Part 24 (1/2)

”Now, what did I tell you about getting out of bed, young man?” George said, his reproving tone belied by the twinkle in his eyes.

The little boy wandered over and curled up on his grandfather's lap.

”Rudy? This is Mr. Hughes,” Evelyn said. ”He was a friend of your mommy's.”

”h.e.l.lo, Rudy,” I said.

The boy turned and regarded me with a questioning gaze. ”Is my mommy coming home soon?”

The older woman's eyes welled with tears. ”Honey...,” she said, ”you remember what we talked about, don't you?”

Rudy nodded, his eyes downcast. ”I know....”

I wanted to say something, anything to make the awful feelings inside me go away, but what can you say to a little boy whose mommy is never coming home?

”Rudy,” I said, my throat tight with emotion, ”I came here tonight because of a promise I made to myself and because I wanted to give you something.”

”You were on the s.h.i.+p with Mommy?” he asked.

”Yes, I was. And she loved you and missed you every moment she was on the s.h.i.+p.”

”I miss her, too,” he said, clutching the T-Rex tighter.

George's lips trembled. ”Come on, soldier, you've got to get back to bed.”

The little boy nodded and let his grandfather lead him out of the room. A few minutes later, George returned and retook his seat, looking a few years older than he had only moments before. ”What did you mean when you said you wanted to give him something?”

I reached into my shoulder case and pulled out the paperwork and handed it over.

George looked to his wife. ”Evey, where're my specs?”

She sighed and pointed to the reading gla.s.ses hanging around his neck. George rolled his eyes, then pulled on the gla.s.ses. He glanced through the papers, turning the pages, his lips moving silently. He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. He looked at me and I couldn't tell if he was surprised, angry, or both.

”What is it, dear?” Evelyn asked.

”It says here if we agree, the Harlan Astor Foundation will set up an irrevocable trust for the benefit of Rudy Regehr-in perpetuity.”

”H-How much?”

”Twenty-five million dollars.”

Evelyn gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. ”Oh, my....”

George shook his head. ”We can't accept this, Mr. Hughes. I'm sorry.”

I let go of the breath I'd been holding. ”I had a hunch you'd say that,” I said, feeling a curious mixture of disappointment and relief. ”Maddy told me about the both of you, how much of a support you were to her and Rudy...and how much she loved you. You two deserve better than some glib sales pitch.” I drained the last of my coffee and set the cup down on the lacquered table.

”She told you about us?” George asked, smiling for the first time.

”Yes, she did, but at first she didn't want to be a part of my 'experiment,' as she put it.”

Evelyn grinned. ”That's our Maddy to a tee. She never put up with any nonsense.”

It was my turn to grin, the tension in the room easing. It was then I noticed the small framed picture of Maddy on the table between them. She looked all of twenty and her emerald eyes s.h.i.+ned with the promise of a bright future. It was all I could do to remain composed.