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Is an omission the same as lying?  John soon finds out.




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


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All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

 

The JOVAN Saga – A Collection of One-Shots

 

 

Chapter 14 What you didn’t say

 

John leaves Evangeline asleep in his bed and goes to the police station.

 

‘My goodness I didn’t realize that I was that tired.  Where’s John, oh he must have gone to the station.  Well let me take a shower and get back to my apartment and change and go to my office to get some work done.  That shower felt good so now I can get dressed.  My clothes are hanging up in John’s closet.  I really need to hurry.  Oops I knocked down one of John’s boxes.  What is this?’

 

Recognizing the report I read it and find that it is the DNA results for the John Doe who claimed to be Cristian Vega.  The report reveals that he is Cristian Vega.

 

‘I can’t believe this.  John has known all of this time that the man in prison for killing Tico Santi is the real Cristian Vega.  Why didn’t he tell anyone?  Of course he didn’t say anything because of Natalie.  What a fool I have been telling this man that I love him when all along he has known that Natalie’s husband is locked in a maximum-security prison.  Where is my phone so that I can take pictures of this report and return it to the box and put the box back on the shelf?  Since John didn’t see fit to tell me the results of the DNA test then I won’t tell him that I know the results.  Let me get out of here.’  

 

I get dressed and make it out of John’s apartment before he returns.  Driving in my car so many thoughts run through my head and I know what I must do.  Arriving at my office I call the prison and request a meeting with John Doe.  The warden readily agrees and I drive there in haste.  Upon arrival I make my way to the meeting room and wait for John Doe, really Cristian Vega, to arrive.  Taking the phone I say to him,

 

“I don’t know you very well Mr. Vega but it does not make since to spend your life behind bars when it can be avoided.”

 

“So you know who I am.  Why did McBain tell you?  I asked him not to tell anyone.  I want Natalie to live a life not waiting for me.  He promised that he would not tell her.”

 

“Natalie doesn’t know your true identity Mr. Vega and it is very gallant of you to wish to spare her but your loyalty might be misplaced.”

 

“Why are you here Ms. Williamson?  Aren’t you involved with John and won’t this visit negatively affect your relationship.  Natalie is friends with him I know and may even be interested in him.  Are you here to free me so that she is no longer a hindrance in your relationship with John?”

 

“Mr. Vega we don’t know each other.  I never stoop to fight over a man.  If he wants to be with me then he’s with me.  If he wants to be with someone else then he’s free to go.  I will continue to survive without him.  I’m here to help you gain your freedom if that’s what you want.  No one, I mean no one is worth spending the rest of your life behind bars.  And anyway if you know that your wife is interested in another man why would you sacrifice your life for her?  That makes no sense.”

 

“You may be right Ms. Williamson but how can you help me?  I confessed to killing Tico Santi how does you knowing who I am change that?”

 

“It changes a lot Mr. Vega.  When you killed Mr. Santi did you know at the time that you were Cristian Vega?”

 

“No I did not.  My memory only recently returned.  How can that help me now.”

 

“You claimed that you were brainwashed Mr. Vega and if we can prove that then the court may overturn your conviction and vacate your sentence.  This will be expensive.  Do you have any resources?

 

“No I don’t but my brother Antonio will help me.  You can go to him but he can’t tell my mother until I am cleared.  I don’t want her to get her hopes up.  And I still don’t want Natalie to know until I’m cleared.”

 

“That’s your choice Mr. Vega.  I will talk with Antonio and gain his assistance in this matter and swear him to secrecy.  You also should not tell anyone that I am trying to free you.  Whoever brainwashed you may still have you under surveillance.  Just explain my visit as one of gathering information for another case.  Do not inform John that I know about your true identity.”

 

“Why shouldn’t I tell John that you know?  Didn’t he tell you who I am and that is why you are here? 

 

“I won’t lie to you Mr. Vega, no John did not tell me about you.  I had my own ways of getting the information.  Will you do as I say and keep this to yourself?”

 

“Yes I will Ms. Williamson.  Thank you for helping me.  Will you come again to visit me?”

 

“I don’t think that would be wise it may cause too many questions.  Tell me all that you remember I will take notes and go from there.”

 

We sit and he tells me everything that he remembers.  I take my notes and make some additional suggestions to him on how to handle his time in prison.  Leaving I feel sorry for him but glad that he trusts me.  On the drive back to Llanview I have time to develop a strategy on how to handle his case.  First I need to meet with Antonio so I call him and he agrees to meet me this evening.

 

On arrival at my office my secretary informs me that Lt. McBain stopped by to see me.  I laugh to myself, ‘I just bet he did’.  Antonio arrives and I instruct my secretary to hold all of my calls and not to let anyone in while I meet with Antonio.  I tell Antonio that his brother Cristian is alive and is the John Doe in prison.  I do not tell him how I found out but instead tell him that I guessed it and went to confront the John Doe in prison and he confirmed that he is Cristian Vega and asks that Antonio help him.  I explain to Antonio that he cannot visit Cristian because that would draw attention to his true identity and until we find out who brainwashed Cristian it is better if everyone continues to think that he is an imposter.  Antonio agrees with all of my suggestions and tells me that he will release whatever funds needed to clear his brother.  I tell him that I will put my private investigator (PI) on the case as soon as the funds are available.  He calls his bank at that time and has an account set up and he will pick up the card affiliated with that account and bring it back for me to use and the checkbook.  He leaves and thirty minutes later returns with all that I need.  Contacting my PI he gets right on the case and stops by to pick up the card and cash and says that he will let me know how he progresses.  Antonio seems satisfied and leaves.

 

With that out of the way I work on my other cases.  My secretary leaves for the day and I stay to finish up some files.  Hearing a knock at my office door I ask who it is.  I already know that it is one John McBain.  He hasn’t seen me all day and the last time that he saw me I was in his bed asleep.  He probably wants to know if I’m coming to his apartment tonight.  Not wanting to see him but knowing that if I don’t he will get suspicious I have a story all ready to tell him why I won’t be available for the next several weeks.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“It’s John Evangeline.  Open the door.”

 

My door is locked when I’m alone on the floor so I go and unlock it and allow him to enter.  Acting like nothing is wrong I wait for him to start the conversation.

 

“Why are you working so late?  Did you get any of my messages and did your secretary tell you that I stopped by?”

 

“John I’ve been up to my neck in files and work all day.  Didn’t have time to reply.  What brings you this way tonight.”

 

“I thought that we might pick up some dinner and go back to my place.”

 

“John today has been a whirlwind for me and I just got this new case that will take up my time for the next few weeks so I don’t think that you will see much of me until I finish it.”

 

“Wow what is it, maybe I can help you with it?”

 

“John thanks for the offer but I think that I have everything covered.  I really do need to get back to work so if you will excuse me.”

 

“Okay I know how it is to have a tough case so I will let you get back to it.  Can I call you tomorrow and maybe we can do lunch?”

 

“I don’t think so John.  Like I said I will be very busy for the foreseeable future.  When I get a break maybe I can call you, what about that?”

 

“If that’s all I going to get I guess it will have to do.  Bye.”

 

“Bye John.”

 

He leaves and I lock the door behind him.  I hope that he hears me locking the door.  Working late into the night I do make progress on my other cases and after a few more hours head home.

 

It takes two months to get everything settled.  My PI finds that Carlo Hesser is the mastermind behind Cristian’s kidnapping and brainwashing.  When the court becomes aware of the injustice done to Cristian Vega they readily overturn his conviction and vacate his sentence.  It is front-page news in both the Banner and the Sun newspapers.  Antonio goes to get his brother from the prison and takes him home for a reunion with his mother.  I decline to attend and instead go home and open my own bottle of champagne for a job well done.  After so many weeks of burning the candle by both ends finally I sleep peacefully through the night.

 

In the morning I wake to a bright sunny day and decide to go for a run.  The run invigorates me and I return to my apartment, shower, dress and prepare to head to my office to start another day.  Opening my apartment door to leave I run right into John.

 

“Going somewhere?”

 

“Yes John I’m going to work so if you will excuse me I need to go?”

 

“May I talk with you for a moment?”

 

“I guess that I can delay my departure.  Come on in.  What do you want to talk about John?”

 

“When did you find out that John Doe was the real Cristian Vega?”

 

“What difference does it make now John?”

 

“I just want to know if that is why you haven’t spoken to me in over two months.  That was the case you were working on when I stopped by your office and you said that you would be busy for the foreseeable future.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Why would I tell you John you already knew who he was?”

 

At that moment he looks at me shocked.  He now realizes that I know that he knew all along that John Doe was the real Cristian Vega.

 

‘I didn’t tell you because he asked me not to tell anyone.  I wasn’t trying to keep it from you I was just doing what he asked.  It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

 

“John come on you don’t really expect anyone to buy that c*** that you’re selling do you?  ‘It wasn’t your secret to tell’, give us a break.  You are an officer of the court and you withheld vital evidence in a case that sent a man to prison.  You had an obligation to tell the truth which you did not.  Technically the district attorney could bring you up on a charge of obstruction of justice but now that Cristian is free what’s the use.  Justice has now been served but with no help from you.”

 

“So what does that mean for us?  Have you been avoiding me because I didn’t tell you about Cristian?”

 

“Tell me this John if I had kept such a secret from you how would you react?  Would you stay with me knowing that you cannot trust me?”

 

“I can’t answer that Evangeline.  If you didn’t tell me something I would figure that you had a good reason not to tell me.  As to whether I would remain in a relationship with you I think that I would because I want to be with you.”

 

“Why because you like the sex or because you want to be with me?

 

“I am not with you for the sex Evangeline.  I want to be with you.”

 

“But I don’t believe you John.  What you didn’t say about Cristian was like lying to me and I can’t stand liars.  I don’t want to be with someone who lies to me and I can’t trust.  You’ve lost my trust John and in my gut I think that you kept Cristian’s secret because it gave you a clear shot to Natalie.  I’m not saying that you would have acted on it or not but it was like an ace in your pocket.  That way you didn’t have to decide to stay with me because you had Natalie as an option.  I don’t play seconds to anyone.  I told you before John when Cristian confessed to killing Tico that if you want her instead of me then go to her.  You weren’t honest with me and you haven’t been honest to me since you received those DNA test results.  So let’s spare each other any more of these scenes.  I don’t trust you John and I don’t want to be with you.  There is no longer any ‘us’.  We ended when you chose to lie to me.  Goodbye John.”

 

I walk him to and out the door and do not give him the time to respond.  I make it to my office and start my workday with that weight off my shoulders.  Who says all is fair in love is wrong.  Love is not fair sometimes but I am glad that I found out that this love was not true before I reached the point of no return. 






Chapter End Notes:

Almost to the end of this collection of stories.  Thnx for continuing to read the chapters.







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.