CHAPTER 66: NANCY vs RONALD AND MICHAEL CALLS LINDSAY

KITCHEN – SATURDAY MID-MORNING

NANCY

Well I have had enough of this!  Ronald has been humming that damn tune since yesterday and is not talking to me.

“Have you got over your tantrum?”

“Not having a tantrum Nancy.  I’m having an epiphany, once more.  When you go to see Lindsay - and don’t even pretend that you’re not - give her my best.  And let her know that as well as being the darling of the art world, Hunter is going to be a dad too.”

I snap.  “What do you mean give her your best?  And who the hell is Hunter?”

“She’ll know.  Do you know what I had for dinner last night?”  I shake my head wondering where this is going.  “Pizza.  A homemade one with a stuffed crust and I loved every slice.”

“Millie cooked a pizza? Well bully for her but what does that have to do with anything?!”

“Because you don’t allow me to have pizza and I want fucking pizza Nancy!”

“Fine have the damn pizza!   But stop this divorce ridiculousness.  We have to show a united…”

“Mine?”  He quirks an eyebrow

“Pardon?”  I look around for whatever he’s talking about.

“Lindsay.  Is she mine or Marcel’s?”  My jaw drops.  “Reason for asking is that she has nothing of my personality in her.  Yours? Oh yes!  She has shitloads of you but not me and lately, since he’s been in town, I got to thinking that maybe she’s his.  So?”

My mind races and I stammer and blink rapidly.  “R-Ronald I don’t know why…”

“That would be a no then or maybe a not sure.  Let’s find out with a DNA test, shall we?”

“Ronald!  What has brought this on?!”  I demand.

“Zaden.”  He replies thoughtfully.  “Trying to work out the dates.”

“What dates?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“Oh that’s priceless.  She fucks around and you think the same of me!”  I slam down my cup and storm out.  “Lindsay was right about her then!”

“Like I said give her my best!”  He shouts.  “And I’m serious about the DNA!”

“No!  I won’t allow it!  We will talk later Ronald!”  I shout back.

I can’t wait to tell Lindsay about Zaden.  Maybe Faal will see Lindsay in a different light now.

PITTSBURGH WOMEN’S CORRECTIONAL FACILITY – TWO HOURS LATER

VISITORS ROOM

LINDSAY

My mother and I share knowing smirks.  “So Mrs Ugerstacht has been playing away, has she? It just goes to show you that idols have clay feet.  She alluded to us before that she and Faal couldn’t have children, so I wonder whose it is?”

“Apparently.  Well that’s what I gleaned from Ronald.  Oh and someone called Hunter is going to be a dad too.”

I frown at her.  “Why was he even in the same place as her?  Wait! Hunter a father?  Good God!”   

“I’m not sure but he was with Millie and Harold when he found out.  And he’s been acting most oddly.  So this trial with Novotny... when are you being called and more importantly why?”

“As a character witness for him.  And on Tuesday.  Have you heard what he did?  I inadvertently helped him by hiring the truck he used.  I’ve made it clear to Birch that I wasn’t involved in it but I did move some things when he had it.”

“You mean the things that you and that woman both got as presents, when you first got together.  And the stuff that she got from her family?”  Mother leans back on the chair and I nod. She’s got that bad news look on her face.  “She came and took them back.  She brought Gus and Jenny and someone called Lela with her.”

“You mean Leda?  And what exactly did she take?”

“Everything that you had on the list you gave to the attorney and your father…”  She rolls her eyes and huffs an annoyed breath.  “Gave her the Justin Taylor picture as well.”

“What?!”  I shriek and am glared at by both mother and the guard.  “Why on earth did he do that?!”

“I have no idea!  If you had told me of its value, I would’ve made sure it was in a better place!  Now they’ve given it to someone called Liddie.”  She finishes angrily.  “I didn’t realise how famous Justin Taylor is!”

“Liddie?”  I question frowning and then groan as realisation dawns.  “You mean Lydia?  Lydia Glendale.  Well that’s the last we’ll see of it!”  I scrunch the napkin up in fury.  “Where is daddy anyway?”  

“He sends his best and is in the strangest of moods.  Marcel is back in town.”  She smiles properly for the first time since she got here.  “Between you and me, I think he’s having an affair.”

“Daddy?  An affair?  Who on earth with?”  I snicker at the very idea.  My mother has him mostly well controlled.

“Don’t know. Someone called Teresa Brewer.”  She leans across the table and lowers her voice. “I had to sleep in the spare room last night and he was complaining about me stopping him from having pizza.  I’m only looking out for his health. Then there’s this godawful tune he keeps humming.  Which of course now I can’t get it out of my head.”

“How does it go?”  I ask, chuckling not thinking for a minute she would hum it but she does.  

“Sounds like something Zee would...”

“Um sorry to interrupt.  But that’s Teresa Brewer as in the singer.”  A guard tells us.  “And I think the song is Gonna Get Along without You Now.  You can google it to check.”  

Mother’s mouth drops.  “That’s what he said to me last night.  Google is your friend.”  She looks at her watch and picks up her things quickly.  “Look I’ve got to go, but we will be in court on Tuesday to support you.”

“Thanks mother.  And don’t worry about daddy; it’s most likely just a phase.”  I smile.  “Give my love to Marcel when you see him.”  I smile and she grins back.  

I’ve always liked Marcel. He may not have the financial acumen that daddy has but he and mother are much better suited, being more old school.  But we WASPs know what side our bread is buttered.

PETERSON RESIDENCE – EARLY EVENING

LOUNGE

RONALD

Nancy has been back for the last few hours and hasn’t mentioned her visit to Lindsay or where she has been since then.

“Do you want some wine dear?”  She asks sweetly.

“No thank you.”  I reply just as sweetly.

She settles down on the sofa curling her feet underneath her.  “So I went to see Lindsay today.”

“Oh.”  I look up from my paper.  “How is she doing?”

“Well if you had…”  She starts but stops herself.  “She’s fine under the circumstances.  She’s in court on Tuesday.  I was thinking about the fraud case…”

“Which will be handled by the New York authorities, since it happened there.”  I interrupt.

“Yes.  I know that.”  She takes a measured sip of her wine.  “But I was wondering if we were to offer to refund the money that she took while under duress, I’m sure, then that would solve that problem.”

I look up and inwardly smirk.  “And how much is it?”

“A rather eye watering $50,000.”  She winces delicately.  “What do you think?”

“I think it’s an excellent idea.”  I stand up and stretch and she beams at me.  “How will…”

“I’ll get the details from her and handle it.  I think it was the Kaden Galleries.”

“Fine.”

“So Zaden is pregnant.”  She tries not to look smug and fails.  “Poor Faal must be so heartbroken.  That is going to be a costly divorce for her.  Lucky for her she has her own money…”

“Hmm…” I mutter and nod, trying not to smile.

“Ronald?   About this morning…”  She begins.  “Were you serious about the divorce and Marcel?”

I look up at her and shake my head.  “Sorry to alarm you but I must have just had a moment of insanity.”

She looks relieved and grins before standing to kiss my head, like I’m five fucking years old and it takes everything for me not to rub it away.

“I thought as much.  Where are the papers?”  She holds out her hand.  “I’ll dispense of them for you.”

“Over there.”  I point at the papers on the table and she takes them up to look through them.

“After I shred these, I’m going up for a bath.  Will you be much longer?”

“About another hour.”  I pour myself another brandy.  “You have a nice long soak.”

She smiles and smugly walks out and minutes later I hear the shredder working.

BRITIN

LOUNGE

ZEE

Okay enough with the coddling for fuck sake!  Storm is getting fed up with being put back on the cushion like she’s some china doll.  We exchange looks of exasperation.  If it wasn’t for her roundness she would be hiding under the sofa as she always does when she doesn’t want to be fussed over but still wants to be in the thick of things.

“We’re making rice, peas and chicken for tomorrow.”  Alice pokes her head through the door and smiles sympathetically as I take a steadying breath as Leda, of all people, plumps the cushion behind my head.

“Seriously.”  I growl at her.  She snickers and makes a run for it.  The cushion just misses.  

Brian picks it up and shuts the door quietly before joining me on the sofa.  “Was she planned?”  

“Nope.  He just got carried away as you do.  I can understand why you do it raw!”  I snicker as he cringes.   “What a cock’s a cock.  We tried once and nothing happened so we never tried again.”

“I remember you saying.”  He smiles so sweetly.  “I can’t wait.  Daphne has referred us to a surrogate she knows and after his summer show, we will concentrate fully on being dads again.”

“How do Gus and Hunter feel about it?”  He looks confused.  “He showed me the letter.”  I nudge him.  “And he’s taken to calling you and Justin uncle and you’re not stopping him.”

He huffs a gentle laugh.  “We’ve said we will talk about it nearer the time but yeah, they’re cool with it.  Oh nicely done with Hunter to Ronald by the way. You know he will tell Nancy and she will tell Lindsay who will tell Michael… and kaboom!”

I smile at the memory of the look on Ronald’s face before I explained about Storm then sigh quietly, he looks at me and waits.

“I thought I was sick.  Thank God I was passed three months when I found out.”  I’m surprised when he puts his arm round my shoulders.

“I know you’re both scared.  It will be alright and if it’s not, then as a family we will deal with it.”

I lean against his shoulder and when he kisses the top of my head, I have to swallow hard.

“Promise me one thing?”  I murmur.  “He doesn’t do well with me in pain.”

“I will keep him out of the delivery room.”

“Thank you.”

ALLEGHANY COURTHOUSE – TUESDAY MID-MORNING

ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

ALBERT

Edwin is looking particularly smug and if I didn’t like the guy so much, I would smack him.

“So your ego got the better of you, huh?”  He cocks an eyebrow.

We go back a long way, Edwin and I.  We studied at the same time and have a friendly rivalry.

“Yeah.”  I admit.  “How happy were you when he binned you?”

“Very.  Even better, considering what happened with my father-in-law.”  He shudders at the memory.

“But he’s okay, right?”  I squeeze his arm and he nods.

“Oh and that reminds me.  If you see my better half and he asks what’s his surname, don’t tell him.”

“Why not?”  I chuckle.

“Tell you when this is over.”  He gathers his papers and grimaces.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

As we head out, I realise what he’s said.  “Wait.  Father-in-law?!”  I stare incredulously at his retreating back and run after him.

OUTSIDE COURT ROOM 1

NANCY

Thankfully Lindsay has been allowed to wear her civilian outfit today.  Now that everything with Ronald is back to normal, I can concentrate on getting her out of jail and back where she belongs. Yes, she’s made mistakes but at the end of the day, she’s coming back to us.

As I watch her come down the corridor, her face lights up and she gives a slight inclination of her head.  I look behind me and see Zaden walking down by herself.  I am about to say something when the doors open.  She is led in before I can say anything to her and Zaden sweeps past me, without acknowledgement.

I look round the room and the place is packed.  I see Gus and Jenny are here too. Surely they should be in school, I think to myself.  As I take a seat in the back, two rows behind Lindsay, I clear my throat and she turns round.

And as she does, she gasps and then jerks her head behind her. I look around and am surprised to see Millie and Harold sitting on that side.  I wave at them but they don’t seem to see me.

Zaden is sitting by herself and I can’t help but smile.  How mighty are the fallen, hmmm Zaden?  The door opens again and Faal comes in with some other people I don’t know but Lindsay does judging by her frown.

Faal taps Zaden on her shoulder and she almost leaps out of her skin. It’s then I realise she has earphones in.  She stands up and Lindsay and I exchange confused looks as Faal slides in behind her and they both sit down.  He tenderly wraps his arms around her and allows her to settle back into his chest, resting his hands on her stomach.

Novotny and his attorney come in and sit in front of Lindsay and she leans over to say something to him.  He looks incredulously at her before looking across to the other side, shaking his head.  A guard sitting next to her stops all conversation with a glare.

Novotny has not stopped looking across at the door and the bailiff is smirking.

BATHROOM STALL

JUSTIN

I rest my head against Brian’s sweaty chest.  “Monkey sex position.  Done.”  He pants.  “Need to lower my legs before they lock up.”

I pull gently out of him and his legs slither down to the floor, almost followed by the rest of him.

“Christ.”  I kiss him hungrily.  “How long do we have?”  I ask.  He smiles, lazily and kisses me back.

“Sadly, not enough time for me to do that to you.  But tonight it’s all mine!”  He gives my ass a squeeze.

I snicker and we quickly get dressed. I catch him looking in the mirror and dash out.  “Justin!”  He hollers as he no doubt sees the hickey I left on his neck.

COURT ROOM 1

MICHAEL

I can’t believe what Lindsay has just told me.  Hunter’s going to be a father!  So that has pissed me off.  We’re waiting for her ladyship and the prosecution to turn up.  Jennifer suddenly gets up chuckling and leaves.  The door opens and Justin comes dashing in smirking and then leans over to speak to Faal and Zaden.  Chuckling she moves to sit in front of Justin.  Another 10 minutes later, Brian comes in and when he sees Justin and Zaden, he just shakes his head.  The people around them are laughing at whatever he’s saying. How I wish I could hear them.

Zaden moves to sit back with Faal and Brian takes his usual position.  I’m not sure what it is but there is something different about them.

I’m surprised when Berk sits down next to Lindsay and she mouths attorney at me and I just nod.

LINDSAY

I try to get Brian’s attention but he’s focused on fucking Justin and talking to Faal.

The door opens again and daddy’s here.  I nod at mother and she moves down so he can sit next to her, but we’re both astonished as he heads to sit with Gus and Jenny. They greet him fondly.

What the fuck?!

The jury and prosecution come in and we wait for another five minutes for them to settle down before he finally announces the arrival of the judge.

EPHRAIM

“Defence will open.”  Judge Paal nods and Novotny starts.

“I call to the stand Lindsay Peterson.”  She stands up and adjusts her suit and after she’s sworn in the court, he turns to face the prosecution.

“Ms Peterson.  Would you say that I changed since the arrival of Mrs Ugerstacht?”

“You mean Ms Stark, as she will soon be known?”  She snarks.  “Yes, your personality did change.  You seemed defensive and worried.”

“Because of…”

“Objection.  Your honour we have been over this time and time again.”

“Sustained.  Contempt charges will be laid, if you try again.”  Judge Paal glares at him.

“How would you describe me as a person?”

“Objection.  Time wasting. The court already knows what kind of person he is.”

“Sustained.  Mr Novotny get to the point of this questioning quickly.”

“If he would stop interrupting, then I would your honour!”  He snarks.

“Your honour, perhaps I should take over!”  Albert leaps up.

“I concur.  Prosecution objects?”

“No your honour.”  I sit down and wait.

Novotny slowly heads back to the table and Albert sighs heavily and we exchange puzzled looks.

“No further questions your honour.”  Albert sinks back into his seat and there is murmuring.

“Come to order!”  Judge Paal bangs her gavel and looks at Albert.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes your honour, I’m not a mind reader.”  He glares at Novotny.

“Very well.  Prosecution to cross examine.”

I stand up and head to the stand.

“Ms Peterson, how long have you known Mr Novotny?”

“Over 15 years.  He’s one of my closest friends.” Her demeanour is icy calm.

“At the time of the burglary, where were you living?”

“Pittsburgh.”

“How did Mr Novotny get the truck that he used to remove the items?  Before you answer, we don’t like perjury.”

“Counsel.”  Judge Paal warns with a smirk and I nod.

“He-he called me to say that he needed me to lend him some money to hire the truck.  I just hired it for him instead but I had no idea what he was using it for, or I wouldn’t have hired it.”

“Why not just lend him the money?”

“He said it was urgent and hiring the van directly was quicker.”

“So once the van was hired, that was the end of it?”

“Yes.  I mean no.  I borrowed the van to move some articles from my home.”

“Your personal items?”

Silence.

“Were these your personal items, Ms Peterson?”

“No they were wedding presents and bequests.”

“Who were the bequests for?”

“Melanie Marcus, my then partner.”

“Is it true Ms Peterson that Ms Marcus has only just retrieved those items as she didn’t realise that you had them removed from the property?”

She shifts in her seat.  “It must have slipped my mind to tell her.  It wasn’t until I was asked by my attorney that I remembered.”

“How long have you been back from Canada and how long were you over there for?”

“We’ve been back in Pittsburgh for about 2 years and we were in Canada for over 5 years.”

“You’re in the art world is that correct and you discovered Justin Taylor the esteemed artist?”

“Yes and yes.  It’s one of my best achievements.”  She preens.

“So you would know the value of his art work?”

She blinks rapidly and there’s more seat shifting.

“Ms Peterson?”

“Yes I would.”

“Amongst the things that were found at a storage unit in your parents’ names was a Justin Taylor original, correct?”

“Yes, I was going to get it reframed.  But other things got in the way…”

“Ah yes, those other things.  Those would be you attempting to withhold the reinstatement of the parental rights of the father of your child, a Brian Kinney.  Trying to retain control of the support for Gus Taylor-Kinney, as he’s now known.  Seeking to retain custody of Gus Taylor-Kinney.  Emancipation of Gus Taylor-Kinney and the dissolution of your partnership with Ms Marcus due to your infidelity, correct?”

“I’m not on trial here!”  She protests.

“But you’re a character witness so yours has to be unimpeachable, does it not?  Especially since, with regards to the custody case, you and Mr Novotny tried to argue that he should be given custody of Brian Taylor-Kinney’s son and move to Canada.”

Silence.

“Let’s move on.  You say that Mr Novotny is a good friend of yours?”

“He is.”  She replies, uncertainly.

“Why did he hit you to the point of causing bruising?”

“Objection!  Relevance!”  Novotny shoots up.

“Will become clear.”  I reply smoothly and want to give Albert a hug.

“Court will come to order!”  Judge Paal states.  “Sustained.”

“We had a row and he lashed out.  He was under great strain after he had been served papers from his daughter.  Served by you.  At the instigation, no doubt, of Ms Stark,” Lindsay answers anyway.

“Ms Peterson, her name, as far as the court is concerned is Mrs Ugerstacht. You will address her as such.”  Judge Paal orders.

“I’m not sure her husband would like that.”  She smirks.

“Jury will disregard that last remark and it will be stricken through.  Mrs Ugerstacht is not on trial here.  Nor is her marriage up for scrutiny.”  Judge Paal orders.

“So why haven’t you dropped the charges?”

“I didn’t want to press charges but the State did.”

“So he didn’t hit you for refusing to have a child with him so that you could sign over the rights to the child to his mother, Debbie Horvath, for a cash settlement from the family from which you both have been ostracized?”

“N-no.”

“I bring the court’s attention to exhibit 3C, which is the statement from Medea Lawson, who overheard the conversation that led up to the assault of Ms. Peterson.  Mr Novotny admits that he had been putting holes in the condoms that you were using with your then partner in an attempt to get you pregnant by him so that would provide a link to his biological son Matt.  But his infertility, which you had no idea about, stymied that.  And Ms Peterson, didn’t you try and sue Mr Grady Holster, your former partner? But that suit was withdrawn because he issued a statement that he had, after he and Mr Novotny had slept together, espied you removing a condom from the trash can and that only because of the arrival of your monthly cycle that the contents of the condom wasn’t used?”

“Uh…”

“After the assault, can you tell the court what happened?”

“I don’t…”

“I draw the court’s attention to exhibit 3D, the arrest report for Lindsay Peterson on the charge on fraud in the amount of $30,000 in respect of Kaden Galleries. It’s not the first time you’ve committed fraud, is it?”

“What the fuck Lindsay?!”  Novotny shouts and start to sort frantically through the papers.

“Contain yourself Mr Novotny!” Judge Paal bangs her gavel, narrowing her eyes at him.

“But…”  Peterson stammers.

“I believe you and Mr Novotny had to repay your parents for monies spent before you went to Canada, after you used the company credit cards to pay for an unauthorised jaunt to New York.  Is that correct?”

“I…”

“Speaking of Canada.  Why were you deported?”

“Objection!  Relevance!”  He’s almost screaming.

“We are trying to ascertain the honesty of this character witness.”

“Sustained.”

“My visa had expired.”

“And?”

She sighs, crossly.  “Michael…Mr Novotny, had come to Canada on a tourist visa but he worked.”

“Aren’t your parents suing Mr Novotny for the return of the monies for the court cases? And then of course, there’s the defamation cases that you and Mr Novotny settled out of court and also the breach of promise settlement for yourself after you persuaded Mr Kinney to have a child with you instead of the woman you promised to be the intermediary for.”

“RELEVANCE!”  Novotny screams, standing up and is hauled back into his seat by Tank.

“Sustained.”  Judge Paal replies calmly.

Albert and Edwin both look shell-shocked.

“Your witness.”  I smile at Novotny.

“We have no questions.”  Albert leaps up.

“Witness is dismissed.  Prosecution wishes to recall?”

“No thank you, your honour.”

“Remove Mr Novotny immediately.  Court will recess for an hour.”  Judge Paal slams the gavel down.

“All rise.”  Malcolm demands.

NANCY

What the hell just happened?!  The court starts to empty and I look across at Lindsay, who is still sitting in the stand.  My mind starts to race and my face starts to flame.  Millie and Harold heard all of that.  I knew it was bad but not that bad!

“Nancy.  Nancy.”  I’m jolted out of my shock by Ronald’s voice.  “Here.”

“What’s this?”  I look at the keys he’s just handed me.

“The place in Lawrenceville.  I think it’s far enough away for you to start again.  Maybe with Marcel, who you were with after you spent time with Lindsay.  I should imagine that the extra $20 grand, you hoped to get, was for him.  Just nod.  I have lodged the papers and changed the locks.  Goodbye Nancy.”

I watch astonished as Jenny drags him out, chattering excitedly.  As the door closes, it strikes me that I’ve never seen him smile like that.

LINDSAY

I’m brought out of my stupor by Birch clearing his throat.  “Well that was interesting Peterson.  Just so you know, you’re being transferred back to New Jersey this evening and a recording of this will be sent to the DA.  Good day to you.” 

They must have gotten the information from that bitch!

“So Zaden, how have you…”

“Lindsay I would like to thank you.”  Faal interrupts me.

“Wh…”

“If I hadn’t been so mad at your antics at the lunch with my sons, nephew and niece, then I wouldn’t have cave-manned my lig. You know... like you watched us in the workshop at Christmas.”

Zaden stares at me repulsed and pulls him out of the room.

I glare at their retreating backs as he and most of the family leave.  Mother scurries after them.

“You and your mom have just not had a good day.”  Jennifer smiles.  “But at least you didn’t have to look at the hickey on Brian’s neck all through your testimony.  I had to dig my nails into my palm to stop laughing as you looked so wistfully at something that will never be yours.  Never had Justin down as a biter.  Goodbye Lindsay, see you in a few years, if we’re unlucky enough.  Although Talon is looking forward to your servitude.”

As her click of her heels fade the guard taps me on the shoulder and leads me back out.