F

Amanda Hardy, Your Past Life Calls


Chapter 12

How lovely and peaceful it is here. I can stay here all day. Never would I imagine having a tête-à-tête with a dinosaur – the animal who was me in a long ago past life. We sit by the lake, watching the other animals grazing, drinking, tending their young. It is fairly routine for these creatures, not much else to do but go about life as it is planned for them. That is until I came here and brought the gift of music to their Cretaceous world. They, in their time, will never hear the great works of the masters, never hear the soaring notes of a Schubert lieder or Verdi aria. They will never behold a Steinway grand, a violin, an oboe, never hear these fine instruments waxing beautifully wrought melodies. So I sit here and sing to them. It seems to soothe them in this savage existence. So much uncertainty in their everyday lives – predators, food shortages, a changing Earth...

Of course, my visits are always temporary. I end up leaving just as the predators are near, although I promise my dinosaurian friends I will stay forever. I know I can't stay, as this is only a visit to the distant past – my past. But I do wish I could stay... Today is it: We have to face the predators, no matter how much they scare us. My companions are frightened, several run, in the presence of the meat-eaters, and understandably so. They panic and run out of instinct; that is the way of their world. However, I think I have convinced some to remain steadfast, face down these monsters, show these beasts that they don't always get the upper hand. The maiasaurus, the one whose body my soul inhabited eons ago, has shown much courage and perseverance in adversity's wake. She has far more than I, and I envy her for that. What have I suffered within the past few years? Plenty, and at the hands of a devious man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Well, it stops today. I will stand up to him, for I sense he will find himself at a dead end. Just as the approaching spinosaurus will find himself in a sticky situation from which there is no escape.

°°°°°°

Amanda awoke from her nap, pondering that latest dream. Why was she questioning whether or not she'll remain in the Cretaceous with her dinosaurian counterpart? And why did she put it together: That Kevin was somehow involved in something far deeper that just a "Let's get back at Brian" caper? There was another matter: Just this morning, before taking a break from working on the movie project, Toi called. Apparently Kevin had threatened Alice again, this time with the reassurance that Mrs. Mowbray's ex-husband's dad will be the happy recipient of those incriminating photos. All she has to do is turn over those doctored books to him; he will take it from there. And he gave her a deadline: By sundown this afternoon. Oh, the nerve of that man! Will it ever stop? Amanda wanted to call Kevin and give the lowlife a piece of her mind, but what Toi said gave her pause.

 "Don't worry, Amanda. Brian has it all covered. You just go to that party today and have a good time. Kevin will get his in ways he couldn't ever suspect. I only leave you with this caution: Steel yourself for a big shocker, and stay close to Vi's niece. She'll need all the support she can get."

What did Toi mean by, "Tracy will need all the support she can get"?  How does Vi's niece figure into what Kevin's pathetic revenge scheme? Could it be that Tracy may have been one of Kevin's many women only she does not know Mr. Williams' true nature? Or, in a worst case scenario....

Vi says Kip is on the road much, as part of his job. She has yet to meet Kip although Tracy calls her auntie at least once a week...This is Tracy's first visit to New York in years...The first visit since Emmie's birth, and she's three...And how long have Tracy and Kip been married? Seven years...or is it eight? Vi hasn't even received a letter or phone call from the man since he's been in town, and his business trips bring him here frequently... So why hasn't he at least called Vi, let her know he's here...At least keep her up to date on her family. She has the right to know her niece and the children are OK... What if...? Oh my God!

Can it be just that...That Kip Wells and Kevin Williams are the same person? How could he do this to me? How could he keep me, and Tracy, in the dark for so long? So that's why Brian didn't want to tell me right away about Kevin. He wanted to spare me the sordid details, only to catch Kevin in a lie...The party! Brian and Toi have Kevin all set up! They'll expose him at the party, with his wife and kids present! Oh my God, this is so...

 Amanda began to fit the pieces of a very complicated puzzle, and it all came together. The probability of Kevin Williams leading a duplicitous life as the very married Kip Wells was becoming all too clear. So was the mystery of that latest vision of the second female predator. That female spinosaurus had to represent Tracy, and she was, by what Amanda could remember from that last vision, mighty pissed at her ferocious mate.

 Hmm...The spiny shows up, eggs on the more reluctant female to attack the plant-eaters, then the other female shows up full of rage...Could it be that Tracy will react violently once she learns he Kip is a faker, a liar of the worst kind?

Immediately, Amanda got on the phone. Party or party, she had to consult with Vi one more time. There were many unanswered questions surrounding that Cretaceous showdown, as well as those surrounding a certain Kip Wells.

°°°°°°

Tracy Wells, scampering about the suite in efforts to get Emily dressed and ready for the party, was not too happy when her cell phone rang. She was nearly ready, so was her son. It was Emmie who decided to become a handful at the last minute. First it was refusing to eat the remains of broiled chicken and steamed spinach. Then she wanted to take along a favorite doll. Now she refused to wear the pretty new pink dress her mother bought expressly for this occasion.
"Come on, Emily," Tracy said exasperatingly, "We have to get ready for the party. That nice Miss Amanda will be there. You don't want her to see you acting like this."
Shaking her head with frustration, Tracy left a cantankerous Emily in the middle of the bed. The child was still barefoot, in her underwear, still needed her hair combed. However, Tracy decided, once she got off the phone, to work a little magic with the child, perhaps managing to dress Emmie with the least difficulty.
"Nick," she called out before picking up the phone, "go watch your sister. Tell a story, anything to quiet her down."
Rolling her eyes with motherly frustration, she answered the phone. "Hello? Kip! Where are you? Oh, you're still in New York...I'm fine...the kids are OK. Emily's a bit of a handful right now...Oh no, just that I'm trying to get her changed so we can go...No, it's a birthday party for one of her preschool friends. Well, it was kind of last minute...We'll pick something up on the way...What? You got invited to a cocktail party? When? Where? Oh, that's...That's wonderful, Kip. How soon will you be home? Oh, OK...But I hoped you would be home some time this weekend...It is a school break, and you could at least spend some time with the kids...I know, I know...OK, have a good time. I'll see you Monday morning."

Closing the phone, Tracy wished she hadn't lied to her husband. Why not come right out and tell him she and the kids were in town? No, it has to be a surprise, but he can't tear himself away from business long enough to spend time with his family. And he has the nerve to go to a swanky cocktail party when he could be with us, at another party given by Brian Dale and Amanda Hardy. I bet he turned down Mr. Dale's invitation...Ooh, wait until he comes home Monday. I've had it. I'm stuck at home, raising our children with virtually no help from Kip. He goes off on this and that business trip, leaving me and the kids home alone...
Come Monday morning, after dropping the kids off at school, I'm making an appointment with that marriage counselor, and Kip had better come with me.

°°°°°°

It couldn't have come off any sweeter, but he'll have plenty to atone for once he steps off that plane. No sweat, just come armed with a little sweet talk, a big bouquet of flowers, some well-chosen gifts for the kids. Tracy will get over her anger once dear hubby's home. Kevin Williams closed his phone as a self-satisfied smirk spread across his face. It was all so easy to fool not one, but two women at the same time. Now that Amanda has given him the boot, he was more free to pursue his double life. Well, everything played out nicely, and once he had Brian Dale where he wanted, Kevin could put Part C of his scheme in motion. What was that "Part C"? Kevin had some idea of how to go about it, but pulling it off would be extremely tricky – dangerous even.

OK, once back in Springfield, I'll play dutiful husband and daddy; no one will suspect a thing...I'll make it look like an accident, and I'll have my story straight. Apparently the kids were playing in the car while Tracy was in another part of the house. They turned on the ignition...The garage was closed...Only the door leading to the house was open...No, the CO detectors lacked new batteries...I was to replace them once I got home...I came home and found them all...dead. I'll play the grieving family man...Hey, I just tragically lost my wife and kids... Then I'll mourn awhile...Maybe decide to sell the house because the memories got to me...Should give me time to wait for the insurance check to arrive...$500,000 life insurance policy I took out on Tracy and the children, just in case...Then it's out of here for good. Sit back on some sunny island in the Caribbean while Brian Dale gets his just desserts, and Amanda...
Well, she'll have to live with the fact that she fact that she threw me over for him...That means, with Dale in prison, there will be no movie. Oh, I know all about that...it's the talk of the town. Amanda doing a movie about her "visions", and Brian Dale is bankrolling the whole project. I hope it flops...Who'd go see a movie about a woman who thinks she was a dinosaur. That's ludicrous.

Kevin smirked again, scanned the handwritten invitation to confirm the address, then finished dressing. It was nearly four o'clock and Kevin didn't want to be late. After all, "Kip" was a stickler for punctuality, and this "client" obviously had more dirt on Brian Dale. Once fully dressed in a natty three-piece suit, sparkling white shirt and highly polished shoes, Kevin went to his computer and downloaded a file. Ah, yes...it's all there...Now, print...
While the file printed, Kevin hand addressed a large manila envelope to a Jack Mowbray in Brewster, New York. This man had it in for his former daughter-in-law, and now he'll have even more ammunition in efforts to thwart any chance of reconciliation. Yes, it was true: Alice and her ex had been in contact with each other, with a little help from none other than Toi Brazzle. Well, Alice will rue the day she tried to worm out of her bargain with Kevin, and Kevin had even bigger plans for Toi. Seems the pop diva had some skeletons in her closet. Why not do some digging, maybe spread a few false rumors to the media...

Tossing the stuffed envelope aside for mailing later, Kevin smiled to himself with evil glee. Sauntering out the apartment building, he stopped long enough to purchase a bottle of wine for his host. This should be interesting, he thought, and do I have some juicy details for Mr. Bob Diehl, tabloid reporter extraordinaire.

°°°°°°

"Amanda, I'm sure what you suspect is sheer nonsense. How can Tracy's husband and Kevin Williams be the same person? From what Tracy's told me about Kip, he's the total opposite of Kevin. And I don't think those latest visions have a thing to do with Tracy or Kip. Now, we have a party to attend. Tracy and the children will be here any time..."

Vi Mingledorff, a knockout in her deep purple velvet suit embellished with sparkling amethyst brooch, voiced her reservations about Amanda's suspicions about Kip Wells. However, Ms. Hardy reiterated, "Think about it, Vi. You have yet to meet Kip, and he comes to town frequently on business. He's never bothered to call or visit you. Kevin, back when we were together, was out of town for long stretches, only calling me once or twice a week. And he made it clear never to call him during these trips. Doesn't that seem odd to you? I tell you, Vi, that latest vision of the second female spinosaurus has something to do with Tracy. I can feel it."

~~~~

I am surrounded by those who love me. They comfort me in my darkest hour. My fears are about to surface, bringing chaos and heartache unimaginable. I will get through this, because I am strong and resilient. No matter what they throw at me, I will survive the coming catastrophe. The predators are in the distant forest, and I can hear their approach. There he is, the swaggering male, egging on his reluctant female partner to attack. She does not want to do it, but he goads her. Here comes the other female behind him. She is in ferocious rage, and she senses the male is not what he appears to be. The trio appear at the edge of the forest, the male pushing the more timid female to do his bidding. However, he does not suspect his other mate, the angry female spinosaurus, has a more pressing agenda. He snarls, stares at his with vicious hunger. The attack begins as he storms across the meadow. We are ready for him, and so is she.

To be continued...Go to chapter 13

Copyright©2004 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.


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