Annabelle

This is the sequel to

A Slow Dance

by RichardGerald. Please read that short story first as it sets the stage for this one. This sequel was written with Mr. Gerald's approval.

His original story struck a chord with me when I read it years ago, and I've always wondered what happened later. This one is kinda long; I have to admit it sort of wrote itself. Once I started I just couldn't quit until it was done. I hope you enjoy it.

----

Annabelle Ford stood in the back of the ballroom in an elegant evening dress, watching her mother working the room. This was The Bitch's big night, a celebration of her being named to Superior Court, Judge Morgan. The same bench her late mentor, Leonard Simpel, had occupied. It was the culmination of Katherine Morgan's unrelenting drive and ambition. AB was here to show solidarity and let everybody know what a wonderful mother The Bitch was. Daddy was here too, he was off with a group of men chatting and laughing over their drinks.

God she hated her. AB wanted to puke. She would pay, oh yeah, she would pay dearly.

----

One year ago.

AB (nobody called her Annabelle any more) was outside her mom's office waiting for her to be done with yet another meeting. Seems like since she'd been nominated for the Court, she'd become even busier and less available than ever. But it did fit her pattern; she often went on these crusades that left her and Daddy alone for weeks at a time - par for the course.

Kate came out to greet her daughter so they could head out to lunch. They had a lot to talk about regarding the choice of law school. Kate was confident that AB would have several good schools to choose from, and she wanted to ensure AB made the right choice.

Just then a harried looking admin came into the waiting area and went right up to Kate. "Miss Morgan, Jack would like a word right away." Jack was the senior partner, the only person it seemed who Kate jumped for.

"AB go sit in my office, I should only be about 15 minutes, I hope."

AB went into Kate's office, her inner sanctum. She hadn't been in there much; a big time lawyer like Kate didn't need a little one running around distracting her from her important work. But on those occasions as a girl she had been in there she came to know how much Kate's office reflected her mom's personality. Everything in its place, nothing out of order. And all of it untouchable for a curious little girl.

As AB glanced around the room her gaze fell on the bookcase displaying mementos of Kate's career- awards, plagues, pictures of Kate with important people. And in the center, in a glass box, under a little spotlight like some relic, was "the watch". AB flinched remembering when she was little and had tried to touch it. Kate had risen from her chair and scolded her daughter "don't ever touch that!"

It had become a talisman, a symbol of the unreachable part of her mother for AB. And here she was with 15 minutes to touch it all she wanted, she couldn't help herself. In a moment she'd lifted the glass lid and had the watch in her hands. A man's Rolex, rose gold, super expensive. AB turned it over in her hands and saw the inscription "From Kathrine and Annabelle your loving ladies".

AB's world exploded, whose watch was this!? It clearly wasn't her dad's, he wasn't a Rolex kind of man. So what could the inscription mean? It referred to her mom and her certainly, but to whom did the watch belong!? She had the presence of mind to take a quick snap with her phone of the front and back with the inscription and put the watch back. She made sure she wiped off any finger smudges on the watch and box with a tissue.

She felt sick to her stomach at the possible implications. She needed the restroom and right away before she heaved her empty stomach. Making her way quickly to the ladies room she found an empty stall and sat down on the lid with her head in her hands breathing deeply.

Just then two women came in chattering away. "So the witch is finally getting her seat on the bench. Of course it's a year's worth of vetting, but she'll get it. She always gets what she wants. She learned a lot from Simpel at the end of his cock."

"How long were they together?"

"Pretty much since she joined, for about 8 years until he was killed"

"And her husband never knew? Or about the girl?"

"Word is she married the guy so she'd have a good husband as a cover, and a good father for the kid. Simpel wasn't a family man, or the marrying type. He just wanted a fuck doll that he could take out to functions."

"Poor guy, do you think he knows about the witch's boy toys? She only keeps them for about a year and then dumps them for a new one."

"I don't know how she keeps it from him. I guess she tells him that she busy working, it's a good cover for her 'activities'. The guy must be dumb and blind."

"To hear the witch talk he's just an easy going guy, not much going on upstairs. Must be nice to have that much power, she gets her cake and gets to eat it too."

They two women finished their business and left the restroom. AB had been shocked before, now she was paralyzed. She didn't know how long she'd been in the stall but when she came to her senses she went to the basin and splashed some water on her face. AB tried to compose herself, but realized there was no way she could have lunch with her mother now. She'd never be able to keep it together.

Making her way back to Kate's office, she told the admin that she'd suddenly felt ill and would be going home. She would talk with her mother later. Which as it turned out, didn't happen at all since Kate had to work late yet again. AB had some leftovers and turned in early. Not that she got much rest, the twin revelations from the watch and what she overheard kept her tossing and turning until the wee hours. When she woke the next morning, her mother had already left for the office. AB hadn't heard her come in.

---

Kate had in fact come in, but it too had been in the wee hours. After three orgasms from her newest boy toy Stephen she'd fallen asleep in the downtown hotel room they'd shared. She deserved a bit of a celebration, Bill was out of town, AB was capable of taking care of herself, and so Kate had indulged. Stephen was tall and athletic; he'd played rugby in college and still had all of his stamina. Plus a 9 inch cock and he came in such copious amounts. Kate had never had that before, the first time she'd been amazed at how long it took to clean him out of her.

She had basked in the afterglow of her orgasms and enjoyed going down memory lane a bit. Kate had taken her first boy toy 18 months after Len's murder. She'd done her best in that first year to be the good wife she'd promised herself she'd be for Bill. But she had indeed absorbed the lessons Len had taught her, after all she was his protégé. See what you want and take it, own it, and make it your own. His mentoring (it wasn't all in bed) had given her the momentum she needed to keep rising in the ranks.

Henry had been that first boy toy; she had decided that she didn't want the complications for the kind of relationship she'd enjoyed with Len. For Kate, it was more of a reward for her hard work. Plus it was a way to assert the more dominant side of her personality. She'd become very much like Len had been, and she embraced it. If she was going to succeed in a male dominated world, she would have to make sure she could swim with the sharks.

Bill had stayed by her side throughout, after the murder he had been supportive while she grieved and then supportive again when she'd come out of her funk and once again became the hard charging lawyer Len had mentored her to be. She really did love Bill, but she often wondered at his nature. She remembered Len's funeral when the whole world came to offer her their condolences, it seems more people than Kate or Len had realized knew that she was his mistress. But Bill never noticed, he was there for her, had eyes only for her, supporting her in her grief. Just like when she miscarried so long ago - Bill was a rock.

Bill had taken care of little AB, Annabelle, throughout, giving Kate the time she needed to come to terms with Len's death. Again she marveled at how seemingly blind he was to why she had become depressed. It was if he was too good a person to see the evidence right in front of him that she was grieving her lost lover.

And so she'd tried to protect Bill from the harsh reality of what she'd done to him. Choosing him as a cover for her first pregnancy, and then cuckolding him throughout their marriage. As she had often said Bill was a fine man and a great father, but not all that exciting. He was a good steady, dependable type. And apparently not that observant. She needed to maintain Bill's ignorance, to give him the peace of mind he deserved and had earned as her good and faithful husband.

She had tried to be there for him for all these years, even when he decided to open his own business. Which had surprised her at first, Bill was a capable man, who had held a responsible job at the Railroad. Kate did not think he had the grit or moxy to make it as an independent business owner. Bill was a family man, a devoted father and a loving husband. And yet he had moved up steadily in the ranks within the Railroad, and now his business was thriving, he began to travel and even take on overseas work. Which in turn had given her even more time to devote to her own career, and her 'other activities'.

And now here she was at the pinnacle of her ambitions, nominated to the Superior Court, and much more delicious, it was Len's seat that she'd ascend to. In the 15 years since he'd been killed, Kate had worked very hard indeed to rise, she had not been idle. She had needed to prove herself, and continue to do excellent work; with Len's influence gone she had earned her place on her own.

----

AB might look like her mother, tall kinda slim but with a hint of curves to come with coal black hair; but she was her father's daughter. AB wanted to be a lawyer like Kate, but at heart she was able to focus on her goal, to come to conclusions and act swiftly, like her father had taught her by example and some hard lessons.

The priority problem was to find out just whose ladies her mother and she were. Who was the owner of the watch? If it wasn't her dad, then who? If it was Simpel did that mean he was her biological father?

She knew Bill Ford as her always there Daddy- he'd changed her diapers, taught her to ride a bike, drive a car, a bit of how to defend herself, but always in a quiet patient way. AB was a lot like her Daddy, how could she not be, he'd taught her everything, and her temperament was molded by him.

Now her world was crumbling, how could she bring such devastating news to such a good and loving man? She needed more proof than a picture of a watch and some overheard gossip.

She decided she'd go digging and find out what she could about her mother's affairs. In that she was like her mother who she resembled so much. Tall, dark hair, piercing eyes, and an inquisitive and stubborn streak that had served her well. She was just as smart as her mother, everybody said so, and AB was determined to be just as good a lawyer someday as Kate. Her applications to law school were already in the mail, she expected to be getting her choice of school soon.

Since it was spring break and no classes, she decided she needed to find out more about Leonard Simpel. She kind of knew who he was; she'd heard his name growing up. Opening her laptop she typed his name into the search engine and was immediately confronted by tons of information. AB was able to quickly get a rough image of the man. Hard charging DA, rose steadily via high profile convictions and political savvy. As a Superior Court Judge he'd had the reputation of being a harsh law and order man. The society pages were the most interesting, in all of them Kate Morgan was always close by - in every one. It was a simple task to put together a series of images spanning the eight years from when her mother had joined the DA's office until Simpel's murder.

The murder had also generated plenty of information, high-profile judge murdered in his own home. Shot right between the eyes by some drugged out vet. The case even rated a press conference when they found the killer. The description sounded like a professional hit to AB, how could a druggie have pulled that off? His hands would have been shaking all the time. AB had been exposed to some of the seamier parts of life by listening to her father's stories. Bill Ford had quit the railroad about 5 years ago and had opened Ford Security, to provide security services. What kind of man could be so blind as to not know what was going on with his wife? That didn't sound like the Bill Ford AB knew and loved, and certainly not the head of a security company.

A DNA test would be needed, but she'd have to be discreet. Another lesson her dad had taught her, gather as much information as possible before acting. But how could she get her dad to agree to a cheek swab without tipping her hand? On the 'net she searched for more information about DNA testing and found a service that could use hair samples instead of a swab. Perfect! Although the $285 was going to put a strain on her bank balance, her parents didn't monitor her spending that closely. Kate made metric dollars and dad's business had taken off so they were doing well.

The order placed, the kit would arrive by priority mail in two days. The website's description had said that at least six to ten strands of hair with the follicles intact are required to extract enough viable DNA for their test. The other party would get a home DNA test kit and could provide cheek swabs. Being home alone during the day made it a simple matter of going into her dad's bathroom and getting the samples from his hair brush. She'd swab her own cheek with the other kit.

Part of AB was enjoying the Nancy Drew aspects of this sordid adventure. She dreaded what the results would be, but she had to know. She was on the case and nothing would stop her. But what exactly was she going to do with this information once she got it? AB needed a plan, so plan she did. Making a list of information she needed was first. Second she drafted several what if scenarios, creating a decision tree, what to do and how to alter course depending on what she learned along the way.

She already had plenty, the society page pictures, she'd transcribed as best she could the overheard bathroom conversation, and of course the front and back pictures of the watch. But what was her ultimate goal? Confront her mother, tell her father, and what did she want the outcome to be? All these questions went into the growing file.

Two days later AB was beside herself, she'd mailed the samples that morning but the instructions said results would take four weeks! A whole month, she didn't know how she was going to keep it together for that long. How could she keep her dad and mother from seeing that something was bothering her? She had to be honest with herself, she might be a good student and kept her nose clean, but she was no actress. She'd made it these two days because dad was not back from his business trip, and mother was working late both days.

She was still a Junior in high school; the academic year didn't end until June, then summer vacation. She needed a plan for the near term. And she needed another plan to find out more about the real Bill Ford. He was certainly a big part of the puzzle. How could she get even closer to her dad? As it was they spent a lot of time together when he wasn't travelling, his time seemed to be divided between AB and the shop.

Her Daddy had taught her that she could bring anything to him, any problem, worry, and yes even stupid mistakes. Her Daddy was fair and even-handed; she had learned that he always treated her fairly, even when she had screwed up. His new company reflected her dad's personality in providing security services.

The shop! That was the key, she needed to become part that other aspect of his life. Get to know what went on at the mysterious Ford Security and its 'son-of-a-bitch' owner.

A plan was coming together, a role she could inhabit to cover her anxiety and more her need to get more intel. Hah, intel; she was starting to sound like a spy. Her cover would be that she was a bit scared about growing up, going off to college soon, Senior year, her whole life changing. She would approach her dad with these fears and together they'd come up with a plan help her deal with all these changes. Of course it would be AB's plan, work at the shop, keep her eyes and ears open, and learn all she could over the summer.

Why should her plan end at summer? That's the ticket, summer working at the shop, and then part time during her Senior year. Senior year of high school was usually a relaxed year for bright students like AB. Her grades were great, her college applications were in, most of her peers we going to coast. All she had to do was keep her grades up and she'd be fine. However with the extra burden of not revealing her knowledge, she needed both a distraction and a way to keep herself busy. Hmmm, maybe instead of coasting she'd take a full load of classes instead. That was a great cover, miss perfect student on the outside, sleuth on the inside.

Scrap the full load crap; she'd take advantage of the lighter class schedule to continue to spend time with her dad at the shop. By then surely she would have found out all she needed to expose her mother, once she had her dad on her side.

All this planning had served to calm her nerves. Having a way forward infused her with confidence and relaxed her mind. Maybe she could be a bit of an actress after all.

AB wondered not for the first time what those services were. Sheila Marks, dad's business partner had quit the FBI to join him. Together AB guessed they worked on government security contracts. Sheila was exactly who AB needed to talk to. But how and when?

----

"Ford Security, this is Sheila."

"Hi Sheila, its AB. I was wondering if you were free for lunch today. Dad's away on a trip and I need some information."

Sheila paused for a beat and said "AB, I was wondering who was calling on this line. Are you sure you don't want to wait until your dad gets back? He'll only be gone a couple more days."

"We'll I kind of want to talk about him, not exactly to him. And so I thought you'd be the perfect person to ask, since you've known him since the Army days."

Another hesitant beat, "Ok AB, come on over and we'll walk over to the Mexican place nearby."

AB and Sheila traded pleasantries while their food was coming. And once their heaping plates were in front of them, dug in for a bit in silence.

"So AB, what do you need to know so badly that you can't wait to ask your dad?"

Now it was AB's turn to pause, she regarded the tall athletic woman who she had come to know as her father's most trusted friend. And also wondered why she never saw Sheila with anyone, nor heard her dad talk about her in any context except work. But AB and she had come to know each other, with some fondness on both sides.

Deciding to lead with trust, AB said that she'd come across some disturbing news and was trying to come to grips with it. That news had eroded some of the faith she had in her father and needed some reassurance.

AB said, "I never thought of my dad as anything more that - daddy. He's been a constant in my life for so long that I never really took a hard look at him. So tell me more, dad is so even handed and downright nice, what was he like back in the day?" AB had decided that she wouldn't mention to Sheila about the watch and subsequent bathroom talk.

Sheila got a grin on her face "the Generals used to call your dad a right son-of-a-bitch. His performance in Iraq, his talents as a Military Policeman and later Warrant Officer got him a reputation as somebody who got to the right solution in a short amount of time."