Chapter 177 The list - Caroline POV
I look down at the piece of paper I wrote on. Every name that caused my son's downfall. I'm still not quite sure of the last two names, though, but at least I have some time before I get to there. There are four names before I get to the last two before I make a decision.
I need Benedict gone again if I'm going to go ahead with my plans. I already got rid of Samuel who was always monitoring me. Luckily, the funeral is for this coming Saturday, so hopefully he will leave and go to Miguel again who is apparently sick or something. I don't really care much about Miguel's illnes, that boy is strong and hard to kill. Whatever is wrong with him, will be sorted out. He has to be okay for everything that I'm planning.
I put the list in my tennis shoe along with Ben's letter, and go downstairs to look at a grieving Bendict. He's been busy since he came back, meeting after meeting regarding the firm as well as organizing the funeral. In the past, I would have felt this innate need to take care of him, make his load lighter, but now I just no longer care. He clearly doesn't need me and can take care of things himself.
"I'm going out." I tell him, but he doesn't even look up to acknowledge me. I could've told him I was going to jump in the Hudson River to drown, and he wouldn't have listened to a word I said.
''Okay."
Okay. That's all I get. He's starting to make that list super easy for me.
So I leave, ordering a cab to take me where I want to go. I make sure that Benedict hasn't become too smart and have someone follow me, but he really doesn't care what I do, because there's nobody there. I don't kow if I should feel insulted. He's underestimating me, but it's playing in my favor because nobody would ever think I could do something nasty like kill people, right?
The maid who opens the door for me looks extrememly apprehensive when I give her my request, as she should be. My intentions here today are not good.
Jeffrey's mother comes to the door instead, looking at me like I'm the scum on the bottom of her shoe. "Caroline, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
''Mary." I smile sadly at her. "I'm sorry to have to barge in like this, but I was in the neighborhood and was wondering if I can talk to Jeffrey, please."
Mary purses her lips. "I don't think that will be possible, Caroline. If there is something that you want to talk about, I suggest you get into contact with our lawyers."
"Is that really encessary?" I sigh. "Our boys have been friends since elemntary school. I lost my son, Mary. Surely you ou could have some sympathy for that. I just want to ask Jeffrey a few questions. There are also some of his stuff at the apartment that I could send here."
She still doesn't look convinced that I have to talk to her son, so I bring out the big guns.
"I hate to do this, especially since I know what it's like to have your son in every newspaper, on every news station badgering his name, but if you don't allow me to have just a thirty minute conversation with Jeffrey, I fear I'm going to have to publish all the things I found of his that might be questionable." I nod at her and turn around.
A little blackmail goes a long way. Information is power. I don't even have much, apart from the sex toys and underwear in his drawers, but they don't know that. Also, they're trying to put everything on Ben now, because he's dead and that's the smart thing to do, but if I release pictures of Jeffrey's stash, that little image they're trying to portray will come crashing down.
Jeffrey Bloomsberg deserves to die, like my son did.
I don't have to wait long, though. I receive a call from Mary that I can come over again the next day when Jeffrey's father is out to have a conversation with him.
Benedict is out of the hosue the next day, doing whatever it is he does now that he's closing down the firm, so there's nobody to report t when I return to the Bloomberg home.
"Just thirty minutes." Mary glares at me like I'm the enemy here. I'm not, both of our sons did things that were illegal, and mine is not going to be the only one to pay.
Jeffrey looks awful. He's definitely lost a whole lot of weight, most likely scared of what prison might bring.
"Mrs. Cargill." He gulps when he sees me. "I'm so sorry I didn't reach out when Ben died."
I hold my hand up to him, willing him to stop talking, and walk up to him to hug him tightly to me.
"Oh Jeffry, Ben loved you so much." I start crying, not all of it fake." The two of you were so good together."
My words do the trick, because Jeffrey starts sobbing in my arms, clutching me to him.
"Why are you lying Jeffrey?" I cry with him. "Why are you saying that Ben forced you when he loved you so much!"
"But he did!" He holds me even tighter, clearly the first time that he's being able to talk about Ben without anybody judging him."He said I have to kill Katherine, I just wanted to make him happy!"
He wants to take no responsibility, he wants to tarnish my son's name even more. I can't have that. I couldn't protect him when he was alive, but I will surely protect him in death.
"Did you love him, too?" I whipser in Jeffrey's ear. "Did you love him like he loved you?"
"I did! I still do!"
I rub his back soothingly, then I slip the packet I've been holding in my hand into his jeans' pocket, and I he goes still in my arms, sobs still wracking his chest.
"Then you know what to do, Jeffrey."
I kiss him softly on the cheek and steps back, wiping the tears from my face.
"Maybe in the next life you and Ben could be together. Keep well, Jeffrey."
I leave, trusting that I'm not wrong.