Page 97 of Mr. Dangerous

"Please," Rebecca sniffed. As if I were crazy to think that was herintent.

A few minutes later, I closed the doors to the study behind us, and the noise of the party set-up disappeared in an instant. It was the three of us in the gloom as Rebecca switched on the desk lamp, then sat primly in one of the wing chairs in front of the coldfireplace.

"I need to tell you a story, Rob,"shesaid.

I sighed. "Now? You need to tell me a story now? There's a lot going onthesedays..."

"Yes, from my son lying in a coma to you throwing a party for kittens," Rebecca said. "It is a bizarre and interesting world, isn't it? Now sit down and be quietforonce."

I leaned against the edge of the mantle, crossing my arms over my chest. Kate took a seat at the desk. She drew a book from a shelf and began to thumb through it, as if she were trying to maintain a polite distance from our family drama. Even though Rebecca had, for some reason, felt the need to draw herintoit.

"I know what you think about your father," Rebecca said. "And it has devastated me for all these years to watch you be so disrespectful to the man who raised you, whoadoresyou."

I started to stand to my full height, and my tiny little grandmother pointed her finger at me. "No, Rob. This is my time to speak. I've been quiet allthistime."

I had never known her to be particularly retiring, but I raised my eyebrows and let hergoon.

"I don't know everything that happened the night of the wreck," she said. "He would never tell me. But I think that what's happening now goes back to that night. You needtoknow."

"I do know. I've read all the newspaper pieces about it, believe me." I'd tormented myselfwiththem.

"No, you don't." She squared her shoulders. "Whatever happened, you need to know that I saw him that night. I saw him half an hour after he supposedly wrecked that car with a blood alcohol content of .12. And he was stone-coldsober."

"Maybe because he had almost killedsomeone--"

"That's not how sobering-up works and you know it," she said. "Something else happened that night. Your father was covering forsomeone."

"You've believed that for the last ten years, he lived in disgrace and you never askedhimwhy?"

"He told me if I kept asking, he would cut me out of your life. All of yourlives."

"Why?"

"That's what you need to figure out. To figure out why someone hurt my beautiful boy." She pointed that angry finger at me again. "But most of all, you need to understand that he isn't the monster you believe he is. I can't believe that he might..." she stumbled over the word. "He might not wake up, Rob. Andthenwhat?"

Kate rose abruptly from the chair in the table to wrap her arms around Rebecca's shoulders. As Rebecca folded up inside her arms, beginning to cry, I thought that if Iwerenice, I would be the onehuggingher.

But I couldn't believe it. Couldn't process what she was saying. Couldn't trust the way I wanted tobelieveit.

"Why's Kate here?" I asked, my voiceabrupt.

Rebecca wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I knew you might not believe me. But Kate was here that night. She sawhimtoo."

Kate looked up at me, her eyes warm with compassion. "I did, Rob. And she's right. There's no way he was drunk. He was shaken by what had happened, upset. He was on the verge of tears. But he was totally lucid, coordinated,together."

"My father could handle hisbooze."

"I know your family," Kate said. "I've seen our fathers drink together. I know whata drink too manyon a Delaney looks like, and thiswasn'tit."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Idemanded.

"He asked me not to," Kate said. "Later. He asked us both. To forget seeing him that night. To letitgo."

"And you didn't think that was strange? Worth telling meabout?"

Kate glanced down at the floor. "It wasn't an easy decision, Rob. He said it wouldprotectyou."

"Well, you were either lying to me then or you're lying tomenow."

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