Subj: Shadows of the Past part 12
Date: 9/5/00 9:03:16 PM Central Daylight Time
From: KimD
Barnabas and Vicki heard the doorknob rattle and start to turn. Barnabas grabbed Vicki and pulled her into the empty closet. “Mr. Stoddard,” a male voice called. Barnabas and Vicki relaxed when they realized it was only the desk clerk. “Mr. Stoddard,” he called again, paused and could be heard scuffling down the hall, having given up.
Barnabas and Vicki came out of the closet. “Married?” Vicki said, stunned by what they had just found. “When Moreen came to Collinwood she had been running from something.”
“From Paul, except that he found her.” The sound of a key turning in the lock sounded as loud as thunder. They stood staring at the door when Paul Stoddard walked in.
The wind blowing through the open widow seemed to gain strength. “Paul,” Barnabas said. “We know about Moreen.”
“Moreen?” He turned toward them. He seemingly surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Yes, I had to kill her, she was in my way. She would have told Roger and Liz everything.”
“Why are you here?" Vicki asked.
“I told you before. I came to find my daughter.”
“Carolyn?”
“No, my other daughter. Moreen’s daughter, you. But I can’t let you tell anyone my secret.” He opened the drawer of the night strand behind him and pulled out a gun. The wind grew stronger, strong enough to fill the whole room. Paul aimed the gun at Vicki. Suddenly his eyes grew large, his hand on the gun shook, and he stepped back in fear. The room grew dark then seemed to be filled with a glowing energy which took the shape of a woman, Moreen.
“No,” Paul pleaded. “You’re dead.”
“Yes, and I’ve been waiting on this for a long time.” As she rushed toward him he backed up until he came to the window ledge. An invisible force seemed to shake a lamp, then flew across the room smashing into the window seal by Paul’s head. As Moreen grew closer Paul leaned back, away from her. She flew at him and forced him out the window. His screams could be heard, as he fell, then nothing.
Vicki knew what had happened now, but she still had questions. She hoped that Roger would be more willing to give her answers now. She found him alone in the drawing room with a Brandy.
“Roger, can we talk?” Vicki asked.
“Of course. Is something wrong?”
“I found out about Moreen.”
He sighed. “Yes, I suppose you might as well know everything.” He told her of how Moreen came to the door one evening, with a baby, looking for work. She had said that she had heard that they were looking for servants. They had felt sorry for her and took her in. She had worked there a few months when Paul Stoddard came looking for her. They didn’t realize that it was Moreen that he was looking for, or that they were married. He had said that he was looking for a relative who was missing. He had said that she had a fight with the family and left. They believed him. When he saw how rich the Collins were he planned to marry Liz, except that Moreen wasn’t just a relative, she was his wife and he had to get rid of her first. Roger was close to Moreen. She eventually told him about Paul. About how they had married, and how when she had found out about his criminal past she had become scared and ran away.
“But Paul stayed here for two years after Moreen died. Why?” Vicki asked.
“I tried to tell Liz about him, but she refused to listen, and I didn’t want to involve the police. So I kept a close watch on him. I believe you had a locket that used to belong to Moreen. Do you still have it?”
“Yes I do.” Vicki pulled it out of her pocket.
“Have you ever opened it up?”
“No,” Vicki opened the locket to find a small picture of Moreen on one side and a baby picture on the other.
“You haven’t asked about the baby. She was part of the reason that Moreen ran from Paul. After Moreen died Paul would have used her for his own purposes, so I thought it was necessary to hid her. So I sent her away, with very little to identify her, to a home where he wouldn’t find her. That baby was you.”
Vicki stood in wonder for a moment. She had waited for the answer for so long, and here it was. Everything made sense now. She looked again down at the locket. Mother. “Thank you for telling me everything. You know how much this means to me.” She had searched for her past for so long that knowing it would take a while to get used to, but now she could focus on the future.