Chapter 110

Chapter 110
“Cathy and Mea”

The scent of Christmas was in the air. After the fire in Morrow's former residence a few months ago, people in the neighborhood began to forget about the incidents. Some news outlets are still following the events and waiting for the final word on the burned corpse discovered at the fire scene, which is thought to be Dr. Rafael Morrow. And everybody was waiting for the charred corpse's DNA match with the doctor's DNA results to be obtained by the crime scene authorities.
And Dave was hard at work on my request. He was stalking Mea. And I was so excited to meet her in person, but Dave prevented me from doing so on time.
"You must be patient," he explained.
And I was becoming tired of waiting, saying, "I can't wait any longer."
"You have to," he insisted, "because Madam Mea was too careful in her moves. And Carlo was with her all the time as her driver. "
It shocked me to know that Carlo was back at his job as Mea's driver.
"And what would you suggest now?" I asked, a bit angry.
"I met Mrs. Agatha the other day," he said. "Maybe she could help us get news from the mansion."
I sighed, "She hated me."
"She also despised Madam Mea," Dave revealed.
"How did that happen?"
"She was about to retire, but Madam Mea wouldn't let her," Dave explained.
"But that's illegal," I pointed out.
"Yes, but knowing Madam Mea, she always had a way to win," he groaned. "And it includes getting your son back to the house."
I shook in terror as I heard the news. My son was in jeopardy once more. So I stood up and made a decision. "I need to return to the mansion to retrieve my son."
"That's impossible, Catherine," he groaned. "You'll be dead before you can touch the hair of your son."
"But what should I do now?" I said. I am desperate to find a way to get my son. And the more I waited, the more I feared I was going to lose him forever.
Dave was trying to cool me down from going, but I was too furious about Mea's interest in my son. I could feel something was behind everything she did with my son.
I insisted, adding, "I asked you to find a way I could go near her and away from Carlo."
"Listen to me first, Cathy!" Dave's raised voice surprised me, and I glanced at him frantically.
"I could find a means for your desire," he added, "but you must plan what you will do when the time comes to meet Madam Mea." He let go of my hands and continued. "Madam Mea is a silent killer, Cathy, and you know it. She was after you. "
"What?"
"Mrs. Agatha told me that she overheard Madam Mea and Carlo talking about Monica," he said, looking at me and saying, "She wanted you caught by her men."
Dave was correct; it would be suicide for me to go there and talk to them casually.
With everything that was going on around me, I was in rage.
"Cathy, we have to plan it carefully." Dave's eyes were begging, "As far as I could see, it was impossible for you to go up there to get your son."
My heart felt like it was squeezing due to a lack of options on how to get my son. It felt suffocating to know I couldn't save my son. With him in Mea's hands, there was a considerable possibility he wouldn't survive.
"She wants me dead?" I asked Dave.
"That was definitely the idea of capturing you."
I pondered what I had heard. If Mea wanted to kill me, she had to pay for it.
"Can you get Mea's cell phone number for me?"
"What is the plan?"
"Just give me her number first and you'll know my plan," I groaned.
"Okay, I'll have to visit Mrs. Agatha for Madam Mea's number," Dave remarked after a few minutes of silence.
"Thank you, Dave."
"And get ready for the day you meet her."
That night, I couldn't sleep wondering what I should do on the day of our meeting. Dave was correct; I must be prepared for that day, but one thing I must do is prioritize my son. I have to secure a place for him. And it would be my own place, where my grandfather had no idea what happened to me. But there is a big problem. How can I introduce myself to him in Monica Ferris's face? I felt like my brain was going to explode with thoughts. Every idea has its own problems.
I rose to my feet from the bed and looked at my face in the mirror. Monica's beautiful face was giving me a hell of a problem now. "
Maybe it was a mistake to change my identity.
Even though it was eleven o'clock at night, I was completely awake. So I decided to get some fresh air outside the house.
As I opened the front door, I noticed movement on the porch near the garden.
In the dark, there was a man's shadow, and it was Dave's; he was on the phone. He wasn't aware of my presence at the door. His attention was drawn to the phone.
I moved closer to him, and when he noticed me, he abruptly ended the conversation.
"Are you still awake?" He was concerned about me outside. "You must return to your room and get some rest for tomorrow."
"What about tomorrow, Dave? What will happen tomorrow? "
He stammered a bit. The phone was still in his hands. And then he said, "Maybe I can get you out of here so you can have some idea of what happened to the old house on the day of the fire."
"Why should I do that? Recalling that incident would be painful."
"I have some confessions to make, Cathy," he said. Then he was silent.
The night was colder outside for the coming Christmas season. And dealing with my problems was doom. And I felt tension with Dave's behavior.
"What is that confession you want to tell me?"
"Recently, I was assisting with the investigation into the fire that occurred at your house," he remarked softly. "And I was supplying evidence and gathering information from my contacts."
"And what do you have?" I inquired.
"You already knew the house was on fire, which suggests someone committed arson just to turn that house into ashes."
"That's true, but difficult to prove," I sighed.
"There was a witness on that day when the house was blown up and set on fire."
Dave's stories had become more fascinating.
"And who was the witness, and where could he or she be now?"
"It was still classified," he explained, "but don't worry, you'll know once everything is in place, and please get some rest because we're leaving early tomorrow. Let's go inside. "
The next morning, I was the first person to set foot in the living room. Dave's aunt was not in the house, and Dave was not in his room. But a few minutes later, the front door opened and Dave emerged with a paper bag in his hand.
He said, "Put this on," and he handed me the paper bag.
"What's in it?"
"It's a disguise for you. A wig, a pair of jackets, and men's clothing," he said as he sat on the couch. "I don't want you exposed to your acquaintances."
When I looked in the mirror, I covered up some of my flaws. I put on a dark hat and an overcoat. And I put on the artificial beard, which made a nice change in my face. And I stepped outside to give Dave a good look.
"How do I appear?"
Dave looked at me, grinned, and remarked, "That's not bad at all; who could tell that there was a fake face beneath that fake beard?"
When he stated the fake face, it pricked me, but I disregarded it because it was true. Everything about me was a fake.
Dave rose from the chair and pulled something from his pocket: a small piece of paper, which he handed to me, and he said, "This would give you happiness, but don't let it draw you into depression."
I stared at the piece of paper for a moment and saw the numbers.
"That is Madam Mea's cell phone number." He said, "You can call her anytime you wish. But as I said, don't let your anger pull you down. "
My heart leaped for joy. Now that I have her number, I can say to her whatever I want to say. But I should follow Dave's advice.
"Thank you, Dave, "I cracked a grin and added, "Promise." I will never let my emotions pull me down."
Dave led me outside the house, saying, "We must be at the old house by noon." He then pulled out another thing in his pocket, a cell phone.
"This will be our communication whenever I'm out, and you can call Madam Mea from this phone. It's a safe cell phone. "
I understood what he was saying and said nothing as I carried the paper bag into my room and put it on.
When I looked in the mirror, I covered up some of my flaws. I put on a dark hat and an overcoat. And I put on the artificial beard, which made a nice change in my face. And I stepped outside to give Dave a good look.
I was overwhelmed with gratitude for what Dave had done for me. But I couldn't express it through action, only through words.
"Thank you very much, Dave; I'll look after this phone."
After a few hours, we're on our way back to Rafael’s town. My pulse raced as I caught a glimpse of the town's structure.
"Relax; nobody will recognize you behind that mask."
"I know," I admitted.
"Perhaps we should eat something before heading to the fire station."
And we ate in a slightly secluded restaurant with a good view of the traffic. And because Christmas was approaching, the once-quiet street was now teeming with people.
And after we ate, we were on our way to the old house that had been turned to ashes. Dave parked in a wooded area near the house. He made sure that no one would notice his car, and we took a few steps to the house.
As soon as I saw the house, my heart began to numb and tears started racing down my cheeks.
Dave noticed my reactions and held me in his hand. "Remember everything that you noticed that day, when the house started to burn."
We stop at the back of the house. Where the back window of the pink room was seen above, now there's no room to see. The only reminder for me of the house was the tall tree that was still standing next to me, on which I discovered hateful words engraved.
"Mea did it." I said solemnly.
Dave asked, "What did you say?"
"Madam Mea did it. She burned the house."
"How can you prove it?"
"I can't prove it, but I know. She hated the house more than other things around her. And she wanted to get rid of it, to burn down her guilt from the past. And her crime."
Dave held my hands and said, "What are you taking about?
"She killed Annie, Rafael's younger sister. And she killed Rafael. "
"What?" Dave frowned at what I said.
I shivered in anger and grumbled, "She was the only one capable of doing it, and she was after my son! She wanted to kill my son by pushing him down the stairs!" I couldn't control the scenarios that were flashing through my head in rapid succession.
"Mea is a cold-blooded killer!" I nearly shrieked. "She wanted everybody who stood in her way to die!"
Stop it, Cathy!" Dave yelled at me.
"And yes, I am Catherine Regner! And she must pay for what she has done to me!" I didn't know what was going on to me as I stood there watching the house that was turned to ashes. I took out the cell phone and dialed a number, Mea's phone number.
And Dave was taken aback by how I acted.
After a few rings, a voice was heard, "Who's this?" Madam Mea's voice was on the other line.
My eyes widened as I listened to the voice of my enemy.
"Who's this?" Mea was angry.
"Cathy, Madam Mea,” I sounded like my old self, "This is Catherine Regner."