Flawed Creatures

No Good, Very Bad -19-

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" She waved her arms about as though she were a bird on the verge of taking flight. "This is a no good, very bad idea, Ellie. I put my foot down. You can't do it."

Ellie lifted one eyebrow, its twin quick to join in. "You put your foot down? Robbie, I love you, but you are not the boss of me. I am fully capable of making my own decisions and that is what I've decided to do."

Robyn was shaking her head before her friend could finish what she needed to say. Having put everything back except one photograph of Pauline, the envelope containing Cara's baby pictures and the film reel along with Pauline's letter to her daughter, they locked up the house and currently sat in Robyn's car in the parking lot of a nearby park. She encouraged Ellie to pull into the park they were about to pass when she shared the next phase of Operation Blowout, which involved returning tomorrow to straight out ask Dennis if she could keep the film reel to give to Cara on her birthday.

"What do you expect will happen, huh?" Throat cleared, Robyn proceeded to speak in a voice meant to mimic Ellie's yet if she were critiqued the results would not be in her favor. "Hey, Mr. Mackintosh. You might not know me, but I'm friends with your daughter. Coincidentally, I just discovered by unlawfully using a key I stole to enter your residence and rifling through your private belongings that my mother was good friends with your late wife. Winifred Temple. You remember her? Anyway, while going through your things without your permission my friend and accomplice Robyn and I found the film reel meant for Cara. Since you've had it for nearly eighteen years I'm thinking you don't have any plans to give it to her, therefore, I was wondering could I?"

When Ellie opened her mouth she held up a hand. "Based on what we know about this man he is bound to be pissed off. Not only that two people he doesn't know have been in his room, but that we stole the film reel, which is probably the last or only moving visual he has of his late wife. We know he's hit Cara. What do you think he'll do once you tell him that? You're not confronting him. It won't do any good. You know why? Because there's no reasoning with the devil."

Since she lowered her hand and a few seconds passed without another word passing her lips, Ellie felt comfortable attempting speech, that time successful. "What did you think would happen when I decided to take the reel?"

Robyn shrugged. "No idea. Didn't think you'd tell Dennis what we did." When Ellie promised to leave her out of it she narrowed her eyes. "That is not my issue. I'm in this with you one-hundred percent and I'm worried about you not myself."

"I'm sorry, Robbie." Sighing, she combed her fingers through her hair. "Look, the way I see it there are three choices. We could drive back to his house and put the reel back meaning Cara probably wouldn't receive it. We could hold on to the reel and pray Dennis doesn't realize it's missing. However, if he does he could assume Cara found it and then take it out on her. Or I could just try the truth and explain to him, try to convince him that Pauline meant for their daughter to have that reel."

"And if he doesn't agree?"

"I'm not returning it." Ellie wore the most determined expression of her life. She also thought this might be a no good, very bad idea, but the remaining choices wouldn't do. One way or another Cara would get to view what was on that reel despite how Dennis felt about it. If he ended up giving her a difficult time tomorrow he could just go screw himself and if he placed one angry finger on her she wouldn't hesitate to call the police. If he was arrested and the police believed he was an abusive parent Cara wouldn't need to worry about him because he couldn't hurt her behind bars. The downside was she might be sent to foster care, but fortunately, in a few weeks she would be eighteen and allowed to make her own decisions. "Don't know what will happen but I refuse to place that reel back in his hands."