Anthony stared at Valerie while she composed herself.
She slowly shook her head and continued, “As God is my witness, I never thought he’d go after that poor child. He knew she wasn’t his biological daughter, but she was still his stepdaughter. She was raised thinking Van was her father.” Looking thoughtful, she added, “But maybe somebody who is a product of real incest doesn’t see having sex with their underage stepdaughter as incestual.”
Anthony frowned in disbelief. “Van was a result of an incestual relationship?” he asked, unable to mask his surprise.
“Van's parents were brother and sister," Valerie replied directly, leaving no question.
"Does Christy know?" Anthony asked in a low voice.
Valerie nodded. "Bobbi told me she'd confronted Van in his office. After he stormed out, she found Christy hiding in the closet. So, yes, Christy knows. She was young, so whether she remembers it or not, I can't say."
This explained a lot. Christy definitely remembers, Anthony thought.
Valerie folded her hands in her lap before continuing. "Anyway, when Bobbi found out Van's family secret, she didn't like it. As always, she was able to sweep it under the rug." A beat passed. “Until he got Christy pregnant.”
Anthony sat straight up. “Bobbi knew that Van got Christy pregnant?”
“I don’t remember how she found out, but when she did, she went ballistic. She realized then that she’d been wrong in her hasty attempt all those years earlier to keep Van around by marrying him off to her daughter, thereby ruining Vivian’s relationship with Patrick Slade in the process. Christy’s pregnancy is when Bobbi finally came to her senses and she decided it was time to get Van out of the picture without burying him. She wanted to avoid a family scandal for Christy’s sake and so she was going to use the auto theft ring to bring Van down.”
Anthony’s eyes widened.
“I know who you are and what you do with the automobiles, Anthony. Right before she died she was going to call in a tip on her own dealership and have it all lead back to Van.” She smiled at him knowingly. “Sorry, but you would’ve been collateral damage.”
Anthony narrowed his eyes. “You know about the auto theft ring?”
“Who do you think set it up?” She smiled.
“Why haven’t you called in a tip of your own?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. He was feeling somewhat grateful that Bobbi’s death had allowed him to dodge a bullet.
“I would have if Bobbi’s autopsy showed any signs of foul play. I would’ve assumed someone involved in the ring figured out what she was going to do and offed her. When the results showed that she wasn’t murdered, I didn’t pursue it.” She raised her chin.
“Christy told me that Vivian had Bobbi cremated before an autopsy was done,” he replied. He couldn’t hide his skepticism.
“C’mon, Anthony. You as well as anyone with your background and connections knows that anything can be bought. Since Vivian didn’t authorize an examination of Bobbi’s remains, I had to find someone who would handle it before the cremation. The only person who received a copy of those results was me.” Seconds ticked by. “Bobbi Bowen died of a brain aneurysm.”
The room grew quiet as the two stared at each other. It was a lot of information, and Anthony was digesting it when Valerie spoke.
“Yes, Bobbi really died of an aneurysm. Unlike Van’s heart attack on the toilet.” She gave him a knowing smile. “I was always disappointed in the fact that he left this world so easily. I find comfort in knowing that certain people aren’t afraid to do what’s right. That they know how to take things into their own hands.”
She knows, he thought. She knows, and she approves. He liked her even more than he’d originally thought. He gave a faint nod, and without breaking from his gaze, Valerie added, “And you know the rest.”
Yes, he knew the rest. He leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. Looking at the floor, he asked, “Did Vivian know that Abby was Van’s child?”
“Probably. But I honestly don’t know,” came Valerie’s soft response.
He looked up, and his expression startled Valerie. His eyes had somehow gotten darker, and he leveled a severe look at her. “Did it ever occur to you to tell Christy when she got pregnant that Van wasn’t her father?”
Valerie relaxed then. “I didn’t have to, Anthony. Bobbi assured me that she was going to tell Christy before the baby was born.” As if a light bulb went off, her face softened, and he saw honest regret in her eyes when she said, “Unless Bobbi died before she told her. Oh no. That never occurred to me. That poor girl has suffered all this time thinking that she gave birth to her father’s child. I’m so sorry, Anthony.”
He knew she was telling the truth and didn’t press her. He’d heard everything he needed to hear. He would go home and share it all with Christy. She didn't only have the right to know, she needed to know. He stood and thanked Valerie for her time. As an afterthought, he noticed her left hand and the absence of a ring.
“So, what about you? With all the drama of the Bowens and Chapmans, you ever settle down? Have a family of your own?”
She stood too and looked wistful. “I only ever had eyes for one person and even though we were together, I always played second fiddle in public. And I was okay with that.”
“Seems like you should’ve demanded more, Valerie,” he told her. His voice held a tone of warmth she hadn’t expected.
“It was a different time. People like me had to keep who we loved hidden. Especially who I loved.”
She smiled when his expression changed from one of bewilderment to one of recognition.
“I was just out of high school when Bobbi hired me and like I told you before, she liked them young. I consider myself lucky that she kept me around. We were together up until she died.”
Christy leaned back against Anthony’s workbench. “I know you’ve always thought that we were mismatched. That I was too good to be with you. You never said it, other than your occasional heiress and criminal comments, but I’ve seen it in your eyes and I’ve always thought the complete opposite. I considered my dysfunctional background and my old hang-ups as being the weight in our marriage.”
“I’m a bad man, Christy. You know that. It carries a weight no matter how you try to spin it.”
She looked away and said, “And you know I’m not completely innocent, Anthony. You know what I’ve done.” She turned back to his workbench and fiddled with the tiara. “How long did you tell me it took you to figure it out?” she asked.