Legacy: The Mark of Merlin. Gerald Pruett

from me?”

      Ellen thought for a second before asking, “How did you learn about Michael’s funeral?”

      “Arthur Bennett went to high school with me and your Uncle Brandon,” Mitchell said. “He called me with the details.”

      Ellen slightly grunted in disgust before saying, “Figures.”

      “May I call you Mitchell?” Jane requested.

      “That is my name,” Mitchell simply said.

      “Okay, well, this is obviously none of my business, Mitchell, but I’m curious to know why you and your father kidnapped your children sixteen… seventeen years ago,” Jane said.

      “It began with Megan… Ella’s mother kicking me out,” Mitchell was only able to get out.

      “Stop calling me by that acronym nickname,” she hissed.

      “Your initials create the name ‘Ella’?” Brandon asked.

      “E-L-A, Ellen Louise Anderson,” she replied.

      “You were saying,” Jane prompted for Mitchell to continue.

      “Anyway, I should’ve known then that Megan was pregnant when she kicked me out,” Mitchell began. Ellen scowled confusingly at Mitchell. “Don’t get me wrong, El... Ellen. Your mom was a great woman, but I had a knack of getting under her skin, and when she was pregnant, she couldn’t stand to be around me.

      “Anyway, I went to my dad’s place to let Megan calm down, and when I got there, I met my dad’s new neighbor who happened to have been a psychic. The guy took one look at me and rattled off some facts about my life, and the fact that particular birds are drawn around where Megan and I live had frightened him. He strongly felt that those birds around my house were a bad omen and that my kids were in mortal danger.

      “Obviously the psychic’s warning had frightened the hell out of me, and when my dad and I went to warn Megan, Megan thought that my dad and I had lost our minds. I was desperate to keep my children safe, so when Megan refused to heed the psychic’s warning, my dad and I left with the kids… and I’m guessing that you know the rest from there.”

      “Now tell them what you had told me when I had visited you in prison,” Ellen prompted. Mitchell gave Ellen a curious look. “How you would get under Mom’s skin.”

      “I’m not the same person I was back then, Ellen,” Mitchell claimed.

      “If you don’t tell them, I will,” Ellen challenged.

      Mitchell sighed before saying, “I lied to Megan about my job and where I would go when I left her sight.”

      “That’s sugarcoating things,” Ellen accused. “Now tell them the non-sugarcoated version.”

      Mitchell stared unemotionally at Ellen before saying, “I told Megan that I clean things for a living… which wasn’t exactly a lie because I did clean things. My father and I cleaned up after Clayton Seawall…”

      “Clayton Seawall?” Jane questioned quickly. “The drug lord-slash-weapons dealer who went to prison several years back?”

      “Slash-gangster-slash-murderer,” Ellen added.

      “He wasn’t a gangster per se, but yes,” Mitchell said. “He was who I had worked for, and although I had never deliberately killed anyone, my job consisted of disposing of bodies and making sure that those bodies were never found. When my kids were killed, the DA offered me a plea bargain. If I testify against Clayton Seawall and tell where I had disposed of the bodies, I would get an extremely reduced sentence, and that’s just what I did. I did thirteen years in prison. I’m now out and I have a legitimate job, working in a warehouse in Independence, Missouri.”

      Ellen wrinkled her nose while rhetorically asking, “Ew, you live that close to me?”

      “If you give me half of a chance, Ellen, I can help you,” Mitchell assured her.

      “How can you help me?” Ellen quickly asked.

      “You’re apparently looking for something that is called ‘our family’s Legacy’. I don’t know where it is or what it is, but I can check the records and find out where in Saint Louis my grandparents… your great-grandparents were living while they were alive.”

      “I can do that myself,” Ellen pointed out.

      “Do you even know the names to your grandparents and great-grandparents?” Mitchell asked.

      “It shouldn’t be difficult to look up,” Ellen said.

      “I know their names, Ellen,” Mitchell pointed out.

      “I’m happy for you,” Ellen retorted.

      “I can help you, Ellen,” Mitchell insisted.

      “I don’t want anything from you or from your brother,” Ellen quickly said.

      “You would rather take the long road than come to me for the answer?” Mitchell questioned.

      “I would climb Mount Everest and ask Guru before I’ll ask you for anything, and I have no current plans to climb Mount Everest,” Ellen retorted.

      “You’re just as stubborn as your mother.” When Ellen just stared apathetically at him, he sighed before he continued with, “Fine; you win. I’ll leave you be. But before I leave, here’s the information you’ll need.” Ellen just gave him a curious look. “Felix and Gloria Anderson are your great-grandparents from Saint Louis. Your other great-grandparents are Aaron and Katie Clancy—those two are from here. Alexander and Holly Anderson are your grandparents’ names, and of course you know my name.” After hearing the names, Ellen continued to stare apathetically at him. After a second of waiting for a response, Mitchell nodded. “Right. Bye, Ellen.”

      Again when Ellen didn’t respond after a second of waiting, Mitchell turned and walked away into the cemetery without saying another word.

      “Bye,” Brandon told everyone.

      “Bye,” Jane replied. Everyone else, except for Ellen, gave him either a slight wave or a nod. Ellen just stared indifferently at him.

      Brandon slightly nodded before he turned and hurried to catch up to Mitchell.

      When Ellen looked at Harris, he told her, “As to how tightly you can hold on to grudges, remind me not to offend you.”

      “I’m not forgiving him for what he had done,” Ellen quickly retorted.

      “He’s obviously filled with remorse and regret, and most likely, he hasn’t had a good night sleep since it had happened…” Harris was only able to get out.

      “Good!” Ellen interrupted with. “He doesn’t deserve to have a moment of peace over his actions.”

      “Ellen!” Jane uttered to grab her attention. When Ellen looked, she continued with, “A renowned psychic had just told me that Sonya is going to die if she doesn’t leave that hospital right this moment.”

      “That’s not funny!” Ellen shot at her.

      “You’re right, it’s not funny,” Jane quickly agreed. “But what would be your honest reactions if it was true?”

      Ellen stared annoyingly at Jane for a moment before saying, “I don’t know.”

      “I believe you do know,” Jane accused. “I believe you would do what it took to keep Sonya safe. I believe you would do something similar to what your father had done.”

      “I’m nothing like my father,” Ellen insisted.

      “Putting your father’s criminal activities to the side, I truly believe that your father thought that he was doing the right thing for your brothers and sisters at the time,” Avery told Ellen.

      “Sister,” Ellen corrected. “I would’ve