Lost Love by BillieK26

– Ch 11

----------

A few days later, John was going into the diner and ran into Natalie.

"Hey, John."

"Hey, Natalie. How are you?"

"I’m good. How are you?"

"I’m good, just trying to get some lunch before I meet Evangeline."

"How is she?"

"She’s fine. She told me you were taking over the community center event from her. She was glad that you were able to do it."

"It’s going to be a great event. She did a lot of the work before I took over."

"I know how much she wanted it to be a success."

"It will be. How is Dani? Is she enjoying that stuffed puppy?"

John frowned. He didn’t think anyone knew about the puppy. He said, "Dani is fine. How did you know she had a stuffed puppy?"

"Oh, Evangeline must have mentioned it or I saw it the other day."

"Really? Well, she really likes the puppy."

"Well, I guess I better let you go so you won’t be late meeting Evangeline. I’ll see you later."

"Yeah, I’ll see you," he said watching her as she walked around the corner. That was weird. How did she know about that puppy? That didn’t seem like anything Evangeline would have mentioned when she was with Natalie. Maybe she did see the puppy, but Dani was staying at his Mom’s. Did she leave the puppy at home or take it with her? He’d have to ask Evangeline when he saw her.

----------

-----------

"Hello"

"Hi, Evangeline, do you know who this is?"

"Sure, I do. What can I do for you?"

"I need to meet you and talk about some of those plans for the event."

"Really, I’m about to meet John."

"I only need a few minutes of your time. Could you spare me just a few?"

She looked at her watch, "I guess I can meet you first. Where is the best place to meet?"

"I’m just coming back into Llanview from Philadelphia now. Could you meet me at the pier? I know it’s not the best place to meet, but it’ll be a central location."

"Sure, how soon will you be there?

"About 10 minutes."

"I’ll see you there, Natalie," Evangeline said and put the phone back in its cradle.

Evangeline left the house. She checked with the officer outside the house, when she couldn’t reach John. She left him a message, but she didn’t know if her phone would work at the pier. The officer had wanted to go with her, but she declined. She would be fine. She was meeting Natalie at the pier and then she was meeting John. She just wanted someone to know, so that John wouldn’t worry.

----------

When John got back to the station, Evangeline wasn’t there. He would have checked his cell phone, but somehow in all the commotion of a new case that had come in a couple of days ago, he’d forgotten to charge it. It was charging right now. When he called the house, he didn’t get an answer. Maybe Evangeline was on her way to him.

Fifteen minutes later, when she still hadn’t made it to the station, John checked with Danny, the officer that was still watching the house, against Evangeline’s wishes.

"Danny, this is John McBain. How’s it going?"

"It’s going fine. No one’s been to the house."

"That’s good. I’m trying to call home. Evangeline isn’t answering the phone. Could you walk up to house and check on her?"

"Sir, she’s not home. She left 10 or 15 minutes ago."

"What do you mean, she left? She should be here by now if it was that long ago."

"No, she wasn’t coming to meet you. She was meeting Ms. Vega at the pier. Didn’t you get her message?"

"No, I didn’t. Ms. Vega? Carlotta? For what?"

"No, not that Ms. Vega; Natalie Vega. She was meeting her at the pier about the community center event. I tried to get her to let me go with her, but she wouldn’t."

"Yeah, she’s hardheaded," he said quietly almost to himself. Why would Natalie want to meet Angie at the pier? I should at least check it out. He then said to Danny, "Danny, thanks for the info. I’ll go to the pier and check it out."

"Okay, do you want me to do anything?"

"Just stay where you are. I’ll check back with you later," John said and went to Antonio’s desk, "Antonio, I’m going to the pier. Evangeline is meeting Natalie there and something about it just doesn’t feel right."

"I can’t believe she’d want to talk to Evangeline right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, Cristian just served her with divorce papers, yesterday."

"Really, why? I thought they were happy."

"Well, he was happy until she told him, she still loved you."

"What? Where did that come from?"

"John, I don’t know. She’s been acting strange for a few weeks now. I don’t know what’s going on with her."

"Oh, my God," John said and ran out of the police station.

-----------

Evangeline got to the pier and didn’t see Natalie. She sat on the bench looking at the water remembering her and John’s first real date. They had come out on the pier after going to Evangeline’s first football game. She loved football now and it was nice to remember the times she and John had spent together. She had leaned back with her eyes closed for just a moment when she heard footsteps.

"Hi, Evangeline. I’m glad you’re here."

"Hi, Natalie. I hope I can help you."

"I know that you can."

"Well, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Your life."

"What do you mean, my life? I thought you wanted to talk to me about the community center event."

"I knew that was the only way to get you to meet me."

"Natalie, what’s going on?"

"I hate you and I want you gone."

"Natalie what are you talking about?"

"I’m talking about the way you hurt John by leaving and then just came back like nothing happened."

"Natalie, how does any of that affect you?"

"I love John. I always have."

"I thought you and Cristian were happy together."

"We’re getting divorced, because I couldn’t get over John. I wouldn’t have had to get over him if you hadn’t come back. You came back after 4 years and John forgot about everything but you; you and Dani. I can’t let you keep him. You never should have been given another chance. John could have learned to love me, if it wasn’t for you."

"Natalie, John and I love each other and we have a daughter together."

"I know it. She’s precious. I’m glad she liked the stuffed puppy I got for her."

"That was you. You threatened my daughter."

"I wouldn’t have hurt Dani. She’s a beautiful little girl. I just wanted you gone. I thought if you got those threatening notes, you’d leave like you did before, but no that this time. You stayed and saw John falling more and more in love with you, when he should have been with me."

"But you threatened my daughter. You threatened an innocent child. How could you do that?" Evangeline asked advancing on Natalie.

Natalie pulled a gun from her pocket, "Don’t move, Evangeline. I will kill you. You mean nothing to me. I will comfort John after you’re gone."

"Do you think he won’t figure this out? The police know I’m here with you."

"You’re lying. You just want me to let you go."

"Natalie, if you kill me, John will never forgive you."

"Natalie, she’s right," John said coming into view behind Evangeline.

"John, you have to believe that I’m doing this for us. She will never hurt you again," Natalie told John.

"Natalie, I love her. If you hurt her, you hurt me."

"No, John. You’ll get over her. You have to. I love you."

He moved closer and pushed Evangeline behind him. He couldn’t let Natalie hurt her. As he was driving to the pier, he’d called Antonio on his newly charged cell, and told him what he thought was going on. Antonio was on his way, but he needed to diffuse this situation as quickly as possible to prevent injury.

"Natalie, I know you love me. Give me the gun."

"No, she has to die. That’s the only way for us to be together. I’m going to have you one way or another. Move from in front of her. I will hurt you to get to her."

"Natalie, give me the gun," John pleaded.

"Natalie, don’t hurt John," Evangeline said moving from behind him. She knew he would be furious with her, but she couldn’t just stand there and let Natalie hurt him.

"I don’t want to hurt him, but I will if I have to. I just want you gone."

"What if I just leave? Will you leave John and Dani alone?"

"If you leave, I can be with John and Dani. They will be my family. I’ll take good care of them."

"Okay, I’ll leave. Just give John the gun."

"You really think I’m stupid. You won’t leave John. I’ve seen the way you look at him."

"What do you mean?"

"You love him as much as I do."

"That’s why I’d leave. I love him enough to put him ahead of my feelings," Evangeline said. She knew the pain of losing someone she loved. She had been fortunate enough to get John back. Natalie must have felt so empty; to love John and know that he was in love with someone else. If it wasn’t so sad, Evangeline would be furious with Natalie. As it stood, she just felt sorry for her.

"You think I don’t love him that much. I do. I just need him."

"I know, Natalie. I know," she said and glanced at John. He was advancing on Natalie. He was just a foot away when she noticed him and the gun fired.

Back | Chapter 12