SHERIDAN'S SECRET

Chapter Six

Luis left early the next morning for the island.  He had decided to go alone and stay low and just check out the situation, but he was not unprepared for danger.  He was, in fact, equipped for anything that one man could reasonably handle.  Besides the binoculars, he had a high powered sharpshooters rifle, smoke bombs, two pistols, a bowie knife, a hunting knife, and a special effects recording which sounded like hell of a lot of back up on the scene. He wore a bullet proof vest under his camouflage gear and carried a police radio and phone. (he left his pager at home) Reaching the shore that early , he was able to hide the boat and went on foot towards where he knew the old house with the chimney stood. He could smell the smoke in the salty air.

He hoped he wasn't making a mistake going alone, but didn't want to get anyone else involved.  For one thing, he wasn't sure Charity and Miguel had actually seen what they said.  After, all, they were kids, and kids have active imaginations.  He didn't want to look ridiculous and embarrass them as well as himself.  And then there was the feeling he had about this island.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had an eerie feeling about the island, almost a deja-vu when Miguel told him the story.  Call it intuition, but he had made the call, and now he was there, so he got busy looking around.

 Right away, he could see the house.  He managed to come right up to it without seeing anyone, and he didn't think anyone saw him.  If they had, surely it would have scared the wits out of them, dressed and armed as he was. He walked around the perimeter of the yard, getting closer and closer to the house until he could see that it looked empty, but with the fire going.  As he looked in the windows, he could see that someone definitely lived there, but each room he came upon was uninhabited.  He did see something scary though, weapons, lots of them. he quickly but carefully made it around to the back of the house where a small shed stood and peered into the window.  There, before his eyes, Luis saw the  man Miguel described who had been in handcuffs.  He was chained to the wall and staring wildly back at Luis, a tall, thin Caucasian man he guessed to be around 60 years old or more.  He was clean and shaven, and even dressed in clean clothes, but the chains had crippled his posture.  The man began to  whimper in fear, but Luis signaled him that he was there to help showing him his police badge. 

"Who are you?" Luis called out softly "What's going on here?" 

"They're holding me here," the man answered back, his eyes darting around as if he feared his captors would return.  "Can you help me?"

"I'm alone, "Luis answered back. 'How many of them are there?"

"There are only two, but they are armed and very dangerous."  The man seemed  articulate but harried.   " You'd better get out of here.  Come back with help.  They'll kill you!  Get help, please.  Escape this place while you can , quickly before they return, tell your police in Harmony that J.C. is here. That's me.  Now go quickly, I tell you, I hear them approaching now."

Luis hated to abandon the old  man , but he backed off and watched from a distance through the site of the rifle in case he had to use it.  What he saw would change the lives of  practically everyone dear to him and some not so dear.  There, in the distance, Officer Luis Lopez Fitzgerald had his scope set to fire at two men he knew well, his brother Antonio, and his father, the man his mother lit candles for every night for the last ten years.  Because of this man, Luis had given up his goals in life.  He gave up love, an education, and everything life had to offer in order to pick up the pieces this man left behind.  He thought about pulling the trigger for a split second, then picked up the binoculars.  After watching the two for a few minutes, Luis decided to head back and get help, but he knew that first he had to tell his mother.  He didn't want her to hear about her husband and his criminal activity from someone else. 

On the way back, Luis tried to focus on how he could handle everything , but his heart wouldn't let his brain take the lead.  He couldn't stop thinking about his childhood and how life had changed when papa left.  What was he doing there?  Was it possible that he was innocent and maybe even a hostage too.  No, the man had said there were two others, and he had seen the two. 

CHAPTER SEVEN

When he got home, Hank was waiting anxiously  to tell Luis about his car and get any advice he could before the insurance company opened the next day.  Pilar would be back shortly , Hank said.  She had taken some things for Sheridan to eat, and Sheridan had wanted to talk to her about something personal.  Hank hinted to Luis that Sheridan was probably going to get a medical excuse for a leave from her duties at the center, and he was surprised that Luis took it so well.  He didn't know that Luis had bigger things on his mind that day , but he did notice that Luis seemed distracted.     

"Remember that phone call she had the other day before we left?"  Hank went on. "She got some bad news about a medical problem.  She needs to check in for some   treatment.  That's all I can tell you, Luis. It's nothing like you think, she's got some problems, you wouldn't believe."

"Yeah, well, my bet is there's some connection to that fit she threw after being in that magician's box.  But whatever, maybe if she gets some help, she can handle herself around real people.  I'm sorry, Hank, I know you've got your eye on her and all,  but I just don't trust her.  You probably know a lot more than you're letting on too, right buddy."  Luis shot Hank a look like he was lucky they were friends. "Just don't let me find out you're covering up something illegal for her, Hank.  You know me." 

Pilar came in just in time to hear the part about covering up something illegal and stood looking back and forth at the two of them for a moment.  She looked like she was about to ask about the conversation, but had changed her mind for whatever reason.     

"Tired Momma?" Luis asked, looking over his shoulder to see her as she walked over to the sink behind them. 

She started fiddling with the sponge, wiping, rinsing, refolding the dishtowel, then just staring out the window.  "It's been a long day, son.  I am so sorry to hear about your car, Hank.  Sheridan said you had such a good time on your trip until , Dios Mio, what a terrible thing   happened to you!  I am sure my  Luis can help you.  There must be something you can do, is there not? "

"I've got some connections, Mama, but I doubt there's much anyone can do at this point.  The good thing is the insurance will no doubt replace the car.  Things like that are an every day occurrence, especially in that area.  They're lucky they weren't carjacked too," Luis explained.

Pilar was about to leave the room when Luis asked her what she was doing and told her he needed to talk to her about something before she went to bed. 

"Well, that's my cue guys," Hank remarked as he got up to leave.  "It's been a long day, and I want to check on Sheridan before I hit the hay myself. Thanks  for the advice, buddy."  He gave Pilar a hug and slapped Luis on the side of his shoulder as he backed out the door.  Luis said his goodbyes and remained seated at the table.

"Sit down, Mama," he asked as Pilar was back staring out the window. She had just finished her candle lighting ritual.  She sat down beside her son and placed her hands on top of the table where they were clinched together as if in desperate prayer.  He covered her hands with his own and looked deeply into her eyes.  "Mama, what I have to tell you is not easy.  Something happened today, and I  know this is something you would rather hear from your own son than from the newspapers or the police." 

"Luis, son, what is it? Tell me; Of course I want to hear it from you."  She leaned forward and uncovered her hands, touching his arm with one hand and nervously stroking her own brow with the other as  she  looked down at the table, then back up to meet his worried look.

Luis was shaken.  He patted his mothers hand and stood to pace the kitchen,  stopping from time to time to rest his hands on his mother's bent shoulders as she listened to his story.  Pilar sat nervously listening, looking down much of the time but sometimes slipping into a dead stare out the window,  She said nothing, but began to cry softly when Luis got to the part about seeing his father and his brother who were obviously involved in some sort of  miscreant behavior. She began to mumble apologies in Spanish when Luis spoke of how he planned to tell Chief Bennett about the whole thing  as soon as possible.  He felt guilty for waiting this long and explained  that he had only been waiting to see her first before making the call  since it  obviously appeared to be  a life threatening situation.

Pilar went to the window and put the candles out, one by one slowly and spoke with her back to her son.  " You were right to tell me, son, but I have not been the mother you think I am, the mother you are protecting, the sweet innocent mother who waited for her husband all these years not knowing anything."  As she finished the last candle she turned slowly and looked at Luis. "Now I must tell you my story.  And this is a story , my dear son which will answer many of the questions you have had, and not just about this family. "

Now it was Pilar who paced as Luis stood bracing himself by the sink looking out toward the bay and listening quietly.   As the story unfolded Luis found it difficult to process the sordid details. So many emotions crashed his thought processes.  It was impossible to listen and think at the same time.

"When you hear what I have to tell  you, you'll understand why this information can never go any further.  I know how you feel about the Crane family, but no one in that family, especially Sheridan must ever find out that the man on that island is her brother, Julian Crane.  That's right, the man you said told you his name was J.C.  He is the real Julian Crane and he's been on that island for over ten years. The man you know as Julian Crane is no one, an imposter set up by none other than Allistar Crane who with the help of a plastic surgeon made his former business partner a stand in for his own son Julian just before his wedding to Mrs. Crane, Ivy. It all happened when the real Julian discovered that his bride to be, his lovely virgin, was pregnant by another man, a man she still loves to this day and you know this man Luis.  He is Sam Bennett. Sam and Ivy were in love, but Ivy was young and when she found out she was pregnant, she knew that Sam was in no position to take care of a wife and child.  But Julian Crane had always wanted Ivy for his bride, and she accepted his proposal as soon as she found out about her condition.  Sam had no idea until the day of the wedding that Ivy was marrying or even seeing Julian.  She knew if she told him that he would never permit it.  Ivy quietly planned her immediate elopement with Julian but Unfortunately, Julian discovered the truth  before the wedding and became enraged.  He accused her of marrying him for his money, which was true in a way.  Ivy  cared for Julian, but her heart and soul belonged to Sam.  She  wanted to do the smart thing for her unborn child. .  Julian told his father Allistar that he wanted no part of a marriage of convenience, but Allistar argued in favor of the marriage.  He had already bought the newspaper and begun arranging Crane industries so that Julian would run everything, and he felt that Ivy would make a good wife for Julian. When Allistar demanded that Julian go through with the marriage to Ivy, there was a terrible argument, and Julian threatened to destroy the family fortune by exposing Allistar and his partner's crooked business dealings. Allistar discovered that Julian was truly serious and saw evidence that Julian had written to authorities and was able to stop him before the whole thing became a huge scandal. Disgusted by his family and his bride to be,   Julian refused the marriage and the family fortune and left saying he wanted no part of the family ever again.  At the time Sheridan was just a baby , and he loved his little sister, but she was so young and his busy lifestyle along with the huge difference in age  never allowed them the closeness you would expect for a brother and sister.    It is funny too because  they turned out to be so much alike, Julian and Sheridan.  When Sheridan planned to marry Jean Luc, she too planned to give away the family fortune.  But the man who Allistar groomed to become the Julian you know today is nothing like the real Julian.  He loathes Sheridan, and sent her and Ethan away for most of their lives, and he constantly tortures Ivy taunting her about their idyllic platonic life.  I have heard those words so many times over the years."

"I don't understand, Mama, why would Allistar go to all the trouble of making someone pose as his son. "  Luis interupted.

"Julian was set to run all of Crane industries at the time.  If anything happened to him, everything would go to Sheridan, his sister.  This was decided in trust for them by Allistar's father when the children were born.  Just as he had run the business until his son was old enough to take over, Julian and Sheridan were already set to own the Crane fortune.  For generations, the Cranes have let the younger generation run the family businesses.  It was tradition to use the bright young minds, and it seemed to work, as the family fortune grew more and more with each generation. But Allistar was never ready to give up his control over the Crane money.  When Julian left, his father came up with the plan to have  someone  pose as his son and promised to provide for the real Julian giving him the freedom of anonymity but the protection of the Crane money if he ever needed it  Allistar would leave Julian to his life of solitude and comfort in return for his silence and cooperation in family matters such as giving signatures when needed , and  Julian  agreed.  Like Sheridan, he felt he would never have any luck at love.  He left before the wedding, and Allistar arranged the plastic surgery for his partner to step in and marry Ivy.  Soon Allistar realized that his former partner was even more greedy and evil than he was.  That is why she has so much control over the family money and why she is so protective of Ethan.  She has to force him to be civil to Sheridan who has no idea that the man she believes is her brother couldn't care less about her.  And another thing, Luis, Allistar never told his partner that Ethan is the son of Sam Bennett, although I believe he suspects Ivy is hiding something from him.  She and Allistar agreed that  Ethan would be brought up as a Crane because of  something else that happened.  

When Ivy and the new Julian returned home the night of the wedding, she was distraught over the  loss of her one true love, Sam, and afraid of the life she had chosen. As you know I worked for Ivy's family before she became a Crane. I had to tell her that Sam had come by looking for her and how I had no choice but  to tell him about the wedding.  She was inconsolable and wanted out of the entire arrangement.  Allistar agreed to hide Ethan's parentage in return for her silence  about everything , and the family name has remained in tact ever since, well except for that night with Sheridan."

"What night, Mama, you mean the night that she did whatever it is she keeps saying she's sorry for.?" Luis was following the story now.

"Yes, son, now maybe you can understand why she is so sad and confused." Pilar went on, now sitting next to her son.  She rocked back and forth and wrung her hands as she recounted the events of that night.

"Sheridan was eight years old, Ethan six, just children.  I will never forget what happened.  Julian, J.C., the real Julian, had grown restless and bored .  He came to pay a visit to his family unannounced, and the family was frantic with worry over how to explain the stranger.  Six years  had changed him in many ways, not really  his physical appearance but  his nature.  He had become a hardened and angry man.  On  the night of his visit, he was somehow able to get into the house through his knowledge of the old basement entries, and I think he still had keys to some of the doors and gates.  Sheridan was downstairs in the living room when he came in looking for Ivy and the man you now know as Julian.  She thought he was an intruder by the way that he was dressed all in black , a hat and coat collar up around his neck. He thought that she would recognize him as her brother and didn't know that she was afraid . When she called out to him, he was silent.  I think he wanted her to be quiet so he could get to Ivy without being thrown out.  But Sheridan could not  really see   who it was in the dim light; no one could until it was too late. She was afraid when she saw him and was hiding a letter opener, a sharp letter opener.  When he came towards her to silence her, she fell towards him and that is why she is the way she is today, son.  And the really terrible part of it is that she probably never would have been startled if I had not screamed and scared her enough to make her lose her balance and lunge at him.  We all thought he was dead.  Sheridan hit her head in the attack and was unconscious for several minutes.  The entire household was in chaos.  When she saw the blood covering her hands, Allistar was there asking her why she had done such a thing, and she was saying that she didn't mean to do it.  She was hysterical.  The man who poses as Julian Crane was very cruel to her.  He  had your father bring a casket up from the basement, one that Allistar's father had made himself many years before, and he made Sheridan stand next to the casket after they put the body in it.  She was delirious with questions and fear.  Allistar told her she had killed an intruder.   That night Allistar ordered your father to get rid of the body, to remove it from the casket and dump it at sea.  Your father and your brother were doing just that when they discovered that the real Julian Crane was not dead at all, but very much alive and in need of medical attention.  

 Allistar was relieved that his true son was still alive, but did not wish to give up what he and his business partner had done with Crane Industries in those six years.  They took him for medical treatment, to a woman medical student, a friend of the man you now know as Julian, and she treated him without notifying the authorities.  Your father     took J.C. to the island where he could recover without being seen.  It was like seeing two Julians for those two days until they could get over there away from everyone here.  We were all sworn to secrecy by the Cranes.  Antonio joined him soon after to help out.

 Ivy, Allistar and the new Julian all wanted things to stay as they were, and it seemed to be  going well.  J.C. recovered and went back to his life away from Harmony until ten years ago.  That is when he made his last appearance at the Crane mansion.  I was there with your father and Antonio.  The others were gone for the evening when J.C. returned looking for them.  This time he said he wanted his old life back.  He was like a madman, son, like no one I had ever seen, and believe me, in that house I thought I had seen everything.  He had a gun, and kept pointing it at us waving it at us, and threatening to expose the whole story and put us all in jail forever. 

There was a struggle.  Your father tried to take the gun away, and your brother was helping him.  I don't know what happened  to me, but when they were all over each other, I picked up the fire poker and hit J.C. in the back of the head as hard as I could. Blood was everywhere, and still he ranted on trying to get the poker away from me and struggling with Antonio until finally, they subdued him.   When the Cranes came home just  minutes later, it was agreed that Antonio and your father would  take J.C. back to the island and keep him there until they could decide what to do.  They have been guarding him and working for the Crane family there for the last ten years son.  For the last ten years, I have only seen your father  and your brother when they take me there which is often, but never enough.  That is why I light the candles, you see.  Your father can see them here in the window, and he knows that I am thinking of him. "

"So Mama, you've known all this time where Papa was, and you haven't told anyone, not even your own family!"  Luis was rubbing his head and looking down at the table.  He stood and walked about the room pacing to continue, " How can this be, Mama, how can the Cranes be ruining our lives like this?!  Who else knows?  Does Sheridan know about all this.  Is that what she's been hiding from me all this time. gloating, that she has my father and my brother slaving over her family prisoner?!"

"No, Luis, there is more."  Pilar went on turning Luis to face her, she stood before him and continued to explain.  " Sheridan still believes she killed an intruder and she believes that the man posing as Julian Crane is really her brother.  She knows nothing and still relives that terrible night when she came back to her senses and her hands were covered in the blood of a man she thinks she killed.  If she ever found out the truth, she would never let  an imposter take her brother's place.  And if that ever happens, your father, your brother and I will all be charged in the conspiracy.  I assaulted the man.  The Cranes have made it very clear that they will use their power to put all the blame on your father and Antonio if Sheridan ever finds out or if anyone does for that matter.  That is why I have done everything in my power, son to keep Sheridan from remembering.  The drugs that I got from your friend, Hank.  I have been getting those drugs for years now and giving them to Sheridan to make sure that her memories remain just as they are.  She has trusted me, thinking I'm always there for her, but I have always been there for another reason, Luis.  I have done everything in my power to keep her mind in the foggy haze  she can not seem to shake.  And she can not shake it because I make sure that every chance I get she is drugged with something I was told would block her intruding thoughts, the memories, and it has worked for us all these years.  Even when she was in Paris, I would send her candies, special candies, every week to keep her mind from remembering that night.  Now I bring her a warm glass of milk with my special medicine to ward off the memories of that night.  I keep telling her that she needs to just forget that night...that the only way for her to have peace is to try and forget, and she never listens to me.  She keeps trying to remember, and that will never do.  I can never let that happen.  The man who poses as Julian get the drugs from  a friend, a doctor.  When he can't get them I get someone from the old country to help, and thank God Hank was able to get more, because Sheridan is getting closer to remembering than ever.  You've seen her.  Remember that magician's box.   To make matters even worse, the man you know now as Julian Crane despises Sheridan, and if she ever remembers anything about that night he may even kill her to keep his identity.  

Luis felt betrayed, angry ,and  afraid  for his family and for Sheridan Crane. "This is way too much for me to take in, Mama.  I've got to think... Miguel, Theresa, Sheridan, Papa, Antonio.  We've got to do something.  We can't let the Cranes do this to any of us.  I'll come up with something, somehow.  Oh, my God, poor Sheridan.  I know you did what you thought you had to do, but Mama, you can't give someone drugs like that!  No wonder the woman can't drive! No wonder she's so paranoid all the time.  She's like a poor little animal.  She doesn't know what's happening to her now and she's wondering what happened back then.  I feel like such a monster for how I've treated her. Luis gripped his mother's shoulders  and looked into her soulful face.  She tried to turn away. "Mama look at me, we've got to stop this.  There's got to be a way for us to fight these people." 

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