Doctor Samuel and CASH decided that Trevor should stay with Mrs. Samuel and her sister a few days. CASH said I needed a little break after the stress and he pretended to be concerned about my welfare but as he slipped me a few fifty dollar bills it became obvious he was trying to buy my silence. Doctor Samuel directed me to the train station saying he was going to remain in Boston with his mother, as well, to settle some things at his practice and stay close to Betsy these critical first days in treatment. Happy to get away from all of them, I sat thinking on the train how Betsy had pleaded with me to help her.



Two days later, I didn't know what I should do about contacting John Hazen. Obviously he was a bad influence on her. Or was he really someone who could save Betsy? I was so confused. I tried to message Leon. It took him till that night to get back to me. I was already in bed when my cell phone rang.

"Hello my friend," he said bright voiced over the phone.

"You took your time," I snapped. "I've been dealing with all sorts of crap here, Leon."

He was silent a few seconds. "I'm sorry, but our lines were down, my dear. We had a storm. Things not good at that job still, then?"

"The wife tried to kill herself. She's a drug addict. She has a boyfriend and is now in a rehab center. She says her husband and CASH are drugging her. You tell me!"

"Not good, then."

"She wants me to contact her boyfriend to get her out of rehab. I'm really in a mess here. I thought my mother was nuts but this is the most dysfunctional family I've ever come across."

"You have to get out of there," he advised. "They pay you yet? Take the money and go home. Go to campus early and see if you can get a local job there. Your mum will have to understand."

"She's on THEIR side, remember? CASH will insist I stay till next month. I haven't even gotten my class schedule. I've been so distracted with this job and these people I have simply forgotten myself and my future."



"You need to call your mum. Maybe they sent the paperwork to your house after she paid the tuition."

"Yeah," I replied. "Anything for her to be in control."

"I have to go, Laura. I'm sorry but my phone is dying. I never charged it before the storm."

"Okay, I'll message you soon."

"Bye." He hung up. Leon was so distant by both location and attitude these days I was basically on my own. I suppose he had his own life to lead just like I had to try and salvage mine.

The next morning I called my mother, dreading even speaking to her.



"Hi, Mom."

"Laura, hello." She sounded surprised. "Arthur said you've been a big help in this whole terrible incident. I mean, what sort of person is this woman, Laura? Poor Richard, he obviously was ensnared by her years ago. Those sort of people know how to prey on people, don't they?"

"Mom, I like Betsy," I insisted. "I think she's just confused."

"No, dear, she's just trashy." My mother sighed. "She hooked in a nice man with a good future and has been torturing him for years. I think that boyfriend was trying to blackmail Richard. Arthur says-"

"Mom, I haven't heard anything from my college. Classes start in only three weeks. Did you pay the fees from my college fund?"

"Oh, yes, about that," my mother said, tapping on the desk with her long nails. (I could hear them over the phone). "Arthur needed some quick investment funds, Laura, dear. He has a deal coming up that he says will double that account, not that there was that much left in it after your father died. I had to dip into it a few times--you understand--but Arthur says as soon as he clears his profits from this deal, it will go right back in, with more than twice. I gave him $20,000 of my own IRA funds from your father..."

"Mom? What the hell did you do that for? You have no right! It's my college money Papa left for me."

"No right? Laura, I have been raising you ALONE since I was a widow with a baby. The only way I could get by is by investments. That is what wealthy people do. We invest and get profits. Next year you can go to college and never have to worry about whether this teaching "career" will go anywhere. Arthur says--"

"I don't give a damn what you or Arthur say. I never want to talk to you or him or his insane family ever again!" I clicked my phone off and hurled it at the wall.