more Mrs. Goody Two-Shoes for her.

  She checked the clock on the bank building outside the shop and decided it was time to skedaddle and head back to the movie theater.

  As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw Mitchel and Jackson waiting in front of the ice-cream shop. She parked the car and walked briskly toward them.

  “Grammy! A new scarf?” Jackson yelled out. He had never seen his grandmother wearing anything that pretty before.

  “Yes, Jackson. I thought I should treat myself.” She shot Mitchel a look.

  “It’s lovely, Mother, but I wish you would have let me treat you,” Mitchel broke in.

  “You need to hang on to your cash, son. I am perfectly capable of treating myself.” That much was true. Between Gregory Sr.’s life insurance policy and his Social Security, she was financially stable. The house had been paid for before her husband died, and the property taxes were minimal, owing to a special farm rate. Her only monthly expenses were utilities, food, and gas for the car. She had offered Mitchel his old bedroom, but he had chosen to stay with his brother, saying it was closer to Jackson. That, too, was true. Still, she felt that Mitchel would have a better chance at gaining joint custody if he had a more permanent environment. She wondered what Mitchel was going to do about that. She knew he couldn’t afford an apartment without a job. She also knew that she was particularly hard on her sons, but with her new attitude, maybe Mitchel would change his mind.

  They went into the ice-cream shop, and Jackson ordered a scoop of cherry vanilla and a scoop of chocolate. “With lots of sprinkles, please,” Jackson said politely to the young girl dressed in the pink-striped jumper and funny hat that looked like an ice-cream cone turned upside down.

  “Absolutely!” She smiled at him.

  Mitchel and Vivian both ordered a scoop of coffee ice cream sans sprinkles.

  “So, my man, we still have a couple of hours. How about we go bowling?” He looked at Vivian for approval after he addressed Jackson.

  Vivian sat back and folded her arms across her chest. She reminded herself that that Vivian was the old version. Then she relaxed and smiled.

  “That’s if Grammy doesn’t mind driving us around a little more.” He looked over at his mother. She was smiling. He was surprised.

  “Oh, I don’t see why not. We do have lots of time. As long I don’t have to participate. You know how much I hate renting bowling shoes!” She chuckled. Mitchel did a double take. Who is this woman?

  Jackson laughed out loud. “Grammy, you’re funny!”

  Vivian fiddled with her new scarf. “I’m simply happy to be with two of my favorite men. Of course, Gregory is a favorite, too, but he’s not here today.”

  Jackson was taking the final lick from his cone as the others got up from the table. “Finish up before we get in the car, please.” Mitchel was giving Jackson a warning.

  “No problem, Dad.” Jackson began crunching on the sugar cone. A minute later, he showed that his hands were empty. “See?”

  Vivian chimed in. “I see you should probably go wash your hands.” She’s still smiling. How odd, Mitchel thought.

  The restroom was only a few feet away from the table, so Mitchel let Jackson go in by himself. While Jackson was in the bathroom, Mitchel leaned over to his mother. “Everything OK?”

  “Of course, Mitchel. Why do you ask?”

  “You seem, well, I guess the word is ‘relaxed.’ ” Mitchel chose his words carefully.

  “I am, dear.”

  Mitchel blinked. Dear? She hadn’t called him that since he was in the fifth grade.

  “Well, good. I’m glad to hear it.” Mitchel let out a big exhale. He hadn’t realized that he was holding his breath.

  “Listen. I really appreciate you babysitting both of us today.”

  Mitchel was as sincere as he could be. He knew that little encounter with Lucinda had put his mother over the top. But in the past few hours, her entire demeanor had changed. Maybe it’s a magical scarf. He snickered to himself.

  “It’s OK, son. I know you’re going through a rough patch. Remember, my house is always open to you and Jackson. At some point, you might have him for an entire weekend. It would be nice if he had his own room. You don’t want to impose any further on your brother, now, do you?”

  Mitchel could hardly believe this was his mother talking in such a kind and compassionate manner. He was going to savor it even if it was only temporary.

  Jackson returned to the table and showed both of them how clean his hands were.

  “Good job, my man. C’mon, let’s get rolling,” Mitchel said.

  The three left the shop and got back in the car. “Are you sure you don’t want to bowl with us, Mother?” Now Mitchel was teasing her.

  “What? And use stinky shoes that were on someone else’s dirty feet. No, thank you.” She looked into the rearview mirror and grinned at both of them. “I’ll be just fine watching the two of you.” She turned on the radio and put the volume on low. She found a classic rock station and sang along with Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

  Jackson nudged his father, and whispered, “I didn’t know Grammy could sing so good.”

  “She used to be in the church choir but quit after your grandfather died,” Mitchel explained.

  “Hey, Gram! You sound really good!” Jackson yelled over the seat.

  Vivian turned the volume down. “Sorry
, boys. I was reminiscing about my youth. Bap-bap-baa,” she continued to sing along.

  Mitchel often forgot that his mother had once been a young woman. He was only ten when his father died, so he didn’t have a lot to go on. Ever since that terrible day, his mother had been morose and dour. But since dropping them off at the movie theater, she was a different person. He decided that whatever it was, he was glad. It was as if a heavy cloud had been lifted. At least one of them.

  Jackson joined in the singing. “Bap-bap-baa!”

  Mitchel felt his shoulders relax for the first time that day. He realized he hadn’t had a cigarette since he left the house that morning. Maybe things were turning around for him.

  The ride to the bowling alley took about twenty minutes, with Vivian singing along to all the songs she recognized. By the time they arrived, the three of them were in a fine mood.

  Jackson grabbed her hand. “You sure you don’t wanna put on some stinky shoes?” He giggled. She laughed. Mitchel was in a state of disbelief.

  The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. No ex-flings, no more beer. Mitchel was on his best behavior. At least for the moment. They bowled a few games, then headed for home.

  When they finally reached Gregory’s house, Jackson was a bit teary-eyed. This was the dad he wanted. This was the dad he needed. As they got out of the car, he wrapped his arms around his father’s waist. “I miss you.” Then he burst into tears.

  Elaine heard Jackson crying and flew out the front door. “What’s going on?” she demanded.

  Vivian took the reins. “We had a lovely day. I think Jackson is upset that he has to leave his dad now.”

  “He’ll be all right, won’t you, Jackson?” Mitchel spoke softly to his son.

  Jackson sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Vivian dug into her purse and retrieved a tissue. “Here you go.”

  She motioned for her and Elaine to go inside to give the boys some private time.

  Elaine was a bit apprehensive, but Vivian nodded, indicating it was OK to leave them alone for a few minutes.

  When they got in the house, Elaine couldn’t help but ask, “So how did it go?”

  “Very well. They had burgers, went to a movie, had ice cream, and then we went bowling.”

  “How was the movie?” Elaine asked innocently.

  Vivian caught herself just in time before revealing she had gone shopping. “Oh, I . . . I dozed off. Those kinds of pictures don’t interest me.”

  “Dozed off? With all that noise?” Elaine was half-serious.

  “I guess I was tired from the drive,” Vivian said, keeping up the ruse.

  “New scarf?” Elaine couldn’t help but notice that Vivian wearing something cheery.

  “Oh, yes, I bought it at one of the outlet shops.” Vivian realized she was about to give her secret away and continued, “I got it a few weeks ago but didn’t have an occasion to wear it. I thought today would be a good one.” She was getting rather good at thinking on her feet. Must be the scarf, she thought to herself, and smiled.

  “What?” Elaine asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  “What? What?” Vivian repeated.

  “You had a funny smile on your face.” Elaine had noticed the change in Vivian as well.

  “Must be the scarf,” Vivian finally said out loud.

  Jackson and Mitchel sat on the front step while Jackson regrouped. “I’m sss . . . sorry, Dad.”

  “For what?”

  “Crying like a baby.” Jackson sniffed.

  “It’s OK. To tell you the truth, I wanna cry myself.” Mitchel put his arm around Jackson. “But we’ll get together again next weekend. You can decide what you want to do, OK?”

  “Sure. Does Gram have to come with us?”

  “Yes, for the time being. But we’ll have fun. Maybe she’ll even sing to us again.” Mitchel ruffled Jackson’s hair. “C’mon. We gotta get you home.”

  Mitchel opened the front door. “Mother, I think it’s time to get Jackson back home.” He put his hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Right, kiddo?”

  “Right-o, Dad.” Jackson gave his father another hug. “Bye, Aunt Elaine! Bye, Daddy!” He held back the tears until they got into the car. He was in the back seat, sniffling.

  Vivian turned to him. “Honey, I know this is hard now, but it will get better. We just need to figure out a few things.”

  “That’s what my mom said.” Another sniffle. “I hope it doesn’t take too long.” He sighed and settled into the seat.

  Fifteen minutes later, Vivian pulled into Colleen’s driveway and walked Jackson to the front door. “Now you be a good boy this week, and we’ll have some fun next Saturday.” She leaned over and gave him a hug. He hugged her back with all the strength he could muster.

  “Thanks, Gram. I had a really nice day.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ellie watched from her perch. Jackson’s grandmother was dropping him off from a day with his father. Ellie wondered how it had gone. She looked at the clock. It was almost 7:00. She doubted that Jackson would come over at this late hour. Buddy had been pacing the floor all day. “He’ll visit you tomorrow,” Ellie kept reassuring her dog. He would look up at her with those big eyes, as if to say, “But I wanna play now!” He must have gone in and out a dozen times, looking for Jackson. Ellie thought it was sweet. She also thought about calling Colleen to see how she was doing, but she figured Jackson probably had a lot to tell his mother.

  Ellie walked over to the console and sat down. She pulled up an Internet search engine and typed in the name Rick Barnes. There had to be hundreds of them. She then tried Richard J. Barnes. Still dozens, including Richard J. Barnes Sr., Rick’s father. She knew he would be no help.

  She hoped she could figure out where he was. Not that she wanted to see him. If anything, the opposite was true. If anything, it was for her sanity.

  She tried several other iterations of his name and came up short. When she glanced at the clock in the lower corner of her monitor, she realized that she had just spent the last two hours trying to locate her former boyfriend. Hasn’t he already used up enough of my time? she asked herself.

  She stretched and spun around on her drafting stool. Percy was lying on the sofa. “Are you bored, sir?” she asked her cat. He yawned and stretched in response. Animals are really smart.

  Ellie went downstairs to get ready for the rest of the evening. She was off duty that night. Oftentimes, she would be asked to take a late shift since many of her clients offered twenty-four-hour online help. But she had already put in almost sixty hours that week and was computer-weary, especially after wasting so much time looking for Rick.

  She put the kettle on and went into her room to change into a different set of clothes. This time it was her pajamas. That was one of the advantages of being a shut-in. No one knew what you wore each day. If she wanted, she could wear the same clothes, including her pajamas, twenty-four/seven, but she wasn’t the type. In fact, she would put on a little makeup and blow-dry her hair after her morning shower. She didn’t know why she fussed even a little, but it reminded her of a semblance of normalcy. She hadn’t quite resigned herself to being like this forever. She hoped it wasn’t forever, but it was what it was for now.

  Two years had been an exceedingly long time. The idea that she was entertaining the thought of inviting someone in was almost like passing a milestone, but it was still only an idea. She hadn’t made it happen yet. As her therapist would remind her, “Baby steps.”

  The teakettle was whistling in the kitchen, and Percy was on the counter, expecting a snack. Ellie poured some water over two chamomile tea bags and let it steep. In the meantime, she opened the pantry and grabbed two dental treats for her cat.

  “Here you go, Mr. Bossy Pants.” Buddy’s tail was pounding out a rhythm on the floor. “Oh, I suppose you want one, too?” His tail thumped harder. Ellie reached into the cookie jar and took out a Bully Stick dog bone. “Don’t eat it all at once,” she told him. “Sit,” she in
structed. He obeyed. “Paw.” He held up a paw. “Now the other one.” He looked at her. “Please.” Then he lifted it. Yep, animals are very smart.

  Once the tea was ready, she grabbed a book she had started and headed to the bedroom. She fluffed up the pillows and pulled down the comforter. That was another thing she did every day. Make the bed. In essence, she appeared to be a normal person, doing normal, everyday things. That was because if she allowed herself to go down a rabbit hole, she might never return. Routine was a good stabilizer.

  Buddy jumped up and made himself at home at the foot of the bed. Percy strolled in and perched himself on the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. Ellie turned on her reading light and flipped to where she had left off in the book, but she found it hard to concentrate. Ever since her phone call with Kara, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Rick and their relationship before the episode, the very thing that had blocked her memory. She was told it would come back to her, but after two years, she still strained to remember. There was a gap in her memory from when it, whatever it was, had happened to when she woke up in the hospital. She couldn’t remember any details except that when she woke up, there was an IV drip in her arm and her mother and Kara were sitting in her room.

  She flipped through a few more pages and decided it was futile, so she put the book down, turned off the light, and tried to sleep. It was 3:00 A.M., and she was still tossing and turning.

  Buddy was snoring, and Percy had moved from the chaise to the pillow next to Ellie’s face. He peeked at her. “I could have been working and getting paid. Darn!” she said to him.

  He gave her a look that said, “And I could have been sleeping.”

  She laughed at the idea that she was having conversations with her animals.

  At first, she thought talking to Buddy and Percy was just another “symptom,” but she’d read that talking to your pets is a sign of intelligence. The same with inanimate objects. When Ellie had read that, she thought she must be a genius. If she bumped into a chair, she would say, “Excuse me.” The article had been published by a zoological anthropology professor, so she felt that she had permission to converse. And they laughed at Dr. Doolittle.