A week went by, and then another and Dena heard nothing from Shep. She’d been trying to get an appointment with Terrence, but he’d been out of the country. It was only the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when he came home and he could only make space for her the next day. “Let me take you out to dinner. A fancy place. You can get all dressed up for a change,” Terrence suggested.

“Okay, I’ll see you Wednesday night.”

Dena sat in front of her mirror trying to get her hair to stay up inside of the hair clip she bought. Robbie sat down on the bench next to her. She picked up the lipstick and carefully applied it to her own lips.

“How’s that?” she smiled up at her mother. A crooked red mouth drawn only slightly in line with her own little mouth.

Dena kissed her on the head. “It’s perfect.” She took her fancy winter coat from the wardrobe and put it over her black dress. “I need to go, Pumpkin, Uncle Terrence will be here just now.”

“You look pretty, Mommy.”

“Well thanks, Pumpkin.”

Dena came down the stairs, carefully in the high heels she was not used to wearing, just as Terrence arrived at the door. Mac was opening it. “I think she’d just about ready…” He heard Dena on the stairs and turned to her direction. “There she is now.”

“Well Oo la la! Don’t you look fabulous!” Terrence said. “The whole place will be dead jealous of me.”

“Stop it!” Dena said when she finally stepped off the last treacherous stair. “Bye Pa, I’ll likely be late.”

“Okay you kids have fun.”

Terrence reached in his pocket and pulled out a small stuffed animal, a turkey. “He’s called Tom,” he said handing it to Robbie. “It’s a Thanksgiving present.”

“Thanks, Uncle Terrence.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

Outside Dena was surprised to see a stretch limousine. “Wow! What’s this all about? Where are you taking me?”

“Be patient my darling.” He opened the back door and Dena climbed into the lush room at the back. Terrence climbed in after her and the car started moving. “Champagne?”

“How could I refuse?”

Terrence poured two glasses of champagne from the bottle cooling in the bucket and handed one to Dena. “What shall we drink to?”

“How about a new day?” Terrence said, smiling slyly. He was wearing a tuxedo and though his stomach was growing daily and his hair receding, he looked quite handsome. Despite his outward appearance, Terrence never had a shortage of women. He had an air about him of confidence, as if the outer Terrence was irrelevant. And he was rich, very rich, many women found that attractive all on its own. His import export business had put him in a different class altogether. It was an international business, a big success story in an economy in a city with few of those.

“Ill drink to that.” Dena clinked her glass to his. “So you seem to be in a particularly jovial mood. Was your trip overseas a success?”

“Yes, my trip overseas was a great success. And I’m happy to be out with you tonight. It’s been so long since we’ve spent any time together. I judge the time by how much Robbie has grown, it’s at least an inch or two.”

“I don’t think it has been that long, has it?”

“At least.” Terrence re-filled their glasses. “Shep told me you told him about Robbie.”

“Did he?” Dena was surprised by that.

“Yes, he’s torn up about the whole thing. He’s very angry. He’s been acting crazy ever since he found out.” Terrence shook his head at the shame of it.

“Acting crazy?”

“Like he doesn’t care anymore. Doesn’t care about anything. He’s out drinking every night. Coming home late or not at all. He quit the job I gave him. Says nothing matters. I don’t understand it. I would have thought knowing he has a daughter would make him want to get his shit together, to sort his life out, but somehow in Shep it’s caused the exact opposite effect.”

Dena sat back in the plush leather seats. She knew why Shep was behaving like that. It was her. He’d always had faith in her, hope that she was good, that she was honest. Now he didn’t. She was his lifeline and by telling him she’d lied about their daughter for all of this time she had cut it. He was adrift and it was her fault. She felt horrible about what she’d done to him. He’d been trying so hard to get back on track. Maybe she should have waited to tell him until everything was more stable.

The car stopped. “Here we are,” Terrence said.

The chauffeur opened the car door and Terrence climbed out. He turned and held out his hand for Dena. She looked up. “Ellette’s?” You’re taking me to Ellette’s?”

Ellete’s was the most elite restaurant in the city hovering at the top of the Barnett Building. When celebrities, presidents, or foreign dignitaries were in Chicago Ellete’s was where they dined. “Yes, I told you I wanted something special tonight.”

They went inside and up to the 38th floor of the building where the restaurant was located. They walked through the thick wooden doors. The maitre’d rushed up to them as soon as they entered. “Mr Polanski, madam, your table it ready.”

Terrence obviously frequented the place, Dena thought. They sat at a corner table, next to the windows which covered two of the four walls. All the tables were full. Dena tried not to look around but she spotted the mayor, a famous pop star and a Hollywood movie star. “Wow,” she whispered in Terrence’s ear. He smiled.

“I come here quite often, may I order for the both of us?” Terrence asked.

“Certainly.”

Dena looked down on her city. She loved Chicago, especially at night. The lights of the city were so enticing, making it seem like the most exciting place in the world. This distance made all of its problems disappear and only its glitter remained.

She turned back to Terrence who smiled at her. She’d been thinking more and more about some of the things she’d heard recently that didn’t seem to add up. She decided now was as good as any other time to get a few answers. “Terrence, that man, the one you were with at the court that day, what’s his story?”

“His story?”

“I mean who is he?”

“Ernst? He’s a man with a lot of money. A powerful man. He has some investments overseas, some factories. I buy from him occasionally.”

“Was he also one of your clients at Diamond Investments?”

“No, why?”

“I don’t know. He just seemed familiar that day. Does he live here? In Chicago?”

Terrence smiled. “Well, Dena Leary, I never in a million years would have pegged you as someone who goes for the older men.”

Dena laughed. She was happy to hide her real intentions. “It’s not like I’m a spring chicken anymore.”

Terrence became serious. “You’re beautiful. Don’t ever sell yourself short.”

Dena took a drink of the wine Terrence had ordered for the starters which had also arrived. Dena didn’t know French food, but it seemed to be lobster in a flaky crust. It was incredible, especially with the wine.

“That man, Ernst, he seemed a bit interested in me,” Dena said.

“Everyone is interested in you, my dear Dena.”

“Especially when he heard I knew Shep.”

Terrence hesitated. “Yes, he followed the case. He’s very keen on white collar crime cases. Long ago, in a different life, he was a lawyer. I think that may be it.”

There was some commotion at the door. Dena looked in the direction of most of the people in the restaurant. It was Ilsa, Shep’s model friend, the one she’d met that day with Shep. She moved aside and there, surprisingly, was Shep, arguing with the maitre d’ about something. Terrence stood up. “Excuse me, please.”

He went to the door. Shep threw his arms around Terrence in an exaggerated way. He was obviously very drunk. They spoke quietly for a few minutes and then Ilsa and Shep followed Terrence and the maitre d’ to a table some distance away from where Dena sat. Once they were seated and Shep quieted down, Terrence came back to their table.

“I’m sorry about that. If I had known they were going to be here, I would have taken you elsewhere.”

“He’s drunk.” Dena tried not to look in their direction.

“Yes, very. As I said, he’s having a bit of a breakdown. Ilsa is not improving the situation.”

“I met Ilsa some weeks ago. She seemed very interested in Shep.”

“Yes… well. She’s taken to Shep and when Ilsa takes to someone she wants him with her at all times. She has a lot of money, Shep doesn’t. Ilsa will give him everything he wants until she tires of him. So they drink and party every night. Not really what Shep needs, but I’ve tried my best. I spoke to Shep. I’ve asked Ilsa to please be cognisant of Shep’s situation. She doesn’t care. She’s a very selfish woman.”

Terrence was obviously quite angry. He called the waiter to bring him whiskey. He arrived with a glass and a bottle which he was instructed to leave on the table. Dena wasn’t sure what she thought about the whole thing. She got the impression from Shep that Ilsa was not someone he’d be interested in, and yet here he was, with her.

“I’m sorry. We can go if you want,” Dena offered. She would have preferred to go too if she was honest. She didn’t like seeing Shep like this and the more she got to know about Ilsa the more she didn’t like her either.

“Dena?” She heard her name and knew it was Shep. He staggered over to their table. “Dena? Is that you?”

“Good evening, Shep.” Ilsa came up behind Shep and put her long arms around his waist.

“Hello again. I’m sorry I’ve forgotten your name,” Ilsa said.

“Dena.”

“Yes, Dena. I didn’t know you knew Terrence.”

“I do.” Dena wished she would go away.

“So I see.” Her words implied things that were not there.

“Dena, my baby, you look beautiful. Do you know how beautiful you look?” Shep asked, loudly. People at other tables were turning to look.

Terrence stood up. “Shep, please, you’re making a scene. Go back to your table.”

“No! I won’t. I want to talk to the mother of my child. My daughter’s mother. I have the right to talk to her don’t I? Well, don’t I?” He leaned into Terrence as if he might fall.

“It’s okay, Terrence, let him say his piece and he’ll go back to his table,” Dena said, resting her hand on Terrence’s arm to get him to sit back down.

“Mother of your child? You never told me that?” Ilsa said.

“Dena, I loved you,” Shep said. “I knew you loved me. I knew it. All the time I was in prison I knew you loved me. Each day, each terrible day was survivable, because you loved me. I knew you said you didn’t, but I knew you were lying. But now….this …this thing what you told me. You’re right. I understand now. That day, in my apartment. You’re right… you stopped loving me that day. I know it now. Because if you loved me, if you really cared about me, you couldn’t have been so cruel. Never. I know that now. I finally get it!”

Ilsa kissed his cheek and pulled his arm. “Okay, baby, you said it, you said what you wanted to say. Let’s go and eat. I ordered champagne. And a big steak for you. Let’s go baby.”

Shep allowed Ilsa to pull him away, but he kept looking at Dena as he made his way to his own table. Dena sat straight backed. She looked down at her plate of cooling salmon. Her arms lay at her sides. She withstood the punishment, she deserved it and she took it without flinching. When he left, she took a breath, the first since he began talking. She picked up her fork, her hand was shaking.

“Are you okay?” Terrence asked. “Do you want us to go?”

“No, I’m fine. I’ll be just fine. Give me a minute.”

Dena said those words but she knew them for what they were. Lies. She’d destroyed the only man she had ever loved, the only man she would ever love. And she knew she’d never be fine.

****

Dena was thankful for Monday morning. Work kept her mind off of everything else. They’d had a quiet Thanksgiving at home, just Robbie, Dena and her father. After the disaster at Ellete’s all Dena wanted was quiet. She couldn’t get past Shep’s words. Yes, he’d been drunk but maybe that was what allowed him to say what was truly in his heart. Was it easy for Dena to have kept the secret about Robbie for all of these years because she stopped loving him that day in the apartment? It wasn’t true; she knew her feelings about Shep. But that didn’t matter he thought she had kept the secret to punish him. She tried not to think about it and instead focussed on trying to unravel the other question of the night. Ernst Jongman.

Who was this man? Why would he be hiring a PI to investigate the money missing from Diamond Investment’s bank accounts if he was not one of the clients who lost money? It doesn’t make sense. What is the relationship between Terrence and Ernst Jongman? At the courthouse she got the feeling that Terrence was caught off guard being seen with him. Dena wondered why that would be if they were business associates.

She googled Ernst. He owned a factory in Singapore, a private airline in South Africa and a restaurant in New York. It all seemed legitimate. Why did he hire a PI to collect information on Shep? And how did he ever get to know Terrence?

Dena went through his CV which was online at one of the websites. He was divorced with a son. And then she noticed something. The son, Bart, went to the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. That was the same school Terrence went to. Is that how they met, Terrence and Ernst, through Ernst’s son Bart?

Dena googled Bart and found out he lived right in Chicago. He was the CEO at Green Earth, a non-governmental organisation promoting recycling and sustainable living. She jotted down the phone number. Something didn’t seem right and she wanted to find out why. She would call him as soon as she could get a chance.

But first she had to finish the work piled up on her table. Teacher evaluations, and yet another five page form from the school board. She pulled the pile towards her and got to work. Just before lunch the phone rang.

“Yes, Maria?”

“I know you said no calls sorry. He insisted it was an emergency.”

“It’s okay put it through.”

“Hello, Dena Leary, can I help you?” she said while reaching across her desk for her stapler.

“Dena, it’s me.” She knew Shep’s voice and it sounded down.

“Yes, Shep, what can I do for you?” She kept her business voice in place.

“I wanted to apologise about the other night. I was an ass…I shouldn’t have said any of that.”

“Yes…well, maybe I deserved some of it. I know I made a bad decision, a cruel decision I realise now. At the time I thought otherwise, but I see now I was wrong. I’m sorry. You never really let me apologise. Let me explain.”

He was quiet for a bit. “I called to tell you I spoke to my friend, the one who is still inside. He knows your boy, Leroy. He heard they had things lined up. You were right to be afraid, they were going to kill him. But it’s sorted. No one will touch him. I know this man and I’d trust him with my life. If she says Leroy is safe, he’s safe.”

Dena couldn’t believe that after everything Shep still remembered to do this for her, for Leroy. “Thanks, Shep. Really, I owe you one.”

“It was nothing.” Dena could hear someone calling him in the background. It sounded like a woman. “Listen I have to go.”

Before she could say goodbye, he hung up.

She decided she needed to do a few favours for Shep. She pushed her work to the side. She pulled out the slip of paper where she’d copied the number for Green Earth. She punched it into her cellphone.

“Hello, Green Earth,” a tired man’s voice said.

“Hello, I wondered if I might speak to Bart Jongman,” Dena said.

“Speaking.”

Dena was surprised. What sort of CEO answered the phones. “Okay… I’m Dena Leary, I’m the principal of Springs High School.”

“Rough neighbourhood.”

“Yes…I wondered if I might make an appointment to come and speak with you.”

“What about?”

Dena certainly couldn’t say about his father’s involvement in the theft of $15 million. “I wanted…I wanted to see about how we might… work together… to get a recycling education programme started here at Springs.” She was a horrible liar, but too it wasn’t a complete bust. She wouldn’t mind having him by the school to do a few talks. All learning was a good thing.

“Sure. When do you want to come?”

“In about an hour. Does that work?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”