Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 50

"The phone call."
[PART ONE.]

Max led me to the sofa in her room.

She could tell that I wasn't right. I told her about the police being in our house and that I was being charged with embezzlement. Even as I was saying the word it was still not sinking in. I was a nobody for Christ sake. I couldn't even tell you how do put two dimes together let alone hide money from the rest of the world.

'Dad's livid,' I said dejectedly. 'Cheryl's beside herself and I have no idea what's going on so yeah, life's a peach as they say.'

There was a small crack in the wall opposite. It was hairline but noticeable for no other reason than it shouldn't be there, not in such a prestigious hotel such as Raffles. In any other place then maybe yes but not here and as I stared at the crack I couldn't help but compare it to my own small inconsequential life and how it was now tumbling around me. If left alone then all cracks lead to greater ones and the trick was often to fix them as soon as they became visible only now I couldn't help but wonder whether mine had opened too wide and could never be repaired at all.

Max offered me her lawyer.

'It's got to be a mistake. Let me make some phone calls. Father will know what to do.'

She then eased me slowly down until my head fell onto her lap. I didn't argue. At least I had someone who knew what I was going through. She began to brush a tender finger gently through my hair. It felt nice. I closed my eyes. Slowly and purposefully, she massaged my scalp, sending wave upon wave of subtle relief to move down my neck to spread out across my shoulders.

Her words when they came drift in and out of my mind like the sound of the ocean as it came ashore.

'I know that you have been through a lot my love. We both have and trust me when I say that I know how you are feeling and I know too that it might seem as though there is no way through it all but I do know my darling that God is with us and I know that at this exact moment in time he is standing right here next to you and I and I know that he won't let us go.'

I prized my eyes open at that point and was about to send her an inquisitive look but she had already moved her head away and it was as if she was visiting a far away world and, by her glazed expression, it was a place I had never been to.

'You may not feel him but I can,' she continued. 'He's here and he can't leave us. He won't leave us.' Her voice became more animated as she spoke. 'He saved David remember? He saved David when he ran from Saul and hid inside a cave. He saved Daniel too when he was thrown to the lions. Even when he was down that pit the angels came to him. They saved him and it was only when King Darius himself had his eyes opened to the truth did he then reverse the sentence and have all those who tried to destroy Daniel executed instead. He killed them all; mothers, fathers, brothers ... whole families were destroyed because of that one sin and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Even the children,' she added hesitating for a moment, 'had to suffer for the crimes of their parents.'

I had absolutely no idea where she was going with any of this nor what had suddenly stirred her mind to want to venture down into the darkness that was the Old Testament but I could see the pain in her eyes and could only imagine that it had something to do with what had happened to her and so right now lying as I was next to her all I could do was listen and be there for her when she came back out of her reverie and when she finally finished I tried to lighten the mood.

'Are we by any chance having a deep religious moment?' I asked breaking into a slight grin. 'I mean. I'm all for the bible an all,' I said quickly. 'But I think you lost me way back at the cave!'