Chapter 15 - Recap for Andrea

"Let me see what you sent," instructed Andrea.

I looked over to see that Stephan was still watching the soccer match then slowly lifted the bulky old Blackberry from between my thighs and passed it over the desk. Andy took it, and with a few clicks was reading the message I sent to Jake. I had not had the time to explain to Andy what happened, and wasn't sure if I would tell her all the gory details, but I knew the conversation had to come sooner or later, so I decided it would be now.

"Andy, I need to tell you what happened today so you will understand what we must do," I said.

She passed the Berry back to me and I returned it to its resting place between my thighs. It was set to vibrate, so I could feel if Jake emailed me without alerting our captures. "I'm listening," Andy replied softly.

"It all started early today, barely over twelve hours ago. I was heading to work along A1A. This car came up from behind and rammed me off the road. When I got out, I was met with a gun and instructed to go to the beach. It was Rachel, a woman from my past, and she performed falacio while holding me at gunpoint." I can't believe I used the word falacio, but I wanted to keep the conversation clinical. Andy's eyes and mine never left each others and I was looking for some sort of sarcasm in them, there was none.

"You were raped?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I am so sorry for you, that must have been horrible," she said genuinely.
"It was," I responded. Andy had a way of being the most empathetic person just when you needed it. I knew that ninety nine percent of people to whom I would tell this story would make a snide remark, but not Andy.

"It gets worse," I continued. "Then she took the gun and turned it on herself and somehow gets my hand on it before she pulls the trigger. She died and I was in shock when the police arrive from the abandoned cars on the highway."

"You weren't by the cars?" she asked.

"No, I had been led down the dune to the beach before she took me. The police thought the events were the other way around, that I raped her then killed my victim. It is all really starting to get fuzzy. I guess my brain is trying to forget the incident. It all seems so strange that I could convince myself the roles reversed."

"Did they?" asked Andy. I sensed she would be there for me if it had been the other way around.
"No." I replied, as I stared my perceived truth into her eyes.
"I believe you,"she said. Her comment was not required, but certainly welcome.
"What happened next?"she asked, knowing there had to have been more that led us to this point.
"I was arrested and used my one call to contact Jerry. He came with a defense layer from Miami."
"Our Jerry?" she asked.
"Yes."
"How did the lawyer from Miami get here?"
"Private jet. He flew into St. Augustine Airport. Anyway, they both came to the Flagler County jail to defend me when our friends here, Stephan and Diego barge in, blow away Jerry and the attorney from Miami, then take me with them. They had me call you from the car. The rest is history."

"Jerry's dead?" she asked. Andy's voice cracked with a bit of shock, but there was no time for tears.
"Yes."
"Pretty fucked up day," quipped Andy. I don't think I have ever heard her use that word before.
"Yes it is, but it gets worse."
"How can it get worse?"
"First of all these guys work for someone who wants me to do something to make our stock price elevate at the bell?
"What?" she said raising her voice with a squeak. I looked to the great room to see if it disturbed Stephan -- it didn't.
"Five bucks a share."
"How do they expect you to do that?" she said lowering her voice back to a whisper and leaning closer.
"I dunno. Can't be done."
"No shit," Andy cursed again, this event has obviously transformed her.
"What happens if the stock doesn't go up?
"We get to see Jerry again."
"Damn," Andy said as she tried to get her mind around this.
"Right now it is all up to Jake. There is no way that we can write a press release, or make calls to analysts that could raise the price more than fifty cents -- at best."
"I know," resigned Andrea.

Just then the doorbell rang. Andy turned around to look. Stephan gave us a glare from the foyer as he passed the study door to open the front door. It was Diego with two Dominos boxes and a six pack of Coke on top, cans sweating from the humidity. Pizza. My stomach growled as if on cue. Andy heard it, looked back at me and broke a small smile. It was the first I had seen from her today. I smiled back. It always amazes me how bodily function sounds could evoke humor in children and adults alike.

Stephan removed the chair from under the door handles and opened the study door. He handed Andy one of the boxes, then broke out two of the cans from the plastic restraint, and piled them on top. She balanced them and turned around to set dinner on the desk. Pizza boxes and coke cans were no strangers to my desk. "You start writing?" asked Stephan grumpily.

"Not yet," I replied.
"Why not?" he asked.
"We're brainstorming. We have to come up with something believable that could raise the price to where you want."
"Eat, then start writing. My boss want to see a first draft by nine."
"Okay," I replied.
"He slammed the door and replaced the chair under the handles."

I watched as he and Diego disappeared to the dining table. I then returned my eyes to Andrea. She had already opened the pizza box.

"Pop the Coke tops. Let's eat," she instructed.