David did not think so.
He took some lay-ups and wondered what he should do next. He could not just pretend that Judy’s death had been a coincidence, that the fire was unrelated to his disappearance six months ago. The whole situation was still one great big mystery. Nothing made any sense. Why had Judy called him in the first place? Why had she tried to bring them back together? Come to think of it, Judy had always encouraged their relationship – even in the beginning. While Mary fretted and tried anything to separate brother from sister, Judy had been supportive of their love affair. Why? Why had she never tried to break them up?
A whole heap of questions. Absolutely no answers. David circled toward the basket, leaped high in the air, and dunked the ball hard through the cylinder. The whole backboard shook.
‘There are things about this whole situation that have been kept from you.’
But what are those things, Judy? What are they?
Gloria took the diary from Laura. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked.
Laura shook her head. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
‘About what?’
She turned away, her features sagging. ‘You’ll see. Read.’
May 28, 1960
Revenge. Is that what I was after tonight? If so, I should have remembered that revenge can be a double-edged sword. I fear I have done something wrong. But alas, dear diary, you do not want my opinions. You want the facts. So here they are:
When I woke up this morning (woke up? I never fell asleep) I knew what I had to do: exact my revenge. Mary had stolen two men away from me. It was time to start returning the favor. I visited James at the hospital today…
Gloria looked up. ‘Oh Christ, she didn’t. Tell me she didn’t.’
‘Keep reading.’
James met me in his new private office. It was all done up in typical, immaculate doctor decor with diplomas and medical journals. He was very proud of it. He boasted that he was the only resident who had his own office. No surprise really. I always knew James would be successful. I loved him at one time. I loved him from the moment we first started dating all the way through his marriage to Mary. I was crushed when he left me for her. I thought my heart would never recover. But it has. It started to heal the day I met Sinclair. He released James’s hold on me, and now James seemed to me no more than a fine man, a very good catch for a husband.
Am I saying that I feel nothing for James anymore? Not exactly. But the truth is that I wanted to take him away from Mary more than I wanted him for myself.
We began by chatting about this and that, but with James casual conversation does not last very long, especially when he has patients waiting. He quickly turned on his cool, calm exterior. His voice became as brisk and professional as his well-groomed appearance.
‘You said you had to see me about something urgent?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’m just not sure how to tell you.’
‘How to tell me what?’
I took a deep breath then and feigned looking confused. ‘I just feel so bad.’
‘About what?’
‘I hate to see you play the chump, James.’ I reached across the desk and took his hands. ‘There was a time when you meant a great deal to me. Do you remember?’
‘Yes of course,’ he said impatiently. ‘Now what is it?’
That was when I did it. I told James everything. I told him his wife was having an affair. I told him that Mary was sleeping with Sinclair Baskin. I told him that she was carrying his baby.
At first James did not react. He merely played with the pencil between his fingers. Then his jaw set. His face turned red. His hands clenched, snapping the pencil in half. Suddenly books were flying, then chairs, then furniture. He was a man out of control, completely crazy. I tried to calm him down, tried to warn him that someone would hear him, but he did not pay heed. He tore apart the office he so loved until his rage finally gave way to exhaustion. He crumpled back into his chair (it was the only thing still standing except me) and dropped his head into his hands.
I circled around the desk. ‘Don’t worry, James. I love you. I’ll take care of you.’ I reached his seat and put my hands on his shoulders. He winced in repulsion. My hands flew back to my sides as if his shoulders were on fire. Slowly his head rose. He glared at me with a twisted look, a look of intense hatred.
‘I don’t want you,’ he said. ‘I want Mary.’
Gloria looked up. ‘Dad knew?’
Laura nodded.
‘And he never said anything? He just raised you as his own?’
‘I don’t know but I think we should read on.’
‘Why?’
‘This was written on May 28.’
‘So?’
‘Sinclair Baskin died the next day.’
May 29, 1960
Help me. God, what have I done? The whole situation has become too much for me to handle. It’s completely out of control now. It’s taking on a life all its own, and I don’t know where it will lead. I fear the worst, but what else could possibly happen?
Mary just called me. The pregnancy test came back positive. Though James has kept up a good facade up till now, jealousy has already nibbled away at his ability to reason. What is he going to do now that speculation has become fact?
Mary is on her way to Sinclair’s office to tell him the news. Sinclair, my beloved, what have you done? I understand the power of Mary’s beauty, the sensuous spell she can cast over a man. But wasn’t our love strong enough to fight it off? Wasn’t our love powerful enough to deflect her physical charms harmlessly into space? Will you grow tired of her and come back to me eventually? Yes, I am sure you will. I must wait.
Later:
My life is over. The moment I saw the blood on James’s shirt I knew what had happened. I said nothing. My face showed no emotion. But inside someone was screaming until the vibrations wore through me.
‘I didn’t mean to,’ he said to me, his voice bordering on hysterical. ‘I just meant to confront him, to confront them both.’ His hands were shaking. ‘It just happened.’
‘Just happened,’ a voice echoed. I guessed it was mine.
‘I was listening in at the door of his office, my ear pressed against the wooden frame. I could not believe what I heard. Mary wanted to leave me. She wanted to run away with that son of a bitch.’
I still said nothing.
‘But the bastard wouldn’t listen to her. He threw her out. He was so cold to her, so heartless. He knew he had impregnated a married woman and the son of a bitch reacted by tossing her out of his office like yesterday’s garbage.’
‘What did Mary do?’ I asked.
‘She was in shock. She could not believe he was just going to abandon her like this. She called him a bastard and ran out. I ducked in an empty doorway down the hall as she sprinted past. The next thing I remember the gun was out of my pocket and in my hand.’
‘No,’ I cried, while my mind kept shouting, ‘Sinclair is dead, Judy, James may have pulled the trigger but your jealousy killed him.’
James was in a trance now, his eyes wide and dreamy. ‘I stepped out of my hiding spot,’ he began, ‘and moved slowly down the hall. When I reached his door, I peeked into his office. He was just sitting in his chair looking out the window. His back was to me. I crept closer. My hand gripped the gun. I had not held a weapon since I was in the service, but it felt so right in my palm. As he began to swivel his chair toward the door, I placed the gun against his forehead. He froze for a split second. His eyes, so full of fear, locked onto mine, and I think he knew then that he was about to die. I called him a bastard and then I pulled the trigger…
‘Dad?’ Gloria asked, though she knew the answer. ‘Dad killed Sinclair Baskin?’
Laura felt herself slowly slipping into a shock. ‘And Judy,’ she managed, ‘and even Stan…’