Part Twelve:

Larry sat forward, resting his elbows on his desk. Nora shifted nervously in her chair once again. Larry looked down at the lab reports on his desk and back up at Nora, “Well, you’re definitely pregnant.” Nora released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She stood up and walked over to the window, on the far wall, that overlooked the garden. Larry watched her for a few moments before closing her file, placing his glasses down on top of it. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, “gauging from your reaction you don’t seem surprised.”

“Well, I took one of those home tests this morning and I’ve been noticing the symptoms over the past few weeks, but I wanted to make sure.”

“I’m glad you did. It’s always a good idea to have it confirmed by a doctor, especially at this stage in your life. I won’t know how far along you are until…”

“I’m eight and a half weeks,” she says, cutting him off. Larry nods, “Bo and I, well you know, we’re separated so, let’s just say I know exactly when this baby was conceived.”

“Well we can forgo any further examinations if you want to but I want you to see Dr. Conklin as soon as possible; that is if you’re going to continue with this pregnancy.”

Up in Brooklyn, Bo sits in the back of the small corner diner deep in thought. The waitress has come and gone a few times already, refilling his glass of bottomless root beer. He picks up a French fry, sticking it in his mouth, never taking his eyes off the notes he has spread out on his table. He takes another sip off his soda before pulling out his cell phone. He glances down at the piece of paper on the table as he dials. He picks up his pen, tapping it on the table as he waits for someone to answer the phone. Finally someone did, “Yes, good morning, I would like to know if Michael Coleman is in today?...He is, that’s great…No, no message. I’ll just stop by and see him myself. Thank you, for the information.”

Bo ends his call and quickly gathers his belongings, dropping a twenty dollar bill on the table and leaves the diner. He stands outside the diner, waving down a taxi. He leaned across the seat and told the driver where he needed to go and settled back in his seat. Twenty minutes later he was in the heart of Brooklyn, stopped in front of the repair shop that Michael owned. Bo handed the cab driver his fare and told him there was no need for him to wait.

Bo walked into the noisy shop. He looked around, finally noticing a young woman sitting behind a glass partition. Bo walked up to the partition and stood there for a moment before she looked up from her book. She turned the book over and rolled her eyes before addressing Bo, “May I help you?”

“Finally,” Bo thought to himself. “Yes, I would like to see Michael Coleman please.”

The young woman pointed over to the office across the way. Bo turned and saw a thirty something man sitting behind his desk on the phone. Bo thanked her, being answered by the front of her book as she dismissed him, without another word. He walked over, passed the various vehicles lined up for repairs, and stopped outside the office door. Michael looked up from his desk asking Bo to wait one moment as he finished his phone call.

Bo looked around the shop, shaking his head as he took in what a little bribe can buy someone. He turned when he heard Michael’s chair scrape against the floor as he stood up to walk around his desk. Bo stepped further into the office and extended his hand, “Mr. Coleman, I’m Bo Buchanan, Commissioner of Police in Llanview, Pennsylvania.” Bo stared at Michael for a moment, the flicker of fear that passed through his eyes told Bo he was on the right track.

Back in Llanview, Nora turned and looked at Larry, “Of…of course I’m going to go through with the pregnancy. I could,” she begins to choke on the emotions welling up inside of her, “I could never…”

Larry walks over and lays a hand on either shoulder, “Of course not, honey, it’s just a question I’m obligated to ask under these types of circumstances.”

“What type of circumstances?”

“AMA, a.k.a. advanced maternal age, the fact that the pregnancy was unplanned, things like that.”

She walks over and looks back out the window, resting her hands on her stomach, “I’m having the baby, Larry,” she says a few minutes later, as a few tears fall onto her cheeks.

Larry stands in the middle of his office, a few feet from where she was. He knew things between Bo and Nora have been strained since they lost their daughter, but he also knew that things happen for a reason, both the good and the bad, and maybe this was what they needed. Larry walked over and stood beside her, both looking out over the garden, “So how did Bo take the news that you might be pregnant?”

She looks over at Larry, fresh tears welling up in her eyes, “I…I haven’t told him yet.”

“He’s going to find out sooner or later, Nora. It’s not something you can hide for long.”

“I know that, Larry. I just…”

He turns and stands in front of her, “What’s stopping you?”

She shakes her head, “Bo is…he’s…he’s just so obsessed with finding the driver who caused my accident, and you know a part of me knows why he’s doing this and understands where his motivation is coming from…”

 

“But…”

“But I’m afraid of the rage he has, just boiling under the surface.” She notices Larry’s puzzled look, “No, Larry, I’m not afraid of Bo. It’s nothing like that. I’m afraid of what the rage will do to him.”

“Don’t you think finding out about this baby would help him put the past behind him and look towards the future?”

“That’s just it, what kind of future would the three of us have with the past still right there front and center? Even if he does end up giving up the search, I know that right there under the surface will be that rage ready to breakthrough.”

At the same time back in Brooklyn Bo is waiting for Michael to come back into the office. He had been called out to settle a complaint from a customer. Bo had seen the look in Michael’s eyes when he had introduced himself, he definitely knew the reason behind Bo’s visit, that much Bo was convinced of.

Bo turned when he heard Michael walking back into the office, “I’m sorry, Commissioner Buchanan, for the interruption, seems like there’s always someone who isn’t happy about their bill. Now what brings you to Brooklyn?”

“Actually, Mr. Coleman, I believe you have some information I need regarding a job you performed on the 23^rd of May, 1999, a job that, well let’s just say you were paid quite handsomely for.”

Bo sat back and watched as Michael squirmed in his chair, “I…I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

“Oh, come on now, Mr. Coleman; let’s not do this. I know that shortly after you worked on this vehicle you left Llanview without another word to your boss, Mr. Grady, or your wife. I know that your wife tracked you down and her lawyer did some digging and found out that you had almost two million sitting in your bank account, not to mention this,” waving his arm around, “new business.” Bo leans forward, causing Michael to lean back in his chair, “So Mr. Coleman I’m going to ask you again. Is there anything you would like to tell me or do I need to give these to your wife? I mean those photos would really put a halt to any reconciliation.”

Bo watched as the color drained from Michael’s face as he was confronted with evidence of his betrayal. Michael looked up at Bo, swallowing hard before he spoke, “Um…where did you get these?”

“I have my sources. Listen, Mr. Coleman, I’m not one that likes to resort to blackmail but in this situation, when it involves a car accident which resulted in the death of my daughter, I’ll do anything to get to the truth.” Bo stands to leave. He pulls out his card and hands it to Michael, “You can reach me at that number, any time.”

Bo was almost out the door when Michael stood up, “Wait…”