Max's Hart--Part Eight

They briefly introduced him to Derek, not wanting to waste any time in learning what Stanley had told Jennifer was "very interesting information". He hadn't elaborated any more than that on the phone, he had just insisted that he needed to see them right away and deliver the news in person. Jonathan and Jennifer knew that the news must have been big, as Stanley had been unwilling to share it over the phone.

Jonathan then requested the facts from his loyal employee. "Okay Stanley, tell us what you've discovered."

"Well, Mr. Hart, I did what you asked me to. Complete background searches on everyone involved. The first one I completed was Mr. Sanders here." He looked at Derek, almost apologetically, before completing his thought. "I really didn't turn up anything," he said, directing his comments to Jonathan. "You already knew about the rumors circulating about a potential sale and unethical business practices." Derek winced as if in pain at the last comment. "Other than that, Mr. Hart, I didn't come up with anything on him. No criminal records, no outstanding debts, nothing."

Derek jumped to his own defense. "I could have saved you a lot of time if you had just asked me. I told you, I'm not involved in this."

"Let's just cut to the chase here, Stanley. What did you find out?" Jonathan wanted the information, and quickly. He knew sometimes Stanley staged these little presentations for the maximum dramatic effect, but right now he wanted to find out what was going on-and fast.

"Here's where it gets interesting, Mr. Hart." Stanley opened his briefcase, taking a couple of papers from the disheveled pile within. " We already know that Tony DiMarco is the one who has been after Miss Brenner. What we didn't know is who was paying him to do this. The likely suspect of course is Mr. Sanders, since the records indicate that Mr. DiMarco has been on the payroll of Sanders Construction since just before the first attack on Miss Brenner." Stanley looked at the others in the group, enjoying the fact that he had their full attention. "But Mr. Hart here had another theory as well." He continued, "It appears that your hunch was correct, Mr. Hart."

"Jonathan? You didn't mention this…what is Stanley talking about?" Jennifer was surprised that her husband hadn't shared this alternate theory with her.

"I asked Stanley to check out someone else, as well. Stanley, please continue. What is it you found?" Jonathan pressed Stanley for answers.

"It would appear that Mr. DiMarco does indeed have connections to someone at Sanders Construction, though it isn't Mr. Sanders." He beamed at his boss, hoping that Jonathan would be impressed with his investigative work. He never looked for bonus checks, Mr. Hart's approval was all that Stanley needed to make his efforts worthwhile.

Jennifer instantly knew to whom Stanley was referring. She was shocked that it hadn't occurred to her earlier. She considered herself to be an excellent judge of character but this one had totally escaped her. She looked to Jonathan who could sense her realization and he nodded to her in confirmation.

Derek and Andie appeared baffled, unable to fathom who was behind this. They looked to Jonathan, and then to Stanley, for answers.

Stanley knew the group was getting restless and thought he should share the rest of the facts. "You see, when I looked into Mr. DiMarco's background I found two very interesting things. The first was that he went to college briefly, dropping out after only one semester. But that isn't the interesting part…His college roommate was none other than Michael Sanders!"

"I don't understand," Derek said, unable to piece the facts together. "We already knew that the two of them knew each other. I told you that it was Michael who suggested that we employ DiMarco. What does this prove?"

"Well, there's more…you see, this is not the first time that Mr. DiMarco has been investigated in illegal activities. You already know he spent some time in prison and was released just a few months ago. What you don't know is that he was investigated many years before in a case where murder was suspected, though never proven." He looked at Derek now, and spoke directly to him. "Mr. Sanders, Tony DiMarco is believed to have had something to do with the car accident which claimed your brother and his wife. The police were never able to prove foul play though, and eventually the case was dropped. But apparently they had reason to suspect that your nephew, Michael, had paid Mr. DiMarco to kill his parents and make it look like an accident. It would appear that this isn't Mr. DiMarco's or Mr. Sanders' first foray into murder."

Andie's jaw dropped and she found herself unable to speak, a mere gasp escaping her lips. Derek looked as if he had been physically slapped, though no physical attack could have wounded him as deeply as the knowledge of what his nephew had become.

Derek opened his mouth and at first no words came out. Finally, he uttered a few words. "But…but why wouldn't the police have told me about this?" He drifted away, suddenly remembering something from the past. "Now that I think about it, I do remember the police asking some questions that I thought were a little strange at the time. But they never indicated that they thought there was foul play involved."

Stanley went on. "According to the police records, they received an anonymous phone call from a young man claiming to know both Michael Sanders and Tony DiMarco from college. Said he was a casual acquaintance of them both. Apparently, at a party one night, about a month after the accident, I think, Mr. DiMarco had been drinking and bragged to a few of the others that he had 'taken out' Michael Sanders parents, for a considerable sum of money. Most of them ignored him...he was known to embellish his stories a bit... but this individual phoned the police department with the tip. The police conducted an investigation, but due to the fact that a month had passed they were unable to get any solid leads. The car had already been disposed of and Mr. and Mrs. Sanders bodies had been cremated. The only concrete evidence they only found was a money transfer from Mr. Sanders account into one held by Mr. DiMarco, about a month after the accident, and right after Mr. Sanders would have received the payment on his parents life insurance policy. Mr. Sanders claimed it was payment on a loan and the police couldn't prove otherwise. This wasn't enough to charge anyone with a crime and the police soon after closed the case."

"I can't believe it!" Andie said, her voice fraught with shock. "He killed his own parents!" She left her seat and began pacing the room, in an effort to harness the energy that was surging through her body. Never in her wildest dreams would she have believed that her cousin was capable of such a heinous act.

Derek sat silent, his face buried in his hands. Jennifer and Jonathan couldn't begin to comprehend the pain that he was feeling at that moment. The man whom he had loved and entrusted like a son wasn't at all what he appeared to be.

Andie pulled herself out of her own pain for a moment and looked at Derek, knowing his suffering was far greater than her own. All at once, she felt the guilt for having wrongly accused him of unthinkable crimes. She had been so sure that he was behind all of this. It hadn't been her fault though, had it? All of the evidence had pointed directly at him. They had never had a good relationship but now it was surely beyond repair. She had accused him of trying to murder her. Unsure of how Derek would react to her sudden change of heart, she approached him slowly, taking a seat beside him and reaching out to touch his hands, which still remained tightly pressed against the skin of his face. He looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears, and quickly pulled her into his arms. The two of them embraced, something they had never done before with such intensity. Andie was sobbing now and Derek held her close, her face pressed against his chest as he stroked her hair to comfort her. At this moment, they felt like father and daughter.

Without a word, the Harts and Stanley excused themselves from the room and slipped away onto the terrace. The fresh air felt good to them both after the stifling tension of the past few minutes.

"Nice work, Stanley." Jonathan complimented his loyal and dedicated employee. "There isn't anything else you needed to tell me, was there?"

Sensing his cue to leave, Stanley responded, "No, that's it, Mr. Hart. I'm still looking into Michael Sanders background though and if I find anything else, I'll let you know. I'll be on my way now."

"Thanks Stanley." With those words, Stanley made his exit, leaving Jonathan and Jennifer alone on the terrace.

She quickly moved into his arms, feeling the need to be close to him after what had just transpired. She couldn't explain this need, but somehow it just felt right to be there. The smell of the sea air filled her senses and the gentle winds reminded her of a place far away. She wished they could escape to that place at that moment, but reality drew her back. Her only concern was Andie. She had already been through so much and now this. And then there was Derek. She and Jonathan had been so sure he had been involved. How would they ever make this right? She looked up at Jonathan, who stared off into the distance, and wondered what he was planning. She knew her husband well enough to know that he wouldn't let this thing go until Max's daughter was safe.

Jonathan kissed the top of her head lightly and pulled away. His thoughts had been a million miles away as well, but in a different direction. He was already beginning to formulate a plan. A plan that would bring down Michael Sanders once and for all. He just needed a little help.

"We should go check on Andie," he told his wife, nudging her gently. "We need to figure out how to proceed from here. Derek is innocent, or so it appears, but Michael is still a threat. We don't know when he will make his next move."

"You're right," Jennifer said, hesitantly, wishing they could enjoy the outdoor sensations for a bit longer. She had wanted to give Derek and Andie more time alone but that was a luxury they couldn't afford at the moment. Their top priority had to be protecting Andie. She slid the door open and they entered the house, knowing they had a long evening before them.

Derek had been extremely gracious in accepting the Hart's apologies. He understood that they had been acting in Andie's best interest, a cause he couldn't fault. Andie herself had been overflowing with attempts to make amends with her stepfather. Considering the accusations that they had leveled at him in the past few days, he could have been much more hostile toward all of them. The Derek that sat before them now was nothing like the image of him that the Harts had conjured up in their minds.

While the Harts were outside, Derek and Andie had decided to focus on dealing with the pressing matter of Michael's vengeance, rather than trying to repair their relationship. There would be plenty of time for that once Michael was behind bars. They both knew that there were many years of pain and confusion that needed to be addressed, but now was not the time. They had both done things in the past that had deeply hurt the other but they both hoped they could salvage some sort of a relationship between them, even if it was just the beginnings of a friendship.

While Jonathan and Derek began discussing their ideas to prove Michael's guilt, Jennifer and Andie excused themselves and decided to take a short walk in the yard. Andie had been wanting to see the rose garden and Jennifer thought it might just be the break she needed. Even before they rounded the corner of the house where the flowers bloomed, the fragrant aroma signaled their proximity. At first glance, Andie was overwhelmed with their beauty, as most first time visitors to the garden were. They walked along the rows of flowers and Jennifer shared with her the story of Max's creation-the Jennifer Hart Rose. Jennifer loved telling stories of Max, and Andie was an appreciative listener. They paused occasionally, with Andie reaching out to the blossoms and pulling them close to her nostrils to breathe in their scent. The garden had flourished since they had moved to Malibu. Max had positioned them with great care, choosing the location that would provide them with the optimal amount of sunlight, breezes, and mist from the ocean.

They followed the path back up toward the terrace and decided to take a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air before rejoining Jonathan and Derek. They sat down in the lounge chairs that faced the ocean, the occasional light mist that blew in from the water's edge refreshing them and easing the tensions of the day. Andie leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes, and allowing herself to drift away, if only temporarily. She was envious of Jennifer's life, it seemed so perfect. She wondered if she would ever find that kind of happiness, to her it seemed like an enigma, something unattainable that only happened to other people.

She sat up, opening her eyes slowly, as if she were unwillingly reentering the real world. Jennifer had been watching her and smiled slightly as Andie turned to face her. The two women felt close to each other, a bond that had been created through their connection to Max, as well as a genuine liking for each other. Even if they had met under different circumstances, they both felt as if they would have become close friends.

"Where did you go to?" Jennifer asked, unsure if she should pry into Andie's inner thoughts. "I mean…you just looked really peaceful…maybe it's none of my business."

Andie smiled at her, a laugh escaping her lips. "Actually, I was thinking about you and Jonathan. You seem so perfect for each other, so happy. I was wondering…hoping actually…that I would find that kind of happiness some day."

"You will, Andie. It'll happen when you least expect it! At least that was how it happened for us." She proceeded to tell Andie the story of her early encounters with Jonathan. She loved telling the story of how she and Jonathan first met in London so many years before. Andie was fascinated by the story of intrigue and romance and she was now beginning to understand Jennifer's comment about how she and Jonathan didn't need Andie to find themselves in the midst of trouble. Their life certainly seemed exciting, maybe even a bit too much so for Andie's taste.

"What about you, Andie?" Jennifer asked. "Have you ever been involved with someone special?" Since the very first moment they had met Andie, things had been happening at too rapid a pace for her to stop and ask very much personal information about her. She hoped Andie wouldn't find her inquisitive nature too nosy, the last thing Jennifer wanted to do was to offend her new friend.

"There was someone once but it didn't work out. We talked about getting married but I guess it just wasn't right. He was nice enough but I just didn't feel the 'sparks' that I thought should be there if I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Maybe I've always been a dreamer but I always believed there should be something more…something magical…like what you and Jonathan have. But maybe that doesn't happen for everyone." Her voiced faded as she finished her thought, as though she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never find what she had searched so long for.

"Never give up, Andie. He's out there somewhere. And when you find him, you'll be glad you waited." She spoke reassuringly, a tone of authority to her voice that almost caused Andie to believe that happiness was just around the next corner.

After a few more minutes of relaxation, Andie and Jennifer decided that they had put off the inevitable for long enough. Derek and Jonathan had been inside talking about a game plan to end this nightmare and they felt they should lend their support. Andie was anxious to be free of the fear which had been hanging over her head for so many months and Jennifer wanted them all to be out of danger as quickly as possible. Maybe after this was over she and Jonathan would still be able to find a few days to sneak away to New York. After this, they would need the time away to unwind more than ever.

Tony DiMarco was becoming restless in the tiny confines of his LA county jail cell. He was feeling claustrophobic and edgy. After his previous stint in prison, he had promised himself that he would never again relive this feeling of a caged animal. He had used his one phone call to speak with his old buddy, Michael, who had reassured him that he would figure out a way to get him released. So far though, there had been no sign of Michael or the bail money. Damn him! He had kept his promise and kept his mouth shut. Lieutenant Grey had grilled him for hours and he had remained silent. For what? To protect Michael? He was seriously wondering if he had made the right decision. It was time for Tony DiMarco to start worrying about Tony DiMarco.